The above video scares me on multiple levels. First, only Shelbi's goofy bear voice elicited the results that are shown. My spot on impression? Nothing. Just a dazed look. But, more frightening, is what this video may mean for my future. Littered across youtube and on shows like America's Funniest Home Videos are hundreds of clips of young children bawling at clowns or large puppets or anthropomorphic animals. Of course the adults in these videos find this hilarious and endearing. To me, that has always seemed like a very appropriate response. For a two or three year old who has only been around a select group of humans in his life to that point, a giant, smiling mouse would rightly seem petrifying.

I fear, however, that Elliott will be the opposite. He was not scared of the talking bear, he thought it was hilarious. That is the funniest he has ever found anything in his life. Frankly, had Shelbi had the fortitude to keep it up, that probably could have gone on for 5 hours. A few weeks ago, Shelbi went to a birthday party for one of her friends' five-year-old boys. It was at Chuck E Cheese (slogan: Where Epileptics Come to Die.) She took Elliott with her and afterward noted that he was entranced by the giant singing and moving band of animals. (I'm guessing the group was called Pizza, Paul and Mary.) 

My biggest fear is that this trend stays with him leading to multiple outings to Chuck E Cheese that I have to attend along with 2-hour waits to see the Easter Bunny and half a day at Disneyland being spent trying to track down Mickey Mouse. I need to do something to make that bear less appealing.