{Family Movie Night, Take Two}

We've enjoyed family movie night on Friday evenings for quite a while now. We've shared plenty of laughter, plenty of tears (I simply cannot make it through Maria's bridal march to save my life) and, unfortunately . . . plenty of disagreements.

Yes, it's true.

This discord is largely on account of three factors:

1. We are all sinners. All six of us. This means we are all selfish. Which means we all want our own way.

2. We are all different ages. All six of us. This means that a teenage boy and a six-year-old girl will not necessarily both be thrilled when the movie choice for the night is Star Wars. Someone's gonna object. But I'm not gonna say who.

3. We all have different interests. All six of us. (Have you noticed a theme here?) I like 40s classics. Jamie gets a kick out of the old Disney movies. The boys like . . . boy things that shout and make noise. The girls would watch Little Women every week if they could.

I'm not sure how many times we've started a movie, only to find that half of the members were bored out of their minds (or asleep). This usually meant that we ended up resorting to choosing a couple of Andy Griffith episodes which we knew would be a hit. But still. Variety is nice. And I really hate the thought of sitting in front of the television "just because."

What's a family to do?

Thankfully, my brilliant husband recently came up with a solution. We each take turns being in charge of family movie night. How easy is that? We're starting with Miss Kate. This means that tonight she gets to select the movie.

This also means that everyone else gets to selflessly put themselves into the shoes of a six-year-old girl and grow to appreciate her interests and tastes. We don't balk at her choice, but eagerly enjoy the time spent together.

Furthermore, each person will be enriched by a greater variety of film choices which will eventually lead to stimulating discussions and a widened understanding of the world around us. (Of course at this point in the game Dad and Mom still preview and carefully monitor the titles that are available to the children.)

I know that the older children will start to see the dilemma that we parents face: How to select titles that a wider audience will appreciate? They get the idea of wanting to enjoy a flick while also being aware of other viewers in the room. I'm interested to see how this all pans out.

For now, Miss Kate has Enchanted on the brain. Bethie is eager to share Anne of Green Gables in a few weeks, and Aidan is trying to decide between Cars 2 and Newsies. I know which one I would choose, but I shan't say a word. This sinful old mom (who prefers musicals) will quietly step aside and thoroughly enjoy whatever her nine-year-old pops into the player. Because that's what family movie night is all about.

What are your favorite family movies?

Cousins Camp! Day 2

We were a bit groggy this morning after so much fun in the sun yesterday, but as soon as I said, "It's time for Cousins Camp!" the kids popped out of bed and downed their cold cereal. (I think they were a bit relieved to find that we were running late, though. That meant that mom didn't have time to make boring old oatmeal.)

Today we kept it simple and low key, partly to pace ourselves lest we all collapse on Friday, and partly because our afternoon schedules held other commitments.

My sister, Krista, had noticed that the movie theaters are running their summer deals for kids. It seemed pretty perfect that Kit Kittredge happened to be scheduled for this week. So we met at the theater, paid our dollar a head, and filed in. We rarely go to the movies, and it was a first for my sister's kids. Accordingly, there was substantial ear-plugging during the first few minutes. But once they grew accustomed to the volume, they settled down and did really well. Even little Clara sat dutifully on her mother's lap and enjoyed the show.

Although I've seen the movie a few times, it never ceases to delight me. Such a fun story, an endearing main character and uplifting sentiment. Add a stellar cast (Julia Ormond is always beautiful and Joan Cusack is always funny) and it makes for a great show.

A quick taco lunch back at our place and we parted ways. I wish I would have thought to say something cheesy like, "That's a wrap!" as The Cousins piled in the van and drove away. You know, movies . . . and tacos . . . get it? (Cue cricket chirp.)

Well, until next time, when I hope to give you an exciting account of our adventures on the Lacamas Lake trail. Cheerio!

Family Movie Night

Friday night. Seven o'clock. If you were to peek into a certain white house with green trim, you'd likely find six Lawsons squished together on the L-shaped couch. Piled under blankets, legs and elbows askew and voices shushing, they are about to embark on a grand adventure known as Family Movie Night. The lights are dimmed "just like a movie feeder," chocolate chip cookies are in the oven, and they eagerly await the pick of the week . . .

Sometimes it's a favorite from Daddy and Mommy's growing up years, like Anne of Green Gables or Little House on the Prairie.



Other times it's a brand new story waiting to unfold, like Up. Most often, however, it's a gem from the past, such as the original Cheaper by the Dozen, National Velvet or Leave it to Beaver. And if it happens to be a musical like Meet Me in St. Louis, Mary Poppins, or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?



Well, there are no complaints from the females in the bunch. (Of course you know how I feel about The Sound of Music.) And don't worry. To add a little action for the males, we are sure to include lively stories like Swiss Family Robinson or Follow Me, Boys!, and great science features like Life.



A friend recently asked for movie suggestions, and I passed a few titles on. (My titles are fairly conservative and mild -- we have a rather sensitive viewer in our bunch.) It was fun to think through the list, and it occurred to me that I'd love to add more ideas to the pot. And so I come to you. What are some of your family favorites? Slip me a note, either here, via email or facebook, and I'll compile a little list to share with any others who find themselves buried under blankets on a Friday night.

Lights . . . camera . . . action!