Charlie & Matilda

We recently introduced Lyla & Max to two new [old] movies and their initial interest has quickly transformed into an obsession. The past few weeks it has been the only thing they want to do following nap time. It's become our afternoon snuggle-session ritual, as they recover from the fog frequently caused by naps. We are generally able to hang out on the couch for half an hour before they become energizer bunnies again. Then it's not uncommon for them to make Kirk sit down for the remainder of the movie when he arrives home. The repetition of their movie choice can start feeling a little...blah. But if I've learned anything from being a parent, none of these phases last for long.

It all started with the original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory movie. Max was instantly infatuated with the main character, Charlie. He even insisted on wearing a red scarf, just as Charlie does in the movie. It was a bit confusing at first before I figured out he wanted the scarf to hang over the back of each shoulder, again, just as Charlie. Talk about attention to detail! He has also renamed the movie Golden Ticket. It's my favorite when he says it  --- "doh-den tih-tet." Lyla took interest in the character known as Varuca Salt, which has been just about as terrifying as you could imagine. Although she swears she is only pretending, I've still had to bring her back to reality a couple times.

I was able to find the movie Matilda at the library this week and it distracted them from the above mentioned movie. This was one of my childhood favorites and I've been thinking for awhile about how much they [especially Lyla] would enjoy it. Just as I thought, Lyla was captivated by the magic and intelligence portrayed by Matilda. Fortunately for me, Lyla forgot all about Varuca Salt and has since been acting as Matilda. This includes wearing a ribbon tied around her hair, bringing a stack of books to the dinner table, and focusing her vision on certain items very intently hoping to initiate some magic. 

It's been entertaining watching them act out scenes from each movie during their free time. I've enjoyed playing different roles as well, including Grandpa Joe and Principal Trunchbull. They are reluctant to stop playing pretend even when Mommy becomes bored of it, this includes continuing their games of fantasy in public places. The fun never stops for these two.