Discussing Mary Poppins

You know, you can choose from a long list of movies: Star Wars (the original three), Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), many of Mel Brooks' flicks, Mad Max, Conan... choose any part of any one, and my husband can probably mute the television and know every word that's being said. I realize that he has a distinct advantage with Mad Max and Conan, because I don't think there are many words, but he can hum along with the show tunes, too. But ask me? -- Do I know word-for-word any movie scripts? and the answer may be "yes." I may know most of the words and all the lyrics to Annie and Mary Poppins. I'm quite sure (okay, I am quite hoping) that when my kids are old enough, they'll call me "cool!" instead of just barking at me to quit making so much noise.

Last night, in an effort to keep the kids up to see Daddy, but in an equal effort to maintain my sanity, we watched Mary Poppins. I love that movie!! And the rainy cloudy day we had been having was just asking for us to jump into chalk-paintings and walk on chimney-smoke staircases. The kids and I all gathered on the couch and enjoyed the show together. The kids had me laughing with their questions. Each time they watch the movie they understand it a little more. The most memorable conversation was with Will.

Will: Mama, what is a housekeeper?
Me: In this movie, it is the lady who cleans the house, dusts, vacuums, washes windows, sweeps, that sort of thing.
Will: If she is doing all that, what is left for the parents and the kids to do?
Me: uh....they could go fly a kite?
Will: Those Britains are sure weird, not doing their own chores. Do they still have housekeepers or was that just way back when?
Me: Some people have housekeepers now and some are even in the United States.
Will: That's just ridiculous. I can't believe that!

Perhaps I should've thought through the movie choice a bit more. When we got toward the end of the movie, there is a scene up on the rooftops. Little Michael looks into a tube and gets a face full of black soot. Ben laughed and laughed and laughed about that and then asked when he could do that. Then the children, Mary, and Bert ascended a staircase that Mary made by poking her umbrella into the smoke. Again, Ben asked when he could do that. Then he thought back a few moments to the part just before the rooftops. He started describing that the kids were standing in the fireplace and then they just flew up to the roof. It was not long till I could tell just where Ben's wheels were turning. He kept looking at the couch we have in front of our fireplace and, finally, he asked when we could move it so he could get black in the fireplace. (In case you are wondering why we have our fireplace covered by a couch, go back and reread that last sentence and understand that is how my four kids think.) I fell asleep last night hoping Ben wouldn't grab an umbrella and jump down the stairs. He has been working on perfecting his Buzz Lightyear flight, and since that isn't proving to work quite right, he may try Mary Poppins' methods. Gonna run hide those umbrellas now!

In case you are interested in other posts about my favorite character, check out this one from a year ago: Everything I need to know.