Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Movie time!

Movies make both of the important jobs of a work at home mother much easier. While I don't recommend long stretches of unsupervised movie watching (I didn't say we didn't do it, I just said I don't suggest doing it!) there comes a time when a good ole cartoon saves the day.

Take yesterday for instance. I wasted two hours of precious working time while my children were at school that morning and was still working when they got home. A deadline loomed and I had to keep writing. When she got home, my younger daughter asked me, "Momma, can I watch a movie?" It didn't take but a second for me to give my reply: "Oh, yes!" She lined up four and said she was going to watch all of them, but I had her choose one. When she picked a cute little Beatrix Potter cartoon that doesn't last an hour, I started to object in favor of one that lasts longer, but decided against it.


It's a good thing, since when my other daughter came home the movie marathon got underway. I honestly don't know what all they watched. I know they saw "The Land Before Time" because I heard the end of it after I finally got finished with my work at 6 p.m. and meandered toward the back of the house. I hope that was all they watched.


We don't have movie marathons every day or even every week, but those things come in very handy when I must work with the kids around. Who wants to be in the middle of an important phone call when one child decides to waylay the other? A movie guarantees quiet for the duration of the show. I try to make all of my phone calls in the morning when they are at school, but of course when summer rolls around that formula doesn't always work. During that time we have days when I make phone calls in the morning and the girls watch a movie or two (or three ...) We have other days when all I'm going to do is write and they're free to roam the house and make noise if they like or even go outside and play.


Then we have those days like yesterday when I really must get something finished up and some peace and quiet afforded by a kids' movie sure does make life easier!


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