[jerf]

When I'm not sure if the kids are tuned in or not, I randomly substitute a noun with "gorilla".

Turns out they're pretty much always tuned in. But I still like to check sometimes. They've moved from noticing it, to being annoyed by it, to now making a theatrical production out of how annoyed they are by it (but are clearly enjoying it).

As a bonus, it keeps me on my toes for the time most entertaining to me to substitute:

    I do not like green eggs and ham,
    I do not like them, Gorilla-I-Am

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Gorilla

    Goodnight comb and goodnight brush
    Goodnight nobody,
    Goodnight brush,
    And goodnight to the gorilla whispering "hush"...

[gknoy]

My 3 year old daughter asks every night (for the past month) for "The Napping House", in which we have verious sleeping creatures stacked on top, with much repetition. She ALWAYS asks me to swap the adjectives -- e.g., "snoozing dog, dozing cat" rather than "dozing dog, snoozing cat". She gets it right every darn time, too.

She even wants to swap the words that have plot-meaning -- like, why is the mouse wakeful, and how does a slumbering flea bite the wakeful mouse? /shrug. It's been my carrot to get her to try and read it herself.