need a little Christmas?

Highly anticipating the holiday specials on TV this year, and here is a great guide to what is playing on which channel which day.  My personal favorite not to be missed Shrek the Halls, airs on ABC Thursday December 9th at 8 pm EST.

parenthood

I really only watch TV one night a week. The weeknights are busy and after dinner, if we aren't at soccer or some other activity, we're outside. Other nights, Andrew and I will rent a movie and I also just started reading this. There aren't a lot of TV shows worth much, in my opinion.

My favorite show of all time was the HBO series, Six Feet Under, which ended a few years ago. It was edgy, provocative and was written by one of the greatest TV writers ever, Alan Ball. It was intense, darkly funny and had a great cast.

I didn't think there could ever be a show I enjoyed as much, especially on network TV.

A few months ago, I tuned into the premiere show of Parenthood, a new drama on NBC that is loosely written as a continuation of the 1989 Ron Howard movie Parenthood. I've always loved that movie, even before I became a parent. Its funny, touching and has some great dialogue. I especially love this brilliant metaphor of life and parenthood.

Ron Howard is one of the creators of the new Parenthood and the stories are modernized progressions of the storylines from the original movie. The casting is great... Peter Krause (who was also in Six Feet Under), Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Craig T. Nelson... And the struggles and triumphs of this family come over as real life, emotional and current. In the show, Peter Krause's son has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Next to that old show, Life Goes On, I don't remember a show ever featuring a disability that hundreds of thousands of families are living with every day. The writing is warm and intelligent...its not over the top, gimmicky or exaggerated. Its tender and bold at the same time.

There is something for everyone in this show, and the music is really great too (you can find a listing of music per episode here).

I'm usually an early to bed kinda girl, but this is one show worth staying up for (yes, I know I could record it, but it comes on right after Glee ends and I've already mentioned I'm a big Gleek).

Tuesday night TV rocks, even if I'm a little sleepy come Wednesday mornings.

this is how they do it on the west coast

I have a few friends who live in L.A., and this is how they get their weather forecast each night.



I love it!

gleek!

Tonight, my new favorite show is on. Have you seen it yet? Its been a long time since I found a new show worthy of latching onto.

First, the description of the show as a comedy/musical might sound like a turn off. I'm not really a musical kinda gal. In fact, I've only seen five of the movie musicals listed on the AFI's Greatest Movie Musical List. I'd make a terrible gay guy.

But this show is awesome. Its for anyone who ever felt like an underdog in high school (and who didn't?). The adult relationships are entertaining, endearing and dark with some very unlikely love triangles. Jane Lynch is hilarious; just as funny as she was in The 40 Year Old Virgin. In last weeks' episode, some of the male faculty members (mostly older and overweight) form a boy band called the "Acafellas" and energetically perform the Bel Biv DeVoe song "Poison". There is also something very John Hughes-esque about it. How can you go wrong?!

Its mindless, funny, and brilliant all at the same time. And, it just got approved for a full season, yay! I guess I'm officially a Gleek.

friday list

Over the past few weeks, Dylan has seen the commericial for this, and he's become absolutely convinced we have to have one. So much so, he mentions it a couple of times a day. "Mom, when are we buying that toothpaste thing?" And following Dylan's lead, Logan will chime in when the commerical comes on "ook mom, brush teeth!". The kids don't even watch that much TV. But I swear the second you turn it on lately, this commercial comes on immediately. Or, its the Oxy Clean guy, with Dylan asking me "Mom, why is he yelling like that?" Well honey, I guess he just REALLY gets excited about clean clothes.

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We're still suffering through Logan giving up naps. The child desperately still needs a nap, at least a short one, each afternoon. And maybe once a week he'll pass out on the couch at some point, resulting in a much more pleasant evening for us all. However, he's made up his mind that napping is for babies and he's too big of a boy. So in what's become typical lately, yesterday he bypassed the nap and went straight to pants on fire meltdown mode by about 5:30 pm. After numerous time outs, and struggling to get him eat some sort of dinner, he finally passed out on the couch by 7 p.m. So we put him to bed early, thinking he'd be up at the crack of dawn today. I didn't hear him until about 7:30 this morning, and I was so impressed that he slept in to normal time. Except then I came downstairs to find his toybox completely emptied all over the family room. That's fine if he wants to get up at sunrise, but we need to teach him to make better use of his time and cook us some breakfast.

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My Grandma fell and broke her wrist last week. We thought she'd be long home by now, but it turns out some other complications have presented themselves and she's still in the hospital in Columbus, OH. We're hoping for her good health to return soon so she can go home and be comfortable. I hate the thought of her laying in a hospital, especially with this flu pandemic on the horizon.

cat and mouse

Friday night, after their shower, we let the kids watch a little Tom and Jerry. If we time it right, we can bathe the kids at 7:30 and then all lie in our bed and watch some T & J antics until 8 pm. I love that our kids prefer vintage cartoons to new ones. And nothing is funnier than Tom and Jerry. Laugh out loud funny, every time.

So anyway, it was the episode where Tom lands in the barrel of hard cider in the basement and drinks a bunch of it. It doesn't say 'hard cider' on the barrel, it just says XXX. As soon as he emerges from the barrel, he's hiccuping and falling all over the place. He makes his way to the kitchen, and standing before the open refrigerator, he somehow shimmies his body into a roasted turkey carcass, like a corset. Of course, Mammy waddles downstairs now that Tom has awakened her, and Tom tries to light her foot on fire with a match.

Seriously, there just isn't enough hardcore drinking and arsony in kids cartoons these days.

So Dylan innocently asks "What is that stuff he drank?". To which I answer "oh, just some apple cider"... And Dylan answers back "Um no. That's called 'Losing Your Mind Juice' ".

In college, I can remember doing shots called "Mind Erasers". But I like Dylan's name better.

Yo Gabba Grabs Ya

I know I've ragged on this show before, but I have to say, lately I've been reconsidering.

First, the show features some pretty cool guest stars. My boys love this segment with Tony Hawk. They also regularly feature old rapper Biz Markie (remember that great 80's song/video "Just a Friend?", with "Biz's Beat of the Day" and he teaches kids how to beat box. Logan especially loves to imitate the beats and get his groove on. They also have some really cool bands on there with catchy tunes.

Plus, it comes on each day at 4:30 on Noggin (prime dinner making time), and captures both of my boys full attention for 30 minutes. Dylan can really shake his booty in that 30 minutes too.

Plus, DJ Lance is a little sexy, don't you think?

Sorry if I didn't give you a fair chance, Gabba. I guess I just didn't understand your genius.

I've heard of the boob tube but this is ridiculous

My kids love TV, its a fact. I try to control what they watch and how much they watch because let's face it - there are some good shows for kids and there are some REALLY BAD ones. Spongebob Squarepants is banned in our house. I find it rude and obnoxious and ridiculous. Just my opinion. The only thing Dylan could possibly learn from that show is how to make wierd farting noises. Which he can learn at kindergarten just as well.

Logan will watch anything, so its easy to control what he watches. Dylan is trickier. He is at the age where Sesame Street is OUT, Power Rangers are IN. Have you ever sat down and watched Power Rangers? It is DUMB. I'm sorry. I know they're good guys and all. But the acting, just horrible. Its unwatchable. He loves Scooby Doo and I can bear that much more. Some Super Hero shows are acceptable (though not educational in the least). I do find, however, if I turn Sesame Street on for Logan, Dylan will certainly sit there and watch, even if he'd never admit to enjoying it.

We recently discovered a new show on PBS Kids, Sid the Science Kid, and my guys LOVE it. They will sit down and watch the entire show, AND its totally educational. Sometimes I even learn things from that show. Another one they both like is the Imagination Movers. And Curious George. Totally safe, totally educational. All of these are acceptable in our house.

However, I am not quite sure what to make of this show. What is up with the red bumpy guy and the white guy? Is it just me or are they just a wee tad phallic?

I mean, come on.. What were the costume designers thinking?

This article lends some insight into Yo Gabba Gabba. Maybe I'm just not a hipster parent. But heck, one of my favorite bands, The Shins, have been musical guest stars on the show. So maybe I should give it a chance. And once I do, maybe I can ask this guy where I can get a hat like his.