Explanation

It really isn't my intention to make this blog into a movie review blog. Really it isn't.

Although it seems like I mostly write about movies these days, I have actually written quite a few posts in the last couple of weeks that are in my draft file. They each have a reason for being there. Sometimes I write things that I am not totally sure I want to post. Sometimes I think my stuff sounds too dumb, or the stories are embarrassing to me or someone else. Or boring. Sheesh, do I ever have a long list of "too boring". I mean, do you really want to see how sparkly clean my computer keyboard is now that I finally discovered how to use rubbing alcohol and q-tips on it? Or how about the piece that compares how Marc and I organize our desks? The world should not be exposed to that sort of thing.

Marc and I go to a movie pretty much every weekend, and we like to rate movies with the thumb system. As a matter of fact, movies have been a family tradition for a long time.

When our kids were really little we had what we called "Friday Night/Pizza Night/Movie Night". I can remember Fridays after school like it was today. I would open the door and let the kids in as the school bus was pulling away. I can still hear the backpacks scraping the hallway wall, and the excited kid chatter. Then someone would ask, "Are we having pizza tonight Mom?", and someone else would chime in, "And a movie, are we having a movie?" And when I answered, "Yes!, of course!", I seem to remember a lot of jumping up and down and delighted "Oh goody's", and "Yipees".

After eating our homemade pizza we would bring down our bed pillows, and blankets and watch a rented movie while laying on the floor in the family room all snuggled up in a row. Those were some fun nights I tell ya. The best. Little kids in jammies, hugs and kisses, laughing and giggling, simple good times.

Then when the kids got to be teenagers, for some strange reason, the idea of squishing up with us parents on the floor under a blanket, for an hour and a half with Mr. Disney lost it's appeal. For the life of me I can't imaging why. But that is the way it goes. Things change. So our Friday Night/Pizza Night/Movie Nights became the grown up Friday Night/Movie Night.

We had a little deal with the kids. The Friday Night/Movie Night deal might have been a rule, if you are into rules, but we thought of it more as a way to make sure we got to have enough fun with our kids. The deal was that being that there were two nights to a weekend, Friday night, and Saturday night, we figured that it was fair that we, the parents, got one of the nights. I mean, why should the kid's friends get to have all the good times?

We would usually go to the movies together on our night and sit all in a row. As the previews were playing we would all "vote" on whether we thought those movies would be good or not by gesturing thumbs up or thumbs down. A sideways thumb meant undecided. Apparently a few people took notice. It isn't like we were subtle or anything. Eventually, I was even asked to explain our behavior in Relief Society of all places. It was during a lesson on establishing family traditions. One woman raised her hand, turned to me and said, "I just want to know what you and your family do with your thumbs at the movies." She said that she had been observing us for years, and had noted that we seemed to be having a really fun time doing whatever it was we were doing. Then a few other women chimed in with, "yea, I have seen your family doing that", and "I have seen it too". They all wanted to know what we were up to. It cracked me up.

So there you go. Movies have always been a fun activity for our family. Giving a movie a thumbs up or down is part of the fun. Marc and I still really look forward to our movie night dates, and we still give the previews a thumbs up or down , but I have to admit we miss our fellow voters.

I hope you enjoy my unmanicured thumb on my ticket stubs every now and then, and I hope it helps you pick out a good movie to see.