the muppet master

I mentioned a bunch of posts ago, that Malcolm enjoys watching a "Bert and Ernie" DVD while I am trying to get work done during the day. Not only has this DVD been a lifesaver, buying me 15 minutes (or more!) at a time, it has also got me to thinking ...

It's funny (and absolutely fascinating to me) how kids truly do choose which objects they are going to prefer. Even if, as a parent, I want my kid to like (or perhaps ignore) a certain thing, it's the child who ultimately decides how he/she is going to react.

As much as I like to think that Malcolm exists only to make me happy (which in many ways, he certainly does), he really is his own little person with his own little brain ...

For example, after seeing some old school Sesame Street books at my parents' house (books that have been sticking around since my childhood), Malcolm has been all about Sesame Street! His favorite character is probably The Count (they call him "The Count" because he loves to count things!), but he's also a big fan of Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Grover ... Surprisingly, he doesn't really care for Elmo (the usual kid-favorite).

That's my boy! Going against the grain!

At any rate, this whole Sesame Street phase is all his own.

In no way did I (or anyone else in my family) "push" any of these particular characters on him. He's picked them himself from the various Sesame Street books we have accumulated and the videos we have watched on the Sesame Street website.

He's decided who will be a "favorite" and who will be "just another Muppet."

He pulls the strings.

As his mother, it is so crazy to see these preferences developing. I've heard from other parents, many times over, about how their kids only care about "Veggie Tales," or "Disney's Cars," or "Thomas the Tank Engine," or any host of other kid-friendly fare ... Now I'm living it, firsthand.

My son actually likes something and has quickly created a routine around it. And if he doesn't get to see his Sesame Street friends when he wants to ... Look out!

I can only imagine how many of these preferences will develop through the years. How many likes and dislikes will come and go with the times. How many of these "phases" I will embrace, and how many will cause me to cringe and shake my head.

But, for now, I'm brushing up on my Sesame Street impersonations ...

And wondering if a Sesame Street themed second birthday party is in the cards!