Maybe we should just make Harry Potter an honorary member of the family....

We finished the Harry Potter series last night. Seven books...with the corresponding movie after each one. (Or two movies in the case of the final book.) This is the third time I have read the entire series out loud to my children. I started the first round shortly after book six had just released and Rebekah and Julianne were old enough to recognize and understand the hype surrounding it. I had read the first three books at that point but hadn't continued on...so once we reached book four, it was all new to me as well. We had to wait for the seventh book which was released the summer I had Lilian. I remember one day in particular where we spent five hours in her little bedroom, reading. The girls were willing to tickle and coo and rock little Lilian so I wouldn't stop.

The second time around was a few years later when Brandon was a bit older. He learned pretty quick that he could convince me to continue reading way past his bedtime if he scratched my back and played with my hair...

And now Lilian. We visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios last November and Lilian had seen bits and pieces of the movies...so this spring I decided she was ready. Young as she is I was surprised when she caught onto things and made important connections even before they were explained in the book. All the same, I don't think she quite realized how raw and gritty they were going to get. For example, when Cedric Diggory died she was completely stunned and had big tears pouring down her face. And then grieved each death that came after with tears yes, but more and more upset. She was in a rage when Dumbledore died, stomping around the room. And really, didn't we all feel the same? It was with more resigned battle-weary acceptance that Lilian grieved the deaths of characters such as Tonks, Lupin, Fred and Dobby. But then the elation that came with the revelations within Snape's memories, the out of body conversation with Dumbledore and the final show down with Voldemort. And Lilian insisted I read the final chapter of book seven twice.





















We were both sad to come to the end of the series. Interestingly enough, the Harry Potter books have become the stuff of family tradition and memories in our house. We like to read. We enjoy reading aloud as a family. I've read many books to my children over the years....from picture books to full series of chapter books. But Harry Potter is the only series I have read aloud three times. And despite their older ages, Julianne and Brandon would frequently come home from various activities and sit down with us if I was reading Harry Potter to Lilian...even to the point of asking if I would wait to begin that night's reading until they were home because they didn't want to miss a particular part. There's just something special about Harry Potter.

Some final thoughts...

1. J.K. Rowling is brilliant. I remember when the books first came out and there was a bit of controversy with people thinking a children's book about wizards and witchcraft would be inappropriate...or even downright evil. How wrong they were. And how wonderful to find that Rowling found a way to get a whole new generation of kids excited about reading again. I feel really sorry for the publishing company that turned her first manuscript down. They are probably kicking themselves....

2. If the movies are your only look into the world of Harry Potter you have no idea how much you are missing! Reading each book and watching the movie immediately afterwards brought this home to me even more. The movies had to leave out so many details and side stories. The whole Harry Potter experience is so much richer if you read the books.

3. But that is not to say that the movies are bad. Because they aren't. Yes, we all know that in almost every instance a movie based on a book will never be as good as its original source material. But in this case, they really did a fantastic job! The movies are great. Yes, they miss a lot...but mostly because they have to seeing as each book is just so long. And the casting...oh my goodness, I could go on and on about the genius of the casting director. From the regulars to the one book wonders...I mean, really could you get a better Professor Lockhart than Kenneth Branagh? Or Maggie Smith as McGonagall? Or Alan Rickman as Snape???

4. Speaking of Severus Snape....I think he is the true hero of book seven. He is complicated and layered. He's got a lot of hate in him, resentment and pride. But darn it all if he doesn't also have a lot of loyalty and that love that Dumbledore is always saying is so important. Yes, Harry vanquishes Voldemort in the end...but oh, Snape. I love that quote in the final chapter where Harry is talking to his son who has fears of being sorted into Slytherin house. "Albus Severus, you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew." I love J.K. Rowling for giving us that complete twist that we never saw coming. I love her for giving us Snape's memories. I love her for giving us Severus Snape.

5. And we also have to give a moment to Neville Longbottom. The movie doesn't show it as fully, but Neville...the insecure, bumbling little wizard we meet in book one who is growing up in Harry Potter's shadow and also trying to fill the very large footsteps of his parents...the boy who could've just as likely been "the chosen one" (the movie doesn't tell you about that point) ends up a hero in his own right. Leading Dumbledore's Army when Harry is gone, fighting every bit as hard as Harry, Hermione and Ron in his own way at school, standing up to the Dark Lord, the sword of Godric Gryfindor appearing to him as a brave and worthy Gryffindor, killing the horcrux snake right there in front of Voldemort...Neville is every bit the brave leader and hero as Harry.

6. I love Albus Dumbledore. I love his dry humor. His lines were some of the funniest in the books and I looked forward to them. He was brilliant and wise and kind. But he was also incredibly strong and magically gifted. He was the only one You-Know-Who feared and it is no wonder. His flashes of anger were few and far between, which made them that much more powerful when they came. But second to his humor, I loved his humanity. He is so powerful and famous in the wizarding world...almost like a god on a pedestal. So I love in the 7th book how J.K. Rowling shows us his past and brings him down a few notches. We see that Dumbledore really is human...flaws and faults and all. To watch him cry as he explains what happened to his sister. To see his shame as he explains his obsession with the deathly hallows and his friendship with Gellert Grindelwald. And as he explains the mistakes he has made in his handling of certain aspects of his relationship with Harry and asks for his forgiveness. I think the true leaders in this world are ones who are flawed, which makes them that much more wise and empathetic....especially if they can do so with humor.

7. In this reading of the series more so than the others, I started seeing themes. Not that I didn't realize they were there before, I just spent more time thinking about them....maybe because I had read the books before and wasn't as caught up in the newness of the actual plot. The fight between good vs. evil, of course. But I also saw many conversations alluding to faith vs. logic. And I'm assuming I'm not the only one who saw Hitler and Nazi Germany in there...with talk of being worthy and having pure blood as opposed to being half-blood, mud blood or squib. Having to prove your magical blood lines. Wizards trying to protect and sometimes hide their Muggle neighbors. In the movie they even had students at Hogwarts who by book seven were under Death Eater rule, goose stepping like the SA or Hitler Youth as they made their way to classes.

8. And though I'm certainly not the first....I have to say that the movie got the ending of the final book wrong. Completely wrong. I can make allowances for changes and details going missing in the other movies....as I've said before, I think it would be an incredibly daunting task to turn these detail and plot dense books into 2 hour movies. However, in this case I think Hollywood decided that they needed the ending to be a bit more dramatic. And that decision I believe, shows their lack of true understanding. Maybe they were catering to the audience who were relying solely on the movies for their Harry Potter fix. But for the millions of us who had read the book...we felt a bit cheated.
*Because Neville needs to kill the Nagini the snake right in front of Volemort and the hordes of people watching....not to save Ron and Hermione from being attacked by the snake in a silly chase, but out of resistance...and to see Voldemort's horror at the loss.
*Because we needed to see all the house elves hacking at the Death Eater's legs with kitchen knives, Professor Trelawny dropping crystal balls on people's heads, Peeves the Poltergeist causing havoc, Professor Sprout using mandrakes, venomous tentacula and other poisonous plants as weapons during that final battle inside Hogwarts.
*Because Voldemort needs to see his most loyal supporter Bellatrix Lestrange be killed off by mousy little Molly Weasly in her anger right in front of him.
*But mostly because Voldemort needs to be finished in front of the whole crowd of people who had risked their lives trying to resist him and support Harry. They needed to be a part of it. They needed to hear and understand, just as Voldemort did...as Harry demeans him by calling him his real name of Tom Riddle and explains to him all the reasons why he is not going to win this time. That Snape wasn't ever his, that Dumbledore was not dead on his orders, that Harry had hunted down and killed all his horcruxes, that he Harry was actually the true master of the Elder Wand. And see that Harry ends up finishing him off not with a killing curse but once again with his tried and true expelliarmus disarming spell.

I have read a lot of books in my time...all different genres. It's hard for me to narrow down when I'm trying to come up with a list of say top ten favorites or books that have stuck with me, had an influence on me. The Harry Potter series always makes the list.

I told Rebekah in an email last week that I was a little sad, seeing the series and the time reading with Lilian come to a close. She told me not to worry...that she was very interested in seeing the tradition continue and was already planning to have me read the books to her children someday. Something to look forward to.
In the meantime...we started the Percy Jackson series last night.

FanX-Comic Con

Bryan and I attended the very first Salt Lake Comic Con back in September 2013. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly...or rather, I enjoyed the crazy forms fandom takes while Bryan enjoyed watching me geek out.

Though Comic Con has come to Salt Lake City on average every six months since then, (why is that, by the way? Isn't once a year enough?) we haven't been back, even though I've wanted to. (Oh, how I regret not being there for the big Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion when all the actors from the show were there together.) But when I heard this time that not only Karen Gillian aka Amy Pond and Billie Piper aka Rose Tyler were attending but Matt Smith, my very favorite Doctor in the Doctor Who universe, I decided that come hell or high water I was going to make this happen!

(The Ghostbuster noticed that Lilian was sporting a Doctor Who sonic screwdriver and asked if he could swap her the sonic screwdriver for the P.K.E. Meter...)

Much to the disappointment of my other children, Lilian was the only one who could come with me. Bryan and Brandon were in Texas that weekend for a gymnastics meet. Julianne had opening night for her One Act Play Festival at the high school. And Rebekah was of course up in Logan.

(Weeping Angels are some of the freakiest Doctor Who alien baddies and Lilian has had many a nightmare of the stone monsters. Heck, so have I! I think maybe that is why she is so obsessed with them that she requested a Weeping Angel t-shirt...and followed this Angel around the convention floor for quite awhile getting up the courage to ask for a picture.

Also...despite the fact that we were going to be seeing Matt Smith in person, Lilian informed me that her favorite Doctor is actually number 10, David Tennant.)

So Lilian and I decked ourselves out in Doctor Who attire and joined the fandom going strong at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. Lilian wore a weeping angel t-shirt ("Don't Blink!!"), a weeping angel necklace and TARDIS hair bows. I wore TARDIS earrings, TARDIS socks, a "bow ties are cool" button, a red fez and a Van Gogh exploding TARDIS dress.

Two things...
1. I couldn't keep count of how many times I overheard people talking about my dress or was actually stopped so someone could look more closely at it, compliment it and ask where in the world I had bought it. It was "unique" and "epic." Yay me.
2. If you are completely lost at my description of our Doctor Who wear, then clearly you are not a Whovian and need to get on Netflix today and start watching.

We were sad to miss out on the opportunity to have a photo op with the Doctor, Amy and Rose. Despite the ridiculously high price, they were sold out. Do I even want to admit how seriously I was considering it? My wallet and my husband are very thankful, I'm sure. But we were able to score some tickets to the Doctor Who panel with the three of them. (Nowhere near as expensive, thankfully.) And the panel was ridiculously fun! Lilian was a little tired and bored by then, but I sure had a great time geeking out with my fellow fez and bow tie wearing Doctor Who fans.

Lilian's favorite part of the Con was the Creature Encounter booth. Lots of snakes, big and small and other such creepy crawlies like tarantulas, beetles and scorpions to hold. I tried to get my courage up to wrap the huge snake around my neck. It's no secret that they are my worst fear. But I liked the adventure of it all and wanted to be able to say, "I did it!" Also to creep my dad out because he hates snakes even more than I do. But I couldn't. I could not do it. Lilian had no such problem. She held every snake, the big and the small. And I'm proud to say I got close enough to actually touch them which didn't even result in the heeby jeebie dance. So those who know me can be impressed that I am getting better.

I couldn't hold the snakes, but I could hold the huge tarantula. Which apparently is equally impressive if not more so than holding an enormous snake? It wasn't a big deal to me, but I'm discovering that people who mock me for my fear of snakes tend to have an equal fear of spiders. To each his own, I suppose. So there! I am brave!

Pick a seat, any seat...

"Just pick whatever seat you want when you get into the theater," the girl at the ticket counter told me. "This showing is just general admission."

Thankful for previews seeing as I was running just a tad bit late for the 2:05 starting time of "Magic in the Moonlight," Woody Allen's newest flick, I stepped inside theater 2 and waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness....
....and then realized there wasn't another soul inside. I had the entire theater to myself. General admission indeed!

If you can dismiss the somewhat creepy feeling about being all alone in a big, dark theater and not give way to your overactive imagination that makes you wonder if you really are actually alone....well, then...there are some definite advantages to owning that theater. At least for that showing anyhow.


1. You can sit anywhere you want. Heck, you can change seats in the middle of the show. You can try out every seat in the theater and run your own personal experiments as to which seats are best for sound, visual acuity, closest to the exit if you have to make a mad dash to the bathroom because you drank too much soda, etc.

2. You can put your feet up on the chair in front of you and not have to worry about kicking someone in the head. Having your own theater viewing experience is all about comfort.

3. You can talk out loud to the characters on the screen (or to yourself) and no one will "shhhhh!" you. (Should I admit that I do this?)

4. You can stand up and take a selfie of yourself with the movie as backdrop and post it to instagram with a #theatertomyself #magicinthemoolight #afternoonatthemovieswithnokids

5. You don't have to turn the ringer off on your iPhone and can actually take a call right then and there if someone rings through.

6. You can answer a text message and not worry that the light from your iPhone screen is super obvious to others around in the darkened theater.

7. You can drool all you want over Colin Firth (aka Mr. Darcy) and no one will notice and mock you for it.

This afternoon I was guilty of numbers 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7.

Comic Con...

...proof that adults do still like to play dress-up.
For the uninitiated, seeing as this is the first time Salt Lake City has played host...Comic Con is a fan convention of all things sci fi, gaming, and comic books to put it simply. We're talking guest star appearances, a convention hall full of booths of stuff to buy and goggle over, games and performances, and then of course my favorite...cosplay. You'll never find a place quite so ripe for people watching as Comic Con. And a big part of that is the cosplay aspect.

Though Bryan is a big sci fi fan, he had no interest really in visiting Comic Con. But the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to see what it was all about. Curiosity more than anything....everyone was so excited about it. And as I've documented before....I clearly have a sci fi streak in me as well, manifesting itself right now as a Dr. Who obsession. So I convinced Bryan we should go check it out and call it date night. He agreed and I ran around the house collecting odds and end Dr. Who paraphernalia to wear. Not a costume, per say...more like homage. Knee high TARDIS socks, an exploding TARDIS necklace ("Vincent and the Doctor" episode...meaning Vincent Van Gogh) and a Keep Calm I'm the Doctor bracelet. I even curled my hair in tight little curls reminiscent of River Song's curly hair. And I made a quick jaunt to the mall to buy a t-shirt. (We had some at home but they were Brandon's and a little on the tight side....) I got lots of compliments on my t-shirt actually, along with my socks that apparently are "epic." The t-shirt was rather clever....

YOU ARE THE BOW TIE TO MY SUSPENDERS

YOU ARE THE FEZ TO MY STETSON

YOU ARE THE SONIC TO MY SCREWDRIVER

YOU ARE THE FISH FINGERS TO MY CUSTARD

YOU ARE THE EGGS TO MY SOUFFLE

YOU ARE THE CENTURION TO MY PANDORICA

YOU ARE THE KEY TO MY TARDIS

THE SWEETIE TO MY RIVER

YOU ARE THE DOCTOR TO MY COMPANION

And of course all of that makes so much more sense if you are a Dr. Who fan. As does probably most of this post. But I digress.

All jazzed up and ready (Bryan in a Superman tee) we headed into town. And wow, what an experience we had! It is a people watcher's dream come true and I couldn't wipe the grin off my face throughout the entire night....even when my high heeled feet started screaming at me from walking around so much.

(Oh hello there Han Solo and R2D2! And the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Nice to make your acquaintance!)

After buying our tickets, the first door we peeked into as we started to feel our way around the event, was a huge room with a question and answer session going on with none other than Dean Cain! So yes, I will admit to being a very big fan of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman back in the early 1990's. My eyes must have been very big because Bryan smiled and asked if I wanted to go in and listen for awhile. Ummm....YES! Dean Cain did a great job by the way...fun and engaging, intelligent in his answers.

And though I feel a bit guilty for admitting it, I found him much more interesting than the session we went to later with William Shatner (aka Captain Kirk from Star Trek) and Adam West (aka the original Batman). Because supposedly Shatner and West were the biggest names at Comic Con. But all they wanted to do was philosophize and discuss getting older and the things they have learned....blah, blah, blah. I wanted to hear Start Trek and Batman stories. All the same...I did find myself geeking out just a little bit to be in the same room with them. (Even if they wouldn't let us take their pictures...)

At one point we saw Darth Vader walking towards us. I don't care who you are, there is just something about Darth Vader that makes you jump, even if you know it's just cosplay. He looked so realistic that I whipped out my camera....only to have the person with him ask if I wanted a picture with Darth Vader. Well....okay? Bryan insisted that it be me in the picture. Maybe because I was geeking out more than he was? Or maybe because he was a little worried about Lord Vader's very famous throat grip. Lucky for me Vader was the perfect gentleman.

But even more freaky than Darth Vader, if you can imagine such a thing....this Weeping Angel. And my favorite picture of the night. We had a nice little conversation about my "clever shirt" and how my 6-year old daughter has nightmares of weeping angels. And then she pulled her pose and oh my, if it wasn't a little bit unnerving!  Because truth be told....Lilian isn't the only one who has had nightmares about weeping angels....

The rest of the time we spent wandering the booths and goggling at people's very elaborate and creative costumes. We didn't come close to seeing everything as we only could spend a few hours. But what we saw made my night. Such geeky fun!

Geek

I am a Trekkie. I don't know if this bit of information surprises you or not. At times, it surprises me. The sci-fi geekish part of me is admittedly on the small side, but is strong all the same. I'm not sure whether I am more proud or embarrassed to admit that I had a subscription to a Star Trek fan magazine. I owned a Star Trek communicator pin (that actually made the official noise when you pressed it) and actually wore it attached to my jacket. The thing is...this was not when I was a young and impressionable teenager. No, I was an adult...married and in college at Utah State University. That communicator pin....I wore it proudly around campus. Believe it or not, I actually even wrote a paper all about the ins and outs of being a Trekkie for my English class.
Yes. I did that.

And though maybe not as outwardly and obviously geekish as me, Bryan was right there with me in Star Trek fandom.(Who do you think started me down that Star Trek path??) We watched reruns of Star Trek: the Next Generation every single night at 10:00. We had a running "name that episode" contest....we'd already seen every single one. After Star Trek: TNG ended we made our way through Deep Space Nine and Voyager, finally calling it quits when we couldn't really get into the prequel series Enterprise. (Bryan always claimed it had to do with the opening credits music...such a departure from the normal Trek style theme song. Wrong, just wrong.)

I saw the midnight showing of the movie Star Trek Generations...the one that was meant to "pass the baton" from Capt. Kirk's original crew to Capt. Picard's Next Generation crew. But after awhile (and I feel a little bit traitorous saying this) the movies got a little bit well, meh. And I stopped watching. Traitorous, I told you.

But then some time went by and the Star Trek franchise rebooted itself, prequel-ing Capt. Kirk's original crew and more or less turning the Trek timeline on it's head. And oh wow, oh wow...these two newest movies have made the Trekkie in me smile really, really big!
 

I suppose maybe none of this sci-fi geekiness is any kind of surprise whatsoever if you've ever noticed my current obsession with Dr. Who. I haven't written any college papers on it of course. And any and all fan magazines and sonic screwdrivers are bought solely for my children. But I have toyed with the idea of getting new family pictures taken with all of us wearing different Dr. Who t-shirts. Or bow ties. Because in the immortal words of Dr. Who "Bow ties are cool."

Yes, I am a geek.

Father of Bride

I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That's getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition. I know. I've just been through one. Not my own, my daughter's. Annie Banks Mackenzie. That's her married name: Mackenzie. You fathers will understand. You have a little girl. An adorable little girl who looks up to you and adores you in a way you could never have imagined. I remember how her little hand used to fit inside mine. Then comes the day when she wants to get her ears pierced, and wants you to drop her off a block before the movie theater. From that moment on you're in a constant panic. You worry about her meeting the wrong kind of guy, the kind of guy who only wants one thing, and you know exactly what that one thing is, because it's the same thing you wanted when you were their age. Then, you stop worrying about her meeting the wrong guy, and you worry about her meeting the right guy. That's the greatest fear of all, because, then you lose her. It was just six months ago that that happened here. Just six months ago, that the storm broke.

Father of the Bride is one of my all time favorite movies.  You know the one, right...with Steve Martin?  This movie came out when I was in college.  I saw it at the one-movie-a-week Ephraim theater with my roommate Leslie.  She must've thought I was a little nuts when I see-sawed back and forth between uproarious laughter and sentimental tears throughout the entire movie.  But that movie made an impact on me, hit me pretty hard.  And I'm sure it was because, though I wasn't engaged at the time, I knew it was getting close.  Even then, the movie reminded me of my Dad.  Which became all the more humorous when I did actually get engaged and start planning a wedding...to find that my Dad was reacting in very similar ways to Steve Martin's character.  Oh, not to the same extremes, of course.  He didn't get arrested for stealing hot dog buns or anything like that.  But the decisions to be made of how many guests, where to hold the reception, the "Please don't make me wear a tux!!" plea, and how much everything was going to cost....mingled in with his emotions of losing his oldest daughter.  

Who presents this woman? This woman? But she's not a woman. She's just a kid. And she's leaving us. I realized at that moment that I was never going to come home again and see Annie at the top of the stairs. Never going to see her again at our breakfast table in her nightgown and socks. I suddenly realized what was happening. Annie was all grown up and was leaving us, and something inside began to hurt. 

 This quote from Father of the Bride makes me cry every single time of the countless times I have viewed the movie.  Thinking back....it was the night before I got married.  I was puttering around downstairs taking care of last minute items.  Taking a shower, setting out my clothes I was going to wear on the way to the temple the next day, making sure I had my new pearl earrings my parents had given me to wear with my wedding dress, etc.  On one pass of the countless back and forthing through the hall, I saw my parents coming down the stairs together.  My Dad lightly grabbed my arm to stop me from walking past.  And then, to my complete astonishment, he picked me up...all 19-years and 100 lbs of me...and carried me to my bedroom.  He set me down gently on my bed and pulled the covers up around my chin, tucking me in like I was a little girl again.  He kneeled on one side of my bed, my mom on the other and then he proceeded to give me a fathers blessing.  I don't remember the words of the blessing.  Only the feeling of love and protection.  And then when he was done, he wrapped his arms around me, and cried.  I'd never seen my Dad cry before.

Last night I saw Father of the Bride in a play version at Hale Centre Theatre.  And as I sat there I had a mix of emotions.  Thinking back to my own time as a bride, yes.  But also about my own first born daughter.  Rebekah turns 16 tomorrow.  I met Bryan when I was that age.  She's already got boys clamoring for dates, waiting anxiously.  Oh, a wedding is still a few years out, certainly...and if she doesn't get married when she is 19 like I did, well...I'm not going to be upset about that!  But it will come and seeming all too soon, is my guess.  And then we'll have another Father of the Bride situation at our house.    

100 Years

100 years ago today the Titanic hit an iceberg.  And then a little less than 3 hours later she broke into two pieces and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.  So many things contributed to that ship going down.  From ignored ice warnings, to pressure to beat speed records.  Complete and unshakable faith in the new and modern construction of the ship leading to arrogance of its "unsinkable"-ness.  A lost pair of binoculars for the crow's nest.  A perfectly calm night which meant no tell-tale signs of waves frothy and breaking against the base of an iceberg.  Trying desperately to turn the ship at the last second to avoid a head-on collision...which instead lead to the death gash in the side of the ship.  Tragically, if the Titanic had continued on directly into the iceberg, she most likely wouldn't have sunk....or at least hung around long enough for other ships (the Carpathia specifically) to come to the rescue in time.

I've been a Titanic buff for over 20 years.  My love of history started manifesting itself in high school and one of the first subjects that wrapped hold around me was the story of the Titanic.  I borrowed three books from the local library one day and read them voraciously, even taking them with me to a family Easter egg hunt.  My mother was suspicious.  "Why are you reading that?" she would ask.  "Are you sure you don't have to write a report on the Titanic?"  So baffled was she that I was reading a non-fiction history book for fun, she worried that I was working on a research paper but didn't want to tell her for fear of parental pressure.  I did indeed end up writing a research paper on the Titanic...but not until college.  When Bryan introduced me to the world wide web and told me that I could look up anything I wanted, my first search was for Titanic sites.  If you come to my house today you will find at least nine books relating to the Titanic on my book shelves...and that doesn't count the many that I've borrowed and returned to the library.  A few years ago when the traveling Titanic artifact exhibit came through Salt Lake City, not only did I go, but also bought replicas of the 1st class Titanic china which I proudly display in my china hutch in the kitchen.  So, yes.  You could say I'm a little obsessed.

When the big James Cameron "Titanic" blockbuster movie was originally announced, I had mixed feelings.  I'd seen other made-for-TV movies...all or which were decidedly cheesy and not entirely factual.  I was a little worried this would be more of the same.  And yet I followed closely all updates of movie production and had high hopes.  Could they do it justice?  Would they get the details right?  (Because trust me, I would notice!)  The hype, along with my expectations, were rising and I had worries that I would be disappointed.  But amazingly enough, the movie met and even exceeded those expectations!  I was beyond thrilled that James Cameron had taken such pains to immerse himself so fully into Titanic...even going down 2 and 1/2 miles below the ocean to view her for himself and using some of the footage from that trip in the movie.  And I fully admit that I sobbed.  The movie brought it all to life for me.

So today, I took Brandon to see "Titanic"...re-released in theaters in 3D format especially to commemorate this 100th anniversary.  The date has been on my calendar for months...and has been on my mind all week long.  So I thought that seeing the movie on this particular day, at least for me, would be very appropriate.  The fascination surrounding the Titanic that started for me, all those many years ago...the sinking, it's discovery by Robert Ballard in 1985, the continued updates on the deteriorating conditions of the ruins...the essence of the Titanic...apparently still has me in a very firm grip.

Entertainment vs. Education. Escapism vs. Influence.

I've been reading a lot of the articles coming out that have been comparing Hunger Games and Twilight.  I suppose the comparisons are inevitable.  Some writers are showing seeming similarities between the two....one such similarity being that the two books both have a love triangle between one girl and two boys.  Other writers are comparing the heroines, Katniss and Bella.  And then others are comparing the two entertainment franchises that are more or less competing for the hearts of the same fans.  Hunger Games is the next Twilight.  But remember when Twilight was the next Harry Potter...in terms of it being a series of books made into movies?  Well, that and the whole rabid fan issue?  Remember even further back when the first Harry Potter books came out and critics worried that the subject of witches, wizards and magic were evil and would corrupt our childrens' minds...rather than doing just the opposite, which was getting our children more excited about reading than they had ever been before?  (I tell you what, it was because of that controversy that I started reading the Harry Potter books to begin with.  I thought all the critical talk was pure rubbish but needed to read the books first before joining the fray.  Kind of hard to speak with any authority on the subject if you haven't actually read the books...which, I might add, were what many of the critics were doing.  They hadn't even read the stories before completely dismissing them out of hand!)   

In the article I read today the writer was debating which was the better role model, Katniss or Bella.  I was annoyed in a few ways.  One, he was trying to point out that though Katniss seemed on the surface to be the better role model, strong and independent...that in all actuality she's not that different than whiny, angsty Bella.  And I didn't agree.  But two, and even more irritating to me was the idea that we even needed to worry about what kind of role models they are in the first place and what kind of negative effects they could have on our children.  Seriously?  The last time I checked, these books are supposed to be entertainment.  Escapism.  For enjoyment purposes.  Is there really supposed to be some deeper meaning?  My daughters have read both of these series of books and frankly, I'm just glad they are reading.


And yet...it's not that simple is it?  Because as much we as adults say "it's just a story, FICTION...for heavens sake!" children's minds are more malleable.  As much as I did indeed love the Twilight story (and stayed up till 3:00 AM reading the first book because I was enjoying myself so much) I suppose if I really think about it, I don't want my daughters using Bella and Edward as an example of what a real relationship is or should be like.  But realistically, my daughters are smart.  And I would hope that when they read those books it never once occurred to them to wish and hope for a sexy, sparkly vampire to sneak into their rooms at night to watch them sleep.  Critics of The Hunger Games whine that it's an awful premise and much, much too violent.  Well, yes, I suppose.  But it's a story.  A story with a deeper meaning and symbolism?  Maybe.  I fully admit that the story spun around in my mind for days after I read it.  And made me wonder a lot about reality TV and what we consider entertainment in our own world.  It's always great when a book can grip your mind and keep your brain busy for a few days.  But first and foremost...The Hunger Games was a STORY.  Pure escapism.  Who doesn't like to lose themselves in a great story?  (Truth be told, as a mother reading to her children, I was inordinately glad that good triumphs evil in the world of Harry Potter.  But unfortunately, that's not always how the real world works.) 

I guess that's why I get so irritated.  Because studies have actually shown that our minds, and especially the minds of our children, ARE affected by what we read, watch and play.  A lot of times this isn't a bad thing.  If a book, a story can make me decide to be better, think harder, try something new...well I'm not going to complain about that, necessarily.  But can't we separate the real from the imaginary?  Especially when it's something so obviously out of the realms of the ordinary....like a whole super-secret society of witches and wizards, or an equally super-secret society of vampires and werewolves, or a reality TV show centered around children killing each other for sport and punishment.  (Okay...that last one may be not so out of the realms of reality, unfortunately, in certain countries.)  But I suppose if it were that simple I wouldn't have to consciously make a choice to stay away from intense and scary movies/books for fear of nightmares.  Bryan's always telling me when I'm afraid to turn out the lights, "It's just a story, Sarah.  It's not real."  

Sigh 

Yesterday....

....started with this:

I bought three tickets when Courtney came to the door a few years ago...deciding that we'd go support Rebekah's little friend in what surely would be a sweet but probably amateur production of The Nutcracker Ballet.  More, even, than pleasantly surprised...I was stunned at just how good the production actually was!  Impressed already that the performance was being held at at Weber State University's fancy theatre in their performing arts building, I was even more delighted when the opening notes of that famed Tchaikovsky music gave proof of a LIVE orchestra....a GOOD, live orchestra.  I realized at that point, that somehow, as familiar as I was with the story and music, I'd NEVER seen the ballet!  The colorful costumes and sets, the cute and talented dancers... the principles on loan from Ballet West (!!!) dancing the big parts.  Holy wow!  By the end of the performance, I was in raptures...and a new yearly tradition was born.
Rebekah, Julianne and I attended for our fourth time yesterday morning.  And I cried...literally cried at the sheer beauty of it all.

 Zoe: Arabian, Jessica: Oriental Servant, Lauren: Red Soldier, Julianne: Audience Member

I think we counted 14 girls from our neighborhood participating in the ballet.  It was fun to try and pick them out under all their costumes and heavy make-up.  I also paid close attention to the littlest ballerinas this time.  Lilian just started taking ballet from this same ballet academy a few months ago...which means that in another couple years, we might be watching her up on that stage.


and ended with this:

Culture to pop culture.... 
"Breaking Dawn" is the epitome of a "chick flick."  Which means that it makes one heck of a great Girls Night Out.  We had dinner first, at The California Pizza Kitchen...gabbing and eating (mostly healthily because I live in a very health conscious neighborhood...lots of salads on that table.)  We were joined by even more friends at the movie, taking up almost a whole row up near the top of the theater.  Healthy eating went out the window by the time we hit movie go time, with most of us holding buckets of popcorn in our laps and sodas in the cup holders.  Cheesy movie...yes.  As with most cases like this, I prefer the books over the movies.  But we relished that cheese and had ourselves quite the fun evening.

Proud to be Team Edward!
Brandi and I both wore shirts sharing our team affiliation...
Silly?  Of course.
Feeling a little like 16 year old in a 38 year old body?  Yep.
Tons of fun all the same?  Definitely!!   

Date Night at the Movies

 Tonight was date night.  We had dinner at Thaifoon where I ordered the Evil Jungle Princess Shrimp.  Though the description on the menu had not just one, but two chili pepper symbols indicating some serious heat, I was less than impressed with the spiciness of my dish.  It was still really yummy though.

But the real noteworthy event of date night was the near miracle that allowed us to find a movie Bryan and I BOTH were interested in seeing.  This so very rarely happens.  Realistically, neither one of us tends to see movies in the theater very often.  But maybe that is because we have such different tastes in film that it usually necessitates seeing movies individually or not at all.

Bryan likes action flicks, science fiction and sometimes even horror.  And if there are aliens or superheros thrown in the mix, all the better.  Usually the movies he wants to see I can't handle.  Lack of interest, yes...but mostly, it's about being a first class chicken.  I WILL have nightmares.  No maybes about it.  Remember "The Sixth Sense?"  I didn't watch it when it came out, despite the rave reviews.  Bryan, even, loved it because it so took him by surprise which is rare.  People told me I should see the movie.  It wasn't scary, just intense, they said.  But I had two little toddlers at the time who frequently cried in the night and needed Mama.  There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would "see dead people" as I wandered down the hall at night to comfort my children.  Because my mind just works that way.  I didn't see "The Sixth Sense" until just a few months ago...and even then I didn't see the whole thing.  But I had nightmares all the same.  See?  First class chicken.

Me, on the other hand?  I love rom-coms and chick flicks that make me laugh and my heart go pitter-pat.  I am a sucker for Jane Austen, Henry James or any other classic book made into a movie (what would you call those, Period Classics?) and also historical films like "The Kings Speech."  I love musicals...although I have to admit, my neighbors and I mocked "Mamma Mia" mercilessly when we went as a big group to see it.  But Bryan has no interest, really, in any of these types of films.  So what does that leave us with?

Well...in the past couple of years we have found commonality in movies like "Star Trek," "Knight and Day," "Inception" and "Harry Potter."  But one genre of movie can usually always satisfy us both and that is your traditional thief caper.  You know...stuff like "Oceans 11," "The Italian Job"...even "National Treasure."  Bryan will complain about probability and I'll give a little spiel on suspending disbelief...but we usually both come out smiling.  Tonight we found ourselves all wrapped up in "Tower Heist."  (Side note:  Alan Alda and Mathew Broderick in the same movie = awesome in my book!)  Maybe because it's a rare and special treat, I find myself so completely happy and content when sitting with Bryan in a theater.  Leaning up against each other, fingers laced together or resting on each other's leg, laughing or gasping in the same places.  Okay...maybe it's more me that laughs out loud and audibly gasps during movies.  All the same, we had a great time.  How long will it be this time, do you suppose, before we find another movie we can both agree on?

Lilian's "Tangled" birthday party

Lilian's "Tangled" themed birthday party took a lot more effort that I originally anticipated. All my fault, of course. I got all sorts of excited about a website that had all these great ideas....and then found myself up till 1:00 AM Sunday night trying to get it all put together for Lilian's 10:00 AM Monday morning party.

1. The invitations. How cute! And how hard could it be? Not too, really. But time consuming, yes.


2. Take home gifts for the party attendees...because Rapunzel loves to paint, remember?


3. Pascal party blowers. Originally I was going to have the kids make these during the party. But then I made one myself and thought...a bunch of 4 year olds putting these together? Nah, not going to happen. So I made 12 of them myself. Julianne, however, took one look and claimed they looked more like fish rather than chameleons...so she took on the task of making them some curly tails and feet.


4. Rapunzel hair. Ten minutes from start to finish, the website said. Umm...no. Apparently making an 18 foot long braid with 36 strands of yarn takes 4 sets of hands and a whole lot longer than 10 minutes. But it makes for a fun decoration. And came in handy for some games later...

5. Julianne has been into making these tissue pom poms every since my sister Melissa taught her how at a baby shower a few months ago.


6. THE CAKE! (No way, no how was I going to attempt the fancy tower cake in the website I was shamelessly copying. It's one thing to do the invite or the braid...but the cake? I ordered this one from the local bakery. Much easier.)


7. While the kids were arriving we had them coloring Rapunzel and Flynn Rider pictures. After everyone was settled, I pulled out some sun-shaped sugar cookies, yellow frosting and sprinkles and let them go to town.


8. Games were next. First, Pin the Frying Pan on Flynn Rider. My brother-in-law, Jeremy, drew the poster for his daughter's "Tangled" party last month and they kindly let us borrow it.


9. Then tug of war with Rapunzel's hair.


10. And finally jump rope with Rapunzel's hair. (Julianne came up with that one on the fly. Can I just say...I never could've pulled off this party with Rebekah, Julianne and Brandon????)


11. Opening presents. Lots of chalk and art supplies. Lots of Rapunzel paraphernalia. All good stuff. (Funny enough, Lilian was pleasantly surprised when she realized her friends were bringing her presents. She thought the party was only about friends coming over to play games and eat cake.)


12. A "thank you" and a hug for each and every guest at the party.


13. Blowing out the candles on the cake after everyone sang "Happy Birthday." Come to think of it...I'm not sure we've ever told Lilian that you're supposed to make a wish first. Hmm....