The Day of Potter

So yesterday I started my day at 12am with Harry Potter and ended it at 12pm with Harry Potter too! Last night I went to the show again with a bunch of friends. Adrian came home a little early from his class last night so that I could car pool with everyone and it was a blast!! Jann has a super-van that we affectionately named the Knight Bus for the night! Jann even treated us to some Knight Bus style driving a couple of times, which was tons of fun!! It was so fun to chat before the movie and then chat after about all the things we loved and would have liked to have seen in the movie. For myself, I was so bummed that Kenneth Branagh didn't make an appearance as GilderoyLockhart again in the Mungo's Hospital scene from the book. That part of the book just cracked me up! I absolutely loved the bits with my favorite villains, Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy and the cooler than cool Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Lucius actually had lots of lines in this one, so that made me happy! It was such a fun night!

I have to admit that today I am not on my A game. I'm a bit groggy. So far the kids have been playing nicely so I hope that keeps up. I can hope! I really should get ready and get out and do something with the kids. Yes it's almost 11am and I'm still in my pjs - what is it about blogging that I just admitted to that! :) But I am happy to report that Nina's 8th tooth is now completely broken through so hopefully we won't have as much teething-sadness today. I think a ton of screaming and fighting right now would probably give me a migrain!! I'm really looking forward to nice sleep tonight. Maybe I'll go to bed as soon as the kids do. That will be the plan.

But the lack of sleep was worth it. Girls' nights are so refreshing and rejuvinating (a least emotionally if not physically :))! Now I am SO excited for book 7 to come out and my Harry Potter get-away. I don't think I've mentioned this on the blog, but I am going with 7 friends to a cabin (which we are going to call "the Burrow") for a day and night when book 7 comes out for the express purpose of reading book 7 away from "familial responsibilities"!! :) Doesn't that sound like a blast!! Seriously can't wait!

We Saw It!!!

So as you might note on the time signature, it is 3 am and I am posting. Crazy I know... BUT we in a crazy sort of spontaneous (as spontaneous as you can be w/ 3 children) way went to Harry Potter tonight, this morning, whatever :) - the 11:59pm showing!! We got our favorite babysitter to come and basically spend the night so we could go to the first showing. Thanks to H.!!! So the show was FANTASTIC!! I think one of my favorites so far, but I love them all really. We tried to take a picture of us in our seats with Adrian's phone, but it was too dark... Really it was wonderful and so much fun to do something spur of the moment. Just what I needed at the end of a rough day. So yay for date nights/mornings and Harry Potter!!

Evaluation

I'm almost reluctant to post about this, but I feel like I probably should - this being about my only journal at the moment. So we had Ben's speech/social development evaluation today and it was a mixed bag as to its success. During the screening he was very sweet as he answered all the questions, in a very quiet voice, but making eye contact and answering all the questions. I was so happy. I had been building this up for days, telling him he was so lucky that he was going to get to go to a school and talk and play with some fun teachers. He was actually excited as we set off this morning. And he was not disappointed, the waiting room at the eval center had a big Lego table - his favorite, so he thought it was a pretty cool place. Directly after the eval they had the IEP meeting with Adrian and I and the specialists who had done the screening. The wonderful news is that they believe Ben is within the normal range - a bit delayed in speech, but still within the normal range. I am so happy to hear that's he's not that far behind. The OT wanted him to be re-evaluated in 6 months for some gross-motor and sensory issues she felt should be tracked, just to make sure he keeps progressing, but other than that they aren't recommending any follow ups.

Here's the mixed bag part. One of the specialists (the psychologist) was quite well... snippy I guess is a good word for it. She was ultra-judgemental about Ben not being potty-trained yet, actually saying, "So I see, you are letting him choose whether or not to be potty-trained." Ouch. I said we really were working on it, but I guess she was right - I haven't forced the issue yet. I've been trying to take a more laid-back approach and probably soon I'll have to start the real potty training... Anyways, and then she made a couple of dismissive comments about my concerns with Ben's speech and sensory issues, saying he was acting completely appropriate for a 3 1/2 year old boy and maybe I was comparing him to much to other kids, especially girls who are much more social at this age... Ouch again. I pretty much felt like an over-reacting inexperienced mom. It was hard. I left feeling happy that Ben is doing well, but almost embarrassed for having him evaluated. I'm sure she deals with kids with major developmental delays, but I felt like we should have been treated with a bit more... tact. After all, it wasn't just my concerns, Ben's pediatrician had encouraged me to get him evaluated again... Oh well. Adrian didn't feel so bad about the experience. I think it's harder on me - mommy guilt rearing it's ugly head I guess...

Tents and Transformers

So after a wonderful week full of lovely girls nights (thanks ladies!!), Adrian and I went on a real date Saturday night!! Yay! I thought of an ingenious (if I don't say so myself:)) plan for babysitting. I put Nina to bed before we left and Adrian set up the tent in the basement for Sophie and Ben to sleep in. A few months ago Ben was afraid of tents (at least really afraid of sleeping in one) and now he loves them. We put the hide-a-bed mattress in the tent and put sheets on it and everything so that Sophie and Ben sleep with their regular blankets and all - we think that the whole sleeping bag on the ground thing might have been Ben's hang up. They actually sleep so well in the tent! But the major benefit is that they went to bed in the basement so they didn't have to go anywhere near Nina's room the whole night, therefore not waking her up! And it worked. Nina slept peacefully the whole night according to the babysitter. Success!!

Adrian and I went to Transformers. It was definitely entertaining. I think it was perfect for Adrian; he loved the original cartoon as a kid. It was action-packed and all Spielbergized with amazing special effects. I really like the actor who played the main character, Shia LaBeouf. He reminds me a lot of John Cusack in his younger years. I am a huge Say Anything fan! Anyways, I told Adrian that I thought the movie was the male equivalent of a live action My Little Pony movie with Colin Firth and Liam Neeson! (For all the 30-ish gals who played with their ponies and Monchhichies while their male counterparts played with Transformers and He-man figures. :)) But like I said it was entertaining and it was so good to get out of the house together and have some couple time! Now I just can't wait to see HP with the hubby too!! So yay, for date nights!

Flashback Friday

Today, I think I'll flashback to Annie and my days as a little actress in sunny CA. I was recently talking with a good friend who's son just loves the movie Annie and man, that flick just bring back the memories for me. I absolutely adored it. Everything about it, but the songs especially. At home I remember singing "We've Got Annie" with my sister Lori and my cousin Lesley. I always wanted them to pick me up and spin me around just like in the movie. For my first day of kindergarten I wore an Annie red blazer and plaid skirt. The little red blazer had a patch with the cartoon Annie on it and in a little pocket on the side that had a tiny stuffed animal Sandy attached with a string. (If you remember, Sandy was Annie's dog.) When I was really little I did pageants (probably starting when I was 2?) and that turned into acting when I was about 5 or 6. I remember auditioning for a part in the LA production of Annie the musical when I was about 7? It was a huge full day long "cattle-call" (as they call it in the biz :)), with tons of little girls at a hotel, or maybe it was a theater, in LA. I sang my little heart out, "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" of course, but didn't make the cast. It was actually one of the only parts I remember really really wanting - that and a Sunny Delight commercial that the little boy from Punky Bruster was in, but alas I didn't get that one either... You probably wouldn't believe it of me now, but I was such an attention grabbing little ham! I used to love get on stage in front of people, singing and dancing away. It's weird to think of that, because man I do not like getting up in front of people now... What changed? I often wonder this, but I guess I know the answer - adolescence... Junior high has a way of sucking all that natural self-confidence right out of you, or at least it did for me. Those crazy years... Anyways, even though back then I didn't have my 7 year old wish fulfilled and get to be in a real production of Annie, I still look back on those Annie-days with much fondness. I really need to see what Sophie and Ben think of Annie, they'd probably really enjoy it too. It would be grand if that was their favorite movie to watch in the car - then I could sing my heart out to "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" in the privacy of my mini-van with only my children as witnesses!! :)

July Art History Pic

This month I thought I would be patriotic and pick a favorite painting of George Washington, Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg. My parents love this painting and my Dad has a large print of it hanging in his den. I think this is just one of those paintings that I grew up with, so even though it's not a significant art history piece it still has a lot to offer and makes me feel safe and comfortable. I have only read a bit about George Washington, but what little I have read amazes me. He was such a humble, courageous, and faithful man. I love the story of this prayer and apparently there was an eye witness account to it:


"I was riding with Mr. Potts near to the Valley Forge where the army lay during the war of ye Revolution, when Mr. Potts said, 'Do you see that woods & that plain? There laid the army of Washington. It was a most distressing time of ye war, and all were for giving up the Ship but that great and good man. In that woods (pointing to a close in view) I heard a plaintive sound as of a man at prayer. I tied my horse to a sapling & went quietly into the woods. To my astonishment I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was ye Crisis & the cause of the country, of humanity & of the world. Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying. I went home & told my wife. We never thought a man could be a soldier & a Christian, but if there is one in the world, it is Washington. We thought it was the cause of God & America could prevail."


--Source: Eyewitness testimony of Isaac Potts, a Valley Forge resident who shared the following story with the Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden (1770-1851), who then recorded it in his "Diary and Remembrances."


Of course, how could we know for sure if this happened, but I really like the story. I am so grateful for our country and for those who have given their lives to protect it. So for this month I'm happy to have a nice stars and stripey kind of art history pic!! :)

Sundae Fast Sunday

Last night was our first "Sundae Fast Sunday" and we hope to make it a monthly tradition. It all started when we, as a fam, were hanging out at the mall on Saturday and saw a ice cream maker on sale in Sears. I thought it sounded like fun to make our own ice cream and Adrian told me about the home-made ice cream he had had in his youth saying it "is sooo much better than any ice cream you can buy". So I thought I should try some of this home-made ice cream!! And I said, "hey we should have home-made ice cream sundaes on Sunday!" :) So we bought it and decide to make it a fast Sunday tradition so that we all have a fun treat to look forward to after we break our fast.

I have to say it was a lot of fun. All day yesterday Ben kept saying, "We make ice cream now?" When we got home from church everyone was so excited to mix the ingredients together and Sophie and Ben were both excited to see the cream churning in the machine. Here's the recipe we used:

Vanilla Ice Cream

4 0z pasteurized egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl combine egg substitute, sugar, and vanilla and mix well. Add cream and half and half. Mix well and chill thoroughly. Then follow standard instructions for your ice cream maker - which for ours is: turn on the maker so it starts spinning and then slowly pour cream mixture into ice cream barrel and let mix for 20-25 minutes.

After dinner we broke out all the topping: hot fudge, caramel, Twix magic shell sauce, strawberry sauce, whipped cream, peanut butter m&ms, mini chocolate chips, praline crunchies, and Kit Kat bars. Sophie went for a sundae with every possible topping, Ben had just ice cream and m&ms on the side, Adrian had magic shell and whipped cream, I had hot fudge, Kit Kat and m&ms, and Nina had spoonfuls from Adrian's. The ice cream was so soft and so creamy - well will those ingredients you can imagine! It was a tad softer than we would have liked it, but I think next time we will let it churn a little longer to harden more. Man it was good tho!!! It was a fun family treat and everyone declared it the best ice cream they had ever had - even Nina in her own "Mmmm Mmmm" way! :)