Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Weekend Update: Music, Movies, and Cookouts, Oh My!

In an attempt to keep my blog up instead of slacking off as I have been all too much lately, I’m going to try to do a weekend update of sorts. It won’t be as exciting as SNL’s actual “weekend updates”, but at least it will somewhat chronicle our summer.

Let’s start at the beginning. On Monday, while driving aimlessly about, my kids in the back seat swinging their legs and chattering, I decided to search Pandora for a Disney station. My kids are in between ages. Ashton is too old for Mickey and the Wiggles, Atleigh is too young for all the teeny bopper Disney shows. We don’t have cable so we don’t keep up with what all’s out there. “Disney Children’s” was the first thing to pop up on the drop down list. Why not? It was the absolute best decision of my week. I’m sure I’m not the only mom in her mid to late 20’s (ok, ok... LATE 20’s) to stumble upon this channel that is chock full of classics from Disney animated movies. I about lost it. The first time Pocahontas came on, I screamed “This is my JAM!”-not kidding. Totally happened- and turned the volume almost all the way up. Pocahontas was my first ever soundtrack, on cassette. I played that thing until the ribbons wore through. I was a happy, happy 90’s child that day.

Backstory to this next part: This past Christmas we bought Ashton and Chloe Nintendo DSi XL’s. My mother in law bought Chloe’s, and I bought Ashton’s. It was my first layaway purchase not only as a parent, but ever. The first thing I bought with my own money since returning back to work. I paid on it with my very first paycheck, and every paycheck until right before Christmas. The most accomplished feeling came with carrying that box out of the store the day I made the final payment.

Chloe somehow lost Ashton’s DS in our house at the beginning of the year. A few months later, Ashton lost Chloe’s. Don’t ask me how this happened (the switching part- I know how the lost part came about. We live on top of each other in this tiny Box House. It’s easy for anything smaller than the dishwasher to get lost). All I know is, we had two expensive gaming systems that were completely MIA. We’ve torn the house apart looking for them off and on. This past week, for some reason, it really started to bother me. I said, “God, I spent all this money on these games for my kids. It would help if You could give me some sort of clue here.” Nothing. I asked my friend Missy to pray with me that they would be found. I know some of you are out there, saying “Big deal. Kids are over stimulated with technology anyway.” More than likely you’re right. Shut up. This was about more than the video game to me. This was about something I had invested in, a mile marker and a symbol of something I could never have had as a kid. It was important to me. The very next morning, I was searching for something on Ashton’s dresser, and there, right in front of me, was Chloe’s DS. I’d looked there, plenty of times before. And now, here it was. I was floored. This past Friday, the kids called me at work, screaming, “We found Ashton’s DS, we found it!” Also in a place I’d looked before, plenty of times. I’m still in shock. Although I shouldn’t be shocked over answered prayer, even in the small, seemingly stupid things. My faith was strengthened over this weekend.

Friday night we went to The Circuit (I've posted about it before) for karaoke night. Now, I've been singing on stages since I was 13. Karaoke was a first for me. I don't know why it took so much nerve, but I did it. Now I can't wait to do it again. I'm going to be brave and post the video Missy took of me singing. It's dark and it cuts off, but you'll get the idea.



Jeremy and my friend Maggie stole the show with their rendition of Ice, Ice Baby, but it was too long to upload. I'll just have to leave you all to your imaginations.


On Saturday morning we were taken with the insane fancy to go see Madagascar 3 with my brother, Adam, his wife, and their two kids (actually it was Adam’s idea. I can’t take responsibility for the insanity, only the perpetuation of it). On opening weekend. With five kids. A 2 year old, a 3 year old, a 4 year old, a 6 year old, and an 8 year old. I don’t really remember much of the movie. These two trailers left an impression:



Not going to lie. The Rothwellsphere has been eagerly awaiting Brave for the past 6 months at least. "Ach! Finally a Disney movie to rrrepresent our-ah people!" my dad cried (apparently he doesn't count The Little Mermaid as I do). There may or may not be a blog post solely dedicated to this movie in the future.


I'm a huge- HUGE- fan of Jude Law, even as an animated bad guy. Yes please. I love twists on fairy tales.

This was Atleigh’s first real movie experience that she was old enough to need a ticket for. I have similar pictures of Ashton and Chloe:


My poor sister in law, Laurie, wound up having to take my niece (she’s the 2 year old, and freshly potty trained) down the thousand stairs from the top of the stadium style theater at least three times before we realized that there was a bathroom on the second floor, with the exit a mere two feet away from us. The next three potty trips were much easier.
I can’t really give you a review of the movie. Between potty trips, kids whispering (not mine, of course!), Atleigh trying to decide which lap she was most comfortable in, it’s mostly a blur. I can tell you what I remember: The colors and effects were pretty. Kind of like an animal Cirque De Soliel. The jokes were funny but a lot of them were heavy with innuendo. None of my kids were old enough to understand, but Ashton is getting close. All in all it was my least favorite of the Madagascar movies. And yes, my children are still currently singing the Afro Circus song. So there’s at least one gem we got out of it. Professional review over.

After the movie we crossed the parking lot to a local favorite Mexican place, Plaza Azteca. If you don’t know what it is, or don’t have access to it, I’m sorry. You’re missing out. We sat at a huge U-shaped booth. I’m sure these people took one look at us, counted all the kids, and thought “Let’s corral this crazy town as far from civilization as possible.”
I love seeing my kids and their cousins all together. I love catching little expressions and quirks that are so frighteningly similar. I love how my daughters baby their “Baby Hannah”- I’m sure they’ll call her that until she’s on her way to college.  Although Ashton often mourns over being the oldest in the passel of kids, complaining about being an example and having responsibilities like passing the salt and letting the younger kids share his french fries, in general he handles in with the aplomb of a much older child (a trademark of being an “oldest child”). He mutters that he “hates being an 8 year old”, but I’m certain he’d hate even more being- horrors!- a 6 year old.

Ours is a high and lonely destiny, my boy.


The three girlies had fun jingling their way through the afternoon. If you follow me on Instagram (@mbsmoot), you'll know the jingle skirts have been a big hit at the Box House.




Saturday night we went to my in-laws for a welcome home cookout for Jeremy’s brother and his wife, as they pass through on their way from one Coast Guard base to another (Next summer, expect some pictures from Cape Cod!). More cousins, more food; fire, bug spray, and fireflies (not all together. That would be disastrous). Lots of dirt on feet and under fingernails.


This is what summer is about, right here.



Our twin nephews, Austin and Aidan

A rare moment of harmony between Atleigh and Curren

Noah definitely got the short end of the stick


I'm so in love with Curren's crazy Greek hair.


Our lives are busy in general. Our weekends, by comparison, are a happy hectic. The type of busy that causes you to fall into bed at the end of the day, when the sky is dark, the crickets sing, when long eyelashes fan across soft little cheeks, and thank God that you got to be a part of the world that day. That you got to contribute your individual breaths to the atmosphere that we all breathe. You thank God for the big things like family and food; for the little things like music that brings back a happy childhood, for answered prayers that grow the faith of an 8 and a 6 year old, as well as your own.

How was your week, friends? What major or minor miracles have you seen? What memories have you made?

-M

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