Two and a Half Years Later...

I thought I'd take a crack at blogging again, if not for any other reason than the original one: to remember. Anyone with children knows, time goes too fast and I barely have time to dry my hair these days. Even right now I'm holding Tatum and typing with one hand, which produces many typos since I do not know how to type (well, the "right" way). I read all my friends' blogs and I realize I should at least be attempting to document my life and all the cuteness around here. Plus, I'm really tiring of facebook :) I would shut that down, but I just love all the cute pictures and funny statuses from all my friends and family I rarely see!
I'm a big fan of lists, so here's one of what's been goin on.

* My baby turned 5 in September, and he is STILL the cutest, funniest, wittiest, most loving boy I know.
* I had another baby October 4th. Tatum Nicole. She is a joy and the perfect addition to our family.
* I've been working as a Massage Therapist for the past 2 1/2 years and love it.
* We moved last year to a new home and love it.
* Chris and I are doing great, he is now working at a brewery (yep) and loves it. I love that we both get to do what we are passionate about!
* Still really into movies, there will be some movie-blogging soon!
* Trying my best to adjust to 2 kids gracefully, but quickly realizing that I actually DO have twice as much work. And much less sleep ;)

That's all for now!

Must-See Movies

I. love. movies. I always have, probably because I've wanted to be an actress since I was young, and am fascinated with the art of developing characters and stories and drama. Also, because movies are an escape for me. I LOVE going to the theater where, for two hours, I am lost in a story and can forget everything else. You might find me going to a lot of movies during a rough patch in my life ;) I consider myself a pretty good judge of movies, some may not agree because I do not love all genres and disagree with critics often. So...I'm NO expert but I will post my opinions anyway. I also used to want to create theatrical trailers for a career. I still would do that :)

So here is a short list of 20 movies I would say are "essential." They are powerful, smart, intense, emotional, important, compelling, and, most important of all- the acting is exceptional. So maybe if you're looking for a movie to watch, I highly urge you to pick one from the list that you haven't seen. I PROMISE you won't be disappointed. If you are, I will demand an explanation. If you've seen them all, kudos to you! Maybe you can recommend one for me! This is not a complete list nor is it in order in any way (after #1).


1. The Lord of The Rings Trilogy (extended editions) x3 to really appreciate them


2. Gone With The Wind


3. A Few Good Men


4. The Dark Knight


5. Pride and Prejudice (2005)


6. We Are Marshall (the most authentic performance of grief I've ever seen)


7. Forrest Gump


8. It's A Wonderful Life


9. The Wizard of Oz


10. The Sound of Music


11. Spanglish


12. Braveheart


13. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest


14. The Shawshank Redemption


15. Titanic


16. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial


17. Singin' In The Rain


18. Breakfast At Tiffany's


19. The Green Mile


and last but certainly not least...


20. A Beautiful Mind


For The Guys: I found this while searching for movies I might have missed and laughed. Don't feel left out!


http://www.justaguything.com/100-great-movies-every-guy-should-see/

Accents

So... does anyone else do voices when they read stories to kids?? I'm sure they do, but does anyone use an accent? I do accents all the time when I read to Tristan. He loves it. I just bought him Corduroy, which I loved as a kid. I read it to him with an English accent, and he giggles :). I'm not good enough to do it in front of anyone but him though. I also do a Southern accent, and I do a great Elmo. I tried doing a monster for one book tonight though, and he did not like it. He said, "Don't say that! It scary Mommy. Lots of scary." LOL guess I went a little overboard. I know Heidi does All the voices because I roll my eyes at her whenever I'm close. Maybe that's why I don't do it in front of anyone but T.

Can You Believe It??

Sorry the picture above is blurry, my camera's batteries were, of course, dead so I had to use my phone ;)
Anywho... I ate SALMON tonight! As some of you know, I don't NOT eat fish. Or seafood. At all. With the exception of fish and chips and chowder. I would love to eat it, because it's so light and healthy for you. I just didn't grow up with it and never tried it enough to like it. And the smells do not agree with me. This is funny because I used to work at Anthony's, a seafood restaurant mostly, and I loved working there. A bit ago I was forced to choose a side when I was at a dinner where the host didn't know, or forgot I didn't eat seafood, and served ling cod. I didn't want to be rude so, of course I said it was perfectly fine and I would eat it. He had this magical balsamic glaze for it, which was delicious. Between that, yummy wine, and the beautiful presentation of side dishes, I did eat it without a problem.
I was telling Chris this today, and he ran off to the store to test me. He cooked a very nice dinner of salmon, battered sole, asparagus, and potatoes. I used my prized balsamic glaze and it was delicious! So, I am proud to say that...I am growing. I am trying to branch out more.

Are You Scared? :)

My baby boy, the Gremlin. LOL This is what became of me trying to get him to smile for a picture. I tried to show him how to "smile" and this is what he came up with. I think it's hilarious because I sent it to my mom and she thought he was trying to scare her. Of course, as his Mommy, I always only see adorable.

Movie Review!!

I just went to see this today for Heidi's Birthday (Yea!) and we laughed because it wasn't really...a birthday kinda movie.

Remember Me

This movie was really...good. The trailers were misleading enough where you didn't really know what the movie was about. Which I think was smart. I thought it would be a dramatic love story, which it is, but is much more complicated than just the two lovas (Robert Pattinson & Emilie De Ravin-from LOST!). It involves their families and has a smart cast. I particularly loved the little girl who played Robert's little sister Caroline (Ruby Jerins). She was ADORABLE and gave a great performance. The only disappointing thing was that Robert Pattinson's character was like a human Edward. I love Edward though so I didn't mind much. ;)
I would recommend anyone who likes a good love-drama to go see this in the theaters. It's worth it. And please, don't read about it because it does have a very shocking ending, which I think is best for people to discover at the right moment in the movie. I was certainly shocked. Good movie. Go see it.

Do We Look "Together" ??

Apparently we might. Jess and I went out the other night for some best friend time and a drink. Well, she had diet coke and we shared some chicken strips. It was great, until some guy came up to us.

Him: Hi there! I was just wondering, are you guys together?
(Jess and I looked at each other, as if we were obviously sitting next to each other talking and laughing for some other reason than knowing one another)
Jess: Uh, yeah.
Him: No, I mean, "together, together."
Jess: Yes.
Him: Oh, okay. I could tell.

REALLY? You could tell? Maybe because I was sitting facing Jess in the barstool? (Even though the reason I was sitting that way is because my neck hurt so I couldn't turn it to talk to her lol) Maybe because we were not prowling around the bar for guys? Someone please enlighten me. How do you have the nerve to come up to some girls and let that be the first thing out of your mouth? Then proceed to say a couple more obnoxious things before finally getting the hint and walking away. I couldn't tell if he was trying to figure out if we were single, or he was really hoping we were "together"? Take a note guys. If girls say they are "together", it means they want you to GO away. My mind drifts back to when I was 16, and Nicole and I went to Portland to visit Tiffany at college. She took us to a club and when a guy tried to dance with me she stepped in and used the same line to rescue me. And I was grateful. The whole thing was hilarious and made me blush. Thank you Jess, for saving us. :)

My Best Friend The Garbage Disposal

So, my best friend Jessica eats. A lot. But she's tiny! She always cracks me up with her "food list" for the day. She made me laugh so much today I had to post! So I talked to her at 12:30, when all I had was cereal and coffee, and this is what she had eaten so far:
2 bowls of cereal
leftover lasagne
a bowl of ice cream
a bag of chips
some string cheese
a bag of popcorn
plus, a bowl of Kix

SO FUNNY. Everyone who knows her knows this is perfectly normal. My hats off to you, Jess. Where the heck do you put it all?? Love ya.

Blog? What Blog?

I guess I have forgotten to write. About anything. I've been obsessed with the 6th (and final! Sad!) Season Premiere of LOST. Thankfully, the time finally came and went on Tuesday night, and now I am much calmer and satisfied ;) The show was amazing, as always, and I will continue to lobby to everyone I know to watch it. Because....I love this show and if I didn't watch anything but that I would be good. It is so completely complicated, intense, intelligent, emotional, and action-packed. I know I sound ridiculous and well, obsessed, but that's what I saw when my friends tried to tell me about Lord of the Rings and The Twilight Saga. And, I finally got it. So people, if you have Netflix or Hulu, give it a shot. You will not be disappointed.

Zodiac Sign

I am not "into" astrological signs, I mostly think of them like fortune cookies: Sometimes they are right on, and other times they couldn't be more opposite. But they are fun and I randomly found this and it spoke to me. I am a Virgo, born September 15th.

VIRGO

Your Element: Earth
Symbol: The Virgin
Stone: Sapphire
Life Pursuit: To do the right thing
Vibration: Compassionate and caring
Virgo's Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return

Description:

Virgos are often put down badly by astrologers and written up as being fussy and narrow-minded. But when a Virgo shines, there is no sign to match their inner light. An in-tune Virgo is a treat to meet. Virgos that are confident within themselves, they are the most successful, structured and creative of all the signs.
Many Virgos can be found in the "service to others" industries, ranging from welfare work, doctors, teachers through to practicing natural forms of healing like massage, herbal remedies etc.
One of the most magical characteristics of the Virgo is no matter how many times life or romance turn sour on them, they still are able to maintain faith in others, refusing to become cynical. They are determined to be happy, and almost always find ways within themselves to bounce back. There is an ingenuity around this sign, a kind-heartedness, which is unfortunately played on by others for their advantage. Virgos can often become victims of relationship power-games, where they are mistreated.
Creative and sensitive, Virgos are delicate people who, like rare orchids, require individual treatment in order to blossom into their true unique beauty.
Virgos are givers, and when the chips are down and you need a friend, the one available during those testing times when you need advice or companionship the most, is likely to be a Virgo. Virgos understand human frailties better than most, because they are so deep and reflective themselves. With a Virgo in your life you have someone who understands and cares, and any romance or friendship based upon these qualities is sure to be mutually rewarding.


I swear I didn't make it up :)

Return of the Movie Review...

Yes, that's right. These movies were so impressive that I had to publicly praise them. They all pleasantly surprised me! I had a busy 2 days...



AVATAR



Wow. James Cameron did me proud, once again. And once again he did great with an almost 3-hour movie. Full and intense, exciting, nail-biting, and well-rounded. Great cast, especially newcomer (to me) Sam Worthington. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the story, thought it might be strange. No. I loved it. I won't say much else because I think everyone should go see for themselves. I don't know anyone who wouldn't love this. But this should be viewed in the theaters. It was epic.



IT'S COMPLICATED



I knew this would be cute and funny, but I was impressed. The story was not predictable, the acting and cast were fabulous. Nancy Meyers directed it, as she did with "Somethings Gotta Give" and it definitely has the feel. It's a story of a woman (Meryl Streep) who's ex husband (Alec Baldwin) somewhat comes back into the picture, and the struggles and laughter that come with it, including her 3 kids, a love interest (Steve Martin-always the best), and her ex's new wife. I especially loved John Krasinski of course, who plays one of the daughter's fiance. He is so funny and it was great to see him in a movie with a great cast. I laughed aloud many times, I would definitely recommend seeing it!



P.S. I LOVE YOU



I know this is older, but I just discovered it. I hadn't planned on seeing it, I get "vibes" about movies and don't really pay attention to reviews unless they are from friends. But I found it on Netflix, and the user rating was 4 stars so I decided to give it a shot. It was a wonderful movie, heartbreaking and funny and hopeful. Unfortunately having the experience of astounding sadness a couple times in my life, I give a lot of credit when movies or television shows get it right. The list is short. The movie is about a recent widow (Hilary Swank) grieving so realistically throughout the movie, and who's deceased husband had planned out this letter situation before he died for his wife that takes her all over the place, holds surprises and gives us a look at the love they had. I was very moved by this movie, and it gave me a new appreciation for Hilary Swank. I haven't been interested in many of her past movies, but I now understand perfectly why she has 2 Oscars. Her performance was perfect throughout, playing all the emotions just as I would have hoped. Lisa Kudrow gives a refreshingly real but comedic performance as one of her best friends. There is also plenty of man-candy, with cute accents and rugged looks. Harry Connick Jr., Gerard Butler, and the adorable Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy Denny cutie). Great movie, feel-good ending!

When You Become A Mom...

* Sleep becomes expendable, as do showers and makeup.
* The words "stinky" and "disgusting" take on a whole new meaning, like when your child poops in the bathtub.
* You become more protective than a mama bear.
* The greatest gift in the world can be a box of diapers.
* You learn to eat last and fast.
* Unless you love laundry, like me, you're in trouble.
* EVERYTHING your child does is cute, even if he just mumbles something unintelligible. And that's okay.
* You pray for new things, like 30 more minutes of sleep, or that you didn't forget a second change of clothes for the baby.
* Preparedness is expected. If you forgot the change of clothes, you can't go home when your baby has had a blowout. You have to go to Old Navy or wrap him in your coat. True story.
* You can never bring enough diapers.
* You don't get embarrassed in public. At least not until he's 3. Until then, it's just funny.
* You get to relive parts of your childhood, and to me, that's one of the greatest gifts about kids.
* You always have an excuse to leave.
* There's nothing like having your child say, "Cuddle?" and climbing up to snuggle you. That happened today.
* When you get to hold him those first few hours, you just feel like, Mom. Even though you've only held him for a few hours.
* You have a whole new set of knowledge. You know everything about humidifiers, Diaper Genies, car seat regulations, developmental goals, which diaper and diaper cream is best, what foods they can and can't have at what age. You learn to count their age in weeks, and then months, and then when they're 2, you sigh with relief.
* You miss them while they sleep and can't imagine living in a world without them.
* You thank God EVERYDAY for his most wonderful blessing.

Hate.

Lets just get it out there.

Things I hate.

1. When it's freezing but the sun is out. Don't ask. It's like an oxymoron to me.
2. How the news is always SO dramatic with weather that we have every year. Like, "Winter Storm 2009" and "Heat Wave 2009". It's either too cold or too hot. God must be giggling and shaking his head saying, "I can't make you happy!"
3. Medical insurance and insurance companies in general. My sister recently took her son to the ER for a gash in his lip. ALL they did was put super glue on it, no tests, nothing. They are personally being charged I think about $3,000.00. I don't get it.
4. Rudeness. I have been blessed enough not to have experienced it publicly for a while, but we all have had a time where you want to shake someone who is just plain rude to service employees or people on the street. Have some manners!
5. Christmas overkill before Thanksgiving. It's like the other fall holidays don't even matter.
6. People who aren't thankful for anything. Shallow, angry, selfish people who don't realize they have it so much better than probably 85% of people on the planet. I try to remember everything I have been blessed with, despite the hard things I have endured. It occurs to me that it's nothing compared with having no home, no food for your babies, or sickness. I am blessed.
7. I hate what happened to the many law enforcement officers and countless people, where their lives are taken without a second thought. No appreciation for the life they had built, or the family they would leave behind. It breaks my heart to hear so many stories of awful things that happen everyday, and I just wish there was more compassion in the world.

Sorry for the rant, I promise next post will be more positive. But I am thankful for all I have.

Funny Story...

This will make you smile. So, Tristan got up from his nap the other day, and I gave him a piece of cheese as a snack. He asked for another, so I said, "Okay, but that's it." Of course he replies, "Okay, thank you Mommy." So polite. So I leaned down and asked him if I could have a bite. Of course he says yes and I take a bite. Then he looks at me all serious and says, "That's it, Mommy." LOL Oh really?

It has been a recent problem that T likes to "feed the dog" when he's eating by dropping his food on the floor. Now I have learned to put Sebastian in the other room. But he did it yesterday, and when I scolded him, he said, "It's okay Mommy, Bastian's hungry. I feed him." LOL It's hard to argue with, isn't it?

Sadness.

So, you know when something profound and life-changing happens to you, and you don't know how you will get through the day, but somehow you do? That is what I am experiencing. Only I've realized I am much stronger than I thought and it amazes me how many great friends and family members I have. Despite the pain I have gone through lately, they have been there for me and I would just like to thank each and every one of them. I love you. You know who you are.

As for the issue, I have not been blogging (sorry!) because I really didn't know what to write. It does feel good to write something, and I really couldn't blog about anything normal right now. At least not until I wrote about the truth. The truth is, my husband Chris moved out. I don't want to discuss specifics, some of you know so I don't really need to. At least not yet. I am sad, and heartbroken, and am taking small steps to pull myself together and move forward.

That's all for now.

Jack In The Box = Yuck.

I usually don't ever eat JITB anymore unless it's Chris bringing us food for late-night snacks :) But Heidi and I went to our Mom's tonight and stopped by JITB to grab some food. I had forgotten how greasy their food is and literally 99% of the time they get my order wrong, not matter how much I make sure to confirm it. Tonight was no exception, they put cheese on my burger and smothered it in mayo. Yuck. It was sloppy and nasty. I had to take it back and even the second one was not good. From now on I will resume my no-eat-JITB. I had to eat a bowl of steamed vegetables at my Mom's to get some particle of nutrition in my stomach. Heidi and I have always joked when we've eaten JITB, " Mmm...this looks like a stomach ache! Yum!" Not so funny now. Remember when you were young, and you could eat whatever the heck you wanted? Greasy, sugary, high-caloric food and never have one side effect? Now I eat one greasy burger and am so affected that I have to blog about it! Crazy.

Dinner Time!

Tristan's dinner: Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce and oranges. Yum! (He's not too good with vegetables, I try but he only likes peas). So I give him V8 juice. And he loves it.

T is displaying my delicious pumpkin spice muffins that I made. I got the recipe off http://www.foodnetwork.com/ and made some changes that made it a little healthier, thanks to a lot of the reviews on the recipe. They are so tasty, and yes, those are pumpkin seeds on top. The recipe calls for them and they look very fall, but I'm not fond of eating them.

He is so trying to steal one while I take a picture. Sneaky!

My dinner. Mmm...chicken enchiladas! Only 40 more minutes till I can eat them...

And this is the mess I made to get them. I've been planning to make them for a week but alas, I have been lazy-dinner-girl. Living off my sister's leftovers and eating Chinese food (lunch). Shh!
Maybe if I get bored later I'll post the recipe.

Pumpkin and Salsa

I am being Betty Schmocker today and freezing cups of the fresh pumpkin that Chris baked and pureed for me. Apparently you can freeze it up to a year and use it to make a number of things. Like shrimp! (Forrest Gump). I will attempt my first homemade pumpkin spice muffins later today so hopefully they'll turn out great! Thank you to my imaginative husband for giving me an excuse to be Julia Child, and I'm sorry I laughed at you when you brought home 3 pumpkins and said you were going to gut them and bake them.

Thank you also to http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ for easy instructions on the best way to freeze and use fresh pumpkin!

Husband Salsa!! Chris makes REALLY GOOD spicy salsa that we both love. Unfortunately, not many on my side of the branch enjoy spicy spicy, so we have to eat it all ourselves ;) Chris came home from work last night, blended some of the good stuff and made this really yummy brownish salsa that's warm because he roasts the peppers first. Oh, it's good. My mouth is watering right now...I would tell you what he puts in it, but I don't even know. From the looks of it he put our whole produce section in there! But he definitely knows what he's doing. I came in to taste it and he said,"Put 6 twists of the freshly ground pepper in there for me. No, 8." Lol...

Yum.

Nothing Like Learning To Make Your Brain Hurt

I have been re-learning how to use my Nikon camera on manual. I have gotten pretty lazy over the years and have just used the automatic button to take my pictures, and have let my photography knowledge go out the back door. I took a couple black and white photo classes at Green River when I first got my camera and did great. My sister led me to this website where the pictures were so beautiful, it made me want to go out and shoot the grass. To my pleasant surprise, she had short blogs with basic instructions on how to go manual. I have a new-found love for my precious Nikon, although I wish it were digital so I could upload pictures right away, but that'll be a new toy for next year ;). So if you are feeling brave or just want some tips on how to use the manual settings on your camera (ahem, Nicole) you can go and make your brain hurt too! Here is the link:
http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/photography
Happy learning!

Skype and Other One-Liners

I have just discovered Skype! I didn't know it was free and now I have a new computer with a built-in web cam so now I can chat with anyone! It's so cool you should all join.
My best friend Jessica and I used to write each other all the time in school through a journal and we would write one-liners about what we were thinking/doing. It was really funny so I will continue the legacy...
* I love my new computer but now am afraid of slacking on other things because I am on it so much!
* My house looks like a tornado hit it, because of a certain two year-old who chooses to remain anonymous
* I started my Jillian workouts back up and am now paying the price for my "holiday". I hurt.
* T is sleeping and I now have to decide what to eat. Soup sounds good.
* My husband bravely gutted a pumpkin and pureed it so now it is up to me to make homemade pumpkin stuff. Mmm...
* Today is Voting Day!!! Get out there and make your voice heard!!
* I watch so many medical shows that I am convinced I am halfway through medical school. I could take out your appendix or start an IV no problem.
* I can't wait for Lost!! It comes back for it's final season in January. I will most certainly cry throughout most of early 2010...
* Even closer is the New Moon premiere!! Soooo excited!!
* Tristan loves to wrestle with Chris and I on our bed. He loves to head-butt me even more. I could have a concussion.