Happy New Year -- Movie Review

One baby down, one watching Blue's Clues and the husband watching the game which leave me time for blogging. What a way to spend New Year's Eve.

Christmas was awesome. The kids got so many gifts and my sweetie got me a digital camera. It was on my WISH LIST but I hardly expected it. This year has been financially challenging. I am sure he will be paying for it all year.

In the past few days I have watched quite a few movies; some good, some really bad..here's the wrap up.

The Notebook - I ABSOLUTELY ADORED IT! What a great movie with great acting. This is the story of a first love, lost love and eternal love. Ryan Gosling (I have to Google him) is adorable and Rachel McAdams has great personality. The story is told through the pages of a notebook that is being read by a gentleman to a women in a nursing home suffering through dementia. I won't say any more that might give the story away but it is totally worth watching.

















Hitch - I love Will Smith but I didn't LOVE this movie. I liked it. Will plays a "date doctor who helps the average man score with some above average women. Eve Mendes is annoying as she tries to play the power, I don't need a man to complete me bitch role but eventually falls for Hitch. Kevin James plays the average Joe who hires Hitch to win over the rich chick.





















Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Received the DVD for Christmas. I couldn't wait to pop this baby in. It was OK....I wasn't sure what to expect, I had loved the original so much. I wasn't completely disappointed but I wasn't blown over. Well if you don't know this is the story of poor little Charlie Bucket who wins a Golden Ticket which will get him into the chocolate factory of the eccentric Willie Wonka. The movie is pure Tim Burton who adapted much of the original book by Roald Dahl. I loved seeing how the updated the chocolate factory; film imagery was very different when they filmed the original back in what 1971. My biggest complaint is that Depp is a sadistic version of Michael Jackson this can be a bit annoying at times but other than that I will watch it again. Eventually.



















The Longest Yard - I wasn't expecting to like this movie but I did. It wasn't bad at all. I loved Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds . Adam Sandler plays a pro quarter back who is sent to prison and asked to put together a team of inmates to play against the guards. There are some really funny moments as he heads out to recruit inmates. My husband and I laughed out loud.




















The Phantom of the Opera - I loved it! The movie was a dramopera if you will. I loved the music. I love musicals! I had never seen Phantom on Broadway so I am not sure if I would feel differently had I. As I was watching it I was wishing that Les Miserables had been done this way when they tried to make it into a movie. EMMY ROSSUM who plays Christine the Chorus girl who the Phantom falls for is talented and has a beautiful voice. I can't wait to see it again. The movie was beautiful, the costumes stunning, the sets exquisite. What more can I say.

Quick Summary Post

So much happening..I hope to get back to this in the near future.
Girlfriend Christmas Get-Together- Kids (7 of them) had a great time. Love watching all our kids play together it is so heartwarming.
Christmas Shopping-DONE
Christmas Wrapping-DONE
Christmas Pictures-DONE
Christmas Newsletters-MAILED OUT
Christmas Baking-Yule Logs, Sweet Potato Casserole, no candy this year.

Here are the Yule Logs














Sweet Potato Casserole

There is nothing like Girlfriends!!! oh and a good husband

Wow, what a life! Thursday I hung out with my buddy Bekkah at my home. Fun visit, catching up, and female discussions. My son, Bek's Godson was extremely entertaining and very affectionate. He kept plopping down next to her and putting his head on her arm (her shoulder if he could reach). He came by for tons of hugs and danced around for her. Too funny! My little man! No pics, not sure why! I always have the camera out.

Today I got together with three friends at Houlihans for some lunch, drinks, convo, and laughs. Lunch was awesome (lettuce wraps: sesame chicken wrapped in lettuce leafs, Ahi Tuna Salad: seared rare tuna over nappa cabbage with cilantro, bananas and cashews tossed in banana ginger vinaigrette, big yum, much kudos to Houlis for this one. Wow...I could eat this every day. One tall glass of water, one mojito, one cappachino and a triple berry cobbler).

We were probably loud and obnoxious to our table neighbors but we had the best time. We took pictures. laughed, and ate. Man did I eat. I am not used to getting to eat without little ones around. I don't know if I came up for air until I was done with my berry cobbler.

The biggest problem was that I had not nursed my daughter for 6 hours and I couldn't wait to get home. I was sure that her daddy had feed her but I was so uncomfortable.

About the man..he was loving, talkative and sexy for the past three days. There is nothing like a man who tells you here's some money, go out with your friends, the kids and I will have fun. Yesterday he took the boy out in the snow for almost 2 hours. He also called a friend to congratulate them on some good news and offer his services for anything they need, he did a friend a favor and when they paid him for it he decided to put the money back into their medical fund. What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man. a friend joked that he must have been visited by the ghosts of Christmas past.

Here are some pics from today












Here are pics from yesterday in the snow

The tree is up..Christmas has arrived

Yesterday my husband put the tree up (after the game of course). It seems like every year since my son was born I put out less Christmas decorations which doesn't seem right. I thought I would put out more because I want him to experience the Christmas magic that I had as a child. There really is no place to put the things I would like to put out which is probably why. We have a bi-level or a raised ranch which haves a half wall in the living room. I used to use that wall to put all the bric-a-brac. Now with the 2 year old who would love to hear the crashing noise as he sent my collectibles over the edge that seems impossible.

Well..here is the tree



















Here is my son running around very excited about the tree
















Here is the little girl, playing on the floor - finally...she sits up! Hooray!

Amateur Movie Review - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Yesterday when my husband was working, and the little man took a nice long nap I decided to rent a chick flick. I had wanted to see the Sisterhood when it was in the movies because I adore Amber Tamblyn since her General Hospital days and Joan of Arcadia she is also a very talented writer; and who doesn't love Alexis Bledel from The Gilmore Girls but since I have 2 little ones, and it is a CHICK FLICK it was pretty much out of the question.

What a great friendship movie. I love movies that remind me that one of the best things in life is to have great girlfriends. I now need to read the book by Anne Brashares. The story is of 4 friends who spend their first summer apart. They meet as babies, their moms were all in the same prenatal exercise class. Got to love that! They find a special pair jeans that fits all of them perfectly (only in the movies). Everyone wears the jeans for a week and then passes it on to the next with a note about what special thing happened to them while wearing the special pants.

The storyline rocked, the actors shined and the tears did flow. I love a movie that makes me cry if only for a moment.

7 Things

I got this from YukonMom way back in September.

7 things that scare me:

1. The thing in the shower
2. The thing under the bed
3. The thing in the closet
4. Being a passenger instead of the driver. I am a horrible passenger
5. Flying
6. The thought of something happening to one of my babies
7. Fire

7 things I like the most:
1. Spending time with my little family
2. My girlfriends
3. My kids smile/laughter
4. Music
5. Autumn weather
6. The smell of toast and coffee in the morning
7. A really great book and time to read it

7 random facts about me:
1. I am extremely sensitive and cry easily
2. My dad is gay
3. I wanted kids for many years before I actually had them
4. I love being a Mommy
5. I met my husband after following him through 2 cities by car
6. I love to sing
7. I ain't so good at singing

7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. See the Northern lights
2. Learn to quilt
3. See a space shuttle launch
4. Take my kids to Disney
5. Write a book
6. Go on vacation with my husband
7. See my grandchildren

7 things I say the most:
1. "No!"
2. "F*ck"
3. "Wait a minute"
4. "Jesse!"
5. "Hello?"
6. "You want Wiggles?"
7. "Hi Baby"


7 celeb crushes:
1. George Clooney
2. Johnny Depp
3. Leonard DiCaprio
4. Tim McGraw
5. Nick Lachey
6. Bruce Willis
7. Maurice Benard

7 favorite drinks:
1. Water
2. Tea
3. Coffee
4. Dr. Pepper
5. Milk
6. Seltzer
7. Champagne

7 memorable kiddie shows I used to watch:
1. Sigmen the Sea Monster
2. Sesame Street
3. Puff N Stuff
4. The Magic Garden
5. The Buggaloos

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. My husband bringing home a piece of chocolate cake after hearing how stressed I was.
2. Bek calling in from the road to talk about her day.
3. A new local drive through breakfast place. It is so hard to take two babies out of the car just to get a cup of coffee or a breakfast roll.
4. Another beautiful day; crisp and bright.
5. My son's little kisses on my head while I try to get in a few minutes of stomach exercises.