My love/hate for Miss Patty Cake

It’s October. In this month, we celebrate several birthdays (Wendy’s, my mom’s, mine, my ex-husband’s, my brother-in-law’s…), we dress up for trick-or-treating at the local mall (my girls both wanted to be Tiana from The Princess and the Frog this year) and I get Candy Corn!!! But there’s something else that happens in October that very nearly reverses all the good feeling of the aforementioned October gems. In October, I let the kids break out the Miss Patty Cake’s Christmas! because I am hoping to speed my descent into the bowels of the Christmas season, or because I can’t take the whining anymore, you choose.  

The door to hours of "enjoyment"

If you don’t know who Miss Patty Cake is, with her oversized green jumper, the hat, that voice, the songs, oh, the songs…. then consider yourself lucky. No, really, kneel immediately and kiss the floor in your family room, right in front of the TV, because you’ve never had to sit and watch an episode (or worse, a whole day) of Miss Patty Cake’s Easter Parade or Silly Song Sing-A-Long. Hate might be a strong word for this woman, especially since Miss Patty Cake is just a character she plays. I know she’s just a character, because what parents would name their daughter Patty Cake? I went to school with Candy Kane, nevermind.

The first time I experienced Miss Patty Cake, Mia was not yet three and Wendy was a newborn. A friend found out that MPC was coming to a church near us, so we packed up our brood of children and took them down. I didn’t get to see much of the show, because Wendy was nursing and really hungry, so I went to find a quiet place to feed her. When it was all over, Mia was EXCITED about Miss Patty Cake and the Christmas story and wanted to take home a DVD. Sure, why not? This is the Christian story of Christmas and she was going to learn all about how Jesus came to Earth as a baby.

I was contentedly ignorant until we got home, opened up the DVD, put it in the player and saw that it had the option for Repeat Play. At that age, Mia more than knew how to operate the remote, and she selected Repeat. OH.MY.CHESTNUTS. It was as if Fran Drescher had made a Christmas special aimed at preschoolers. Here’s where the love part comes in for me. I watched it all that first time, and it was a sweet story. MPC does a good job of explaining the meaning behind each piece in the nativity, the decorations on the Christmas tree and has catchy tunes that are not your typical Christmas songs for kids to sing. I love that.

I hate that from October to December, I am subjected to the same inane lines and high-pitched tinkle, constantly. They watch it multiple times per week, and if I’m not fast enough, choose Repeat Play. I am starting to see pauses and scratches and my DVD copy is dying. PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE CHILDREN by sending another. We’re just going to let Miss Patty Cake fade into a sweet memory for the girls and a permanent reprieve for me.

I realize this is a controversial subject. She’s a woman of faith who loves God and children and is bringing the story of Jesus to their dear little hearts. Bless her. I am a woman of faith who loves God and my children and I am also trying to teach my girls about Jesus, and it so happens I do that by showing Miss Patty Cake Videos, sometimes. Lord, have mercy on my ears, erm, soul.