First American Idol, Kelly Clarkson with Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard & RCA Chair, Clive Davist

As the mother of two young daughters who look forward to this time of the year when they can watch American Idol with their mom and dad, I agree with Ms. Smith.

The megahit, driven in part by Simon Cowell, regularly attracts 29 million viewers, is the most popular show of the season, has salvaged the Fox Network, and has created a new meaning in the family dictionary for the word "co-viewing."

One synonym for "co-viewing" or "youth viewing TV with adults" ought to be: American Idol.

It used to be that our girls would come home from school and watch a show or two of their own -- usually Magic School Bus or Arthur. The daily limit in this household is two thirty-minute programs.

After the girls would go to bed, my husband, au pair and I would sit down on Tuesday nights and watch our once-a-week indulgence, 24.

This year, Ms. Frizzle has taken a back seat on her school bus to thousands of contestants vying to be the next American Idol. And 24 doesn't get watched until the weekend; thanks to TiVo (another good word for the family dictionary). Now, the girls looks forward to putting a fire in the fireplace and snuggling up next to mom and dad to watch Simon, Paula, "What's up, Dawg?" Randy Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest on their new favorite show American Idol III.

As of February 3rd, this American family's Top Contestants out of Thirty-Two are:

Amy Adams, 24, Bakersfield, CA
Jonah Moananu, 21, Honolulu, HI
Elizabeth LeTendre, 19, Sturbridge, MA
Matthew Rogers, 24, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Leah Vladowski, 16, Seattle, WA
Erskine Walcott, 23, Las Vegas, NV

Three others stood out for us. We couldn't remember their names or catch them on TiVo, but their voices and presence were unforgettable.

Simon's pen salesman #49285 was one. We loved both his voice and his smile. The Red-headed guy with the full-bodied voice was another hit in this household. We also loved the gal who admitted she has "big lips but an even bigger voice."

Last night, American Idol's web site hadn't published the details of their final thirty-two contestants. However, the names of our three other favorites were revealed this morning. They are:

Fantasia Barrino, age 19 from High Point, NC

Jon-Peter Lewis, age 23 from Rexburg, ID, and

John Stevens, age 16 from East Amherst, NY

Tonight, Fantasia is performing along with Diana DeGarmo (16), Jennifer Hudson (22), Marque Lynche (23), Matthew Metzger (23), Ashley Thomas (23), Erskine Walcott (24), and Katie Webber (22).

Three contestants we thought had made it, but were missing this morning on IdolonFox.com, included Dina Lopez, age 20 of Phoenix, Arizona and two Oklahomans: Sarah Silva, age 18 from Stillwater, Oklahoma and George Huff, age 22 from Norman. In fact, last night, George was my husband's #1 favorite of all thirty-two.

In fairness to the other twenty contestants not mentioned, more airtime may change our views. A number of the contestants who moved into the Top 32 are hardly recognizable. We look forward to seeing them shine over the coming weeks.

Matt Rogers, Our #1 Contestant as of Feb 3rd

Red-capped contestant, Matt Rogers ended up #1 on our list, as of last night. Matt, from Arcadia, California, also impressed Simon. Cowell's comment early in the pre-competition was, "big man, big voice."

As a UW offensive-lineman, Matt helped take the University of Washington Huskies to the Rose Bowl in 2001 and win. At his "American Idol" performance, he had the ring to prove it. The fact that our girls' daddy was a linebacker had little to do with why Matt is #1. "I didn't like him saying mean things about his partners," said our eight year-old, "but I love his voice and his smile. Mommy, Matt Rogers is my top pick."

Rogers currently works in Southern California as a mortgage broker. He is not a complete stranger to TV, as he and other members of his family appeared on "Family Feud" several years ago.

One exceptionally soulful voice was that of Erskin (pronounced Erskin) Walcott. Interestingly, as unique as he was, Erskine shared a common thread that helped him stand out among a number of our top contestants. For Erskine, it was his red hat.

By the end of the show, we had named Erskine, Matt, Amy and John "The Red Hot Team."

All five of us (ages 6, 8, 19, 43 and 44) found it interesting that the people who stood out in our book either had red hair, pink hair (not something I necessarily want to promote in this house), red hats or red caps (something I definitely want to promote).

Another hotty was Amy Adams.

While her hair is hot pink, her soul appears to be even hotter. She says her goal, regardless of whether or not she wins American Idol, is to be "a successful artist in the entertainment industry, as well as having a strong influence on the children of our future." Amen to that!

Only three things we wish we could change about the show:

1) that Fox would broadcast it at 7pm rather than 8pm;
2) that the producers would take out all of the profanity;
3) that the sponsors would create more "wholesome" G-Rated commercials.

Ford, Coke, AT&T Wireless, Old Navy, Herbal Essences and Subway can all do better! If it weren't for TiVo, we might not allow our girls to watch American Idol.

Needless to say, all of us were glad they said goodbye to the Chippendale dude, despite his winning smile, and buffed body.

The adults in the house are also grateful that Paula spoke up about one of the contestant's rude, disrespectful attitude.

This "co-viewing" opportunity as a family provides a platform for talking about what is and is not good behavior.

Paula, Simon and Randy, thank you for inspiring a constructive conversation.

And thank you for creating a show that offers a good balance of entertainment, laughter, joy, learning how to deal with criticism, experiencing the vulnerable pursuit of one's dreams, combined with good ol' family fun. You've got a great recipe!

Unlike many of the show's competitors, this American family from the city of San Francisco is cheering for all thirty-two American Idol contestants, as well as the host and judges. We wish the first eight performing next week the best of luck.

Thank you for being a highlight of our family-time, every week.

~Jennifer

For a profile on all thirty-two contestants, go to: IdolonFox.com