if it was the seventies you’d probably think I was talking about some sort of upper, but no, it’s 2008 and we have a kid. I am talking about elmo. the elmo phenomenon came swiftly and surely into our house about a month or so ago. we’d had a book called “how big is elmo” for months, but something just clicked recently and it’s been an all out elmo frenzy.his easy smile and happy redness cannot be denied. I embraced ryder’s love of elmo wholeheartedly because he could say elmo, (sounds like “emoo”) and to the parent of a toddler, any fresh word is a time for rejoicing. I went about the business of buying him a little stuffed elmo to make sure that I would get to hear his name over and over. it worked pretty well until we left* the elmo doll behind at ryder’s friend remi’s house. (*frankly, I think remi might have kidnapped elmo, but I cannot be sure and want to maintain a friendly relationship with her parents.) elmo ended up staying at their house for while, but the momentum had already begun (yay!) and everything ryder saw that was shade of red became elmo. it was exciting at first! then it became worrisome, because I wondered if he’d ever come out of it. there are a lot of red things in the world, a small percentage of which are actually elmo. then things really took a dive when we were showing ryder photos of the family, even ryan and me, and ryder would insert the name elmo for all family members. “no, no, ryder, that’s daddy”, he’d respond, “emoo”. we’re not even red. not even pink. so so white. discussing these issues with our friends grant and tessa, remi’s parents, they told us their own elmo story. one night, as remi cried and cried trying to soothe herself to sleep, she yelled out, “mama”…”dada”…”elmooo”…we weren’t alone. it’s so comforting to know that someone else is experiencing something similar, especially with parenthood. this was no exception. we finally got his elmo doll back and oddly, I think I might have been more excited than ryder. ryder may have moved on, but I am surely hoping he’ll be back. elmo is just so CUTE!