A couple of times now, I’ve tried to get Pea interested in Thomas the Tank Engine. She’s only allowed two programs a day: one episode of Sesame Street and a Barney. She doesn’t always watch them both, but we know they are there, on our TiVo, if we need them. Personally, I get bored with Barney (although I can watch Sesame Street endlessly), so I thought I’d mix it up. Well, let’s just say that it has not gone well.

The first episode of Thomas that we watched together featured a story line about a little train car that fell off of a bridge into the river below and was never to be heard from again, although the shadowy apparition of his car could be seen riding across the bridge, late at night, never making it to the other side. A little spooky, if you ask me, for a show meant for toddlers. I think this episode stuck with Pea. Because now, as soon as she hears the theme song and Alec Baldwin narrating, she goes nuts. Screaming and crying – huge monster tears – for me to turn it off. Poor thing.

I guess what surprises me most is that someone so young can already feel fear. I have to admit, I secretly love it when she screams for me to come and turn it off. It means that my little independent baby still needs her momma.