Bug Belle Birdie: Ode to Plexi {and Yo Gabba Gabba}

This lovely little post is all about something we as parents aren't supposed to get excited about. Television.

And not just any television...kid-shows!

And not just any kid-show...Yo Gabba Gabba!

You know. The show you swore you wouldn't let your kids watch. The one that would send a seemingly healthy person into a series of seizures with its psychedelic musical interludes, bright colors, and adults dressed as the Gabba Land creatures known as Muno, Foofa, Brobee, Toodee, and Plex.

Or maybe you love it. You embrace it. You dress up like DJ Lance Rock for Halloween {I'm talking to you, Brad Pitt}. The scene changes remind you of being an 80s kid {if only you could've green screened yourself onto a video game}. You get excited to hear who the Dancy Dance super star will be...Andy Samberg? Rachel Dratch? Metta World Peace? And the Super Music Friends Show!! The Roots? MGMT? The Shins? Jimmy Eat World? The Killers? What about the special guest star episodes!! Jack Black? Jason Bateman? This show is way too cool to be just for kids.

You may have correctly assumed that we loved it. Caleb loved it. From very early on he loved that show. The repetitive music, the flashing lights, all very stimulating to our sensory seeking son with autism. He would echo its script all day. Sure, there are plenty of typical kids who love it and probably recite it, but when your child has autism it can be a bit of a challenge to figure out what they're interested in...and when they find something exciting, you run with it! Because discovering this thing, this television show, is like being given a key to a small window into their complex world. And so the love began.

Caleb could've watched it all day long. And it wasn't just a fun-show for him to watch. He was learning things with it, things he couldn't otherwise communicate. On the way to the doctor he would sing "Don't Be Affraid". He learned different phrases he could use to say hello to people {which we're still working on}. For years he was anxious when I'd bring out the box of Christmas decorations, but after a few holiday episodes he was singing about decorating the Christmas tree, making hot chocolate, and going to see Christmas lights. He didn't understand Halloween. The first year of trick-or-treating lasted twenty minutes. Then the next year he dressed as Ricky Fitness from The Aquabats {seen on the show} and then he was Superman and we stayed out for hours as he sang the Trick Or Treat song. So many episodes have really helped him. From school, the doctor, holidays, and birthdays, to learning why it's good to stay clean, brush teeth, and not bite your friends ; )

And let's not forget about Plex. Plex is the reason for this super awesome post. Caleb's first Plex {or Plexi to Caleb} was a little foam bath figure that we took everywhere. I learned quickly how to draw him while waiting in restaurants. We lost him when he dropped him between two wooden slats in our booth at Islands...so it was on to find a replacement. Auntie Katherine came to the rescue more than once, even after we dropped one in the Pacific Ocean. RIP. Caleb loved that little robot. He still does. He's been "misplaced" for a while now, but that's okay. It's not exactly age-appropriate anymore. We were sometimes using Plexi to talk to Caleb. We would talk through him. Any time Plexi was lost or left at grandma's it was an emotional roller coaster trying to get him to calm down. I haven't completely "misplaced" him yet {he's under an end table where Caleb last threw him}. I don't think I'll ever rid our house of every Plexi, he's like a member of our family. And Lilly still loves it.

I really am thankful for that show; for helping Caleb understand so many things, and for giving him an interest that we could be a part of.