It Ain't Easy Being Wet

What name do you think of when you see this face?

Jack thinks "Mister."

My dad is Jim Henson's biggest fan; one of my most vivid memories of childhood was the day that Jim Henson died, because I remember my daddy being so sad. Luckily, Jim Henson lives on in Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and especially in the Muppets themselves. And my dad loves all of them.

My dad has an Animal hand puppet that has seen better days. It is so old, so worn, and so loved that he is barely recognizable. The mouth and eyebrows can be moved--so fun! He was unearthed during our California trip, and he didn't leave Jack's side until we headed back to Utah. And I was the only one who could voice Animal, as other family members were deemed too scary by Jacko.

There were a few times when my hand was tired from being in Animal's head, so once I told Jack to play with Animal by himself. And he said, "No, his name is Mister. Mister. MISTER." Then off he went.

My mom, my tripmate Cari, and I were talking in the living room when we heard a splash come from the back of the house. I felt like my body went parallel with the floor as I rushed down the hall to see what had happened. Then what to my wondering eyes should appear Jack coming out of the bathroom with a soaking wet Mister.

The first words out of Jack's mouth were, "Mommy, Mister had to go stinky."

And with that, I couldn't be mad at him. He explained to me that he was helping Mister sit on the toilet, when all of a sudden, he fell in. Jack was upset that his friend had a traumatic experience, and I was glad that everyone was safe. I took Mister outside to dry off in the sun, and Jack never let him out of his sight; he played sidewalk chalk and cars until Mister was feeling better.

Jim Henson might have been a little upset that one of his creations got a swirlie, but he couldn't have gotten mad at a little boy trying to help his friend. After all, isn't that what the Muppets are all about?