Saturday, November 8, 2008

I'm Home

That's it - I'm home.

Tomorrow I will try to post some pictures from my trip out west. I love to visit with my girls, but I'm glad to be home. Can't wait to soak in my tub and sleep in my bed!

I always appreciate my home so much more after I've been away for a while.

My dogs and my husband seem to be glad that I'm home and I even got a hug from Seth!

Life is good!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Okay - Call Me Sick

Confession Time - I LOVE :


Fairly Odd Parents
Back To The Barnyard
SpongeBob SquarePants

I know, I know, I know...wasting my time watching silly cartoons, but gosh these three ARE FUNNY! Adult humor at it's finest. They are witty - nothing "dirty" - just plain fun. A lot more than I can say for most of "Prime Time TV" these days.

Sit down, prop your feet up, let your hair down (okay Barry - just sit down and prop your feet up) and enjoy an episode or two. Go ahead and laugh out loud. Try to recognize any celebrity voices...

...And then...I dare you...just try...

...to get this out of you head!



"Oooooooooooooooooooh -Who, lives in a pineapple under the sea...?

SpongeBob Squarepants.

Absorbent and yellow and porous is he!

SpongeBob SquarePants.

If nautical nonsense is something you wish!

SpongeBob SquarePants.

Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish!

SpopngeBob SquarePants.

SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob SquarePants,

SpongeBob SquarePaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaants!"


Sorry - I had to do it!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

No More Cartoons

I've had enough - no more cartoon watching for me (for a while anyway).

Thumbs up:

My Friends Tigger and Pooh
Little Einsteins
Handy Manny
Ruby and Max
Dora the Explorer
Go Diego Go
The Backyardigans

Kids over 6 probably won't want to watch any of these, but I just can't take watching any more shows for a while. Maybe sometime in the future, I'll comment on shows geared toward older kids.

For more information on many of the cartoons on the air these days, you may find the following helpful:

http://www.commonsencemedia.com/
http://www.nickjr.com/
http://www.tv.disney.go.com/
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/

I'm off now, to shop at the Desert Bookstore in Denver. It's going to be a balmy 45 today and the sun is shining - Life is good.

Tomorrow - My 3 Faves!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Mighty B - Enough for Me

Mighty B - Is a show about a young girl named Bessie Higgenbottom. Bessie lives by the Honeybee Handbook!. This spoof of the Girl Scouts, has Bessie in uniform at all times. She leads her fellow scouters as if she were a drill Sergeant. Speaking with a lisp, she takes her duties seriously, and has made earning every Honeybee badge, her life's goal.
As with most cartoons - present and past - there is lots of cartoon violence, and adult humor. My two year old grandson wandered in and out of the room through out the 1/2 hour show. He didn't seem to be particularly interested in the show.

I would rather see my young grandchildren watching shows like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, or Corey in the House, than watching most cartoons. -- I will say that the cartoons from my childhood had just as much "violence" in them, as today's have. They were just more simple minded. Shows, that air now seem to be much more sophisticated, for lack of a better word. Their plots run like a sitcom, with sitcom humor.

On the positive - some of these new shows are so funny for adults, more parents are sitting down and watching TV WITH their children, which is a good thing. Even though I don't feel that cartoon watching in my childhood caused me any lasting emotional problems, I worry about the lasting effects on kids today. In my time, cartoons came on for a few hours on Saturday morning. Now days, there are channels that show cartoons 24/7. This can't be good.

Parent's must weigh the pros and cons, and choose what, and how much, their children watch on TV. Most of my grandchildren have or have had a pretty full diet of TV watching, but they seem to be stable, well-rounded kids. They have good manners, the school aged kids are making good grades, and they all have friends. But, they also have parent's who read to them, play games with them, AND watch TV with them!. I think that's the secret - Yep - spending TIME with your kids.

Tomorrow - I've Had Enough! I'll give you some resources to help you make up your own mind, and a list of my favorite shows for kids. Then on Friday, I'll tell you about my favorite shows for adults. (If my eyes can hold out, and my ears don't fall off.)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting and Cartoons

I voted over a week ago. Needed to vote early, as I am out west visiting family. I fear for our Nation, and pray that Heavenly Father will guide those who vote today! My thoughts about this election, would take days to write - So let me just say, that I'm begining to think that voters should be able to pass a competency test before being able to cast their ballot. - Enough said.


Ruby andMax - A sweet, simple little cartoon about a brother and sister rabbit. Ruby, the older sister runs the roost, and Max the little brother, "does his own thing". Here are some things that I wonder about:


1. Why do these two young rabbits live alone?

2. Where are their parents?

3. If Grandmother Rabbit lives down the street, why don't Ruby and Max live with her?

4. How do Ruby and Max support themselves?

5. AND -why does Max only say one word in each episode?


I waste my time thinking about things like this. When my kids were young, I used to be so upset with Sesame Street. The kids could all see Snuffy, but the adults couldn't. Now Snuffy wasn't a figment of the watchers imagination. He was a real character on the show. Didn't this bring about mistrust in the innocent eyes of the kiddies who watched every day?


Am I heading for a nervous breakdown? Have I stepped into the next realm of consciousness? Do I need a cookie. YEAH - that's it. I need sugar.


Tomorrow- The Mighty Bee

Monday, November 3, 2008

30 in 30

I've heard that November is National Blogging Month. Soooooooo, I'm jumping on the 30 posts in 30 days bandwagon. 2 down, 28 to go.

I'm spending time out west with 5 of our grand children, from the ages of 8 months to eight years. To say the least, I've watched enough cartoons to last me for the rest of my life.

Cartoons were strange enough when my kids were little - BUT NOW - whooooooo, they go way beyond weird.

For the next 5 days I'm going to give you my thoughts on some of the cartoons that I have enjoyed (and not so enjoyed) over the last few days.

Yo Gabba Gabba- Low budget animation. Songs like; I Like Bugs, and I Tried It and Now I Like It. By-the-way the lyrics for these two songs are; I like Bugs, and I Tried It and Now I Like It. Yep, same words sung over and over again. Thrown in randomly, throughout the half hour show, are tidbits of wisdom. This mornings episode talked about germs (don't eat dirty food) and how to draw a cat. A chubby lady, in gold spandex, danced around. I don't have a clue what the song she was singing was about, cause I was so totally mesmerized by her jiggling belly fat. The host of this show is a young black man reminescent of Steve Urkel, dressed in a neon "fro", big glasses, and spandex body suit. - Folks, I'm not making this stuff up.

This show gets a thumbs down from me - but it gives me hope that when the time comes, there will be a job oportunity for my Big J!

Tomorrow - Ruby and Max

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Big J's World

He forgot to take his medicine AGAIN today. Drove up to school to give it to him.

In front of all the parents and faculty in the office he says " But mom, I could have sworn that I took my medicine this morning...are you sure you aren't overdosing me"? Heads turned.

Then - he says, "Oh, while you're here, would you sign this"? Seems my boy has been tardy 4 times already. Does he take his head with him when he leaves the house?