Fuckin' Family Movie Night

I had a crapola evening.

Sunday nights are Family Movie Nights. A night to all gather together and do something together as a family. (Monday nights I have Writer's Critique Group so Paul has Game Night with the kids before bed; and Tuesday night is Video Game Night. Friday night we usually go to an open gym at Bounce Gymnastics; and W,Th and Sa are usually freebies.)

So, I prepared for Family Movie Night tonight. I spent a considerable amount of time changing our video players and dvd players around (long story) and finally got them all set up. Aubrey, Kaya (roommate's daughter) and I made dinner early and I let Aubrey pick out the movie.

Instead, she pulled out almost all the movies and laid them on the newly cleaned off coffee table (did I mention I also spent time straightening the living room?).

"Oh, are you laying these out so we can all pick something out together?"

"Yes. I'd be willing to watch any of these," she says.

"Hmmm." I looked through the titles. "I haven't seen Cars in a long time."

"Yes! I wanna watch Cars," yells Kaya from the dining room table.

"Aww. I don't wanna see that," Aubrey says. Her shoulders droop.

"I thought you just said that you'd be willing to watch anything on this table." (Did I miss something?)

"Well, not that one."

"I don't want to see Cars!" yelled Joey from the table.

"OK, look!" My top was already blowing (due to previous mishaps earlier in the day involving Joey and the orthodontist -- maybe more about that later; I'm actually still pretty mad with Joey about that). "We aren't going to do this anymore. This is the way it will be. We will draw names from the hat. Whose-ever name gets drawn gets to pick out the movie. And from then on we will rotate according to age. No more of this STUPID fighting!"

I think my nostrils might have been flaring.

So my name gets drawn from the hat. I pick Cars.

Kaya does a little dance in her chair and Joey diplomatically says,

"Oh well. At least it's better than a grown up movie." Aubrey whines.

I start the movie. Twenty minutes in Aubrey is crawling around the floor. (She's ten, remember?) I ask her to join me so we can snuggle on the couch. She doesn't want to. The movie is boring.

"Oh, so you're going to do this every single time the movie we watch isn't YOURS?"

"No."

She disappears. I go looking for her. She's coming downstairs with a bean bag chair and a novel.

"Please just watch the movie with us. This is supposed to be a family thing."

"I want to read."

I cave because, remembering Aniela fights and alienation, at least Aubrey's in the same room with us.

A little bit later, she's gone again.

I sigh.

And then Joey gets up to play on the computer.

Fuck it.

I went to do the dishes.

Kaya watched it to the end.