I love childrens’ books and shows. I also love that Princess A is young and I can still influence what she reads and watches on TV… sort of. I hate Barney and refuse to let her watch it but I wanted her to have a favorite book and show so I decided to try my favorites.
I started out with Sesame Street and I love the new character Abby Cadabby and wanted her to like the character. She likes Abby Cadabby but doesn’t LOVE her. Then I tried Fancy Nancy because I just love the book. Unfortunately, Princess A can not sit through this book. My childhood favorite was Angelina Ballerina. When I read this to Princess A she slammed the book shut.
Then one day we were walking through the book store and saw a pig in a red dress on the front of a book. I picked it up and read it to Princess A. She started cracking up. This was the first time she had ever laughed at a book so I kept reading. I have no idea why Olivia is funny to her… maybe it is the fact that it’s a pig wearing a red dress? But no matter what mood she is in Olivia always makes her laugh.
At first I was upset that she did not not fall in love with a character that I love but the more we read Olivia books the more I also fell in love.
If you do not know Olivia she is a pig and not just any pig she is a headstrong pig who hates naps but loves daydreaming. Loves Degas paintings but hates Picasso paintings. She dreams of being an Opera singer like Maria Callas and always has good intentions but gets in trouble a lot. Olivia also enjoys books, museums, and building sand castles in the shape of the Empire State building. She doesn’t know what she will be when she grows up but knows it will be epic.
My favorite Olivia story is when instead of getting the lead in the school play she gets cast as a cow who only has one line “Moo”. She complains to her dad and he says, “It doesn’t matter what size your part is… it’s what you do with it.” So Olivia made a plan to make the most of her one line. She created a stunt where when she said moo she sang an aria like her favorite opera singer Maria Callas and used a rope to jump over the cardboard moon set piece. Olivia got in trouble with her teacher but it didn’t matter because she had stolen the show.
My favorite part of Olivia is her relationship with her mother. At the end of the original Olivia book, her mom finishes reading her a bedtime story and then says…
“Olivia, you know you really wear me out, but I love you anyway.”
And Olivia says, “I love you anyway too.”
This is exactly how I feel about my little piglet, Princess A which is why even though I wanted to plan a Fancy Nancy or Abby Cadabby party we are having an Olivia party for Princess A’s 1st birthday party. I can’t wait to show you all pictures!
Stay Glamorous,
Shannon
image via OliviathePiglet.com
PoopPeePuke - Staying Glamorous Despite the Mess 
I now love Olivia the pig because she loves Degas paintings! My favourite painter because I did many MANY years of ballet.
Thanks for sharing Shannon.
Thank you for sharing this story! It’s amazing how kids can turn us upside down with their likes/dislikes. My niece is that way. Her likes/dislikes have changed and will continue to but she’s decided them, not me nor her mom. It hasn’t been without trying on my part.
I share your dislike of Barney. I have disliked him for a LONG time except for a learned tolerance when I was babysitting twin toddlers years ago. He was the only thing that kept one of them occupied and not hurting themselves while getting the other up from their nap. But then the TV was off and we played until their mom was ready to tag back in for the day.
Olivia is gorgeous my twins love olivia too! If princess A loves pigs you should also check out a cute show called pepa pig (not sure if you get it in the USA) the twins spend the whole time giggling when they watch that show! Have fun planning your Olivia party for your little girl, kids parties are so much fun!
I will google it and see if we have it hear!
The show seems crazy but I seriously recommend Yo Gabba Gabba. It teaches children to say please and thank you, don’t bite your friends, share, differences, family, counting, etc. It is a really good show and the songs are catchy. I have learned there is a song for almost every situation!
She likes yo gabba gabba as well. She stares at it in a trance. But Olivia makes her giggle and it’s so cute!
Im looking forward to see the pics of prinscess A´s-Olivia-birthday party. I can hardly wait… 🙂
My friend, Kim, had her baby on St.Patty’s day last year and named her daughter Olivia. For her baby shower I bought her all things pig. Olivia (the pig) is awesome and I’m glad you found a character that Princess A loves!! Be glad it isn’t Monster High dolls yet, those things are hard as hell to find. 🙂
Barney makes me get this weird head tick, eye twitch and he makes my children scream. Someone was kind enough to get them a stuffed Barney. Yea my oldest, now 17, put a rope around his neck and hung him from his closet. Yea that made me giggle. We loved Blues Clues, Bob the Builder, Little Mermaid Disney style, Pooh and maybe one or two others. NEVER did Teletubbies either, sorry Jerad. But I am glad to say that for now, I only have to deal with Lego items. YAY i love legos. But Olivia sounds freaking adorable. And i’m glad that you found something that she enjoys so much.
I’m impressed she found something she was into so early. Lily didn’t decide she loved anything until she was at least a year old. Now she loves Abby Cadabby, Minnie Mouse and all things Backyardigans. And let’s not forget about any and all trains. Love that they get so opinionated and choose their own things no matter what kind of influence we try to have.
Have you seen the new Angelina Ballerina? Its new new and awesome! My daughter loves it but she loves Olivia more! She plays the games online to it! Agreed on Barney! Lol!
She has and hates it… I don’t know why but Barney has always seemed like a child molester to me lol
Barney creeps me out so bad! I have to change it when it comes on! Speaking of she’s watching it now! *phew* it was just a commercial for Sprout! I think we may have some emotional trauma from Barney! Lol! 🙂
ok guilty pleasure, i enjoy watching this with Orion. I love that Olivia calls Ethan her little bother. hehehehe
Yo gabba gabba is awesome. Full of celebs and musicians that come from our era so I find myself watching too! Jack Black was the most awesome but I’m waiting on the Gubler one!
Have you tried Pinkalicious? That’s a cute book too! Granted, it’s no pig in a dress, but when I worked in daycare that was one of the books many of the little girls loved 🙂
We tried it and the plot is too complicated for her… Olivia is very simple. I hope one day she like’s Pinkalicious because I love it!
I think Olivia is a good choice because she’s always inspired to be great. Like the last show that was on she was an astronaut, a fireman, ect., and she has her own style and can’t go without her striped tights. She also tried to ship her little brother Ian to the postman in a box which he walked around in. The postman said sorry we can’t ship little brothers. It makes me laugh because it reminds me of some of the off the wall convos I have with my little girl. 🙂
LOL, I haven’t seen that episode. I love Olivia now. I was just shocked that she had such an instant strong reaction to a character at such a young age!
I’m so glad we get to discuss stuff like this here! Children’s television is very important and there’s so much good out there as well as bad. I caught a few episodes of Thomas the Train and he used words like “stupid” and “dumb”. That was it for that! she can play with her train set but not watch!
Wow… I didn’t realize they said words like hat on Thomas… but Princess A hasn’t watched it yet and now she never will lol
My daughter said “that’s stupid” one day and I was like hmmm the only thing she could be getting it from was Thomas! and one day I was sitting there and HE said it and I was so shocked beyond belief!
I am too… get her to watch Olivia… she is a good role model
we read her the little books and she has a little olivia that she plays with. and we’ve been doing a lot of Curious George because she has her mama’s love for monkeys 🙂
Wow I got to start reading Curious George… Princess A loves monkeys too… wonder why?
hmmm no idea 😛 lol. and he’s always into something. remind you of anyone?