Brave...Another Disney Hit at Mothers

Ok I love Disney movies.  They are cute and funny at times.  Kids love them and what child or adult does not want to go to the magical place with rides and amusements to meet their favorite characters with a big hug or to be a princess for a day? Their movies have great animation that gets better each year and completely original story lines, except for one thing.  The mother.

Why does Disney always try to get rid of they mother? Bambi's mother gets shot, Nemo's gets eaten, what ever happened to Cinderella's mommy, and now Brave.  A bear.... ok so it fits the story line and she does come back back. One small win for mothers every where.

The trend has gone on for so long that it has to be one of the long kept secrets of the huge brand of Disney.  There are so many different movies made over the years with out mothers in them that it could not have been just one animator pissed because of the loss of his mommy.  I never really though about this growing up. Then I had  a wonderfully smart little boy that asked "Where is their mom?"  It got me thinking and I had no answer.

So my question is why is the happiest place on earth trying to scare the crap out of their primary market?  At least we finally see a mother in Shrek.  Maybe Disney needs a few girls working for them.  A little change never hurts.  I am open if you would like a few honest suggestions on any topic to better your company. Plus my child is dying to visit Animal Kingdom.

The Voice New Season

Who is excited about the new season of The Voice?  I will miss the old coaches, but I am really liking what the new coaches bring to the show. Shakira is really aggressive and goes for what she wants with all guns blazing. The fun attitude is still there and who could go wrong with Adam and Blake?  They make a great entertaining team.  The first night was amazing and loaded with talent.  I can not wait to see which team wins.  The guest artist should me amazing as well.

Most of the contestants so far have heart wrenching back stories so you want them all to have their dreams come true  They younger try outs are rocking it hard!  They have great potential for future stars. The competition is already fierce and the season has just began.  The couches are going to have a rough time eliminating singers.

I am a sucker for big voices and indy artist, but am having a hard time deciding which is my personal favorite.  Next week will probably make my decision worse.  It is a great decision to be bothered with so I can not wait to see what else the show has in store for the season.  Good luck to all of them! They all deserve a shot at winning.

Finally watched The Hobbit

The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey told a great story of good vs evil in the form of dwarfs plus one hobbit, against a lot of ugly goblins.  They go on a journey where a hobbit that has never left his home before finds out that he can be courageous.  He eventually wins over all of the dwarfs and slays a few goblins of his own.

Everyone I talked to had seen this in theater and loved it. I can see why.  The costume design, makeup, settings and special effects were seamless.  So on a huge screen, I bet it was stunning.  It was amazing to watch here at home.  The different landscapes as the group traveled were as near perfect as anything can get.  Even the darker, more gloomy places were amazing to watch.  I loved all of the design elements that went into the film.  The acting was solid, but I just could not get in with the plot.  It did nothing for me.
 
I have to admit though, my husband was the one who loved Lord of the Rings.  I watched to because it was a good story and looked great on tv.  I just never really fell for it.  Not my kind of story.  I love supernatural things, but I see dwarfs and think of Snow White being cared for in a forest.  Then the same thinking always hits me : Why does she need seven to get the job done?  Then I pull my mind out of the gutter and get down to the principle and the emotions those dwarfs stand for.  Finally remembering it is a kids movie. One I never liked. I over think things, but that is where the fun comes in.

Anyway back to the fighting dwarfs and hobbit.  The little hobbit saves the day and earns the respect he deserves from everyone.  They meet a few nasty creatures along the way, and for me that is that.  It is worth a watch just for the design and graphics alone.

Movie night

It is a nice cold and rainy day.  I have a good book that I just started, and plans for at least one movie tonight. The little monster is wanting to go see The Croods I still have not see The Hobbit.  I guess we will see how the weather is this afternoon.  If it is still raining than I think a night in would be great for us.

Who knows, we may find a couple of movies to watch since it is the last official late night of spring break.  Either way, we will be staying up late, eating popcorn and ice cream while catching up on a few movies and good reads.  I think a nap is in order now so I will be able to keep up with him later tonight.  It will be fun.  I love late nights like this.

Promise Not To Tell

I finished Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not To Tell last night.  It had all of my favorites, except naked grown men.  I love a secretive past along with a haunting of a child.  This was an easy read packed full of mysteries and secrets of little girls.  The past of school nurse Kate collides with another little girl when Kate is forced to return home after years away to care for her mother's declining health.  A little girl, Opal reminds Kate of a past she has tried to forget and leave behind.  Opal looks like a childhood friend of Kate that was murdered years before in the woods next to the hippie commune where Kate lived.

Kate's childhood friend was found dead in the woods, stripped of her clothing and of a tattoo that only Kate and the boy that gave the tattoo knew about.  The murder happened after a severe day of bulling the suspect.  Kids threw rocks at the little girl, called her names and tried to basically do anything to make her feel like crap.  The girl took it with a laugh and was not bothered until she found out that Kate had told her secret of the tattoo on her chest.  Feeling betrayed the little girl runs off as fast as she can.  Later she is found dead. The case is never solved and the killer still roams free.

Flash to current day at the hippie commune where Kate grew up. Kate's mother has Alzheimer mixed in with a little ghostly possession that Kate determines to be her long dead childhood friend that everyone made fun of.  Another little girl is found dead on the night of Kate's return. This forces Kate to confront the past she had ran away from long ago.  She revisits childhood friends in search of the truth as to what happened to her best friends years before.  She learns more about her friend than she ever knew, and slowly begins to learn about the new kid in her life, Opal.

Everything comes together smoothly for a read that is hard to put down.  Just when you think you know the answers, something else comes up.  Kate ends up being the hero along with the ghost of her dead friend.  I do not want to give too much away plus it is hard to fill in all the details when there are so many small things that add up in the ending.

The characters are all special in their own way.  They are very believable with their own pasts, flaws and personalities that shine through while reading.  Everything just fits each person and setting.  Seamless flow from past to present.  I can not wait to read another from McMahon.  Only question is should I go with Island of Lost Girls or maybe Dismantled?

Crappie Fishing

I took a break from reading and writing yesterday afternoon for a few hours to go in pursuit of the elusive crappie that have been evading me for a year in the pond.  The fish were added to the pond two winters ago and averaged around three inches long.  We caught every other fish that was stocked to check their growth.  We knew spawning was going very well since the banks were covered with tiny little fish.  They were so small and fast it was hard to identify the type of fish they were. 

This past week the temps have finally gotten high enough to get the fish moving around and feeding.  The catfish and bream can be seen easily while feeding in the afternoons.  The crappie however do not let you know that they are still there.  They will be the first fish to spawn in the pond this year.  I wanted to see their growth before this happened so I would not take them off of their spawning grounds.

I chose a white and green artificial minnow for the afternoon fishing.  Then waited and waited.  Finally, I got the first bite and knew right away that I had what I was looking for!  I pulled the little guy in for a close check up.  He looked like he had been eating well and had gained a few inches in length.  Soon it will be time for frogs to lay eggs along with all the bugs that are emerging.  Hopefully this will encourage more growth in the little fish species that hates me.  This little guy below is back in the pond with his friends probably to never be seen again.

New Author.. McMahon

I have found a few books from an author I have not read before.  I started Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not to Tell last night.  The reviews sounded great and I was in the mood for a few old locked up mysteries from the past.

So far it is a fast and easy read, but still I am only 70 pages into this 200 page work.  I like the pace and suspense that is building up from flopping back and forth between the past and current events.  It starts with a school nurse coming home after years away from her mother.  Her mother has Alzheimer's and is slowly getting worse.   A decision must be made on the future of her mother.  Should she stay home or go to assisted living?

The nurse, Kate, is also hiding things from her past about the murder of her best childhood friend.  However, no one knows that they were friends.  Kate will only admit to herself the friendship they had.  Just as Kate returns home, another murder happens similar to the one from her past.  Now the questions are being raised about the ghost of the first victim coming back for revenge.  Although, on the night of the most recent murder, Kate's mother was found wondering with dirt all over her.

I can not wait to see how this ends.  The children in this novel are constantly being bullied, so with everything adding to detail, it is hard to see how this will play out.  I love the strong characters, that all have their own personality shine through.  Back to reading for now.  This one is hard to put down.

Here Comes The Boom Review

My husband and I thought we would have another family movie night with the little monster since it is Spring Break and we have no other big plans this week.  Only thing planned is a lot of rest.  We all agreed on Here Comes The Boom.  I have loved Kevin James for years.  His acting is too fun to watch and his writing is even better.  How could you not like The King of Queens or Grown Ups?

The movie starts off with a burnt out teacher.  A few comments are made about the school system leading you to believe that is most of his problem for not caring any more.  I can relate to that having been in a classroom for years.  Every year there a new boundaries set for each grade level.  Expectations are high and continue to grow.  Then there are kids and parents with too much attitude.  Raising the bar is always great, but I do not see how some schools could fit in any more worksheets.   Well, that is a whole other topic.  Back to the break from reality with this movie.

James stays true to form, always being a big emotional softy.  While conning the music teaching into taking over bus duty for the day, he learns that the music teacher will be a father soon.  All is fine and great until a staff meeting announcing budget cuts.  Of course the cuts will come from mainly non-athletic extra-curriculum activities.  Mostly Music.  James stands up for the passionate music teacher, not wanting the guy to loose his job.  Henry Winkler is great as the over enthusiastic music man.

No solution is found, until a night of UFC watching.  Money is needed fast so the action in the octagon begins.  There are fights in the rain, in broken octagons, and other low key venues.  Each with their own downfall or obstacles to over come.  He enters a few fights, brings in some money and takes it to the school after each fight. Right before his big UFC fight with a payday that will fund the music enough to keep it going, he learns that the money had been stolen. This was the reason for the cuts in the first place due to lack of funds. 

James digs deep since he had found his passion for the kids again along the way.  He decides he can take the fight and win enough money for the music program to continue.  After a rough first few rounds in the octagon, he comes to the third round with his mind set on winning for the kids and his fellow teaching.  He reaches his goal and everyone is fine and happy.

There were a few other players along the way to build on the humor, drama and slightly strange romance.  Salma Hayek plays the school nurse attending to his medical needs after each fight and the long sought after romance that was finally obtained by James.  One student with a love for music, supports him all the way while he tries to keep her in school instead of working for her father's declining restaurant. 

Great cast, nice story and the happy ending everyone wants to see.  It had a few funny moments, but I laughed more during Ice Age.  It was a great, well rounded family movie for almost all ages.  My seven year old was not interested, but I have talked to a few that loved it. Plus, Diary of a Wimpy Kid had just come on.  My little monster could not turn that down.  If not for that, I think he would have liked this movie.

The Final Sookie Novel

The summer is getting closer and I do not have many books on my to read list.  There is nothing better than sitting under an umbrella with a great book.  I know there is a new Black Dagger Brotherhood out next month featuring Quinn and Blay.... Finally getting their stuff together.

Then the last Sookie Stackhouse.  I can not wait to get my hands on that one.  It is sort of bitter sweet.  How will I survive without Eric Northman????  Or Jason for a little extra entertainment. He is slightly spacey, but super cute.  You just really want to cuddle him like a puppy.  Now only if HBO will start the new season of True Blood with Eric kicking butt and taking over.  I did not like last season too much.  Seriously, who put Bill in charge over Eric?

 Alcide is rumored to make more appearances this season.  Which means more naked Joe Manganiello!  After a few True Blood shots and the amazing Magic Mike, how could you not want more of him? Maybe I am getting old, but really starting to like guys with some grey hair.  Well, it could just be him or his soothing voice.  No, who am I kidding?  I am getting old.

Hopefully this last one of the series will answer many questions.  Will Sookie ever get away from the supernatural and why would she want to when she has Eric? Who does not love a long dead viking that likes to drink blood?  I am not a big Bill fan. He is annoying.  He reminds me of an old guy, retired and logging his family tree online. He is a bit washed up and dry.  Every book needs a boring guy to kill off eventually, and for me Bill is the perfect target.  I would have left him in the sun a long after Eric busted him out to Sookie.

There should be loads packed into this 352 page release in May.  The last cover art is amazing and true to the series.  I have missed the tiger, so it is nice to see his tail on the cover, but no Eric.   Oh well, I guess I could handle a little more Alcide mixed in with some strong tigers running through a swamp.  We will wait and see what happens. 

What to read between now and May 7th? 

Kicking off Spring Break With Rise of The Guardians

Finally it is spring break!  The break is very welcome.  I finally get the chance to sleep in.  Well I had the chance since everyone is still asleep now, but by the rules of sleep, you always wake up early on the days you do not have to.  On a plus, the guys are still sleeping.  The dog is even out, so a little quiet time never hurt.

We kicked off spring break with some fishing, then bought Rise of the Guardians though Amazon.com. The little guy had already seen it with his first grade class.  (Made me slightly angry since parents could not go,not enough room.)  Needless to say I was excited to see this with him.  You only get a few years of the Easter Bunny, Santa, and the Tooth fairy before the little kids are corrupted by older children wanting to show off.

The cast was great.  I had a hard time excepting Hugh Jackman as the Easter Bunny, but then once we watched, I loved a wolverine-ish bunny!  DreamWorks hardly ever fails to deliver.  The animation was great throughout.  A true good vs bad story.  It could have been a little more funny, but not many can keep up with Sid from Ice Age. Jack Frost even ended up winning me over in the end.  He just sort of fell flat for me at first.  He was being selfish wanting the kids to actually see him while he was trying to find out who he was.  Once he found his memories in his tooth from childhood, he sort of came alive.  His past made him believe in himself while showing him why the Man in the Moon had chosen him for a Guardian for the children's memories of childhood.

The movie summed up team work pretty good.  It also added a little faith in the mix to show children the power of believing in something.  My child apparently did not get any of that out of the movie.  He now thinks the tooth fairy will leave feathers when she comes.  Yeah, this should be a fun obstacle after the next tooth falls out. He also believes that the Easter Bunny is not as cute as the ones in the store.  He said he kinda liked it though since he is tired of cute things.  Who knows what he will think of next.

We should have a fun day today, then the little monster is off the G-ma's so Mommy and Daddy can check out some UFC fighting! Love me some GSP and maybe I will get to finish a book some time today.  Well, he finally woke up, so there goes the quiet.  I should go start my motherly duties like feeding him or something.

Wreck-it Ralph Review

I love Disney movies, but was not too excited to see Wreck-it Ralph.  My son wanted to watch it so bad and it just happened to come out the week of his birthday.  We rented it through Amazon.com the night of his party.  I mean really, a movie based on video games?  That did nothing for me, but the kids wanted me to sit and watch.

I was kinda excited after I saw the world that was created inside the arcade games.  It was completely original.  A little deep for a few 7 year old kids, but had something for girls and boys.  There were big guys, mean guys and good guys for the boys.  The girls got all the pretty candy, little girls and a princess.  Oh and who can forget the racing that both loved since there was speed for the boys and cute little candy cars for the girls.

This poor guy Ralph is on a mission to get a gold medal so people from his game will not be afraid of him.  He wants to show them he can be a good guy.  He starts off breaking everything he touches until he meets this cute little girl that keeps getting bullied because she glitches in and out.  Ralph discovers that he is not the only one being secluded and pushed aside. So he starts a mission to help her win her medal by racing.  When he finds out that if she crosses the finish line that the game will reset, he goes into overdrive to help her out.

She teaches him to believe in himself while she knows who she is, but has a hard time getting to the finish line alone with so many obstacles (mean girls and the king) in the way.  Ralph steps in and breaks things that are blocking her path and pushes her harder to reach her goal. He returns to his game and is finally accepted within his community....uh game.  Makes you wonder what the Mario brothers are doing while the arcade is closed.

a feverish weekend

We survived the weekend sleepover, barely.  The kids had a blast playing games and watching movies.  I was slightly cranky since two children were dropped off uninvited.  Seriously, who does that to young kids?  I don't know you, but you trust me with your children that young.  I wouldn't. Half the time I can't even manage my own.  That is why I do not teach any more. Well, and stupid parents like that and the ones that swear their child is always well behaved but screams, hits and bites everyone with in reach. 

After I got over my crankiness (and the smell of 7 pairs of nasty boy feet), we all settled.  The boys shared well and took turns with minimum hassle or interference from me.  All was great until the next morning.  My little monster woke up fine, played for a few hours, then crashed on the couch with fever.  Poor little guy ran a high fever all weekend.  He stayed put on the couch or in my bed all day and night. 

Finally we saw the Dr. on Monday after the longest weekend ever.  She checked him out pretty good, then sent him home with antibiotics and cough meds.  My little trooper has graduated from the liquid stuff to swallowing these huge pink and blue pills!!  I am so proud of him, and the craziest things make you realize how big he is getting.  He is totally kicking Amozicillin's butt!

Too bad we left the office in dire need of Febreze. Before the Dr. could see him, he had to rush to the bathroom for the nasty poo of all times.  I almost threw up, so I feel for the nurses that were still spraying the halls as we were leaving 30 minutes later.  Sorry guys I would have sprayed, but I found nothing in the bathroom to help you out with, and apparently my Ed Hardy perfume from my bag was not a good cover up.  It just added a nice sent into the nastyness.  What can I say, I tried to help, but nothing was covering that up.  

So now he is finally off the couch and moving around.  The cough meds make him a slight grouchy and his attempt to go back to school has been awful.  He did not get along with his teach to begin with, and now it has just blew up.  Because, according to him, no boy needs to work while he is sick.  I think that came from his dad.  We are going to have little talk after the monster is in bed tonight.  Lets hope dad does not get sick soon or I may just loose it.

Happy Birthday!!!

Finally have new tires on the truck!  Now, I am afraid to drive it since the value of rubber is about that of gold.  Amazingly though, I am still in a great mood.  My little monster is seven!  Since I am getting old and cranky (and it is his birthday) I have agreed to let children invade our home for a sleepover before I get even older and more cranky.  This should be amusing.  Cake is ordered for his class party.  If I can get it to the school in one piece, he should be a happy little monster.... maybe.

He woke up with balloons everywhere. Then, got to open his gift from me and his dad.  This almost caused a fit because he had to put them up before school and he was not finished building yet.  According to him "I will not turn seven if I don't have fun today".  Thankfully the yelling did not follow and he actually listened.  Maybe this will continue over the next year, but I highly doubt that.  I think I have a better chance of falling off a building than him actually shutting his mouth. He teacher likes to use the term "highly social".  I like to use the term annoying and stubborn.

It is his B-Day, so I will be nice and let a few things slide today.  His dad on the other hand is about to fill my full wrath since he woke up cranky.  Hopefully he will be on a trip while the kids are here.  He is not good with more than one.  He has way too much sensory over load.  He can not handle someone talking while the tv is on.  If he hangs around to "help" I will have more problems dealing with him than the kids.

Happy Birthday to the best kid I know.  I kinda like your highly social abilities and your great stories. Hope you have a great day today. I can not wait to watch Wreck-it-Ralph with you! Don't worry about your dad. I have that covered!  

Breaking Dawn, broke me

Well, I have never been too thrilled with the Twilight movie series.  This last movie just completely pissed me off.  The only upside was that it was rented through Amazon.  I have come to love Amazon since we now live in the middle of absolutely nothing.  A little WiFi and a PS3 and you are all set for cheap rentals without leaving the home.

Finally, I was going to catch the last in the series.  I had high hopes, since part 1 was the best in the series according to me.  Do not get me wrong, I LOVED the books.  I read the second book in one night while cuddling with a sick kid after midnight.  I could not put the books down.

This last movie made me regret my Amazon account.  It was slow, lacking emotion and the only good thing about it was the gorgeous little girl.  She was the only reason I kept watching.  That and once I start a series, no matter how bad, I like to see the ending.  Sometimes the ending will redeem the beginning.

The only emotion I saw was when Bella was mad at Jacob, again.  For a mother worried about the safety of her child, this movie was very drama free.  I mean really, someone is coming to kill her child.  Plus parents have a hard time with their children growing too fast as a normal human.  This child grew like, well apparently like a half vampire. 

Yeah sure she was a new vamp and afraid of draining her child.  She had all the new abilities to deal with, but in the last movie she was willing to die giving birth to this child.  With the acting from this movie, it was evident that she was only willing to die to become a vampire, not die for the child.

Oh, who knows.  Maybe I am just getting to old for this stuff and should stick with Rambo or Interview with a Vampire. Who could go wrong with a younger Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, and Tom Cruise before he went all crazy, then grew older and still tried to act 20ish with his saggy man boobs.

Tires

Baseball practice went well, but very cold.  Then, was fallowed by a pretty good weekend considering all of the action going on around here.  It went by too fast and now my son and I are back to fighting every morning about school.  The little monster thinks he should not have to go to school.  Ever.  So every morning I literally have to carry him to the car.  Well truck in my case.

A truck I have loved for years, but has been sitting in the drive unoccupied all weekend.  Well the truck is fine and ready to go, but the tires have failed both of us.  We are waiting for new ones to be in today to get my favorite vehicle back on the road where it belongs. 

This all happened before ball practice on Friday.  One of the tires started cracking down the middle.  After a few minutes, my brother had it patched up and ready to sit and wait for the new tires to be placed on.  Him and my dad were afraid for me to drive very far in it. So since we live in the middle of nothing, Dad made me take his truck to baseball practice.  His reasoning......"It is too cold for me or you to have to put on a spare on the side of the road."

So reluctantly he brings me the keys to the truck he had just bought from my grandmother.  While he stayed behind to baby sit my truck and tires.  Ten minutes later we are on the road to baseball practice. 

During those ten minutes I was given all of the rules of driving again, but this time it was worse than it was 16 years ago.  Well maybe I just did not listen back then.  Who knows, but it was kinda sad this time around seeing my dad standing there like I would be arrested and sent to prison somewhere in the third realm of Hell. 

Naturally, since my mother was not at home I called his neighbor, his brother, to check in and make sure he would make it for the next two hours without his truck at home within visuals of him.  Thus, distracting dad and lessening the questioning when I returned.  I knew it would happen.  It may be a day or a week, but something will come up and it will be my fault.  Then I will have to put up with him cranky for a week or two.  No, I do not live with Dad, but not very far away, and can not avoid him since he has a pond fully loaded with fish that I can not pass up. This week is the most important fishing week of the year since my little monster wants fish fried for his B-Day!

Today I am waiting for a phone call because I know I did not put the seat back in it's "correct position" for his long legs.  He had to drive it to work today, which is just about the only place you will ever catch him going.  Although unlikely to hear from him over the phone it is still unnerving.  He likes to sit and sulk before he complains and then he will make you wish you had been arrested and sentenced to the third realm of Hell.

He will probably never read this, but my mother will.  So I better tell my brother and Dad thanks for helping with the tire issue this weekend while my husband was out of town (not that he would have helped, if he were here).  I kind of liked Dad's truck.  The thing has a great heater, but I do love mine more.  Mine has camo which makes everything better.