Your memories

We asked you to share your favorite aspects of "Sesame Street." Here's what we received:

* Sisters Melissa Trauger Dufort and Lynne Trauger had a unique "Sesame Street" experience. They were nannies for Joe Raposo, the show's musical director. Raposo wrote the show's theme song as well as Kermit's "Bein' Green," "C is for Cookie" and "Sing."

"Joe was a wonderful, warm, caring man who shared his love of music with everyone," wrote Trauger, now of Exeter, in an e-mail.

Dufort, now living in Shawnee, Kan., remembered Raposo would let her see newly composed "Sesame Street" songs before they aired.

"When my mom visited, he even wrote her a farewell song, which he hand wrote and sang to her," Dufort wrote in an e-mail.

Raposo died in February 1989.

"To this day, Joe's songs still appear on 'Sesame Street,' and it is nice to be able to tell my boys that I knew the man who wrote those songs," Dufort said.

Other memories

* Our oldest child was born in January 1968. Michael loved "Sesame Street." He watched it daily and sometimes twice daily.

In May 1970, our second child was born. ... My husband went home to inform Michael that he had a baby sister and that her name was Deborah Kay. Michael look up at his Dad and said, "Oh, Deborah KLMNOP."

- Pat Svec, Seward

* "Sesame Street" came on the air when our oldest child was a toddler. ... It soon became a ritual to have lunch and watch "Sesame Street." As the years went by, we had two more children and kept watching "Sesame Street." My husband and I had a business with an office in our home, so Daddy sometimes joined us for lunch and "Sesame Street."

It was on Friday of the first week that our youngest child began attending school all day long that we looked at each other as "Sesame Street" ended. We just realized that the two of us watched "Sesame Street" all week long while we ate lunch - without any children in the house!

- Karen Gagner, Lincoln

* I have tons of great memories watching "Sesame Street" when I was a kid and then later as a mom when my two girls watched.

My all-time-favorite character is Grover ... I got a stuffed Grover for my birthday or Christmas and I still have him. ... My husband and I also love the "mah na, mah na song" ... He even has it on his iPod Touch favorites."

- Anne Schernikau, Lincoln

* "Sesame Street" is very special to me. I watched it with my grandpa every time it was on. ... My favorites were Bert and Ernie and the "Rubber Ducky" song. To get me to eat the things I was picky about or do things I didn't want to do, my mom would say "This bite is for Big Bird" and "Elmo will be happy if you pick this up." Most of the time it worked, and when it didn't, Oscar showed up.

- Jody Lynch, Lincoln

* Like "Sesame Street," I was born in 1969. To this day, I remember many of the songs, stories and skits.

One memory that stands out was the honest and touching way the show dealt with the death of Mr. Hooper. The show recognized that children had a true attachment to him, and also that children needed to be able to understand and process his passing at their level.

Another memory is using a tool in my mother's sewing room as a monocle to pretend I was The Count.

- Brenda McLey, Syracuse

* My favorite "Sesame Street" character is Sammy the Snake, though he is probably long forgotten. Why Sammy the Snake? Because he looks and sounds just like the letter "S." Oh, yessssss.

- Roland Tall, Lincoln

* A few of my favorite skits are:

1. Lefty and his boss stealing the "Golden An." In this skit they address rhyming words: "The golden an put it in a tan van, take it to Fran who takes it to Stan. That's the plan."

2. Ernie and Bert skits are always the best. My favorite is "before and after": "Before I can have a cookie, I have to lift the cover ..."

3. Kermit the Frog newsflash with Rapunzel. She lets down her hair.

I could go on and on ...

- Amy Potter, Lincoln

* I could share many, many moments of "Sesame Street," but the one that sticks in my head was just the most remarkable rendition of "Superstition" performed by Stevie Wonder and all the Muppets that just kept going and going. ... Even the most famous of guest artists always seemed to be inspired to give their best on the show, as if the creative energy on the "Sesame" set was infectious.

- Kenny Jones, Portland, Ore.

* Our favorite "Sesame Street" character has always been Grover. When my granddaughter Leila was growing up, her Aunt Diane took on the voice of Grover. ... This could go on for hours and we were all in stitches because Grover never hesitated to tell it like it was, nor was he ever at a loss for words.

- Val Cawein, Lincoln

* Every year when I was little, my parents would take my sisters and me to the Lied Center to see "Sesame Street Live." I would look forward to this for weeks and would be so happy to get my glow-stick light so I could wave it when my favorite characters came on stage.

I vividly remember being amazed at all the lights filling the theater, and since it was my first concert, I had never seen anything like that.

- Macie McIntosh, Lincoln

* I have great memories of "Sesame Street" while attending UNSTA (now the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis). "Sesame Street" entertained the entire East Dorm during noon hours during 1970-72. We all had a great time watching and imitating the characters. A number of fellow classmates should have auditioned for roles on "Sesame Street"! They did great Ernie and Berts, Cookie Monsters, Oscars and Grovers! I wish we could have videotaped these great bonding times during our college years!

- Nanci Knisely-Kyhn, Martell

* My favorite part about "Sesame Street" was (Muppet creator) Jim Henson.

Henson wanted to live in a world where people could live in peace and harmony. He used "Sesame Street" to teach kids how to love, accept, work and play with others. ... Jim's goal was to make the world a better place, and through "Sesame Street," he did and continues to do just that.

- Justin Baldinger, Seward

* A couple memories from years ago, when "Sesame Street" was new.

1. When our niece was about 3, she was wearing a shirt with Big Bird on it. My husband said, "Oh, I like your shirt with 'Super Chicken' on it." Everyone got a big laugh out of that.

2. I had one hour to get laundry started and a little cleaning done while our kids ate lunch and watched "Sesame Street" from 12 to 1 each weekday. This was my "free time" as they were glued to the TV for the hour. When the part came on where there was a baker holding nine pies and he would fall down steps, our 3-year-old son would start yelling: "Mom come quick because Sara is going to cry!" Our 4-year-old would always cry every time the baker fell down the steps with his nine pies. She was sad when he got all dirty from the pies. When the music for this started to play, our son started yelling and I always ran fast so I could comfort her.

- Margaret Krieser, Lincoln

* My favorite skit was the cartoon of the mom telling the little kid three things to remember to buy at the store: a loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.

I also like the Muppets that looked like fur-balls and came on intermittently - don't know what they were called but they sang a little song: mnom, mnom, ba dee dee dee.

- Terry Lisko, Lincoln