In Honor of Cars 2: UPDATE!!! (Finally!)

Thanks for all the ranking! It is interesting to read which ones different people like best. And, it is also interesting to note that different life situations when certain movies come out probably make an impact on the ratings. For example, even though I think that visually "Finding Nemo" is pretty incredible, I don't like it as much as some of the others. Why? It came out when I was pregnant with Deacon and I watched it right after he was born. The mom dying was just too much :)

Most professional movie critics feel that Cars is one of pixar's weaker movies. I love Cars, but I am sure it is mostly because the boys love it so much. It was so fun to watch them fall in love with the characters and to carry around their "friends" wherever they went.

Anyway, here is the link to a professional's opinion, and here is my list:

1. Cars

2.TS 3 (Noah loves TS, so it is partially endearing just because he laughs so much)

3.TS 2

4. Nemo (I love animated water and sea creatures.)

5. TS 1 (SID was creepy, that is why I rank it lower than the other TS's)

6. The Incredibles (too scary for kids?)

7. Monster's Inc. (the boys are obsessed with "little Boo"

8. Ratatouille (too many rats. Ugh)

9. UP (was not impressed. I think I don't like unrealistic things happening to humans. I don't mind cars, super heroes, fish and monsters talking, but I don't like houses being carried away and stuff like that.)

10. Wall E (I shouldn't even rate this, since I was unable to complete a viewing due to FALLING ASLEEP because it was SO BORING.)

A couple days ago I read a "professionals" opinion of how the 11 pixar movies should be rated, #1 being the best all the way down to #11 which was just "good".

Noah and I made our own lists a couple of nights ago.

Now is your turn...anyone want to play? Rate the pixar movies! If you haven't seen them all, just leave off the ones who haven't seen and rate the others.

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

1. A Bug's Life
2. Cars
3. Finding Nemo
4. Incredibles
5. Monster's Inc
6. Ratatouille
7.Toy Story 1
8. Toy Story 2
9. Toy Story 3
10. UP
11. Wall E


I will post my list, Noah's list and the professional's list sometime soon- but for now, start rating!

Don't like blood? Don't look.

IF you are the 4th kid, and your dad finds you like this when he goes to take you out of your carseat, THEN you get your picture taken.

(she was fine, just got a bloody nose- it was just a little startling to come across her like this)

What Do You Mean, You Need Your Blanket?

3 little boys.

3 little boys that are all 4 and older.

3 little boys that never clung to pacifiers.

3 little boys that never sucked thumbs.

3 little boys who didn't haul around blankets,

or stuffed animals,

or random "soft" things.

1 little girl.

1 little 15 month girl.

1 little girl that never clung to a pacifier.

1 little girl that never sucked a thumb.

1 little girl who wants to haul around her blanket,

and stuffed animals,

and random "soft" objects.

*sigh*

Do we really need to do this now?

(seriously. I am in a quandry. Do I insist that she keep her "stuff" in her bed, only for naptimes and bedtimes- or should I let her haul it around? I gotta decide soon...)

Supposed To

I was supposed to run preschool VBS all week, but due to low enrollment we cancelled it. Can I insert a muted "yahoo!" in here?

VBS takes lots of time to plan and then essentially wipes out all my energy for an entire week. So, even though I am sad for the kids who were going to come, I am super happy for myself.

I think my yard, my garden and my house is grateful too.

So, even though we are looking at (another) rainy week- I am on a mission to get stuff done and to continue having summer fun with the boys.

It always amazes me when moms complain about summer and having to spend all summer with their kids. I LOVE summer. My love of summer probably stems from the fact that since we are homeschooling, my workload is significantly decreased in the summer and I am used to having them around all of the time anyway.

I am also coming to grips with the fact that with 4 kids, a smallish house and a "do-it-yourself" mentality, my environment is never going to be wide open with tons of free space.

My new goal is to always have at least 1 shelf/space empty in each room so that I never feel like we are at absolute capacity. The problem is, everytime I empty a shelf, someone else in the house sees it as an opprotunity.

Oh well, it is summer and I don't care!

Amusement Park/Zoo

My mom just sent me these pictures of our outing yesterday.

The rides were thrilling (especially for 3 little boys who have never been on rides- at least ones they can remember)
And there is nothing better than a baby Polar Bear, even if it is fake.

Thirty-One

Today is my 31st birthday.

Last year I had a really hard time with the whole turning 30 thing, but this year, the whole "getting older" thing feels ok. Maybe I just have had less time to think about it, or maybe I finally have friends that are more my age- and that makes it easier.

Noah organized a family birthday party for me last night and made me a cake (which was in fact chocolate, had nothing weird in it, and was very good). I spent the day today at the zoo and amusement park with my mom, sister and the kids. We had a good time. This evening Noah grilled steak for supper with onions, mushrooms and parmeson cheese. Yum.

This evening I have actually had a chance to do some cleaning and sorting in our office. That is very exciting, to be sure. Ahh...life as a mother of 4- choosing to spend my birthday evening cleaning out my office.

The older I get though, the more I want to streamline my life. Get rid of the extra fat, get rid of the extra junk, get rid of the bad attitudes, unhelpful relationships, the irritation over little things.

Enjoy the good things, the helpful things, the simple things.

Poor Deacon was crying today because some of the neighbor kids were lying to him and were being mean. He does not like it when kids lie to him or tell him "things that are false". Through his tears he said, "I don't tell them lies,why do they lie to me and try to trick me?"

I wanted to tell him to forget them, that there are other people to be friends with and that it is not worth it. But it is such a quandry, because he has to learn to get along with all kinds of people. To spot the lies, the falsehoods and to become a man who tells the truth.

We are always learning, always growing, always changing.

Both at 31.
And at 7.

Chubby Bunny

*Her brothers passed her these marshmallows on the DL...you should have seen her scurry to get away with them!

10 Things

1. My husband is currently reading "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War". I am not kidding.

2. We have started the Insanity workout 60 day challenge and I am pretty sure I am going to need to replace my carpet after it is over due to all of the sweat.

3. A simple "plant the blueberry bushes" has now turned into a full blown "rock removal and landscaping project".

4. I worked 44 hours Sunday to Sunday last week and am looking forward to enjoying some lighter work weeks!

5. Most of my fall curriculum for the boys has been ordered and delievered!

6. Our sump pump has finally stopped running, but a few days ago I took a walk in our neighborhood and heard running water the whole time. Every few houses had a hose running down to the street with water pouring out of it. I guess we are not alone.

7. The kids were out eating icecream cone things and the neighbor boy was overheard saying, "Let's pretend it is beer and we are just sitting around drinking and talking." Probably a good thing that Noah heard that and that I wasn't out there. Don't say things like that to my precious little boy! (who, incidently, is looking scarily older and older. I grabbed his arm the other day and he is all "man muscle" and not "little boy fat" anymore.

8. My birthday is next week and I (surprisingly) am looking forward to it. Last year I was not- something about the big 3-0. Somehow, 31 seems easier to accept. Maybe it is because I have learned in the last year that just because you are no longer in your 20s doesn't mean that you are old. (Tell that to the next 21 year old you see and watch for the blank stare of noncomprehension).

9. I am still eating butter on my toast along with peanut butter and jelly. I just can't give it up. It is simply better that way.

10. Little Debbie Cloud Cakes are superior to Hostess Twinkies*. It has been proven. Well, kind of.

*I was in no way compensated by Little Debbie for that statement.

New Skills!

One month ago

Berean discovered a new kingdom

to explore.

She is full of concentration, planning each move.

Finally, she is in position!

Should I do it?

Ok, so the mud at the end of slide and the subsequent crash landing was a parent fail that became a 1 year old's misfortune.

(it didn't stop her though, she loves that slide!)

We Are Here

Ahhh...the first week of June and finally some warm weather!

I have a busy work schedule this week and I am still trying to get the yard in order and keep the kids in order...

hopefully there will be time for blogging soon!

Something to leave you with:

We are always telling the boys "be careful of cars, they might hit you" etc, etc and blah, blah, blah.

Today a car went past us kind of fast and Lincoln stops walking, points at the car and says, "you missed us!"

Apparently I should let him know that it is not that the cars WANT to hit us, it is just that they might not SEE us.