Ok, 7 yr and 20 month old children here. I'll reply to the first reference to 'Sesame'.
6 years ago I found a 'Sesame Street Baby' CD at a local discount store. My then young son loved it.
I loaned it out a few years ago and it was subsequently lost.
A few months ago I bought 'Sesame Street First Steps', which is basically the same game. You can find it for sale on other websites, and I would discount the negative reviews. They don't quite get it. It has keyboard and mouse games. I have a ~9 year old USB 1.1 track ball that I used for both my children initially, but they quickly picked up the accuracy of my laser mouse.
For fun and introducing them to computer controls, I haven't found anything better.
Of course, videos games for toddlers are not a baby sitter and I Always play this game with my child on my lap.
I've had a pair of rabbit ears(with loop) for years as backup as cable seems to be the first thing to go down in weather(That's why I stay with slower DSL; it never goes down here).
I picked up a Zenith Digital Converter box 3 weeks ago at a closing Circuit City for $10. Hooked it up to the TV and no signal. Added the rabbit ears and 18 channels of the best picture I've ever received. I'm about 30 miles outside of Atlanta.
I did notice some degradation(blocks and breakups) during heavy rain last week, but it might be a good backup After a storm passes through and knocks out the cable.
Top Ten Things Overheard At The ANSI C Draft Committee Meetings: (5) All right, who's the wiseguy who stuck this trigraph stuff in here?