THERE'S HOPE

Meet the Backyardigans, Friends: Austin, Pablo, Tyrone, Uniqua, Tasha

Austin is a purple Kangaroo, Pablo a kinda navy-blue natty Penguin, Tyrone an orange Moose in a blue and red shirt, Uniqua a pink One-of-a-Kind, and Tasha, a yellow Hippo with a penchant for shoes.

They’re all appealing little fellows, with bright, cheery colors and a good word for all, and they have a wide audience amongst the Pre-K set and their parents.

Except. On the one DVD we have, Tasha sings a song which outlasts American Pie. I swear, it’s longer than a Twelfth-Century ballad, and not nearly as entertaining. It goes on For. Ev. Er, and forget the Princess frenzy which inhabits the hearts of lotsa little girls and their Mothers---we’re aiming for the sky here. It starts with "I'm Queen Tasha, and I rule the whole back yard," and every other line of the interminable ditty ends in “And Queens are Nev-Ver Wrong.”

It had gone on for quite some time this morning, and suddenly Sweetpea reached down another DVD. She said, “Here. Let’s watch Sid, the Science Guy---I neeeeed some Science.”

And I replied, “Oh, thank Goodness! That song makes me cringe.”

“What’s crinch?”

“That’s when you just don’t like something and it makes you go kinda-----“ (shoulder hunching and grimace).


Tee-nineciest voice in the history of the world: “OH. We don’t have Crinch at home. We got the Grinch, and he’s TERRIBLE. And then he gets better.”

Let’s hear it for gettin’ BETTER, folks! Every little bit helps.