Thank you, Mario

It's pretty clear that Mario is the new king of the hill. Hyrum is deeply interested in MarioParty and Super Mario. We've already mentioned his effects on Christmas lights. There isn't a prayer lately where he doesn't mention his thanks for Mario, Luigi, Peach, and often Toadette or Daisy.

Now how does an enterprising parent turn this into an advantage?

Joy answers, "Burn the DS! That's how he got introduced to Mario."

I have a less violent solution. Hy has this green sack Joy made for him that we try to put him into at night. But because he can't get out of it, he doesn't like getting into it much. I've tried connecting it to other characters in the past: Buzz climbs into his spaceship (very unpopular), Woody climbs into his stagecoach (not too terrible), the fire trucks drive into the fire station... So why not invite Hyrum to be Mario and climb into his pipe? And why not sing a little while I do so, a little Mario theme, Mario going down the pipe, Mario in the underworld... I've been listening to this stuff for over 20 years.

He LOVES it! After church when I didn't put him in his sack for his nap, he said as I left "I'm not Mario. :(  "  And when Joy went to wake him up, "I'm not Mario :(   I don't get in the pipe."

Success! Thank you, Mario. Le dee, dedee dee dee dee. Dudee.