I've been privileged to have met a few characters down the years who I'd only previously encountered on TV. And it's normally - although not always - a thrill when it happens. (One such exception was Sue Johnson from Brookside and The Royle Family who was a sectarian cow - but perhaps more of that another time).
However, generally, being on the telly does add a touch of glamour and mystique to an individual, making them much more exciting to be around than someone like, well, me.
I tried to turn this philosophy to my advantage the other day as I continued my mission to make Jamie fall in love with his birthday present from Vanessa and me: Elmo Live.
I wrote here on his big day that the gift was very much my idea with Vanessa being impressed by neither the product nor the price tag. Indeed, as I said, she argued that the talking, singing, dancing, sneezing, burping puppet was really for me. It really was and is a scandalous and, yes, extremely hurtful allegation - not to mention almost entirely false.
I have showcased Elmo to Jamie on numerous occasions over the last two weeks and I think a bond is undoubtedly beginning to develop. But I thought I would give the process just a little bit of a hurry-up last weekend when I taped an episode of Elmo's World on channel whatever it was, placed Jamie's Elmo next to the telly and pressed the play button.
I then pointed at TV Elmo and shouted as if in shock, "look Jamie, Elmo!" before re-aiming my finger at Jamie's Elmo and hollering the same line. (And repeat). At one point his neck was moving so rapidly from side to side - like one of those posh people who had tickets near the net at yesterday's Wimbledon men's final - that I feared it might roll off.
The things you do to get your kids to love you - and your, sorry, their presents.
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