Family Night--Movie and Hot Dogs

Thursdays are family nights because Darling Daughter's school has deemed Fridays as Nothing Due Fridays. In the beginning, we were all gung ho about doing things big and special on Thursdays. Now we tend to just relax and be lazy together...I am okay with that since we are still together. We made it simple dinner night too with off the grill hot dogs with chili and cheese.


However, yesterday was a pretty rough day for me so I tried to cheer myself with window shopping. I ended up renting a couple of Red Box movies instead. I say the dog Snowy in The Adventures of Tin Tin make that movie a fun family adventure...two thumbs up! Everyone should own this one (see the link below to help me with my Amazon addiction). Also as much as I love me some Justin, the movie In Time was "meh!" in the words of Darling Daughter, and I have to agree even if I don't know what it means. It was worth a $1 rental, though I wouldn't pay any more than that or the $3.99 digital download from Amazon if you want to save time and gas money of having to remember to return it (DANG IT! I FORGOT TO GRAB THEM THIS MORNING!).


I still whole-heartedly recommend Super 8 as a family adventure that you talk about for a long time. I need to own that one come to think of it (Read my review!) Don't mistake it for the uber gory 8mm with Robin Williams as a serial killer (eek!)--not family friendly or kiddie appropriate (notice no link...). Y'all have a good weekend!

Family Night: Halloween

We had so much fun last night during family night. Thanks to Shawn and Amanda for joining us in Halloween Shopping! The Rangers kept us on pins and needles too, and all I have to say about that is, like Aggies, Rangers never lose although they may run out of time.


Have you been to a Halloween store lately? Darling Daughter and I both would like to know why Halloween is turning into "sexy ____" dress up day. I don't even think it's so much sexy as trashy. IN THE TEEN SECTION no less there were sexy fairies and sexy lady bugs and on and on.

I love that Darby takes after her daddy and, the scarier her costume is, the better. We still laugh about her going to a party a couple of years ago where the teens were going to go trick-or-treating. When I dropped the Darbster off in her half lizard, half monster costume, she was surrounded by boys and girls in similar costumes save one or two wearing high heals and such. Darby was ticked that they only got to go to two or three houses before those not wearing sensable shoes were too tired to continue. I think that sealed the deal for her...no sexy lizard monster for her!





















Another thing we noticed this year is that the pickings are pretty slim at the Spirit store. They seemed to have spent too much on the crazy merry-go-round with possessed babies to have purchased enough stock to be interesting. They had some pretty scary stuff though...it just cost too much! I am off in search of a yellow hoodie sweatshirt, some yellow face paint and a pair of denim overalls...I want to be a Minion and carry Dave around with me! Wish me luck!

No Family Night When The Mama is Ill...



I was captured by this photo...
PHOTO SOURCE


You know how we know the Mama is sick? She stays in her room, hiding under the covers. The woman who hates being alone suddenly doesn't want anyone around her germies. She doesn't eat or want to eat. She sleeps, which is not her style. She looks at the dishes piling up in the kitchen sink, shrugs and goes back to bed without so much as a pitiful, "Sure wish someone would clean my kitchen for me." When we do persuade her to join us for dinner, she stays wrapped in her blanket telling us all to stand back and she sends us "air hugs" and "virtual kisses."

I forced myself to come to work today in hopes of going home for my brother and nephew's birthdays this weekend. However, I may have over done it. Have a good weekend. I'll probably be hiding under those covers some more.

Big shout outs to Eric and Jeremy who have birthdays today and to Bubba and James III who will be having their birthdays tomorrow. I am sorry this bug is kicking my tail!

Family Night--PPPPBBBLLLLTTTTT! We'll Try Again Tonight...

Well, man's greatest plans are God's greatest follies once again. There's nothing like a home improvement project to highjack family night. It was my choice so I planned a low key night of trying out Papa Murphy's Pizza and a card game or dominoes. PPPBBBLLLTTT! (I seem to have made lots of zerberts this week...am I reverting back to being a toddler when my plans go awry?) The pizza we did. However, with power tools about and progress being made on his dreams of repairing the long-overdue siding issues, Hubby Dearest was on his own mission.

Let's start with Papa Murphy. When you walk in their door, it's like going to QuickTrip. "Hello! Welcome to Papa's!" he says enthusiastically like I am the only customer that has been in that day. I look around in anticipation of having a take-n-bake-n-save pizza of my choosing. There's nothing fancy about the pizzas in general. You have three sizes, medium, large and family. You have all the usual toppings and the choice of hand-tossed, extra thin, or stuffed. They have the requisite specials that no one takes advantage of because it is for some specialty pizza with sausage and olives...gag!

If it seems I am being a negative nancy about this, I am. It says on their wall, "Take, Bake and Save." I figure with removing the convenience of a delivery and then having to cook the pies myself, it would cut the price in half since that is half the point of ordering a pizza in the first place. I spent the same amount of money for two pizzas and a two liter of soda as I would have by calling Pizza Hut and not having to do any of the work. THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE PAPA KNOCKED $2 OFF EACH PIZZA FOR ME BEING A NEWBIE! RIP. OFF.

I arrived home with my gold-embedded (NOT REALLY) pizza pies and hubby and Darling Daughter were excited to try something new. After I told him there was no difference in price, MyChad was less than enthusiastic. However, there was still hope that these would be the best tasting circles of goodness we'd ever had. Eh...not so much. Now we have to throw on there that they really didn't taste that spectacular, and we'll just keep it PG today and say we won't be a return customer.

As for the games, Darby and I watched our recorded shows while Chad jacked around with a stalled power washer. When he finally gave up and came in, I heard thunder. The three of us dashed back out to bring in the tools that didn't need to get wet and cover anything too big or stinky to be stored in the house.

We enjoyed standing in the back yard watching the lightening (we are such GOOD parents) and will shoot to play dominoes with Granny and Papa who will be here this afternoon. We are excited to have my parents for the weekend! Darby starts hockey practice tonight and Sosie's shower is tomorrow. I think there is a surprise in there somewhere too, but I'll never tell.

What would your ideal family night be like?

Family Night--Darling Daughter's Choice...or WAS IT?

Shout out to Plano's Jasper High School administration for having "NOT Due Fridays." This thinly veiled admission that football games, which are on Thursday nights, are religion in Texas, is the perfect excuse for me to force our little gang of three to spend time with each other. I LOVE IT! Let's see, we've done ice cream, love notes, dinner and DVD, and now, Chili and Dollar Movie, which is really $1.50 after 6 p.m. IT'S A SCAM I TELL YOU...A SCAM!

Crockpot Turkey Chili was awesome and way easy. We threw it over cheese and Fritos to make it funner (YES, I am aware it's "more fun." I am quoting a teen). Here's the recipe: brown 2 pounds of ground turkey in olive oil. Drain and place the turkey in the crockpot with two cans of tomato sauce (not paste), 2 cans of mild enchilada sauce, , chili powder and a packet of McCormick's Chili seasoning. Easy peasy and yummy in the tummy!

Now a family of three can easily spend $100 going to the movies at the cinema. That's why we usually RedBox it for $1. However, Super 8 was on at the dollar theater and we thought its cinematography would be best admired on the big screen. Not really! Darby couldn't think of what to do again so Daddy Dearest suggested she see what was playing. Then she checked out the rotten tomatoes reviews. They texted me at work to let me know it was on and had pretty good reviews. I was in!

"Pretty good" and "Not bad" are puny ways to describe Super 8. I sat there the whole time just marveling at how J.J. Abrams had re-incarnated the beloved movies of my youth like Goonies, Stand By Me, and E.T. It was age appropriately sorta scary, and it never once lagged in story line, even with a little love story thrown in.

IMDB's synopsis: After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon.

Tell me that is not a face every
mother would love! PHOTO SOURCE

Let me say, Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb, our hero, was what every mother of a teen aged daughter hopes she brings home to meet the parents so she can date him. I absolutely fell in love with his character and would adopt him in a heart beat! His rag tag gang of buddies had the requisite "Fat Kid", "Goof Ball", "Pyro/Bad Boy", "Dunce", and "Nerd". Those boys could hang out at our house any day. And look out Dakota, little sister Elle Fanning is going to give you a run for your money as a little starling! Joe's love interest Alice delivers heart tearing lines in the main movie as well as in the fake zombie movie the kids are making (BTW...stay for the credits to see their final product...it's HYSTERICAL!)

I am sure Super 8 gets its PG13 rating for the multiple stoner references and the jumping violence and spooky kidnap scenes. However, this is good campy fun scariness. It was a little tough to watch in places because little Joe's mother had been tragically killed in the beginning of the movie, and he and his dad were openly heartbroken. That kinda dug at some personal wounds but did not detract from my falling in love with the movie.

The funniest line of the movie is after the stoner store clerk who's driving the kids around town to save the day passes out from smoking too much pot, and Joe has to take the wheel but drives everyone into the war zone town. Bombs are going off, soldiers are running around shooting at what I am not sure, and tanks are shooting rounds at the kids. They can't get stoner to wake up and get out of the car. It's very intense. Martin says, "Drugs are bad!" We laughed so loud. Yes, they are, little one!

I think the best line of the movie was when Joe is grabbed by the creature. OH NO! Don't eat him! Joe screams at the alien, "We understand! Bad things happen...bad things happen...but you can still live." That really hit home. Bad things do happen. We survive them so that we can continue to live. I love that Family Night is quickly becoming a way for us as a family to keep living.

Family Night--Hubby's Choice

Hubby Dearest was in charge of Family Night last night! After jokingly blaming my parents for ruining his night of excitement playing dominoes by not showing up, MyChad opted for dinner and a movie.


Our new favorite joint to patronize for yummy chicken strips is Cane's. They opened two locations in Frisco in the last couple of months and, much like In-N-Out Burger, they are starting to have ridiculous drive through lines.

I am absolutely in love with their Cane's Dipping Sauce and begged HD to ask for extra. Last time, he said they wanted $.30 extra so he skipped it. Last night, I told him I have a quarter and a nickle in my purse if he would please bring me extra sauce. I even told him he could use my account for the entire meal if he would please ask for extra sauce! That turkey showed up with extra sauce for himself as well! Ha! Even with two little shots of yummy dipping greatness, there just wasn't enough to satisfy either of us.

Also, if you're a sweet tea lover, then this is the place to go! I asked HD to get me a soda last night and he questioned why I didn't want their tea. I said, "It's too sweet. You know it's too sweet if I would rather have a coke than tea."

For the movie selection, HD and Darling Daughter found Thor on blue-ray at the Kroger Red Box. Now, had we payed $9 a head at the movie theater, I would probably not have a favorable review of the flick. Because it was just $1 for the night, I think I liked it very much. The story is predictable but easy to follow. Only you have to know a bit about mythology to understand the relationship dynamics between Thor, Loki and their father. A little explanation would have been helpful.

I think Darby and I both agree that the...er...cinematography was stupendous! Chris Hemsworth is shirtless for a good bit of the movie. His voice reminds me of the late Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale and I could totally have seen this part going to him if life were different. For some unexplained reason, I kept waiting for Tom Hiddleston, who played Loki, to pull a Pee-Wee Herman laugh. Don't ask me why. Also, it was pee-your-pants-funny when Darby asked, "Is their dad Hannibal Lector?" Yes, sweet child, Anthony Hopkins, even with one eye in this feature, plays the great and powerful Odin. Of course he only has to sleep for a good portion of the movie, but, HEY, he's earned it.

Except for when Thor mistakenly asks a pet store clerk if he can ride a dog, cat or bird in place of his requested horse, I was quite happy that the leading ladies delivered the funny lines! Darcy (Kat Dennings) starts us off with, "I am not going to die for six credit hours." Anyone who's ever had an unpaid internship gets that one. Then she says to Thor, who is cramming down whole pancakes a bite at a time, "How can you eat an entire box of Pop Tarts and still be this hungry?" I was a little perturbed that Natalie Portman, who was kick tail in V for Vendetta, was a little whiny and complainy at times. Give me Princess Amidala or don't take the part, girl. That's what I say!

Good job on your first choice of Family Night, Chad Darling! It was a relaxing evening. BTW, I am still waiting for you to finish my love note from last week!

Family Night--MY CHOICE!!! Writing Love Notes

I know I told Hubby Dearest last week that this week would be his choice, but I was too excited about my idea to wait. In true Chad fashion, he graciously gave me ladies-first option, and I snatched it up like a fashionista at a free sample give away. Then to add salt to his wound,  I gave him his "homework" and heard him grumble poutingly, "On my night, we're going to play a game." Looking forward to it, Baby! Looking forward to it!


Anywho! Do you know what I ask for every birthday, valentines day, Christmas, etc.? Anytime gifts are involved, I ask that they write me a love note. Now don't get me wrong, my husband and daughter are the king and princess of picking out the perfect greeting cards. I just want to see their handwriting and their words. To this day though, my heart's desire is yet unfulfilled! Not after last night!


Inspired by a blog I stumbled upon, SEVEN CHERUBS, I decided to cherish my cherubs. Our family night, Mama's Choice, was to write love notes to one another! I also took this opportunity to get their help making a few greeting cards for upcoming birthdays and holidays. I figure in the spirit of being economical, we should use all these card-making supplies that have been collecting for years. I first began by giving them a couple of days leave time on their homework (it's a rough draft of ideas for composing their love notes). There was complaining, whining and statements like, "I thought family night was supposed to be fun." Darby Doo was just silent in her protest.




I then gathered all of my crafting, scrapbooking, and card-making tons-o-fun goodies together and set up a work area in our kitchen. I began the evening by taking photos of everyone to create the collage below. I was skipping around the house in great anticipation of actually getting started. It felt like when we were kids and waiting to open presents at Christmas!

After a meal of meatball subs, we settled down to the kitchen table. Using our blue homework sheets, we each wrote on a printed collage one word we use to describe the person in question. We passed the collages around and repeated the process. The we did the same for three things we love. Chad even got into the spirit by drawing little pictures on the page.



Chad's Love Note To Darby: he's
really, really, good at this!

After our collages were complete, we created two love note cards, one for each of the other people, using our favorite memory in the homework. Then we gave away our love notes and shared our homework. These sheets of paper will make neat entries in my scrapbooks. I figure if I can keep it up a few times a year, then we'll have a little family history going on as well as appreciation.


Darby's Love Note To Jaimee:
she matches designs and colors
perfectly!



Even though they gave me such a hard time, Chad and Darby really got into the card making. HubbyDearest even got misty eyed when he read his cards that we made for him. After Darling Daughter went to sleep, Chad told me, "Baby, I am really sorry I gave you such a hard time about this. You were right! This was a lot of fun and means a lot to me."

SCORE!



Jaimee's Love Note To Chad:
we made him cry!

Family Night--Ice Cream

I was so caught up in
the moment that I forgot
to take pictures. Here's a
dramatization. Chad peer
pressured us into two scoops.
Darby was the only one to
finish hers.

It's difficult to find time for living these days. Between a two-job home, house maintenance, fixing dinner, caring for the animals, homework, hockey, and other obligations, Hubby Dearest and I sometimes feel like we are ships passing each other in the night. If we feel that way about our own relationship, then you can imagine we feel even more distant from our Darling Darby, sweet surly teenager that she's become. Now we are also getting ready to incorporate volunteering into our hectic lives. We will, however, be volunteering as a family in an effort to stick together.

Nevertheless, can you guess how excited we were last week when Darby's high school e-newsletter gave us permission to have "Family Night"! The e-mail stated, "NOT DUE ON FRIDAY--Beginning this year there will not be any tests, quizzes, homework, projects or other assignments due on Friday. What this means for your student is that Thursday evenings can be a stress free evening, hopefully one spent with family, because none of our teachers will require that anything is due on Friday."

Having taught at a Plano high school, I can translate for you, "What we really mean is that 3/4 of our school are involved in Thursday night football. We know the football players, cheerleaders, band students and 10 fans attending the game will wait till the last minute if something is due on Friday and then complain that they couldn't complete their work because they were at the game 'having school spirit.' So we are cutting that squirmish off at the pass." Football is religion in Texas. Luckily, not in my household! We may go to one game as part of family night, but it won't be because Chad or I choose it.

We gave first choice to Darby. After an hour was wasted hemming and hawing about, "I don't KNOW-WAH!" We finally gave her the idea of going for ice cream. I snagged her into cooking dinner with me and we chit-chatted. After eating, Chad and I were good parents and helped her finish the chores she had been dragging her feet on. Then we were off! Nothing too exciting, but we did get away from "life" to have 30 minutes with living with just the three of us. There was talking about nothing in particular and making fun of the crazy scary murals that Baskin Robbins has on their walls. It was nice.

Next week is Chad's choice. Darby and I are frightened he really will make us play Risk. I told him no problem as long as he doesn't mind cleaning toilets when it's my turn to choose.  Not really! I am just going to use this time to play Scrabble, Phase 10 and make them teach me how to play Mario Brothers on the Wii (and NOT leave me behind to die because I don't know what I am doing). What are you ideas for family night?