Zebra needs to die.

     So, if you could kill any character in "Madagascar", who would it be?

     Easy. The zebra.

    Really? I think for me, it would have to be the giraffe.

    Oh, no way. I like the giraffe, he actually has some good lines. Plus, it's
    Ross from "Friends", you can't kill off Ross. It has to be the zebra.

For ages I tried in vain to get my children to sit through a full-length movie. I tried everything - "Cars", "Toy Story", all the favorites; nothing worked. And then one day I came across the "Madagascar" DVD in our house. I didn't even know we owned the movie, and I had never seen it myself. I wanted something to distract Bug for a few minutes, so I put it on. 

 90 minutes later, Bug was still watching the TV as the credits began rolling.

Did this just happen? Did he actually watch a full-length movie?! I couldn't believe it. And, even more shocking, when Binker came home from preschool later that day, I turned it on again and they BOTH watched it. All the way through!

The boys enjoyed the movie so much that they began requesting it on a daily basis, and I was happy to oblige. Sometimes they even wanted to watch it twice in a day. Normally I don't like to have my kids just sit in front of the TV, but between packing our house for the move and having a new baby to attend to, I decided to bend the rules a bit. It was awesome for me to be able to have something I could put on for them that would keep them busy for a good hour and a half. Plus, I had to admit that the movie was pretty cute, even funny in some parts. 

It was probably around the hundredth time they watched it, that I began to get a little bored with the same jokes. And by the thousandth time, I could pretty accurately recite the movie line for line along with the characters.

Now of the course, the children have watched it, oh I don't know, five hundredy jillion times. Husband and I have made every possible sarcastic joke to each other about the plot, lines, and characters. We tried humor at first to keep ourselves sane, however, even that doesn't work now. Which is what led to the conversation we had this morning over which character needs to die first.

Please. I am desperate. I need recommendations for movies that your kids like. Obviously mine are hard to please, as this has been the first and only movie to hold their attention, but I am open to any and all suggestions. 

My sanity is at stake here, people.

See You at the Movies!

After you have kids, a lot of things change. The biggest thing to get used to in the beginning - for me anyway - was remembering to pack all of the baby items I would need while we were out of the house. Bottles, formula, diapers, wipes, change of clothes, pacifiers, blankets, first aid kit, thermometer, teethers, rattles, Tylenol, etc. (This was in the beginning when I carried my diaper bag everywhere, and I really did keep every one of those items with me at all times). Eventually though, I was able to relax a little, and realized I didn't need to bring all of those things along for a 10 minute trip to the grocery store. Today, my diaper bag is somewhere in the laundry room, I have switched back to using my purse, and I just keep a couple extra diapers and wipes in the car. I have definitely relaxed, but things are also a little less stressful when you have toddlers versus a new baby.

Other things change too, when you have kids. Obviously there are limitations on what you can do once a baby comes along. While it is possible to take a baby to a restaurant, it's not as relaxing or enjoyable an experience as it once was. When Richard and I get the courage to take the kids out to a restaurant, we usually end up asking for the check as soon as our food comes, then eating it as fast as we can, trying to finish our meals before the boys lose their patience. Oftentimes we have to get boxes to bring our food home to finish later on. We accept this though, and it's not that big of a deal.

One big change though, that really cannot be compromised with, is movies. Once you have a baby, it's pretty much impossible to go to the movies anymore, unless you have a sitter. I guess you could take a newborn or small baby, but if he or she cries, you know your fellow moviegoers are not going to be patient with that, and if you have to wind up walking out of the movie, then that's $10.00 you just threw away. And once a child is old enough to take to the movies, you know you're not going to be watching any of the movies you actually enjoy - no romantic comedies, no action flisks, none of that. The only movies you will be seeing in theaters are kid-friendly ones, mostly cartoons. Thankfully most Disney and Pixar movies do a decent job of entertaining their adult audiences, but come on, it still doesn't make up for all the other movies you're missing out on. For this reason, it is always a big treat whenever Richard and I get to see a movie. It can be difficult, because sometimes we want to see different movies from one another, so those discussions usually come down to an intense match of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

It has been about three months since we last went to see a movie together, and with all of the awesome summer movies coming out right now, I have been feeling that itch - that need to go to the movie theater. I love walking in, breathing in that scent of buttery, warm, trans-fatty popcorn, then purchasing my ticket, buying an outrageously overpriced soda or some type of treat to enjoy, then heading into the theater. Picking a seat is very important. You don't want to be too close, but you also don't want to be too far back. I love those rare times when you are the only person in the theater. My favorite moment though, is when the lights go dim, and the screen lights up, and the movie is about to start. Even in this age of so many technological advancements, the movie theater is still a magical place to me.

Oh, and I hate when we're running late to a movie, and someone says, "It's okay, we'll only miss the previews." Uhmm, hello?? The previews are, like, the best part!

Anyways, like I said, I have really been feeling the need to go see a movie. If all works out, then I think I may be going to see one tonight. The only problem I am having now is which movie to see? Since I only go every few months, there is a lot of pressure on the movie I pick for it to be worth it. Feel free to send me your suggestions!