Perhaps I spoke too soon...

because the knitting that was going well is now mostly a tangled heap of yarn. It's okay, I've started to re-knit, and my brand new knitting group meets tomorrow, so I may actually make progress. But in case anyone was considering giving up the crush of humanity that is holiday shopping in favor of the tranquil bliss of making your gifts, tucked in your favorite chair, tea by your side, as the magazines promise, let me correct your imagery. Making gifts isn't any less stressful, and often it isn't any cheaper either. Although at the mall you don't get to see a toddler cheerfully stringing yarn tangles through your kitchen and down the hall.

The Widge still has his sniffle, and I now have a sniffle, and husband was sniffling a bit earlier, so really the Skip House is hosting Snifflepalooza! I'm pretty sure that this is husband's fault: these seem like movie-theater germs to me. Speaking of movie theaters, I'll be headed to one on Thursday, and not for baby pictures as usual. (you all know about baby pics, right? Where the moms get to watch a real movie in a theater full of other moms with babies? okay, just so we're all on the same page). Yes, we've graduated from baby pics, and will be attending Nick Toons, where the moms are subjected to the same cartoons we could watch at home, except on a big screen, in stereo, with a theater full of toddlers and other pre-school-types. We'll be seeing the Wonder Pets, notable as one of the few Nick Jr. programs whose name I can pronounce without feeling silly. (Yo Gabba Gabba?! Sounds like a conspiracy, as if all American children are learning to say self-depricating things in Japanese, for the amusement of some international syndicate.) So the Nick Jr. website isn't as fabulous as Playhouse Disney (seriously, go listen to the Happy Monster Band. Husband loves them. If I'm lucky, they'll start to edge out Journey in his affections.), but there are no Higglytown Heros on Nick Jr. Actually Wonder Pets is the only show we watch on Nick Jr. and only rarely, but they're kind of cute, and they have a Gilbert and Sullivan vibe. Besides, in about 40 years, when Widge's generation is in control of our government, and the Senators begin the day by singing "Whats gonna work? TEEEEEEAMWORK!" I'll at least know where they heard that. Or maybe hours of children's programming will have melted my brain.

Maybe I should change the title to: Skippy-comments-on-the-vast-array-of-children's-programming. Which reminds me: whats the deal with Canada? About a hundred years ago when I was young, there was that Canadian show called "You Can't do That on Television." Remember? The one with the firing squad, and all the slime? (some of you are just too young). Anyway, it sort of seemed like it would be funny, if we could really get what was going on. I thought it was a fluke. But then came Kids in the Hall, and now the Doodlebops, and that Emily Yeung show, and what I've learned is that I just don't understand Canadians, or at least the things they choose to watch. Nothing personal: all the Canadians I've met are very nice, I just don't understand the television.

Also, for the concerned commentors: I'm not neglecting my child. I only blog when he's sleeping, or hanging out with husband, yet another reason why my posting is sporadic. That plus, there are a lot of reruns on the kid's channels. Today we had an old episode of George, an old Clifford, and even an old Super Why, and that show is in its first season. It seems to me they could have written at least a full season's worth of shows, right? Especially since in most of these shows, the plot is pretty much always the same. Apparently repitition is good for the kids: it helps them learn, plus they find it really funny when their parents crack up.