I have just discovered the world of "babysitting by television."  You people that have been doing it with your kids for years and telling me how great it is--you were so right.  I couldn't get The Boy to pay attention to television for longer than 2 minutes (other than CSPAN) until a month ago.  Now he yells "MOOOOORRRREEE   DOOOOOOORRRRRAAAAA" like a lunatic.  All day long.  When I tell him "no," he resorts to asking to watch the news.

I swear I am not lying.

"Eat-ney watch news, Mama."
"All the news is bad, buddy.  No news for you today."

Back to Dora.  So I'm sitting on the couch last night when Ethan has convinced us to put on Dora yet again (an easy sell since he held his brother for 25 minutes while we frantically cleaned the house in anticipation for the potential buyers that NEVER SHOWED). 

K:  Hey, that animal Swiper.  When he is swiping, he is stealing?
D:  Yep.
K:  So we are teaching kids that it isn't "stealing," it's just "swiping?"
D:  Yep. 
K:  So Swiper is potentially a felon and we act like it is no big deal?
D:  Yep.  And last episode Swiper got stuck in a bottle and for 30 minutes everyone tried to help him get out.  I would have left the thieving bastard in there. 
K:  And this show is one of our better options?
D:  I don't know.  The other day Ethan was saying "Ga, ga, goo, goo" and I couldn't figure out where he learned to talk like a baby.  I guess it was the Baby episode of Dora.
K:  Would that be the same episode where they tell you to cry very loud like a baby to help Dora get to the next level of her adventure?
D:  Yep. 
K:  And let's not even talk about the Unicorn episode.  What the hell is up with that?

E:  Moooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeee Doooooooooooooooorrrrraaaaaaa, Mama.

At least it's not Alien....