"The Hunger Games" Review

I heard about "The Hunger Games" series last summer, from Hannah and Rachel, who shared my love of all things Harry Potter. I should have listened to them and read the books then, so that it wouldn't have been as "trendy". I hate when I do "trendy" things.

Yet I waited. I jumped on that bandwagon right when the hype was high. I think my reasoning was, "If this many people like it, who don't even like to read much, it must be good." And good it was!

I devoured the books. Even though Brandon started reading them first, I am a more passionate reader, and can get lost in a book much more readily than he. I read them every free moment.

I can't criticize the books in any negative way: that might be a weakness, but I wasn't looking to criticize them; I was looking for a good story, and that's what the books had. The characters were so well developed, the plot was captivating and resonant, with just the right amount of foreshadowing. I think that might be one tiny criticism: there was a tiny bit too much foreshadowing. Oh and another criticism: it ended. I didn't want it to end. (I have another criticism about the end of the last book, but I won't go there now.)
Since I was such a diehard fan of the books, I had high expectations for the movie. Plus, with all the hype about the movie, it would have been a hard hype to live up to.


Okay anyways, here's my review of the movie.

• Casting was good. A lot of people criticized the fact that there were 3 black actors, but I reread one part where it described Rue, and the book did indeed specify that she had dark brown skin and eyes. The characters weren't all as I had imagined them, of course, and Brandon criticized Haymitch's long, goofy hair, but I didn't mind much. Overall, the characters fit the parts.
• Okay, all the rest of my review is negative, but I expected too much of the movie, it's not it's fault.
• Acting, I thought, was sub-par. Especially Effie. Oh, and I hated that it never even mentioned her name. I imagine if you hadn't read the books, you'd be thinking: "Who is that lady and why is she there?"
• The romance wasn't convincing. No, it wasn't a genuine romance, I know, but it was supposed to be convincing enough to persuade the viewers.

• Shaky Camera: That was annoying. The whole Reaping scene made me just want to leave. I understand the shakiness of the violent parts (couldn't make it rated R), but the Reaping didn't have to be so shaky.

I liked the movie, but I should have known better than to expect too much. I think I will enjoy the next one more, being further removed from reading the books, and knowing to expect less.

Did you read the books? Watch the movie? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Then and Now

It took a while for me to get out of that blurry postpartum wearing-a-bathrobe-all-day-even-though-I-haven't-had-a-shower-today phase. It was hard, figuring out how to be a Mom. I'd lay around in bed all day with Asher, trying to make sure I did everything right and still not feeling like I had accomplished anything. I didn't, really - well, nothing tangible at least. But my New Mama eyes can now see that I got a lot accomplished in those days of newness, a lot of bonding and learning and getting our life figured out.

Shall I dare post a picture of those early days? I'm being real here, so this was us:



Up close and personal. Too close, because Daddy was gone to work and school and all I had to document our early days at home while he was gone during the day was my phone camera, arm's length away. But anyways, there was lots of cuddle time. Lots of this.

Lots of giving more kisses than I knew I had.

After a few weeks of this awesome bonding, however, I knew something had to change. The bonding and cuddling could still continue, of course, but dishes needed washed, laundry needed folding, the house needed cleaned, and the dog needed some love too.

I had to have an internship for school, and Beacon Hill needed someone to help during Angela's maternity leave, so I offered my (lack of) skills to them. It was a challenge, at first, to get myself and Asher ready two days a week for work plus another day a week for school. We were offered daycare service at church, but RSV was going around (although not in the daycare itself) and Brandon worried Asher might catch something. So I managed to work with baby in tow (or in Ergo) a few days. Finally, we decided it was safe to leave him in daycare.

Since I work in the same building as the daycare, leaving Asher there works out great. I can go and check on him at any time, and when it's time to feed him, I just go get him and bring him to my office. The daycare workers are great, and Asher flourishes there. Unlike home, where the house is quiet and Mama is boring, there's always something going on in the daycare nursery. Asher is content to just sit and watch everyone, and I can get some work accomplished.

That's how I took care of my productiveness problem at home, too: I realized that if I can get stuff done at work, I can do it at home, as well. I don't have to hold Asher all day for him to know that I love him (although I do still get plenty of holding and cuddling done, and no longer see it as unproductive). I don't plan to be a working (outside the home) mom, since I want to homeschool, but I am thankful for this temporary job because it has helped me in the motivation department.

I miss him when he's at daycare, though. I go and see him too much probably, I bet it drives the workers crazy. That's one reason we won't send our kids to school, but rather homeschool them: we'll have more bonding time together at home. But that's another discussion. I am just ready to be finished with college, though. Because next semester (and the next [but then we'll be DONE!]), we'll have to leave Asher with family or friends or at daycare. And I don't want to miss anything.

Speaking of missing things, Brandon got him to laugh out loud the other day, and didn't even tell me until yesterday, when he demonstrated again. He tickled Asher's ribs, and Asher gave the cutest little belly laugh. I'm trying to get him to do it for me today, but I've never been a good tickler. The little stinker gives Daddy all his firsts: smile, laugh, he'll probably say "da-da" first, too. Hmph.

Parting shot for today: Asher and Mama went for a walk the other day. Such a sweet grin!

The Lotion Story

If you read my first post, you'll know that I alluded to this story. When Brandon read that first post, and saw me mention the "lotion story," he told me I might want to clarify, because he thought it could be misconstrued as inappropriate. Well, here goes embarassing myself:

In the early days of our dating relationship, Brandon and I rode the shuttle bus together, which took us from the high school to the middle school, where we would board our home buses. One day, while sitting together in the bus seat, I grabbed a small bottle of lotion from my purse, dabbed a bit on my arm, and replaced the bottle back into the purse.

I must have gotten distracted by some thought or perhaps a daydream of marrying Brandon and living happily ever after, because when I turned back and saw that my arm was slightly wet (from the lotion, where I hadn't rubbed it in all the way) I looked at Brandon in disgust and cried,

"Did you lick my arm?!"

Brandon gazed back at me in amazement, stared blankly at me and then cracked up hysterically. I told him matter-of-factly that that was just nasty, and to stop laughing, when he finally caught his breath enough to remind me that I, in fact, had applied lotion to my arm just seconds before.

Then I remembered, and was flooded with embarassment. I probably turned beet red, as I always have when embarassed.

Everyone knows that story, and Brandon has since always used it when I insult his memory.

Sweet Sleeper

My son is the cutest little guy ever. I know every mom thinks that of their children, but in my case it's true ;) . Some of the sweetest pictures I have of him so far are when he is sleeping.

All he did those first few weeks was sleep, it seemed.

But that was okay. I loved just watching him snooze away. That newborn, fists clenched next to the head, pose is the sweetest, although I don't think I have any pictures of that.

(Don't you just love that superman look with the blanket like a cape?)

And then those "turn off the light, mom! 5 more minutes!" poses which make me worry that he'll be as heavy a sleeper as his stinkin Daddy.

Sweet dreams of... whatever babies dream of (looks like archery in this one).
Getting tired of pictures yet? Ya gotta forgive me, I have mommy fever. Last one:

How cute is he!? (both of my guys)

Oh, looking at all these pictures, and seeing how much Asher has already grown, and remembering things that he has already grown out of, makes me realize how much time does fly! Everyone always says, "Oh, cherish every moment, they grow up so fast!" and as a new or expecting parent, you just have to nod and smile, because really you don't even know. I still don't even know the extent of it, but I know that I need to let him be little for as long as I can, and even though baby days might be hard, remember that they don't last long.

I'm off to put my little man to bed, he's sleeping on me as I type... :)

A Brief History

I'll share a little of our recent history:

Brandon and I met some time in middle school, either at the church we both attended (Beacon Hill) or at school. Awesome story, huh? We started dating in October of 2007

and dated just shy of 3 years before he proposed on September 7, 2010.

We were married 6 months later, on March 12, 2011

and had our first child, Asher, 10 months after that, on January 7, 2012. He was a whopper, born weighing 10 pounds, 12.5 ounces and 21 inches long.

This is us one week ago, on our 1 year anniversary:

A lot has happened in the past year, and we wouldn't trade it for the world. Even though it is hard at times, we are so happy and blessed by God for all that we have, especially each other, our sweet son, our family and friends, and our church. The Lord is so good.

Beginning

I think that no matter what I write in this momentous first blog post, I will look back at it one day thinking, "Oh my, that was quite dumb." I think too much about how I want to say things, and yet it still never comes out the way I want it to. Oh, well.

I want this blog to be a record, a chronicle of our life which we can look back at to remember how life was in "the good ole days". I want to capture these real moments so I can replay them later because honestly, I have the worst memory ever. Just ask Brandon about the lotion story.

So this is the beginning of my little chronicle of our little family in this little moment.