Love wanes thin....

I have a confession to make. 

I do not love the movie "The Princess Bride". I like it, certainly, but I don't think I will put my affection for the movie into the 'love' category. 

I like the book. I like the movie - aspects of it amuse me and amuse me greatly.
But is it the best movie ever??

No.

I think part of my waning love is that I remember the 'ultimate of fandom' when other family members found out about the movie. Quoting it. Acting out scenes. Talking about how great it was. 

I watch it with amusement, when I do watch it. 
I enjoy it when I watch it....but I don't love the movie.

This is not the only movie this has happened with, either.

Star Wars. 

Any of them. 

Frankly - I hated "episode three" to begin with. But after my kids watched Episodes 1 and IV...I'm totally Star Wars'ed out. 

The "Clone Wars" on Cartoon Network is probably the best thing for that franchise (in my opinion). 

I'm sure there are others. Movies I've watched before and watch them again and they suddenly lose their charm. Through no fault of their own, mind you. It's probably just the timing of the movie.

One of my favorite movies is "The Magnificent Seven" - but I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch James Coburn die. So maybe if love for a movie wanes thin...maybe it can wax thick again.


I don't know, really. 


Do you want to know what started this??
A picture of "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwick. I haven't seen that movie in a very long time -- and would never have considered it one that I would look at and say "Hey, I want to watch that."



But for some reason, I do...and that started me thinking ...and this ramble of a blog post is the result.

Veteran's Day -

"Thank you" is never Enough.




All we've been given
By those who came before
The dream of a nation
Where freedom would endure
The work and prayers
Of centuries
Have brought us to this day

What shall be our legacy?
What will our children say?
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

Each generation from the plains
To distant shore with the gifts
What they were given
Were determined
To leave more
Valiant battles fought together
acts of conscience fought alone
these are the seeds
From which America has grown

Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

For those who think
They have nothing to share
Who fear in their hearts
There is no hero there
Know each quiet act
Of dignity is
That which fortifies
The soul of a nation
That never dies

Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

Don't wanna....

This is probably an entry in the "Average Mom's Journal"

Yesterday we were supposed to change our clocks back. Unless you lived in Arizona.

sigh. Today, I envy Arizona.

We did okay with the time change. FOR the most part.
Meals were done according to the clock.
We took naps because there was church that night.

We had our normal sunday night melt downs...but then we remembered that their little bodies thought it was 11pm and not 10pm. Which explained the extra level of whine/melting down that we achieved.

Today??

Today we all feel it.
I have no motivation ...and the kids are iffy.

Because Monday mornings are sluggish, we do light levels of school work.
Today's phonics lesson included the 7 year clearly NOT wanting to participate.


One of us should have stayed in bed.

I wasn't going to force school to happen but I wasn't about to get anything done with him giving me answers that were incorrect on purpose. I was proud of me when I looked at him and said, "We're done." Instead of losing my temper, I walked away before I lost it.

He cried and I'm not sorry.

Tomorrow will be better...It has to be.
I may be average - but I'm not about to declare that it couldn't be worse, because I know it could.
Average - not stupid.

It stressed me out....

and brought me joy...

when I read this post:

If you have a minute, go check it out.

Miracles before noon

Let me know if it stressed you out, too.

On the less stressful side of life, I'd like to introduce you to someone.
A little linky love --- a bloggy introduction.

Holly is in Ireland.
Holly is a missionary ... and what she's doing in Ireland is important and she has quite a story to tell.

Here's her blog... Check her out. Go say "hi" ...
If you like what she says, you can follow her blog posts...if for no other reason than to see pictures.

I just wanted my friends to meet...

*Waves*

'Cause friends are important.

Astute Observation...

Today. 
We vote. 

Did you hear that?

Let me tell you my story. A story where voting plays a MINOR role.

Even knowing I was going to Vote today, I'm am at the very beginning of NaNoWriMo, where the words add up. It's rather fun in a crazy sort of way. So I stayed up until 3am writing and today, the big kids had all their school work lined up for them, and they did it. 

On their own!!!

Without being asked!!!!

So I wrote. I let the little's play and I wrote. It was the best morning we've had in a long while...even if I was bleary-eyed. Always in the back of my mind is the fact that TODAY!! WE VOTE!!!


Somewhere in the morning, I decide that Mini-Me, who is now twelve, can stay with the kids and I'll take Bubbles with me to the polls. She is often a thorn in Mini-me's side, a bane to her very existence. So she gets her shoes at the first mention of leaving ... and nags me until we leave. 

She's excited to be leaving the house. Proving, I suppose, that I don't take her places very much.


She is the one, though, that threw herself to the ground... and ... well... It's all here. 

So there's a reason why I'm reluctant to take her places. At the church, she bounces among the elderly looking for the colored tiles in the floor. She bips and bops around looking at all things. I get my ballot and find a table on the FAR side of the room. A table with CHAIRS. 

Genius, no?


Marginally, it turned out.


She wanted to see under the tables. There was gum.


She wanted to see the other chairs at the other tables. The chairs that looked exactly like the ones we were using. 


She wanted to have a snack. She saw food on the counter.


A man put water in a water bottle at the sink. She wanted to wash her hands.


She wanted to look out the windows. 


She wanted to put her "I Voted" sticker on the ballot. NO! I wanted a valid ballot. Back away with the sticker. 


She bipped to the volunteer and returned their official voting pen and watched as I fed my ballot into the machine. We were number 336 in our district. 


Then we left. She wanted to throw away the paper from her sticker.


She declared that it was the best kind of day.


She danced in the parking lot and sang a song that she made up as she spun around in a circle. 


She kept up a constant chatter about stuff I can't recall. 


She noticed the house across the street.


She enjoyed that she got to sit in J-man's designated seat in the van.


She gleefully let me buckle her in.


I climb behind the wheel and she's HAPPY. Life is good. And she hasn't stopped talking.


We turn on Jason Mraz (I do not condone his politics...but Iike his music) and we sing the first notes of "Geek in the Pink" ...


"Hey, mom! Do you want to know what's funny?"


What???



"A joke."