Free Water Ice!

To celebrate the First Day of Spring...

A Philadelphia-born springtime tradition, the annual Rita's giveaway is held from noon to 9 p.m. at more than 500 Rita's locations in 17 states. Guests who visit their neighborhood Rita's will receive one free, regular-sized, 10 oz. cup of Italian Ice to commemorate the beginning of spring!

Juno

I went to the movies last night for the first time in probably a year at least. My friend Jennifer and I went to Applebee's for dinner. Then we were supposed to go to our first 'Twins Club' meeting afterward, but we both kind of looked at each other and said, 'Nah!' Instead, we drove to the movie theater to see what was playing. Both of us had wanted to see the movie Juno and talk about timing - we arrived at 7:25pm... guess what time it started?!?!? 7:25pm! So we quickly paid and ran to the theater and had our choice of seats (only 2 other people in the whole theater!)

Some stats about the movie Juno:
Release date: Dec 25, 2007
Rated: PG-13
Length: 96 minutes

2008 Oscars:
WON - Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
NOMINATED - Best Motion Picture of the Year
NOMINATED - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Ellen Page)
NOMINATED - Best Achievement in Directing

Ellen Page ... Juno MacGuff
Michael Cera ... Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner ... Vanessa Loring
Jason Bateman ... Mark Loring
Allison Janney ... Bren MacGuff
J.K. Simmons ... Mac MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby ... Leah

Synopsis: Sixteen year-old Juno MacGuff is the type of girl that beats to her own drummer, and doesn't really care what others may think of her. She learns that she's pregnant from a one-time sexual encounter with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker. Juno and Paulie like each other, but don't consider themselves to be exclusive boyfriend/girlfriend let alone be ready to be a family complete with child. Although she would rather not be pregnant, Juno is fairly pragmatic about her situation. Although there, Paulie really leaves all the decisions about the baby to Juno. Initially she decides that she will have an abortion, but that's something that she ultimately cannot go through with. So she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. But first she has to tell her father, Mac, and stepmother, Bren, that she is pregnant. The next step is to find prospective parents for the yet unborn child. In the Pennysaver ad section, Juno finds Mark and Vanessa Loring, a yuppie couple living in the suburbs. During the second and third trimesters of Juno's pregnancy which she treats with care but detachment, Juno's relationships with her family, with Paulie, and with the Lorings develop, the latter whose on the surface perfect life masks some hidden problems.

My thoughts: The movie was really very good. It was perfectly paced, the 90 minutes seemed to fly by. I loved the music and plan to find the soundtrack on iTunes. Ellen Page was fantastic! I have never heard of her before and knew she was young, but wow. Very impressive. This is a funny and touching film where you fall in love with the characters and the storyline. I highly recommend it!

Sountrack info: Juno Soundtrack

A small sampling (from youtube):
All I Want Is You

Anyone Else But You

I'm Sticking With You

Tire Swing

Ten on Tuesday ~ Week 6

10 Places I'd Take a Tourist in my Town

Only a 4 sq mile town, so limited space to fit it all in!

(our town)
1. Bike path
2. the town market
3. Seaview Boat dock
4. Memorial Park
5. the Girls School

(within 10-20 mins)
6. Beaches
7. Boardwalk
8. Kennedy park
9. Atlantic City
10 Cape May Zoo

Next Week: 10 Things to Do Before You Get Married

Happy St. Patty's Day!

50 Books Challenge

Starting Week #12 - 8 books down, 42 to go!

8. No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh (Non-fiction) 3.16.08
7. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (Fiction, Children's Lit) 3.15.08
6. Living a Life That Matters (Non-fiction) 3.12.08
5. Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers (Fiction) 3.9.08
4. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (Fiction) 3.2.08
3. The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards (Fiction) 2.19.08
2. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (Fiction) 2.8.08
1. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Fiction) 1.26.08

Currently reading: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (Fiction)

Clementine

Clementine
by Sara Pennypacker (Author)
& Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Published in 2006. 144 pages.

Clementine


What its about(taken from amazon.com): Clementine, a not-so-common third grader, knows her way around the principal's office as well as she does the art-supply closet. Daily rituals take on a different view when seen from her eyes. She's constantly being told that she needs to pay attention, but to her mind she is paying attention and making astute observations. Clementine goes to great lengths to be friends with fourth-grade neighbor, Margaret, but more times than not, both girls end up in trouble. Humorous scenarios tumble together, blending picturesque dialogue with a fresh perspective as only the unique Clementine can offer. As Clementine says, "Spectacularful ideas are always sproinging up in my brain." All the better for readers who like to laugh. Reminiscent of both Ramona and Junie B. Jones, Clementine is an ingenuous third-grader with a talent for trouble and a good heart. Sometimes touching and frequently amusing, this engaging chapter book is well suited to reading alone or reading aloud to a roomful of children.

My thoughts about this book: This book was incredible. Kaitlyn and I both enjoyed it. Clementine is a little girl that most kids that age can relate to. But she also is unique enough that we got many chuckles out of her adventures. We have read many Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Ramona Quimby, and more. In my opinion, Clementine would shoot to the top of the list. And I have always been a huge fan of Ramona books (still am), but Clementine is right up there with her! The black and white illustrations add even more dimension to this fun and endearing book.

When I finished it: March 15, 2008

Currently reading: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

No Death, No Fear

No Death, No Fear
by Thich Nhat Hanh

Published in 2003. 208 pages.

No Death, No Fear


What its about(taken from amazon.com): A well-respected Zen holy man and poet, Thich Nhat Hanh offers a way to regard life that addresses the fear most people have of death. His worldview transcends the physical manifestations we're accustomed to regarding reality. Nhat Hanh says that our true being is not segmented by birth or death--it exists across space and time, manifesting only when causes and conditions are right. These ideas represent the deeper layers of Zen thought and may be difficult to access for the beginner, but to the intermediate Zen student, this will be a rich and sustaining listening experience.

My thoughts about this book: Well...it definitely was not my favorite. Maybe because I would fall under the 'beginner' category? (as stated above). I thought this book was slow and repetitive. He definitely makes some good points which led me to think about things in a slighty different way. Overall, I would not recommend it. My brother has highly recommended some of Hanh's other books, so maybe I will try reading something else from him in the future. For now, I am going to read some more fiction!

When I finished it: March 16, 2008

Currently reading: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Wonderful Weekend!

Words cannot describe, I am in LOVE... With a 3 week old baby!!

We had an incredible weekend visiting Tim's brother Gary and his wife Beth and their two boys. It was so nice, like a mini-vacation. They live in Harrisburg, PA, which took about 2 1/2 hours to drive there. We laughed and had fun. We ate great meals. We swam in the hotel pool. We got to eat the best hot wings - boy, have we missed 'real' hot wings! We got to talk a lot and share stories. The kids played outside (that includes Tim and his brother!) And I held baby Ian every second I could (when I didnt have to fight with Megan for him!) She is exactly like me, she couldnt keep her hands off of him. She wanted to hold him, rub his face, look at his tiny feet. It was cute. The other girls all held him and loved him too, but Megan was attached! It was sad to leave tonight, I wish we lived closer. I will share some pics from our weekend...
Girls riding the luggage cart in the elevator:
Ian Blake:
Madison with Ian after eating cheese curls:
Megan & Ian - look at her smile!
Megan feeding Ian bottle:
Wide awake:
And...sound asleep!
Madison & Megan playing with Gary & Tyler:
Swimming time! Madison & Morgan:
Kaitlyn:
Morgan with Daddy:
Megan:
Crazy sleeping positions:
Breakfast in the hotel:
Peek-a-boo:
Sweet face:
Morgan holding Ian:
Kaitlyn snuggling Ian:
All the kids (except Ian!)
Last picture before our goodbye:

A Day at the Beach

Since I was able to spend special time with each of the other triplets this week, I had promised Madison we could spend time together today. So Tim took the other two grocery shopping and I took Madison to the beach! Overall the weather was nice, but on the beach, it was freezing! And so windy. So in these pictures, the poor girl was so cold, she kept asking to go to the playground! I took her to a beach that has a playground right there, so after our beach time, we played for awhile before heading home.

While at the beach, we found some cool seashells. Unlike the smashed or broken ones you find in the summertime, these were whole and untouched! Madison decided to bring them home for her sisters, she is always so thoughtful of them. We had such a nice time together!

All bundled up!

Atlantic City in the distance (click pic to make it larger):

TV Talk ~ Celebrity Apprentice

I'm sure it's obvious by now that Tim and I are reality-TV junkies!! ;) So as you can tell, we watch almost every reality show on TV right now. One of our favorites is the Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump. I wasnt sure how this show would turn out, the whole idea seemed a bit desperate to me. But as it has continued, I have really come to look forward to it every Thursday night. It was questionable whether some of the 'characters' on the show should actually be considered a 'Celebrity'. One by one Trump has announced "You're Fired!" to each of them, and now after this week, they are down to 4 eligible candidates.

My favorite celebrity since the very beginning has been Trace Adkins. I am not a big Country music fan, so I didnt really know who he was at the start of the show. Which turned out to be good, because I didnt have any pre-conceived notions about who he was. Let me just say, he is a fantastic person! I am so impressed (as is Mr. Trump). He is creative, intelligent, full of great original ideas. And as Trump so eloquently put it tonight, Trace rarely speaks, but when he does it is always meaningful. Trace is on the show trying to earn money for his favorite charity, which happens to be in honor of his daughter. Apparently he has a daughter with severe food allergies and he is supporting a charity based on that. How honorable. He said tonight that the only reason he is on this show is for his daughter. While everyone else seemed to have their own agendas, he seems so genuine. And (SPOILER COMING).......
......who else was ecstatic when Omarosa was Fired last week?!?!

GO TRACE, GO!!!!