Archive | Interests RSS feed for this section

I’m Back from Harry Potter Land…well, sort of

26 Jul

I’m finished.  I started reading the book Sunday night (as you know) and I’m finished.  Don’t worry, I didn’t neglect the children and Andrew too much during these last 4 days.  I really only hurt myself – staying up until almost dawn trying to read as much as I could.

It was incredible.  (Don’t worry – I’m not going to give anything away.)  I got goosebumps.  I cried.  I laughed.  I did exactly what I’ve done for every book.  It just amazes me how it captivates me.  I’m still all emotional today thinking about how it’s all over.  No more books to read.  No new adventures.  Now, I only have to wait on the movies and reread the books.

Speaking of movies, Andrew is taking me to see the newest movie tonight and I am so excited but it’s going to be strange to watch the movie knowing what I know now.  I will get over it though.  Anything to make the story last longer.

(By the way, Andrew never did watch movies 2 through 4 but he says he doesn’t want me to miss out on seeing this new movie in the theater.  Isn’t he a trooper?)

Tags:

You won’t hear from me for awhile…

23 Jul

It's just so bittersweet...

I didn’t think it would get here until Monday or Tuesday because I didn’t pay for shipping but amazon.com didn’t let me down!  The last “Harry Potter” book arrived on Saturday and I just got my hands on it today because I was in Savannah when it arrived.  (Although Ginger awesomely let me hold hers.  So Ginger – have you started yours yet?)

I almost don’t want to start mine because then it will all be over. I know I will reread each book before each movie that comes out but it’s just not the same. I might sound really silly to some of you – I wish I could explain to you why I love this story so much – it’s just so incredible and wonderful and I just really appreciate the imagination behind it all. Andrew doesn’t get it – he just doesn’t like it and we’ve actually had arguments over it because I’m saddened (and dumbfounded) that he doesn’t give it the respect I feel it deserves. I do have to give him credit though – he did buy me the cupcakes you see in the pictures. I thought that was very nice of him (since he basically loses his wife while Harry’s around). We all enjoyed the treats.

Nate Celebrates Harry's Final Year

Nia Enjoys a Potter Treat

I thought of it as a way of saying “Sorry family, I’m going to be a little distracted over these next few days. Please accept these cupcakes as a token of mommy’s guilt for neglecting you.”

That said – Harry, here I come.

Here's to Harry!

Tags: , ,

Fun and Sun at the Park

2 Jul
Picnic Time

 

Bird Watching

 

Teeter Totter Princess

 

Super Nate!

 

Squeezing Down the Slide

 

Daddy Spinning Daughter

 

Tags: ,

Too Young to Point and Click?

30 Jun

Computer Kid
Nia is really becoming a computer game junkie and I’m wondering if I should be worried.  She’s not playing shoot ’em up games or anything like that – it’s all educational stuff – but I still can’t help but think she’s a little too young to want to play on the computer every day.

The other part of me though thinks it’s good for her because she’s going to have to learn how to use one eventually so what’s the harm in starting at 4?  I’m actually impressed at how well she can work the mouse and use the keyboard to type her name.  She even knows how to fix her typing if she messes up. I sometimes catch myself staring at her in amazement as she drags and drops things on the screen by using the mouse.

It’s funny because I think about what I was doing at her age.  I didn’t even know what a computer was.  In fact, I really didn’t even touch a computer until my senior year in high school and then it was one of those huge beasts that didn’t even have a mouse.  Nia’s already smarter than me!  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Now, if we can just teach her how to blog and pay the bills – well, maybe coloring pictures and learning how to spell are enough for now.

Tags: , ,

I’m a Nut Job

30 Jun

Even if I’m just walking a few feet from the kitchen to the table, I carry it with me.

I try to plan my day so I will be able to have time to enjoy it. (Nate’s nap time, Nia’s rest time)

When I’m not absorbed in it, I’m thinking about it. (While I’m cooking/doing the dishes…)

I talk about it to other people even if they don’t want to really talk about it. (People at the YMCA/my loyal husband)

This is not the first time I’ve been like this and I know it will not be the last.

Harry Potter consumes my mind.

I just reread the 5th book “Order of the Phoenix” in anticipation of the movie (in theaters July 11th!) and now I am rereading the 6th book “Half Blood Prince” in anticipation of the 7th (which will be in my mailbox on July 21st).
I was even trying to plan out how I should prepare for all of this upcoming Potter excitement.  I sought help from Andrew (who has absolutely no interest in the books/movies and is only taking me to this movie because I agreed he could have unlimited time playing PlayStation.)  I asked him if I should wait until after we watch the movie to reread the 6th book because then that way I will have a clear stream of events. He said he thought that would be a good idea (trying his hardest to care) and while I thought so too I couldn’t help but begin the 6th.

I’m also re-watching movies 1-4 and I’ve advised Andrew he needs to watch them so he’ll have an idea of what’s going on with the movie.  Just to give you an idea of how that’s going – we started watching the first movie last night – he only lasted 45 minutes before falling asleep.  I, naturally, am in total disbelief that he doesn’t love this story as much as I love it. I think he’s just jealous of all the time I’ve been spending with Harry.
 

Tags: ,

Our Little Mermaid

21 Jun

Nia is finally getting over her fear of going under water!  Today, she went under all by herself at swim lessons!  She was so excited.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full underwater event on camera, but I thought you would like to see the action I did capture.

Tags: ,

You Crack Me Up

15 Jun

When’s the last time you had a really good laugh?  Like the kind that makes your stomach hurt and your eyes fill with tears?  The kind that forces you to leave your mouth open even though you have no sound coming out of it?  I’ve been so lucky lately and I’ve had quite a few of those laughs.  I thought it would be fun to share the moments that made them happen – maybe they would make you smile too.

  • The drunk driving scene in “40-year-old Virgin”.  It does not matter how many times I’ve seen this part – I will crack up just as hard as I did the first time.  I always ask to have it played again too because it is just so ridiculously funny. (It’s not that I support drunk driving in any way – the whole scene is so crazy
  • The time when I was just about asleep and I heard Andrew spill his water and say “Shit!”  For some strange reason, I sat straight up (like a rope had pulled my upper half) and breathlessly gasped, “What?!?!”  It was just so funny how Andrew kept making fun of me and reenacting the way I sat straight up.
  • The old “Celebrity Jeopardy” skits on SNL.  I can’t help but lose it when I watch them.  Especially when “Alex” gives them the answer and they all still say the wrong thing.
  • The night I started to tell Andrew something but stopped and made a “Ner” noise.  When he asked me what I was going to say I told him nothing.  It was hilarious how he kept saying “NER!” and the fact that he thought it was funny that I just stopped talking like that made it even more of a riot.
  • Nia when she lets out a fake laugh that actually really sounds kind of psycho. Or when she makes a goofy face just to make me laugh.  I think it’s awesome how she likes to make me happy like that.

These were just a few of the hysterical memories.  I know they may not come across as quite so funny over this blog – but it was a lot of fun for me to remember them!  You should share yours too if you want!

 

Read and post comments

 

Tags: , ,

Growing Up So Fast

19 May

Getting Braver Every Day

Nia started taking gymnastics lessons at the Y about 5 weeks ago and tonight she got to show her stuff with all the other little gymnasts during a “meet.”  It was so adorable and I’m so excited we got to experience it.  When she first started she was a chicken liver – now, she hardly hesitates to jump from one thing to the next.  She even walked across the balance beam all by herself for two steps!  It makes me sad to see her growing up so fast but then I’m also happy about it – she’s a lot of fun and it’s neat to see the little person she’s becoming.  Also, the more she learns about growing up, the more I learn about parenting (which is actually kind of scary).

In fact, this event gave me my first real taste of worrying about my child being left out of something.  At the end of the “meet” they passed out trophies to all the kids. Well, I had noticed that they left several of the gymnasts’ names out of the programs (Nia’s was one of them), so I was already bummed that they did that (I was suffering from the whole “how dare they forget my daughter?!?!” attitude).  Because of that, I automatically started stressing that she wouldn’t get a trophy.  They went in alphabetical order so that didn’t help the situation.  I just kept watching her stare at all the other kids whose last names fell between A and U – I wondered what she was thinking…”Wow, look at their shiny trophies…I hope I get a shiny trophy too…I wonder why I haven’t yet?”  Finally, her name was called – Andrew and I relaxed and she beamed.  She was so quick to jump up and run over to collect her shiny trophy that she didn’t even pose at the top of the mat like all the other kids did.  She just grabbed it, turned around and ran to sit down and inspect it.

Daddy & Gymnast

It just feels good to see her so happy.  She loves “bynastics” (as she calls it) and I love watching her have a blast.

 

 

Tags: , , ,

Maybe I should change my taste in music?

17 May

More and more, Nia is learning the lyrics to songs that I like to jam to during the day.  While they are not the explicit versions, there’s still something in me that says maybe I shouldn’t listen to such things when she’s in earshot.  But then I remember singing things I shouldn’t have when I was little (Prince’s “Darling Nikki” for one) and not knowing what the heck I was saying.  I’m just a little worried that she’s going to break out in one of these songs while we’re in a church-like crowd or while she’s in the child watch at the YMCA.  I can just imagine the faces of the sweet, old ladies when she starts to rock.  What’s worse about it all is that I still think it’s hilariously adorable (and I actually encourage her to sing it as the video will show)!

Tags: , ,

Our Little Reader

17 Mar

This is one of Nia’s favorite books.

Tags: ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →