First of all, Happy Weekend, my friends! Any special plans on the docket?
As I sip my coffee this morning (I'm on cup #2), I've got lots of thoughts tumbling around in my head ~ so here I am to share them with you all!
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Our last soccer game of the year is tomorrow ~ and the weather should be terrific!
We must not forget to "Fall Back" bright dark and early Sunday morning ...
Crackerjack has Book Group today; the kids read Thimble Summer this month. Next month will be Bud, Not Buddy - and since I'm leading the December discussion I'd best get reading! :)
Speaking of reading, I'm also working through Last Child in the Woods - our homeschool support group meeting this month will focus on this book. (A topic about which I feel quite strongly!)
I'm also having a haircut today - just a trim, but I'm well overdue!
We've been watching that new show "Once Upon a Time." It's pretty interesting, and the boys are enjoying it. Bill and I also checked out "Grimm" but that's definitely a grown-ups only show.
What's the next movie in your Netflix queue? Ours is Thor - Bill and I will preview it and then see if it's OK for 12 yo Crackerjack to watch (it's rated PG-13). (If you've seen it, I'd love your opinion!)
As for going TO the movies, I'm looking forward to seeing Breaking Dawn, pt. 1 later this month (date night with Bill!) and the boys are eager to see Sherlock Holmes 2, coming out in December.
In planning news, think I have a new weekly planning sheet "prototype" in the works! I'm tinkering with it and trying it out with next week's folder. I'll keep you all posted!
We simply MUST get those spring bulbs in the ground this weekend! That ground won't stay "diggable" much longer ...
Bill's taking some time off next week so he can get the flooring done in the dining room. (It's the same wood we used in the sitting/learning room.) Think he can get it done by Thanksgiving? Let's hope so!
As for tonight's supper menu? Grilled turkey burgers, cornbread stuffing, maple carrots & parsnips, and cranberry sauce. You all must think we eat nothing but turkey burgers, lol - but honestly, we love them. And it's supposed to be a nice day, so we'll take one more grill if we can!
And looking ahead to next Friday ...
Martinmas, or, the Feast of St. Martin, will be here! The legend behind this saint is lovely, especially for this time of year. As per tradition, I'll bake horseshoe cookies and we'll place our lanterns in the window, to spread light against the darkening sky. (Ours will be fairly humble, but here are some pretty "lanterns" that would make beautiful holiday centerpieces.) Despite a predicted warm spell ("St. Martin's or Indian Summer"), I'll have new pajamas for each of the boys - a symbol of warmth and caring in the face of a coming winter. We'll also spend the week filling a box with donations for our parish food drive.
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Well, my boys are up now, and breakfast requests are being made, so I'd best be off. (My breakfast? Well, there's COFFEE ... and then, toasted tuscan bread with just a bit of butter - delicious!)
I hope you all have a GREAT Friday, dear readers ...
Take care, and I will see you all again very soon.
:)
Alicia and Mary, I appreciate your thoughts! I am so excited now to watch this movie with the boys. Thank you for putting my fears to rest re ~ inappropriate material. Netflix tells me "Thor" will be here in today's mail so we'll be watching it very soon.
Blessings to you both,
~ Dawn
Posted by: Dawn | November 07, 2011 at 06:57 AM
Hi Dawn,
We just loved the movie Thor and saw it with our son who is 13. (He was 12 at the time of the movie.) The relationship between Thor and Natalie Portman is completely innocent. As I recall there wasn't even any sexual innuendo.
I suspect the PG-13 rating is for the battle scenes. There is a lot of jabbing and smashing, etc. but I do not remember any blood. What I do remember is that I really enjoyed it and was hoping for a squeal - not something that usually happens when I see an action movie...LOL!
Thor was a much more innocent movie than most of the action movies I have seen with my family - especially as compared to something like Ironman which I thought was riddled with scenes and innuendo inappropriate for middle schoolers and which we did not let our son see.
Hope this helps.
Love,
Mary
Posted by: Mary | November 05, 2011 at 09:43 AM
I think that you'll find Thor very child-friendly. It's one of the few real superhero movie that our ten year old son has seen. And, actually, our eight year old daughter saw it when they were watching it again after it was released on DVD. Very mild compared to other movies of that genre. Here's the review site we use because it's very specific about exactly what is in it.
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/thor- parents rated the age lower than the reviewers and we agree on this one.
Posted by: Alicia | November 04, 2011 at 08:03 PM
Hi everyone, and thank you for these comments!
Ruskin, I must admit, I buy turkey patties pre-made at the market! They have such a nice texture and are very economical. We have made patties from ground (minced) turkey before, but they never seem to come out as tender.
Penny, thank you SO much for the information and link to the movie! How absolutely fascinating! I just looked at the site briefly - my laptop was taking a while to load the trailer - but I can't wait to check it out. This will add nicely to our book group discussion! (P.S. We ended up grilling on the Foreman inside - too dark and chilly outside!)
Ellie, thank you very much for the input on "Thor" - I'm glad to hear your thoughts (and I think CJ will be too!).
Have a great weekend, ladies ...
~ Dawn
Posted by: Dawn | November 04, 2011 at 06:38 PM
My eldest (age 22) and I really enjoyed Thor, and felt it would be fine for my 12yo (though only *just*, due to the emotional intensity of the perilous scenes: she's just getting old enough for films like this, and loves action-adventure-mythology), but every child is different, of course!
We haven't gotten our bulbs in the ground either! Oy.
Posted by: Ellie | November 04, 2011 at 06:27 PM
PS: Click on "The Film" tab to really get a good idea of what it's about.
Sorry to obsess... lol
Posted by: Penny | November 04, 2011 at 12:53 PM
The books for CJ's book group are really good. I hope you enjoy them!
My dh (Joe) did a lot of work for "Mother Nature's Child" - a documentary heavily influenced by Last Child in the Woods. Louv is in it. (I haven't seen it yet - it's only had minimal screenings so far, and although I could see it at Joe's studio - I just haven't made it there yet - a case of the cobbler's shoes, kwim?)
Here's a link:
http://www.mothernaturesmovie.com/
Enjoy your grill! We'll be doing the same, I'm sure.
Posted by: Penny | November 04, 2011 at 12:51 PM
A new weekly planning sheet prototype? LOL oh no, I just bought a perforated A4 notepad and outlined all my 52 week's worth by hand! :)
Dawn I tried making my own turkey burgers many times but the smell of turkey mince (ground turkey) lingering on my hands is too much. Any tips for getting rid of the smell? I always end up going back to chicken mince!
p.s. Your FCS is used by quite a few Australians!
Posted by: RuskinDownunder | November 04, 2011 at 09:17 AM