My husband and I don’t go out much. Blame it on what you will: little kids, a bad economy, not many choices on the shoreline, but we tend to stay home and watch movies. There weren’t many movie choices on Easter eve. I turned my attention toward the premium channels and shows we had never seen. There it was under A&E: Hoarders. Hmmmm –this might not be a good idea. We couldn’t resist, we had to watch and see what was going to happen.
My husband is a neat freak. He comes from a family of neat freaks. I don’t think I am a neat freak until I get around people that aren’t us and then I realize that I am neater than I ever was fifteen years ago. The show follows two people with this hoarding problem and how they try to get help. Before I hit “Play” on demand, I giggled to myself that I have hoarding tendencies-but I was wrong. These people don’t just have spoiled kids with a playroom that could keep an empty preschool happy for years. These people don’t just have bookshelves and bookshelves of books because they were raised by a college professor and a lawyer. These people refuse to throw away tax book guides from 1988 and have skunks running around the basements. Yes, I said skunks. I could not believe what I was watching-my books and my children’s toys were nothing. The next day was Easter, and after a wonderful sermon on rebirth and starting over-we purged our already clean house just to make sure we weren’t “hoarders.” Of course, hoarding might be relative. I'm sure someone with the opposite problem of O.C.D.thinks the house is a mess if there is one dish in the sink.
I am not a psychologist, and I don’t know what I’m talking about, hence the title “Quack” in my blog. BUT I think something is going on with these people that they aren’t showing us in the editing process. We watched three episodes, and all three times when the professional cleaners were called in with the dumpsters, they flashed their faces like they were trying very hard not to crack up. One of them politely said, “M’am, a rat chewed through this shoe,” and she still wouldn’t let him toss it. It took another woman four hours to look at one box and she started screaming for them to find something she had to have that minute. Does this happen in any other country? Seriously?
I did notice that when it was time to throw something away the hoarder always had a reason and a story behind why they should keep it. Now, don’t go off on me, but that was pretty cool. I could tell/make up a story about any object in my house too, and I’m going to start writing them down.
Here we go:
“No! No! Don’t throw away the Snoopy glue stick-when I was in Kindergarten, I begged my mom for a Snoopy lunchbox and we finally found one and I have to have that glue stick because of Snoopy, even if it is used up.”
Or this:
“No, I must keep my 2007 Wonders of the World wall calendar because some day I’m going to visit all of them and then I’ll need to make a special scrapbook for the kids and I’ll want to cut those pictures out of that calendar.”
I’ll stop with the stories-but now I have good places to get material from.
I think that this hoarding might be like my memory. I don’t need things because I remember it all anyway. I also have a European attitude in the sense that I would take time with friends over having things any time when given the choice. Some people must need to have the physical presence instead of the mental one. I hoard a lot of memories…
We have to remember when we watch these shows that these are real people suffering from a real problem. The point is that they are trying to get help in addition to entertaining us in a bad economy. If one person watches this show and decides, "hey, that is me-I need help," then the show has done it's job. I definitely look at some of my daughter's autism tendencies a little differently now. If she has a Mickey, she needs a Minnie. Then we need to add Donald, Daisy, and the rest of the gang as well. The next thing you know the toys have piled up and she has moved on to another show. When we see it early, we can help it quicker. On the flip side, when you go on television or the internet, you give people the opportunity to judge and poke fun. I'm a victim of it too, but it doesn't slow me down. It's life.
A few more tips if you don’t want to be like these people:
1) Pick a day to “purge.” Make it monthly, annually-whatever. Neighborhoods have tag sales and Goodwills have donation places. Then you don’t have to feel guilty if you just toss it. (One more little disclaimer-if it is trashed, throw it out. Be respectful of donation centers and what people would want to buy or re-use.)
2) Subway kid meals come in really cute reusable bags. We fill them with markers and little toys. Great for organization and if it gets ripped, no big deal-just don’t hoard them.
3) We print out pictures and labels that the kids color and cut out and then tape to the bins that toys should go in. This takes all kinds of time and keeps everyone busy for hours…
4) Take care of the toys and things that you have-then you buy less.
5) Keep a notebook and jot down the stories as you clean!
6) Don’t be afraid to tell the kids “No!” or “You can’t have that many toys, spiders and skunks could hide in them.” LOL that was funny……
Now the only place in the house that looks like a “Hoarders” episode is the attic, but I’ll take care of it soon enough. Must get a special notebook for the occasion and make sure we can name the skunk something other than Flower….
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Monday, April 5, 2010
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Yo Gabba Gabba!
My daughter is a little obsessed with stuffed animals, and a few months ago she picked out this little green monster with long arms. A friend came over with her son and held the little guy up, “Have you seen this show?” She asks.
“No,” I say, I didn’t know it was a show, I just knew my daughter liked the monster.
“It is really weird.” She says, and throws the little monster, who I have since learned is Brobee, back into the pile of stuffed animals in my playroom.
Maybe two months later, we discover “Yo Gabba Gabba!” on the Noggin channel. Huh. I don’t lie, the first time you watch this show, you either think one of two things. 1) NO. Or 2) What drugs was the creator on when he thought this show up? And you flip on over to PBS Kids or Playhouse Disney. But after a while, I get sick of the same shows, and while I could just go do something else, there are certain times of the day when we watch television, so I put it back on Noggin. Now we live to hear DJ Lance Rock in his retro 70’s orange disco suit say “Yo Gabba Gabba!”
For those of you who have more control over your life and kids, DJ Lance Rock walks up to the play table, opens his radio/toy box and says the magic words, “Yo Gabba Gabba!” Then his five plastic toys come to life and sing, dance, and teach young children lessons. Muno is a bumpy red Cyclops. Toodee is a blue part dragon/ part cat sweetie. Foufa is pink and puffy with a flower on her head. Plex is a robot, and Brobee is the weird looking green one with the long arms that ended up in my basement playroom originally without my knowledge of his fandom or popularity.
Even if Noggin didn’t put their little disclaimer at the beginning of each show about why it is ok for my child to watch one of their programs, I could figure out that my kids are learning something in addition to being entertained while I talk on the phone or read Outlander. The songs are up there with the Wiggles and (gasp!) The Imagination Movers when it comes to teaching. “Don’t be Afraid,” “Get the Sillies out,” and “There’s a Party in my Tummy,” are some good ones, but the best ones are the ones that you think should be common sense to a preschooler but they aren’t, such as “Don’t bite your friends,” “Be Careful,” and “It’s Your Turn.” Good stuff, and I hum it all the time. I have also found here lately that if I use DJ Lance Rock’s intonation, I get really good results from my children. Try it, “Know what time it is? It’s time to take a bath!” We should try this on adults, “It’s almost time to do the taxes…”
Yo Gabba Gabba has great little segments. One is “Super Martian Robot Girl,” and she definitely appeals to my science fiction fantasy loving side, and shout out for making her a female. They also have ‘cool tricks’ that people can do, and my son and daughter spent at least two hours trying to balance a spoon on their noses after that one. Their extra special, the reason everyone tunes in, segment is the “Dancey-Dance.” That is when Plex the robot zaps someone into Gabba Land to teach a dance. My own children do indeed get up for the dancey dance. I saw it a couple of times before I realized that some seriously famous people were signing up to dance with these weirdos. I mean, when someone says, “Hey everybody! I’m Elijah,” do you really look up from the dishes you are unloading to say “It’s Frodo?” No, you value your time. But then you see Tony Hawke, who you know is a skateboard king from ten years of teaching middle school, Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila , and Jan from the Office, and you think, “What is going on with this show?” And then, it’s him. The one you should have guessed would have been on the show from the beginning. Jack Black!
Jack and I go way back, starting with my first year of marriage when he was but a technology geek in Enemy of the State. Then I loved him in High Fidelity and watched his career sky rocket, culminating with Margot at the Wedding, where he does a nude scene. At first I thought I could go my whole life without seeing Jack Black’s ass, but then I thought, good for Jack for doing it. I mean, I am willing to bet more men look like him than they do Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise.
There is Jack doing his Dancey Dance and having the time of his life. We all need a Dancey Dance. It is kind of up there with a laughing place and a theme song. If your kids are going crazy and other moms seem to have it together while you are falling apart, just start doing your own Dancey Dance and wash the crazies away.
Don’t we all wish all we had to do was say YO GABBA GABBA and the kids would freeze for a little while and we could put them up and get them back out after about an hour? Maybe once? It would be nice. I’ll say it if no one else will.
As far as education goes, Yo Gabba Gabba has one concept nailed. In 1997, when I started teaching, I had my first observation and conference with my prinicipal Sue King. She told me to always “Cement” my lesson. You always want to end with a review to make sure that the students “got it”. DJ Lance Rock does that every day. My kids know it is coming and they can’t wait to help him “break it down.”
Now not only do we have Brobee in our basement of unloved stuffed animals, but also all of the Gabba Gabba friends. I can hear my kids down there playing Gabba Land and fighting over who gets to be DJ Lance. Maybe some day we will start our own Super Music Friends show too. Of course, maybe someday I will be a good mom and put the television in the garage, but until then, Noggin has it going on.
I must get ready for my glitter hands workout, so more later…..
“No,” I say, I didn’t know it was a show, I just knew my daughter liked the monster.
“It is really weird.” She says, and throws the little monster, who I have since learned is Brobee, back into the pile of stuffed animals in my playroom.
Maybe two months later, we discover “Yo Gabba Gabba!” on the Noggin channel. Huh. I don’t lie, the first time you watch this show, you either think one of two things. 1) NO. Or 2) What drugs was the creator on when he thought this show up? And you flip on over to PBS Kids or Playhouse Disney. But after a while, I get sick of the same shows, and while I could just go do something else, there are certain times of the day when we watch television, so I put it back on Noggin. Now we live to hear DJ Lance Rock in his retro 70’s orange disco suit say “Yo Gabba Gabba!”
For those of you who have more control over your life and kids, DJ Lance Rock walks up to the play table, opens his radio/toy box and says the magic words, “Yo Gabba Gabba!” Then his five plastic toys come to life and sing, dance, and teach young children lessons. Muno is a bumpy red Cyclops. Toodee is a blue part dragon/ part cat sweetie. Foufa is pink and puffy with a flower on her head. Plex is a robot, and Brobee is the weird looking green one with the long arms that ended up in my basement playroom originally without my knowledge of his fandom or popularity.
Even if Noggin didn’t put their little disclaimer at the beginning of each show about why it is ok for my child to watch one of their programs, I could figure out that my kids are learning something in addition to being entertained while I talk on the phone or read Outlander. The songs are up there with the Wiggles and (gasp!) The Imagination Movers when it comes to teaching. “Don’t be Afraid,” “Get the Sillies out,” and “There’s a Party in my Tummy,” are some good ones, but the best ones are the ones that you think should be common sense to a preschooler but they aren’t, such as “Don’t bite your friends,” “Be Careful,” and “It’s Your Turn.” Good stuff, and I hum it all the time. I have also found here lately that if I use DJ Lance Rock’s intonation, I get really good results from my children. Try it, “Know what time it is? It’s time to take a bath!” We should try this on adults, “It’s almost time to do the taxes…”
Yo Gabba Gabba has great little segments. One is “Super Martian Robot Girl,” and she definitely appeals to my science fiction fantasy loving side, and shout out for making her a female. They also have ‘cool tricks’ that people can do, and my son and daughter spent at least two hours trying to balance a spoon on their noses after that one. Their extra special, the reason everyone tunes in, segment is the “Dancey-Dance.” That is when Plex the robot zaps someone into Gabba Land to teach a dance. My own children do indeed get up for the dancey dance. I saw it a couple of times before I realized that some seriously famous people were signing up to dance with these weirdos. I mean, when someone says, “Hey everybody! I’m Elijah,” do you really look up from the dishes you are unloading to say “It’s Frodo?” No, you value your time. But then you see Tony Hawke, who you know is a skateboard king from ten years of teaching middle school, Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila , and Jan from the Office, and you think, “What is going on with this show?” And then, it’s him. The one you should have guessed would have been on the show from the beginning. Jack Black!
Jack and I go way back, starting with my first year of marriage when he was but a technology geek in Enemy of the State. Then I loved him in High Fidelity and watched his career sky rocket, culminating with Margot at the Wedding, where he does a nude scene. At first I thought I could go my whole life without seeing Jack Black’s ass, but then I thought, good for Jack for doing it. I mean, I am willing to bet more men look like him than they do Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise.
There is Jack doing his Dancey Dance and having the time of his life. We all need a Dancey Dance. It is kind of up there with a laughing place and a theme song. If your kids are going crazy and other moms seem to have it together while you are falling apart, just start doing your own Dancey Dance and wash the crazies away.
Don’t we all wish all we had to do was say YO GABBA GABBA and the kids would freeze for a little while and we could put them up and get them back out after about an hour? Maybe once? It would be nice. I’ll say it if no one else will.
As far as education goes, Yo Gabba Gabba has one concept nailed. In 1997, when I started teaching, I had my first observation and conference with my prinicipal Sue King. She told me to always “Cement” my lesson. You always want to end with a review to make sure that the students “got it”. DJ Lance Rock does that every day. My kids know it is coming and they can’t wait to help him “break it down.”
Now not only do we have Brobee in our basement of unloved stuffed animals, but also all of the Gabba Gabba friends. I can hear my kids down there playing Gabba Land and fighting over who gets to be DJ Lance. Maybe some day we will start our own Super Music Friends show too. Of course, maybe someday I will be a good mom and put the television in the garage, but until then, Noggin has it going on.
I must get ready for my glitter hands workout, so more later…..
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