"You can do anything...that you want to do."

Cartoons aren't what they used to be, and for me that is ok since I never really liked the old ones anyway. I was never that into the roadrunner or Bugs Bunny. Recently I have started letting Jeremiah watch a few cartoons early in the morning since they seem to really capture his attention. When we watch regular adult shows, without the bright colors and songs, he may look at the t.v. a few times but he always decides he has better things to do.

When I set him in his crib in the mornings, giving me a chance to take a shower, he usually throws a fit and screams like he is being abandoned for life-with big tears and all. If, however, I put him in his crib and turn Dora the Explorer or Blues Clues on, he will stand there mesmerized for at least a half hour which is enough time for me to get ready. So while I don't want to get him hooked on t.v. at an early age, these shows are educational and fun and can make my ADD child quiet down more than anything else can. Even I like watching them.

So I decided to give a list of all the cartoons we have watched in the mornings and why they are so great.

Dora the Explorer: They sing songs and teach you Spanish. They even ask questions and then pause so that the viewers at home can answer, making it interactive.

Go Diego GO: I prefer this one to Dora, but it is very similar. Diego often teaches you about animals on his show. I learned a lot about the pygmy marmoset one day.

Handy Manny: Another one that teaches you some Spanish. This one has Manny the tool guy (who has a nice voice to listen to) and his talking tools. There are lessons learned throughout the show.

The Koala Brothers: This one is one of my favorites. It is a claymation type cartoon about some animals in the outback. The two koala brothers, Buster and Frank, go around the town finding people to help. Their motto: "We're here to help." The whole town even sings a helping song at the end of the show. Plus they all have wonderful Australian accents.

Charlie and Lola:I also really like this show. It is British and the characters are Charlie and his little sister Lola. They learn lessons like not "squabbling" and they are really kind to each other for the most part. I also love their accents.

Blues Clues: The ones with Steve are the better ones, but there are bright colors and shapes and songs. Kids learn all sorts of things from sign language to what colors can be mixed to form new ones. Recently they on the one about colors being mixed they taught us the normal colors like red and blue together make purple, but they also made lesser known colors such as chartreuse, and vermilion! Don't be surprised if you hear little children, sitting at the table coloring, say "Pass me the chartreuse crayon please."

Hope the list was enjoyed. If you'll excuse us Jeremiah and I have some t.v. watching, err I mean learning to do.