What Jean Likes

Late Night Fun With The Kiddos & Shirley Temple

I have the distinct pleasure of babysitting my nieces on Friday nights while my brother and my sister-in-law are working. Well, my littlest niece Alohilani woke up from her late nap and I drew a nice, warm, bubbly bath for her and Kaliko. They washed and played and played for what seemed like forever. These girls and their bubbles, how they love them so. The sparkle, the fluff, the utter fun of blowing bubbles in each other's faces and the never ending imagining that those bubbles somehow transform them into different people. These creative nieces of mine love to use their bubble bath time not only to play, but to explore and pretend. They literally were washed and played for at least an hour which included a bath water warm up halfway through the playtime.

After bath time was over, precocious Alohilani told me she wanted her hair done like "Shuurly Peempoo" (Shirley Temple), so we put her hair up in the soft rag curls and Kaliko opted for a mixture of the snake curlers & traditional sponge curlers. I gingerly curled up Alohi's hair ever so carefully though it slipped out of the rag curls. I was trying to avoid using hair spray since it was near bedtime, alas it ended up taking loner than expected, hence Alohi's perturbed expression.

So my darling nieces sat there ever so patiently waiting for me to put their hair in curls as they watched Shirley Temple's Curly Top. These adorable girls love Shirley Temple movies, like love them with a passion. I think it's because they spend so much time hanging out with my mom who is a Shirley Temple lover as well.

Curly Top is about a talented little girl in an orphanage who enchants one of the orphanage's benefactor's, a young millionaire who adopts her and takes care of her and her older sister (whom he later falls in love with).

It's a wonderful movie, Shirley is an expert at playing an adorable orphan. My nieces absolutely love her. Her talent, dancing, singing and vibrant presence onscreen is truly a wonder to behold.

My favorite Shirley Temple movie is Captain January. I just love that story and the actors and dancing. I think it's the way Shirley's character so affectionately yells "Cap'n" when calling for the man who saved and raised her when they're torn apart (typical of the Shirley Temple orphan storyline).

One of the best things about movies like these by Shirley Temple is that they're kid appropriate and timeless classics. I love that I can sit down with my nieces (and sometimes even Alaka'i) and watch these without worrying about anything inappropriate. I can't believe that it's been 80 or so years since most of Shirley's greatest hits were made.

They're still wonderful movies, even now in these modern times, the classics remain classic. My nieces love her so much, they want to be just like her, hence the curls.

Alaka'i came to join us in watching Curly Top, well... for a little while at least. He likes Shirley Temple movies but not with the same kind of life and death seriousness as the girls. He will sit there for a little bit and gets bored and does something else on his own. Such a boy's boy... He doesn't share that passion for Shirley that my nieces have, that utter enjoyment that prompts the girls to sit through getting their hair put up in rag curls and nagging at Auntie Jean for tap shoes. These nieces of mine are a passionate pair, and when they love something, boy do they love it.

Did I mention my littlest niece Alohilani was a wild one? Well that wild darling ripped the rag curls out of her hair about five minutes after she posed for a picture with her cousin Alaka'i. It was short lived and she was rather irritated about it all. The girl is dramatic... dare I say she lives for drama. When things are good....drama. When things irritate her... d r a m a. When things are bad D R A M A! She does her drama like any other girl but just the slightest bit more dramatically. Looking forward to her teens, I cringe just thinking of what type of drama she may have in store for my brother... Perhaps she'll outgrow it...but then again, she is like her grandma who is rather dramatic herself. Time will tell.

Well lovely Alohi failed to fall asleep during the end of the film like her sister Kaliko did... Dangit! So I had to find something to work as a diversion to keep her occupied while I edited photos and bored her to death. She sat there like such a big girl and drew in her notepad and enlisted me to sit there and doodle with her. My night owl niece... I think she could stay up all night if she were given the opportunity. Thankfully she conked out not long after drawing with me. Sigh of relief.

Kind of felt bad for Alaka'i because I don't think the night was all that fun for him since he's not the hugest Shirley Temple fan but he and I made time to camp out in the living room for a bit before his bedtime while we watched Free Willy together. I love sharing my favorite movies growing up with my boy. More on that another time.

What are some of your favorite activities to do with your littles and loved ones? I'm always open for ideas!

Aloha,