Saturday, January 7, 2012

A Few Random Things

  • In my quest to have my children watch quality television, I have successfully hooked them into "Little House on the Prairie." We stumbled on the movie that began the series, and it is freaking fascinating. It's filled with danger (wolves and snow and fire!) and joy (a peppermint stick for Christmas!) and mystery (will Jack the dog find them after crossing the river?). We watched half last night and the children asked to watch the rest as soon as they woke this morning. And the bonus is that they see the thousands of chores that the Laura and her sisters have to do and it makes their chores pale in comparison. Yay!
  • I'm also surprised at how unlikeable both Charles and Caroline are. They are much more gruff than in the series and Caroline's disdain for Native Americans is not nice, to say the least.
  • It only now occurs to me that this story happens at the same historical moment as the play Flyin' West about black female homesteaders. Both are about the government's "opening" of Kansas to anyone who could survive settling it.
  • I've also roped the children into falling in entertainment love with "The Cosby Show" and they can't get enough. And my son is in love with Clair; she "looks pretty" he says.
  • During one single commercial break during the "Little House" movie there were three ads about weight loss. What in the world?

6 comments:

Good Enough Woman said...

A couple of years ago, I read the first five Little House books to the kids (they got a little burnt with book five as Laura got older). I remember being shocked by the way Caroline talked about Native Americans as we read. But that woman certainly could keep those kids in good shape on the wagon trail!

My kids keep refusing to watch the show, mostly because the remember the wolves, the panther, and, most importantly, when Jack gets lost at the river! They are afraid to watch.

But when we were on vacation, I did get them hooked on House Hunters!

And Claire Cosby rocks!

The Steel Magnolia said...

I'd love to read the Little House books with my children! I've never read them myself, so maybe I'll put it on my reading list and then try to read it to them. That movie had plenty of scary moments, so I totally understand your kids' resistance. But I did think the series wasn't quite so scary.
Yay for House Hunters, too!
We were watching an episode of Cosby today and my son told me that I was Claire because she was the mommy and she was pretty, like me. Score!

Anonymous said...

GEW, you got everyone hooked on House Hunters? That's, like, the impossible dream! Congrats!

And Steel, both of those choices are awesome because not only are they interesting but also seem to be prompting discussions. I miss The Cosby Show so much...what a great show. I watched the series of Little House but I haven't seen the movie...didn't even know there was one (or more). What I remember most from Little House was loathing Nellie Olsen.

Anonymous said...

ps: LOL about the amount-of-chore comparisons!

The Steel Magnolia said...

Ink: True that! When I say I love television, this is what I mean. Indeed, I talked to the children about fairness and telling parents important personal info, both which I used the shows for and hope will set them up for the teenage years (dare to dream, right?)
I also never knew that there was a LH movie--I stumbled on it with the DVR--and mostly remembered that horrible Nellie Olsen; in fact, I think she's why I don't like Shirley Temple curls!

Ink said...

Ooh, Nellie + Shirley = eerie resemblance!