Ode to Elmo

Before Riley was in my life, I thought Elmo was the most annoying character on the planet (alongside Barney). I remember promising myself that whenever Chris and I had kids, we wouldn't allow Elmo in our house simply because I couldn't stand him! Chris really did not care for him either. I personally thought there were far more creative characters and themes out there to embark upon, and Elmo appeared too mainstream.

But then Riley came along and changed everything. It was no longer time to be selfish and think about ourselves first. The moment I witnessed Riley react to Sesame Street, it was over! We had Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Grover, Bert & Ernie, and eventually Elmo in our lives, too. Riley loved each and every one of those characters, but there was something special about Elmo that made Riley's eyes light up each and everytime. Perhaps it was his red furry face, or his voice, or his singing, or all of the above. Whatever the reason, it no longer mattered how I felt about Elmo. It was all about how happy he made Riley.

Now Elmo has invaded our living room, our bathroom, and Riley's safari themed bedroom! Who knew that Elmo could survive in the jungle?? For Riley's upcoming 2nd birthday, I wanted to have a Spiderman theme and was finding all kinds of cool things to make it happen. But then I started feeling guilty about choosing something I wanted over what I knew he would want. He likes Spiderman, but he LOVES Elmo. So I put it to the test one day while out shopping. I had Spiderman in one hand and Elmo in the other. He chose Elmo every time! I cannot argue with that. Riley gets what Riley wants. Therefore, Elmo and the Sesame Street crew will be here this Friday to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!