Battle Armor!

It's been a tough week for the Northern Household. The internet connection for the "big" computer went wacko and stopped working. The iPad continued to connect, but has proven itself to be a less than acceptable method of updating the blog. As soon as internet connectivity was fully restored, the NorthernToddlerAdventureMobile started triggering fault codes. It started with the ABS light, added a 'Service Brake System' message, and then killed the radio. Finding nothing wrong with the tone rings or sensors for the ABS, NorthernDaddy did a quick search of the web and found that low voltage can trigger codes. A new battery was installed, and a voltmeter seemed to show that the charging system was doing its job. The next day, the NorthernToddlerAdventureMobile left NorthernMommy stranded. Battery died and the engine stopped. Luckily, she could limp it almost all of the way home - it died safely parked at the town green and NorthernMommy ran the half-mile home. NorthernDaddy managed to get the battery charged just enough for the run to the dealership for repairs. It's eighteen nerve-racking miles to the nearest Ford dealership, and NorthernDaddy creeped into the service lane with every trouble code/warning light there is triggered. No way that he's gonna pay for a tow if it can be avoided! The service department says that the problem is a defective alternator and was nice enough to replace it for the bargain-basement price of an arm and a leg. It might have been a DIY project, but another web search (what did anyone ever do before Google?) showed that replacing the alternator required pulling everything down to the axle half-shaft. The two hours of labor that the shop quoted seemed quite reasonable, what with NorthernDaddy needing to repair the Prizm and the J-truck (and hold down a job, run a household, and be a husband and a dad). Follow the internet and car(s) trouble with a particularly stressful harassment episode at work (NorthernDaddy was only involved because it was reported to him)(nobody harasses NorthernDaddy except Toddler).

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Those many previous words only serve to set up the next string of photos. NorthernToddler insisted that Daddy make him a shield to go with his sword. NorthernMommy's been reading Chronicles of Narnia to Toddler, and he deems it necessary to have all of the proper equipment to fight off dragons. So, with a bit of imagination and gaff tape, an old pizza box was recycled into a shield.

 

Please don't comment on the knight's shield combined with a pirate hat combined with the Japanese sword - Toddler doesn't know anything other than that he's got enough hardware to slay dragons...

 The best/only laugh of the week comes from Toddler. Shortly after the creation of his new shield, he stood in front of the big picture window in the living room and started yelling "BATTLE ARMOUR!" at each passing car as he held up his sword and shield. After five or six cars, he stayed silent as one passed. As the next car approached, he resumed yelling as loud as he could. When NorthernDaddy asked why Toddler didn't yell at that one car, Toddler turned around and said, "I didn't yell at them because they didn't have their windows open."  Wow. Good point, kid....