Fun At the Park

Auntie Em brought her camera along for a little jaunt to the park on Saturday. . . since it was relatively warm (upper 40s) and we needed to get out of the house.

This was Nolan's first experience at a real playground, and I must say, I think he enjoyed it. I can't wait for him to be able to do it without being all bundled up!

heading to the playground with grandma

ooh! A puddle!

OK. . . I think I can do this. . .

Whee!!

These bead things are pretty sweet.

And on the way home, he learned a skill I've been trying to teach him for months. . . on his own. Putting up his hands to shield his eyes from the sun.
Happy day!!

Weekend

It is my dad's birthday tomorrow (Happy Birthday, Dad!!), so Nolan and I went up to Syracuse to celebrate with him this weekend while Ben was out of town. It was crazy and chaotic as usual, but we had a great time.

A few random photos from the weekend:
Nolan was not that interested in posing with mom. . .

enjoying his first pudding cup

hanging with grandpa! Apparently Nolan couldn't be bothered to pose with him either. . . but at least grandpa is happy!

Love you, dad!

Work

As a mother, one of the most frustrating things is the incessant cleaning of things that will just be messed up within minutes, or hours at the most (and I am just the mother of a toddler!)

It occurred to me today, though, that the person in this world who may be even MORE frustrated, is the mother who is also a cleaning lady at a corporate office building.

How much would that suck?

Today I am grateful for my job, even when it's overwhelming, it could be SO MUCH worse.

SNOW!

And, a few more cute ones. . .

Nolan was pretty excited that it was snowing outside. He climbed up on the love sac and opened the blinds to get a better look. He was also sweet enough to leave some great handprints on our already very dirty windows.

Ah, winter. . .

My Little Squirrel

There's an episode of Curious George where the squirrel, and subsequently, George, bury stuff out in the yard. I'm pretty convinced Nolan has taken this to heart.

This is how I often find the ficus in the corner:

He's pushed a hole in the dirt and dumped his things in. There are often 5 or 6 of his magnet animals in there. . .

Seasoning

In another installment of Nolan the Chef. . . Tuesday, he decided that spooning his Italian seasoning into the pan was as much fun as shaking it. . . This time, in pictures, rather than video. . .

Nolan the Chef

One of Nolan's favorite things has always been watching us cook. . . and helping us cook. It got to the point where he would throw huge fits if we didn't let him help stir the things that were cooking on the stove. . . and he's a heavy kid to hold up. . .

So Ben devised a plan. He gave him our small sauce pan, a spatula, and an ice cube, and let him "cook". I can't tell you how many hours of fun Nolan has gotten out of this game. And for him to focus on ANYTHING for more than 5 minutes of time is a miracle. . . so we're loving it. He's even gotten to the point where he "seasons" his meals.

You have to see for yourself. Sorry it's so long, but it's worth it. . .

First Crayons

In our various trips to restaurants lately, Nolan has taken a liking to the crayons they leave at the tables for kids. We decided it was time to let him try it out at home.

I have found a great love for Crayola's new twistables series, being the sucker for school supplies that I am. . . so I bought some for Nolan. I figured, this way, he couldn't immediately break the tips off, and I didn't have to worry about wrappers.

Initially, I just took a few out to let him try. And he liked it. . .

But not as much as he liked taking them out of the package himself.

He was fascinated!

He even drew a bit. . . although he tried to draw with the wrong end of the crayon more often than not. . .

baby steps, right?

Licking the Beaters

Sunday morning, Ben was kind enough to make the treat for Sunday School while I was busy getting the lesson ready.

He used the brownie mix from the AWESOME Lehi Roller Mills gift box that Hilary & Shayne's family sent for Christmas (which looked very much like this one)


As you didn't have to add any eggs to the mix, he let Nolan lick the beaters. . . and I think the verdict was, he loved it!

(Also, the brownies were officially TASTY)

3 Random Cell Phone Photos

[#1]
Emptying the diaper bag of ALL of the contents. . . and unrolling the roll of bags for containing the smell of dirty diapers. . . Entropy in action, I'm telling you.


[#2]
Enjoying (very MUCH enjoying) a chocolate chip cookie at Paradise Bakery
Photo by Melissa


[#3]
Did I tell you about the time Nolan locked himself in the car. . . with my keys?

No?

Yeah, I let him play with my keys, and he locked the doors, without my knowledge, and I threw them up in to the front seat while I buckled him in. . . and then shut his door before I tried to open mine.

Luckily, my phone was in my pocket, not in the car with him, so I made a call, and Ben was able to run home and rescue him inside of 15 minutes.

Also luckily, it was December, not July, so he wasn't over heating.

He just stared at me for 5 minutes or so, then cried for another 5, then laughed while I made stupid faces and danced outside the car for the next 5. Our neighbors were amused, I think. . .

But I was a little annoyed to get the "you're a bad mother" glare from the lady 2 doors down that lets her kids run around NAKED out doors in all weather. . .

I won't be letting that happen again.

Our Weekend

The weekend at the Hess house was filled with adventures of many kinds:

#1- Colds for all 3 of us. Hooray!

#2- a trip to Urgent Care for Nolan after he spiked a 104 degree fever that we couldn't get down on Saturday evening. He's fine. The fever finally broke at about 3:00 that morning and hasn't returned. Apparently it was just a virus that had to run it's course. But it scared us.

#3- Kitchen cleaning!! This was the one thing I wanted to get done with our weekend, and even with all of our general ickiness, we managed to make some progress! I didn't document the inside of the fridge, but WOW did we get that looking shiny as well!

The cupboard where most of our spices and baking stuff lived. . . only a few spices had made it to our magnet board, and this cupboard was overflowing.

The transition doesn't look super dramatic, but nothing falls on your head when you open the cupboard now, and that's saying something. Plus, everything is in its place.

The true transition happened here. . . A mess of epic proportions. . . we have always had storage issues in our kitchen, but lately it's just gotten out of control. . .

NOW, the spices are contained, labeled and alphabetized, and the clutter is GONE!! Let's hope we can keep it this way. It's so much easier on the eyes. . .

#4- We also managed to watch the Super Bowl. . . the one football game we watch all year. . . and let's be honest, mostly for the commercials. . . and the food. But I didn't feel like taking pictures by that point in the weekend, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

What did YOU do?

The Little Musician

I am doing a small test run with the new camera and the new (temporary) software. It's just a brief blip, but I thought it might be kind of fun to share, while I work on putting something bigger and better together.

This was Nolan playing the Xylophone one random afternoon a couple of weeks ago. He was so proud of himself, I just had to capture it.

Sundance, Day 3 (2009)

This was Ben's first Sundance experience. . . and while I still think it's not really his bag (nor would it be anyone's who doesn't like to roll the dice on the kind of movie they're going to be seeing on a given night), I don't think he hated it. . . and that's better than I was hoping for, frankly.

On a side note, get the tamales at the Broadway the next time you're there! They are really tasty, for movie food. And we want them to keep stocking them.

Against The Current
A film about a man swimming down a river. . . It suffered a great deal from writer/director syndrome. There was a lot about it that could have been left on shore, as it were. But, at the same time, it was nice to see a film whose characters had a sense of humor. A film that didn't take itself so very seriously. That's a novelty at Sundance, and a lot of the movie's issues were made up for by this fact, I think. It's a sad movie. . . a movie about loss. . . But it was also interesting enough to keep my attention and not bore me too much. . . and as movie #3 in 2 days, that's saying something.


Moon
This was a much slicker film than the others we saw. . . obviously one that had more money behind it for effects and sets and such. . . I have to preface by saying that I'm not usually much of a Sam Rockwell fan. He kind of bugs me. Probably because he tends to play characters that are weird or creepy and don't have a lot to relate to or redeem them. . . This character(s) is different. And I think you'll like it. I won't give away the twists, but if you like 2001, and don't mind a little sci-fi. . . try this out (though be warned there is some language). I'm fairly certain you'll see it either in a theater, or at least in Netflix, in the nearish future.

Sundance, Day 2 (2009)

Rudo Y Cursi
I wanted to like this movie more than I did. . . In theory, it was a good idea. 2 guys who work on a banana plantation in Mexico are discovered playing a back lot game of soccer and make the big time. A Cinderella story, of sorts, right? But this is a long and rambling story, that pretty much makes you want to smack both of the main characters across their faces. And if you can't like the protagonists, then what's the point? The message of the movie had to do with a person's passion being in one place, while his talent was in another. . . and it was an interesting message. . . I just didn't like the execution of it. I'd have to give this one a whole hearted "Meh".



Five Minutes of Heaven
I have to admit to going in to this movie a little bit hesitantly. As a rule, I find IRA movies (or movies about any particular group of revolutionaries) to be particularly hard to watch. Generally, these movies are less about the characters, and more about the cause. And though this movie had Liam Neeson headlining, I was pretty sure that's what we were in for again. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was a VERY character driven piece. It was also painfully slow and suspenseful in places. . . more than it needed to be. . . and definitely had some script issues (which is interesting, because it won the World Cinema Screenwriting Award as well as the World Cinema Directing Award). . . . but I liked it very much. As Melissa pointed out, it was amazing if JUST for the one shot of the 2 guys going out the window. . .

I would have liked it more in another theater (the Tower is not known for it's comfortable seating), and without a migraine. . . but you take what you can get. . .

(Oh, and we took pictures of ourselves. . . sort of. . . at the first movie. . . but they were just NOT good. So I'm saving us AND YOU from seeing them. You're welcome)

Friends

What? It annoys you that I don't post for a week and then post 3 (or 8) times in one day? Get over it. I do what I can with the time I have, OK?

Just kidding. I love you all. I didn't mean to snap.

Back to the point. . . the other night, for FHE, our friends the Chandlers, with one of their daughters (the other was off at her grandparent's house for a sleepover) came over to play. Erica is a month older than Nolan, and it was awesome to watch them play together. They were surprisingly good together. AND, miracle of miracles, Nolan DIDN'T tackle her! I know, it's amazing.

Here are a couple of my favorite moments from the evening:

playing along just fine. . .

Until he notices she's there. . . Then he's not so very sure.

Glasses

I think every little kid is probably fascinated by glasses. Nolan has always been one of them.

His auntie Em has a marvelous pair of fashion glasses that she's incredibly patient with letting him try on. And he loves it. Trying them on. Taking them off. Putting them back on her. He thinks it's a marvelous game.

I don't know if she agrees, but she pretends she does. Because she's a good aunt.


See? Wasn't that fun for you too?

Caramel/Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

I've been going on and on and ON about caramel chocolate covered pretzels. . . I know. . .I apologize to everyone who pays any attention to me on Facebook or Twitter or ELW or worst of all, in REAL LIFE (or all of the above)

But last night, we finally finished the experiment.

And I have to say, it was a huge success, on the taste front.

They could definitely be prettier. And next time (yes, there is MUCH caramel left and PLENTY of pretzels) they will be. . . but for a first try? I'm pretty happy.

Hearts! I was so convinced the knots would look like hearts when they were filled with caramel and dipped, and they DID! they were tricky to dip, though. the caramel kept sticking to the fork. I ended up using my fingers and got very very messy. I needed some kind of chocolate dipping tweezer/tong tool. I'm going to have to find some for next time.

The pretzel rods were much easier to dip. We took a cue from a Christmas gift we got and wrapped the caramel in a spiral pattern around the rod and then dipped it. I love the look it gave them.

Nolan Video Update. . . Sort of

We got a new video camera recently. A really pretty one with all the bells and whistles that a new video camera should have. Unfortunately, the software on my computer hasn't QUITE caught up to the bells and whistles. (don't even get me started. It's a long story) In about a week or so we should be up and running on getting the sweet new videos from THAT camera into the computer. But in the mean time, I had a few straggling videos hanging around on the OLD camera that I hadn't posted. Even the newest of these is from early December, so they aren't the most up to date. . . but actually. . . not a lot has changed where Nolan is concerned. He says a few more words and does a few more tricks. . . but not a LOT more. I think he's hibernating a bit right now. . . and who can blame him?

So hopefully this will satiate the appetite of the far flung friends and family for a little bit until I can upload the new stuff.

Enjoy!

Sundance, Day 1 (2009)

Helen
To say this movie was depressing is. . . just not doing it justice. It's ABOUT depression. It's a peek inside the life of a woman with severe and suicidal depression. A woman like you. A woman like me. Happy. Settled. Successful. A wife and mother. And then everything falls apart. Out of the blue. And it is awful. It's awful to WATCH, I can't imagine what it would feel like to be IN it.

Ashley Judd STUNNED me. She is incredible. The rest of the cast is also great. THe subject matter is heavy and intense, but it's also amazing. What a way to begin. . .

Me, Nick & Cortney at the Rose Wagner (via awful iphone photo)

4 more to go this coming weekend!

Movies

As I was writing all of these reviews it occurred to me that for the first time in a long time, I've actually LIKED almost everything I've seen recently. Crazy! But who can argue with that? I have a HUGE wish list of things to see before the Oscars, but most of them aren't going to happen. With Sundance the next two weekends and a CRAZY February, I'll be lucky if I see one or two of the other nominees. But they'll come out on DVD eventually, right? In the meantime, enjoy:

Scoop
It's Woody Allen, but for once he cast himself in a perfect role. I don't really enjoy the rhythm of the dialogue in his movies. . . mostly I feel like everyone is sort of improvising.. . but not in that "this feels really natural way". More like the "I'm uncomfortable improvising" way. That said, it's a fun story, and I did enjoy watching it.

When Did You Last See Your Father
What a great cast! Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson. It's a slow movie. . . it takes it's time along it's journey, but it's beautifully and honestly done, and definitely worth watching.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The technical aspects of this movie alone make it amazing. TRULY amazing. The computer animation they use to age Brad Pitt is brilliant! I've always been a fan of David Fincher as a director, and he doesn't disappoint with this, although it is seriously outside of the realm of most of his other movies. There are still touches that are definitely HIM. And beyond that, the acting is great. I can't wrap my brain around having to portray someone from birth to death, over the course of 80 years, but both Cate & Brad do it beautifully. Definitely has best picture potential, despite what the Golden Globes thought. (not that I disagree with the choice THEY made)

The Duchess
Oh MAN the acting is good in this movie. There is a scene out on a road in the middle of a marsh that was honestly the most incredible thing I've ever seen in a long time. I know there are a lot of people that think Kiera can't act. I defy you to watch this movie with an open mind and still say that. Ralph is amazing as usual, as is the rest of the cast. If you're a fan of period drama, please see this one.

Ghost Town
I expected this movie to be silly and slapsticky. . . but in reality, it's kind of a chick movie. And I liked it a lot more than I expected to. Ricky Gervais is almost the straight man, and he does a great job at it. Who knew he had that in him?

My Blueberry Nights
First, I didn't expect Norah Jones to be the LEAD in a movie with a supporting cast of Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn, & Natalie Portman. . . but she held her own. This is a very independent feeling movie, but not a weird one, per say. It's a love story, deep down, and a story of a girl finding herself.. . and while the cinematography is a little bit odd and jarring in spots, it's worth a look.

Slumdog Millionaire
The title of this film really threw me for a loop a couple of months back. I thought it was some sort of gangster film. I was very very wrong. It's actually set in India, refers to the children who live in the slums of Mumbai and tend to be thieves and beggars. . . And tells the story of one of them who goes on to play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. But beyond all of that, it's a love story. It's about a boy who cannot and will not let go of a girl. And that tenacity leads him on all sorts of adventures. A great deal of the cast of this movie is less than 18, and they are all amazing. I believed every second of it. And after watching it, I wasn't at all disappointed that the Hollywood Foreign press chose to bestow it's highest award on this film. It's brilliant.