By Sun and Candlelight

Have you seen it yet?

We saw it Tuesday afternoon - and it was awesome!

:D

p.s. If you did see it - who was your favorite Avenger?

May the Fourth be with You!

Happy Star Wars Day, my friends!

Well, it's no secret we're big Star Wars fans here (we have three boys, it was a pretty sure bet), but somehow I forgot about this neat "holiday!" (File-folder failure, lol.) Now, if I had remembered, and planned ahead, I would have made (or made Bill make) these pancakes. As it is, I have the younger two dressed in Star Wars shirts, and Bookworm found this Clone Wars Season 5 preview online. (Note: I haven't watched it myself, so it might not be "safe viewing" for younger children.) Another thought ... we might watch Star Wars tonight with the boys. One of the six movies anyway. What's your favorite of the Star Wars movies? I'd have to say mine The Empire Strikes Back. I liked that one even better than the first!

And while I'm here, and since it's Friday, how about a quick "Friday Felines?"

This is Archie's new favorite hang out - inside Crackerjack's school tote.

(As soon as got the picture, I disentangled the bag handles from his neck!)

I am also working on a file folder post follow-up, because there have been some great comments and questions left for me! I will do my best to get that up as soon as possible. If not later today (which is looking pretty busy at the moment) then certainly sometime this weekend.

Oh! And while I think of it ... our Bookworm will be taking the SAT exam tomorrow, and I would love for you to think of him and remember him in your prayers. He's been working very hard to prepare, and he's quite excited! I'm excited too - though I'm a little overwhelmed to think my firstborn is at this stage of life! - but I know he'll do his best. 

Thank you so much everyone - for your visit, for your support and encouragement. I hope you all have a Fantastic Friday! 

See you here again very soon ...

:)

Masterpiece Monday (& OUaT)

Well, we here in the Boston markets did not see MT last night - on any of our PBS stations - so I don't have much to discuss on that front ...

And though I did watch Once Upon a Time last night with Bill and the older boys, I must admit I was rather immersed in (i.e. distracted by) a current project, and only paying half-attention ... so I'd love a recap if someone can share! I know this episode featured the "Mad Hatter," and the kidnapping of Emma and Mary Margaret, but I'm wondering what his story means to the overall plot. Despite his "madness" he seemed a bit more "aware" (re ~ the curse, etc.) than other Storybrooke characters.

So it was a slow television weekend for me, but did you watch anything good? And have you been to see The Hunger Games? I'm very curous about that film (enjoyed the books very much) as there's much buzz about the PG-13 rating. (Bookworm has read the books, but not Crackerjack - they're a bit too dark for him just yet.) I'm wondering just how graphic the movie gets.

But here's some good news ... there's only one more week till Masterpiece resumes with all new programming! First up, Great Expectations ...

 You can see a preview here ...

I think it looks amazing and I'm sure we'll have much to discuss!

Well, have a great Monday, my friends ... hope your week gets off to a good start. I'll see you back here again sometime soon!

❤

Sunday Evening Chit-Chat

(A little bit of this and that.)

Just popping on quickly to remind you that I'll be hosting "Masterpiece Monday" here tomorrow, so if you'd like to join us, be sure to tune in to "The Old Curiosity Shop" tonight and then come on back in the morning to chat.

:)

Also, while I'm here (and before supper comes out of the oven), I wanted to talk briefly about next week. There's lots coming up!

First off, we have Leap Year on Wednesday, which is always kind of neat. (For the record, this is a very cute movie - and the scenery is gorgeous!)

Then March comes in (perhaps like a lion?) on Thursday.

Thursday also brings the Feast of St. David of Wales. We always mark this day with special food and dragon stories. (A red dragon is the symbol of Wales.)

Friday is Dr. Seuss Day (also known as Read Across America Day), and if we could, we'd go see The Lorax, but instead (and in true spirit of the day) we'll read the book. What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? I'd have to choose Green Eggs and Ham - it happens to be the first book I ever read!

And speaking of green eggs and ham, I'd like to make a spinach and ham quiche for Friday (aka green eggs and ham!) but as it's Friday (and Fridays are meatless for us during Lent) I'll probably serve that dish on Thursday instead. Then I'll switch the leek-and-potato soup (for St. David's Day) to Friday. That will taste nice with grilled cheese. :)

*

Other baking plans this week include making refrigerator bran muffins and homemade pretzels. Crafting plans include working on those Lenten banners I mentioned in this post, and we'll make the first panel of our "stained glass" doorway cross. (One panel for each Sunday through Easter.)

Learning plans include reading this book for Book Group on Friday (my turn to lead!) and kicking off a four-month, four-elements study ...

March = air

April = water

May = earth

June = fire

We'll explore the way the elements affect our everyday life, the world around us and even how they are part of our Faith. I'm really looking forward to it. :)

*

Oh, and one more quick thing! One of our Lenten goals this year is to spend more of our family time doing things together other than just watching TV. So last night we sat around the table and played a really wonderful game, Around the World: The Ultimate Global Board Game. It was so fun and quite educational! Some of the questions were ridiculously easy but they only illustrated the point that information we take for granted other people might not know as readily. Certainly we were stumped on many questions that focused on lands and cultures unfamiliar to us ... it was a great eye-opening exercise!

*

Well, now I will wrap up and bid you all a good night. I hope you've had a nice weekend and feel ready to start a new week! I'll see you all again soon ... and remember, if you watch Masterpiece Theater tonight, do stop by sometime tomorrow - I'll do my best to have the chat post up as early as possible.

Thanks for stopping by, my friends ... Good Night, and God Bless!

❤

Family Films and Friday Food

But no felines yet ... I still have to pull that post together (perhaps I'll do a 'Saturday Scamps?'), but I was thinking about movies today and I thought I'd share what we've been viewing lately. (And I'd love to hear what you and/or your kids have been enjoying - we don't watch much TV, but we do love movies! And we always appreciate suggestions. :))

First of all, the Netflix movie we just returned was Kung Fu Panda 2. The older boys and I saw that in the theater last year and we all agreed we liked even better than the first. I'm not much of a Jack Black fan - we couldn't even finish Gulliver's Travels - but he has the perfect voice for Po. The movie may be a bit dark and sad for young children (or sensitive kids like my EB) but we found it poignant, humorous and uplifting.

Now lately we've been watching The Fantastic Mr. Fox on quiet afternoons. For some reason this movie (which we love anyways) brought us much comfort while we recovered from the virus. Earlybird especially loves this movie. My parents gave the boys a portable dvd player which has come in very handy ~ we set it up in the corner of the sitting room. I'd start it up as the day grew dark and before long I'd have three boys gathered 'round to watch with me.

This picture was taken the day Bookworm got sick - Crackerjack was in recovery, EB was still a-ok, and (unbeknownst to me at the time) I was just hours away from my turn.

Now other movies the older boys have watched recently and enjoyed:

Iron Man (1 and 2) ... a bit off-color in a few parts, and of course, there was violence (it's a superhero movie after all) but I allowed my 12 year-old to see both films. (They are both rated PG-13.) Both CJ and BW loved these movies. They are part of the "Avengers" series which also includes Captain America and Thor. (Those were both awesome, too.)

The Goonies ... which the boys received as a Christmas present from their Aunt Ami. :) We watched it one night a couple of weeks ago, and wow, did it take me back! I had forgotten most of the movie so it was kind of new for me again. (Maybe that's an upside of getting older, lol?) There was some colorful and suggestive language but nothing too bad. A little violent and gross at times ... (and come to think of it, this was the night CJ got sick!) ... but you know that kind of humor appeals to kids - especially boys - very much. ;)

Bill and I have been watching old James Bond films now and then. He really loves these movies, so the boys and I gave him a couple of boxed sets for Christmas. I particularly like the older ones, because I love seeing the 60s clothes and settings (though I have to laugh at the chauvenistic attitudes!). And they're really fun to watch together because we both grew up watching Bond. :)

We also purchased Breaking Dawn, Part I, which is part of the Twilight Saga. I loved the books and I find the movies - while certainly not great filmmaking - fun to watch. We haven't seen BD yet - the one film we missed in the theater - so it will be neat to see it for the first time this weekend. (This is a movie for Bill and myself - not the boys.)

Speaking of filmmaking, I have to show you my little Spielberg-in-the-making ...

Crackerjack loves making stop-motion Lego movies. He's working on a minifig version of "David and Goliath" at the moment.

(Gotta love the hat. What's a director without a great hat?)

*x*x*x*x*

Now, before I go, I have to just quickly mention that I've been working on my menu plan for next week (and corresponding market list) and I realized it's time to think about Lent! Actually, I thought it was neat that in every store flyer I perused, there was mention  - celebration, even! - of this upcoming liturgical season. I so love the anticipation, the feel of the season, I even cut out a few of the ads for my clippings journal ...

... because I'm silly like that. ;)

So I have several meatless Fridays to plan for ... so I'm brainstorming on that (looking back at this post which was so very helpful thanks to many readers' suggestions). There are other food "matters" to plan for in Lent - feast days (for example, Sts. Patrick and Joseph) and special baked goods (like homemade pretzels and hot cross buns). So I'm sure you'll hear more from me on all that sooner or later. I'm pulling together our "Lent plan" this weekend - that was supposed to happen last weekend, but you all know how that went ...

Well!

I've kept you all here long enough, so I'll wrap up and say good night. I hope you all have a very nice weekend - stay safe and healthy! 

And I'll see you here again very soon ...

❤

Afternoon at the Cinema

Dear readers, today I took a bunch of boys - some mine, some a friend's - to see Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows ... and oh my goodness, was it fantastic! We've been so eager to see it, as Bookworm is a big Sherlock Holmes buff, and we enjoyed the first SH movie so much. I hadn't followed the buzz on this film (i.e. reviews and such) so I wasn't sure what to expect ... but not only did we truly enjoy it, we liked it even better than the original!

Regarding the PG-13 rating ~ our Crackerjack is 12, but he's fairly mature, so this movie was "ok" for him. It was violent - there is a lot of fighting, a lot of things blowing up - but there really wasn't anything inappopriate (which is usually what worries me more). 

Now, on the homefront - Bill and I are still loving Downton Abbey - we've seen the first two episodes so far and have five more to go. (Season two, as I understand it, begins a week from this Sunday.) It's one of those shows that has all "the right stuff" if you know what I mean - a compelling story, great characters (and acting), a wonderful setting and scenery ... the kind of show that leaves you chomping at the bit for more!

Also ... next in our Netflix queue is Rango - something for the kids, but fun for the grown-ups too. :D

*

Well, friends, I hope you all had a nice Thursday ... have a good night and I'll see you all again sometime soon!

A Few Friday Thoughts ...

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!

❤

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.  

❤

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.

:)

Grateful Hearts!

First of all, thank you SO much for all the thoughtful comments, blessings and virtual hugs left after yesterday's post! You all made both Bookworm and me smile AND feel lots better. He's heard from many different people, both online and off, that it's quite common to faint when giving blood ...

"Next time we'll take the proper precautions!" I told him. He looked at me, one eyebrow raised, as if to say, "Next time?"

So I took Penny's terrific suggestion to heart today ... and just before we ran out to Bowling Club, I whipped up a batch of "gratitude" cupcakes. (See above, see below.)

(Pre-frosting, just baked.)

It's true - I do bake as a form of stress relief, lol! But since we were on a short schedule today, I used a favorite box mix and my own vanilla frosting. (I am so trying the coffee cake in that link!) I happened to have some little Valentine marshmallows on hand, and they lent just the right to touch. :)

And speaking of hearts ... what are you all planning for St. Valentine's? I can hardly believe it's just three days away! For all the planning I do (and you all know, it's a lot) I'm caught completely off guard this year! Well, I knew it was coming ... I just kept thinking I'd think about it later, lol.

Most likely we'll have a nice family supper Monday night (maybe steak and potatoes?) but I think we will also do a brunch with my folks on Sunday after Mass. Hopefully my brother will be able to come too. Other than that, I just don't know. The boys always like to watch this old favorite, and I may wrangle Bill into watching "Love Actually" with me (the ultimate romantic comedy - it even says so on the box!). Honestly, he likes the movie as much as I do, so I don't think I'll have to do too much wrangling. ;)

Well, thank you again everyone - for the comments, and the caring and concern. And thanks, as always, for stopping by. I wish you all a nice Friday night ... and I will see you all again sometime soon!

Last night was Greek Mythology Night ...

... and it was so much fun!

Once a month our homeschool support group holds an 11-15 year old "Activity Night." We've been participating for several years now and it's something my boys really look forward to. The gist of it is, one family volunteers to "host" a month and organize the night's activities. Most months it's as simple as getting the kids together for pizza and a dvd at someone's home, but we've also gone out to the movies, visited a corn maze, held a Yankee Swap, and spent an evening at the mini golf course. It's always a fun night - for the kids as well as the mums (or dads as the case may be)!

Our family hosted this month's gathering, and we decided to go with the theme, "Greek Mythology Night." Our inspiration was this movie, this game and my boys' long-held fascination with ancient civilizations and mythology.

I started setting things up early Friday afternoon; this was the buffet table in its early stages:

Earlybird insisted the chip bags be part of the picture, lol. And no, chips are not necessarily "Greek" - not as far as I know - but these are 11-15 year old kids we're talking about. Chips are always a must on Activity Night. ;)

For the table I used a light green tablecloth, tall ivory candles and a length of grapevine garland. On the windowsill above, I lined up the Percy Jackson books as well as our beloved (and quite bedraggled) D'Aulaire Book of Greek Myths.

Just above the books the boys lined up some of their action figures ...

Dragons of all sorts, Cerberus (the three-headed dog), a (Lego) ogre, and several knights and gladiators rounded out the gallery.

So with the house more or less ready, and the food order called in, we waited to welcome our guests. (Six families in attendance this month, 12 kids in all.)

Our menu for the night:

Soda and water

Chips & salsa * Hummus & pita

Pizza (both regular and Greek)

Greek salad

Spinach pie (Spanakopita)

Greek Sweet Bread (Kouloura)

Assorted desserts & tea

After supper, the kids tried their hand at a Greek Mythology quiz one of the boys made up for the group. He awarded badges depending on quiz grade: mortal, demigod, oracle, minor god, Olympian god, fate.

It was a very challenging quiz!

After the quiz, the kids split into two teams and we had a little trivia game. I used the a Professor Noggin set of cards called "Creatures of Myth and Legend." The kids handled questions on everything from unicorns to phoenixes to leprechauns to golems! There was much laughter and not just a little competitive spirit. ;)

After the games, the desserts were spread out, plates were filled up and the kids settled down to watch the night's movie. The mom's settled in to drink tea and chat. :)

(Now, I don't know what setting I had my camera on, but all the pictures I took last night came out with an awful yellow hue. I'm still going to share them - just wanted to prepare you, lol! I promise, the food tasted much better than it looks in my pictures!)

And all these lovely treats were made by my friends ...

Holly's delicious Greek sweet bread, or "kouloura."

Beth's festive "Greek alphabet" cupcakes.

Yasmina's yummy vanilla twist cookies.

Laura's sweet, crunchy raspberry crumb bars.

And finally, Kim's soft and buttery "kourabiethes."

Dear readers, this night was such fun - one we'll remember always. And it was a late one too! - we said our goodbyes around 11:00! Needless to say, this was a long lazy morning ... and no cooking! We had plenty of delicious leftovers to enjoy. :)

Next month will be another movie night - February's pick is How to Train Your Dragon ... I wonder if there's such a thing as "Viking" cookies?

Well, thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope your weekend is going well. Take care of yourselves and have a good night ... I'll see you all again sometime soon.

:)

Fire in the Sky

Ok, so I've been going a little overboard on the sunrise/sunset pictures lately, but there's just something SO spectacular about the "crepuscular" sky in Winter!

What drew my attention to the blazing dawn this morning, as I sat here with my coffee, watching "Wild Kratts" with my Earlybird, was EB himself ...

"Fire! Fire! It's on FIRE, Mama!!"

He yelled, as he pointed through the sliding doors that lead onto the deck.

Having been here before, I knew he was most likely referring to the sky and not a real neighborhood emergency, lol. I took another sip of coffee before grabbing my camera and snapping a few shots ...

... including some of the gigantic icicles hanging off the back of our house!

It's like we live in an ice castle (or maybe cottage) these days!

This would be a great weekend to A. go sledding and/or play in the snow, B. make hot chocolate and popcorn, and C. watch these movies while munching on said apres-snow treats.

In the midst of all this snow and ice, Spring feels sooo far away ... but we're due for a little January thaw around this time of the month. A little melting before the next storm moves in would be nice ... but looking at the forecast for next week, I don't think we should get our hopes up!

Well, whatever your weather and whatever your plans, I wish you all a Happy Weekend!  

How to Train Your Dragon: It's a Hit!

 

Have you seen this yet?

The boys and I went with some friends yesterday and I can honestly say I ADORED this movie. It was fun, funny, exciting, touching, and truly enjoyable from start to finish. Visually it was amazing and we didn't even see it in 3D (my stomach can't handle 3D movies!). The kids all loved it and my friend Lisa and I were grinning from ear to ear and wiping tears from our cheeks as we left. I HIGHLY recommend this movie for families - the action might be a bit much for younger children but otherwise it's suitable for all ages. (It's rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.)

And by the way, my boys have enjoyed the book series this movie is based on ... 

How to Train Your Dragon

 

How to Be a Pirate

How to Speak Dragonese

There are several more books in the series but these are the few the boys have read so far. Our library has lots of copies, so I bet yours does too. :)

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Tuesday Tidbits

Just a few things that have been rattling around in my head (and my camera) ...

 

Above you see our March Nature Table ... still pretty bare, but hopefully that will change over the next few weeks. For now, we have a small bouquet of daffodils (the March flower), a shell found at the beach a few weeks ago, a slab of wood from a felled tree in my late grandparents' yard (it came down in the recent windstorms), and our Spiderwick Field Guide open to the section on leprechauns ... of course. ;)

 

Earlybird's March Bulletin Board ... there's lots o' green to be seen, but still a bit o' the white as well. As March tends to be around here.

 

Remember the Paperwhites Bill and the boys planted for me on Valentine's Day? They are doing beautifully in our sunny front window.

 

And the smell just can't be believed!

 

OK, now for a little March madness ... I ordered the above nail polish set through Amazon, just for fun! I wore the shade on the far right ("Mad as a Hatter") to the movie last Friday. It was actually very pretty - just a clear coat filled with sparkly glitter. (Tough as cement to get off though.) 

And speaking of (the movie), I liked it very much. It was a bit darker than I expected, but visually - i.e. set design and special effects - it was just incredible! I enjoyed the actors' performances as well - particularly Johnny Depp's and Mia Wasikowska (the young lady who plays Alice).

Have you seen the movie, and if so what did you think? 

Have a great Tuesday, everyone! :)

*>Star Knit<*

Last night I went to see Star Trek with my friend, Kim. The movie was - to use my native tongue for a moment - wicked awesome. It definitely deserves all the great reviews it's been getting!

I had to show you the pretty knit dishcloth Kim made me. Every time I see Kim lately she's wielding needles and working up another cotton dishcloth. They're adorable, practical and use up that pretty Sugar and Cream yarn I love to collect. I'm hoping to try my hand at making one as the pattern seems fairly straightforward and easy to complete. 

My new cloth shown above is knit in a lovely shade of butter, but what I want you to notice is the raised pattern in the middle? Isn't that fun?

Live long and prosper, my friends. :)

Boys' Club at Monsters vs. Aliens

Here we have Crackerjack (second from left) and his friends at the movies this week ...

These four friends, all 9 year-old home learners, see each other regularly at the myriad homeschool activities and social gatherings we attend, but once a month they get together on their own for official "Boys' Club." Two of the boys are the youngest of three and the other two are middle children. These monthly "meetings" (mostly casual playdates) allow the boys time to socialize outside of their older siblings' shadows. Because it was SO hot last Tuesday (the date of our April meeting) we decided to take the boys to the movies. 

We saw Monsters vs. Aliens, a funny, action-packed, beautifully animated movie. Chock-a-bloc full of "boy" humor - aka wedgies, snot and random bathroom humor, lol. As we left the theater I asked the boys to give it a rating; their scores: 10, 10, 8 and 4. 

Average score: 8. Well deserved, I'd say. :)

The Clone Wars ~ It's a Hit!

Now, I knew my boys and their friends would like the new Star Wars movie, no matter what. Because for one thing, they are boys. :)

Lol, it seemed 90 percent of the theater seats were filled with males between the ages of, oh, say 6 and 15. Bouncing in their seats, slurping on their sodas, waiting for the lights to dim. Lots of parents there, too, of course - some with equally eager faces, others looking resigned.

I was surprised to read some not-so-good reviews of The Clone Wars (which is animated, by the way); honestly, I really enjoyed it! And I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan out there, though I do enjoy the movies in general. I guess you couldn't pass through a 70s-80s childhood and not recall the Star Wars phenomenon with some nostalgia and fondness; it was a huge part of my generation. We were the first Star Wars kids.

I was 8 when the first movie came out (A New Hope). I remember it clearly - the movie itself, as well as all the hype. Because it was everywhere - on cereal boxes, lunchboxes and even on our Underoos. When I was in the 4th grade, my class performed a song from the Star Wars Christmas album, a rendition of "What Do You Get a Wookie for Christmas when He Already Owns a Comb?" This was for the annual holiday pageant, you see. We passed a shaggy stuffed wookie doll around, combing his hair (fur?) and tried to remember all the words to the odd, but remarkably catchy, song. Lights flashing, snow falling, R2D2 beeping. (To this day I can remember the tune and most of the words.)

But back to this new Star Wars movie. 

Waaay back last winter I read a blurb somewhere about a Clone Wars movie coming out this August and Crackerjack, my August baby, declared then and there this would be his birthday movie this year. (For some reason my boys have always assigned themselves birthday movies - and often, their parties revolve around them.)

And so, this is what we did. On opening day, we went to a morning matinee with our friends to see CJ's birthday movie. Here is a brief interview with the birthday boy, in which he shares his feelings for The Clone Wars.

Timeline: Very early on a foggy Saturday morning. I'm sitting across the dining room table from Crackerjack, fingers hovering over the keyboard, ready to report ...

(My comments are in blue, CJ's are in red.)

So, Crackerjack, what did you think of The Clone Wars?

It was awesome!

And, what did you like about it?

(Long pause ... wide eyes ... muffled yawn. He peeks around to my computer screen.)

Hey, I'm not yawning!

Nevermind my typing, CJ. Just tell me what you liked.

The battles.

(Big surprise there.)

The battles? Those were your favorite parts?

Uh-huh.

Who were your favorite charactes?

The clones.

The clone troopers?

Yes! And Anakin.

Did you think Anakin was a hero?

Yes.

Do you know what happens to Anakin later on?

Yes.

(For those who don't know, he becomes Darth Vader, the ultimate bad guy.)

And what do you think about that?

Weird.

So, why do you like Star Wars so much?

It's exciting. It's cool. Annnnd ... I like the characters.

All the different alien types?

Yes.

Anything you want to tell people thinking about seeing this movie?

Um. Go to it!

Anything else more helpful?

Oh yeah, and there's also The Clone Wars tv show coming up!

And when and where will that be shown?

I dont know.

This fall on the Cartoon Network, I believe.

How do you always know these things?!

I just know these things. Any last Star Wars words of wisdom?

No.

What would you rate the movie?

10 stars!

So there you have it folks: an honest, if rather hasty, review. So don't believe what you read in the papers or entertainment mags - take your Star Wars cues from a 9 year old boy - the ultimate Star Wars fan. :)

The Clone Wars is rated PG for "sci-fi action violence throughout, brief language and momentary smoking."

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Attention Harry Potter Fans ~

Have you heard about this? 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - a hugely anticipated fall movie - has been postponed till next July.

I wonder why?!

Speaking of movies, we're going to see The Clone Wars tomorrow (Crackerjack's birthday request) and I was really looking forward to seeing the HP trailer during the previews. Probably not gonna happen now. Well, at least I can hope for the Twilight teaser ...

In happier HP news, there is a new book from JK Rowling on the way: The Tales of Beedle the Bard, set to be published on December 4th.

Yep, I've already pre-ordered. ;)

A Few Little Things ~

I just love it when I fill up a whole entire notebook and then it's time to start a new journal. For one thing, it's satisfying to have kept so many notes and mementos in one place, and for another, I really enjoy making journals! For my latest journal, I picked a very summery print which complemented the red cover of my very plain notebook. I added a gingham check place ribbon, as well. It's such a little thing really, but fun all the same. :)

Other fun little things today ~

~ Bookworm has an orthodontist appointment which means we can stop in at our favorite Italian bakery on the way home. I have a thing for those buttery little colored cookies - you know, the bright pink, green, yellow and brown ones? This bakery also sells amazing bread and pastas, so I'm thinking I might pick up a few things for an Italian dinner tomorrow night.

~ Because tonight's dinner will have to be quick, mostly leftovers I think, since I'll be off to the movies with the older two this evening! We are going with Bookworm's Tween Group to see Prince Caspian and I can hardly wait! I'm hoping the movie is not too dark, as Crackerjack tends to be sensitive about those things. I'm also hoping there will be good previews - maybe for the new HP movie this fall?

~ And because we will be at the moves tonight, Bill will record the two-hour season finale of Lost; we'll watch it tomorrow after the kids have gone to bed. I seriously hope they don't kill off Sawyer - but I have a bad feeling about that. And I dread seeing Sun and Jin say goodbye - so sad! I'm hoping Lost returns in September - none of this February nonsense again. (P.S. At the bottom of this post there are several sneak peeks for tonight's episode.)

~ The weather here is gorgeous today - sunny, windy and warm (in the 70s). I feel like summer is here, but we still have several weeks of "school" left before we can officially call it a break. I'm quite ready for a break this year ...

Well, that's all for now. I am still working on the next Mitten Strings post. I'll have it up just as soon as it makes any sense. ;)

Have a lovely day, everyone ...

Cranford ~ What did you think?

Oh my goodness. I was all set to write a glowing review of Cranford (the new Masterpiece miniseries that began airing last night), because I liked it - I really, really liked it. Everything about it was just to my taste - quirky and interesting characters, gorgeous settings, absorbing plot - but OH, those final ten minutes!!

(If you haven't yet seen Cranford, and plan to, you might not want to read any further.)

Bill and I were completely stymied by those last two plot developments. How shocking and sad!! I can understand the death of Deborah (symbolic of the change coming to Cranford) - though I was certain she had just fainted - but little Walter?? Oh, was that necessary? I suppose the death of a child was all too common a reality in the mid-1800s in England (or wherever you lived). But still. I kind of felt like the rug had been pulled out from beneath me!

Heartbreaking as the episode's conclusion was though, I am determined to continue with Cranford and savor the story as it unfolds over the next two installments. Programs like this are so few and far between, and I can only watch Pride & Prejudice so many times. ;)

One thing I love about British film and television, is how all those familiar faces pop up as you're watching. Just for fun, here's a rundown of who showed up in Cranford ...

From Harry Potter:

• Dumbledore (Michael Gambon)
• Delores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton)

From Pride & Prejudice (BBC version):

• Lydia Bennett (Julia Salwaha)

From Pride & Prejudice (2005 version):

• Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods)
• Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Judi Dench)
• Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blackly)

From Sense & Sensibility:

• John Willoughby (Greg Wise)
• Charlotte Jennings Palmer (Imelda Staunton)

By the way, if you missed last night's episode, you can see it online here. (Or you will be able to very soon.) I'm also thinking about ordering Elizabeth Gaskell's book - though my nightstand is currently quite full. Has anyone read it? Is it true to the miniseries? (Usually that question is asked in reverse!) And if you are watching the Masterpiece production, what did you think?

Well, I'm off now to get our Monday rolling ... have a great one, my friends!

Rose Sunday ~ A Few Notes & Photos

Here we have a light breakfast after Mass with my folks: thick slices of raspberry danish, coffee of course, and the boys had pink lemonade, in keeping with the theme of the day. :)

Take a look at this poor little finch. Do you see how his eye is all well, a mess? I spied him the other day, and we immediately suspected house finch eye disease (or I should say, Bookworm did; he had read about it somewhere) which, come to find out, is highly infectious among the varied finch species. This morning Bill took down all the feeders and cleaned them out thoroughly with a bleach-water solution. (What a good guy.) Has anyone else ever seen something like this?

I got a touch of spring (cleaning) fever and tackled the learning room for awhile. Above you see our jam-packed utensils basket. I had no good reason for photographing it - I just liked how it all looked in the sunlight. :)

Mid-afternoon I called Earlybird over to help with a new stained glass panel for our cross:

In honor of Rose Sunday, we used shades of pink to surround a picture of our Pope:

With thanks to Karen E. for the image; I scooped it up at her blog. :)

It's coming along very nicely, don't you think?

Did you know March 2nd is National Banana Cream Pie Day? Well it might not have made my March Themes and Plans, but it caught my attention anyway. So today I made mini banana cream pudding pies. I had meant to make the slightly more traditional and definitely more nutritious egg custards as I did last year on this day. But these easy desserts seemed a good pick just the same. (Keyword: easy.) They're not Feingold, of course, but EB only eats the whipped cream anyway.

The funny thing is, I don't care much for banana cream pie myself, but they were fun to make. It's the same way with quick breads. I love to bake quick breads, but I almost never eat even a crumb. My family loves to eat them though, and that's what counts, right?

And where were the older boys during all of this cleaning, crafting and baking you might wonder? Well, Bill took them into the Museum of Science for a Planetarium show all about Star Wars. Needless to say, they enjoyed it.

And where are all my fellas now? Well, after a quick supper, Bill took the older two over to church for play practice, and just a bit ago, Earlybird called it a night. So here I sit, surrounded by cats - blogging and watching Night in the Museum (which is such a good movie, btw). I have a stack of Sunday reading at my side, but now I hear my gang coming in the door, so I'm signing off for the night ~ I hope yours is a good one, and I'll see you all sometime tomorrow. :)

Spiderwick ~ a Review by Bookworm

"Today I went with my friends to see the movie, The Spiderwick Chronicles. It was a great movie, as were the books. I will say this though, the movie was very different from the books. I'd also say that it was very interesting the way the movie used regular things that you find in the real world, to explain magic. Like throwing salt over your shoulder - in the movie, making a ring of salt protected the characters from monsters. I would advise that you not plan on taking kids 8 or younger to this movie in theaters. If you really think they should see it you should probably wait until it comes out on DVD as it is a pretty scary movie, especially near the end. There is a giant snake, a troll, an ogre, and a thrilling battle on a rooftop - all things that make a very good movie if you are old enough not to be scared by it all. I wasn't very scared, but then again, I'm 12. The average 8 year old would be closing their eyes and covering their ears. I liked how the characters were smart and worked best when they were able to work together. All the characters had really good reflexes too! For example, when the mom first finds out about the goblins, she immediately starts grabbing weapons. I would say this was a very brave family. In their regular life, this family had problems with anger and trust but I think after all this happened they will handle it all better.

I'd rate this movie 9 out of 10 stars."

Now it's Mum's turn. ;)

I too liked this movie very much, but I must admit, I'm glad my Crackerjack opted to stay at home! Because truth be told, the movie was pretty scary, especially considering it was rated PG. And further truth be told, I looked back at Bookworm more than once to see how he was doing, lol!

It was a good story, most importantly. The plot got going pretty quickly, and it had plenty of  twists and lots (lots!) of action. And since I have not read any of the books, I didn't miss the things that apparently were left out. (Bookworm has read them all but he liked the movie enough to excuse the oversights.) Visually, the movie was very appealling as well. It was filmed in Canada I was told by a young friend, and the autumnal backdrop lent just the right light-against-shadow mood. Most of the action took place in the family's big old Victorian house, and the enchanted woods all around. (Boy wouldn't I love a tour of that place!) And the field guide itself (around which the movie revolved) was so intriguing! It made both Bookworm and I want to create a field journal like that ourselves (about real creatures of nature, obviously).

Since we've come home, Bookworm has been telling Crackerjack, frame by frame, all about the movie, so that "when Crackerjack does see it, it won't seem so scary to him." Lol, you've got to love brothers. :)

Well, I'm off till tomorrow. Have a good night, everyone!