Saturday, July 23, 2011

Reel Life

So last week I was reading an online article about movies that asked its readers what was the first movie you saw. I can't say I remember my first movie, although I have some vivid memories about early movies.

One of the first movies I remember was Hugo the Hippo. (It was released it 1974 so maybe that was my first movie.) According to Wikipedia it was considered a box-office failure and not likely for DVD release because of its "psychedelic, weird, politically-incorrect and violent content." (The movie poster calls it "phantasmagorical." That's something I always look for in a kid's movie - phantasmagoria.) The only thing I remember about it was that Hugo was a purple hippo and that one of my feet asleep during the movie.

I saw Star Wars at one of those big, old movie theaters in downtown Peoria. I had my wedding reception in its lobby many years later. I remember two things about Star Wars. One, I was terrified by the scene where Luke returns home to find his aunt and uncle's burned bodies. Two, I had to step over a dead pigeon as we were leaving the theater.

The movie Grease came out in 1978 and I saw it with my neighbors Marcy and Annie. I went on to watch that movie nearly 100 times. It's no wonder we have it on DVD and I now watch it with Abby.

The next year it was the Muppet Movie. I can't say I remember seeing it but I've been told that before it started I whispered to my dad, "I'm so excited."

In 1981 I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Fox Theater with my friend Jennifer Weller. I had a headache and can remember covering my eyes during the melting heads scene near the end.

Sometime in the late 70s or 80s I saw Alien and The Omen at the drive-in. If my mom doesn't know this story it will probably make her cringe, but I suppose my parents had gone to the drive-in with me in tow. I can hear the conversation because it is one Bryon and I would have today, "Oh, it'll be fine. It's late. She'll be asleep the whole time." Little did they know I watched two of the scariest movies EVER from the backseat.

All this to say that in a couple of weeks we are going on vacation, and while, yes I know that the goal of vacation is swimming and playing Uno and working puzzles and quality family time, I bought a truckload of movies for the trip. My goal was to get nothing but old movies, ones I remembered from my childhood - and no, I didn't get Alien.

I'm anxious to see if the Apple Dumping Gang is as good as I remember it.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

A Higher Meaning

So there are a few things I dread hearing in our house. Things like, "What's the cat playing with?" or "What's Tag eating?" are always tops on my list. From the kids, I always worry when I hear, "Mom, don't be mad" or "I need a towel." Lately Abby has added "Pretend you're taking a nap" to the list. This means she has made a mess somewhere and needs time to clean it up.

Like yesterday. It started out innocent enough. "Mom, pretend you're taking a nap and I'll draw you a picture." (Pretend?! I can do you one better!) And sure enough a few minutes later she produced a pink and blue drawing of me, surrounded by stars and hearts and .... white interior semi-gloss latex paint? The same paint I used in the hallway earlier in the week.

"Abby, it's a really pretty picture. Where did you get the white paint?"

"I'll show you. It's so interesting. It's Baby Jesus interesting!"

Apparently "Baby Jesus Interesting" is the highest form of interesting. Kind of spectacular and serendipitous and forbidden all at once.

It turns out she didn't make a mess at all - unless you count the multiple rolls of toilet paper she'd unwound trying to wipe paint off her hands. But there was no paint on the floor or her dress.

Now that's Baby Jesus interesting.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Trouble With a Capital T (That Stands For Tattoo)

Last night at bedtime Abby told me she is in love with our neighbor Stan. She has met Stan once, but she loves him because he has shiny black hair. (He does have good hair.)

Abby has lots of boyfriends. There's Caleb, a classmate she has loved since they could hug each other. There's Johnny, a teacher at School of Rock. There's Seth, a teacher at School of Rock. And there's Bristen, a teacher at School of Rock. (You see where I'm going with this?)

"So Abby, what is it that you like about the boys at School of Rock?" I asked her.

"Well, you know how they they hold a guitar and go like this?" She stood up on her bed and pretended to strum a guitar.

"Yes. So you like that they play guitar."

"And you know those tattoos up and down their arms?"

Oh boy.