We've Moved!!!

Don't worry, just to a new web address.  You can still stop over to our house.  {Just be sure to call first.  I'll probably need some time to clean up.  Christmas has left our living room looking like the Babies R Us stockroom.}

Come check out our new {& improved} blog!

Brand new year - Brand new blog - Same old us.

http://thatsjustswell.wordpress.com/

Is it still a band-wagon if I jump on 14 years later?

I'm 26.  So I guess it's fair to say that I've been avoiding Harry Potter for the better part of my life. 

From day one in 1997 when the first inkling of Harry Potter began to swirl, I swore off all Harry Potter books, movies, and merchandise.  (However, I did find Bertie Bott Beans incredibly intriguing due to the fact that the original package contained Ear Wax & Sausage flavored Jelly Belly's--but I had no idea how jelly beans played into the plot twists.)

I simply refused to like anything about Harry Potter.  It wasn't that I found the themes "witch-crafty" or evil.  I just didn't want to have anything to do with them.  I had decided early-on in my reading experiences that I did NOT like science fiction.  I was more of a historical fiction/drama/classic literature kinda gal.  Harry Potter had no place on my bookshelf.  I found it completely insane that there were scads of people (children & adults alike) who camped outside Barnes & Noble waiting for the book to be released to shelves.  And I found it even more strange that those same people would plow through hundreds & hundreds of pages (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix is 896 pages long!) in a matter of hours---just to be one of the first to find out what happened to Harry & his troop of magical pals.  And how could you possibly keep everyone straight?  Wizards & Weasleys & Muggles.  Oh my.
Then it happened.  I married a Harry Potter freak. 

Into our marriage, Tyler brought every Harry Potter book, movie & a love for all things Potter.  I can't even begin to tell you how many times he tried to reason with me, trying desperately to convince me that I should and *would* share his love for the stories if only I would give it a chance!  "It's too far-fetched," I would say.  And my dear husband would come up with every other "far-fetched" movie that I had added to my list of favorites: "The Wizard of Oz," "Lord of the Rings," "The Miraculous Tale of Benjamin Button."  And still, I refused. Poor Tyler spent many a night alone on the couch so he could catch "ABC Family's Harry Potter Movie Marathon Weekend" as I rolled my eyes & found something better to do.

When the trailer for "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part One" came out, I felt as though I was living with a four-year-old.  "I'd really, really like to go see that movie."  "Hey, when can we go see that movie?"  "Do you think we can see that movie this weekend?"  "I'd love to see that movie" "Do you want to see the movie?"  "The movie....."  "The movie...." "The movie..." 

OKAY, FINE!  I finally declared.  I gave in & we went to see "THE MOVIE" last night before it was yanked out of theaters for good.

And, well....

I pretty much loved it.  I think it was the best movie I've seen in quite a while.  I had enough general information about the plot to stay on track (& on the edge of my seat) throughout the 2 hours and 27 minutes. 

Leaving the theater, I declared J.K. Rowling "a literary genuis."

I've borrowed the first book from my sister so I can start from the beginnning.  (I'm already on chapter two.)

I think I could really get into this Harry Potter thing...

And I'm fairly certain that my husband loves me more because of it.  ♥

Take *THAT* technology!

Bah... I know *exactly* how the "Office Space" guys feel.  I've spent the past two hours trying to update this blog.  One thing's for sure... I need to learn some more about all of this stuff.  If I could beat the living crud out of HTML, I'd be swinging a baseball bat right this second.  How frustrating.  I have a feeling I might try my hand at all this editing again someday... just not tonight.  The nerves can only handle so much.

Shamelessly Showing Off....

My little man.  He's almost 7 months now & gosh, he's fun.  He's constantly cracking us up.  Since I've gotten my new camera, I've been following him around like the paparazzi taking pictures of him.  He seems unphased by it so far.  I'm hoping he adapts to seeing his mother with a lens attached to her face at least 50% of the time.

Hud loves loves LOVES to eat.  He started on solid foods & he just can't get enough.  One of my friends got us this "Nibbler Bag" which I lovingly refer to as his "Feed Bag."  I chop up some banana pieces, stick 'em in the mesh bag, twist on the handle & away he goes.  Hudson LOVES this thing.  It lets him feed himself without making a mess....well, too much of a mess anyway. 

My grandma likes to feed Hudson.  She even likes to feed him things he's not supposed to have.  Hud is her first Great-Grandbaby.  And she doesn't spoil him at all.  {Insert eye-roll here.}  This is what happens when I say, "I don't think he needs any peppermint."  "Oh, just a taste," she says.  And then I stand there snapping pictures of the whole thing.    To my surprise, he actually really liked the peppermint.  Who am I kidding?  It's food.  Of course he likes it.  Ahh, tis the season, I suppose.

Speaking of 'the season,' it's stinkin' cold outside!  I don't ever remember a December that was THIS cold.  Holy moly & the wind?!?  Yeesh.  I have to seriously bundle this baby up just to lug him out to the car.  Luckliy, we're equipped with a hefty supply of warm (& adorrrrable) hats for the Huddy Buddy.  This is his "Fargo" hat--complete with fuzzy lining & ear flaps.  ♥

I've never seen a baby who loves getting a bath as much as this little guy.  He is ecstatic as soon as he hears the water running!  His little chubby legs start kicking & his rolly-polly little arms start flapping.  He's tried several times to lurch himself into his tub while I'm still undressing him.  I swear, this kid must be part fish.

Ahh, yes.  That's my baby.  Cute, huh.  I do believe we'll keep him.  ♥

Never Have I Ever...

What's up with his pants?  And what are those penguins doing by a pond?

"Mary Poppins-The Musical" is coming to Pittsburgh next month.  I'm sure there are oodles of folks who are just thrilled about this.  I'm not one of those people.  You see, I've never seen "Mary Poppins."  Ever.  I still have no idea why there are penguins involved in the commercials.  I read a book in elementary school called Mr. Popper's Penguins... but I have a feeling it's unrelated.  Friends of mine are shocked to find out that I've never really ever sat down and watched it.  They're even more shocked to find out the other "standards" that have never graced my presence.  I have a feeling that my parents had a Julie Andrews/Dick Van Dyke aversion.  It's strange that most of their films never made it into our VHS player when I was growing up.  Maybe my mom & dad have something against musicals.  Whatever the case may be, I feel a little lost.  I have no clue what really goes on in these classics.
Probably the most shocking unseen-by-me film is "The Sound of Music."  I'm all about studying about WWII & forgoodnesssake, the hub & I met in a Holocaust class of all places!  Until just this year, I had no idea that the movie had anything to do with Nazis.  (Who puts Nazis in a musical?!?) For the last 26 years, I seriously thought the entire film was based upon Julie Andrews running around in a field singing her head off about the hills and how they were alive.  And those kids... are they orphans?  Oh, wait that was Annie, right?  Yet another classic I haven't seen.  For the longest time, I assumed Daddy Warbucks was some chain restaurant's advertising persona... kinda like Colonel Sanders.  "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is another film that I've never seen.  I know the chorus to the title track.  That's about it.  Oh, and the car flies.  Don't ask me how, though.
For the love....f you're going to see Mary Poppins the Musical or if you've seen the movie-- can you just tell me just what exactly those penguins are doing?

Don't get me wrong here.  I ♥ love♥ musicals.  "Guys & Dolls," "Bye, Bye Birdie," "West Side Story," "Wicked," "Newsies"-- all at the top of my list.  I'm thinking some day I'm actually going to need to sit down & watch these movies I've never seen.  Maybe I'll make my parents watch them with me.  You know what they say about payback.

PS: Have I mentioned that I never ate a PB&J sandwich until I was in tenth grade?  Seriously.  Please fill me in if there are other "typical kid" things I need to cross of my list.

Oh there's no place like Shutterfly for the Holidays...

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