Disturbing Kid Movies

I grabbed a few of these from Babble and felt they would be appropriate for here... and fun to post about...
The title of the article is:


Now...
Some parents/people believe their children should be protected to the greatest extent. Prolong any...life sadness or life/grown-up realities until the child is old enough to learn these first-hand. Some children's filmmakers however believe that kids ought to learn BEFORE ever Actually experiencing the trauma...

I believe this is the... thought process/purpose of this article, anyway.
Which movies... educate through trauma.

Bambi for example.

for those of you who don't know - ...uuuh Bambi's mom GETS SHOT. If that is not one of the most terrifying thoughts to put into a child's head... well. ... i don't know. ... but I'm not sure if the moral of the story really does enough to overcome that ...Bambi's mom GETS SHOT and DIES.
I am still crying about it.

A just plain Weird one - though I LOVED it as a youngster (and still)

Willy Wonka!!
One disclaimer that should be given is that it IS originally a Roald Dohl (an all-time personal favorite author) story... and all of his works had at least a speck of darkness. Ooooh they are such a joy to read. BUT... Willy Wonka the film...especially the original, is... I don't think this one is teaching a lesson in overcoming trauma as much as... "hey, this is what an acid trip is like" ... if your child really totally DIGS that scene, ........keep a careful eye in the years to come???

And speaking of Roald Dohl, we probably shouldn't fail to mention The Witches


And Matilda - ..the Trunchbull is such a GREAT character!! And the Chokee that the bad kids go in - remember, its basically a medieval torture chamber... SUUUCH a good book/movie!!!

James and the Giant Peach was also made into a movie!!!! And... who can forget the wicked wicked aunts who James had to go live with. I don't remember who he ended up living with in the peach... or what all happened... but.... i do remember that in the beginning, it described his WONDERFUL life........until his parents died in a car accident, which is why he has to move in with his aunts. ...And if that is the One part i remember from reading that when I was...8 years old... it must have meant SOMETHING.

Oh Roald Dohl, how we will forever miss you.

Where was I?

Another, which many of you might argue with me on, is Dumbo.
Look, as a kid, I don't honestly remember it being SO bad. But I watched it again a few years ago and... I bawled.

And it isn't because of any One particular event, it is because this movie, more than ANY other i can think of, flashes the statement... life is cruel and people suck.

.....

Anyway... If you have more to add, feel free. I got on that Roald Dohl kick and now really just want to go dig out one of his books to read... with a cup of tea and... some blankets... mmmmmmm....

I wonder if we'll be the type of parents to... disregard the fact that some of these movies will bring tears - and count it as a lesson. Or...is that some form of child abuse? Doing something, knowing it will make someone cry... but doing it because they'll learn a lesson... seems like Some form of abuse. ....Then again, I continue to watch Grey's Anatomy every week, knowing full and well that there will Probably be a scene that will make me cry. And every week I come back... *siiigh*

We will give the child ice cream afterward and it will all work out.

We can at least Hope

Often times Jared and I joke around about things we plan to "do" to our child. They're riddled with sarcasm and jokes. But in reality, we're very aware of the adventure ahead of us. We're aware that jr. is going to be a sponge - watching us, learning from us. We may never know when we will run into financial struggles, we may never know what city/town we will be moving to next, but what we do know and have control over are the values we have.

I'm not usually this sappy... And when I am, I don't usually share it. But considering that so often, the things we post here are more in the 'funny' realm ...I guess it is probably good to share the more serious side of us...


.....

I hope that we gather around together in the living room after our days at school/work. We all, as a family, take the time to unwind and hear about one anothers day. And we share without feeling like we have to lie about it. I hope he never feels he has to lie about his day. I hope we disagree about things, but without judgement.... When he wants to wear his pants that are Way too big, I may disagree with it, but not be too quick to judge or make assumptions.

I hope we include others in our family. My grandma let my un-official uncle Joel live with them for a while when he needed a home, and my Mom gave Amber a home when her mom didn't want her anymore. I can only hope that if/when the time comes where he has a friend who needs a family, we can be there. I hope that he too someday has the opportunity to feel what it is to show someone what having a "family" can be.

I hope he is as forgiving as myself and Jared both are. We will make mistakes. Sometimes we will make mistakes that are huge (remembering that scene from "I am Sam." ...). And I hope when those times come, he is resilient, curious, able to evolve, comfortable enough to inquire, daring enough to accept, and humble enough to reach out.

I hope we share and listen. I hope he learns to be supportive - of others and of himself. I hope he welcomes new ideas and perspectives. I hope that he sees life and its challenges as the process that it is, and not do things simply for the outcome. ...I hope he rides a bike because he Loves the wind at his back, not because he ever wants to win a medal (though, if he Also wanted to win, i wouldn't complain hahaha).

I hope that when he encounters people who are different than himsefl, he is... amused and charmed by it. That he doesn't turn away or give in to stereotypes, that he doesn't judge or belittle; but that he embraces those differences and makes room for everyone.

I hope he is gentle with himself.

I hope he learns to be grateful for the obstacles he will encounter. That ...he rises from them with... wiser, stronger, more brave, and smarter. And that from them, he is on one hand humbled, and on the other aware of how truly unstoppable we are as humans.

I hope he learns how to hold close both physically and emotionally. And that he is able to do so sometimes without a single selfish thought... but just because he Knows the other person needs it in that moment. With that, I hope he also learns how to let go... and when to do which of these.

Above all else, ...I hope hope hope he will understand how unbelievably loved he is. And not just by us, but... by our close friends (his unofficial aunts and uncles), by his real aunts and uncle, by his grandparents and even by Luda... :D (c'mon, Luda will probably be more protective than Any of us!).

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You might be thinking... "good luck with that" but... we think that ... its at least a start Knowing what we do value and hope for if nothing else as something to look back on when we start falling off track. We can at least hope...

bloggless

We don't have much to blog about these days
Things are normal and smooth, nothing new or exciting is happening...

school school school school work.
We do actually have some fun blog ideas, but... not much time to sit and put them together!!
SO you're going to get a quick/fun photo splurge...

of Luda


he loves the back yard.


he also loves tennis balls


I would actually consider it a love/hate relationship...


he is quite the hog about his toys...


but he is also quite possibly one of the funniest things you've seen when he tries....gathering them all up together, but can't figure out that he has to drop the one out of his mouth before picking up the next one, so then the one in his mouth falls out and bounces against hte wall, and he has to track it down, and he must be having a convo in his head something like this "but WAIT! what about the original one i was trying to get!?? shit! okay okay, get the red ball first, then the green ball. But the red ball is still in my mouth..........*siiigh* i'm going to go find the kitty."

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in more baby related news....
we can actually SEE the little guy kicking around in there:

its Soooo trippy.
It really is like some alien parasite growing in there and it wants out....

I know i know, anyone reading who has already had kids is like "yep, that's what happens."
But for others, it isn't really comprehendible until its Actually happening!!!!

Things we'll never buy - but that kim thinks are awesome

I found these at CyclingTees.com and I had to waste a bit of time digging for the GOOD ones... but... here are just a few (there are pages and pages and pages!!!!)

Now with naming action...

In one of the comments from the last post, Sami suggested a whole list of names she and Jesse formulated in the nether regions of their brains. Below is a list of the names because Kim and I thought all should see them. They are pretty awesome. Both Kim and I like Atticus Bean...also Banjo Ike and Milo Ripley.

Ike Maliki Mike-Topp

Hesikhi Philip Topp-Mike

Black Hawk Mike-Topp

Low Ryder Topp-Mike

NH-216 Slammer Topp-Mike

Bayani Corazon Mike-Topp

Atticus Bean Topp-Mike

Banjo Ike Mike-Topp

Gulliver Dexter Topp-Mike

Roan Levi Mike-Topp

Milo Ripley Mike-Topp

Taj Willow Mike -Topp

Truman Zola Topp-Mike

Paul suggested we name the child Optimus Prime...Paul, I am seriously considering your proposal...because that would be awesome.


Anyhow...we'll get a poll up for some cool names thatch'all can vote on eventually...and by we...I mean Kim...because I have no idea how to do that. Maybe I will have her teach me. I am thu lurnin tipe.

Names...and other things you might not care about but get to hear about anyway

Well, well, well. It has been a while, America, so here are my opinions...a) chemistry is poisonous,


2) nice days in Winter are beautiful (when it is not so cold),


7) chocolate chip mint ice cream is the best (especially when it surprises you in the freezer - thank you, Kim, m'darlin =D),


b4) Creature the Cat needs to gain a little courage when Luda the Lab (half) is around - otherwise she is out and about,


and mcmlxiii) baby names are hard to generate. This is the original list - there are some good ones on there (my favorite is Zeppelin).

Names are interesting things. Once you get it, you get stuck with it...even though...I guess you could legally change it, but that's beside the point! We need a name that can be picked on a little, but not too much (Zorilla, anyone?), one that's honorable, yet humble, yet overpowering, yea I say to ye, that it need strike fear into the hearts of the pathetic masses - those throngs of people who will one day be subjugated (by force - willing or unwilling) under the rule of...well, I've been planning anyway - in my subsubsubsubsub-basement 3 miles below the surface of the Earth.

So, anyway, I think something like Zebulon...or Boltaron. Mordekai is kind of evil - so is Lucius. Maybe we will name him Jennifer...or Mosquito...or maybe...Emmentaler Swiss...

Seriously, though - Benjamin is the only one that we can come up with that sounds good.

Anyway, while Kim was gone this weekend, I had some thinking time to myself...It must have been unproductive because I can't even think of what I was thinking. What time is it now? Ten o'clock, eh? Well...Kim is back. And that makes me so verrrry verrrrry heppy!

Unfortunately, the kitty is now hiding under the bed. At least it is not in the cupboards. I wish that she would make friends with the doggy.

I made a blackberry cobbler. I think the centre might still be a bit squishy, but I choose not to believe it...which makes it not true.

It is delicious.

Home Home

I snuck home this weekend to surprise my sister for a little family birthday dinner. It was wonderful!


I got to see my two nephews and a couple of cousins. Even my uncle Joe was there!!

We had a delicious ice cream cake for Amie... And because my mom is left-handed (and did it upside down) she put the candles on so it appears that Amie is turning "92." oops.


Amie didn't actually get her candles all blown out.


Erica told me I needed to mention her on the blog. So I am mentioning her. And this is one of her kids, Brodie ...attempting to eat the ice cream cake. This four year old may suck at eating cake, but he beat ALL OF US at Wii bowling EVERY GAME. He bowled a 160+ somethin!!! And he just... jumps and swings his arm! Talent. That's talent.


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Also while I've been home,

My mom took me up to Rockford and and we went to a store called Small World. We fell in love with this bedding set:

I took a picture from my phone and sent it to Jared... He also really liked it. :)

We really did just go to browse all day and look at cribs and... really just check all of the cool stuff out. But... This matches EXACTLY with what we are planning on doing in the nursery. SO... we wrote down the name of it and planned to look around more and surf the internet, but... by the end of the day we just had to go back and order it. So we did. We just did the bedding set...

There is still a little rug

a super cute little hamper

a lamp

and a bunch of other little ...parts.

So... yaaay!! We have our jungle theme started!