Girl's Night

Tonight I left the comfort of my home and ventured out to "enjoy" a chick flick with some good friends. I have mentioned before that I am not a chick flick type of girl. I really only agree to go to this genre of movie because I like to get out of the house and be with friends...and my friends aren't always hot on the type of movies I like to see. During the previews, my friend, Julie, and I were giving the thumbs up or down to indicate if we would be interested in seeing each film. Our choices could not have been any more different. She gave a hearty thumbs up to Fame and Julie and Julia while flipping it downward for Surrogate. Quite the opposite for me. We are good friends, nevertheless.

So the movie I agreed to see was The Proposal. Luckily it was Matinee all Day at the theater, so I got my ticket for a measly five bucks. Gotta love Tuesdays! Unluckily for me, it was like every other romantic comedy I have ever seen. There will probably be some spoilers in here, so beware...if you care. Even seeing the trailer for the movie, you know that the two main characters will end up in love. Am I right? This movie had every scene necessary to make a romantic comedy. Unlikely lovers= check. Crazy old grandma= check. Scene where they sing together to "break the ice"= check. Man running after woman in airplane= check. So predictable. Here is what annoyed me the most: So I know that old ladies shrink with age. But the writers of this comedy tried to pull off the idea that 6'0" Sandra Bullock could fit into 5'5" Betty White's wedding dress...and it was long on SB. Come on. That's where they lost me.

Don't get me wrong, I did laugh at many a line in this movie. Ryan Reynolds can pull of the sarcastic comment very well, and Oscar Nunez (who plays Oscar in The Office) amused me a great deal. So I wasn't rolling my eyes during the entire movie, but I'm glad I only dropped a five spot for this evening's entertainment.

I can say with confidence that this movie would not make a top 200 list for me. Some day there will be a chick flick out there that I REALLY like...and when I find that flick, I will let you know. Until then...

One Fell Down and Bumped Her Head

Last night the family and I went to Will's parent's house for

supper. Will's dad loves to experiment with different crock pot meals, barbecued meats, and vegetable concoctions. I love it because Will is such a picky eater. I mean, who doesn't like corn? As GOB Bluth would say, "Come on!!" (As seen on the episode where he keeps wearing the $10,000 suit.) I, maybe excessively, try to encourage my children to try lots of different vegetables,

fruits, and crock pot dishes. My favorite vegetable that Judah LOVES is rhubarb. This kid will sneak into the garden
and eat rhubarb right off the plant. Good stuff.

We were all awaiting the freshly picked items from Ping Pong's garden (as Judah so lovingly refers to him), when Mayah decided to sprint across the room in her clunkified sneakers. She had almost reached the wooden computer chair when she tripped and bumped her head on the sturdy wood. The skin above her eye immediatly began bleeding...dripping...gushing. It was frightening. It was Mayah's first real injury. She was a trooper, though. After a few minutes of screaming, she was up and playing like nothing had happened. Her wound bled through the bandage a few times, so Will ventured to Boone to get some butterfly strips. Will informed me upon his return that every person with the intent to move to a new town should first visit that town's Wal Mart. Apparently, Will would not ever consider moving to Boone.

I just finished changing the bandages on Mayah's head wound and snapped some shots of her first official boo boo. It is crazy how much a tiny scratch can bleed. She is recovering nicely :)

GOAAAALLL(s)

Yesterday was a busy Sunday. I got up early to work out, which starts the day out long. I have not worked out in years. After I had Judah, I just kind of waited for my body to go back to normal. When he turned two and I was still fat, I realized my dreams were not going to come true. I got pregnant with Mayah that February, fifteen pounds heavier than I was before having Judah. After I had Mayah, I decided I would actually try to lose weight...until I got pregnant with Liam six months later. So here I am, almost three months out from having Liam, and I am not messing around this time. It is really hard for me to stay motivated because I like junk food. I think I get it from my dad. My father weighs about a buck fifteen at 62 and eats like he is trying prove something. He puts whip cream on every possible breakfast food, has multiple pie breaks during the day, stashes mounds of candy and chocolate in his couch, and will buy a dozen Krispie Creams with no intention of sharing. Now I am not this bad, but if there is junk food in my house, I don't feel guilty about eating it. I don't want it to go to waste, you know? I have also lost my high metabolism from my younger days. I really took advantage of it, too. It is hard for me to remember that I can't eat a pan of scotch-a-roos at 9pm (or any other time) like I use to. It is really quite a let down. So, how are you going to stay motivated this time, Jess?

Well, lucky for me, my darling husband has gained a lot of weight, too. Will likes to put on the sympathy pounds during my pregnancies...he's always been the sympathetic type. This time it was not a good situation, because he had his knee surgery a few months before Liam was born and was sedentary for weeks and weeks. So not only was he eating to match his pregnant wife, but he was completely inactive. So we have devised a contest to keep me motivated. The first one to weigh what he or she did at our wedding wins. The prize is....$100 of fun money. This is a big prize for us because we don't have a lot of fun money floating around. Most of our cash these days goes to our kids and their diapers or other necessities. What would I do with this kind of cash all to myself?? Give some of the clothes I have from my college years (seven or eight years ago) to Good Will and get some new stuff? Go purchase some of the movies I have wanted to own for a while but never felt right about spending money on? Treat myself to some "good" beauty supplies (good would not include anything from Suave, Jane, The Dollar General, or Hansen's Beauty Supply). I'm not sure yet, but I am sure that I am going to win.

So, folks, I'll keep you posted. I don't like to lose...anything.

Short Vacation

For those who were wondering if I had given up blogging, my answer is "not yet." Last week, Will and I discovered that the cord that plugs into the wall from our computer was frayed and no longer charging our laptop. We have been sans Internet for quite a while now. It is rough! I was able to check my email and facebook at my mom's house over the week, but only for short intervals because we were so busy. It is nuts how much Internet just becomes a part of your world.

My sister went home on Wednesday, and life is returning to its normal routine. We are in week two of no air conditioning and have been informed that it will be another three weeks before anyone can get out here to repair it. I realize that I grew up without the luxury of air conditioning, but this heat and humidity feels like nothing I have ever experienced. The first really hot night, Liam was up screaming for two hours. We finally gave him a bath to cool him down which woke him up even more. Yesterday I took the kids to WalMart and walked around for two hours just to stay out of the hot house. Oh the memories we are creating.

The kids are in bed, and Will and I are going to enjoy a night of movie watching. Tonight he brought home The International and Underworld (the last one). I'll let you know if they are any good...I don't have high hopes for Underworld...

Cousins Unite!

My older sister, Jenny(to the left), is visiting from Montana this week! I am very excited to have her here. We only get to see each other twice a year (if we are lucky). Jenny has an (almost) three year old, Madeline Rose. She is a beautiful little girl..looks just like her Mama. The kids and I went down on Tuesday and have been staying at my parent's house so we can get as much Jenny-Maddie time as possible. We all arrived at my parent's house on Tuesday and Papa C had a big meal all ready for us. My dad is an amazing cook...if only I had cared enough to pay attention growing up. My niece, Lily (10), came down with my big brother, Jer (aka Uncle Worm), and is also staying at Mama and Papa C (also known as G'ma and Popeye)'s house. To the right is a picture of Lily reading a Pooh book to Judah, Maddie, and Mayah.

Below is a photo of Mayah cuddled up to my Mama's leg on Tuesday. I added it because I think she is just that cute. I mean, look at those curls!

The three middle cousins finished the night off with a shared bath. I was going to upload a photo, but couldn't find one that covered Judah appropriately. We went into this adventure not knowing where everyone would sleep. My parents only have two bedrooms at their house and this week, we had nine people who needed sleeping quarters. Tuesday night, we attempted to put Judah and Maddie together in a bed. It was adorable. The plan was to have them watch cartoons in Gma's bed until it was time to sleep and Gma would come in when she was ready to sleep. After the tv was off, they talked off and on for about an hour. Favorite moment of the night: Gma went in and told them that if they didn't quit talking and go to sleep, she was going to take one of them downstairs. They were both quiet for a moment, and Maddie piped in saying, "Don't take me...take Judah." Judah looked heartbroken and replied, "But I'm a good boy. I never fight. I always share. I say please..." My mom had to leave because she was going to break up. Talk about throwing your cousin under the bus!

Wednesday we took the kids to a tea room in Prarie City. They had boas and hats for us to fancy ourselves up with. I was terrified the whole time that one of my toddlers would break free and run a rampage through the antiques. Luckily, we left the tea party without being required to buy a $40 broken tea pot or a $35 ceramic butterfly.

After that, we spent a sweltering hot day at the zoo. My favorite part of the zoo was all of the sweet hand-holding that went on.

Judah's favorite part of the zoo is the giraffes. We have a season pass, so Judah is quite the tour guide when we head into his
territory. He loves to be able to
show everyone what is what. The
one downfall of this is that he spends
all of five minutes at each exhibit. Above are pictures of Judah and Mayah with the flamingos.

Below are pictures of the aforementioned handholding. Also featured is a picture of Mayah with the river otters. She was cracking up as they swam around. She has such a contagious laugh.

Right now I am feeling overwhelmed. My kids need to be put down (not like a horse..although..), and I need to stop using my brain. I have blogged as much as I can blog today. My children and nieces have used up all of my energy. It is going to take me the whole weekend to recover.

Liam

As per request (this is for you, Denise), I am going to give you an update on young Liam. Liam was born April 1st of this year, which makes him eleven weeks old on Wednesday. That blows my mind. At the top is a picture of Liam when he was born. To the left is Liam about a week ago. Doesn't even look like the same kid, huh? Liam weighed in at 8 pounds 15 ounces. Today he weighs a whopping 14 pounds. That's right, fourteen. I know we aren't supposed to compare one child to another, but who doesn't do this? So, I will let you share in my poor parenting tactic. Liam weighs more than a pound over what my largest child did at this age. Mayah was 9 lbs 1 oz at birth and thirty pounds at 18 months. She only weighed 12 pounds 8 ounces at eleven weeksh is 1 1/2 pounds less than Liam right now. Liam may just be my little brute. Poor Judah. My oldest is doomed to a life of bullying by his two younger, larger siblings. Judah is only 33 pounds at 3 and a half (three pounds more than his 18 month old sister).

Enough of comparisons, and back to the youngest. Liam is a dream. He has been waking up only once at night since he came home from the hospital and has slept through a few times. He smiles and coos and takes a lot of beatings from J and M. Mayah just finished playing the "Liam is supporting all of my body weight while I kiss his face" game. It's a favorite of ours. He loves to be held closely and falls asleep almost instantly when we position him chest to chest. He is my only child who will not take a pacifier, which is maddening. Believe me, I have tried. Judah can make him smile almost instantly and is the only one who can make him laugh.

After my colicky child, Mayah, I wasn't so sure I could handle bringing another baby into our house. Liam has broken the mold. Before I was married, I was sure I wanted six kids. After having Judah, that number went down to four. After Mayah, I had to pray that God would make me want another one. (Six months later, He hadn't really left me a choice:) With Liam, I am more optimistic. I'm not making any promises, though...remember, he's only eleven weeks old.

My favorite part of Liam's appearance right now is his curly hair. His hair is super curly right out of the bath, but dries straight and spiky. I really hope that he has hair like Mayah and not Judah. I'm not sure I can handle another kid with Will's hair...poor Judah...

Anyway, here is a photo of Liam's hair right out of the bath.

Hmmm..not sure what else I can say about this little guy. He's beautiful and wonderful. We love him to pieces. If you haven't met him, you are missing out!

The Cheese Factor

Last night, I saw Coldplay in concert. I was very excited to attend, because I have been a fan of Coldplay for at least eight years. I remember seeing the music video for "Yellow" on my crap tv during my junior year in college (00-01) and asking my morally unbound friend to download their album from her Napster account. She then burned me a copy and our relationship was established. I have since pined to see them in concert. After a shameful status update(aka pathetic plea) informing my friends that tickets would make an amazing birthday gift, my college roomie, Colette, HOOKED ME UP! She got us great seats, too. We were spared the floor seats where all of the hardcore, annoying, loud-singing, slobbering fans stand. Don't get me wrong, I was once one of those fans. I have spent many a concert vying for a front row spot, secretly knowing in my heart of hearts that the lead singer was singing directly to me. There is something to be said for joining a throng of sweaty die-hards in pumping your fist and gyrating to a thumping bass. It can be amazing to get lost in the music and the show. These days, however, I just want to enjoy the show. I want to be able to hear the artist actually sing and actually play. I am officially old.

Back to our seats, we were in the first level directly in front of the stage. Good stuff. It was great because we could see the entirety of all of the extras like the crazy 80s inspired camera work on the big screens and the butterfly ticker tape falling from the ceilings. Coldplay really does put on a good show. It would have been a shame to have been on the floor, because I would have missed the crazy globes hanging from the ceiling that showed shots of Chris Martin's head in funny shapes and sizes.

In addition to the great seats, cool camera work, and great visuals, Coldplay sounded great. It was obvious that Chris Martin really does have a great voice. It doesn't take a bunch of computers to clean this band up. I have been to some concerts where you kind of look around and ask yourself, "Really?" as they are singing. Not so with Coldplay.

I titled this post "The Cheese Factor" because Coldplay definitely brought this factor with them. It always cracks me up when a band tells its crowd that it is the best crowd EVER!!! Wooo!! Wooott Woooooo!!! Seriously. I know that 80% of the people in the crowd know that this is just a morale booster, but I don't know why they all scream in appreciation. It drives me mad. Direct quote from Martin: "If we had known the Des Moines crowd was going to be so amazing, we'd a come much sooner!!" BS They also made up a song about Iowa and the Hawkeye state. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, it was just over the top cheesy. This song was preceded by the entire audience joining in a "mexican cellphone wave" (picture lights off and everyone doing the wave with their cellphones lit and in the air), and followed by a crowd sing-a-long to "I'm a Believer" by Neil Diamond. Cheese.

I really enjoyed this concert. I'm glad I got to go. My favorite part of the night was when the band left the stage to sing amongst the crowd. They were one section away from us and in the same row. I feel famous by association.

I Love Her...I Really Do

Mayah is a lively child. I love her. I really do. But she absolutely tests my patience.

Isn't she beautiful?? Mayah needs a bath after nearly every meal. Bath times are hit and miss with her, too. Some days she will scream when we put her in and continue to scream during the entire ordeal. Other days, she will scream if we try to take her out. Every day with Mayah is an adventure. I really never know how she is going to react to things from day to day. Some days she is so sweet. The nursery workers at church dote on her and rave about what a great little girl she is. But most days, she is just waiting to erupt.

Judah asked to go to the library today for a new Curious George book. We loaded up and got into the library before any major tiffs. Once we got inside, Mayah realized that she could no longer help me push the stroller with Liam inside because I was parking it against the wall. She blew up. What do you do, right? Time outs are out of the question at the library because she screams all of the way through them. Swats are out because..we'll I think it's obvious. So today I went for the ignore the tantrum method. Luckily it was short lived but still frustrating. Mayah soon found solace in looking for a book. Once she found one she liked, she brought it over to me, which I assume means: read this. Wrong. She flipped out when I attempted to bring her onto my lap to read the book. Next, she found her way to the computers and put on the headphones.
I was really trying to get Judah to find his books so we could get out of there. I gave her the two minute warning and then went to retrieve her. Another screaming jag. We head out to the doors, Mayah helping me push the stroller, and have to stop so I can get the stroller up the stairs. She falls to the ground SCREAMING. A lady walks by and mutters, "someone needs a nap." Oh yeah, lady. Well, someone (you) needs a punch to the throat. I contained myself.

To sum up my day before the noon bell rang, I was ready to put Mayah up in her crib and shut the door. I just needed some away from my precious little girl time. How do people deal with the spirited child? She is nothing at all like Judah was at her age. Have I raised her so differently, or can kids really be THIS much different? I am baffled. As I listen to Liam screaming for my attention, I remind myself to say a quick prayer for his temperament. Please join me:

Dear Sympathetic God,

Please do your thing with Liam. Eliminate any tendencies he may have toward fit throwing and emotional outbursts. Shape him into an easy going lad.

All this in Your Name (and for my sanity),

Amen

Every Playdate Should have a Kohl's

Today Judah, Mayah, and I packed into the van of my dear friend, Julie to go to Ankeny. Will had the day off, so he kept Liam with him (thank you, dear husband). Judah and Zoe, Julie's two and a half year old, are self-proclaimed BFF. They are adorable together. Our proudest moment as mother's of these two children happened one day when Julie and I were sitting in her living room chatting it up. Judah and Zoe had been in her bedroom for an extended period of time, so I went in to check on them. They had climbed into Zoe's crib and each had a Bible. I asked them what was going on, and Judah answered, "We're reading our Bibles together, Mama." We raised them well. You had better believe that I am taking the credit for this!

Above is a photo of Judah and Zoe in the back of Julie's van playing with pixie cups. The fun never ends.

It was zoo day for our playgroup, but Julie and I got this crazy idea in our heads that it was supposed to rain all day (thank you, Ed Wilson). So instead, we loaded two of my kids and her two kids into her van for a trip to where? You guessed it...Kohl's. Julie had some returns and I had nothing better to do. We giggled the whole way down to Ankeny that we were dragging our kids to a department store in search of a good time. Luckily, we were there just long enough that our four tag-a-longs didn't become too antsy. We did end the Kohl's party with twenty or so laps around the column in the front of the store while waiting for Julie at the check out line. I am sure shopping at Kohl's never looked like so much fun.

The main event had ended by ten, so we finished up our playdate with a trip to the local McDonald's and let our kids play in their play area. Would you believe that families were already eating fries and burgers at ten? Vomit. As we left the play area, Zoe realized we weren't going to eat lunch and began a crying jag that lasted about ten minutes. I mean, who goes to MCD's and doesn't let her kids get anything? Pure cruelty.

As silly and random as our playdate was, I was completely exhausted by the time I got home. Kids are exhausting. Will is baffled when he believes I am engaged in his storytelling and looks over to find me asleep on the couch. I can sleep anywhere at anytime. It is a gift that has been perfected since the addition of child number three. It is a gift I hope never to lose.

Shaun of the Dead

So tonight, we decided to pull out one of my favorite zombie movies. I am a self-proclaimed lover of all things zombie. Weird, huh? I know I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I'm really not. I don't know if it is because I grew up in a household where my dad would rent "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th" movies for us before I turned 10. Yeah, I'm not sure about that parenting choice, either. Regardless, I grew up watching slasher movies with my brothers and sister. I don't necessarily go after slasher movies these days, but I do still get a rush out of being scared. Growing up, we lived in a farm house tucked in a wooded area far from any town or police station. There were cemeteries a quarter mile away on either side of our house, and my dad would give us a quarter each to walk to the scarier of the two cemeteries and touch the front door of the church after the sun had gone down and the credits were rolling. I tell you this so that you understand that fear is ingrained in me...stop judging me!!

Anyway, I have come to terms that I am drawn to zombie movies. I think it is because I know that the thought of zombies is so absurd. I want to be scared, but I don't want to see some psycho killer on the loose killing people who look like my neighbors. It is much safer for me to enjoy zombies jumping out and eating people. To sum up my justification, I know that movies like "Hostel" and "Saw" can really happen. I could go somewhere and meet a seriously disturbed person who enjoys that type of afternoon. Zombies, not so much. The end.

If you haven't seen "Shaun of the Dead", it is in NO way frightening. On the contrary, it is quite hilarious. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost run around town trying to steer clear of the slowest moving zombies in the history of movies. It is rated R, so there is quite a bit of off color language, so beware. It is great because Pegg's character walks around town and doesn't even notice the zombies eating people and covered in blood. Love it.

Thankfully, my husband puts up with my strange zombie fascination. Below is a link to the trailer if you want to check it out. Good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhBGFqldAvk

PS If you don't enjoy British humour (see how I used the British spelling for humor :), you might not enjoy Simon Pegg. My mom was super annoyed when I made her watch "Run, Fat Boy, Run". That is your warning...

Under Pressure

Welcome, to my flurry of new readers. I just checked my friend, Jessie's, blog and saw that she is encouraging people to check me out. Well, new readers, hold on to your seats, because it is going to be WILD. This s going to be a short post as Will and I are watching a movie, and I am having a hard time focusing.

More later tonight when I can give you my full attention!

Go With the Flow

Judah had his first night EVER of waking up with a dry diaper...scratch that...pull-up. He is adamant that we call them pull-ups and NOT diapers because he is a big kid. I about did a flip in my living room. I had no idea how hard potty training was going to be. I had such high hopes for the J-man when he was two. He was totally into the potty. He would follow me in and watch me, an experience I hope every mama goes through. He would take off a square of toilet paper and drop it between my legs, pretending to wipe me. This freaked me out at first...I mean, you don't want your precious little guy anywhere near your business, right? I made sure I was never violated. He would even sit on the potty for extended periods of time and read books. Surely I was a supermom. He would be potty trained in no time, right?

Finally came the day when I was ready to full on train. Mayah was six months old, I was pregnant with Liam, and Judah was two and a half. The thought of three kids in diapers was terrifying. We started off using the M&M bribe method. Judah would get one for attempting, one for peeing, two for pooping, and one for remembering to wash his hands. He could really score big if he completed all tasks in one sitting. He was really into this for a while but soon didn't care about M&Ms. After a while, we switched to the chart and sticker method. Judah would get to put a sticker on his chart if he pooped or peed. This, like the M&Ms was great but very short lived. It was just easier to go in his diaper. For three months, my son was in an eternal state of nudity. His only motivation for using the potty was that he got to be naked from dawn til dusk. The major problem with this was that he would poop the second we put on his nighttime diaper. The little bugger would hold it all day until that diaper went on. It was maddening. But boy, did that kid love to be naked. Every time my inlaws stopped by, they would be greeted with Judah's little penis flapping in the wind. There was a period there where we just stopped getting drop ins...

But now we are making some progress. Sure, I still have to remind him hourly to go sit on the potty. Sure, I occasionally hear him call "Mama, I peed on the wall again" from his place in the bathroom. Sure, he still has the random accident in the most inconvenient of places. But more often than not, he has dry days. Soon I will be able to trust him to go on his own. Soon I will be able to drop him at a friend's house without loads of accident anxiety. Soon I will only have to buy diapers for two instead of three. Small steps, right? Elmo says to go with the flow. He's an insightful little monster.

A Night at the Crapbury

So, I had forgotten how weird "Adaptation" is. I really enjoyed watching it again. Charlie Kaufman is one interesting guy. Ignoring the creepy sex scenes, it is a movie I would recommend to people who like your non-traditional film. Nicolas Cage, an actor that I normally loathe, does a crazy good job as Charlie and Donald Kaufman. I think I am okay with Cage because I can barely even tell that it is him. Meryl Streep's character has some very thoughtful and penetrating lines. It is a film that is easier to appreciate the more times one watches it. We've decided to keep it in the rotation.

We also wasted an hour and a half with "A Night at the Roxbury". Complete nonsense. I had picked it up for five bucks a few years back because Will had never seen it. It was not worth the five sodas I could have purchased. I normally enjoy myself a good slapstick comedy, but this was Will Ferrell at his worst. The most amusing part of the night was when the credits were rolling and Will paused them to make sure he had caught a name right. Michael Duncan Clarke, the big guy who was in "The Green Mile" and "Armageddon", was in the film. He was a bouncer in this movie, and the credits listed him as Michael "Big Mike" Duncan. Funny. I guess he used to be a bodyguard for Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and The Notorious B.I.G. According to Wiki, which we all know is 100% accurate:), he had someone cover for him the night B.I.G. was shot and got out of the business after that.

Michael "Big Mike" Duncan reminds me of a movie we watched once with Laurence Fishburne. The credits listed him as Larry Fishburne. I guess he was Larry back during his Pee Wee's Playhouse days. Laurence is much more sophisticated.

Tonight we are going to take a break from our movie purge and watch a trusted favorite, the third season of Arrested Development. There is no logical reason that this show did not make it more than 3 seasons. It is, by far, one of the best written comedies of our time. Alas, I should not get started on my disdain for the American public for not supporting this great show. Tsk tsk.

Movie Purge

Since the summer line up on tv is atrocious, Will and I have decided to watch all of the movies we own and purge those unworthy of of our household. Two nights ago, we put in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". This is part of the Mariachi Trilogy, along with El Mariachi and Desperado. Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, Willem DaFoe...how could you go wrong?? It actually cracks me up that Enrique Iglesias is in this movie and does a not-so-horrible job. Who would have thought?

I really enjoy movies that have ridiculous fight scenes. My favorite sequence is when a man jumps through the air shooting and maneuvering in ways that are impossible. For this reason, Jason Statham is one of my favorite actors to watch. Please note that he is not one of my favorite ACTORS. I also love to watch the Kill Bill movies for the pure audacity of their fight scenes. Will and I saw the second Kill Bill in the theater a few years ago. Will somehow called his mom during the middle of a shoot-em-up fight scene. All she could hear were people screaming and guns shooting. Poor Mama O didn't know what to think. It wasn't until hours later that we were able to call her back and let her know that we weren't lying bloodied and bruised on the floor of a movie theater.

Anyways, we decided to keep "Once a Upon a Time in Mexico". It's a fun movie to pull out and watch. Johnny Depp's character saddens me a bit, even though he is corrupt. His character cracks me up the whole movie, so I am always a little sad when they pluck his eyes out at the end.

We pulled out seven or eight movies that have the potential of being purged. Next on the list is "Adaptation". I openly hate Nicolas Cage as an actor, so I need to give this movie another chance before I condemn it for the wrong reasons. You've got one more shot, Nick, and then you're out.

A Night with the Girls

I got together with a few great friends the other night for some "we have to get away from our kids" time. We hooked up for some $1.50 burgers at a cute little grill your own steaks/burgers joint in a small town near my home. They are good burgers, too. I, of course, don't grill my own burger when I go. I don't even consider the possibility. I need a night every once in a while where I am not the one preparing the food. Our plan was to see a movie after burgers, but the selection seriously lacked. It is always an ordeal to decide which movie to choose when we get together, anyway. I am not the typical girl when it comes to movies. I mostly choose action films with little to no love story, if possible. I believe many a great movie have been tainted by the industry's need to insert love into every story line. Am I the only one who can make it through a life experience without falling madly in love with each person who experiences life with me? Sure, I'm married and happy, but even married people in movies fall in love with their supporting actors (to whom they are not married). Why can't someone just fight aliens or evade bank robbers without falling in love??


If my vote doesn't go toward an action flick, then I want a movie that means something or has thought put into it. I just can't get into a movie that is pure fluff. Don't get me wrong, I love to laugh at stupid movies that are stupid for the sake of comedy (example: Will Ferrell movies). But if a movie is meant to be about superficial relationships or love, I have a hard time keeping focused. This poses a problem when the girls want to get together for a "chick flick" like "The Notebook" or anything with Sandra Bullock. I have been known to suck it up and sit through "Legally Blonde", and I genuinely try to enjoy myself. It is all for the sake of camaraderie.

Anyway...we didn't see a movie. Instead, we headed to Cold Stone where we sat and talked until I got the dreaded call that little Liam was starving. It was a great night. I laughed so hard at times that my head was pounding all the way home. I don't know how I would survive without my girls.

Step 1...We could have lots of fun (NKOTB)

Well, where do I begin to blog?? I'm not even sure what to blog about. I think this will be mostly for my own outlet. Who knows if anyone will even read this or be interested in my daily rantings? I guess today we will start with today. I don't have much time, because I just sent my three year old, Judah, to check on my 18 month old who seems to have just awakened from a three and a half hour nap. His two favorite ways to welcome Mayah into the world of awake time are to throw random objects into her bed or to climb into her crib with her and pretend he is in a zoo. I'm not sure which I prefer, really.

Today was like most other days. The kids awakened me at nine and we setteled into some Sesame Street time. I then proceeded to pack all three kids into the SUV to run errands. We had three stops to make: the elementary school, the high school, and my co-coach's house. Each stop was crazier than the next. I'm not sure why I have such high hopes of obedience when I leave the driveway. The two-month old, Liam, is generally not a problem. His awake time is short and seldom. Car rides put him out. It is the 18 month old that I have to worry about. She loves to run free and ignore all harsh-toned corrections. I think I used to be such a snob about moms and their inability to correctly steer their children in the direction of their choosing. I mean, why doesn't that mom just do something about that brat, right? Mayah is harder and harder to steer every day. Judah has his days. Today was a good one for him. Some random teacher at the high school gave him a scotch-a-roo, and his day was made.

Naps are over and the preparation of supper is immenient. Reading over this, I realize that it really is just the rantings of a woman who is a little bored. I'm sure all readers are on the edge of their seats waiting to find out if my kids are naughty tomorrow, eh?

I will do my best to spice up my life in the days to come :)