When will I learn...

Not to watch FINDING NEMO!!! You know when you are pregnant it is just not a good idea.

The first time I saw this movie I was 8 months pregnant (with Grace) when Don and I decided to go to a movie. We thought we'd see Nemo, it looked like it would be cute and happy. Little did I know? In the first 10 minutes of the film the mother fish lays her many eggs, her and Nemo's dad are discussing names and being all happy... and in one fleeting minute a Barracuda comes along sees the eggs and the clown fish. Nemo's mom does what every mom would do, goes to protect her children!! Next thing you know the father is looking for the mother and the eggs... the only thing he finds is one lone egg. Nemo.

If you have never been around a pregnant woman you might not know that hormones and subjects of this nature will make her cry at a moments notice. We are sitting in this theater, FULL of young kids and their parents, and my husband turns to me and says, "You're crying aren't you?" I must say this was one of those embarrassing moments you wish had never happened!!! As he says this to me, I try to squelch back the sob, but NO it comes out loud and clear. Yes everyone the pregnant lady in the middle row is crying at the cartoon on the screen. Little kids turned and looked, adults turned to look. You would have thought I had just lost my best friend the way I was crying. In my mind I'm thinking of the conversation I had just had with Don regarding if I were in an accident during my commute to work just keep me alive long enough to get the baby, do whatever he had to do to make sure the baby lived.

I could not get over the beginning of this movie and sat there the whole time thinking... I am not going to let my child(ren) watch this film. I wanted to get up and walk out!!! I thought I am never going to watch this film. I was outraged thinking this film had been falsely advertised. It was suppose to be a feel good movie. What part of losing your children and/or your parent is feel good? I hated this movie and I told the world.

So it's almost two years later and Grace owns FINDING NEMO. It is her favorite movie to watch when we are in the car going to and from my doctor's appointments. Today as we were driving to the doctor I was listening to the dialog. I was getting choked up just listening to different parts and remembering the scenes. I never thought that I could feel the way that this father feels. I never knew there was this instant bond that makes you so neurotic you would kill if anyone hurt your child. I am a worrywart to no end and I admit it. I waited far too long for these children and I want nothing to happen to them.

On the other hand this father wants his child to do nothing. He constantly tells him Nemo he can't do things because he has a small handicap, a small fin. I hope that if either of my children have a handicap of any sort I don't keep them from doing things they love. If they could hurt themselves I might want to be close so that I could help if something were to go wrong, but this father DRIVES ME NUTS.

I'm amazed that Disney puts out movies where someone is killed or dies, generally a mother or a father, and then something bad always happens to the child. I guess in their own way they are trying to teach children that they can over come any obstacle... I just don't get I suppose. I didn't get the concept when I was a kid and watching Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. I just saw the cute little fairies in Sleeping Beauty wishing that I could have a dress of pink magically appear. As for Cinderella I wanted my own prince to come along someday.

Do these movies teach us that is how life should be? I don't know, but I let Grace watch them, I will worry about her and her baby brother forever, as all parents do and I hope that I remember to allow them to be independent, and growup not being afraid to take chances.