We have a 19-month-old now … who loves to see how loud her voice can go, bust out a waterfall of tears when she doesn't get what she wants, and greet the neighbor's dog every time we leave the house with a loud "Hi dogeeee!"
Oh, how she loooooves to color. If Kates and I really need to keep Phoebe occupied, and have her occupied for a lengthy time, we’ve discovered Phoebe and a box of crayons is the best solution. She can stand at the coffee table for long periods taking delight in taking crayons out of the box and putting them back in, looking at the colors and dragging them across a sheet of paper. … On the other side, though, some of the biggest tantrums we’ve had to endure so far have come at the moment we have to take those crayons away.
She knows almost all of her colors … Like bown, geen, white, wewoa, purpo, bue, onge and -- rojo. Hey, she’s learning Spanish, too!
She’s learning shapes. … and get this: The one she loves to say most – octagon. As opposed to the more common circle or square, yes, Phoebe knows octagon. “Octagai! Octagai! Octagai!” she says as she bounces around the room.
One of Phoebe’s favorite pastimes these days – if she doesn't have access to the crayons – is stacking her blocks and then pushing them and watching the stack fall …
Her interest in books continues. It’s not uncommon for her to plunk herself down in front of one of our book shelves, pull out a book and begin flipping through it. Or she’ll pick out a book and bring it to Kates or I in hopes that we’ll stop whatever we’re doing and read it to her – which we usually do. Her favorite books continue to be “Good Night Moon” and “Skippy Jon Jones,” along with a big “Sesame Street” book with words and numbers.
That interest in “Sesame Street” has only gotten deeper, too – which gets a big thumbs-up from me, not only because I remain a big fan in adulthood, but those “Baby Einstein” DVDs drive me crazy. At least I can enjoy “Sesame Street” with her … Phoebe adores Ernie and Abby and Elmo. She has an Abby bowl she asks to eat from every night at supper; she pines for her Ernie coloring book (Really, it’s a coloring book with all “Sesame Street” scenes and characters, but Phoebe calls it “Ernie.”), and the other day when we were watching one of the new “Sesame” episodes (it was about time … we were so tired of the reruns), Phoebe’s eyes nearly exploded out of her head when “Elmo’s World” began. Phoebe shot straight up from her seat, pointed to the TV and shouted, “ELMO!”
Rarely a dull moment.
11.16.2009
11.15.2009
From 'Mad' to Bad
Everything I said last week about being excited to see January Jones host 'Saturday Night Live' ...
Yeah. Forget it. All of it.
Kates and I watched the episode in horror this afternoon. It was awful ... I couldn't seem to reach for the remote fast enough as we quickly tired of almost every sketch and hit the fast-forward button ...
But hey, the Black Eyed Peas were good.
Just read Ken Tucker's review on EW. It says everything I'm thinking.
Yeah. Forget it. All of it.
Kates and I watched the episode in horror this afternoon. It was awful ... I couldn't seem to reach for the remote fast enough as we quickly tired of almost every sketch and hit the fast-forward button ...
But hey, the Black Eyed Peas were good.
Just read Ken Tucker's review on EW. It says everything I'm thinking.
11.11.2009
'Sesame Street' at 40
'Sesame Street' is turning 40 this week! Woo Hoo!
Finally some new episodes.
Though I'm not thrilled about the transformation of the show over the years. Into the new-fangled "learning compartments." Ugh.
The computerization of some characters and the complete elimination of others. Bert and Ernie in claymation. An animated Abby. Ugh.
Join with me as I recall the good ol' days ...
Mahna mahna.
The aliens discovering the radio.
Near. Far.
Ernie counting sheep. And fire engines. And balloons.
The Boogy Woogy Sheep.
I could go on and on. How ' bout "Heeeeeere Fishy Fishy Fishy
..."
Finally some new episodes.
Though I'm not thrilled about the transformation of the show over the years. Into the new-fangled "learning compartments." Ugh.
The computerization of some characters and the complete elimination of others. Bert and Ernie in claymation. An animated Abby. Ugh.
Join with me as I recall the good ol' days ...
Mahna mahna.
The aliens discovering the radio.
Near. Far.
Ernie counting sheep. And fire engines. And balloons.
The Boogy Woogy Sheep.
I could go on and on. How ' bout "Heeeeeere Fishy Fishy Fishy
..."
Mad season
Kates and I got around to watching the season finale of our new favorite show, "Mad Men" last night ... Our Sunday nights won't be the same for awhile, knowing our DVR isn't recording the trials of the Draper family and the Sterling-Cooper advertising agency ...
The last weeks' episodes have been excellent television ...
The Oct. 25 episode was arguably the best we’d seen to that point in our short tenure of watching.
January Jones stole every scene she was in, and nailed the episode with her death glares at Don (Have I mentioned how excited I am that she's hosting SNL this weekend!?). The episode was proof of how and why this show has cleaned up at the Emmy Awards the last couple years.
And while the thought-provoking endings can sometimes be confounding, how could you not love the ending of that Oct. 25 episode!? With Don and Betty having just had it out, secrets having been spilled and their marriage on the verge of imploding, they take the kids trick-or-treating. A neighbor treats the kids, then looks at Don and asks, “And who are you supposed to be?” … Fade to black. End of episode. So good!
With the season beginning in the spring of 1963, anyone who watched the show was eager to see how the writers would handle President Kennedy's assassination ... We got our answers in the Nov. 1 episode, and it was done wonderfully. In it, we got the tragic weekend in Dallas playing as a backdrop to Don and Betty’s faltering marriage and the spectacle of Roger’s daughter’s ill-timed wedding.
Don and Betty. You never know who to feel more sorry for ... Every time Don cheats or does something to have us sympathizing with Betty, she does something to swing us right back in Don's corner ...
And finally, the season finale. Every episode got better than the last, and Sunday's finale topped them all.
While every episode had its moments, we got more laugh-out-loud lines in the finale than there were in the entire season ...
Peggy denying Roger a cup of coffee was priceless, but my favorite came the morning after Don and crew had purged the offices. Part of the plan had been for Lane to fire them, thus allowing the gang to spend a weekend gathering everything they wanted on their way out. So when Lane arrived at the office on Monday and the secretaries were crying "We've been robbed!" he knew exactly what was coming. He answered a call from his furious boss in London -- who promptly fired him, too -- and replied jubilantly, "Very good. Happy Christmas!''
What a season. What a show.
The last weeks' episodes have been excellent television ...
The Oct. 25 episode was arguably the best we’d seen to that point in our short tenure of watching.
January Jones stole every scene she was in, and nailed the episode with her death glares at Don (Have I mentioned how excited I am that she's hosting SNL this weekend!?). The episode was proof of how and why this show has cleaned up at the Emmy Awards the last couple years.
And while the thought-provoking endings can sometimes be confounding, how could you not love the ending of that Oct. 25 episode!? With Don and Betty having just had it out, secrets having been spilled and their marriage on the verge of imploding, they take the kids trick-or-treating. A neighbor treats the kids, then looks at Don and asks, “And who are you supposed to be?” … Fade to black. End of episode. So good!
With the season beginning in the spring of 1963, anyone who watched the show was eager to see how the writers would handle President Kennedy's assassination ... We got our answers in the Nov. 1 episode, and it was done wonderfully. In it, we got the tragic weekend in Dallas playing as a backdrop to Don and Betty’s faltering marriage and the spectacle of Roger’s daughter’s ill-timed wedding.
Don and Betty. You never know who to feel more sorry for ... Every time Don cheats or does something to have us sympathizing with Betty, she does something to swing us right back in Don's corner ...
And finally, the season finale. Every episode got better than the last, and Sunday's finale topped them all.
The whole story line proceeded with such zip and adrenaline, full of what felt like both brilliant surprises and a wonderful sense of inevitability as each piece of the puzzle fell into place ... (more)… The shot of the ol’ gang back together again, standing around a table in the darkened Sterling-Copper office on a Sunday and plotting to steal whatever they could get their hands on was priceless.
While every episode had its moments, we got more laugh-out-loud lines in the finale than there were in the entire season ...
Peggy denying Roger a cup of coffee was priceless, but my favorite came the morning after Don and crew had purged the offices. Part of the plan had been for Lane to fire them, thus allowing the gang to spend a weekend gathering everything they wanted on their way out. So when Lane arrived at the office on Monday and the secretaries were crying "We've been robbed!" he knew exactly what was coming. He answered a call from his furious boss in London -- who promptly fired him, too -- and replied jubilantly, "Very good. Happy Christmas!''
What a season. What a show.
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