Movie Going

The girls and I went to the movies today (rather than clean or set up Christmas stuff -- maybe I'll tackle that tomorrow).

We saw Ralph Wrecks the Internet. We'd never seen the original, Wreck-It Ralph, but our friend gave us a synopsis last night when we said we were going. It was OK, and the mildly tense parts weren't too scary for Jane.

We went to the Movie Tavern because it's so convenient to knock out a movie and lunch together. But man it's expensive. There was also a 9:30 at a regular theater type, and that might have been better. But we had such a late night (not in bed until after 9 for the girls since it was bath night and we'd been hanging by a wood burning fire so hair needed to get washed anyway), I didn't know that we'd be able to rally and get around by then. (We were almost ready by 9:30, but it would have been pushing it.)

It wasn't as crowded as I expected, and there were many free seats. This theater isn't really near shopping, but I'd still think today would be a big movie day. I'd preferred to have seen something else, but kid choices are limited.

The movie crossed over into Livia's nap, so after she ate her food (and she demolished the chicken tenders and fruit cup), she climbed into my lap. I ALWAYS have to go to the bathroom in movies -- no matter how much I do or don't drink -- so it was tricky at the end. She melted down on the car ride home, and we were able to get her a short nap. Hope that doesn't wreck bedtime tonight!

I like doing out and doing things with my girls, but I hate when it's not appreciated and I have to deal with yelling on the way home. (Liv wasn't the only one who melted down.) Screen time in ANY form seems to do a number on my girls.

All is fine now, and they're playing play doh. I'd really like to see Mary Poppins Returns -- maybe something we can do during our trip to see Shawn's family right after Christmas.

Speaking of, I think I'll start unpacking some boxes and decorating here and there. (Tree isn't up yet -- that's a Shawn job!)

Movie Memory Lane

We have been watching old musicals around here, mostly checking out from the library. It started with Mary Poppins, which we watched because one of the girls' friends dressed up as her for Halloween (and coincidentally so did our cousin's family, which we saw on Facebook later!). The girls both liked it, and Jane especially liked that the little girl was named Jane! The songs were a big hit, and we've listened to the sound track multiple times (it's available free with Amazon Prime music). It was just a REALLY long movie, at more than 2.5 hours. Many scenes could have been edited tighter and some eliminated. But times have changed, as have attention spans I guess?! Jane had no trouble watching it all the way through, but Livia was bored in some parts. Not sure if we'll try to see Mary Poppins Returns in theaters, but I do look forward to watching it at some point.

From there we watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks and then Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which is one I probably had seen at Great Aunt Norma Lee's house because we would rent and watch movies often when we would stay there. CCBB wasn't a favorite, but it does have a couple of great songs. It too was a LONG movie, nearly 3 hours, and could have used editing even more than Mary Poppins. The first copy we got was scratched, so we had to track down another copy at a different library branch. And just yesterday I noticed it's available on Amazon Prime, so Jane wants to watch it again. Since we're on Thanksgiving break we plan to do that this afternoon (starting before Livia gets up from her nap so she doesn't have to watch ALL of it again, even though I'm sure she'd say she does want to see it all).

I've started thinking about other movies that were old when I watched them as a kid that Jane hasn't seen. She's kind of sensitive and gets scared easily (let's not talk about The Grinch - Jim Carrey version - shall we?), but the older movies, especially musicals, seem to have enough whimsy and make it clear what's pretend scary (or even what they try to show as scary is just silly when it's being sung!).

There's The Wizard of Oz, and also Heidi, the Shirley Temple version. I looked that up on Amazon and there was a DVD available for about $4, so Jane's getting that in her stocking! I know we watched a few other Shirley Temple movies on repeat, but I can't remember now. I'm sure I could find them just by looking at her Wikipedia page. Sound of Music is another one (and also LONG!) that Jane might enjoy. There are also a lot of Disney movies Jane hasn't seen (Beauty & the Beast, Lion King, etc.), and we can probably find those via the library.

Do you have any movie recommendations that would be suitable for a 7-year-old with a sensitive side -- either from when you were a kid or current favorites?

Hallelujah

This SNL cold open was powerful and, if not healing at least comforting, to me. I watched it live last night, and I was grateful I had decided to. I wasn't sure I could stand watching Alec Baldwin's Trump now that there's nothing at all funny about it. I definitely cried during the song. (And woah - Dave Chappelle was funny af.)

(FYI: Leonard Cohen's "Ain't No Cure For Love" was the song Shawn and I danced to at our wedding reception.)

Church this morning made me feel a little better and a little worse.

The sermon was good, although there was nothing condemning hate crimes, racism or vulnerable people. There was some mention of the "hurricane of a week," and the point was made ... I think. But I'm sure people of the opposite persuasion as me could read their own meaning into it.

Communion is always good. And a way to help me look at the bigger picture beyond just a nation falling.

BUT I also felt a little crazy ... because no one else seemed upset. Maybe no one could tell I'm upset either though, as I continued with me "just fine" answer while juggling the girls. Maybe things really won't impact the people I know. Maybe I'm overreacting.

But I don't think so.

Make It So

Incredible, amazing, I love it. H/T my cousin Lisa.

Video: To My Friends Without Kids

Jimmy Fallon, Idina Menzel & The Roots Sing "Let It Go" from "Frozen" (w...

Kiddie Videos

Since Jane climbed out of her crib I have been wary of exercising during her naptime, mostly because I don't want to be surprised and I want to be able to hear her at all times. So I've altered our routine and do the exercises in the morning (I tried doing them at the same time and letting her stay up, but I ended up rage-filled trying to do something I didn't like with the added hindrance of a needs-to-be-napping toddler).

Working out in the morning after breakfast has been working out so far -- maybe a week and a half? She's less clingy (hard to do push-ups with an extra 30 lbs on your back), and she likes to pretend to do some of the exercises and read or play the rest of the time. I still get mad when she climbs on me but we're working on sorting that out.

After my exercises she wants to do "toddler exercises," because I showed her a Mickey Mousercize video once. It snowballed from there to watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Hot Dog video and a Jimmy Fallon & the Roots sing the Sesame Street theme video (oh-em-gee I love it!). I even watched "Let it Go" from Frozen with her -- making me want to see the movie that much more. And we watched the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood intro song. Nostalgia!

So, her no-screen time is officially broken, as put them together and it's about 5-10 minutes a day (plus the exercise video, which is usually 25-35 minutes). Still less than the 1-2 hour limit recommended by the AAP. I don't feel good or bad about it -- just neutral I guess. She LOVES it though, and I know if I were to leave her in front of a running YouTube set up or something she'd be still and quiet for a good chunk of time. As it is I watch with her and try to get her to dance with the music -- sometimes she will, sometimes not. And then we shut it down for the day and transition into something else -- books, playing, going out, whatever.

For what it's worth here are our regular favorites so far:

Mari & Jane on TV

Jane made her debut on TV while riding in the backpack. We were interviewed for a local TV station about the restorations being made to the monuments and next Capitol. The reporter wanted me to talk about how it's an inconvenience to tourists. So I did my part. Not hard hitting journalism, but whatever.

Seriously my opinion is: scaffold the whole darn town. Just keep the Metro running and the zoo and museums open!

Our inarticulate part in the video is two minutes in:
DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG

FWD: God Whispers

A little video that was forwarded to me that I thought you might like.

Random: the biggest butterfly I've ever seen (seriously, the size of a robin or something) was flying around in the back yard while I was doing my exercise today. Maybe it will come back when Jane's awake so she can see it too.

Paperman

Found via This Was Supposed to Be My Symphony.

My Daughter is Not a Princess

Jane isn't old enough to watch TV (and the irony is not lost on me that I watch enough TV for two or three people myself), but someday maybe we'll watch this clip together. A Supreme Court justice is telling one of the characters (Abby Cadabby -- the weird one I can never figure out why she's able to do magic in the books we read) about careers. Being a princess is not a career.

Since I've been home my Gran and dad have both called Jane "a little princess." I know it's a term of endearment, and I haven't said anything like "don't call her that," even though I cringe a little when I hear it. (I don't think they called Owen "a little prince," but I wouldn't doubt it entirely, especially for my Gran.)

Jane is a lot of things. She's funny and amazing and smart and strong and beautiful (and every synonym of those words). But she's not a princess.

Nightly Concerts

Jane's having a bit of sleep regression, probably from teething or maybe just from me being too inconsistent with our routines. But I sing a lot around bedtime and naptimes.

My Favorite Things is a current favorite in the rotation (although all time favorite is probably Twinkle Twinkle). I also sing a couple Trisha songs, some Pearl Jam and church hymns ... basically whatever I can remember the words to that won't drive me crazy to hear again.

Elf Yourself 2011

This post will be obsolete in a couple months when they stop hosting the videos, but I think it still counts for nablopomo.

Also, someone's umbilical cord stump fell off today ... and she went to the doctor and weighs almost 11 lbs!

Adele: Someone Like You

I didn't watch the VMAs ... actually can't remember the last time I would have watched that, or even the last time I've looked at MTV ... but I did watch this video when it came up on a blog I read. Yowza. Not so much the song itself, although it's lovely. But her voice. No lip syncing there.

We All Love Lucy

It's the 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball's birthday. Google has transformed its doodle into a 50s style TV that plays a clip before going to a search results page for her name. (Click around the dial to see them all.)

I first remember watching Lucy with my Grandma Jane. Oh how I laughed. Favorites include Vita-meata-vegi-men, the Chocolate Factory, and the one where Ricky sings "we're having a baby, my baby and me."

I watched some while living in NYC, which gave the show a similar "I know where that is" vibe that I got when re-watching Seinfeld.

Watch some Lucy (CBS has episodes online), eat some chocolate, get into some crazy antics, fake cry to get your husband's attention and keep on loving Lucy.

What's your favorite episode?

Pretty Girl Rock

Saw this video a while back, and I don't normally like to watch videos, so it was probably a random flip through thing. And then I heard the song in the car and really liked it. I am finally trying to use my iTunes gift card from Christmas (and a random $10 I had in my iTune account from filling out a survey or something?) and this is one of the songs I bought. I really like that her name is Keri, so Mari works in the song just as easily. :)

It's been a good weekend, and today, Sunday, will be super good too b/c Shawn is home from his quick jaunt to Texas and we can groove together before the start of the work week and impending arrival of some certain in-laws of mine!

Also, bring it Mardi Gras!

Social Media Policy

Sharing what I saw yesterday on a Strategic Public Relations blog. Oh, Doofenschmirtz.

Off to work at a campus closed for ice that didn't happen. Hope the heat is on in my building. I should be able to park closer to it though, so there's that.

Asymmetry

photo © 2010 KO_Photos | more info (via: Wylio)I have a crooked smile.

I have a crooked hairline and now a crooked haircut that's literally and figuratively growing on me.

I'd walk a crooked mile for this crooked life of mine, which reminds me of this nursery rhyme.

The asymmetry isn't all bad I guess. I'm getting used to it. I'm changing my blogging habits to allow growth, or something akin to that. If I published everything I thought or wrote ... it would be something else I guess. I don't do draft posts. I type, I publish, then I think. SO ... trying to think before I write leads to fewer posts. Change the process change my world, or at least my blog.

Remnants of old style chronicle of life: today I woke up at 7 a.m. when Shawn left. And I stayed up, even though that's earlier than I get up during the week (I know, lazy bones). Today I have done all the laundry. I have had too much coffee, including some at the coffee shop where I did my Bible study "homework." Today I have watched a lot of TV -- basically cleared out my DVR list (easy to do when you start at 7 a.m.).

I'm still thinking about how Medium ended, which is the pretend part of my real-or-pretend post on OSU, in that the TV series finale made me feel sad and introspective in a similar way to the sadness I felt in response to the anniversary of something real that happened.

I have been finishing books and not writing about them -- two of late being Evolving in Monkey Town and To Have Not. Those are easy enough blog posts to jump start my 2011 count. Crochet projects are easy too -- and that's another thing I did today -- wash and block and photograph my latest blanket for a grad school friend's baby.

Today I walked in the sunshine and sat outside in the 70-degree January weather. Southern Louisiana isn't all bad, at least weather-wise. This is my home now, so I have to make the best of it.

NYC Timelapse

NYC - Mindrelic Timelapse from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

My Flash keeps crashing so I can't watch this, but I looked at it at work and e-mailed it to myself.

Dear Santa

Watching Miracle on 34th Street for the first time, and I have been cooking for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners -- so far just the deviled eggs and cranberry salad. Yum-oh. Tonight we're having ham and tomorrow will be turkey. Just the four of us (thank goodness for Christmas Day NBA basketball games!), and then on Boxing Day we'll go to Shawn's aunt's house for a bigger party with the rest of the extended fam. We had dinner with Shawn's dad's family on Tuesday after we arrived.

Thinking about Santa puts me in a greedy frame of mind. Gimme, gimme, gimme. I just perused my Google bookmarks, and the category labeled "i want." In the past couple years I've been using it I've amassed 100 bookmarks of items I want, and that doesn't count items on my Amazon list. Some of them are dead links now -- like a dress I liked over a year ago that's no longer available. A lot of letterpress stuff, tons of specific Etsy things, travel products, jewelry (especially w/ an m and/or w), a few books and a magnetic photo rope.

That's not what Christmas is about. Hope you find the real meaning of Christmas in your holiday this year.