The Avengers

We have super heroes on the brain these days.  

Gone are the days of princess dress up.

Iron Man, The Hulk, and Spider Man have replaced them.

The Referee took us all to the movies to see The Avengers.  Since it is rated PG-13, we were not so sure the younger kids should see it.  After reading the reviews, we decided that since it wasn't gory, they should be OK.  

Our entire family had a blast at that movie.

Granted, the kids get excited about the idea of theater popcorn and a Coke.

But, the movie was awesome.  It kept everyone's attention.  Even Jersey #5 laughed at the funny parts.  He got it.  He took a nap during the middle of the movie, but enjoyed all the action scenes.

I didn't grow up with too much super hero stuff, and I am not usually very big into action adventure movies, but I really enjoyed The Avengers.  (I actually enjoyed the Iron Man movies too, and Green Lantern, so maybe I am into super hero movies and just didn't realize it.) 

The kids have been quoting lines out of the movie ever since.  

Jersey #5 was most amazed by The Hulk.  He likes to imitate him.  I managed to capture a video of him re-enacting one of Hulk's scenes in the movie....

Kid Clothes and Kung Fu Panda

 

We have been packing this summer full of fun.

We took our kids to see the new Kung Fu Panda movie at the theater.  We loved the first movie, and were really looking forward to seeing the sequel.  

We still laugh over our experience taking the older kids to see the first Kung Fu Panda, at the theater.  We went with our Pastor and his wife.  Jersey #2 left a lasting impression.  In the middle of the movie, the main character makes a reference to being hit in his "tenders."  Jersey #2 (who does not appear to have an "indoor voice") turned to her Dad and exclaimed,

"Tenders.  He doesn't have Tenders.  Dad, what are Tenders?  Do I have Tenders?"

Our Pastor and his wife did their best to try to stifle their laughter, but they enjoyed the commentary immensely.

The Referee did his best to quiet Jersey #2, saying her Mom would explain it later.  He was totally embarrassed.

The sequel was wonderful too.  The kids were older this time.  We only had to take 1 bathroom break.  It was nice.

Previously that morning, while the kids were attending Vacation Bible School with friends, The Referee and I enjoyed a breakfast date.  Then, we decided to go to a department store and look for T-shirts.  Knowing we were planning a trip to visit Thomas the Train, I was looking for T-shirts for the kids to wear.

I was really disappointed to realize just how messed up the kids clothing section really is.  It appears that department stores would like the children to grow up MUCH faster.  There were no Thomas the Train shirts in any size larger than toddler sizes.  I know many early elementary-aged boys who love Thomas, so I am surprised that there are no shirts in their sizes.  

While looking in the older boy sizes, I found Kung Fu Panda T-shirts on sale.  Knowing we were going to the movie that afternoon, I thought it would be fun to surprise the kids with matching shirts to wear.  Unfortunately, that plan also backfired, when we realized that Kung Fu Panda T-shirts did not go beyond size 7.  (In general, kids sizes tend to broadly follow kid ages).  All of the older boy shirts were TV themes that seemed to be more of a high school or college interest.  A sales associate asked if we needed help, so I told her what I was looking for.  She informed me that there were no shirts with that character in the larger sizes.  She then went on to explain that they tailor the characters to the interest of kids of that age range.  I informed her that MANY boys ages 8-10 are fans of Kung Fu Panda, so the store was quite inaccurate in its selections.  

The Referee asked if we would have any luck finding Kung Fu Panda shirts in the girls' department.  I immediately laughed and informed him that the clothing in the girls department follows the same theme:  love, peace, and look-at-my-butt!  The girls department is totally disgusting with its sexualized clothing for school-aged girls.  There are no fun characters at all.  It was no surprise to me why there was no one shopping in that section of the store, and all the shelves and racks were full.  Most parents do not want to buy that trashy clothing for their daughters. 

In the end, I skipped buying any Thomas the Train t-shirts, because we still had toddler sized shirts at home.  I bought the younger 3 kids a Kung Fu Panda t-shirt from the boys section.  We bought the older girls a guitar t-shirt from the boys section.  T-shirts in the boys section are much better made, with thicker material, and more material to cover their bodies.  The store probably has no clue how much sale they actually missed from me.  I would have bought 5 train shirts, and 5 Kung Fu Panda shirts.....if they had actually been available.  Then, I would have been back for guitar shirts for another occasion.

The kids were thrilled with their new shirts.  They do not realize my struggle to keep them dressed in age-appropriate, modest clothing, so that they can be free to be children for as long as possible.

Netflix

We signed up for Netflix this summer. My sisters, many friends, and even some of The Referee's coworkers have mentioned it for a while now. We've been slow to jump on board. This summer seemed like a good opportunity to check it out, since Jersey #2 needed to rest and recover from surgery. We signed up for the basic package, 1 DVD at a time, for just under $10. We had a promotional code to try the first month for free.

We have already gotten our money's worth for at least the next 3 years. It turns out that in addition to that 1 DVD that we can check out at a time, we can also streamline movies and shows instantly on our laptop. The night I first signed us up for Netflix, The Referee was so excited about all the shows he could watch on his computer, that he stayed up watching movies all night long. Then, we received the disk that utilizes our Wii to streamline movies instantly to our television. Oh my! Cartoons, movies, and TV shows galore!

Needless to say, the entire family has spent WAY too much time watching movies this summer.

The Referee and I have been able to catch up on all the movies we've missed since becoming parents. We used to go out to the movie theater a lot when we were dating and first married. That ended after a couple kids arrived. I think we practically watched a movie a night during the month of June.

Since we do not have cable television, and our converter box broke, the kids have not had much access to any cartoons or TV shows. They went hog-wild checking out shows in the "kids and family" category.

The Referee was shocked to come home and find the kids watching Barney. He thought that purple dinosaur was a thing of the past. Unfortunately, he still lives in the Netflix world.

It didn't take me long to start complaining about all of the teen dramas that seem to draw 8-year old girls. I am not a fan of the style of dress, the attitudes, the lack of parental supervision, or the obsession with boyfriends/girlfriends that appears to be the focus of those shows. I had to limit Jersey #1's viewing of such programs, as I noticed her attitude start to decline.

Now, we are working on reigning ourselves in a bit more. I filled the instant queue with educational shows for the kids, Veggie Tales, and a few preschool-level cartoons. We decided to start limiting more of what they are viewing. (It appears it was a blessing to not have access to TV programs before). We are making family movie night a big event (with popcorn), and not an every night occurrance. Now that we are gearing up for school to begin soon, it is time to get back to the routine of reading books before bed.

I think Netflix will continue to be fun entertainment for our family.....hopefully in moderation

Movie Night

We took the kids to the movie theater last night, to see the new Toy Story 3 movie. We have been big fans of Woody, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear, so there was much excitement about this movie.

With the size of our family, and the price of entertainment, going to the movie theater is a very RARE treat. We don't even average once a year. We usually only go for the most exciting movies. I had earned 2 free adult admission passes from donating blood for the past year. Jersey #5 is still free, since he is under the age of 3. So, we only had to purchase 4 child tickets. Splurging on popcorn/soda packs at the concession stand ended up costing a little more than we paid for the tickets!

I am not sure if it was because the quality of the animated movie was that great, or if it was because the kids are all at easier ages, or maybe a combination of things, but this was the absolute best movie theater experience we have ever had. It was a real treat. I only had to get up from my seat one time to take Jersey #2 and Jersey #4 to the restroom. They were so eager to not miss the movie, that they ran to the restroom, conducted business as quickly as possible, and ran back to their seats. The kids sat in their seats and held their snack packs, and enjoyed the entire movie. Even Jersey #5 was enthralled. He only stood up from his seat a couple times, but did not wander off. He just stood and watched the movie, then eventually climbed onto The Referee's lap until the end of the show. We had a blast.

There were a few preparations that took place to help things run smoothly. The younger 3 kids had a restful afternoon, including the boys taking a good nap. We ate dinner before going to the theater, and finishing their dinner was the requirement before popcorn and soda would be allowed. This cut down the complaints about hunger pains or tummy aches. We had the kids all use the restroom as soon as we entered the theater, before they received any concession treats. (We also visited the restroom immediately after the movie, before heading home). This cut down on random, repeat trips to the restroom while the movie was playing. We chose an off-peak time to visit the theater....an evening that is not as busy, a couple weeks after the movie was released....to avoid the crowds. We staggerd our seating so that The Referee and I were next to Jersey #5 and Jersey #4, to help hold their seats down. They do not weigh enough to control the seat from folding up with them inside. Purchasing individual snack packs gave each child an equal amount of snacks, to cut down on the temptation of competition and greed over a shared, limited resource. Plus, we planned, saved, and prepared for the costs, so that The Referee and I were not in shock at the cash register. (Ok, we are still a bit shocked by movie theater prices in general, but we had the expense covered in our budget.)

The movie was fantastic. The suspense and drama captured the younger kids' attention. The sad story line of changing relationships as Andy prepared to go off to college, had Jersey #1 visibly crying. (She is a sensitive child who cries at sad movies, just like her Mama). Buzz Lightyear in Spanish mode had Jersey #2 laughing continuously. The children could not wait to come home and reenact parts of the movie with their own Woody, Jessie, and Buzz toys.

What a wonderful family movie night.