It's Elmo- Bigger Than Life

Reagan likes Elmo. She likes to see him on the tv and on her little memory game cards. But let me emphasize the "little" in this case.

For Christmas two years ago I just had to buy Reagan the hottest toy on the list--The TMX Tickle Me Elmo. Thanks to Ebay and $45, he was all mine to give to my then six month old baby. I took him out of the box, started him up and Reagan stared for a few seconds. Then Elmo bent over in a laugh and landed in her lap while he was still flailing about with his high pitched crazy giggle. She screamed her head off until we got him off of her and turned him off. That was pretty much the end of my $45 and the life of TMX Tickle Me Elmo. He still sits on our shelf and once in a while she'll point and say, "Elmo." I say, "Do you want me to get Elmo for you?" And she gives an emphatic head shake and a stern, "No."

So yesterday, one of her classmates turned two. He had an Elmo themed birthday party. She was digging the Elmo plates and napkins. Then Elmo himself in lifesize walks through their door. Apparently, the parents thought it would be a brilliant idea to rent an Elmo dude to really impress the kids. And impress the kids he did, but not necessarily in a good way. The curriculum director at the school told Bill, "Reagan is the bravest, most fearless kid in the class. But when she saw Elmo she went running in terror." Reagan still won't touch the 18" Elmo sitting on our shelf. She sure as heck isn't going to have anything to do with a 7' Elmo. She and half the classmates stayed on the opposite end of the room the entire time Elmo was present. They cautiously watched him from afar while chomping down their Elmo shaped cookies on their Elmo plates and cheered only when he finally vacated their room he so rudely intruded upon.

So I guess the moral of the story is: if you are throwing a party for toddlers, save your money on the giant Barneys or the clowns (clowns still scare me at 34). Most kids are more terrified than they are impressed. By the time they outgrow the stage that they are terrified of Barney, they think he's dumb and for babies.

So to recap:
Elmo on napkins, plates, and balloons: good.
Elmo in seven foot character suits: bad.