Baffled by the Barney Obsession...

What exactly IS it about a singing (and sometimes creepy) purple dinosaur that has captivated the hearts of children for years? I can remember babysitting my nephews who are now in their late teen years and thinking, “This guy is pretty annoying but I’m sure he’ll go away by the time I have kids.” Not so much. Not even the annoying song at the end of every episode. It’s. Still. Around. And apparently, according to his website, Barney is 200 million years old (I guess I’m showing my age by revealing I knew him in the early days! HA!).

Not only is Barney still making appearances, he has several new dino friends who have now joined his crew. I had some recollection of Baby Bop. I was fuzzy on B.J.’s role but I did recognize him. But Riff? Little orange dinosaur with a raspy voice extremely difficult to understand? Totally new to me. When did he start coming around? Apparently, around 2006 according to a Google search on my phone. Huh. You learn something new every day.

Baby Sam doesn’t get the opportunity to watch much TV. Of course too much TV is not recommended for babies, but the truth is there isn’t really anything out there that can hold his attention for very long. Until Sam met Barney. The show intro song alone puts him in an entranced state. It’s unbelievable! Last week, we purchased family tickets to “Barney’s Birthday Bash” at The Cannon Center on February 13. I thought Jonathon MIGHT have a heart attack when he found out we had to pay for Sam’s own seat (like he’s going to sit in it) and offered to take Sam by myself. This is when Jonathon expressed his desire to join us. HAHA! My, how his entertainment preferences have changed since becoming a Dad. So sweet! Three expensive tickets later, we are excited about what Sam’s first live show will hold. With our luck, he’ll begin screaming as soon as the curtain goes up (let’s hope not!).