I was just reading an article about the man who created Elmo on Sesame Street, and was just pondering what made Elmo so well loved by all ages. I think it's the fact that he is 3 1/2 years old, and from what I've found, the 3-4 year old age is the funnest of all ages. It's right between the terrible two's and the age they start going to school. They have imaginary friends and like to tell fantastical stories (i.e. I've had a fever for months and the green snot was ALL over my pillow!). It's when they can start having real conversations with adults, and it's a chance for the first time that an adult can see what a child is really thinking.

Yup - 4 year olds are fun. I walked into the room today and this little girl was playing with a nitrile glove that had blown up like a balloon. I asked her if it had a name, and she told me it was a purple chicken. It was the most marvelous idea I had ever heard.