Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Double Movie Review: Call Me By Your Name and The Post

We're nearing the finish line! Allison and I hit up 2 movies in just over 48 hours to pretty much finish up. We each have 1 rental left before Sunday, but then we'll have seen everything! {I watched Dunkirk with Brent on Sunday night and still need to see Get Out.}

Up first - Call Me By Your Name


Plot: In 1980s Italy, a romance blossoms between a seventeen year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant.

Review: I was a little nervous before going to see this movie because the previews made the age gap between Elio {the son} and Oliver {the assistant} seem like a lot - like almost pedophile-ish a lot. Luckily, it didn't feel that way once we watched the movie. Oliver is just so full of life, it'd be hard for anyone not to fall in love with him! It ended differently than I expected in several ways, but overall it was a sweet love/coming of age story. 

Then, last night, we saw The Post.


Plot: A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government.

Review: So I enjoyed this movie and loved learning about history, but I felt like Spotlight from a few years ago kind of stole the thunder of 'newspaper prints crazy story shedding light on corruption'. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks were wonderful, I was entertained the whole time, the sets were great, I just think Spotlight did it better, ha.

I'll post my votes on Friday!!! Yay to another successful Oscars season. And now Allison and I can pick some blockbuster love story to go see next!

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Day in the Life: February 23, 2018

The couple of bloggers who have run the link-up for the quarterly DiTL posts didn't do it this winter, so I just decided to go ahead and record a day and picked this past Friday as the day. Normally, with the link-up, we do January, but I figure this will still cover winter!

***************Friday, February 23, 2018***************



Brent is 37 3/4
Allena is 37 1/2
Trent is 8 3/4
Drew is 5
Paige is 14 months

Last night I got home from an event for a friend at about 10:30, immediately had to go nurse a crying Paige, and got done at 11:00. I was super tired so went straight to bed.

6:00 AM - Brent's alarm goes off. I first think 'WTF?', then 'So glad that isn't my alarm', then 'Wow, Paige made it from 11:00 onward!'

6:25 AM - Brent comes to kiss me goodbye and rubs my shoulders a little bit. That man has magic hands.

6:30 AM - My alarm goes off. I start to snooze but remember I didn't get the big kids' lunches packed or Paige's clothes bag, so I need the 9 snooze minutes. Get turkey burgers {Trent's breakfast} on the stove. Pack Trent's and Drew's lunches.



6:45 AM - Pack Paige's clothes for the day. Wash out yesterday's clothes. 



Take a peak at sleeping Trent and Drew - she slept on the couch in our room due to thunderstorms the night before.


Where's Trent?


6:55 AM - Drew gets up and gets 2 squirty fruits for breakfast and keeps me company while I get ready.



7:05 AM - Check the weather. More rain, ugh! It's been raining for days. The kids have been stuck inside, and everyone is a little stir crazy.



Drag Drew on her Poppy blanket to her room to get dressed.



7:10 AM - Wake up Paige. She nurses for about 10 minutes. Take her into the kitchen and get her some breakfast, she is too busy playing to eat.



7:25 AM - Drew wants a checklist for her daily responsibilities, so I write one on the dry erase board in the playroom. Causes a fight with Trent and Drew because he puts check marks for what he's done under Drew's name. Sigh.



7:30 AM - Finish getting ready, get Paige ready, everyone brushes teeth, get in the car.



7:50 AM - Finally leave, about 10 minutes later than I wanted to, ugh! Really glad I didn't snooze!

8:01 AM - Get to Trent's school, get him dropped off. Head to the girls' school.



8:20 AM - Drop the girls off. Paige practically jumps out of my arms to get to a teacher - she LOVES her new class!

8:35 AM - Get home, turn on my Out of Office for work, heat up some breakfast.



8:40 AM - My MIL arrives and we hit the road! She has a chai waiting in the car for me. Does she love me or what? We gab the whole ride to Waco.


Tradition dictates a chai selfie on my DiTL posts {grin}

10:00 AM - We pull into Waco and Magnolia Market! Shop, shop, shop.




12:00 PM - Get in line at the Silo Baking Company, takes about 25 minutes to get our cupcakes.


12:30 PM - Walk to another boutique called The Findery - it is SO CUTE!

I really liked the chair I found there - we need chairs at the head and foot of our kitchen table - didn't want to pay $165/chair, but I think I'm going to search for something like this... Also, had a fun laugh with Brent over the Lonesome Dove sign.

1:15 PM - Eat some of the snacks we got for lunch in Janet's car. We didn't have enough time to sit down and eat lunch because I needed to be back in Georgetown to pick the kids up from school - the girls get out at 3:00 and Trent at 3:45. Janet is going to go with me to pick up the kids, we're both excited.

Yum!

1:35 PM - Leave Waco. After about 15 minutes on the highway, come to a screeching halt. Spend about 90 minutes trying to figure out what is going on {highway shut down for 'emergency repairs'} and find an alternate route home = STRESSED OUT. Luckily, Papa can go get my car and get the girls. We will make it in time to get Trent, but I do call his school to say I might be a little late.

Look at that LONG line of 18-wheelers just stuck on the highway.

4:10 PM - Arrive to pick up Trent. He's excited Nana's with us!

4:25 PM - Get home, Papa playing with the girls. Paige runs to NANA and NOT me!


5:05 PM - Start to cook some rice - the big kids LOVE rice, so it's an easy thing to make for them when we have a bunch of leftovers in the fridge too. Paige eats some dinner {avocado, tomatoes, turkey burger}.



5:15 PM - One of the neighbors, Lauren, calls and wants to see if Drew wants to come down and play with her girls. Drew does, so Lauren grabs her on their way home from daycare.

5:35 PM - Paigey's bath time!!! Also known as her favorite time of day. I read Hidden Figures and play games with her in the bath tub. Trent is watching videos on my computer.



6:10 PM - Get Paige out of the bath. She is totally happy until she sees her sleep sack which is when she decides she needs to be in it NOW. I struggle to get her dry, diapered, and in pajamas because she just WANTS HER SACK.


6:15 PM - Nurse Paige and put her to bed.

6:30 PM - Text with another neighbor, Susie, who is going to come grab our crock pot for her son's bday party which is tomorrow!

6:45 PM - Fix Trent a bowl of rice and some apples. I have chicken and rice and read/play on the computer.

7:30 PM - Drew gets dropped off and also eats some rice.

8:30 PM - Drew to bed, Trent builds Legos in his room. I have WINE and start this post!!!


8:45 PM - Send T to bed.


9:00 PM - Sit down with my Magnolia cupcake and Hidden Figures. Brent went straight to the golf course after work, so I never saw him today, ha. But it's nice to be able to sit and read in silence, ha.


10:00 PM - Get into bed to continue reading. I'm tired! Text Brent that I'm about to go to bed.

10:30 PM - Lights out!!

And that's the first DiTL post of 2018... Until Spring!!


Monday, February 26, 2018

Photo-a-Day: Week 8

Day 50: Swinging with Pops

Day 51: Chase During Ninja Class

Day 52: On the Way to School

Day 53: The Bestie

Day 54: Magnolia Market with the Mother-in-Law

Day 55: Paige's First Clip!

Day 56: Morning Peek-a-Boo


Friday, February 23, 2018

Movie Review: Phantom Thread

Allison and I are trucking along on our Oscars 2018 quest. Sunday we saw Phantom Thread which is Daniel Day-Lewis' last film as he enters retirement. Did he pick a good note on which to end his career?!?!


Plot: Set in 1950's London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastiduous life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.

Review: To be honest, Allison and I were both not looking forward to this film. The previews made it seem really boring. However, we both left liking it much more than we thought we would. The fashion part was really cool, and there were actually some really interesting {dark and slightly MAD} twists that kept it interesting. It wasn't our favorite, but we both agreed it wasn't our least favorite - that award still resides with 45 Years. Rating: B+

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Currently: Rain, Rain, Go Away

Current Book


I am partially into 2 different books for the Book Challenge.


Current Song

Aaron Watson - Bluebonnets - another Brent provided hit!

Current TV Show

I'm excited to give this a try - 
alums from Parenthood, Parks & Rec, and Mad MenSign me up!

Current Drink

It's cold and rainy today, so I kind of wonder why I don't have a chai today?!

Current Shame-Inducing Pleasure

Did anyone watch Ellen's Game of Games? It was a family hit for us.
And a co-worker told me about this app...OMG...I am OBSESSED!

Current Outfit

Workout clothes from my OTF workout this morning!

Current Celebrity Crush

I just finished this book {The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
and am 100% geeking out about the movie.
FOUR actors from Downton Abbey, set in the UK after WW2, a love story, 
AND it's about a book club? I mean, seriously, I'm dying.

Current Mood

Content - Brent changed jobs and things are much more balanced at home. Yay!

Current Anticipation

My mother-in-law and I are going to Magnolia Market on Friday to look for things for their new house. I am so excited for 3 reasons:
1) I love my MIL so much and never get 1-on-1 time with her
2) I can't wait to see what's new at Magnolia since we went a few years back
3) Magnolia Bakery cupcakes

Current Wishlist

A lot of money to spend at Magnolia!

Current Film

This will be next Sunday's outing!

Current Picture

D R A M A  Q U E E N



Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Sleepovers

I have so many great memories as a kid of spending the night with friends or having friends stay at our house. 

I remember watching TGIF with Allison while playing with my play-doh Soda Shoppe. I remember watching inappropriate horror movies at Sibyl's house. And gossiping the night away with Kerri. Slumber parties were always the best - staying up SO late, eating pizza, watching movies, getting in trouble for being too loud.

But I have no clue when I'm going to be ready for our kids to sleep over with friends.

I slept at my best friend Jennifer's house when I was in Kindergarten. Trent is in 3rd grade, and I'm nowhere near ready! How do you decide? How do you get comfortable? How do you trust the other parents?

I don't know if things are truly different today than it was when I was a kid or if the media makes it seem worse, but I'm having a real hard time figuring out how to trust other parents.

I remember the BTK Killer was a president of his church, was married and had daughters. And yes, I know that is me jumping to extremes. {grin}

Brent's little girlfriend's mom is a therapist, and she told me she hears so many stories from patients about bad things that happened to them at friend's houses, and they aren't having their girls sleep over with anyone. That's sobering.

Has anyone thought about this and figured out a rule of thumb? The older Trent gets I know more opportunities are going to come up. And Drew is already asking, ha.

Just another thing of parenting I wasn't prepared for!

Monday, February 19, 2018

Photo-a-Day: Week 7

Day 43: That Time Drew Took 75 Pictures of Her Puzzle

Day 44: Not So Snuggly Sisters

Day 45: Gurley Gurls

Day 46: I Cut Trent's Hair!!!

Day 47: Getting Ready For School

Day 48: The Cutest Kitchen Helper

Day 49: And I'm Dead