Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Okay, I just got home from watching HP and the OOTP at the IMAX theater. Firstly, I will say that there is just nothing like watching a movie on the IMAX theater. Truly, it's incredible. And, to make it more amazing there was a 3-D scene in the show that was unbelievable.

Now, I'm going to do my first ever (I think) movie review on this blog. And I'm going to skip all of the parts about how books are absolutely the best entertainment meduim ever and no movie anywhere will beat the book.

That said, and this is coming from a die hard Potter fan, the movie was okay. For me, it was the beginning that really ruined the whole thing. Mrs. Figg's character was poorly done...she had no dramatic flair that was truly needed and the entire beginning of the movie lacked the Ministry/Harry/Dumbledore interaction that made this particular book hook me in the first place. I mean, Harry gets booted out of Hogwarts, made to go to a judicial hearing and is threatened to have his wand broken and all he does is hit the bookcase once and then apologizes for it! Are you kidding me?

Yeats could have at least added some of the drama that the book so beautifully extended just to bring the audience into the story. THERE WAS NO HEART-RENDING DRAMA!!!!! He really blew it and if someone who knows nothing of the books sees it then I could imaine how lost and confused they'd be. Hmmmm, let's drop our audience in the middle of a story and then leave them there without any background information.

After the horrendous beginning, the rest of the movie was wonderful albeit still quite fragmented. The movie left out so many of the amazing details of magical imagination that Rowling created and that made the first movie fabulous...couldn't we have seen at least a little bit of Mrs. Black? What about the doxies? Or some of the Weasley twins fabulous creations during their hayday?

A few minor details were changed (Cho is the snitch but she was given Veritaserum) but nothing that really mattered.

This movie was fun and delightful but it just didn't have the flair; I hope the next one far exceeds this one.

AND THE LAST BOOK COMES OUT IN 10 DAYS...YIPPEEE!

The Fun with Jon is Over

Sadly, Jon has left our humble abode and Bug is as depressed about it as he can be (thankfully, he has his mother's personality). Jon was counting down the hours until he got to leave. I'd like to think it was because he gets to spend the next 3 weeks detasseling corn with his bestfriends. However, I think maybe his workload was a bit much and the pay a bit little! While here he mastered the following tasks:

• mopping the floors--at the Bakery and here at home,
• vaccuuming the house,
• washing the cars,
• doing the dishes on a commercial dishwasher,
• trimming the hedges,
• sweeping the patio,
• pulling weeds,
• laying weed barrier,
• climbing 14ers (really big mountains!)
• fishing,
• rough housing with my children,
• loving on Kiki, and,
• beating me at computer Risk.

I might've forgotten a few things in my list but more would just make me look more like the tyrant I am! Unfortunately, neither Steve nor I have any problem telling other people what to do. We'd love to have your children for a time of slave labor, I mean character-building fun. Honestly! We will miss him but I think his mother is happy to see him, if it is only for a few hours in the car.

I do want to say, however, that he well-represented his parent's hard years of raising him. He was polite, ate what was given him, hard-working, and easy to live with. He never complained when I asked him to do a chore and jumped up right away and did it. Then he would say, "Do you want me to do anything else?"

When my kiddos are older I do hope they are as well respected elsewhere as Jon is in our home. Maybe it's in part due to that Dutch stock!

Kiki Loves Cousin Jon

She LOVES her cousin. He holds her and she doesn't cry. He sits on the floor with her and entertains her for quite a while. And she just smiles and laughs at his antics. And, he likes her because she doesn't jump on him or try to play with him when he wants to be on the computer killing zomies. It's a symbiotic relationship.

Piratitude---Who doesn't love a bit of swashbuckling?

Peanut and Kiki were playing pirate in my bedroom. My comforter was the boat and little Kiki was the unwilling pirate baby. My favorite part was the bandanas. Of course, if she was going to play pirate, Peanut just had to have a hat and then so did Kiki. They are so cute!

Climbing the Peak

Jon has had all kinds of hard work to do while here. Even the fun is hard. He and Steve climbed Pikes Peak. It's a 13 mile hike one-way and has a 7,000 foot elevation increase. Steve said Jon did a wonderful job--even for a flat lander. The kids and I did, however, drive the highway to the top and pick them up at the top. Originally, they were going to hike back down but we had lightning strikes and a tornado touchdown not too far from the hiking trail. Safety is of first importance although it is arguable that the safest route is to just stay home and look at the top.

I do get asked why people climb a mountain if there is a highway to the top. The only answer I have to that valid and well-reasoned question is that there is a stigma about climbing all 54 mountains that are 14,000 feet or higher. I've climbed several myself and have dreams of climbing more in the future. It's just what we do here. And that's all I can say.

Nephew Jon is Here--

First, let me say that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are incredibly wonderful and brave for sending their son out to visit us for 4 weeks. We've been begging family to come out for ages and FINALLY someone comes. And Jon is actually here to work. Yup, a 16-year-old who wants some experience working in the pastry chef field, came to our humble abode to work with my hubby. And, for the record, I'd feel sorry for Jon that he's working with Steve except that he lives with Steve's brother whom Steve quite takes after.

As far as I can tell so far, his only fault is that he's a reformed baptist. Maybe we can fix him....

Okay, so this isn't the most flattering photo of Jon but you can see Steve's due diligence in putting the boy to work!

Again, not flattering, but this time washing the now oil changed vehicle. Nothing like a bit of slave labor! And I will get better photos but these candids have to do for now.

There's Bug shooting from the hip! Boys and their power washers are a happy pair indeed.

And here is my precious little Peanut cleaning the driveway. Honestly, we're not that clean. I'm wondering if she wouldn't mind moving to the kitchen floor....

Lizard, lizard, lizard...

We found this cute little lizard happily sunbathing on the trim around our garage door and we watched him for a very long time. I touched his tail and he squirmed a bit but didn't run. The only bummer is that Bug is at a friend's house playing and didn't get to see him.

And It's Not Even April Fool's Day!

Welcome to our big news! We're expecting another bouncing baby bundle of Boonz bliss and I am very ready! Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I'm pregnant again. Little Kiki will be only a scant 14 months old (approximately) when #4 hits the bedroom floor after the birth. (Don't freak out, I give birth at home and Kiki came out on the floor because I couldn't move!) So, for all 3 of you out there who keep up with the news, we are thrilled to welcome our next child. For the record, I still want one more. Just one more and that's not too many! Steve has said he's willing to practice on trying for a 5th...hmmm.

And, this next one had better be like our second child and not our third or first!

Bug: cranky, screaming and spitting child

Peanut: calm, sleeping and happy baby

Kiki: complaining, whining and even more spitting sweetie

#4: docile, sweet and cooing cutie

Dad always makes his "predictions" about the baby's due date and gender and the answers are:

We ought to be welcoming a beautiful boy on January 19th at 4:32am.

The only bummer (and Dana, forgive me for saying it) is that my otherwise phenomenal midwife is going to do the ultrasound. For those of you who don't remember, let's recap. She assured me (90% positive!) that little Kiki would be a boy. Then, just a few short days before her entrance, Dana then said that she might've read the ultrasound wrongly and that it could actually be a girl. Out she popped and there was no penis. So, we will see the ultrasound and check out the photos (that I can't actually ever figure out) and then hope she is right!

For the record I do want to say that if you're planning on having children, move to the Front Range and hire Dana. Honestly. I've done both hospital and home and Dana is the very best midwife one could find! I LOVE her!

Happy 25th Anniversary!

This weekend my Aunt and Uncle came in from St. Louis and spent some time with our family. Of course, they're loads of fun and I'm thrilled to spend any time with them that I can. Aunt loves the babies and she's so good with my children! And, here's Josh, in front of the Simpson's ad at the movie theater. I've got a better photo but this one will have to work for now.

For Grandma Lil