Furry Red Muppet Monster Obsession

Elmo, the bedtime buddy.

What is it about the toddler brain that causes it to become utterly fascinated with a certain red muppet monster?

It's like someone flipped a switch deep within Scott's head and activated the "Elmo Obsession lobe."

Sure, the kid has long enjoyed "Play with Me Sesame," -- even breaking out into a big grin at the opening notes of the theme song. And I think his first crush was on Prairie Dawn, the little piano playing blonde-haired muppet girl.

But this is different.

Scott has a new, stuffed Elmo. It's permanently attached to him. It goes to the breakfast table, to daycare, he tried to bring it in the bath too.

Scott says only a handful of words with regularity -- "mama," "daa-da da da," "baww" (ball), "dahhnn"(down)...but suddenly, "Mem-MO" is in heavy rotation. He says it while pointing to the dog, as he's walking through the house, and whenever he enters his room.

The stuffed Elmo I bought him has become an extension of his body. Like a third arm. He has a Rock 'n Roll Elmo that plays drums, the tambourine and sings. For the past week, at bedtime and at naptime, he'll only let me read "Mem-MO" related books.

 

Elmo and Scott at the railroad park

Over and over and over and over again.

And there's a new insistence behind his voice. A sudden, underlying, "if you don't make the freaking red monster muppet thing appear RIGHT NOW I am going to have a complete, catastrophic meltdown" kind of tone.

So I guess we've officially entered the "Elmo Phase"...kind of makes me wonder if the good folks at Sesame Street have put some sort of subliminal messaging in their television show that only toddlers can hear and respond to.

Em-MO! I don't care if we've read it 400 times in the past two days, mommy. Read it AGAIN!!