Friday afternoon, the boys had two pals over (brothers who are the same age as Matthew and Zach). They are nice enough boys – not the worst but also not the best I’ve seen. I was quite appalled, however, (but not that surprised, really, based on our society today), when they began talking about a recent movie they’d gone to see in the theater with their parents. “Transformers – Dark of the Moon.” This movie (which Mike and I saw for a date night, for the record) is rated PG-13 and is, in my opinion, completely and totally inappropriate for the likes of an 8 and 5 year old boy. They were talking about how cool it was.

Matthew asked, “But wasn’t it scary?”

The younger boy replied, “Yeah, there was some scary stuff…but it was SO awesome!”

I eventually shifted the conversation on to something else.

Friday nights, if we’re home and don’t have anything going on, we usually do family movie night. We eat dinner downstairs and watch a KID-APPROPRIATE film together. Even before the playdate, we knew what we would be watching (as soon as they got picked up and we could start). Zachary had requested the new Winnie the Pooh movie. I was already tickled, as it were, that my five year-old (and big brother) still want to watch Winnie the Pooh, but after hearing these other boys talk, I was even more relieved and thankful.

And I must say, that snuggling on the couch with our boys and watching that movie on that night, proved to be my favorite Family Movie Night ever. Hearing and watching Matthew and Zachary absolutely succumb to hysterical giggles at the wacky antics of that silly ‘ol bear and his pals in the Hundred Acre Wood…well, it brought a tear to my eye! (And I was laughing along with them). I hugged them tighter and said a prayer of gratitude that, while they’re still growing up too fast, they are – not yet, not nearly – TOO grown up.