Bad Manners

Another week, another John Carpenter milestone with the kids. Movie night was The Thing and it was everything I hoped it would be. "It was suspense, a mystery, horror and gross!" After church today I learned the 9 year old had spoken about it with his Sunday school group... as well as his 'prayer' that I'd let him watch The Shining soon. Also... this was his artistic contribution to the class... Bad manners indeed.

Meanwhile, both boys can no longer count on me to help them with their homework, other than to give a little moral support. Not sure how early, or if I ever, peaked, but they've both clearly surpassed me in brainial pursuits. I would like to point out that I can still kick their butts in a straight up brawl. For a little while longer.

Recently read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book to them, and both responded very enthusiastically to it. Thanks, Laura Benedict for the recommendation. Before that, we read The Shibboleth, John Hornor Jacobs' second chapter in the Incarcerrado trilogy. Looking forward to part 3 next year. Both boys have now read Rick Riordan's Olympians series (and the 10 year old chewed through the next series remarkably fast) and both are now taking on Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games books. 

Bikes

My 8 year old learned how to ride a bike this week. He's had about 10 minutes of practice per year since he was 5. So little due to there being nowhere a kid could learn to ride within pushing a bike distance from our house. Anytime we've taken the boys out to ride bikes it's required us to pile the boys plus two bikes into an automobile and drive to a spot with an empty enough black top to practice on. For some reason it's also a requirement that the day be hot as balls - which doesn't sweeten the deal for anybody.

Anyhow, on a recent trip to the grandparents' house, the kid picked up the knack and now we're piling bikes into the car and driving to an empty parking lot with some regularity. And here's what he does...

...pedals the length of the big empty lot, puts his feet down to stop, gets off the bike, manually turns it around (a process that takes about 30 seconds), remounts and pedals the length again.

1 lap = one bazillion minutes.

Still... cool.

Escape From New York

During our weekly movie nights, I often take the boys through a series. Recently we did The Terminator movies and The Matrix films. We coupled reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books with viewing both the BBC mini-series and the more recent feature film adaptation, and we did the same thing with the Harry Potter books/movies, but this weekend was a big one. We took on Escape From New York and the next day because our trip to the pool was cut short by thunderstorms, Escape From L.A.

Minds.
Blown.

Afterward we checked out some righteous poster art, cause nothing reinforces an awesome book/film like super badass art.

Siracha-cha-cha

8 year old will swear that Siracha makes anything edible. Tonight it was orange chicken + Siracha = clean plate... and I suspect singed nose hairs.

What I'm Reading to the Boys

We take turns picking the books, but these are the last several titles I've read to them...

Stellar Struggle

The kids and I have been mesmerized by cheap Star Wars ripoffs from the late 70s & early 80s lately. What they lack in originality, they make up for in lack of budget.

Starcrash

Battle Beyond the Stars

Message From Space

Fart Test

Almost never do I respond to internet memes, but every once in a while one comes along so entirely (ahem) up my alley that I go a bit overboard. Last week a friend posted the DESCRIBE YOUR LAST FART USING ONLY A MOVIE TITLE one and, yeah I responded.

Over 200 times.

A week later I got a phone call at work first thing in the morning and it's my 8 year old calling with his own contribution to the list - The Desolation of Smaug - and last night while recounting the phone call for some guests, the 9 year old goes through our DVDs and makes his own list, prompting one guest to ask my wife "How does it feel to have given birth to your own husband?"

So here's that list:

- The Black Hole
- The Man Who Wasn't There
- The Getaway
- Doomsday
- Escape From New York
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- A Series of Unfortunate Events
- The Ladykillers
- Burn After Reading
- Rabid
- Dirty Pretty Things
- Mission Impossible
- Danger Mouse
- Pitch Black
- The Thing
- Basic Instinct
- Kill Bill
- Don't Go Into the Woods
- Mystic River
- Pusher
- A Fistful of Dynamite
- Billy the Exterminator
- Find Me Guilty
- Dawn of the Dead
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
- Human Nature
- A Mighty Wind
- Return of the Living Dead
- Chain Reaction
- Good Night and Good Luck
- 28 Days Later