I’m sitting here half-watching the cartoons the kids have on. The Wife is finishing up a sweater that was initially meant for the boy but, because the pattern she followed resulted in something too small, is going to the lass instead. She’s been very disappointed with the sweater because of the sizing issues. My own view is the sweater is a nice looking sweater that she’s done a good job with- she can’t be held culpable for being misled on the size due to the pattern. The lass likes it anyway, and the boy will get his own sweater after this one is finished.
As for the cartoons- we’ve watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and now Special Agent Ozo. They are all computer generated animation, with characters that talk to the audience in order to get them involved in the lessons of the day. Little Einsteins is nice because it introduces classical music like Back, Mozart and Beethoven as part of the story. All the stories are based on super helpful and caring main characters, always willing to help a friend in need. In addition, the stories typically have a series of tasks that have to be accomplished in order to achieve some larger goal. The kids are brought along for the ride as the characters constantly turn to the screen and ask the audience questions to help them figure out the problem.
These are a far cry from the cartoons I watched growing up. Of course, I can’t exactly remember how much TV I watched when I was their age. I’m pretty sure that cable wasn’t really available until I was 8 or 9. All I can really remember is Looney Tunes and Hannah Barbara which were all your basic goofy slapstick- blowing things up and getting wacked upside the noggin with a big stick. We’re talking about Tom and Jerry, Casper, Popeye, Scooby Doo and the like.
Ah yes, the good ol’ days.