The girls were given the movie ET for Christmas. Since Ellie loved Yoda so much we thought it would be a fun movie to introduce to both of the girls- so we added it to the girls wish list. It turns out, to our surprise, that this movie made an impact on both Lola and Ellie in completely different ways, I had to write it down so we didn't forget. I will have to say that this is one of the first movies that the girls actually sat through and were engaged with the entire time. Both Lola and Ellie did not get off the coach the entire hour and a half or so.
Ellie: First Ellie was completely infatuated with ET and wanted us to pause it every time his face was on the screen. She loved that ET went trick or treating with Yoda (she was in full out laughter), but what she took away most was that Elliot (the main character – ET’s best friend) sounded almost like Ellie and that if she was a boy her name would be Elliot. So after she made that connection, Ellie decided she would marry Elliot when she grew up. In fact daddy has been sick and is losing his voice this week, so Ellie volunteered to tell the bedtime story one night. It went a little something like this: “When I grow up I going to marry Elliot and we prayed really hard for babies in my tummy and now we have two babies. A girl named Pink and a boy named Football. The babies popped out and daddy Elliot passed out two times. The babies grow up and then daddy Elliot has to stay with Football and Mommy Ellie had to stay with Pink because she was a girl. Then we went to Liberty Station Park and put them in the little swings. The End”
Lola: She was intensely watching the movie and at times would cover her face saying she was either a bit scared or a bit sad. Multiple times she turned to me and said, “Mommy, this is sad it’s making me cry a little.” In the last scene when Elliot is saying goodbye to ET because ET has to go home, I look at Lola and she is covering both of her eyes. I ask Lola if she is okay, she simply looks at me at begins to SOB… she buried her head into my chest and sobbed. After a good 2 minutes or so, I ask Lola why she is crying, she said between her sobs… “Because, ET has to go home and leave his friend.” It touched me so much I couldn’t help but smile, that she connected so deeply to the sentiment of the story- our Lola, such a tender heart.