The tv show that I wish never ended…#boostyourblog

This may sound rather silly, but I the tv show I wish never ended is Tiny Toon Adventures.  My brother and I used to watch it every afternoon when we got home from school.  It was similar to Looney Toons but with updated characters more geared toward 'modern' kids.  I remember part of their theme song -

"We're Tiny, We're Tooney
We're all a little looney
And in this cartooney we're invading your TV
With comic dispensers we crack up all the censors
On Tiny Toon Adventures there's a dose of comedy!"

There was quite a bit more to it but it's been almost 20 years since I last saw the show (whoa, do I feel old saying that).  My mom loved Elmyra because she always wanted to "hug you and squeeze you into itty bitty pieces."  Then there was the character who made the mashed topato man with spsghetti hair.  And of course who can forget Pinky and the Brain.  They did have a spin off show all their own, but as part of the ensemble of characters of Tiny Toon Adventures I believe it was the best use of the comedy.

So many cartoons these days are spiritistic, dumb, crass or just gross.  Granted there were elements of this in Tiny Toon Adventures but this was mild compared to what is available on TV these days.  Since my girls are still relatively little they still enjoy shows like Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington, Sofia the First and Go Diego Go on Disney and Nickelodeon.  PBS isn't left out of their repertoire of shows either - Martha Speaks, Arthur, Curious George and Dinosaur Train are all family favorites.  I don't let them watch Caillou.  I don't like the character and the way he whines (I hate his voice).  For me this character instead of teaching my kids anything about proper behavior is a poster child for how to whine and throw fits when you don't get your way.

Teaching the Importance of Cooperation and Keeping a Clean House

As a wife and mother I am by no means the best housekeeper.  One thing I have tried to instill in my daughters despite my otherwise lacking domestic skills is that they need to try and clean up after themselves. Now this isn't because I don't want to do it.  I would much rather just let them do their thing and allow me to pick everything up and put it away.  The problem with doing things this way is that they learn nothing.  All they have in mind is that they can do whatever they want and someone will come behind them and clean up their messes.  This attitude unfortunately translates into other areas of life as well.  That is the last thing I want for my girls.

Teaching kids to pick up their trash, put away their toys, pick their clothes up off the floor and take their cups and plates to the kitchen when they are done using them is key to bringing up well adjusted, mannerly adults.  Take for instance what happens when you are invited to someone else's house for a meal.  They work very hard to clean them home, prepare and meal and entertain you for an evening.  The least you can do to reciprocate and show appreciation is by offering to help set and then clean the table, wash the dishes and if they refuse to allow you to participate in the cleanup afterwards at least to take your own plates, dishes and garbage to their respective places.

Too often I come across children that are raised like little animals.  Their parents feed and "water" them but teach them nothing about cooperation with each other and with the family as a whole.  How are they going to handle cooperating with others at school and the workplace if it's not something taught at home when they are young?

My girls are young, but they are still capable of helping around the house.  Cookie offers to sweep (though I usually have to go back over where she just swept when she's not around).  Cookie and BonBon help to unload the dishwasher; they put away cups, bowls, containers, and silverware that they can reach.  Sometimes Cookie will even unload the whole thing and stack the dishes on the counter for me to put away later.  She is a very sweet and conscientious girl.  By her example she encourages little BonBon to want to do the same.  BonBon is my little bathroom police.  She makes sure to tell Mommy when we are running low on toilet paper and when the toilets need a scrub.

Overall what I am trying to teach them is an awareness of other's personal space, needs and feelings.  We all like things to be clean and nice and ready to use, but so does everyone else and they have a right to that.  We should not thoughtlessly act in a manner that will deprive them of those rights

Cookies Quirky Play on Words - The Punchline

OK, this is a few days later than I anticipated. Sorry :(.

Here is Cookie's joke in it's entirety:

How do mashed potatoes go sailing?







IN A GRAVY BOAT!


:-D

Quirky Play on Words By My Precocious Princess

I try to keep a written journal of all the little silly and cute things that Cookie and BonBon come up with.  I just took a look at it this morning and it's been a year since I've updated it.  Not that there hasn't been anything new or interesting that they've done, I've just been bad about updating it.  There are little slips of paper and notes that I need to incorporate into it for posterity.
So much has changed and happened with my little ones.  BonBon is trying to read.  Cookie is READING years beyond her grade level.  Their personalities have blossomed and grown so much.  Most days they play together very well.  It's either Puppy and Owner, Momma and Baby, Best Friend Sleepover, Grocery Store (one is the checkout girl the other is the customer), or Rock Star Concert that they pretend.  The phrase, "C'mon friend," is uttered quite often in our house.  They make me smile.

This entry was prompted by a new joke Cookie came up with yesterday.  She loves plays on words.  She had a Disney book that has loads of silly jokes like "Have you ever seen a house fly?".  Her level of comprehension is astounding.  She was watching the news and saw a report about a sunken navy ship.  The word navy made her think of a rhyming word that made her giggle.  Next thing you know she hits me with this gem:

How do mashed potatoes go sailing?

Want to know the answer?  Come back tomorrow and find out.  In the meantime leave your most clever answer in the comments below.

Thank you for reading!