Signs for Cheyenne

Years ago on a long distance flight to I-can't-remember-where, the airline showed the movie "Signs".  Not a real bright choice.  Our kids were really little at the time and so we didn't give them headphones to watch the alien movie and hoped they would ignore it altogether.

But from time to time they'd catch glimpses of the screens, how could they not?  It was playing over the dozens of TV monitors surrounding them.  Unfortunately Cheyenne happened to look up at the moment a particularly freaky scene in which an alien briefly but oh-so eerily walks across the background. Cheyenne was horrified and the damage was done--our vacation was ruined before it even started.

Our usually easy-going child was now petrified of the dark, didn't want to sleep by herself, and totally freaked out--all the things that you don't want your kid to be while you're on vacation. To this day Cheyenne still freaks out when we even mention the movie.  Which, sadly, inspires us to mention said movie a lot whenever we're in her presence.

It's not secret that I loved the movie when I saw it later with the volume on.  Even though I was mad they showed it on an airplane full of little kids, it was full of all kinds of quirky and hilarious scenes.  I especially loved the one where the family puts on their homemade tinfoil Alien Mind-Control Protection Hats.  Genus.

So when my brother recently threw an impromptu Solar Eclipse party we knew what had to be done.  You can never be too careful when it comes to stuff happening in space.  The Skillman clan came prepared and well protected from Alien Mind-Control should the eclipse turn out to be an elaborate ruse by real aliens to distract us from some sort of planned invasion:

We all wore our protective head gear all the way to the party.  We got quite a few puzzled looks from passing cars.

Morgan and Chloe on the way to the party

Even Morgan's Nephew Ty donned a hat

And of course it wouldn't be complete without letting Cheyenne know that we were sporting her favorite hats:

But by no means were we the weirdest looking folks there at the geek-fest...

This kid may have had a good view of the eclipse but very little protection from mind control.

We're glad my brother got out his telescope and let us watch the eclipse...

We got to see the sun all but disappear and Cheyenne's old Alien issues re-surface.  That movie so long ago on that airplane flight may have ruined our vacation but we've since gotten years and years of enjoyment out of teasing poor Cheyenne about it.  To this day she's a ziplock kinda gal.  She avoids tinfoil at all costs...and Alien movies.