1 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:25,719 Speaker 1: And what's up. Guys. 2 00:00:25,879 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to a special bonus episode of Dinner with the Healers. 3 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,479 My name is Eric and if this is your first 4 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,640 time listening to us, we are normally an episode by 5 00:00:36,719 --> 00:00:40,079 episode Blue podcast, where we watch an episode of Blue 6 00:00:40,119 --> 00:00:43,039 and then talk about it and the lessons we learned. 7 00:00:43,719 --> 00:00:47,840 In this special bonus episode, I sat down and talked 8 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,640 with Christopher Menino, the author of Making It Up, a 9 00:00:52,799 --> 00:00:55,079 Revolutionary way to bond. 10 00:00:54,759 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 3: With kids through Play. 11 00:00:56,799 --> 00:01:00,439 Speaker 2: We had a really fun time talking about a book 12 00:01:00,799 --> 00:01:03,719 and the ideas behind it and how it relates to Blue, 13 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,079 and I think that you guys are really going. 14 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:07,599 Speaker 3: To enjoy it. 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: Christopher, thank you so much for being here today. We're 16 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:11,920 glad to have you. 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 4: Thanks so much for having me tell us a little 18 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,840 bit about your book. So Making It Up. This is 19 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,719 a book and a course. They're both out there now, 20 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,319 and the reason I'm on this podcast right now is 21 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,159 because they are a direct response to Blue. About three 22 00:01:30,239 --> 00:01:33,000 years ago, there was a woman who made all of 23 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,560 the Blue fangroups go mad. I was in more than 24 00:01:35,599 --> 00:01:39,519 one of them, and this woman, stay at home mom, 25 00:01:40,599 --> 00:01:44,120 went onto a magazine and was basically saying that she 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:49,359 hated Blue. Because all of a sudden her kids had 27 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,400 unrealistic expectations about parenting. That was kind of the title 28 00:01:54,439 --> 00:01:58,480 of her article, that the healers made parenting unrealistic. And 29 00:01:58,519 --> 00:02:00,799 so I was kind of joking about this with my wife. 30 00:02:01,439 --> 00:02:04,000 We were just laughing, and my wife just looks at 31 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,159 me very you know, my wife is very very I'm, 32 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,159 you know, kind of straightforward at times, wonderful person. But 33 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:12,919 my wife, Rachel, she looks at me. She's just like, well, 34 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,759 you're a writer, and you know what's going on. You 35 00:02:16,879 --> 00:02:19,560 know that there's a lot of improv here. Joe Brumm 36 00:02:19,599 --> 00:02:22,120 and the team are creating these based on all these 37 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,199 theater skills that are what you parent like, but most 38 00:02:25,199 --> 00:02:29,439 people don't. You're a writer, write a book. That's literally 39 00:02:29,479 --> 00:02:32,479 what she said to me, And so that's how the 40 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,599 book starts. It starts as a response to this angry 41 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,520 woman is like, this is impossible, and my wife is like, well, 42 00:02:40,599 --> 00:02:44,639 no it's not. And the truth is is very bluey adjacent. 43 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,639 It's perfect for those fans. And the other thing that 44 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,719 really kind of inspired my method I realized as I 45 00:02:50,759 --> 00:02:55,199 was digging into the editing and the writing of it 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,319 is I realized a lot of my parenting sort of 47 00:02:57,319 --> 00:03:00,840 took shape in the pandemic actually, because all of a 48 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,400 sudden kids were at home. You know, you can't do anything. 49 00:03:03,439 --> 00:03:07,960 The world is closed. We all remember that. Yes, fun 50 00:03:08,159 --> 00:03:12,159 times with fun in quotes. And my background was in 51 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,360 theater too. This is me. I was a theater teacher 52 00:03:15,439 --> 00:03:18,599 as a theater coach, and so I was doing all 53 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:20,719 this theater stuff with my kids. I was using all 54 00:03:20,719 --> 00:03:26,199 these theater techniques on myself and it was like, wow, 55 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,840 this kind of method was born. That yeah, pass forward 56 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,439 to today and that's where making it up really evolves. 57 00:03:34,439 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 2: That's interesting that you say that, because I remember very 58 00:03:37,319 --> 00:03:41,159 specifically when that rant hit the internet and in the 59 00:03:41,199 --> 00:03:47,039 Bluey fandom the ripples through it, and I questioned myself, said, 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,199 I feel like I parent quite a bit like Bandit. 61 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,000 One of the things we joke about on dinner with 62 00:03:53,039 --> 00:03:56,039 the Healers is that he and I could be brothers 63 00:03:56,639 --> 00:04:01,479 because we're very similar with slowing things down and really 64 00:04:01,479 --> 00:04:03,879 listening to what the kids have to say and that 65 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,840 sort of thing. And I was shocked at this person's 66 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,560 revelation about it. But interestingly, when I talked to my dad, 67 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,399 he was watching it with his wife's grandkids, and he's like, 68 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,480 that's show Blewie boy. Those kids think they can get 69 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,720 away with anything now. And I said, well, I guess 70 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,759 maybe that's like a certain slice of life that maybe 71 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,199 does view it like that. So that was interesting to me. 72 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:33,439 But COVID is something that really forced a lot of 73 00:04:33,519 --> 00:04:36,240 changes in people and a lot of introspection. So it's 74 00:04:36,319 --> 00:04:38,920 interesting how that came about for you. Tell us about 75 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:39,959 your theater background. 76 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,199 Speaker 4: Sure, I mean, my degree is in theater education. I'm 77 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,600 for about twenty years I was involved directly in theater. 78 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,839 I'm actually just getting back into it. I just had 79 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,439 a callback audition this Week's my first audition on this 80 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,839 side of the stage in a long time since having kids. 81 00:05:01,879 --> 00:05:04,000 But I've been the director of the playwright and the 82 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,040 theater teacher. Mostly the teacher I taught young kids. I'm 83 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,000 for a couple of years, and I taught young kids 84 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,439 in the summers. I kept going this is mostly in 85 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,920 the Washington, DC area, and then I was running a 86 00:05:15,959 --> 00:05:19,199 wonderful high school theater program, like sort of my dream job. 87 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,920 I six classes a theater. I'm over four levels. We 88 00:05:23,959 --> 00:05:25,920 did a lot of shows. We had a separate improfitruy, 89 00:05:25,959 --> 00:05:30,560 but really a dream program. The downside was when we 90 00:05:30,639 --> 00:05:35,199 had my son on nine years ago. You know, he 91 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,839 was in daycare and I was working twelve hours a day, 92 00:05:39,759 --> 00:05:41,879 five sometimes six days a week. I was always the 93 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,399 first one to school, the last one to leave, and 94 00:05:44,439 --> 00:05:47,199 I was making half of what my wife was making. 95 00:05:47,759 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 3: So we had a. 96 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 4: Long talk and we you know, I became a stay 97 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,680 at home dad after that, and I it was one 98 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,040 of the best decisions I ever made. So my background 99 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,680 was in teaching and in theater and that all pivoted 100 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:03,199 with my my son. And then you know, you talk 101 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,360 about the where does this method come from? Like I 102 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,079 didn't really realize it until the pandemic a few years later, 103 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,360 but suddenly I'm drawing on that theater experience. I'm drawing 104 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,439 on like how can I not feel so isolated? And 105 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,240 as a dad especially I'm not sure where you are, 106 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,000 but where I was in Maryland, Man, every library group, 107 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,920 every playground, there was one dad and it was me 108 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,040 and all the other kids are there with their moms. 109 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,160 And it feels, you know, a little weird. It can be, 110 00:06:35,199 --> 00:06:37,759 and you know, and I had trouble, like, you know, 111 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,480 I wanted to talk to them, but I don't want 112 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,160 them to be scared of me because I I'm male, 113 00:06:41,319 --> 00:06:43,800 and you know, it's it's all those dynamics rolled up 114 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,240 in the one and then the pandemic comes crashing down. 115 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,560 It's like, oh God, what do we do? And so 116 00:06:50,759 --> 00:06:54,279 for me, what I ended up digging into was in 117 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,399 theater method acting, what most people are familiar with, that 118 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,879 is all about using memories to create emotion. You did 119 00:07:02,879 --> 00:07:05,759 this on stage. This is how any screen or stage 120 00:07:05,759 --> 00:07:10,759 actor does it. And I realized I was actually doing 121 00:07:10,839 --> 00:07:14,040 that just to make it through the day, just to 122 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,279 go to these playdates, just to connect with my kids. 123 00:07:17,319 --> 00:07:19,319 And so when I came to editing the book and stuff, 124 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,680 I was like, wait a sec, I got to talk 125 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,959 about that too, because Bluie is great and it's all 126 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,560 improv and fun. That was sort of the first half 127 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,319 of the book. But there's also this other half where 128 00:07:29,319 --> 00:07:32,240 it's like, I want to talk about using memories. So 129 00:07:32,279 --> 00:07:36,040 I call that the anchor technique, and that's what that is. 130 00:07:36,079 --> 00:07:42,360 It's using kind of method acting style memories, these recent 131 00:07:42,439 --> 00:07:45,720 memories to get you through tough moments. Actually, I'm going 132 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:48,120 to give you an example because that ties perfectly into example, 133 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:52,759 right before this interview, my son added tantrum and I 134 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,160 don't even remember what it was about. I was about nothing. 135 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:00,959 It's like pustantrums are right, and in if you know, 136 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,120 rewind a few years, I would get to the point 137 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,959 where things like that would fluster me, or or the 138 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,000 library times and I'm the one Dad would fluster me. 139 00:08:08,079 --> 00:08:10,199 And now it's like I don't even now, I'm the 140 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,600 bandit or chili now. And how do they get to 141 00:08:12,639 --> 00:08:14,560 that level? How do they get to that level where 142 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,079 they're dancing in the street and they're not even faced? 143 00:08:17,399 --> 00:08:21,000 And for me, what works is this anchor technique. I 144 00:08:21,079 --> 00:08:25,759 instantly think of something recent, less than a month ago 145 00:08:26,279 --> 00:08:29,040 that brought me intense joy. And it doesn't have to 146 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,799 be kid rely, it can be, it doesn't have to be. 147 00:08:33,399 --> 00:08:36,960 And so like for me, we just had I live 148 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,840 in Malta. Now we just had Carnival, which is this 149 00:08:40,159 --> 00:08:46,480 five day party before Lent and it's huge, and my 150 00:08:46,519 --> 00:08:48,879 wife and I were at a masquerade. I mean, I 151 00:08:48,879 --> 00:08:50,799 have never been at anything like this. If you've ever 152 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:56,080 seen Fridgerton, we were in Ridgerton for a night in masks, 153 00:08:56,879 --> 00:08:59,600 doing the dancing. I mean, they're playing the Bridgerton music 154 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,320 and everything with with a live protect and so the 155 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,639 second he goes in that tantrum, I'm like, well, I'm 156 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:08,399 just gonna think about that mass breed. I'm happy again. 157 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,679 That's like I'm not even phased. And I think that 158 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,039 really helps. I think that really helps bring you up 159 00:09:15,039 --> 00:09:18,639 to that healer level parenting that that mom can say 160 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,000 is impossible and it's not is very doable. 161 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 2: It's so interesting that you talk about being the only dad. 162 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,559 I during COVID especially, I have a job where I 163 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,759 had the unique opportunity where I could be at home 164 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,720 with the kids, and my wife, Amanda, had a job 165 00:09:35,799 --> 00:09:39,519 where it was considered an essential and so she was 166 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,799 at work all the time, and I spent a ton 167 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,000 of time with my kids and I enjoyed it. I 168 00:09:46,039 --> 00:09:48,879 loved it, and a lot of times like after that, 169 00:09:49,399 --> 00:09:53,159 I would be the only dad at things, for example, 170 00:09:53,159 --> 00:09:55,720 a field trip at the kids' school. I could take 171 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,440 off work and go, and so it would be a 172 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,639 bunch of moms and me, and even if there were 173 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,399 other dads, the other dads a lot of times would 174 00:10:04,399 --> 00:10:07,480 group together and talk about work, and I would spend 175 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:10,320 time with the moms talking about the kids and what 176 00:10:10,399 --> 00:10:13,279 they're up to, and that is such a unique perspective. 177 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,440 I'm glad you brought that up, because it really does 178 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:21,519 present a challenge. And once you realize that it's completely normal, 179 00:10:21,799 --> 00:10:26,759 it's it's our own trepidation that makes it seem not normal. 180 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, and then the idea. 181 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 2: That being free to be yourself is such an important thing. 182 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,600 And I talked to my kids about that a lot. 183 00:10:37,759 --> 00:10:40,759 I remember being young and I was the kid who 184 00:10:40,919 --> 00:10:44,360 was too cool to do things. And I look at Amanda, 185 00:10:44,519 --> 00:10:48,039 my wife, and she is like this free spirit. She'll 186 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,200 dance in the grocery store and embarrass the kids and stuff. 187 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,759 And I told Stella and Henry, the way your mom 188 00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:58,840 is is an enviable thing, and you should feel comfortable 189 00:10:59,039 --> 00:11:01,840 doing that and being that way, because you're not going 190 00:11:01,919 --> 00:11:05,279 to look back later and regret being free. You're going 191 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,559 to look back later and regret putting these confines on yourself. 192 00:11:10,799 --> 00:11:14,279 Speaker 4: I completely agree. There's literally an example in the book, 193 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,600 one of the first examples, I want to say, chapter 194 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,759 one or two, and it's this is a real thing 195 00:11:19,759 --> 00:11:23,240 that happened my daughter. I was shopping with her at 196 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:29,399 Trader Joe's I'm this is in Delaware and she was 197 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,000 three at the time, and you can picture that three 198 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:37,360 major phase where she was like on the cusp of 199 00:11:37,399 --> 00:11:42,080 a meltdown. I'm sure any of my everyone has been there, yep. 200 00:11:42,399 --> 00:11:43,879 And I mean she was there and you could see 201 00:11:43,879 --> 00:11:46,200 all the warning sun, the steam blown out of her ears, 202 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,720 basically like she was right there and we're in the 203 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,799 middle of the grocery store, and I just went full bandit. 204 00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:54,360 I mean, this is one of the things I loved 205 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,559 about Louie right away is it's so dad centered too. 206 00:11:58,039 --> 00:11:59,960 And the dad's not an idiot. This is not Pep 207 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,759 the Pig's dad. This is not Homer Simpson. God, how 208 00:12:03,759 --> 00:12:07,480 many cartoon dads have been like the buffoon right He's 209 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,159 you know, he's goofy, but he's also a great dad. 210 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,919 And so I went full bandit, and I you know, 211 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,919 I brought out my freezer ray and I was using 212 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:17,720 it and I handed it to her, and then I 213 00:12:17,799 --> 00:12:20,279 was doing all these things, and then she had to 214 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,360 melt me in the right there in the supermarket. And 215 00:12:24,519 --> 00:12:26,919 one of the reasons that that memory stood out and 216 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,480 made it into the book is at the end of 217 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:32,519 us playing around and she was laughing, and then we 218 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,240 had fun and she started helping me shop. This random 219 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,440 stranger came up to me a mother and it's like, 220 00:12:40,039 --> 00:12:41,879 you are such a good dad. 221 00:12:42,039 --> 00:12:46,039 Speaker 5: I was like thanks, but you know, it felt kind 222 00:12:46,039 --> 00:12:49,000 of nice and it was like, okay, you know, just 223 00:12:49,039 --> 00:12:51,399 getting out of your comfort zone, just as he said, 224 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,360 dancing in front of people, being able to take those risks, 225 00:12:55,399 --> 00:12:59,639 because I think, ultimately, you know, you matter, and the 226 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:00,440 kid matters. 227 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 4: You know, that bond, that connection matters. Ultimately, does anybody 228 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,600 else really matter in that situation? Do those other shoppers? 229 00:13:08,799 --> 00:13:10,720 You know, does it really matter if you look like 230 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:11,759 a full Not? 231 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:12,159 Speaker 3: Really. 232 00:13:13,159 --> 00:13:15,799 Speaker 2: That's a great way to look at it, because a 233 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:20,240 lot of times we as humans in society are convinced 234 00:13:20,279 --> 00:13:23,279 that everybody around us is analyzing our every move. 235 00:13:23,759 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, they're all looking at me. And when 236 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:26,559 you think. 237 00:13:26,399 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 2: About the realities of that, everybody's thinking that, so they're 238 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,679 not looking at anybody else because they're so inward focused 239 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,120 and not in a narcissistic way. But that's just the 240 00:13:37,159 --> 00:13:41,080 tendency because people are so self conscious about things. But 241 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:46,279 those are the kind of activities that kids will remember forever. 242 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:52,000 And my stepmom told me that my dad had told 243 00:13:52,039 --> 00:13:54,559 her once after visiting us that I wish I had 244 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:59,279 been a dad like Eric is, And that blew my 245 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,519 mind because he grew up in an era where he 246 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,320 did better than his dad did, but he was a 247 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:12,080 lot more stoic and way less demonstrative with his emotions 248 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,159 and that sort of thing. And to know that he 249 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:17,399 said that about my parenting style, it blessed my soul 250 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:21,240 and it made me so happy to know that, because 251 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,080 that is something I have consciously made an effort to do, 252 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:26,320 is be there for my kids in a way that 253 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:27,799 relates to them. 254 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,039 Speaker 3: I can't talk to them like they're adults. They're not adults. 255 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 2: They will understand certain things and remember certain things, and 256 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,440 I know from my perspective there are things that my 257 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:43,240 kids will probably remember forever because I decided to step 258 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:45,240 out of that comfort zone. 259 00:14:45,559 --> 00:14:48,919 Speaker 4: Honestly, that's the method. In a nutshell, that's what I'm 260 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:51,879 going for, is you talk about it. I'm going to 261 00:14:51,879 --> 00:14:54,720 borrow the phrase from inside out that you're creating these 262 00:14:54,759 --> 00:14:58,840 core memories and a lot of those memories with your kids. 263 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,639 When I was first staying at home as a stay 264 00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:05,360 at home dad, I started looking up resources eventually, and 265 00:15:05,399 --> 00:15:08,399 I came across a guy who's now my friend. I'm 266 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,039 Shandon Carpenter, just an internet friend. We've never met, but 267 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,360 he had a book out for stay at home dads, 268 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:18,480 and I had never come across one of those, and 269 00:15:18,639 --> 00:15:24,200 he was encouraging these dad ventures. And I still do 270 00:15:24,279 --> 00:15:27,960 it five years after reading that book. This is becoming. 271 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,240 I just took my last one last week. I make 272 00:15:31,279 --> 00:15:33,120 sure I get one on one time where we will 273 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,679 take some sort of trip, something fun, just one on 274 00:15:36,679 --> 00:15:40,440 one with each kid, and you talk about the core 275 00:15:40,519 --> 00:15:44,120 memories though that you're building, and it doesn't have to 276 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,759 be an adventure, a dad venture, you know. One of 277 00:15:47,799 --> 00:15:54,039 the examples I gave, ironically, and that was honestly really 278 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,879 fundamental to the method, to the book and to me 279 00:15:56,919 --> 00:16:00,000 as a parent, is the first day of homes school, 280 00:16:00,679 --> 00:16:03,519 the first day during lockdown to go back to COVID. 281 00:16:03,759 --> 00:16:07,240 And I remember that day so well, for all the 282 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,000 good and the bad. I'm sure a lot of people 283 00:16:09,039 --> 00:16:14,120 have similar memories. And that day I went like nuts, 284 00:16:14,159 --> 00:16:16,720 like we did. My daughter was born, but she was, 285 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,039 you know, breastfeeding infants, so I didn't really have much 286 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:24,960 time with her. My son and I was. I was like, well, 287 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,960 we're gonna do this, We're gonna do this, We're gonna 288 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:29,200 do it. I mean, we had it. And so the 289 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,519 next day I could barely move because I was so exhausted. 290 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,840 I blew it that way. But one of the things 291 00:16:35,879 --> 00:16:38,000 we did is we went and explored the solar system. 292 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,559 I mean we literally built an entire rocket, got in 293 00:16:41,639 --> 00:16:45,279 it and went to like all the different planets. And 294 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,399 this is what improv is all about. That's this is 295 00:16:48,399 --> 00:16:52,200 what you're seeing in blue is you're seeing improvisation. You're 296 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:57,600 seeing Blui or Bingo come up with an idea, and 297 00:16:57,679 --> 00:17:01,279 we call these bricks in theater and idea. Any type 298 00:17:01,279 --> 00:17:04,880 of unit of information is a brick. This is a 299 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,240 rocket is a brick. To think about, Bluie, We're in 300 00:17:08,279 --> 00:17:11,400 a bus. That's a brick. I'm Janet. That's a brick. 301 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,680 You're the driver. Every single one of those is a brick, 302 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,160 and you go build a wall. That's how you think 303 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,160 of it. An improv is you say yes to their 304 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:20,799 brick and you put a brick on top of it. 305 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:22,680 This is what I was doing with my son. We 306 00:17:22,759 --> 00:17:25,839 built a rocktep. He's like, oh, mill engines are busted. 307 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,279 I was like, that's why we're landing here on Venus. 308 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,119 We're looking for engines going We're doing the whole thing. 309 00:17:32,039 --> 00:17:35,160 But I gotta tell you something, Eric, we still sing 310 00:17:35,279 --> 00:17:37,240 the song we wrote a song because I really was 311 00:17:37,279 --> 00:17:41,039 overdoing it as a teacher, and we still sing the 312 00:17:41,079 --> 00:17:44,680 song though it's been years. He's only nine now, and 313 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,799 it's like around those song we have fun. It's the 314 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,799 stupidest little song, like the Order of the Planets, but 315 00:17:51,039 --> 00:17:55,400 it's such a core memory that it's like, you know 316 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:59,720 this this work, peopill remember this just at our basement 317 00:17:59,799 --> 00:18:03,400 with pillows on the first day of lockdown, Like I 318 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,279 don't know. That's what it's about in my head. Creating 319 00:18:06,319 --> 00:18:08,400 those core memories, creating those bombs. 320 00:18:09,519 --> 00:18:10,599 Speaker 3: That's so cool. 321 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,759 Speaker 2: My kids, we get a lot of that's the same 322 00:18:13,799 --> 00:18:16,200 way because my wife would be the same way with 323 00:18:16,279 --> 00:18:18,640 the kids, and there's a song that she made up 324 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,240 whenever they would brush their teeth and they still remember 325 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,680 it even though they're much older now and they're like, oh, 326 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,319 how embarrassing, but they remember it because it meant something 327 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,200 to them, And what a cool approach. That's so neat. 328 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,559 I'm so glad that you shared that with me. I'm curious, 329 00:18:36,559 --> 00:18:39,480 how did you discover Bluie Oh ma'n. 330 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:42,839 Speaker 4: I am not sure. I think I saw it recommended 331 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,119 on a dad's group. I'm pretty sure you. I'm pretty 332 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,680 sure some people were talking about it. I want to 333 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,680 stay on Facebook. I was in a number of dad's 334 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,200 groups because I was feeling isolated. I was already a 335 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,200 stann out and it kind of feel isolating. I eventually 336 00:18:58,319 --> 00:19:03,079 met one other step dad. I'm he was like in 337 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:03,799 a gay couple. 338 00:19:04,319 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 3: I'm so. 339 00:19:04,759 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 4: He stayed at home law his husband worked. I had 340 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,440 never met until him, and he ended up being a neighbor. 341 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,720 I had never met another stand up dad in person. 342 00:19:13,799 --> 00:19:15,559 I wanted to do the round there. So I went 343 00:19:15,599 --> 00:19:17,440 on the internet and I was like, come on, there 344 00:19:17,519 --> 00:19:19,759 must be other dads and I'm Kip, just be me, 345 00:19:20,599 --> 00:19:24,279 I'm and I yeah, definitely a lot of the dads 346 00:19:24,319 --> 00:19:27,319 were talking about this show. It's like, you got to 347 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,039 check this out, and so I remember checking it out 348 00:19:30,079 --> 00:19:35,440 and one of the first episodes I saw was was 349 00:19:35,519 --> 00:19:39,519 Magic Xylophone, and I was instantly like, wait a second, 350 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,160 because magic Xylophone is freeze is what we call it 351 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,920 in improv, and it is the introductory lesson. So I 352 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,000 used to teach improv, as I said, theater teacher, improv coach, 353 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,000 and when you teach improv, that's the first unit is 354 00:19:55,079 --> 00:19:55,920 that episode. 355 00:19:56,519 --> 00:19:57,279 Speaker 3: And this is one of. 356 00:19:57,319 --> 00:19:59,079 Speaker 4: The first shows I'm seeing a Blue. I'm like, wait 357 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,759 a second, they're just doing freeze and he's turned into show. 358 00:20:02,079 --> 00:20:04,319 And then the more I watched, the more I realized 359 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,880 that and this is true. Ninety eight percent of Blue 360 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:14,519 that is actually true is improvisation. That's how it works. 361 00:20:14,599 --> 00:20:16,920 Almost every episode, Joe is going to take a different 362 00:20:17,079 --> 00:20:21,359 scenario and he's going to have them improvise together. One 363 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,279 of my favorite episodes when it came out that really 364 00:20:25,279 --> 00:20:29,160 blew my mind was Octopus because that was the first 365 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,079 time you take it away from the healers and I 366 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,079 have been like, gosh, this feels like improv. This feels 367 00:20:35,079 --> 00:20:37,759 like improv. And then I really felt like Joe was 368 00:20:37,839 --> 00:20:40,480 acknowledging it to the audience because there's this moment when 369 00:20:40,519 --> 00:20:43,680 clothing her dad. This is the one where Chloe wants 370 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,119 to to parent like Louie's dad and stop and she 371 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,119 wants her dad to and he's struggling, and so they 372 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,880 discover what's the is there saying no, They need to 373 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,160 say yes, which is the foundation of improv need to 374 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,440 build off each others. It's like I I felt like 375 00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:02,799 that was for those of us who know theater, that 376 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,079 was the let's break the fourth wall and acknowledge what's 377 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,799 happening behind the scenes episode. I don't know if that 378 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,920 was its intent or not, but that's how it how 379 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,240 it's to me. But yeah, once I discovered it, I 380 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,240 was hooked. And it's a great show and I've I've 381 00:21:19,279 --> 00:21:20,240 loved it ever since. 382 00:21:20,839 --> 00:21:23,519 Speaker 2: It is amazing. I was shocked at how much I 383 00:21:23,519 --> 00:21:26,559 connected to it. I am a big Star Wars fan 384 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,440 and a lot of my Star Wars friends are from Australia, 385 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:34,680 and because culturally Australians, they travel and so whenever we 386 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,240 would have the big Star Wars conventions, that's how I 387 00:21:37,319 --> 00:21:40,240 met them. And they kept telling me, You've got to 388 00:21:40,279 --> 00:21:43,359 check out this show, Bluie. You would love it, I'm 389 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,400 telling you. And that was right when it was coming 390 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,559 on Disney Plus and I was floored. I was hooked 391 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:55,640 immediately because I identified with bandit so much and just watching 392 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,720 the style of play, watching the respect he showed the 393 00:21:58,799 --> 00:22:02,359 kids and their thought process while still pointing them in 394 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,599 the right direction, not being afraid to have fun, all 395 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,640 of that stuff. It really spoke to me on a 396 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,240 big level. And it's interesting that you talk about that 397 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:14,359 episode Octopus, because it felt very familiar to me. I 398 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,880 do a lot of things that are theater adjacent, and 399 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,200 I have a friend who's big in improv and he 400 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,880 talks about it. It's always yes and yes, and and 401 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,599 I'm like, man, that feels exactly like what he talks about. 402 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:29,279 Speaker 3: So that's how cool is that. 403 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 2: Starting the podcast was just like a random thing, one 404 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,920 of those you know what we should do in moments, 405 00:22:36,079 --> 00:22:37,759 and it just grew from there. 406 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 3: Who is the target audience for your book? 407 00:22:42,079 --> 00:22:46,039 Speaker 4: I would say, I mean, for sure, I'm kids. Blui's 408 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,880 age and Blue fans are big target audience, but it's 409 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,839 parents of kids about three to seven are the super target. 410 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:58,279 But it definitely applies to kids older and there's a 411 00:22:58,279 --> 00:23:01,160 whole section in there, you know, up through middle school. 412 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:07,319 I'm new parents as well. Honestly, anybody wants to connect 413 00:23:07,319 --> 00:23:10,640 with kids. It does connect to teachers too, and my 414 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:14,160 background obviously isn't teaching. So if you're a daycare worker, 415 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:20,200 you're you're elementary teacher something like that. But the primary, 416 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:24,079 the mediast I'm group and the reason I say three 417 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:28,559 to seven most of all, and and it'll you'll definitely 418 00:23:28,559 --> 00:23:32,720 get stuff out of this with older ore kids, but 419 00:23:32,839 --> 00:23:35,599 it's that age and we all remember around the time 420 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,799 they hit three, especially when you're in the why phase. 421 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,880 Not only are they constantly saying why, why, why? 422 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 3: Why? 423 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 4: Why? Not only are they constantly doing that, but they're 424 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,039 also becoming what I like to refer to as a 425 00:23:48,039 --> 00:23:52,599 brick factory, because neurologically their brain is at the point 426 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,400 where they're trying to figure out what is the world? 427 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:00,839 I think born yesterday? In Bluie, I love that they 428 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,759 you know, let's do a role reversal. Let's have him 429 00:24:04,079 --> 00:24:07,640 experience everything from the first time, and you know, just 430 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,119 like band, just like, well, what is this? 431 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 3: What is this? 432 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,319 Speaker 4: Why? He's basically in the why phase, like he's also 433 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,519 dropping ideas NonStop. They actually really did that very cleverly, 434 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,799 And this is the kind of golden moment for this 435 00:24:22,039 --> 00:24:25,920 method and for what Joe's doing in Bluey for saying 436 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,559 yes and for taking these ideas, for building on them, 437 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,920 and for using that as a way to connect with kids. 438 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,880 That would be the definitely the core group. 439 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,559 Speaker 2: One of the things I find so endearing about Blue is, 440 00:24:41,279 --> 00:24:43,880 especially with Bandit because I relate to him as a dad, 441 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,000 is the way he'll slow down and look at things 442 00:24:47,039 --> 00:24:50,079 from a child's perspective. Because if you want to be 443 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:53,480 reminded of how magic the world is, look at it 444 00:24:53,559 --> 00:24:57,480 like a child would. And that episode when he's filled 445 00:24:57,519 --> 00:25:01,160 with wonderment at things because he's slow down and took 446 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,799 a minute to put all of the problems aside and 447 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,240 really look at things through a brand new lens, and man, 448 00:25:09,319 --> 00:25:11,599 that is an exercise that people should get involved in 449 00:25:11,799 --> 00:25:12,480 more often. 450 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 4: It's it's not just the looking at it through their eyes. 451 00:25:16,279 --> 00:25:19,400 The empathies is huge. But what you said just now 452 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,519 putting it, putting everything else aside, and that what I 453 00:25:23,599 --> 00:25:25,759 was mentioning with the anchor is trying to touch on 454 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,559 in the second that's the whole kind of second pillar 455 00:25:28,559 --> 00:25:31,079 of the method. I think that is key. Is he 456 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,480 every episode or chilling what they are pros at, what 457 00:25:35,559 --> 00:25:38,480 they succeed in our models at is they can take 458 00:25:38,759 --> 00:25:42,160 whatever is going on and they put it aside and 459 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,079 they are fully in. They are in the playtime, they 460 00:25:46,079 --> 00:25:49,319 are in the game, whatever, crazy game. It is honestly, 461 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,359 even Pat, I'm in the middle of doing my warning. Okay, 462 00:25:52,559 --> 00:25:55,599 that's out the way to Alien, let's go. You know, 463 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,920 it's that ability to put it all. You know, it's 464 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,960 because we all have other stuff, you know where right, 465 00:26:03,519 --> 00:26:05,839 you know, our spouses or our jobs or the news 466 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,119 or whatever. You know, we all have as adults, other 467 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:14,160 stuff and to be able to take just you know, 468 00:26:14,319 --> 00:26:17,960 ten minutes a day or so and set that all aside, 469 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,960 being like, you know, it's still there, It'll be there 470 00:26:22,039 --> 00:26:25,000 in ten minutes. I'm going to put it aside. And 471 00:26:25,039 --> 00:26:30,440 for these ten minutes, I'm just dad or I'm just mom, whatever, 472 00:26:30,559 --> 00:26:34,400 and you're just in that moment that I think is 473 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:39,000 the truest key to it all and to Bluie too. 474 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:41,920 I think that's why they are such great parents. It's 475 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,160 because they really do. They set it aside and they 476 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:44,839 are all in. 477 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,799 Speaker 2: That's awesome, and that is one of the things I 478 00:26:48,839 --> 00:26:51,720 love so much about the show. In our segment did 479 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,200 we learn Anything Today, we talk about what was the 480 00:26:55,839 --> 00:26:59,559 overarching lesson of this episode and we just started to 481 00:26:59,599 --> 00:27:01,680 rewatch because we reach the end of the episodes where 482 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:03,759 we still love Blue. Let's go back to the top 483 00:27:04,039 --> 00:27:06,599 and talk about how we feel about it now three 484 00:27:06,839 --> 00:27:10,319 or like really almost four years after we first watched 485 00:27:10,319 --> 00:27:13,640 the episodes and talked about them, and the change in 486 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,240 perspective is really cool. But when we get in some 487 00:27:16,319 --> 00:27:19,200 of the early episodes, there might not be a very 488 00:27:19,279 --> 00:27:23,200 specific lesson. Did we learn anything today? But we were 489 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:27,680 just talking about the episode Hotel where Bandit is supposed 490 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,519 to be cleaning the bedroom up, Chili gets in the shower, 491 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,960 and the kids they want to play, and I mentioned 492 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:34,839 that specifically. 493 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:35,599 Speaker 3: I don't think. 494 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,079 Speaker 2: There's a particular lesson, but one thing that you could 495 00:27:39,079 --> 00:27:42,160 take away from it is Bandit new those chores are 496 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,000 going to be there fifteen minutes from now. I can 497 00:27:46,039 --> 00:27:48,799 put that aside and do this right now. Because for 498 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,079 parents out there, if you're a new parent or not 499 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,799 a parent yet, the amount of time that your kids 500 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:59,720 will want to have all of your attention goes away 501 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,440 in what feels like a blink of an eye. They 502 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,880 grow up and they move forward as they should. That's 503 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,119 how people develop, is they find their own sense of self. 504 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:13,519 But do not miss that window of opportunity when your 505 00:28:13,599 --> 00:28:18,200 kids desire and crave your time because it will mean 506 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:21,160 the world to them, and that is what you're going 507 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,279 to think about later. And honestly, and I'm saying this 508 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,920 a little jokingly, once your kids get a little older 509 00:28:27,039 --> 00:28:30,480 and a little more angsty, you need those memories to 510 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:35,480 remember why you love them. But yeah, it makes such 511 00:28:35,559 --> 00:28:39,000 a difference to just put it aside. And it's a joke. 512 00:28:39,079 --> 00:28:43,079 If you remember the movie What About Bob Bill Murray 513 00:28:43,319 --> 00:28:46,839 was and his doctor told him to take a vacation 514 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:51,039 from your problems. They'll still be there when you get back, 515 00:28:51,079 --> 00:28:54,000 but just for right now, let's set them. And that 516 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,759 is the same kind of thing. It's so neat to 517 00:28:57,119 --> 00:28:58,000 look at it like that. 518 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,279 Speaker 4: When you were talking about that, I was actually reminded 519 00:29:01,319 --> 00:29:05,160 of there's a line in on Daddy drop Off when 520 00:29:05,359 --> 00:29:07,559 you know they're later and later and later. This is 521 00:29:07,559 --> 00:29:10,079 the one where Bandit has to bring them to school 522 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,119 and Bingo forgets her jacket and all this other stuff, 523 00:29:13,119 --> 00:29:15,079 and they do the wind up Bingo at the end, 524 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,799 and Bingo's has some and I'm paraphrasing terribly, but Bingo 525 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,279 is like, well, why were we still late? Would we 526 00:29:21,319 --> 00:29:23,799 have been less late? And band It's like, yeah, we 527 00:29:23,799 --> 00:29:26,039 would have been less late. Why did you do this? 528 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,559 And he says something like, well, it wouldn't have been 529 00:29:28,599 --> 00:29:31,480 as fun if we did something like that, And again 530 00:29:31,519 --> 00:29:36,039 I'm paraphrasing, but it's the same exact idea. It's like, yeah, 531 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:39,640 this matters. You know, Okay, you're a couple minutes late 532 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,880 to school today. You know, don't do that every day necessarily, 533 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:46,279 but take those memories when you can get them. And 534 00:29:46,359 --> 00:29:48,119 you know, to go back to your question about the 535 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,480 core group, you know, I have to say my my 536 00:29:51,599 --> 00:29:54,559 kids are now seven and ten, so they're older than 537 00:29:54,599 --> 00:29:57,359 this now I was saying three to seven, but I 538 00:29:57,839 --> 00:30:03,200 still this way with both of my kids, even my 539 00:30:03,319 --> 00:30:05,559 older son, and you know, he's at the edge. I mean, 540 00:30:05,559 --> 00:30:07,640 we play chess and we do all the fancy old 541 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:11,160 stuff and he's you know, on Minecraft building, you know 542 00:30:11,319 --> 00:30:15,799 whatever that he does. But you know, so he's into 543 00:30:15,839 --> 00:30:20,160 all of that too. But we still use this imaginative 544 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,160 play that we still go hunt dragons, we still go 545 00:30:23,839 --> 00:30:27,680 exploring for fairies and magic, like, we still use that 546 00:30:27,839 --> 00:30:31,920 type of play together and that's still a cornerstone that 547 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,559 keeps us close and I'm really proud of that. 548 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:39,559 Speaker 2: Honestly, Henry and I have bonded over our mutual love 549 00:30:39,759 --> 00:30:44,640 of Star Wars and Lego and those sorts of things, 550 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,119 and I've found that I enjoy playing with the toys 551 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,359 just as much as he does. As a matter of fact, 552 00:30:51,359 --> 00:30:54,279 I probably want Star Wars sort of made a resurgence. 553 00:30:54,319 --> 00:30:57,599 I probably spent what most would call an irresponsible amount 554 00:30:57,599 --> 00:31:01,839 of money on collectibles. 555 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,519 Speaker 3: But it is. It's one of those things that it's 556 00:31:03,559 --> 00:31:04,200 still fun. 557 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 2: And when as kids get a little bit older, if 558 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,440 they can hang that up for a little bit none 559 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:12,519 of your friends are around, don't worry, just be yourself. 560 00:31:13,039 --> 00:31:16,000 We took the kids to Disneyland a few years ago, 561 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:21,519 and I remember telling them, listen, there's nobody here that 562 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,440 knows you don't be afraid to be a kid. If 563 00:31:26,039 --> 00:31:28,279 you see Mickey Mouse and it makes you just want 564 00:31:28,279 --> 00:31:30,680 to cry, cry, it's normal. 565 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:32,319 Speaker 3: Embrace this for what it is. 566 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,279 Speaker 2: Don't let other people's perception of it get in your way. 567 00:31:36,839 --> 00:31:38,759 Speaker 3: And I think they really took that to heart. 568 00:31:38,799 --> 00:31:41,599 Speaker 2: It really does make a huge difference to approach life 569 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:46,599 with a bit of abandon It's really healthy and it 570 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:48,799 makes life fun. And those are the things. 571 00:31:48,519 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 3: That you're going to remember over time. 572 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 4: They pick up on our cues too, Like if we're 573 00:31:56,039 --> 00:31:59,319 out there having fun, whether it's in Disney or in 574 00:31:59,359 --> 00:32:02,599 the super bar, but if we're singing in the supermarket, 575 00:32:02,759 --> 00:32:06,759 for singing in main Street, USA or wherever, you know, 576 00:32:07,599 --> 00:32:10,400 they are picking up on that and they're internalizing that, Oh, 577 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:14,599 this is okay, this is healthy. And I think that's good. 578 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,440 I think that's a good thing for them to pick 579 00:32:16,519 --> 00:32:16,720 up on. 580 00:32:16,839 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 3: Personally, I agree. I agree. 581 00:32:19,759 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 2: What is your favorite episode of Blue if you had 582 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,880 to pick one, or can you even pick one? 583 00:32:27,119 --> 00:32:29,559 Speaker 4: I mean, the Sign stands out because it's, you know, 584 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,759 the long episode and it's special. I'm I don't know 585 00:32:32,799 --> 00:32:35,240 if you can even count that because it's so different, 586 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:37,799 and I know I'm gonna love the movie when it comes. 587 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:43,200 But if I had to pick a non the Sign episode, ah, man, 588 00:32:43,319 --> 00:32:47,039 I have a bunch of favorites. Well, off the top 589 00:32:47,079 --> 00:32:49,480 of my head. I really do love Daddy drop Off, 590 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:54,960 I love I'm, I love bus bus Is sib of Fun. 591 00:32:55,680 --> 00:33:00,640 I like Puppets, the second Unicorn episode of Unicorse episod. Sorry, 592 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,640 I'm yeah, those are some of the ones that come 593 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:08,720 to mind, quick guest, I think those are all. Oh, 594 00:33:08,759 --> 00:33:11,240 and then the one where they narry I think it's 595 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,720 called stories and it keeps changing perspective. That was a 596 00:33:14,799 --> 00:33:18,119 really interesting one too, the one with Lin Manuel as 597 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:21,400 the horse at the Aba. Yeah yeah, yeah, that was 598 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:22,119 a fun one too. 599 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. 600 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:24,559 Speaker 4: No, there's a lot of wonderful ones, but those would 601 00:33:24,599 --> 00:33:26,240 be a few of my top ones. 602 00:33:26,359 --> 00:33:26,839 Speaker 3: How about you? 603 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 4: What would your favorite pay It's so tough. 604 00:33:29,759 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 2: I love Bandit and I love Pat. When you mentioned Pat, 605 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,000 he's one of my favorites. The guy's a legend. His 606 00:33:37,079 --> 00:33:40,119 ability to just be like, Okay, let's we'll go along 607 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:41,799 with this, we'll do the thing. And the fact that 608 00:33:41,839 --> 00:33:44,839 for the longest time they called him Lucky's dad as 609 00:33:44,839 --> 00:33:48,440 a parent, you that is exactly what happens. Hey, Henry's dad, 610 00:33:48,519 --> 00:33:51,359 Can you come over and blah blah blah. But one 611 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:53,640 of the things that really sticks out to me, it's 612 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,240 from a I think the first season is Bumpy and 613 00:33:56,279 --> 00:34:01,400 the Wise Old Wolfhound because in the hospital and they 614 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,599 never say why, but Bingo's in the hospital and they 615 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:09,320 make this little home movie and Muffin is so cute 616 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:11,440 in it, and they show a lot of things that 617 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,159 as like as a podcast, we can relate to where 618 00:34:14,159 --> 00:34:16,079 they have to keep doing a take over and over 619 00:34:16,119 --> 00:34:18,119 and over again, a Bandit says, we can. 620 00:34:18,079 --> 00:34:21,280 Speaker 3: Edit that bid out right. It's it hits so close 621 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:21,639 to home. 622 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 2: But I love that style and the whole reason they 623 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:28,199 did it at the end was to let Bingo know 624 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:33,039 that everybody gets sick sometimes and not to worry. It 625 00:34:33,519 --> 00:34:36,000 was such a cute thing and the amount of effort 626 00:34:36,079 --> 00:34:40,880 they went into as a family, it was so excellent 627 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:42,440 to see. 628 00:34:42,519 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I will, I will say in terms of 629 00:34:45,559 --> 00:34:49,679 the method, and it really honestly goes with any single 630 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:53,159 Blue episode in them in general. But one thing that 631 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:56,119 I do, one episode that I mentioned in the book 632 00:34:56,199 --> 00:35:00,679 specifically because it's such an easy parallel is the episod Work, 633 00:35:01,639 --> 00:35:04,440 because it's one of the only episodes so you talk 634 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,480 about im property and yes and work, which is the 635 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,800 one where they end up he's making drain pipes and 636 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,400 end up dancing at the end. They're kind of giving 637 00:35:12,639 --> 00:35:16,400 Bandit and Chili jobs. Well Bandit is getting jobs. Chili 638 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,880 comes in as the dancer at the end. But it's 639 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,639 one of the only episodes where you see no a 640 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:26,199 few times, and the way it's handled from a theater 641 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:31,239 point of view is masterful from Bandit because band It 642 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,719 is like, I'm doing this, and Blui is like, no, 643 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:37,280 you're not. You're doing this. He takes an idea and 644 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:43,920 crushes it. And in the framework of the imagination and 645 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,159 the improv, that would be breaking the rules, so to speak. 646 00:35:47,199 --> 00:35:49,679 That would be kind of getting off the track of 647 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,400 the game. But band It just goes right with it. 648 00:35:53,679 --> 00:35:56,920 And not only that, so the earliest suggestion that Bluie 649 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,000 says no to is I want to be a dancer, 650 00:35:59,039 --> 00:36:02,760 and Louie says, no, no, you don't, you want to 651 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,400 do this, blah blah blah, And he says, Okay, I'm 652 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,000 gonna accept your idea of Louis, I'm gonna I'm gonna 653 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,360 go with it, and then he brings it back later 654 00:36:13,199 --> 00:36:15,760 that is, and we do this, we call these heralds 655 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,400 and long form improps. That's exactly what you're supposed to do. 656 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,920 If there's an error, you tuck it away for later 657 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,880 and you bring it back so the break is not destroyed. 658 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,000 This is why I'm like, gosh, this is like masterful 659 00:36:27,039 --> 00:36:31,599 improv stuff, and nobody's not necessarily recognizing this. And this 660 00:36:31,679 --> 00:36:35,239 is exactly when when I taught high school improv, I 661 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:39,159 ran a troop we had this one I'm improv a 662 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,360 steady improvisation that ran on for I remember it went 663 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,400 on for just over two hours and the number of 664 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,079 things that would come back, the number of things that 665 00:36:47,159 --> 00:36:49,239 come back. It reminded me of that moment. I was like, 666 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,840 this is beautiful and band is doing that. So from 667 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,519 from a theater point of view, that episode always stands 668 00:36:55,559 --> 00:36:59,719 out for me as God that is masterful the way 669 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:01,360 band and it just handles that. 670 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 3: That's really interesting. 671 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:03,639 Speaker 2: I'm going to have to go back and watch that 672 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,199 today through that lens. 673 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:08,079 Speaker 4: See it's very interesting. 674 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,519 Speaker 2: One thing that I think makes Bluey so unique is 675 00:37:12,559 --> 00:37:15,159 the way the music ties into everything. 676 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 3: There's very little He's a genius. I would love to 677 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:20,679 work with him. 678 00:37:21,039 --> 00:37:23,639 Speaker 2: And like people might not realize this, but something as 679 00:37:23,639 --> 00:37:27,199 simple as the theme. The theme of the show is 680 00:37:27,559 --> 00:37:33,480 it's like like freeze where what's the word I'm looking for, 681 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:35,960 kind of almost like musical chairs where it stops and 682 00:37:36,039 --> 00:37:40,280 everybody has to stand still, and it feels very random. 683 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,119 There's a weird pause before the music starts up again, 684 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:48,760 and when to say the names seems very random, but 685 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,920 it's perfectly musically timed. And this is a very nerdy thing, 686 00:37:53,199 --> 00:37:56,480 but it's if for for people who speak in music terms, 687 00:37:56,519 --> 00:37:58,639 it's measures of four and then a measure of five, 688 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:03,320 and they say the name one quarter note earlier each time, 689 00:38:03,639 --> 00:38:06,159 so it's don da dun da da da da da 690 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,559 da da da dada one and two three four five Dad, 691 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,559 and the next time it's one two three four momb 692 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:13,599 and it moves up. 693 00:38:14,199 --> 00:38:15,599 Speaker 3: Yeah, it moves up one day's time. 694 00:38:15,639 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 2: So it feels very random and very rushed, but it's 695 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:21,760 perfectly aligned to a grid because Joff is a genius. 696 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:27,440 Speaker 4: He totally I fully agree with that. Job's amazing, and 697 00:38:27,679 --> 00:38:31,960 I think the music and the incorporation of classical themes, yes, 698 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:35,480 I'm throughout is you know. It's honestly even kind of 699 00:38:35,559 --> 00:38:39,199 education too for the little kids watching. But it's it's 700 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:43,559 just so masterfullet done, and it's it's it's a beautiful 701 00:38:43,559 --> 00:38:46,280 part of the show. I have nothing but admiration for 702 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:46,760 the music. 703 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:51,039 Speaker 2: I suspect if I were to work in an environment 704 00:38:51,199 --> 00:38:54,280 like that, my process would probably be to watch as 705 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:57,320 close to a finished cut of the show that I 706 00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,559 could get my hands on, with a little bit of 707 00:38:59,639 --> 00:39:02,440 musical direction, and just play along with it and see 708 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,440 what popped out to me and then go back and 709 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:07,679 refine it into certain ideas, so that there's this level 710 00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:10,360 of improvisation where you're drawing on things that you know 711 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:13,760 to fill in that emotion that you're feeling right then. 712 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,000 And the takes on the classical themes that they'll do 713 00:39:18,159 --> 00:39:20,960 like oh to Joy pops up a lot and those 714 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:25,960 sorts of things, but the way they'll reinterpret the instrumentation 715 00:39:26,079 --> 00:39:28,800 of it and the vibe of it. And for a 716 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:32,159 man of a certain age, that's the way we learned 717 00:39:32,199 --> 00:39:35,400 about a lot of classical music is from classic cartoons. 718 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:40,760 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, the number of Buds Bunny Ones music, yea. 719 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:42,320 Speaker 3: Exactly, exactly. 720 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:45,480 Speaker 2: Well, Christopher, thank you so much for spending this time 721 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,639 with me today. This has been super, super awesome. I 722 00:39:48,679 --> 00:39:52,239 appreciate it so much. Thanks so much for having Eric. 723 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:53,280 This has been a joy. 724 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,119 Speaker 4: I love talking Bluie and I and it is a 725 00:39:56,159 --> 00:39:58,760 great book and method. I encourage people to check it out. 726 00:39:59,159 --> 00:40:02,000 You can look up my name Christopher Menino, M A 727 00:40:02,199 --> 00:40:05,800 N N I N O, but it's also wherever books 728 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:08,079 are sold, and then the course is up on my website, 729 00:40:08,199 --> 00:40:11,639 which is just my name Christophermanino dot com. 730 00:40:11,679 --> 00:40:12,119 Speaker 3: Awesome. 731 00:40:12,159 --> 00:40:15,880 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Thank you, Thank you guys so 732 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,880 much for listening, and I hope that you pick up 733 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:23,719 Christopher's book, Making it Up a revolutionary way to bond 734 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:27,920 with kids through play. Thank you for being awesome, and 735 00:40:28,079 --> 00:40:35,039 until next time, we are out of here.