It’s just embarrassing how much I know about children’s TV now. I remember back in the days before I had kids, I swore I’d never use the TV as a babysitter, and now, I’m blogging while the Captain watches a show. It’s a slippery slope, people! Lately I’ve been thinking about how much I would kick ass at a trivia game based around kids TV. What’s Big Bird’s teddy bear’s name? What are the names of the other bunny scouts in Ruby’s bunny scout troup, on Max and Ruby? What are the names of three stations on the Island of Sodor? What are the words to the Elmo’s World theme song? All covered, my friend. Sadly, however, the only people who are interested in a game like this would be other moms, all of whom are too embarrassed to admit they have such encyclopediatric knowledge of children’s TV, so it’d be a bust for sure if I bothered to invent it.

Last year around this time, Captain Jelly Belly was heavily into two shows — Hi-5, featuring five 20-somethings who sing cute pop songs about colours and animals, and Peep And The Big Wide World, which uses an animated chicken and duck to introduce basic science concepts. After seeing every single episode of both shows many, many times, I knew a shameful amount about both. I could quote extensively, sing both theme songs, tell you who wrote most episodes, critique the outfits on Hi-5. Eventually CJB got tired of both shows because he’d seen them too often, and I was pretty sad to have to give them up. Thomas The Tank Engine and Dora The Explorer just aren’t the same for me.

Gal Smiley is getting to be about the same age CJB was when he found Hi-5, so this week I taped a couple of Hi-5’s and a couple of Peep’s for her to check out. And to my total shock, there are new episodes of each. This is major news in our household!! I can’t wait to collect them all! I must say that the new Hi-5 costume designer just doesn’t have the flair of old. What’s with all the shiny belts? Is this 1985? If only I had some other mommys with secret TV habits to dish with!