Usually when I have time "off" I blog prolifically. Not this weekend. I think it's because I'm reading novels. What am I going to do? Blog about how Sara is a selfish bitch who ignores two of her children because she's so absorbed with the illness of her third, which somehow ends up being self-absorption, rather than the selfless type she fancies herself obsessed with? Yeah, I didn't think you cared about that. The book had me sobbing at the end -- even though it's my second reading of it!! The first was when it first came out, in 2004. We're reading it for bookgroup this month, and I meant to just "skim" to remind myself, but ended up reabsorbed into the story. Now I'm reading another novel - Life As We Knew It - it's another Young Adult book which Beloved devoured for work purposes, and highly recommended, knowing my love of "end of the world" stories.

Our Sunday morning includes Beloved and I watching Meet the Press while the girls whine and roll their eyes. One Sunday, after our show, Beloved (the cartoon fan) went to the Disney Channel to find out what was on. It was this ADORABLE show called Charlie and Lola. We were all intrigued by it, because it is clearly illustrated/created by the same person who wrote some books J enjoys. Once we stopped on it, we had to stay, because they talk with these adorable British accents, and they're very sweet.

This is how I saw the show: A little clever, spunky girl named Lola, approx age 4, and her much older sister, Charlie, who takes care of her seemingly all of the time and without parents, and is exceedingly patient, loving, and engaged with her little sister. Older sister is a little bit of a tomboy, and I found it cool how even her friend, Maeve, was so wonderful with little Lola and her friends.

Then, one day, i said, "Charlie is such a great big sister!" and everyone in the room looked at me like I was NUTSO. Nutso. What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Mom, Charlie is a boy.

Zuska, his name is Charlie.
Mom, he's her brother.

But... they have the same hair. And Charlie could just be Charlotte, you know, a tomboyish nickname for a girly-girl name. Because, well, she's just so kind, and patient.

Beloved was a wee affronted at that -- what? brothers can't be kind and decent to their little sisters?

Well, I've never seen it. Really.

I guess things are different in Great Britain. Brothers are kinder. And so are their friends ....uh, Marv.

I wasn't so quick to agree, but in the very next episode, Charlie and Lola pretended to switch places, and instead of Charlie saying, "I have a little sister named Lola, she's very small and very funny," (the opening line of the show) Lola said, "I have a little brother named Charlie, he's very small and very funny."

I was forced to agree. It took a while for me to adjust my view of the show. I'm okay with Charlie being a boy, now, though.

Lola is super-freaking cute, and it's fun to have this weekly throw back to the old days - watching Arthur and Sesame Street and other shows meant for little kids. Plus, the really fun British accent makes it even better.

Labels: books, television, weekends

posted by Zuska @ 11:29 AM

3 Comments:

At Sunday, April 08, 2007 3:46:00 PM, Harmless Error said…

I read every Jodi Picoult book as soon as it comes out. I love her!
At Sunday, April 08, 2007 4:09:00 PM, Zuska said…

Me too! Except I couldn't read the one about a child who was molested, and I couldn't get into 10th Circle. If you tell me it's worth it, I'll give it another go.

I can't wait to read the newest one ... is it called Nineteen Seconds, I think?
At Monday, April 09, 2007 8:45:00 PM, Harmless Error said…

Yeah, 10th Circle was ok, but def not as good as the others. My faves are The Pact and My Sister's Keeper. I didn't know there is a new one already - I gotta get on that.