Movie Night – the small pleasures of life…..

Kidz Korner (Molly’s blog)

Movie Night

Every Friday night we have “Movie Night” at the Toddler House for the oldest 15 kids. This is a HUGE deal to these kids, and one of the few great privileges they cherish. Last spring we had several 5 year old boys being very naughty in school and getting kicked out half way through class. We tried reasoning with them, putting them in quiet time, making them clean their rooms, etc. Nothing was working. Then we decided to hold their Movie Night privileges as penalty for getting kicked out of school and things changedJ.

On most nights the bath order goes youngest to oldest. Leaving the oldest boys and girls to bathe and dress themselves while the nannies are drying and dressing the little kids. But on Movie Night the big kids go FIRST, and by the time we pull in the drive after having supper at the main house they are lined up in their pjs just inside the house, as we pile out of the car there is usually a big cheer! One at a time they leave the line and find their chair, then popcorn or Cheeko (another story) is handed out. Finally we begin the “VOTE”. We have a VERY wide selection of children’s movies thanks to the lovely families and volunteers that have brought them down for this purpose. Joyce or I bring out a selection of 10 to 12 movies and hold them up one at a time. Each child gets to vote ONCE, however it tends to end up that everyone votes for whatever ones they want, and we just tally it up. Samar tends to vote for every single one every single Friday, sweet girl that she is, so easy to please and grateful for everything. I feel like the vote is usually a great majority, this is the result of discussion amongst the kids previous to the night. The current favorite movie is “Marley and Me” after a very long reign for the “Air Bud” movies, previous to that “Cheeper by the Dozen” and “Baby’s Day Out” were big hits. In “Baby’s Day Out” the kids are CERTAIN very very CERTAIN that one of the babies who is just jabbering in the movie is speaking Creole, because the phrase the little boy says does sound like a true sentence. It’s amazing that they could pick that out! Joyce always sets up English captions at the bottom and this helps a lot. That way if there is something they really don’t follow they can read along (a few can read that fast!) and explain to the others what is REALLY happening, not speculated. Most of the 90 film there is non-stop chatter as the kids debate and discuss what is going on in each scene, what will happen, what they feel should have happened, what they do and don’t like about it, and who are the characters is nice and love Jesus and who is mean. If ever you decide to sit and watch with them, plan on missing the movie entirely but enjoy the entertainment of observing these incredible kids!