Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Sometimes it Just Feels Good to Cry

The library has saved me more times than I would like to admit. I could have nothing planned to do, be bored out of my gourd, the kids are running crazy wild, and then it occurs to me, "We should go to the library!" It keeps the kids entertained, they have to be quiet, you get to leave with stuff for free, and oh yea, there are so many different books and movies there to choose from. We can stay entertained there for at least a good 45 minutes. Then you get to bring a bunch of books and movies home with you which can provide hours of entertainment.

I guess it depends on how many movies to book ratio you allow on each trip, but if the movie count is high, you can have your whole afternoon planned.

Sometimes we hit the library quite often, even as much as once a week. Other times, months will go by before we go again. It had been a while since we had been to the library when I announced we were making a trip last Friday. The kids were beyond excited, and talked about what kind of books they were going to check out. Lanie wanted all kinds of dinosaur books, and Pax just copied whatever Delanie said. He also threw in a long list of movies. My boy is a true TV hound just like his parents.

When we got there Lanie went straight for the books, and Pax he went straight for the movies. I went with Pax because, without parental supervision, my boy can single handedly destroy a library in about one minute and 30 seconds.

He went straight for the Elmo videos. It's strange because I thought for sure we would be done with Elmo by now seeing as though he is almost three and all. Lately though, there has been a fierce resurgence of the little red monster in our home that I feel may not be over any time soon. He wants to watch Elmo all the time right now, and Delanie, she doesn't stop him. I guess it's a fresh change from Dora and Diego. I am just thankful that the Backyardigans are still around.

Man, I love that show.

Back to the movies.

As I was looking through the movies with Pax I came across a movie called "Far From Home". It was one of those "Family Channel" made for TV movies. You know, they use up and coming actors/actresses, the story line is totally predictable but completely touching, and the best part is it had to be from the mid-90's. I thought, "WOW! Delanie would really like this movie!"

Just as I was about to go show her what I had found to see if she wanted to check it out, I second guessed myself. This movie had tear-jerker written all over it. I know I love me some tear-jerking dramas at times, but that is just cruel for a mother to even suggest it to her daughter, who she knows is a bit on the sensitive side. I quickly remembered how much she bawled at Homeward Bound and Eight Below (which, by the way, was one of the worst parenting decisions Scott and I have made. Just because a movie is made by Disney DOES NOT MEAN IT IS FOR KIDS). She loved both movies, but she bawled like a baby for both.

Which made me bawl.

And then we snuggled and bawled together.

I decided that it wasn't a good choice to get a movie that I knew she would like, but that would also make her bawl. I put the movie back on the shelf and went back to looking for Elmo videos.

Delanie then came back over to the movie section after checking out all the books she wanted to look at. She asked if she could check out a movie too, like her brother, and I told her she could if she saw something she thought she might like. After a little perusing she came to find Pax and I over at the baby book section to show me what she wanted. She was all excited when she showed me the movie.

"Look Momma! Far From Home!" This looks like a really good movie. Can I get this one?"

Without even being rational, I said "YES!".

I remember thinking, "Oh my word! I can't believe we picked up the same movie. It's a sign! We have to get it!" All that rational thinking I had done not but 30 seconds prior, went right out the window.

I am so impulsive and feelings driven it should be illegal at times.

So we brought home Far From Home. After we got home, I did come to my senses a bit and decided that she could not watch that movie alone. She needed to watch it with either Scott or I just in case it lived up to all the cover promised it would be.

Well, we finally got around to having enough time to sit and watch that movie. It was everything the cover eluded to and a bit more.

Delanie bawled her head off.

I bawled a little bit, but mostly because I knew this was going to happen and I couldn't believe how stupid and irresponsible I was to allow my tender-hearted baby to get a movie I knew was going to put her in a depression for the rest of the day.

She didn't cry for the rest of the day, but she is still going on and on about how much she loved the movie. She keeps talking about how she can hardly wait to see it again.

I knew she would.

That's one strong sick little gene we share.

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