Friday, November 28, 2008

Here's Hannah!

Hannah is only 13 weeks, but about 3 weeks ago I laid her on her belly for some tummy time and within seconds she rolled over. I thought it was just a fluke, but after I set her on her tummy again she rolled over just like before. Tonight I put her on her tummy again and she had no problems rolling over. I decided to record her especially for the family back home that hasn't even met her yet. She's a super baby!!! Of course I am a little biased. =)

It is no small feat to get her to laugh. She is so easy to make smile, but the laughing is something I have to work on. You can kind of hear it in this video. I don't think Miriam knew what I was doing and tried to get me to stop. LOL. But once she got the idea she was cool with it.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

This morning we all got up early to attend our first Turkey Trot. I have never heard of them until this year when a friend of mine sent me the flyer. The kids get to run 1 mile and the adults run 2.8 miles. I usually run a little over 3 miles 4-5 times a week, but it's always on a sidewalk. This route was beautiful but took us up some really steep hills and rough trails that I was huffin' and puffin' by the time it was over.
This was before the race with our official numbers.
Tobie was all psyched to do this the night before, but when we got there he started to get a little nervous and almost changed his mind. But when Theo offered to go with him he was back in the race. He did really well to! Theo said that he only stopped a few times and only for about 30 seconds, but he made really good time.

This is one of the views we saw this morning. The hills were covered in fog and everything is green here this time of year. I love the green vegetation, so this season here has to be my favorite.
Here's Tobie with his sweatshirt sleeves dangling while he was running.

Here I am coming in with my friend, Janeen. She was pushing me this last stretch cause I kept saying "I'm going to throw up." She was a great running/walking up hill companion!
This sure was a fun morning. Too bad I just found out about it this year because we transfer next year. Hopefully the next place we move will have something like this because this sure was a great family activity, and I don't feel too guilty for pigging out!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!





Tuesday, November 25, 2008

This Twi-Hard is Cryin' Hard!

Okay, I have shared my opinion of the Twilight movie with friends and family, posted my views on walls on Facebook and even commented on fellow bloggers pages. Now it is my turn to post my official feelings for the movie Twilight.

It has been 5 days since the release, so if you still haven't seen the movie be warned that I am going to talk about scenes in detail, so if you don't want to know then don't read this.

Also as a disclaimer for myself I want anyone and everyone that reads this to know that I am not the type of person that expects a movie to be exactly like the book. And this movie was no exception. I did not allow myself to get too hyped up about it. And since I love the books so much, there really was no way it could compare to the imagination I have created as I read them. Also I want to make it clear that even though this may be a negative posting I am not angry or mad at the turn out of the movie, just disappointed.

Now down to business...
Immediately they started the movie off on the wrong foot when the truck was brought to Bella by Billy Black and Jacob. At this point in the book Billy and Charlie were at an odds over the Cullens. They haven't been talking very much because of Billy's dislike of the Cullens. This was a minor oversight I must admit in comparison as to what happens throughout the movie.

I like the introduction of the Cullens in the cafeteria. The smirk that Edward gives after Jessica states that no one is good enough for Edward is exactly what I imagined. That was the Edward I was expecting throughout the movie. But once they get to Biology class and the fan blows Bella's hair, Edward covers his mouth and nose. I thought that was pretty silly and not what Edward did at all. I did however, like the staring her down part.

There was some inner dialogue from Bella that I thought would have been better if it was used throughout. There wasn't enough.

The relationship seemed too awkward between Bella and Edward. Edward was way too mean, and then abruptly is passionately in love with Bella. It's like "I hate you, I hate you, I love you". I was left thinking, "What just happened?".

The moment that I wanted to just walk out was at the meadow scene. Edward is being really mean and grabs Bella by the arm and drags her up the mountain and yells at her how he is a monster. I had to do damage control to my friends who haven't read the books because they were thinking that Edward was an abusive person. Which is so not who he is. The meadow scene for me was one of my favorite scenes. It was so tender and gentle and pivotal to the relationship. Edward was showing his true self and putting all his trust into Bella. It was a love moment where you saw their connection strengthening. In the movie it looked like she was falling in love with an abusive stalker. It wasn't his true character at all.

The skin effect, in my opinion, was fine. But did they have to use soundeffects??? My diamonds never make a "ching ching ching" sound when the light reflects off of them.

Why didn't they have Bella cooking for her dad. They kept going to that stupid diner that was no where in the book. That was just wasted film and money. Bella and Charlie have a strained relationship where it is difficult for them to show how much they love one another. By Bella cooking for her dad all the time is her way of showing him how much she loves him. It also shows how independent and parent like she really is, since she was so responsible for taking care of her mom. She is supposed to be different from the other teenagers because of the adult qualities she developed from having this responsibility, but in the movie she is just your average teenager.

They also didn't say anything about the lullaby that Edward wrote for Bella. In the movie they just show them sitting at the piano and he is playing for her. If you haven't read the books you have no idea the significance of this moment. Edward was getting depressed and he hasn't composed in a long time. Esme could have been developed here a little better in her role as "mom" showing her concern for him since this wasn't characteristic of Edward to neglect his talent. They play the lullaby throughout the movie, but if you don't know what it is it just sounds like background music. I think Rob Pattinson has a good singing voice and it would have been nice having him hum Bella to sleep at least once. I bought the Soundtrack as soon as it came out so anxious to hear the lullaby, that should have been a sign to me how off this movie was going to be. The lullaby was too choppy and not at all soothing. Maybe that is why they didn't have Edward humming it.

What was the point of the field trip? I felt that was another waste of money and time. Her friends were way too High School Musical in my opinion. Wouldn't it have been better to do the blood typing scene in class? Then they could have built more on the concerned and protective Edward instead of the stalking and abusive Edward.

I think they could have expounded more on the converstations that Edward and Bella had. On the drive home from Port Angeles they were silent, but in the book it was a flood of questions and getting to know one another. I'm not suggesting that they put the whole dialogue verbatim in there, but they could have had some good conversations that would have made their relationship a little more believable. Any time they had the opportunity to strengthen the relationship based on their personalities instead of the physical attraction was overcast with music playing and the viewer just seeing them chatting. There was no depth to the relationship, which led me to feel the chemical tension between them was awkward and not romantic.

I really loved the baseball scene. That was really well done, and the use of Muse as the background music was an awesome song placement.

The dress that Bella wore at the prom would have been fine and true to the story if they hadn't added those ugly grey leggings and a tennis shoe! What happened to the dangerous stilettos? Why didn't they have Alice&Jasper and Emmett&Rosalie danciing at the prom? They were supposed to be putting all the other high schoolers to shame. I would have liked to see them all dressed up all fancy and dancing.

Okay, now the end with Victoria at the prom was wrong in so many ways. Edward can hear thoughts for miles away, and he can't hear her thoughts that were probably screaming profanities and death threats at them. And Alice would have seen Victoria making the decision to go there. Several things I hae heard would have been a better ending would have been at Bella's birthday party ending with Jasper trying to kill her. The whole Victoria thing was a mystery in the second book and to have her at the end of the first movie takes away all the suspense and speculating.

I understand that this was done on a shoestring budget, but I think there are somethings they could have done without and used that money to focus on staying true to the story. Like being up in that tree, not in the book and that scene probably cost a pretty penny. It may have looked cool, but it was completely unnecessary. The acting was sketchy, but I think it could have been better under a different director. Someone needed to tell Kirsten Stewart that the head shaking was border line Parkinson's. And Robert Pattinson could have been a little more suave instead of awkward and unsure.

I saw this movie twice just to make sure I wasn't jumping to a quick judgement. But I can honestly say this movie did not meet my already low expectations. I feel like I need to read the series for a third time to purge my mind of the images from this ill made movie. I really hope that with all the money this film has made they can do a better job on the following sequels. That, in a very big nutshell, is my experience of the Twilight movie.

Friday, November 21, 2008

One of a Kind


HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere are
1
or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?



I knew there was something special about me!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Thank you Stephenie Meyer!

It is no secret that I am a big fan of the Twilight series written by Stephenie Meyer. (See exhibit 1 to the right of the screen.) I even have her webpage in my bookmarks, so I check it regularly. I don't think I am at stalker status by any means though, I've only read the series twice! After reading her bio I noticed that we liked a lot of similar bands and books and movies, so I was thrilled to see the playlists that she added hoping to find some new music. I am one of those moms who live under a rock listening to The Wiggle's, They Might Be Giants kids' CD's and primary songs. As I browsed through her collection I came across the band Muse. I remembered her mention that Muse is her favorite band, so I was eager to hear them. I am really loving this band! It's like my eardrums are getting a cold refreshing drink of water after being dried out for too long. Muse is definitely on my short list of bands that I love! And I just wanted to thank her for introducing them to me. So if anyone knows her, would you please pass this along. Thanks a ton! =)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Jesus Loves the Little Children-the Kara Mix

When Grandma was in town a few months ago she picked up the nightly routine of singing to Miriam since I was in the hospital. When I got back home I was so preoccupied with Hannah I wasn't able to resume our songs, so Grandma gladly stepped up. By the time Grandma had to leave they were singing different songs than Miriam and I were singing. Miriam asked me the first night to sing "Jesus Loves the Children of the World". At first I didn't know what she was referring to, but when I figured it out it still didn't make much of a difference. I must be the only christian who doesn't know this song. Theo had to teach it to me, but I kept forgetting the words for some reason. They just weren't sticking in my brain. So I came up with my own version which is the new version that Miriam is singing with me now. It goes like this:

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
There are white ones, black ones,
red and brown and yellow ones.
Jesus loves the children of the world.

Same message, right?

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Therapy

Today I had the worst hour of my life and the best hour all in the same hour. I lost my little girl Miriam for about 30 minutes. The whole family was at the ampitheater by our home participating in our son, Tobie's Cub Scout Raingutter Regatta. Emma and Miriam played in the little kiddie pool that was provided to test out the boats before the actual race. Hannah was fast asleep, Tobie was focused on how he could win and Theo, being the Den Leader was caught up in the commotion of getting things in order and telling the other Tiger Cubs where to go. I was trying to video tape Tobie racing his boat, but our camera started to read "low battery" and then promptly died on me. I got a few pictures, but I was really looking forward to recording Theo trying to race the boat when it was the parents turn. Since we live just up the hill from the ampitheater I decided to run back to the house and grab some batteries. The girls were still preoccupied with the pool, Hannah still asleep so I told Theo I would be right back. I took off running for the car because I didn't want to miss any of the action. As I got in to the car I noticed my little Miriam trying to chase after me. She was still close to the crowd, so I made the stupid assumption that Theo would see her. I debated getting out, but then I saw her falter and turn back towards the cheering group behind her. I felt reassured that she would head back, or at the least start playing at the little kids park that is in the same area. There were some other kids there and another parent. I didn't think twice about it as I put the car in reverse and zoomed up the hill to the house. I was only gone maybe 4 minutes. When I returned I ran back to the group where Theo and the other Tiger Cubs were finishing up and making room for the Bears. Theo looked at me and asked me where Miriam was. I figured she was around somewhere and just shrugged as I started to scan the area looking for her bright blonde curls bobbing around. I couldn't see her and thought maybe I missed her as I walked past the little park and she is back there playing with the other kids. As I approached the park I still didn't see her and that is when panic started to manifest itself. The father that was there with his daughter told me that he saw a little girl walk up to the bathroom. I felt a false sense of calm as I assumed she would go in there since she was potty trained. But as I called her name in both the women's and men's there was no one in there. I took off running up the ampitheater stairs constantly looking over my shoulder sure that she was going to appear there. I got to the top of the stairs and I was literally a stones throw away from my house, it was just over another little hump. I didn't see Miriam anywhere. I backtracked by an old abandoned building, but still no Miriam. My screams became louder and louder and I was sure that the cheering crowd below was able to hear me. I called Theo who was down the hill searching for her, to tell him to get everyone there looking for her. I stopped two young men who were just riding by on their bikes and told them to start looking for a little girl in pink pants, "Her name is Miriam!" I shouted as they took off up the stairs that I had just returned from. I felt I was being pulled in every direction, my voice was going hoarse from screaming her name. I tried calling the police on my cell, but my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't push the buttons. Everyone was involved in the hunt now and someone else called the police, they were on their way. Someone, I don't know who, told me to sit down and stay calm. Emma was placed in my shaky arms, she was crying also not knowing what was going on. I said prayer after prayer, even yelling them out not caring who heard me. I started to hypervintilate as my imagine started to kick into overdrive, "what if someone saw her on the road and picked her up? they would call the police, right? what if the wrong person got to her first, what is happening to my baby right now?" Even now the recollection feels like my heart is being squeezed inside my chest. As my breathing started to get shallow and fast Tobie comes over to help calm me down. He puts his arm around my shoulders and is crying right along with me and Emma, and then he says something that snaps me out of hysteria and into outrage, "Mom, I'm hungry." "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!" At least he helped me not go into shock, but come on, there has to be some common sense here! I order him away and I continue to rock back and forth with Emma still clutching on. People kept coming up reassuring me that we were going to find her, but their assumptions were moot to me until they could actually place her in my arms. Theo suggested we walk back over to where the race was and Hannah since she was still fast asleep in the stroller. I pulled myself up, but it felt as if my core was going to collapse in on itself like a balloon does when you slowly release the air. I walked maybe two feet and then Theo's phone rang. I watched him answer and saw his shoulders fall, but in a good way. In a way that the weight of the world has just rolled down his back. He flips the phone closed and says the only words I could register, "They found her." I crumpled to the ground and immediately gave thanks to my Heavenly Father for bringing her back to me. She apparently did go up the stairs of the ampitheater and was found a little ways down the road from where I came out looking for her. The man who found her said she was just standing on the side of the road screaming and crying. When he approached her she flinched away from him, obvious that he was a stranger. When I finally saw her she was being carried down the stairs by Mr. Kimrey, an officer in the Coast Guard that is stationed at the same place Theo is. I ran up the stairs and took her from his arms. I couldn't hold her close enough. I wanted to seal her up inside of me so I would never feel that feeling of losing her forever. Her eyes were red and her bottom lip kept quivering, but she was safe and I was elated beyond belief. Theo and I kept repeating to her the importance of staying with mommy and daddy and not to wander off like that, but I know in my mind that it all could have been prevented. I can still see so vividly watching her from the car, how I had wrongly assumed that she would turn and go back to safety. If she had been lost forever, what would that memory do to me. I would have been lost forever in my own grief and guilt. But she wasn't lost forever and I am eternally grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me, my family and especially my sweet little Miriam with safety. As we were leaving the park we decided to treat the kids to McDonald's after such a terrifying ordeal. Theo was buckling Miriam in and once again one of us started into the safety precaution to stay with the family, she then made the comment, "Yeah, and the door was locked." I didn't mention before but this park and ampitheater is all in the back of her preschool and we have walked home several times, so she knows how to get to the house. She had come home and when the door was locked she went back out onto the road, lost her bearings and she started to panic.
I needed to write about this to make sense of it all. My thoughts have been random scattered images of this afternoon and I needed some order to combat the recurring panic. Cherish your little ones, you never know what trials lay before you. She was found, but it puts life into perspective on how easily it can be taken away.

Friday, November 7, 2008

TAGGED (Theo)


Five Things Theo Loves:
1. Me, of course!
2. His kids; Tobie, Miriam, Emma and Hannah
3. Computer games
4. Being in the Coast Guard
5. The Ocean

Five Things on His To-Do List:
1. Get his Masters Degree
2. Get into Officer Candidacy School
3. Finish my butcher block island that was supposed to be my Mother's Day gift 2 years ago.
4. Fix his car
5. Get the big snip-snip

Five Favorite Snacks:
1. Cookies
2. Buffalo wings
3. Jamba Juice
4. Chik-Fil-A sandwiches and fries
5. Fresh Choice
Five Things You May Not Know About Theo:
1. He played the Tuba in high school
2. He has a very good singing voice
3. He was in the gifted classes through out school
4. He is a very good cook
5. He's a great help with cleaning the house, better than me sometimes!

Five Places Theo has Lived:
1. Brunswick,Georgia
2. Loxley, Alabama
3. Cape May, New Jersey
4. Jacksonville, Florida
5. Novato, California
Five Quirks about Theo:
1. He does the Hot Dog Dance, and if you don't know what that is I'm not explaining it to you.
2. When he passes gas it's like a blow horn, seriously I think it's an earthquake because the house starts to shake.
3. He doesn't make the usual sounds like "uh-huh" when you are talking to him, so you think he isn't paying attention to you. That one gets really annoying actually.
4. If he is holding Hannah and she starts to cry he stands right next to me until I take her. I could be elbows deep in a dead pigs carcass and he will stand over me with a crying baby.
5. He always plays his computer games while watching T.V. or a movie. I seriously don't see how he is able to take it all in.

Five People to Tag:
(on their husbands)
1. Maureen
2. Rochelle
3. Aleisha
4. Andrea
5. Monica