Rainy

It's rainy in Hong Kong this weekend.

I'm a Colorado girl, so I prefer it sunny.  I can take the cold, but long stretches without sunshine leech the joy out of me.  It actually explains a lot about why my post-partum "adjustment" to my second child lasted approximately 2.5 years.  The sun doesn't really shine in Switzerland.  The 20 days a year when the mercury tops 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20-ish degrees Celsius) are the days when every travel photographer in the universe descends on the land of Yodeling and Cheese and dupes all of us travel-eager suckers into heading there.  I'm not knocking the beauty of Switzerland.  It's beautiful in snow, rain, sleet and Fog.  But I need sunshine.

No sunshine to be had in Hong Kong at the moment.  It's cool and damp and that combo is a recipe for me to stay in my pajamas all day long.  No visit from the make-up fairy.  No fighting over hairbows and those ever-cursed Pants that I force into Trouble.  Just jammies.

Circus Dad had a brilliant idea today: Family Movie Day.  Awesome!  The girls skipped in circles doing a chant that reminded me of the Bill Cosby "Dad is Great" skit.  Kraft Mac & Cheese for lunch for the kiddlets, leftover roast chicken, cheese and a crusty baguette for us.  LOVE.

And then.

The kids choose the movie.  I cannot believe that Circus Dad and I didn't prepare better for this one...we should have had a suggestion on the ready.  Trouble pipes up with "Parent Trap"!  (You should all know that the mid-90s version of Parent Trap starring a young (non-addicted, pre-wacko) Lindsay Lohan is a cult fave here.  For some reason, people are always telling Drama that she looks like a young Lindsay Lohan.  You can imagine the *ack* factor of that one for poor Circus Dad.  Anyhow, Drama's sole exposure to LiLo is The Parent Trap.  She LOVES that people say she looks like a Real Movie Star...and she currently calls all of the female characters in her games and screenplays Annie and Halley. We watched the movie at least once a day for 6 weeks.  My kids go through phases like this.  We have literally hundreds of DVDs.  But they will choose one and watch it incessantly.

Surprisingly, Drama did no go along with Trouble's The Parent Trap suggestion.  (Hooray!!  Circus Dad and I secretly give thanks) And then Drama says, "High School Musical!!!  The First One!!!".

Oy.  Short lived celebration. HSM was The Movie of the summer in 2008.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I have seen HSM (One, Two and Three, thankyouverymuch) no fewer than 200 times.  I kind of wish we still had VHS tapes because I am certain that it would have worn out.  Trouble hasn't really watched it...she's not really into it.  She "missed" it due to the fact that she was about a year old that summer.  Drama had no trouble convincing her sister that HSM was the best choice, much to the chagrin of CD and me.

I tried to delay my active presence on the sofa for Family Movie...made some popcorn, tinkered around in the cupboards looking for snacks (oh...what I would give for one of those milk-carton shaped containers of Milk Duds!?).  Alas, here I am.  On the Sofa.  Watching High School Musical for the 201st time.

And it occurs to me.  Trouble has discovered HSM.  I'm gonna have to survive the obsession all over again.  Lord Help Me.

You'll excuse me while I find some sticks to poke in my eyes (and ears).