Toy Story 3 and Toys R Mine

We are seeing LOTS of movies this summer. We don't normally enjoy movie theaters. Without fail, there are seat-kickers, obnoxious teens trying to impress their friends with their wit when they should shut up and watch, cell phone talkers/texters (yes...your illuminated cell phone screen is just as annoying as your voice, thank you), people who wait too long to take out their babies/should have gotten a sitter...and it's just not enough of an enjoyable experience to warrant spending the money when we can Netflix it in a couple of months.

For some reason (I'm guessing because there are so many good movies coming out), this summer, we've braved the masses and have so far seen:

(1) Shrek Forever After (Do the roar...I love you, Da-deh!)
(2) Prince of Persia
(3) Karate Kid

And:



All of these movies were exceptional, I thought...but Toy Story 3 was very special. I LOOOVED the first Toy Story movie. My boys were the perfect ages (2 and 4) to watch it over and over, to want all the merchandise (Troy=Buzz, Patrick=Woody) and to look adorable wearing the sweat suits, PJs, costumes, etc. I have attached such sentimental value to this movie.

So, in the year that my oldest is graduating, the producers reached right into my chest, ripped out my heart, and made Andy part of the class of 2010 as well. Thanks guys. I needed that reinforcement that childhood is slipping from my grasp.

Many of my Facebook friends let it be known via status update that the end made them tear-up. One even admitted it made her full-on sob (and her kid is still in 3rd grade...what does she know?!) but I wonder how many people started the movie crying? And my kids knew it, too. They kept looking at me as if they were expecting it. As soon as they started showing the home-movie footage of Andy growing up, I lost it. Eventually, I got a hold of myself and got into the movie...but the ending was brutal.

Troy and his friends were quite proud of the fact that Andy is a 2010 graduate. They said it meant they had literally and figuratively grown up with Andy. They planned to watch it together, and when the credits rolled, their childhood would officially be over. Well...travel and life got in the way, and Troy had to suffer through watching it with his family, instead. He is still a child for another month, anyway.

Afterward, the big kids had other obligations, but since he's been bugging us (and it was on my summer list) we took Jake to the Japanese Toys 'R Us.

(Trivia: When Troy was tiny, in one of those free parenting magazines, there was a "cute stuff kids say" section, with a quote from a 3 year old, asking her mom "When are we going to go back to Toys 'R Mine?" That's what we've called it ever since.)



Of course, there would be Power Rangers.



And whatdya know...Toy Story 3!



Love the Japanese packaging.



I don't know WHY it never occurred to me that Woody would speak other languages. If this guy wasn't $50, he would be MINE. Can't really justify it, though.



Buzz is multi-lingual, apparently. As much as I like Japanese, I liked the salsa version better.



Of course, there were all the usual Toys R Us departments. You know...Lego, Barbie, Thomas the Tank Engine, Nerf weapons...



The Godzilla section...



And of course, all these little screens throughout the store, in case you missed their commercials on TV.

There were also plenty of darling Okinawan children...and I tried not to look like too much of a stalker while observing them.

It's actually a good thing our kids have mostly grown out of toys...because I could really do some damage inside a Toys 'R Mine right about now. I already have some birthday presents picked out for some nieces and nephews.