The Car Show

Abbie wanted to watch television after supper tonight. She wants to watch television after supper most nights, as well as after lunch, before lunch, and just about any time she can get away with it. She usually wants to watch Dora, but that wasn't what she wanted tonight. She demanded a DVD, possibly something Looney Toon related. Mommy, having just completed the last in a series of difficult shifts, turned on the television, turned on the DVD player, and collapsed on the couch, ready to force Abbie to watch whatever (hopefully) kid-friendly DVD was in there.

The DVD that popped up was "Cars," the Disney/Pixar cartoon from a couple years ago. It's a mystery why this DVD was ready to go because it's never been a hit with our family. The kids generally can't sit still long enough to watch anything longer than a double-length episode of Dora, so we don't watch many movies in the first place. "Cars" has been exceptionally bad for our family, though, due largely to its lack of cute songs and memorable plot.

Mommy was tired, though, and I was still cleaning supper, so we let it play. To our surprise, the kids loved it. It's filled with cars, which appeals to the boys as well as the tomboy in Abbie. The action is fast and the colors are bright, which kept the kids' interest. Abbie had a lot of fun describing the action, even if she didn't fully understand why it was happening. Their favorite part was the tractor tipping scene, which makes me worry a little about the mean / low class streak running through them.

It wasn't perfect. The movie lost their interest in the second half as the hero learned important lessons about respecting the past, the importance of friends, and other things they don't care about. It was still good to see everyone slow down for an impromptu movie night while it lasted.