When Marketing Goes Bad.
We took Toddler to a 'Big Dig' event. Essentially it's an event where toddlers, youths and overgrown teenagers are allowed to wait in line for HOURS (in the rain) in order to ride on various pieces of construction equipment for an entire two minutes.
Total. Toddler. Nirvana.
Then Geoffrey the Giant appeared. The children became frightened out of their gourds and began to cry.
RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
Now before you go all soft on the giraffe, I'm fairly certain if he'd given out something other than free freak-outs in the form of hugs, the kids would have taken to him. Okay, possibly not.
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Awww, poor misunderstood Geoffrey!
Gads, look at the size of that head!
poor giraffe..
but I don't think my kids would be afraid of him. he's quite cute I think..
He scares me a little too, and I normally love giraffes. Valleygirl's comment made me laugh though, maybe he IS misunderstood!!
I signed you in on Mr. Linky since I knew you may not get to it. Hope you don't mind!
oof. my kids would love that.
It's not all bad if they end up with a fear of TRU! What a fun event.
Otherwise Toddler had a blast?? Looks pretty cool.
Geoffrey can be scary, he's huge.
Doing a Thanksgiving theme this week. Can't wait to post my next one for this.
He may be misunderstood, but giraffes are still cool LOL!
Did you race the giraffe? And was it neck and neck?
maybe it was the fact that he had arms and a lime green shirt that put them off!!! he DOES look a little on the freaky side..... cool digger tho!!!
Oh, Geoff! Why? And, HELLO!? This is the greatest toddler boy event I've ever seen. We need one of those.
OMgooness, this is all little boy's idea of Nirvana...the monster dozer not the scary giraffe.
Last spring we loved seeing the pool next door built. If Will could have gotten on it, oh my...little boy heaven.
Has he stopped talking about it yet?
I know I freak out every time he hugs me.
YOU are a very dedicated mother!
You have my applause, and my condolences.
My two year old would LOVE that big dig event. Good thing he can't look these things up on his own and tell me he wants to go!
Geez...isn't that always the way it goes??
:)
My son would never have gotten off the diggers. Neither would my daughter. Until the giraffe scared the pants off them, I suppose. This look like a lot of fun except for Geoffrey.
We keep telling ourselves that we will go to that event every year, but we never do. I'm sure the boys would FREAK OUT! We WILL do it one of these years!
Funny that the kids aren't afraid of the massive trucks that could crush them in a second, but they are afraid of Geoffrey. :)
Oh, how fun! My little guy would have loved to "drive" something like that.
Geoffrey would have freaked him out for about a half second before he would have started climbing all over him. Geoff would have been sorry.
I would think the kids would be waaay more interested in the equipment than Geoffrey. :) Maybe Geoffrey should stay away from big machines. :)
Yeah, pretty sure I would take a digger over a fake giraffe any day myself. But maybe that's just me... ; )
That is awesome minuse Geoffrey.
I love that Geoffrey -- so cute!
Have a good Friday - Kellan
Geez. You get all the fun. My girls were NEVER interested in anything that cool.
Wanna spend the day dressing Barbies?
SO cool - how fun would THAT be? My boys would have loved something like that!!!
Definite toddler nirvana, minus the giraffe. Geoffrey is a bit scary. Actually any large stuffed character big enough to take out Mom and Dad is slightly scary. We had a similar encounter with this adorable teddy bear. ;)
I'm with the kids! I'd be freaking out too.
And diggers? Da bomb. Learned to appreciate them when my little man was 2ish. ;)
Sounds like a fun event. We don't have that kind here.
My kids would have been all over Geoffrey!
*snort*
Free freak outs!!! That is so funny and so true. Characters still kind of freak me out and I am 41.
Ah, yes, giant animals that freak kids out. Aren't they great?! LOL.
Nirvana is so true...Boys and their toys!! However I do have a daughter who would be thrilled.
That is so funny that the huge machine is not frightening, but the giraffe is! My kids (even at 8) run from any oversized stuffed animal still.
Oh man, he is a bit scary!
My daughter has the same reaction when ever she BEGS to go to Chuck-e-Cheese. As soon as the mouse comes out, she's terrified!
HA HA HA! Poor Geoffrey. Maybe he needs a makeover -- that bowling-shirt-thingy he's wearing is pretty scary. It's SoOoOoOoOoOoOo NOT his color! : )
Oh dear, a giraffe in clothes, is the last thing you expect to see if you are having fun.
Eek! He would FREAK me out! he looks more freaky than misunderstood. LOL!
Great photos.
I would have beat him to a pulp! Okay, I might wait until the kids are out of sight....
I mean, it's a GIRAFFE, with a green shirt on for Pete's sakes! Doesn't he realise green is NOT his colour?
Kids are so funny. Although, it is scary when strange creatures tower over you... Little kids are, you know... little.
WOW! My son would have loved to line up for hours to ride on those equipment.
Its strange how toddlers from such different backgrounds end up liking (and being freaked out by) the same stuff!
We have one of those events in our area in the spring and my husband is already counting the days until we can take Liam. I am not sure who will love it the lost....
this would be my little guys dream...the digger not so much the big giraffe!
LOL! He does look kidn of scary! hehehe!
What a neat event! That must have been so exciting.
And ... yeah ... the guy in the costume is creepy.
He scares me, too.
That would have been toddler nirvana in our house as well. Along with Daddy nirvana. But poor Geoffrey. I'm still thinking the big machines would be scarier than G though when it came down to it.
toddler nirvana? try 15 year old nirvana. i have never heard of such a thing, but woooo hoooo!
yeah, i'm not much of a fan of hugs from any mangy, overgrown ANYTHING.
He scares me a bit honestly. I don't like animals dressed up like that. I don't know what my deal is. But I can sympathize with the scared kiddos!
What? No video??
I think I may have been scared, too.
Geoffrey was at the American Baby Fair last weekend and he received the same response. I have always had a fear of things in costumes like that so I can totally understand :)
My son would have gone nuts to drive that truck thing
OH my son would love to sit in that big dig rig ;)
And Geoffrey would have scared the crap out of me too! :)
That giraffe cracks me up. Before I read your post I started to laugh just looking at it, oh the little things...
What a fun day! Wish they had something like that here!
Kid-centered events... with adults running them!!
Hope your little one recovered... I remember a trip to Disney World when my toddler was scared to death of the characters from the Lion King and would take off at a run if he saw one in the distance :)!!
That sounds like an interesting afternoon! Hope that the counseling bill isn't too outrageous later in life:)
Oh yep, I remember back when Hannah was a toddler - anyone dressed up in a costume like that freaked her out. Chuck E. Cheese, 'animals' at carnivals or fairs - the poor people inside never knew what to do when she started screaming hysterically at the very sight of them.
Of course, now as a 5-year-old, she doesn't even remember - or admit- that she ever did any such thing. :)
Sounds like an interesting time to say the least!
Love the "big dig" stuff! Isabelle loves the big trucks!
I don't blame the kids for being scared of big walking talking giraffe myself My step daughter kicked the chucky cheese mouse because she thought he was scary too. There is just something disorienting about mascot costumes sometimes.
Although I love the idea of letting toddlers have a ride on a big piece of construction equipment. I bet that is totally toddler heaven. :)
Toddler Nirvana is right!
I'm still not sure why we think kids are going to love fluffy creatures walking around. My son freaks out at every "mascot" and I've kinda decided I don't blame him. If I were only three feet tall and some big tiger or giraffe or whatever wanted to give me a high five, I'd hide behind my mom's legs too.
So THAT'S where you've been. Sheesh, I was worrying.
They should have let Geoffrey drive the equiptment...who DOESN'T love a giant giraffe driving a big dirt diggin thingamajig??
TOO funny! Giraffes are so gentle too!!
I don't know...he kinda creeps me out!
Geoffrey in a field of dirt- AND YOU STILL MANAGED to shoot a classic shot.
you should work for a magazine.
PFGN!
...and the kids are left wondering what giraffes have to do with construction equipment.
Bet your little one had fun in that truck though!
My boys would LOVE that! Fun!
This is priceless! You've just reminded me of a MetaToddler photo...I may just have to share. If I can manage to get to it. It's on the list!!
good grief, he'd freak ME out!
Toddler nirvana, indeed! Well, except for the demon giraffe. ;)
love it! I remember bringing my son to things like this when he was younger. how fun!
LOL We took toddler to a NICU reunion that her Children's Hospital hosts ... they had Geoffrey there ... lots of kids were frightened out of their gourds there, too! lol
~melody~
Oh my goodness! My kids would've gone totally wonkers if he showed up when they were toddlers. He looks nice enough, he's just a bit too BIG.
Great story! :D
i can't help myself...every time i see a "character" i think of who might be inside the suit...creeeps me out!
What fun!! My little guy would love to ride in one of those. That Geoffrey better watch it, he just might get plowed over by one of those big machines!!
That clarity of that second shot? wow.
My kids would run like hell. Usually animals run FROM them, they would be totally terrified if it suddenly worked differently!
What a great idea that is riding on various machinery, I am sure kids around here would LOVE that too!!
Oh my! That is hilarious! My nephews would absolutely love to wait in the rain at a chance to get on any type of construction equipment. And I don't blame the kids for being freaked out by Geoffrey. He looks a bit intimidating.
P.S. Just fyi, I think someone with my name is having trouble posting their site to Mr. Linky.
Too funny! I think my boys would love that too.
Poor giraffe. And poor you. That does not exactly sound like Mommy nirvana!
Yep, scary giraffe!
Too busy to join in PSF this week, but having a look around at others' pictures today.
We have "Diggerland" in the UK, but haven't ventured there yet - no doubt husband and daughter will want to go at some point.
I'm with you. All they really needed for complete chaos was a scary clown!
That digger event sounds like a ton of fun...but I think my little girl would rather cuddle the scary giraffe than get anywhere near one of those diggers. She freaks out at anything that makes a loud noise!
yep, i guess it's true--you really will flip your lid!
I would have freaked about the giant digger!
Great PSF!
sorry I'm so late!!!!!
hahaha...oops.
i still can't get over this "big dig" event. i have never heard of something like that. So do you think i could start charging for the two ginormous construction projects on my block?
Been busy, MamaGeek - you haven't updated this site for a few days......
Pick up that camera when you have time. You do it so well.
MW loves giraffes, so she would have loved it. although actually, maybe not. She looks askance at just about anything dressed up in a big velveteen costume.
Holy giraffe turds, Batman!
That just ain't right!
I just posted about my irrational fear of large things.
::tee hee::
Haha poor Geoffrey the Giraffe! I wish my boy got to play on that huge construction truck.
Ever since my son and hubby bought me a gorgeous diamond necklace from www.idonowidont.com I bought my son a huge tonka truck similar to the construction truck in that photo!
He was also in toddler nirvana!
That's not the REAL Geoffrey. And let me tell you, I know the real Geoffrey. He was at the grand opening of the new Toys 'R Us when I was about 5. I fell in love with him. I managed to talk many adults into a quick trip to Toys 'R Us because I just knew that he would be there. Haha, I was also the kid who thought she was going to marry Alvin the Chipmunk....yeah...
Yeah... not so much!
And TWO MINUTES???