One Couple's Stumblings Through Parenthood and Marriage

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

I Don't Like Chicken Elmo

A while ago we got this dancing Elmo, known to our twins as Chicken Elmo. When you press his palm, he starts singing and dancing, shuffling forward to the beat of the Chicken Dance song. It is pretty loud, and Genna is deathly afraid of it. Every so often, though, she asks to see it. She has a love/hate relationship with him.

Yesterday I was holding Genna and sitting in the recliner. Annie was in the play room with Kate and Julia. Chicken Elmo was also there. Annie was keeping Elmo out of Genna's view, but was having him dance since Julia likes chewing on him. During one of the lulls in Elmo's singing and dancing performances, Genna broke out with a song of her own. She adapted a song that Annie sings to her (imagine her little almost-three-year-old voice singing quietly):


I love mommy, she loves me
I don't like Chicken Elmo, No Siree
I don't like Chicken Elmo, Yes Siree
I love Daddy, so you see
We are a happy family

Hey, Genna, do what you gotta do to cope with Chicken Elmo. You have my full support.

14 comments:

Ian said...

That thing is really distrubing. Not as disturbing as that broken care bear you used to have, but still disturbing.

Raging Wombat said...

The Carebear still takes the cake. But Genna's song makes this one cuter.

Anonymous said...

Dang. I guess I should return the Chicken Elmo costume I was gonna wear to their birthday party. Sucks to be me.

(You GOTTA get that song on video. It's A-freakin'-dorable!

Raging Wombat said...

Keep the costume. Maybe we can use it in some sort of therapy session for her.

Chelsa said...

That story cheered me deep in my heart. So, if Genna is writing war chants for Chicken Elmo, and Julia is trying to bite his throat out, what is Kate's stance? Is she working on a chemical warfare solution? Is she training herself as a Cicken Elmo-killing sniper? Or has she betrayed her sisters and sided with the enemy?

Raging Wombat said...

Chelsa - funny you should ask. I am afraid it is the latter. Kate uses Genna's fear of Chicken Elmo to her advantage. Or rather, her amusement. She purposely activates Elmo's frightening dance in front of Genna just to spook her.
If I didn't know better, it would seem as though Kate were behaving like an older sister.

stina said...

Why is the Sesame Street gang ok with all this humiliation for poor Elmo? Chicken Elmo? We have a potty Elmo. Wearing only a shirt and undies, he sings about how he has to go potty. And we all know there are many, many other degrading Elmo costumes.

Chelsa said...

yeah, but let's be honest. Elmo is ripe for the humiliating.

stina said...

He does talk about himself in third person. That's enough to put most of us over the edge.

Raging Wombat said...

Raging Wombat is mad at you for mocking Elmo. Raging Wombat thinks you are naughty. Raging Wombat's lunch break is over.

Anonymous said...

Hey Justin, how does the song go that Annie sings? Genna is sure brilliant, she must take after her Auntie Kelly.

Raging Wombat said...

Kelly -

Honeycombs big, ya ya ya!
It's not small, no no no!

Anonymous said...

NO NO!!! What's the song Annie sings about your syrupy sweet perfect family? Did Genna figure out the rhyming or was that in the song.

Raging Wombat said...

STOP SHOUTING, KELLY!
Yes, that is the song. Genna did not make up the rhyming.
Annie's song is the same as Genna's, only there is no mention of not liking anyone, and Chicken Elmo is typically not referenced.