Two Halloweens ago, we went through the epic struggle to find a Storm Trooper costume, successfully, as it turned out. But now Hannah has outgrown her costumes and they are in the hands of her male cousins. What would they know about Star Wars?
Oh, that.
I bought myself an Empire Strikes Back t-shirt at Old Navy when we were in Louisiana; when she saw a Star Wars t-shirt at H&M here in town, she begged me to buy it for her. I hate to say it, but mine is much better quality. At least it is not almost sheer.
She discovered that the animated Clone Wars series is on tv on Sundays and about had a nergasm. Like most programs she likes, we are not allowed to breath a word while it is on, at the risk of being shushed and getting the glare of death. I have to say, the animated series is better than the movies I-III, and this from a dyed-in-the-wool Star Wars fan.
All of this was kicked off by us buying a copy of Fanboys while in Texas after having it recommended by a new-ish relative who, it turns out, is as big a nerd as we are.
We watched it again last night, and Hannah said she wants to have a Star Wars funeral, maybe have her ashes scattered at the Lucas Ranch. I pointed out that she will probably feel differently about it when she is 90, but that if she gets run over by a bus next week, I will try for the Star Wars funeral angle, and that seemed to satisfy her.
Despite my nerd creds, Hannah has a hard time talking me into buying her Star Wars stuff. Unfortunately for her, my tightwad side overrides my nerd side in department stores. Also, I am constitutionally unable to spend a big chunk of cash on what is basically a hunk of plastic with a brand name on it (i.e., a light saber). In the third place, she doesn't have anyone to fight with here at home (unlike in the photo above), so that means John and I would be the recipients of the inevitable light-saber-whacking.
Oddly enough, I remember what it was like to want Star Wars stuff and not get it, but in my case, my mother wouldn't let me buy action figures or vehicles, only stuffed animals (Ewoks) and t-shirts and the occasional coloring book. Those fell into the "acceptable for girls" category. When I wasn't trying to trace the movie poster for Return of the Jedi out of the newspaper, I was longing desperately for a little plastic Luke Skywalker and his jiffy speeder. I was definitely a tom-boy growing up, playing softball (badly) and spending the time I wasn't reading on my bike, and I guess this was where my mother felt she had to put her foot down. Most of the time, she told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I also internalized the message--from where, I am not sure--that anything boys could do, I could do better, so having my mom be so anti-action figures was a real blow. BUT, when I was in my 20's and already married, she bought me a Millenium Falcon 3D puzzle. I guess she figured that the odds of me turning out as a lesbian as a result were pretty low at that point, so it was a safe purchase.
[Edited to add:] I forgot about Hannah's ipod. The first video clip she put on her new ipod was this youtube video--the Lego Star Wars Orchestra playing the Darth Vader theme. Excellent!
