Elmo

We hate to say we told you so, but we warned you that they'd be the hot toys of the season. It's beginning to look like the Zhu Zhu pet crisis of 2009 all over again as desperate parents try to get their hands on the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer and Let's Rock Elmo. Amazon and the traditional brick and mortar toy stores are sold out of both, and parents are doing just about anything to secure them in time for the holidays.

Those with a desire to travel and an extra $780 on hand now have a new option. New York's posh Carlyle hotel (Suri Cruise has spent many nights in its luxe rooms) just introduced a special Santa’s Shopper package that guarantees the kiddos will wake up to either a Let's Rock Elmo or Leapfrog LeapPad on Christmas morning. The package includes a choice of toys, overnight accommodations, two drinks at the hotel's famous Bemelmans Bar, breakfast at the hotel restaurant, complimentary gift wrap (!), and shipping the gifts home (for an additional fee). Extreme, yes, but a mama's got to do what a mama's got to do, right?

In the 15 years since Tickle Me Elmo was introduced to the market, adults and kids alike have been taken with the lil red monster's infectious laugh. With each additional version of the toy, Elmo's increasingly more complex movements and sounds have continued to make it one of the hottest toys each holiday season. Now, with Hasbro taking over the Sesame Street toy line, the company is introducing Let's Rock Elmo ($59), the latest, most complex Elmo to hit store shelves. The toy has already been named the hot toy of the year by Toys R Us, but should it top your holiday shopping list? Keep reading to see what I thought.

Who is this product designed for? Made for tots over 2 years old, Let's Rock Elmo is fun for kids up to 5 years old or really any age that is still taken with Elmo's charm.

What sets it apart? More than simply a doll that sings and tells stories, Let's Rock Elmo actually plays two instruments — drums and tambourine — and sings into a microphone, "recognizing" them as they are placed in his hands or under his feet each time. When Elmo's not using one of the included instruments, lil one's can play with them or join in with him on one of the six songs in his repertoire. Three additional instruments that are all sold separately — a guitar ($35), a keyboard ($20), and a working microphone ($15) — are also recognized by Elmo, so when kids pick them up and play them in Elmo's vicinity, he'll join in the new song.

Keep reading to see what could be better and if I would buy it.

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and Jo Aaron is one of them. Here is a post from her Mommy Brain blog.

Finally back from summer break and loving it. Of course one of my son's schools actually started a few weeks ago and though my daughter's school doesn't start until next week, they then take most of the month of October off for the Jewish holidays. Not that I'm complaining.

So while I can't make September 13th come faster, we've been amping up the excitement by practicing my daughter's teacher's names, Cookie and Helena. "Cookie and Elmo!" Oh, poor, poor Helena. Despite all of the facetime this wonderful woman put in with my daughter last year, she will now be referred to as Elmo. Thankfully, Helena has a fantastic sense of humor and accepted the nickname graciously during the back to school picnic. We'll see how it goes over once school actually begins.

What I hope our lovely teacher can understand is that that freaking little red monster is a common response to questions in our house. For example, "What do you want to eat? Elmo!" "Do you love Monte (our dog)? No, Elmo!" "What's your brother's name? Elmo!"

I used to go out of my way to explain that in most cases, Elmo was not the correct answer to my question, my favorite being, "What are you doing? Elmo!" (over your father's dead body!!!), but I recently found out that she knows she's messing with me.

Apparently my 21-month-old cupcake has learned how to joke, 21-month-style. When you're a tot, being funny is all about the eyes. She does this thing where she looks to one side, like she's telling you a secret, and to be honest, and totally biased, it's hilarious. I must have laughed really hard the first time she did it because she now knows to use it whenever she's being a little naughty. And whenever she's pissing me off by answering all of my questions with Elmo. Well, I finally got smart-or smart-ass-y-because I found Elmo shaped noodle soup at Whole Foods...just wait until the next time I ask her what she wants to eat!

Want to see more? Start following Mommy Brain. Or start your own OnSugar blog. It's easy, it's free, and it just may be featured on our site.

What happened to the nice Elmo I grew up with? When a man started assaulting customers in a Florida guitar store last Saturday, a guy wearing a furry Elmo costume fought back, reports CNN. The man in the Elmo suit had just performed at a children's event nearby, and when he was in the guitar store, the attacker started throwing punches at him. I bet he didn't think Elmo would respond in kind.

Elmo was left unharmed in the scuffle, but it didn't turn out so good for the other guy. "The suspect in this case suffered broken fingers and was taken to the hospital where he would receive treatment for his injuries and undergo a mental evaluation. The man dressed as Elmo was the victim in this incident and was not injured," according to a statement from the police.

"It looks good for the kids though. I mean, Elmo's kicking butt, keeping the society good," the Elmo-dressed man said. As a children's product, do you think this costumed Elmo should have stayed away from violence to keep the brand clean or did he improve Elmo's image with his crime fighting skills?