The Joy of Preteens

I woke up this morning feeling terrible.  It isn't a complete shock.  Aylin was puking four days ago but after no one else got it I thought we were safe.  Then I woke up and thought I was dying this morning.  Dr. J is working but that doesn't mean I don't have four kids to take care of.  But here is where having preteens comes in handy.  I called my two oldest up to my room.  "Mom isn't feeling well this morning. Can I count on you."  "No problem."  And it has been no problem.  They go the youngers feed and dressed and then since it is Saturday they put on Mako Mermaids which since Bridget's review two days ago they'v watched 1/2 the first season.  What a blessing having older kids can be.  Sure sometimes they get a little snarky.  Sure sometimes they don't want to listen or comply but they are also amazingly independent and competent.  I don't know what I would have done five years ago or shoot maybe even two years ago but this year, this year I have functioning people living I my own house who can help me.  What a joy preteens can be, what a joy!

Star Wars The Force Awakens

Last week we took all of our kids to see Star Wars.  We had waited through Christmas and New Years hoping that the crowds would have died down.  We went on a week day right after school for that exact same reason.  There were definitely less people but considering the time and date the fact that the theater was still about a 1/4 full was quite impressive.  I went in planning to hate it.  Look it isn't that I have super negative feelings about Star Wars.  We actually own the originally three, thanks to my mom and a few weeks ago we had a Star Wars marathon after church.  What I am negative about is the over exuberance of love for Star Wars.  Look the movies are interesting and entertaining but are they the best movies ever, personally I don't think so, so reading the on and on post about how excited everyone was to go see the movie or how amazing it was, well I just got a little tired of it.  So I was feeling a little grouchy when the movie started but that quickly changed.

The truth is I really enjoyed myself.  Was it the greatest movie ever, does it deserve to make the most money ever...probably not, but it was interesting and entertaining.  There was plenty of homage to the old movies which I enjoyed.  The emotional battle of the bad guy...wow it was great.  Seeing old characters again, I loved it. Crazy aliens, there were plenty.  The plot was pretty much the same old same old, but hey it was entertaining and honestly most movies kind of just repeat about five different plots, that's life.  We are born, we live, we love, we die.  Sure it happens in lots of different variations but in a lot of ways it is the same.  My younger kids loved BB-8  My favorite part though was the two new characters Finn and Rey and they are the part that took a pretty good movie for me and made it pretty great.  These characters were appealing to me in the same way that Katniss and Peeta were.  They throw the gender norms that we often see in film on their head and I loved it.  Rey is strong and capable.  She had lived alone for years and survived.  She is also compassionate and filled with great power.  More than once she shows that she is the strongest character of the film.  Finn on the other hand starts off the movie as a coward and a liar.  He has an inkling that what he is doing is wrong but he would rather run than face that fact.  Even though he is surrounded by people he is also very alone.  Their friendship is great and it eventually gives Finn what he needs to overcome his flaws.  I think it is nice to show that woman can be strong and that they can be a hero as well (without using their sexuality) and I think it is nice to show that men don't always just have to be these shoot first, answer questions later guys.  That they can be fearful but overcome, that connecting to others can be what gives them strength.  So often in action movies the characters are very one dimensional and stereotypical but real life isn't like that.  People from both genders can poses many different characteristics and being the hero doesn't always mean you have to be a certain type of person. This is the thing about the movie that I really loved and the thing that kept me up thinking a few nights in a row.  It is the thing that will make me buy it and it is the reason I will allow my kids to watch it many, many times, and it is also the reason I will take them to see the next one.  I really hope it is as good if not better!