Consumer Reporting
March 09, 2010
Dear Crayola,
Hi! How are you? I'm fine. I mean, I could be drunker, but for now I'm pretty good. Anyway, I would like to bring a possible design flaw to your attention, re: my recent purchase of a set of Crayola Beginnings Washable TaDoodles Crayon Buddies, which holy hell, that's a lot of words about crayons, but I appreciate that you guys probably get pretty excited about crayons. CRAYONS! TADOODLES! I'm imagining a lot of jazz hands happen around your office. Please don't shatter my illusions.
What? Oh. Right. My problem. See, I've got a toddler who is a bit of a mimic. The monkey-see, monkey-do variety. Perform an action once in his presence and he will repeat it, over and over again. This is the very trait that led me to purchase the Crayola Beginnings Washable TaDoodles Crayon Buddies for him, since he very much wants to color alongside his older brother. Adorable! I know! You could already die just picturing it. Feel free to contact me about having them appear in a commercial or something. They're kind of uncooperative little shits sometimes, but you guys have a budget for CGI, right?
What? Dammit! Right. The point. Which is, that to my toddler, THIS:
Is awfully damn similar to THIS:
I trust I do not need to elaborate any further. Do with this information what you will.
Sincerely,
Amy
PS. Although if you could tell me (approximately) how much longer my child will continue to sneeze and snorf out primary-colored snot, I'd appreciate that as well.
BWAH! I hate those little paintbrushes. They make such a mess so easily. I actually threw our set out right before E became old enough to use them. Because I'm mean, and also lazy.
Posted by: ras | March 09, 2010 at 02:06 PM
Laughing so hard, I choked on my sandwich.
Posted by: liz | March 09, 2010 at 02:06 PM
Heehee! Poor kid!
Posted by: Sprite's Keeper | March 09, 2010 at 02:07 PM
My husband is asking me, "What? Honey, what? Why are you snorting?"
Posted by: Missie | March 09, 2010 at 02:07 PM
I die laughing at the "dots" they "connect" sometimes. My little guy is just about the same age as Ezra and hooboy!
Posted by: smh | March 09, 2010 at 02:07 PM
You know, I don't normally have trouble keeping my laughing inside when reading your blog. (I'm usually at work, so it's just to be polite.)
And I didn't quite get it at first. (No kids yet.) And then I read the last sentence. And nearly hyperventilated. And can't help but laugh a little more every time I re-read it.
Thanks! (And sorry for poor Ez :(
Posted by: Greg S. | March 09, 2010 at 02:13 PM
Hahahahaha. Also, hope Ezra is back to clear snot soon.
Posted by: Rachel | March 09, 2010 at 02:17 PM
VLOG!!!
Posted by: Jen O. | March 09, 2010 at 02:17 PM
Yep, we used those once. Then they "went away."
Posted by: Laurie | March 09, 2010 at 02:22 PM
A man after my own heart. When I was 3ish I stuck a purple crayon so far up my nose you couldn't see it anymore. It took our EMT neighbor quite some time to remove it.
Now I have a Master's Degree, a steady job and a good story for dinner parties (well, maybe after the dinner part)...he'll turn out just fine.
Posted by: Loren | March 09, 2010 at 02:30 PM
If you get the crayon version and your toddler (say about 14 months old) decides those points are absolutely made for chewing on and certainly not for the mark-making she enjoys with various other pens and pencils, then they make primary-colored diapers, too.
Posted by: Tonia | March 09, 2010 at 02:33 PM
Hi Amy, first of all, I cried reading your take on The Office this morning, which was absurd because a) I am not nursing or pregnant and b) I was reading it on my Blackberry waiting for my haircut and c) I have not even watched the episode yet.
But now, those crayons are a complete marketing scam (and I say this as a professional marketer who specializes in toys). My daughter thought they resembled a pacifier or breast, so do with that what you will. Also, they require the child to hold them at such a specific angle to make a mark. No worky. Bah!
Posted by: RookieMom Whitney | March 09, 2010 at 02:36 PM
Awesome (to read)!
NOT AWESOME (to deal with, I'm so sure)!
Posted by: Jenna | March 09, 2010 at 02:36 PM
awesome, just awesome.
Posted by: Kate | March 09, 2010 at 02:37 PM
Yes, our crayon version of those has now "gone away" since by chewing the ends off, Snackbox rendered them unusable (though he did have brilliant blue teeth and gums for more than a day).
Thanks, grandma, for that super special toy!
Posted by: Susan | March 09, 2010 at 02:42 PM
Primary colored snot - otherwise known as TaDoodles!
Posted by: MommiePie | March 09, 2010 at 02:43 PM
Just hysterical...mmm...make sure his shirt color matches the snot is all I can offer. Thanks for the afternoon laugh.
Posted by: WendyB | March 09, 2010 at 02:44 PM
Those "went away" for us too... Sarah would only bang them together (she probably thought they were egg shaker), Or look into their funny little faces.... Crayons dropped, crayons broke -- Then we tried regular markers - which she LOVED. Much messier, more success.
Posted by: Melissa | March 09, 2010 at 02:44 PM
ZOMG!! Thanks for the giggle. Sorry for your troubles.
Posted by: Lee | March 09, 2010 at 02:51 PM
Wait! Why aren't you taking videos of the colorful sneezes. That shit could go viral on youtube and you could make, well, no money, but you would have bonus internet fame.
Posted by: Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah | March 09, 2010 at 02:58 PM
Was almost tempted to buy some of those for my toddler once. Then I read the reviews and there were surprisingly many quite similar to this and then some....
Posted by: Gina | March 09, 2010 at 03:09 PM
Thank you so much for this! My son is 18 months and I've been thinking about getting these for him. Not a chance now!
Posted by: Alison | March 09, 2010 at 03:12 PM
OMG, I can't stop laughing. That's freaking awesome.
Posted by: Radish | March 09, 2010 at 03:16 PM
Bwahahahahaha, too freaking funny!
Posted by: Kristin | March 09, 2010 at 03:28 PM
Oh dear God, I just snorted Diet Mtn. Dew out my nose. Too damn funny.
Posted by: Amanda | March 09, 2010 at 03:34 PM
"JAZZ HANDS!!!" That post was priceless! I laugh outloud EVERY time I read your posts. You are too much.
Posted by: Tara | March 09, 2010 at 03:37 PM
Ohhh, I did not see that coming and am laughing so hard.
My six-month old views the snot-sucker-outer very unhappily - oh, the trauma of having your snot sucked out - and so this does give me hope that at as he ages he'll warm up to the thing.
Posted by: Lemon Gloria | March 09, 2010 at 03:43 PM
We had a similar product in a crayon version. 2 year old bit off the crayon part on all 3 and then just threw the hard remaining balls at people. So they are no more.
Posted by: MLB | March 09, 2010 at 03:58 PM
Pictures!?!?
Posted by: Dena | March 09, 2010 at 03:59 PM
HAHAHAHA. HAHA. HA.
*snort*
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Little Miss Kickboxer just eats her regular crayloas and then drools, preferably in blue.
Posted by: charlotte | March 09, 2010 at 04:18 PM
Natalie's been telling me forever to start reading you. OMG, this post had me laughing so hard!!
Posted by: April | March 09, 2010 at 04:31 PM
HILARIOUS!
Posted by: Alicia | March 09, 2010 at 04:41 PM
Wow. I don't have kids yet, but duly noted! Good luck Ez! Your snot will be back to normal soon I hope!
Posted by: Brandi | March 09, 2010 at 04:46 PM
I hadn't thought of that one! My toddler just uses it as a serving spoon to better eat the damn things! Completely Useless! And it isn't like those things were cheap to begin with? I think we paid almost $10 for 3 crayons...do you know how many boxes of crayons I could have gotten with that kinda cash?! She could have had a feast!!
Posted by: Michelle Pixie | March 09, 2010 at 04:54 PM
Too, too funny, I was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face! The icing was the primary colored snot! I'm going to be chortling about this the rest of the day!
Thanks for the laugh! I pink puffy heart you!
Posted by: Dawn | March 09, 2010 at 05:02 PM
gosh, your post was so funny....and then again not funny, poor thing! Yes, my daughter does some really weird things with the aspirator!! Things I could never imagine!
Posted by: Suzanne | March 09, 2010 at 06:07 PM
Dude. I am so over ARTS and CRAFTS and anything at all that might give my kids a clue towards "creativity" (which is simply a synonym for "disaster" anyway) Bah. At this rate, I barely have it in me to give my progeny washable markers these days. They are lucky to get the crayons swiped from restaurants. Sigh.
Posted by: cagey | March 09, 2010 at 06:15 PM
My 6-year-old was all offended by the fact that his homework wasn't where he said he put it, and why didn't I put it where it goes, and no, I already looked there--and why is Mommy snorting laughter in my face?
Thank you for the happy moment in a less than entirely happy day.
Posted by: Kendra | March 09, 2010 at 06:28 PM
I tried to read your blog post out loud to my husband but I was laughing too hard for him to understand me. So he's reading over my shoulder, instead.
Posted by: Kathy | March 09, 2010 at 07:03 PM
I thought he put them in his EAR.
Not quite as funny, but snort-producing over here nonetheless.
Posted by: daysgoby | March 09, 2010 at 07:11 PM
I totally bought those on accident. I meant to buy two packages of the crayons and I got one of crayons and one of paint and HI, why are we calling paint crayons? Very confusing for parents.
Posted by: Jessi | March 09, 2010 at 07:49 PM
It could be worse. I thought that was an enema bulb.
Posted by: ellen | March 09, 2010 at 10:57 PM
I love your letters.
Posted by: Starbuck | March 09, 2010 at 11:03 PM
Well, I guess that means you have to start "drawing" with the booger sucker.
Posted by: Deenuts Dana | March 09, 2010 at 11:09 PM
I laughed so hard I cried!
Posted by: Cole | March 09, 2010 at 11:10 PM
Dammit Amy!! Snorked coffee all over my screen again.
Posted by: Josh | March 10, 2010 at 02:07 AM
I wanted to buy those for my then-two-year-old, until my husband pointed out that the kind would probably grab the "crayon" from the top, thereby getting the paint or whatever all over his palm, rather than picking it up as we would and turning it over. You struck out, Crayola designers!
Posted by: Karen | March 10, 2010 at 09:48 AM
Yep, made the mistake of buying those for my cousin's 2 year old last Christmas. Thank God they live 8 hours away, or she would have strangled me. She did email me pictures of the aftermath, though...hee hee....
Posted by: Chris | March 10, 2010 at 09:49 AM
from beginning to end, this was freaking hysterical.
Posted by: Sarah B | March 10, 2010 at 10:30 AM
BWAHAHAHAHA!
good gosh. just what I needed on a wed. morning. BEST.POST.EVER
Posted by: Krystal | March 10, 2010 at 11:33 AM
my 19 month old puts the smelly-good markers up her nose because she watches her siblings smell them. so, yep, i know what you're dealing with.
Posted by: mommymae | March 10, 2010 at 11:34 AM
OUCH!
Yes, I made the mistake of leaving my 2 year old unattended with the Crayola Beginnings Washable TaDoodles Crayon Buddies. He pooped blue for two days.
Posted by: cloudy | March 10, 2010 at 12:59 PM
At least it's WASHABLE snot. This post made me snort CHILI out of my nose, so thanks! From now on I will be reading your blog without food or drink. LOL
Posted by: Ashley | March 10, 2010 at 02:36 PM
it's so nice to know i can always come here for a laugh.
Posted by: mamacass | March 10, 2010 at 03:55 PM
My son got this for Christmas ... similar thoughts and experience.
Posted by: Marianne | March 10, 2010 at 04:39 PM
Hah! The squeaker!
That's what we called the snot gadget then I was on the giving end of it.
We feared yet appreciated the damn squeaker.
Posted by: Lisa | March 10, 2010 at 04:55 PM
I'll add my up the nose story: Remember those little plastic bead things that you put into the molds (star, heart, etc)., then your mom ironed the backs, melting the beads together, and you had a multi-colored little star/heart? My brother and I, ages 6 and 2, were using these with my mom, and he shoved one up his nose, breathed in, and it got stuck. While she was struggling with the crying, snotting, little boy in the bathroom, I had a brilliant idea: "Hey, bet I could get it out all by myself if I had one up my nose..." I was wrong. Mom was first baffled, and then pissed..
Thanks for the PSA on the markers!
Posted by: EB | March 10, 2010 at 05:33 PM
It would appear that this post has generated an inordinate amount of snortocity. My household is now included in that.
Posted by: Plano Mom | March 10, 2010 at 06:20 PM
Weird tidbit, but Crayola is technically considered a small business. They peddle pretty heavily at my art teacher conferences, but I've never seen this particular product. Guess I'll be avoiding them for my one-year-old. :)
Thanks for the laugh!
Posted by: Amy B. | March 10, 2010 at 08:52 PM
OMG, that's is freakin' HYSTERICAL!!! Pee in my pants funny. I can just picture Ezra with a red and green rimmed nose. Priceless.
Posted by: Karen Chatters | March 11, 2010 at 10:51 AM
reminds me of the time my kid pick up the glue stick and used it thinking it was face sunscreen!
Posted by: allie | March 11, 2010 at 12:17 PM
This is the best. Needed the laugh, you are great!!!!!
Posted by: Kim J | March 11, 2010 at 02:32 PM
LOL!
Posted by: Kyla | March 11, 2010 at 09:36 PM
First of all. I love you. I want to sit here all day and read every post, not only do I have posts of my own to write I have to figure out the advertising stuff today. So, I will read sparingly so as not to make my stomach muscles too sore from laughing. You are great. This is my first time on this site. I discovered Sweetney as you were signing off. That is you right? I actually sent you an email because I was so distraught that I found you so late. This will keep me happy. Thanks for your unique phrasing, ability to put it on paper and your willingness to share it with all of us.
Posted by: Beth | March 12, 2010 at 09:49 AM
hilarious! (sort of.. til it happens to me cause i just bought those!)
Posted by: lig | March 12, 2010 at 02:37 PM
omg!
Posted by: justJENN | March 13, 2010 at 02:01 AM
OMG! that's hilarious
Posted by: coffeejitters (Judy Haley) | March 13, 2010 at 03:06 AM
OMG! I threw out those Tadoodle crayons because my son chewed on them. Buy some big fat Crayolas & break them in half. It's much better for them to get a grip on, & it promotes better fine motor skills.
Posted by: brooke | March 14, 2010 at 12:30 AM
Now THAT'S funny!!
Posted by: Mary @ Holy Mackerel | March 14, 2010 at 06:17 PM
Bahahah! That is hilarious!
Posted by: Nadia | March 15, 2010 at 12:57 AM