Monster Mash

Our church had a Halloween Party yesterday. All the kids' dreams came true. They served homemade root beer, so my dreams came true, too.

Out of the Woods and Home Before Dark

I haven't posted in a while because when you spend a week in bed having coughing fits and telling the kids to put in one more movie, there's just not that much to write about. We're all finally feeling better and I should probably clean my house now.

Last night Harrison and I went on a double date with my friend Anne and her son Scottie. We went to see "Into the Woods" at the local high school. Harrison and Scottie were completely mesmerized by the whole thing. By intermission it was already way past the boys' bedtime, so we took them home. Plus, the second act is kind of a downer and they're only five. On the ride home, Harrison went on and on about how much he hated it and Scottie insisted we tell him what story The Witch was from. No answer seemed to suffice. Once we dropped off our friends, I made Harrison tell me one thing he liked about our date. He said, "Hanging out with Scottie."

I thought the embarrassed to be seen with me years came later.

While we were gone, Jeff and Chloe made a pumpkin pie. Harrison and I discussed which singer was the pitchiest (The Baker's Wife) and whether the wolf was scary or cool (Cool.).

My Punkin' and the Pumpkins

Yesterday Chloe and I met some friends at Wheeler Farm. We haven't been out of the house in a while thanks to the petrie dish they call "Kindergarten." Our whole family has been sick for the past three weeks. It's been gross and the house is trashed. I'm hoping that some day very soon Chloe won't cry hysterically about everything, and I'll be able to sleep without waking up coughing every five minutes. Yes. These are my dreams.

In the meantime, we're enjoying the fall foliage from our window. Here are some shots from our farm outing.

Movie Review: Bells Are Ringing (1960)

My mother-in-law introduced me to this movie years ago and I was so excited when TCM showed recently. I think everyone in the world needs to know who Judy Holliday is.

The plot: Helpful, but lonely switchboard operator Ella Peterson (Judy Holliday) is an expert at solving everyone else's problems, but can't seem to get her own life in order. Ella adopts multiple identities in an effort to be everything to everyone. Her life is complicated by her love for a slumping playwright (Dean Martin).

Once again I unwittingly chose a movie directed by Vincent Minelli, but this time magic happens. It's all Judy Holliday's doing. She's beautiful, funny, talented, and built like a real woman. And as much as I adore Frank Sinatra, I always thought Dean Martin was the hottest member of the Rat Pack. When he croons "Just in Time" in Holliday's ear, I just melt. Jean Stapleton (from t.v.'s All in the Family) plays Ella's boss Sue. She and several other supporting characters add to the fun.

Judy Holliday only made a handful of movies, but the most notable is Born Yesterday. (Melanie Griffith later ruined the part in a remake.) Check that out, too.

Fast forward moment: The singing dentist bugs, but I'm not sure you'll get the rest if you skip him. Eat a snack during his part.

Grade: A

Rewind that! moment: Here's Holliday's big number.


P.S. Five years after this movie was made, Judy Holliday died of breast cancer at the age of 43. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you click HERE you will be connected to a site that helps gives free mammograms for every time someone clicks on the pink button. That probably doesn't make sense, but the idea is that all you have to do is click and someone will get a mammogram. Go team!

Movie Review: Top Hat (1935)

Top Hat is a classic Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie. I don't think I'd ever seen it before, but it turns out if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Which doesn't mean you shouldn't see them all. I'm just sayin'.

Here's how Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movies usually work: Astaire plays a charming dancer (this time one named Jerry Travers) and Rogers plays a snippy woman who is mistaken about Astaire's character's identity. (This time her name is Dale Tremont and she thinks Jerry is the husband of her friend.) Usually she's supposed to marry some twit. (In this one he's a fashion designer played by Erik Rhodes.) And finally, character actors Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore add to the hilarity. This is the exact plot for at least four Fred and Ginger movies.

Frankly, I don't give a darn. I love them all! Sometimes the case of mistaken identity can go on a little too long. This one went on EXTRA long. One of my favorite parts was Helen Broderick as Dale's friend, Madge. Hilarious.

Fast forward moment: The Piccolino is too long.

Grade: B+

Rewind that! moment: This classic moment.

Movie Review: Gigi (1958)

This movie is recommended for anyone who liked My Fair Lady, but wished that it sucked. And was in French.

Gigi is the story of a bored French dude named Gaston (Louis Jourdan... hubba hubba) who falls in love with the girl that is being groomed to be his mistress (Leslie Caron). Ah, the French and their moral dilemnas! Poor Gaston. What in the world is he to do?

Here's another beautifully shot movie by Vincent Minelli that doesn't deliver in the musical category. Each song is spoken, rather than sung. Every song. There is not one dance number, despite Caron's dancing abilities. The most famous song, "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" is one that I've always thought was rather sweet. But sung by an old man in a park to a bunch of strangers, it comes off as more of a pedophile's anthem. I also really like "I Remember It Well," but not when it's spoken. It takes about an hour and 45 minutes for the plot to thicken. If you do watch it (don't), then I'd recommend watching it with subtitles. That's a lie. I recommend watching it on mute and enjoying the lovely tour of Paris.

Fast forward moment: Gaston's songs. I'll save you the trouble--HE'S BORED.

Grade: D

Rewind that! moment: I'd love to know what others think of this song. Creepy or sweet?

The First Snowfall

This morning the kids woke up to a fun surprise. I captured it all for you on this low-quality video.

By the time we got out of church, it was all melted. They were bummed. The only way we convinced the children to move to Utah in the first place was to promise them snow. We assured them that there would be many more opportunities for snowball fights.

Jeff went to the grocery store last night and was surprised to find that the parking lot wasn't full and there was plenty of milk, eggs, and bread.

Kooky Chloe

My friend Liz recently tagged me on her blog. I'm supposed to tell you some of my quirks. I've thought about this for a week and have come to the conclusion that everything I do makes perfect sense and, therefore, I have no quirks.

With Harrison in school all day, I have spent a great deal of time alone with Chloe. Now that girl is quirky! So, once again, I'm going to cheat and pretend that Liz tagged Chloe.

1. Since she first made friends with stuffed animals, Chloe has not been able to leave the house without one. Sometimes she'll come to the door with five Care Bears in her hands and I make her choose one to take. It's like Sophie's Choice for toddlers.

2. Not only can she not leave the house without a friend, but recently she's decided she can't use the bathroom without one. This is just preparation for when she's a teenage girl and can't go to the bathroom alone.

3. She's constantly coming out of her room at bedtime but always forgets to have an excuse ready. We usually end up giving her an excuse. ("Did you come out for this toy you left on the floor three days ago?" "Ummmm . . . Yes.")

4. Driving around town without Harrison's constant chatter makes her uncomfortable. She has taken to having her feet talk to each other while we drive.

5. And most bizarre of all: Since she was a few weeks old, Chloe has had a bedtime ritual of laying on her back while crossing and uncrossing her legs over and over again. She does this to go to bed and when she first wakes up. We thought she'd grow out of it, but she's almost 3 now. Her honeymoon is going to be awkward. (Here's a visual for you.)


Despite all her quirks, she's a pleasure to spend time with. I'm amazed at how much easier it is to get things done with just one monkey around.

Chloe tags Lilly.

Denny's Gonna Be Thrilled About This!

Harrison recently became obsessed with Denny's. He'd never been there, or seen a commercial about it, or heard tales of adventure and intrigue about the place. He just saw a sign on the side of the road and liked that he could read it. One day as we were driving, he asked (ever so earnestly), "Mommy, some day can we go to Denny's?"

Last Saturday we decided to make all of his diner dining dreams come true. We took the kids to Denny's for dinner and then for a ride up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Everything tastes better in a rocket ship cup.

H made his mark on Denny's by coloring a picture to hang on the wall.

Chloe was convinced that her mac and cheese was better than my "Moons Over My Hammy."

The changing leaves in Utah leave much to be desired, but yay for mountains and rocks!


This post is brought to you by Jeff and Melissa: making dreams come true since . . . Saturday.

Poor, Pathetic Pandas

Jeff's schedule has been a bit crazy lately. He gets home right after the kids go to bed, so they haven't seen much of him over the past few weeks. The other night, Chloe made a family out of her panda toys explaining, "This is the Mommy Panda. This is the Daddy Panda. He's at work. This is the baby panda. She misses her daddy." Sweet and sad. Not quite as sad as last year when Harrison asked Jeff, "Daddy, where do you live?"

Today Chloe and I watched an animal planet show on Giant Pandas. Did you know there are less than 1,600 wild pandas left on the planet? Holy endangered species, Batman! Their bamboo forests are being cut down at a rapid rate and there are no longer enough to sustain the pandas. Won't it be sad if there are no longer any pandas left when Chloe grows up?


Click HERE to find out more about how to save the endangered giant panda.

Movie Review: How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

My high school did this show the year after I graduated and I remember enjoying it very much. It turns out most of my enjoyment came from watching my friends and not necessarily the parts they were playing.

How to Succeed . . . is the story of window washer J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) who uses a How To book to rise to the top of the World Wide Wicket Corporation. Michelle Lee (whom I'm 78% sure is actually a mannequin) plays Rosemary, a secretary and Finch's love interest. The movie is sharp satire and it's full of great characters, including the big boss J.B. Biggly (played by Rudy Valee). As a movie, it's very entertaining. As a movie musical, it's not entertaining enough. The music slows down the action considerably and never liven's things up. Robert Morse, with his gap-toothed grin and droopy eyes, alternates between comic genius and super creepy creep. (Fun Fact: Robert Morse can be seen these days as the big boss at Sterling-Cooper in Mad Men.) Rosemary is officially number one on my list of Dullest Female Lead Roles in a Musical. Also, a couple of my favorite musical numbers weren't even in the movie. So, if you have a chance to see the stage play, then I recommend it.

Fast forward moment: The musical numbers.

Grade: D+

Rewind that! moment: This is definitely the most exciting song in the show, which isn't saying much. This clip wasn't working earlier and I wasn't sure if it was my computer, so sorry if it doesn't work.


But, I prefer this version from The Drew Carey Show.