Fido
Last night as we were driving home, Ant told me he found Fido. He said it was one of his favorite zombie movies and that it was funnier than Shaun of the Dead. I said there was no way- no zombie movie could be funnier than Shaun of the Dead. He said ok, maybe not, but it's still pretty funny. It's a tall order for me to like a zombie movie, but ok. I was wary at first, but it was pretty funny. Somewhere along the line when I was wondering about people's fascination with zombies, I though it must be due to their escapability factor. As far as nonexistent creatures go, a werewolf or vampire would pretty much have to be unaware of your existence for you to escape. In the event of zombies, all you need is to be ambulatory and carry a blunt object and you have a good chance of survival. Fido was actually a pretty cute movie, showing how zombies might be mistakenly treated like pets after a zombie war. Completely silly, but cute and a nice love story.
Freaks & Geeks
Rachel informed me that I must watch this show, so I put it in my Blockbuster queue. It only took about 4 years to let it get to the top of the list. I think it's good timing now, even though Ant's still in middle school. He adores the show, especially the Joan Jett song in the opening credits. "I don't give a damn 'bout by bad reputation," Ant goes around singing. Of course, this show is about a group of kids in high school that are supposed to be the outcasts, but they all feel quite familiar. It's not just knowing someone similar in high school, it's feeling similar. They capture feelings I had forgotten about. I was just telling Ant about how weird it feels to be a teenager,to not feel like you're any different, then having a kid in your life and suddenly sounding like your mom. This is an interesting time to reflect on such things, because yesterday marked five years since Ant came to live with us. We had planned to celebrate, but Chris was not able to break loose from work. I decided to just spend the evening with Ant and we'll take him for ice cream today. Besides, he'd been at the ballpark with Chris, working in the sun all afternoon. All he'd eaten was oatmeal and fries, and the smell of the soldering smoke almost made him throw up. I figured ice cream might put him over the edge. I really wanted to celebrate yesterday, but I was certainly observing the occasion. I looked at his hands and how much he's grown. I tried not to let the attitude and self-righteousness of his age ruin the conversation. I tried to keep my own surliness at bay. I cleaned the kitchen while he snuck around the house, trying to surprise me. We drove to Walmart to get Chris a Father's Day card and other supplies. Our cart made a thumping noise, so he tried to make music in time to it and we giggled as I sped up and slowed down. He figured out that he could shock me as I drove the cart, and still found it amusing long after I did. He told me about his girlfriend.
So yeah, Freaks & Geeks. Bet you thought I forgot, huh? We've been watching the shows at different times and reporting back to each other. I am seeing myself in the daughter and the parents, which actually helps me with perspective. I am trying to remind myself lately that this is his life, after all, and my job should be to teach him how to keep himself safe and how to be kind without crushing his dreams or losing my mind in the process. That is a wobbly line, indeed. But watching this reminds me that it really isn't as bad as it looks- there are mistakes, but sometimes it's tough enough just to go to school every day.
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