Happy 39th Birthday....
Sesame Street!
I didn't know it then, but when I started babysitting a toddler in the fall of 1970 -- part of an assignment by my Child Psych prof at McGill University, Dr. Rabinovitch, to observe a child and record his/her activities/conversation/behaviour, I became a member of one of the earliest audiences for Sesame Street. Years later, my husband and I decided to arrange our daughter's pre-school and kindergarten attendance for afternoons, so that she could watch educational television -- Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Dress-up etc. -- in the mornings.
When my son was a wee tot, I took him and his sister to see a children's concert featuring Bob from Sesame Street -- including an appearance from Oscar the Grouch, and later, we saw Susan, Gordon and...? someone else from the show live at a free afternoon performance in Calgary's Devonian Gardens. I don't know for sure, but it might just be that I had more fun than the kids!
Then there were the movies and the television specials. Our family favourites? The Christmas special where everyone visits Fozzie Bear and his mom at her big farm-house ("Watch out for the icy patch!!"), and the other one in which the Muppet characters played in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", narrated by Gonzo and one of his rat buddies.
Ohhhh...Jim Henson and crew -- what delights you gave us over the years! Blessings and best wishes for continued creativity and contributions to the lively education of yet another generation of youngsters.
2 comments:
I can't help but wonder if the pm kindergarten set-up ALSO allowed for you guys to sleep in just a little bit longer in the mornings! ;)
Looking forward to Muppets' Christmas at the farm this holiday season!
Years ago I took my kids to see Gordon and others from Sesame Street, live, at the local mall. They were amazing. They played the game, "Which of these things is not like the other?" and it featured a house, a ship, a train, and a car. The child who answered immediately shouted, "The Car!!"
The entire audience burst out laughing.
Gordon looked at his drawing, and studied it carefully. "You're right!! The house, the ship, and the train all have smoke coming out of their chimneys, but not the car!"
It was an AMAZING learning experience for us all, and my respect for Gordon grew by leaps and bounds.
On another note, I am THRILLED to be the purchaser of "Joy Cometh in the Morning." It's a beautiful piece, and I can't wait to see it in person...
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