La la la la: K + (M)Elmo

I'm not a big one for having kids watch TV, or using TV as a babysitter", unless it has something meaningful in the content. At work, with my kids, if we're doing a particular theme, then I'll whip out my trusty Videos of....say, "Goodnight Gorilla", or "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", or the all-time favorite, "Corduroy".

As I've mentioned at times, K has LOVED watching The Signing Time show on PBS. Unfortunately, we lost the show that we had saved on our DVR when we had to replace one of the DVR boxes. Since then, we haven't found the show anywhere, and still haven't made a move to purchase the shows. (Lazy-am-I).

Occasionally, I'll have some Noggin show, or maybe Curious George on in the background when we play, but other than our usual Music Videos to start our AM, K and I just listen to our music via the computer or radio.

The past few months, CJ and I have introduced K to Cookie Monster and Elmo through toys we've found or a balloon (Cookie). Keifer had NO idea what or who these characters were, other than we've told her and made their sounds for her to imitate (she's quite the cute little Cookie Monster herself). A few weeks ago, I put on Sesame Street for her, and when Elmo came on, the world stopped for a moment for Keifer. ELMO! The furry, cute, bug-eyed dude she had to play with was singing and dancing (her favorite things EVER) on TV. She was hooked. Since then, we've watched a few DVRed episodes of Sesame Street with K, and she loves it. Today, the episode's theme was "laundromat" and socks played a major theme. Combine SOCKS (our girl is obsessed with socks), Elmo, singing, dancing, and kids, and well, you've got yourself a fan for life. And, surprisingly, I don't find Elmo annoying at all, especially compared to that big purple dinosaur that bugs the crap out of me. LOL. And who could not like a show that teaches kindess, teaches life lessons, teaches letters and numbers CONSTANTLY, and is FUN?

As for me, well, I can still sing the "1,2, 3, 4, 5 - 11, 12" song by memory and apparently was an avid SS fan (watching it the two times a day, AM and PM, they showed it) when I was younger. I think it's great in it's educational value and heck, since K will watch it while I get laundry and lunch started (and actually ATE my own lunch without jumping up for her), well, it's OK by me. *and I even find myself singing and dancing along with the cute, (not yet annoying) characters! And heck, some of the songs they sing are CLASSICS, people! *