Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Happy Light Sabers to you!

In grade school, a friend had free passes for the Return of the Jedi sneak preview and invited me along. I have some vague and not unpleasant memories of Ewoks, Jabba the Hut, popcorn, pop, and Twizzlers. I know for a fact though that I had not seen Star Wars or The Empire Strikes Back before that night and that, after the movie, I was not inspired to fill in the blanks.
Star Wars? Well, I'm not a hater. It's more like I just don't care. I feel kind of bored and tired and bummed out when I think about those movies. An unfair assessment, I know, considering that I've only seen one of the originals in its entirety, but I've just never felt up to really watching all three. My hubby is a huge fan, and I watched one of the "new" ones with him once as an act of love. Hayden Christensen's wooden performance didn't win me over or change my opinions about the franchise.
In short, Star Wars = just not my thing.
But now that Galaxy far, far away has become a galaxy very, very near. Let's take a peek . . .
The boys had been watching Star Wars movies with Daddy on Friday Night "Movie Night" so Santa brought them some action figures.

And some light sabers.
The first of many, many light saber battles was waged before eight in the morning on Christmas Day.

The enthusiasm for Star Wars continued to grow and while Daddy was off work around the holidays, the boys begged for more and more. They like to curl up on either side of him as the movies play, peppering the resident expert with queries. Little Bit in particular cannot stop the stream of questions: "Who dat, Daddy?" "Where his light saber?" "He monster?" "Where Luke? Where Luke?"
Grandma and Grandpa were in town for Bub's fifth birthday and witnessing the Star Wars mania, they told tales of vintage Star Wars figurines--dozens of them--that daddy used to play with.
But where were these action figures? Had Grandma given them to Daddy already and was it possible that mommy had lost them? Were they still at Grandpa and Grandma's? Bub insisted upon a follow-up phone call once Grandma and Grandpa arrived back in Indiana. They had located the action figures!
I was the mean mommy who made them wait to open the box until Daddy arrived home.
Look at the sweet suitcase they arrived in!
The secrets of the Force are being transferred from generation to the next.
Yoda, it is. Nice to meet you, Yoda.
"Dat Pin-cess Leia?"
Bub and the gang.
Pretty sweet how the storage trays flip over and become display stands.
I still haven't taken photos of Bub tucked into the Star Wars sheets Grammy and Pop got him for his birthday, nor photos of Little Bit with the bargain Star Wars toddler bedding I found for him after he kept trying to sleep in Bub's bed.
And I still haven't captured Little Bit's pronunciations on video: Hot Slow-lo, Chew Ba-Ha, R2R2, and Pincess LEE-a. I also need to snap some pics of the action figures loaded up in various toy vehicles, including Sweet P's little pink truck. Footage of Little Bit swaddling Chew Ba-Ha before settling in for an afternoon nap with the hairy guy might also warm your heart and give you a chuckle.
Little Bit's ability to turn any object into a light saber when his own is placed in timeout (for over-"enthusiastic" use, a daily occurrence) is also admirable. A broom can be a light saber or metal rods that go with the pack n' play or a spatula . . . most anything.
NTB, but Bub is so inspired by Star Wars that he has established a new greeting (or new holiday even). He dedicated quite a bit of time last week to crafting a "Happy Light Sabers!" banner.
I can't say for sure if Bub is proclaiming that these light sabers are happy or if upon seeing them and the banner's message, one is supposed to feel happy. Perhaps both? I'd like to point out, NTB, that there are 62 light sabers featured on the banner. Yes, I helped by making rectangles for about 50 of them and did the block lettering (and forgot the "T" first time around), but Bub did all the color work, all the stickering, and the detail work on the light sabers.
Note the Barney sticker. Does Barney know how to use The Force? For good? For evil? Discuss.
Bub says to me, "Mom, did you see I put a finishing touch with that exclamation point!" He's mine for sure!!!
I still haven't been able to sit through the movies in their entirety, but I feel as if I am absorbing them through osmosis. I may not love the movies, but I love seeing the boys and their daddy sharing this experience together.
And now I'm off to get my pitch ready for George Lucas. I think "Happy Light Sabers!" has potential -- animated series featuring talking light sabers? boy band concept? reality show featuring two little Star Wars junkies? What do you think?
Are you a Star Wars fan? What are the children in your life obsessed with these days?
Happy Light Sabers to all and to all a good fight (between good and evil and with light sabers)!


18 comments:

LAP said...

Incredible. Many comments:
1. The banner = unreal. I love the detail work on that puppy and, wow, 62 light sabers...happy day indeed.

2. Impressed with the collection of figurinues from hubby's youth and the fact that his parents could locate them.

3. Amazed that your boys have the attention span for the movie, when I, not unlike you, do not.

4. Is it wrong of me to write that I wanted to send those light sabers to a galaxy far, far away when when they arrived in OH over the holidays? Enthusiastic use indeed. (xoxo)

5. Adorable boys as always. Perhaps when Sweet P gets enough hair you can do some side buns like pinces LEE-a.

Stacia said...

I needed a good snort of laughter at midnight, when the baby is sure to be up in a couple of hours. Thank you!!

That is one freaking awesome banner. We, too, are a Star Wars family thanks to Daddy, who does not have vintage action figures but does have a collection of T-shirts featuring various characters and ships. Nightly quizzes ("Okay, guys, which one is the Millennium Falcon?") are part of our bedtime routine.

E... said...

So far we have not viewed the actual films with the kids, though O. is an enthusiastic (if not skilled) player of theLego Wii game.
My question is what order did hubby choose to show them to them? As he discovered them, starting with A New Hope, or "as intended" starting with the awful "new" ones?
My mom thought she had discovered my brother's vintage ones for O to play with in an old metal lunchbox, but they turned out to be GI Joes. Too bad, b/c my dad tied all weapons/accessories on with fishing line so they wouldn't get lost, so it would have been a sweet set.

Michelle said...

Seeing those figures and their case brought back some memories!

I love how they share their Daddy's enthusiasm :-) So cute!

Heather said...

One snow day last month, Gabe and I got out all of Elijah's Star Wars guys and set up a whole town...I haven't even downloaded the pics yet. I love seeing the fascination passed down brother to brother...I'm sure it's even better for your husband to see his little boys playing with his old toys.

I remember really liking Star Wars (the first one) when I was a kid, always wanting to be Princess Leia. Now? Notsomuch. I'm just not a space-science fiction loving kind of girl.

LOVE the Happy Light Sabers banner! I'll have to show Gabe this post when we wakes up :)

brainella said...

Our son is addicted to Star Wars too. He was R2 for Halloween last year and Darth Vader in October. He's watched all the movies except Episode 3 because of how dark it gets. Maybe someday soon. He has started making X-wing and Tie fighters from tinker toys and Legos and having big battles. :-)

I had never watched all the movies either but now with two geeks in the family, I can't help it. :)

Anonymous said...

Not a Star Wars fan but definitely a huge of those adorable boys in the pics! Way to go Bub with the banner. It is amazing. Also, I am very impressed with the suitcase with display trays that are completely intact. I can't get my log-in to work, PITA

Actchy said...

I would say that my Acey's love of Curious George is on par with the men in your life and Star Wars. On the 6th consecutive snowed-in day in January, when I realized there was a Curious George program on PBS, I made every dream Acey had come true. "What George doin'? What Man Wiva Yellow Hat do?" These are questions I field at all hours of the day, regardless of whether anybody is reading/watching/talking about Curious George.

Anonymous said...

MEP, visiting you here reminds me so much of when my boys were little.

I feel the same as you about the Star Wars movies. And when my boys were younger, they loved Star Wars, too. We even have Daddy's old figures AND the exact same case to store them in.

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

This made me giggle!! I love that Barney has the force. They are so young!! Sigh... Your husband looks quite pleased to have the boys so into the shows. We go through phases over here and are currently getting back INTO Star Wars. Fabulous. I missed it for the 12 months that it wasn't prevalent...

12 YEARS OF STAR WARS AND COUNTING.

Unknown said...

My husband loves Star Wars, and me so-so. I didn't like the new ones as much. But you know what - there's a scene in Return of the Jedi at an alien bar and the aliens are speaking a tribal language from Kenya. We learned that while we were there (and I found that to be pretty cool).

Steph said...

May the force be with you as you steer this crew into bed!

dusty earth mother said...

Oh my gosh, that is SO cute. Although I'm sure you would have preferred if the love of english literature had been transferred from one generation to the next, but hey, we'll take what we can get, right?

CaraBee said...

I am a lifelong Star Wars fan. It was the very first movie my parents took me to at the tender age of three and a half. Ever since then, I've been hooked. As it happens, I married a fellow SW junkie who was just watching it tonight. Go figure. I imagine Sophie will have many many showings of the movies, if my husband has anything to say about it.

Sadly, neither he nor I have any of the figurines from our childhood. Tell T that I had a Millennium Falcon. That's right. Its a wonder I had any dates, EVER.

Barney is most certainly using the dark side of the force. I suspect a Sith lord, frankly. Just saying.

I'm totally behind Happy Lightsabers, whatever they turn out to be. 62 lightsabers? Impressive.

Alexandra said...

Oh, this is so sweet.

I can't even remember when they were that little.

Seems like so long ago.

Happy to see the love of StarWars still right with the universe. Such power they have, Barney must join. (yoda enough for this post, I hope?)

How is Miss Baby Girl?

Just so happy to see you, and to see that all is so very well.

Tracie Nall said...

My husband is a Star Wars lover and my daughter shares that love.

I grew up in a no Star Wars family (also, no Smurfs or anything else that my dad though was sending strange subliminal messages! true story) so I didn't see them until I was an adult....but living at my house, there is no getting away from them. I've learned to accept it (or maybe it is just the subliminal messages taking over my brain?)

I love that they have your husband's old action figures (which are very nice by the way...much better than the ones you can buy now)

I'm pretty sure that Barney is using the force for evil.

Lindsay {DesignerWife} said...

I fear that the very same thing will happen if I ever have boys. Hubs LOVES the movie... he was just watching one of them on TV tonight, in fact. I really could not possibly care any less for it.

The Happy Lightsaber banner is adorable! :)

Found you by way of Alexandra at GDRP!

Teachinfourth said...

How can one NOT love Star Wars (even after the last three movies?). When I was a kid, my parents bought me the Ewok Village - no Ewoks though. I had no Stormtroopers either. Just Luke in his orange jumpsuit and Yoda.

I guess they weren't in for the violence of the Empire...

BTW, I arrived here via The Empress. Just so you know.

 
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