Annie (1999)

Our next movie is Annie - the 1999 TV movie version that aired on ABC. I think it may be our first musical, too. I like musicals. 

Annie is a classic, of course, but this version was not the best. It was a TV movie after all. Annie has been redone several times over the years. I do like the cast in this one, though. 

We were pretty boring about the activity this time around and just did some house chores. I didn't even get a picture of it! Unfortunately for the boys I do know all the words to It's a Hard Knock Life. I'll have to make them miserable with that next time I clean. 

Angels in the Endzone

This week we watched the sequel to Angels in the Outfield - Angels in the Endzone. I don't think either of my boys were really entertained, but this cast was pretty interesting! David Gallagher and Matthew Lawrence! Oh, to be a pre-teen reading those teen magazines again. 

The kid doesn't even remember watching this one. It was predictable and a bit boring, but we got through it. Definitely not comparable to the original.

We went to the local high school to see them play football. They lost, but what are you going to do? It's not like we have any angels out there helping our team. The kid had a blast since it was his first football game ever. 

Angels in the Outfield

I am very excited to watch this movie with the kid for his first time. We watched Angels in the Outfield all the time when I was little. 

There are so many memorable parts of this movie - when the guy sits on the nachos, when the little kid at the ball park literally runs home, or when the entire stadium stands up to do the angel signal. I'm excited to see the kid like it, too. Some movies from my youth seem like they are just too generational for today's kids, but these classic sports movies can still easily entertain young sports fans.

We took inspiration from the movie and played a twist on baseball. We used the kid's new Nerf bow and arrow and played with a plastic bat. The boys seemed to enjoy it! And the arrow is made of foam so no one got hurt. 

Amy

The next movie on our list is called Amy. I watched this one alone but thought it was very moving! I don't think it is one my little guy would sit still for, though. 

The movie was about a woman who leaves her rich lifestyle and husband to teach poor deaf kids how to speak. Then she has her kids play football against a team from another school and I'm sure you can guess who wins. I found the movie emotional and a lot better than I was expecting. I have also been wanting to learn ASL for a while now, especially after watching Switched at Birth on ABC Family. 

We didn't really use the movie as inspiration to start school - I'm sure every kid is doing this activity right now - but it was a significant day for the kid. He is starting at a new school and learning new rules and all sorts of crazy things they teach kindergartners these days, much like Amy does in the movie. 

Have a great school year, everyone!

America's Heart and Soul

We had the opportunity to watch this fantastic documentary called America's Heart and Soul. It was so interesting and eye-opening. 

The documentary shows the lives of different people in different situations living all across the United States. It is amazing to see how other people live in your own country. The lives of the people in the documentary seemed so different from my own, yet we all had something in common - living in the United States. It was really cool and definitely educational. 

I just happened to be traveling that weekend to Connecticut for a bridal shower so I took the boys with me and we explored Hartford and some places outside Hartford, including this pretty pond we walked around. CT is only a couple of states away but it seemed like a different world! 

Almost Angels

Next up on the list is an older movie from the 60's about some boys in the Vienna Boys' Choir. 

I ended up watching this one alone. It was nice to listen to the music, but mostly I found it sad that the boys are put under so much pressure to have these lovely high pitched voices and then they dread when their voices drop because then they cannot have the solos they wanted. There were plenty of little boy jokes and pranks, though. It was a bit boring, although it was a pretty rainy and boring morning anyway. 

We were inspired to write and perform our own little song. We do love singing in my family but we never wrote our own song together so that was a lot of fun. It was about stars. I snapped a picture while he was singing about how they shine so bright. 

Alley Cats Strike

It is time for another fun Disney Channel Original Movie - Alley Cats Strike! I remember watching this movie when it came out - so good. And now you look at the cast and it is mind-blowing. Yep! That's Penny from Big Bang Theory. Hah!

This movie was fun to watch because it brought a little popularity to bowling - which by the way, is so fun and it was my first date with the Mr. It also had a bit of a 50's vibe going on and I love seeing the retro clothes and music in a more modern environment. 

Of course we went bowling for our activity. It just so happens that our baseball team was having a banquet at the bowling alley so we were very excited to get to do this activity for free! 

No, that is not a fireball or special magic powers the kid possesses. Just a shiny yo-yo or something.