I’m sure some of you have little rituals around your house. One of ours is that when we arrive home at the end of the day, the kids go get the mail. Since there are three kids and only one mailbox, well, we kinda take turns. (the baby can’t even reach the mailbox, but she is right there with the others, trying)

So we get the mail out of the box, which is by the curb, and carry it inside. Some days it is a fantastic happy fun event, where there are magazines and brochures, and maybe Publishers Clearing House, etc. The baby LOVES carrying in the postcards that come with pizza coupons on them, so colorful!

But nothing, nothing is as cool as a Netflix envelope.

In reality, nobody at our house really cares about Netflix, except me. I’m the one who logs in and looks for movies to put in the queue. I’m the one who rates movies I’ve seen (or we’ve seen) and checks the recomendations and new releases. I’m the one that makes sure, after we’ve watched a movie, that it gets properly bundled in it’s little envelope and returned to the Netflix dwarves who will then send us our next movie.

But opening the envelope? This is the best. thing. ever. Almost as good as Christmas. Ok, not that good, but in August, it seems almost as good as Christmas.

So not only do we take turns actually getting the mail from the box, and bringing it inside, we also get to take turns Opening the Envelope. Last night my oldest opened it. He can no, of course, read.

Child: “Sin City.” Can we watch it?

Me: Er, no. See what it’s rated?

Child: “R” For sustained strong stylized violence, nudity and sexual…

Me: See what it’s about?

Child (reading): “Murder, corruption and cover-ups are all part of Sin City’s daily routine in this dark film…”

Me: No, you can’t watch it. Especially on a school night.

Mom (overhearing): “NO. You CAN’T WATCH IT.”

Child: “Dang. Do we have any more movies?” (looks for another envelope)

Child 2: “Sin City, can we watch it?”

Etc.