July 23, 2008
Super Grover!
The details are vague, but when I was very young--three? four?--I lost my very favorite toy, a stuffed Grover doll, all floppy appendages punctuated with a big pink nose, and I was devastated. Such tragedy for such a new life. The zen masters of the world would have shaken their heads at how attached I'd become in so short a time. If it were a religion of penance, I'd have been sentenced to three hours under the lotus tree (three hours beacuse I was three years old) and twenty ommmms.
Months went by and I cried and cried and cried over my lost Grover, and then one day, I supposed when we were packing up for a vacation, we found him, hiding in a suitcase that had been stowed away, and all was right with the world again. My furry pal Grover was back and I haven't let him go since; right now he's sitting on top of a bookshelf (where the cats can't get him) in the library that will soon become a nursery. I was a great collector of stuffed animals as a kid, and Grover is the only one who's followed me far from home and into adulthood.
I don't know whether I got him as a gift or whether I stole him from my brother, but he was mine, and the Grover on TV was mine, and so when I walked into the Sesame Street Suite on Saturday, it's a minor miracle that I only cried when I saw him--the real Grover--instead of throwing myself upon his spindly frame and telling him all my secrets.
"It's hormones! I'm pregnant! I'M SORRY!" I told the guy behind the Muppet (the real guy!). "It's just that...I can't...I'm just...I think I need to go sit down."
But it wasn't the hormones. It was Grover.
Dudes. It was GROVER.
Grover's handler was being very protective of him just then--he'd been "on" for several hours already and could only pose for pictures for the rest of the day, she said--and so we settled for a picture and then took our seats to wait for our scheduled time with Abby Cadabby, a darling little sprite with pink fairy wings, who was just as charming and magical as you'd expect of a diminutive pink monster in a tutu.
As it turns out, Simon had scored us the last filming slot of the day, so after we'd shot our piece with Abby (video to be uploaded when I figure out how to do it), we hung around and chatted to the puppetteers and other staff for a while, and I found that I could actually look in Grover's direction for an extended period of time without dissolving into a puddle of tears. Which was a good thing because he asked us if we'd like to shoot a video with him for the baby.
"I don't know," I said. "I'm kind of tired. Plus, we already filmed a piece with Abby, and I just don't know if I have it in me for another, so thanks, but..."
You know I'm kidding, right?
It almost makes me consider passing down my Grover doll to the baby instead of keeping it for myself. Almost. HE'S MINE.
Posted by Leah at July 23, 2008 01:32 PMDude. I cried like a baby, too. He's my hero. And no, none of my children are ever touching my Grover doll. They get their own.
Posted by: Her Bad Mother at July 23, 2008 01:36 PMWhen Simon told me about it on Saturday during our brief phone convo I suddenly got a little verklempt and seeing the video I cried. So I watched it again. How awesome to get to hang out with Grover and have him say hi to the baby!
Posted by: Emily at July 23, 2008 01:45 PMWhen Simon told me about it on Saturday during our brief phone convo I suddenly got a little verklempt and seeing the video I cried. So I watched it again. How awesome to get to hang out with Grover and have him say hi to the baby!
Posted by: Emily at July 23, 2008 01:47 PMThere are just too many cute things going on here to formulate an intelligible comment.
I just want to say for the record, though, that Grover kicks Elmo's butt.
Posted by: Lawyerish at July 23, 2008 01:53 PMLook how PREGNANT you are! WOW!
Posted by: Sara at July 23, 2008 01:56 PMOh my goodness. That is just about the coolest thing ever. I have a SUPER Grover - with the cape and everything and he is awesome.
Posted by: Lisa at July 23, 2008 02:00 PMToo cute! I especially loved it when Grover said "Um, your daddy is a little weird!" Glad that you still have Grover, maybe someday the baby can have one of their own.
Posted by: Heather at July 23, 2008 02:24 PMI just died a little inside because that is SO SWEET. And Grover rocks.
xxx
Posted by: Sam at July 23, 2008 02:50 PMi dug the "your daddy's a little weird" bit too!. . . i always get a little kick out of it when the muppets are slightly out of character. . . like kermit in this target commercial that's been making the rounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qML5yrVFxQ
Oh my god. That is sooooooo adorable. You guys are already the best parents ever for that.
Posted by: Super-S at July 23, 2008 03:42 PMGrover is clearly the hit of BlogHer!! Everyone has blogged about him and apparently everyone cried. My uncle was one of the original muppeteers. I used to go hang out with Gonzo, Beaker, and Miss Piggy whenever they filmed in LA. It's pretty awesome. Muppets have always had a special place in my heart and Grover was always my absolute favorite.
p.s. Did you love "The Monster at the End of This Book" as much as I did? I hope you already have that for the wee wombat.
aren't you the cutest pregnant mama ever?!?
and grover? *swoon*
Posted by: ali at July 23, 2008 04:26 PMaren't you the cutest pregnant mama ever?!?
and grover? *swoon*
Posted by: ali at July 23, 2008 04:26 PMOh my God, GROVER. I love Grover. Love. I have a doll, too, and I'm not giving it up for anybody.
"Daddy's a little weird." AHAHAHAHA. Oh, Grover.
That's the cutest video ever. So cute. SO CUTE.
Posted by: jonniker at July 23, 2008 04:43 PMFunny, I've read more posts that say their favorite parts about the weekend were the Grovemeister.
That is such a precious video, and Leah, your bump has grown since I saw you a week and a half ago! Or maybe you're just wearing tighter clothes? =)
Posted by: Camels & Chocolate at July 23, 2008 05:01 PMEvery time a plane flew overhead when I was a kid we waved and screamed "HI GROVER!" If a plane flies overhead when I'm standing in my mom's front yard even now (I'm almost 40) it's all I can do not to wave and scream "HI GROVER!"
Posted by: Kizz at July 23, 2008 05:02 PMC&C--That was my "ridiculous dress," bought so the belly would be highly visible for everyone who wanted to see it. It's not maternity, and even though I sewed an extra button inside so it would fit around my waist, it still flapped open all day long. Guess who's not wearing that dress again until next year...?
Posted by: Leah at July 23, 2008 05:14 PMI would have cried, too. And Sarah, I loved that book! It was one of the first I bought for my nephew.
Posted by: Mandee at July 23, 2008 05:39 PMI'm not only insanely jealous that you grabbed the last slot, I freaking love Simon's line: "Best conference graft in history."
I'm so happy for you both! Although I do wish you were a little fatter because you're blowing my weight gain excuse.
Posted by: Mom101 at July 23, 2008 05:53 PMThat is the most darling thing that I have ever seen. I am one of those dorks who watches touching Internet videos with my hands over my mouth, going "AWWWW". And then a new "AW" for every new cute thing. This video had like 90 "AWs." You're welcome for the visual. :)
Posted by: Lulu at July 23, 2008 06:29 PMWay Cool!!!!
Posted by: Elizabeth at July 23, 2008 11:53 PMOkay, that is the sweetest, coolest thing EVER. I love that and your baby will love that! So special!
Posted by: Kaili at July 24, 2008 12:13 AMomg! NEAR..... FAR!!!
i was a cookie monster girl and ernie, but man, to meet him.... WOW.
Posted by: jeorg at July 24, 2008 04:45 AMThis is the best -- so sweet! Our daughter's Grover "lives" in the car right now. He does belong to her, but I do have a soft spot for our little blue friend.
Posted by: Sara at July 24, 2008 08:56 AMI remember seeing your Grover at your house!
I am envious that I did not take the time to get a video made, but I am pretty sure mine would pale in comparison to yours.
Have I mentioned that I miss you guys? Because I do.
Posted by: Angella at July 24, 2008 09:21 AMIt wasn't just me! I cried so hard I had to leave. It was ridiculous. But awesome.
Posted by: Assertagirl at July 24, 2008 09:36 AMThis is the coolest!
I had a Super Grover doll when I was a kid, and somewhere along the way he got lost (or probably thrown out because I carried him everywhere and he was probably full of germs). He was, and is, always my favorite Sesame Street character.
Posted by: Amy at July 24, 2008 01:19 PMAwwww! What an awesome video! I love meeting Muppets...something quite wonderful about it. And you & your baby bump are looking quite adorable!
Posted by: carrster at July 24, 2008 03:59 PMWere you trying really hard not to cry while shooting that video? Because I was teary just watching it! Y'all are adorable. Grover has always been my favorite. Just last night, I read "The Monster at the End of This Book" to the 3-year-old for the first time. The Grover Groupies grow every day.
Posted by: Heather at July 25, 2008 01:01 AMDude, how did you do it? How did you make it through the video without spontaneously combusting? I'm in tears and Grover wasn't even my favorite, magic man, PURE MAGIC!
Posted by: Tori at July 25, 2008 09:33 AMAw, man. That video is the sweetest thing ever. You just know your kid will be bragging to his/her friends one day about how you guys met Grover.
Posted by: metalia at July 25, 2008 12:01 PM
