I, Robot

Eve is really into robots now. Obviously, the Transformers play a large part in this, but she also loves a particular Backyardigans episode called "Robot Rampage". I've been carefully introducing her to other pop culture robots- she got her first glimpse of Star Wars (just a few minutes, between dismemberments) to meet C3PO and R2D2. And Short Circuit, to meet #5. And Wall-E, of course. We've talked about the fact that in real life, people build robots and they're just machines that can be programmed to do a job- we haven't figured out how to build robots that can walk around and think for themselves. But Eve is confident that the technology will develop soon. She caught a glimpse of some elliptical trainers through the window of a gym. Nobody was working out at the time, and the machines looked a little like robots, all lined up, with their display screens like heads and the handles like arms. She's SURE she saw a robot factory. Dave and I told her that we saw a robot in Japan that can play the trumpet (so add in Hello Kitty and sushi- we'll have to take Eve to Japan at some point).

We have to play "Autobots" ALL the time. Eve usually announces that she is the "Master of all robots" or "the Minibot Master". She is a human with all the "powers" of the robots (like Mirage's ability to turn invisible, etc). She can also transform into a small silver convertible. Dave and I have to play the parts of all the robots. Riding in the car, we make up robot stories, with Eve and some of her personal robots as characters. She has an imaginary robot friend, Esa (who has track wheels like Wall-E or #5, and a laser gun).

Many of the schools around here have robotics teams, and they were having a demonstration at the County Fair this weekend. I really wanted Eve to see it; a) to emphasize the distinction between the difference between real robots and pop culture robots (both cool, but for different reasons), and b) to show her that kids can build robots. It was even better than I expected, because the kids demonstrating the robots LET EVE DRIVE THE ROBOT. It was all set up with a joystick, and Eve was delighted to drive it around (she almost ran over one of the kids). And she got a button that says, "I drove a robot." Too cool. Eve also likes to drive Dave's RC truck- it still works, even though it is 30 years old. Four-year-olds are not very good drivers- she runs it into walls quite regularly. Although Dave doesn't seem to mind, I think we should perhaps get her her own RC vehicle to abuse, until she's old enough to start building her own robots.