Remember watching Sprout?

Sprout host Nina and Star.

About the only television programming I'd let you watch during the day when you were a preschooler was public television. Living in Los Angeles County, we got two PBS stations and on cable got their Sprout network.

You loved the Sprout network and its great commercial-free kids programs. There was "Kipper," about a dog who went on all kinds of adventures, and "Fireman Sam," a show about firemen who were always solving all kinds of non-fire problems. "Calliou" was among your favorites as well, especially when you both were four years old, or the same age!

You definite favorite show, though was "Thomas the Train," which always came on at 3:55 p.m. Monday through Friday. You had this internal clock that told you when 3:55 was approaching, and just before the show, you'd come and get me. We always sat in the recliner with you on my lap and watched the show together!

Remember 'Caillou' books and programs?

Do you remember watching "Caillou" on television? You started really paying attention to it when you were in your two's and then fell absolutelyin love with it during your three's and just as you turned four (mainly because Caillou himself was four - in fact, you used to say, "I'm four just like Caillou!").

We had quite a few Caillou books that I purchased for you or checked out from the library. You always enjoyed reading them, especially those you could interact with by pulling tabs or lifting flaps (Flap books by far were your favorite books as a toddler and preschooler!).

Because Calliou was made in Canada, not all of the programs were available in Southern California. So I sometimes would go on YouTube and find new episodes for you to watch!

Caillous toys were just coming out as you were starting to outgrow the series. And they were darn expensive! So I made Caillou "action figures" for you by printing out pictures of the characters and taping them to old blocks you no longer played with.

OK, time for some "Caillou" trivia:
1. Which character narrated the program?
2. What was the name of Caillou's cat?
3. What color hair did Caillou's mommy have?
4. What was the name of Caillou's sister?
5. What stuffy did Caillou once lose at a museum?