Between swimming lessons, errands and vacation bible school, we feel like we've been running non-stop all week. It's a relief to have a three day break from swimming lessons. I think we'll take it easy this morning and just putter around the house and yard. In fact, I think I see an at home car wash in our future. The kids all love washing my truck, but it totally makes Mr. A's day when he gets his own little scrub brush and can go from one end to the other, cleaning and examining the whole truck. I think after sitting in his stroller every morning while the girls swim, he deserves to do something he loves.
This afternoon we're going to the last day of vacation bible school, which will include a parent program and ice cream party. Then, we'll have no shortage of fun activities for the weekend. Our city is hosting a huge independent music festival which includes a small art festival and all sorts of fun activities. We'll spend some time there, and of course the movie we've been looking forward to all year
opens today!!! Yay! It's getting very unPixar-like rotten reviews, but even if the movie stinks, Mr. A is going to go so nuts over it the price of admission will be money well spent.
Our house is so happy to finally welcome June! Oh, June is a wonderful early summer month usually full of warm weather and kids happy to be out of school and new green leaves in gardens but those are only a small part of why we look forward to June. June also usually brings the newest Pixar movie. Pixar. Just the name makes me happy. Their string of movies is peerless and every one is a little piece of beautiful happiness. If Pixar has a clunker it would be Cars, but even Cars is a gorgeous, funny, catchy movie that our whole family really does enjoy again and again. Plus, since the day Mr. A became aware of vehicles he's been crazy over Cars. His reactions to each scene are even more fun to watch than the movie.
This month's Esquire magazine has a nice article about one of Pixar's founders and current CEO, John Lasseter.
He explains that by design Pixar movies are "boy" movies. They saw an unfilled need for a balance to Disney's "princess" canon and set out to fill it. It's easy to see the differences. While Pixar movies always feature smart, strong female characters, the leads have always been male. The action is always exciting and BIG - big enough to excite little boys who simply don't have any interest in small or quiet movies. My princess girls don't notice the difference though. They love the love story in Wall-e, the humor in Ratatouille, the friendship in all three Toy Story movies. They don't notice that the main characters are boys, they just love the movies.
Another thing I love about Pixar is that they aren't pandering to my kids. They are smart kids and always laugh at a smart joke. Most kid's movies are the opposite of smart. Pixar also never tries to split their humor. I hate it when a movie for children contains "adult" humor. I know everyone says it goes over the heads of little ones but makes Mom and Dad laugh so it's okay, but I cringe every time a character my kids are enjoying uses sexual innuendo or gets kicked in the crotch. Kids may not understand it but it's still inappropriate. Pixar makes us all laugh without pandering and without corrupting.
I must admit, the first Cars 2 trailer didn't really excite me. I worried that maybe Pixar had finally come up with a dud. But, I've followed it in the press and watched every interview and every sneak peak and I must say I have been won over. (Just look at those explosions!) I'm now very excited for this movie! Cars 2 will be in theaters June 24 and we'll all be there with bells on. In anticipation of what will surely be the family movie of the summer we're watching the original Cars this morning. Mr. A is currently yelling "COMBINE" at the tractor tipping scene. He loves those tractors! It's a nice way to wake up and enjoy our morning. When it's over we'll get started doing The Basics and whatever else needs doing.
Here's to June 1st, and looking forward to Cars 2, June 24th!
(FYI: I received no compensation for writing a whole post about Pixar, Cars and Cars 2. I genuinely love them and it's what I felt like writing about today.)
