First it was The Daddy Movie (recently upgraded with her improved language skills to Credbles) then Cars and Fishy Movie, also known as Neem. Then we moved to the “Pince” movies like Snow White and Seep Beauty. From there we had a short jaunt with Pan Tin Bell and most recently, Lil Mernaid.  And it looks like the mernaid is here to stay for awhile.

I love seeing her immerse herself in these fantastical stories…and I can’t help but fall right in with her.  When she would only watch The Incredibles she was entranced but was a bit too young to express her imagination; although she was imaginative enough to recognize that it was about the Daddy, hence, “the daddy movie”.  Our relationship with Cars was long and involved.  Many a plane ride and bedtime were spent with our friends McQueen and Mater.  Did you know they sell all the characters from Cars at the Disney store? You can come to our house if you want to see them, Addie has every. single. one.

Her love of all things racing has benefitted us, I have to admit.  Her favorite scene in the movie is during the race when King, McQueen and Chick are racing for the cup; we’ve seen it countless times.  Chris and I have adjusted our language since Addie started paying attention but one particular day Addie overheard a conversation Chris and I were having on Skype while he was on a work trip.  We were talking about an irritating play someone made in a tournament and one of us commented on how pissed off he had been. Addie mumbled something in the background and when I asked her to repeat it she turned to me and said, “Daddy won the Piston Cup!”

Thank you Lightning McQueen.

Pan Tin Bell didn’t last long but started an odd obsession with crocodiles… that particular dvd lives at MoMo and PaPa’s house and I’m confident she will resume her love for Tink on our next trip.

Through our journey of cinematic enthusiasm my favorite has to be her love for The Little Mermaid…uh, excuse me, mernaid. Disney released the movie when I was in the third grade and I watched it every day after school. I’m not kidding, every. single. day. So the day Addie held up the fork from her princess tea set and exclaimed, “Dinglehopper!” and proceeded to slide it through her little blonde curls, I was incredibly proud. Now everything is about Floun-er and ‘Bastion and Arel.  My sweet little girl drops to the ground randomly: in the grocery store, the mall, in the middle of the fabric store, and does the mermaid wiggle all while telling me she is swimming like her best friend Arel.

I don’t care what others say, Disney is truly magical.  Today, I opened a package from Disney movie club – of which I am a proud member – and found Toy Stories 1 & 2.  I have a feeling we’re going to have a new obsession by this afternoon.  And I couldn’t be happier.