Saturday Matinee

Aaaahhhh...I found I had a few hours to myself yesterday. It was a fabulous occurrence. So I treated myself to an afternoon with Jane Austen, sort of. I am a bit of an Anne Hathaway fan and I also love most anything Jane Austen. So Becoming Jane was the movie I chose. If you find yourself with a few free hours, go see it!

One of the best things about the movie was the previews...not your usual "Wedding Crashers/Die Hard" type. The Kite Runner preview was news to me that the movie will be out in November (yay!!!) and I am feverishly googling to find out more about Under the Same Moon, about a boy who crosses the Mexican/US border to find his mother after the death of his grandmother. I say feverishly because I couldn't remember the title. :-)

But also...I saw the preview for The Jane Austen Book Club. Brought me much happiness.

So there...enjoy the clips (wish there was one for The Kite Runner)...let me know if you see Becoming Jane...and let me know what you think about the movies coming out soon.

:-)

Coffee Table

I don't drink coffee so, technically, it's not really a coffee table that sits in front of my couch in our living room. Up until about two months ago I could have called it my Diet Coke Table. But now that's history as well (that was really hard, btw!)

Honestly, even if I were to pour a cup of coffee, there isn't one square inch of tabletop available for setting it down. No room. It'd have to go on the floor. Which I would prefer anyway because if by some miracle a space did open up on the table made for holding coffee, I doubt I'd take the chance. One clumsy nap-jerk and over it would go onto one of...ummm...eighteen books.

There's also a bowl I made like 10 years ago in ceramics class and in it sits a very dusty half burned candle surrounded by some shiny rocks, a few Barbie shoes and mismatched barrettes. Along with someone's flattened Capri Sun bag (gggrrrrrr), an old band-aid (that's gross and, tonight, I'm just makin' that up), a piece of tape (I can never figure that one out), and a purple marker that amazingly still works.

I've tried to keep it pretty. Every three years or so I try. And it lasts for maybe two weeks. Maybe. It's just no use. I'm a perpetual book stacker.

And next I'll write about one of the books from that stack. Which is what I set out to do tonight until I sidetracked myself.

So since I'm already sidetracked...what's on your coffee table?

:-)

Suggestions

Recently I was asked, "So Marianne, what movies have you seen lately?" All I could answer was, "Pirates, Shrek and (in a hushed tone) The Simpsons Movie."

My embarrassment led to my new lower -end membership to Netflix...no kid movies allowed on my Rental Queue!

So, sitting on my DVD player ready for viewing are Hotel Rwanda, The Last King of Scotland and The Constant Gardner. I'm in URGENT need of movie suggestions to add to my queue.

Thanks guys.

:-)

Adolescence - Already Arrived?

New book...same topic...teenagers. But this one is a really really good book. Get Out of My Life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall? (Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D.), is a must read for any parent, aunt, uncle, teacher, grandparent, neighbor, or anyone else who may happen to come across a teenager in the near or distant future.

I'm almost finished reading it (for the first time...they'll be more readings to follow) and one part in particular has stuck with me. I can't decide how much of it I agree with so I thought I'd run it by you.

Mr. Wolf writes about Letting Go in ways I had never thought of - he lets parents off the hook in a way. He writes:

As parents, we have a sense that our children are in a changing state, like wet and still moldable clay...Yet by the time of adolescence there are places where the clay has already hardened, where our children have become the final product, the adult they will be forever...In some respects they have already arrived at their destination - the permanent adult form.

THAT was a very humbling moment of reading for me. He seems to go on to say that at this point in teenagerhood, when we see that this is the case - they are only who they are - it's time for Mom and/or Dad to deal with it. We've done the job of parenting as we view it to be, but what happens next (or should happen next) is equally if not more important. Dealing with the individual our "baby" has become and how we feel about it is an ultimate test of letting go. And letting go is a parent's job as kids become teenagers. It doesn't mean we drop the rules and stop parenting. But it does mean we stop trying to shape or, even worse, live through our teenage child.

What do you think? Were you pretty much the person you are today when you were a teenager - minus the impulsive, stupid mistakes? Do you think many parents would agree with this?

It's been on my mind so much since I read it that I thought I'd get some input from my wise readers.

:-)

Middle Child

Since my oldest daughter gets most of the attention on my blog these days and my youngest daughter gets scads of attention at home the rest of the time, then my middle child - the boy of the house - is due a tribute here and there, every now and then. Besides...he's really nice to his mom.

My son, as some of you know, is a gentle compassionate soul as well as an expert lizard catcher. Really...he's quite famous locally. Well, at least in this neighborhood and the next one over. For catching lizards, that is. He's not actually known so much for the gentle compassionate stuff. That's just a mom thing.

Anyway, he notices and thinks about the most interesting things. What he takes away from a moment or situation is never the standard thought or feeling. Not usually anyway. But before you thinking that I'm going all "deep" on you, let me explain...this is all about Billy Ray Cyrus and his (current) good hair. Really good hair.

You see, my son is destined to be bald. Not just a slight receding hairline or the typical bald spot easily hidden by a backwards baseball cap. Nope...he's gonna have the the kind where the head is actually...hairless. It doesn't matter whose side of the family it stems from...they are all BALD! He really really doesn't stand a chance.

So, of course, when we are in spending an exciting summer afternoon in South Georgia at the local Walmart because it's totally 110 degrees outside, we of course end up in the CD/DVD/Movie/Game/"Anything Else Electronic" Section. And as we are browsing CDs, we pick up the new Billy Ray Cyrus CD, Home At Last. I decide I want to buy it because I've really enjoyed our new "family show" Hannah Montana and I'm curious about his CD.

The boy of the house appears beside me looking at the CD. He wants to hold it, look at it closer. He stares at it intently for about 15 seconds, hands it back and says, "He's got really good hair for a Dad. When I am a Dad, I want hair like THAT. It's not fair." He laughs a little at himself and walks back over to the video games trying to hold on tight to the the time he has left with his thick wavy 11 year old head of hair.

Fast forward about a month to middle school band tryouts. Another mom and I talk to pass the time. She shares that her daughter mentioned that my son is really kind, is a good friend and that he has REALLY GOOD HAIR.

Some day, before the big fallout occurs, I'll have to share that with him.

:-)

Grab a box of tissues...

...and check out these three chic flicks...

Catch and Release - Jennifer Garner and an equally cute co-star with really great teeth as well. Need to Google him...just a sec...Timothy Olyphant. Hmmm, well, very nice teeth.

Because I Said So - Diane Keaton plays a hovering mom to her youngest of three daughters, Mandy Moore. It was fun to watch a mother/daughter relationship struggle (only somewhat) but survive with a happy ending. My kind movie for sure. And of course...more cute leading men.

Music and Lyrics - Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are fun together in this silly but still sweetly romantic movie. Two of my favorite chic flick actors. And a HIGHLY entertaining 80's music video featuring Hugh's movie character is a must see...no tissues needed.

I saw all three this past weekend...I had some catching up to do! If you only pick one, see Catch and Release. Best storyline, most memorable characters and, well, there's the guy with the nice teeth.

:-)

So Far

Things aren't happening quite as I had planned. Very little exercise so far. Yesterday...some abs. Today...some arms. Impressive...not so much.

But I can only go up from here. I'll let you know.

:-)

Another Challenge...WooHoo!

Kat is challenging the blogosphere once again with the 21 Day Challenge. And (how embarrassing) I already missed the first day. But as Kat herself pointed out, that's the beauty of having more than 21 days in a month. So...I start today developing a new (old) habit of exercising in some way every day.

One day it could be 3 miles on the treadmill followed by 30 minutes of free weights. Most days it will look more like 100 sit ups and 25 push ups. Or just 38 jumping jacks. Any of that goes and after 21 days of finding the time in my day to take care of my body...making it strong again, I hope to have formed the habit - once again- of daily exercise.

I need it. I want it. I crave it.

Now it's time to just do it.

Thanks, Kat.

:-)