Some people spend Valentine’s Day on elaborate dates with candlelit dinners and sweeping romantic gestures. Others spend it watching Paddington In Peru, realizing halfway through that the mom has been completely recast, and sneaking movie theater snacks bought by your children for your children.
Guess which category Tim fell into?
This week on The Kids Are In Bed, we recap Valentine’s Day, our near-perfect parenting crime that collapsed on Day 4, and Tim is still emotionally invested in a group of kids rebuilding their backyard fort. Plus, Oscars season is here, and we break down the BAFTAs and the Best Picture nominees we’ve seen so far.
It’s movies, parenting wins (and failures), and some unnecessary but enjoyable deep dives. Let’s get into it.
Valentine’s Day: The Good, The Bad, and The Chocolates That Disappeared Too Fast
💌 The Almost-Perfect Parenting Loophole: The plan was simple. Buy Jenni gifts. Let the kids pick out treats. Do not buy them Valentine’s presents. Result? We got away with it… for four days. Then they noticed. Then they were outraged.
🐻 Paddington in Peru: A Valentine’s Masterpiece? We didn’t expect to spend Valentine’s Day watching a talking bear navigate life in London, but here we are. More importantly, Tim just realized they swapped out the mom, and he’s still recovering.
🍫 Valentine’s Gift Success (or Failure, Depending on Who You Ask): Jenni cleaned up—new clothes, candy, flowers, even fancy waters. Meanwhile, the kids ended up with movie snacks… technically bought by them. Loopholes are a delicate art.
Tim’s Emotional Investment in a Group of Kids Building a Fort (That Immediately Got Washed Away)
🏗️ Quick Recap: A group of kids somewhere in America started a DIY backyard fort project. The internet fell in love. They got $18,000 in donations to expand their masterpiece.
🌊 The Tragedy: Then the creek flooded. The fort was completely wiped out. Nature does not respect childhood dreams.
🎬 The Documentary We Need: Tim has been following this saga with the intensity of a true crime investigation, and frankly, it deserves an ESPN 30 for 30.
Oscars Season Begins! BAFTA Recap & Best Picture Debates
🎥 We’ve Seen 4 of the 10 Best Picture Nominees: Not bad, but we’ve got work to do. Here’s our take on what we’ve watched so far:
Conclave
- A visually stunning film that makes a papal election feel like high-stakes drama.
- Stanley Tucci is, as always, a gift to cinema.
- Tim loved it. Jenni thought the ending didn’t land. Is it Best Picture-worthy? Maybe.
Anora
- A brutal, intense, and shockingly graphic film that’s not for the faint of heart.
- Incredible performances, especially from leading actress Mikey Madison.
- “It’s Last Exit to Brooklyn meets Pretty Woman but somehow neither.” – Jenni
Wicked
- Not a Best Picture contender, but a wildly fun nomination.
- Ariana Grande’s performance? Flawless.
- Is this the best she’s ever sounded? Quite possibly.
Emelia Perez
- A movie with a strong concept that doesn’t quite stick the landing.
- “I liked every piece of it, but not the whole.” – Tim
- The music was fine, but no standout songs = not a great sign for a musical.
What’s Left?
We’ve still got six more nominees to get through, including Dune: Part Two and The Nickel Boys. Time to binge.
Final Thoughts: A Parenting and Movie-Watching Philosophy
- Parent-teacher conferences still make Tim feel like he’s about to get detention.
- Tim had a revelation: The root of “diabolical” is Diablo. Jenni is concerned.
- Oscar season means we need to stock up on champagne (or maybe not La Marca this year).
🎧 Listen to the full episode now and join the debate: Which Best Picture nominee is your favorite so far? Drop your picks in the comments!
