The "E" Sewall's: March 2009

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Is Elmo's job at risk?!?

NEW YORK - The crisis on Wall Street is plaguing Sesame Street.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit producer of “Sesame Street” and other kids’ programs, is cutting about one-fifth of its work force because of the economic downturn.
The New York-based company said Wednesday that it’s eliminating 67 of 355 staff positions.

Declaring it is “not immune to the unprecedented challenges of today’s economic environment,” the company pronounced a need “to operate with fewer resources in order to achieve our strategic priorities.”
The statement reiterated the organization’s mission “of helping children reach their highest potential here and around the globe.”
Best known as the home of such Muppet characters as Big Bird and Elmo, Sesame Workshop was founded in 1968 as Children’s Television Workshop, then unveiled the groundbreaking “Sesame Street” as a literacy-building initiative a year later. That show, which remains a worldwide hit, was the first step toward a media empire that encompasses television, books, toys and online programming.
Among the company’s early TV efforts is “The Electric Company,” which aired during the 1970s and was revived with new episodes on PBS in January.

Sesame Workshop gets revenue from product licensing and the sale of its programs to PBS and syndication. The company is also funded by government agencies, foundations and corporations.
Total revenue was $145 million in 2008, with operating expenses totaling $141 million, according to the company’s Web site.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

We've decided not alarm the children until we can better ascertain the situation.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Well, Almost

Easton is a hilarious little guy, and he has his own way of doing a lot of things. "Peek-a-boo" is one of those things that he has "customized." For some reason, he will not cover his eyes to play peek-a-boo; he covers his ears instead. He thinks it's great fun, and because it's so silly, we find it hysterical. We caught him on video ... we also simultaneously caught Macy's back end covered in dry grass from outside, and Ella yelling "I want to see it!" referring to the camera Evan was holding. This all took place on evening as we were attempting to finish up dinnertime. Want to come over for a meal sometime? :)

(Click on the little arrow on the bottom left of the video screen, Dad.)

Enjoying the Warmer Temps

Man, oh, man. We enjoyed some AMAZING weather the past few days. Just a few photos of the kiddos in short sleeves ...

We met up with GloMom in North Atlanta on Saturday for a couple of hours before she headed back to Arkansas after helping Lyle and Anne with Jack for a week or so. I didn't get any pics because Ella was a pill the whole day, and between us, Evan and I forgot to put shoes on Ella before we left. (First stop at Discover Mills: Stride Rite Outlet.) We had a nice time, but I was a little too harried to take pictures. Yesterday, our neighbors Miss Emily, Jacob, and Baby Nathan joined us for a trip to the zoo. Jacob and Ella ran all over the place while Easton chilled in the stroller. They all played for an hour at the playground afterward, and then took awesome naps for the rest of the afternoon. Cool weather back today, but the heat will return in no time at all ...

"Blizzard" 2009

Okay, okay ... four inches of snow is hardly a weather event, much less a blizzard when you live in Upstate New York. But, Toto, we're not in Albany anymore! The first weekend of March came in like a lion with TONS of rain over about three days. It kept us cooped up, but after the rain shortage of last summer, we have learned to be grateful when we are blessed with free irrigation. The rain turned to snow, however, and because of all the rain, the few salt trucks Greenville County even has couldn't get anything down on the roads. Add 4-6 inches of snow on top of the ice that developed as the temperatures dropped, and we southerners closed up shop and stayed home. Schools were closed for two and a half days, and Evan even took a morning off from GE after his manager emailed to say he tried to go to work and kept sliding off the road. So ... SNOW DAY!!

After breakfast, we suited up the best we could and headed out. Easton was not all that impressed with the cold wet stuff, but he enjoyed the scenery from the safety of his wagon. Ella, on the other hand, loved playing in it with Daddy. (Easton and Mama ended up retreating inside to dry socks and an Elmo video.) Ella's buddy Jacob from next door came over for a bit, and they had a great time enjoying this once in a decade weather event in Upstate South Carolina.

The best part? The whole mess was gone in 48 hours, and we enjoyed temps in the 70's Sunday through Wednesday of this week. It is chilly again, but we have had a taste ... spring is on it's way!!