L.(4) never had much use for Winnie the Pooh.
He’s not averse to all Disney media; he rather enjoys Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or an occasional Little Einsteins. But despite my best efforts, I just couldn’t seem to convince him to give Pooh a try.
Maybe it’s because Disney got rid of the classic Adventures of Winnie the Pooh show. I’m still not pleased with that decision.
[They tried that slightly disturbing Book of Pooh for a while, and then the My Friends Tigger & Pooh. But really, they're not the same at all. The attempted modernization of Pooh just isn't working for me. (I must be old-fashioned.) And it clearly didn't hold any draw for L.]
I was particularly saddened by L.’s lack of Pooh because my all-time favorite Disney character is part of the Pooh universe: Eeyore. My loyalty to Eeyore is so great that I drink coffee from my Eeyore mug nearly every day.
I’m also fond of Rabbit’s propensity for list-making, Tigger’s exuberance, and Pooh’s “think, think, think.” But L. would have nothing to do with it.
Until recently.
While L. recovered from his recent vaccinations, I went rummaging around in our storage room, searching for DVDs that L. had never seen — something different and new to distract him from his misery. And in a small box containing DVDs from C.’s childhood, I found it: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Perfect. I took it upstairs and offered to get the DVD player going.
L.’s response: “No, thank you.”
Hmph.
But I was patient. And two days later, L. asked if we could watch “that Winnie the Pooh DVD.” Ah-ha — success!
I’ll admit, it wasn’t an instant hit. Pooh is a bit slower-paced than many current kid shows. And L. wasn’t at all sure what to think of Tigger’s zaniness.
But after a couple viewings, L. was sold: old Pooh was a new favorite.
And his favorite part of the movie is Pooh’s dream about the “Lumps and Woozers.” For all you laypeople who don’t speak 4-year-old, that would be the Heffalumps and Woozles. L. knows their actual names now, but for the first 10 or 20 times, he referred to them as Lumps and Woozers, so as far as I’m concerned, that’s what they now are.
I had forgotten how bizarre and frightening the Heffalumps and Woozles scene was. I have a feeling many children have suffered nightmares as a result of these honey-stealing dream-creatures. But L. has taken a liking to them, weirdness and all.
Feel free to avoid watching this clip if the Lumps and Woozers disturb you.
I know L. will outgrow Pooh; it’s inevitable. But it’s nice that, for now at least, he’s enjoying an old classic, and I can get my Eeyore fix. And rumor has it that L. might even get to meet Pooh before the year is out. (Shh…I’m working on planning L.’s first trip to Disney World!)
But what about you… Who is your favorite character from Winnie the Pooh? Do the Heffalumps and Woozles bother you or do you find them strangely enjoyable?
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