From my inner critic...Movie Reviews!

So in the past three weeks I have gone to see three movies. I've enjoyed each one...here are my thoughts (since you asked...duh...):

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Well done, friends. Inappropriate thoughts about young Daniel aside, the movie was exciting from beginning to end, and interpreted the book quite nicely. Imelda Staunton was delightfully evil as Dolores Umbridge, and Helena Bonham Carter maniacal and fantastic as always as Bellatrix LeStrange. But the standout newcomer to an already flawless cast was young Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood. Her portrayal was good-natured and flighty - and inherently kind. She was exactly as her character reads, and I found her to be a highlight in an outstanding film. Both of my kids enjoyed it immensely.

Transformers
Ahh! Loved it (I am not always this gushy about my films, I've just enjoyed the last few I've attended.) Monkeybutt will attest to the fact that I spent half the movie either gawking at the screen in disbelief or grabbing his arm and whispering loudly, "did you see that? that was so cool!" It is rare that I am this freaky about a movie based mostly on effects, but the effects were unbelievable...just watching the transformers....transform...and the sound effects, and the fight scenes...Definitely Must See Cinema, my friends.

The Simpsons Movie
We had to see this one - my entire family are die hard, watch every Sunday night, Simpsons fans. We love the show, have half the dialogue memorized, and you will notice us pepper many conversations with quotes from the show (my personal favorite being, "it burns like a Glasgow bikini wax", heavy Scottish brogue, as yelled by Groundskeeper Willy during a downpour of acid rain...) This Simpsons fan will admit...probably not worth the price of the ticket. But if you are amused by the Simpsons, you will laugh throughout most of the movie; much as the viewer sitting right in front of us did...at length, and loudly. It was rather amusing, really.

Also, just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If you have not read it, do it now! Seriously, turn off your freaking computer and read it!

Have you looked at the calendar?

...and seen that summer is over halfway over? I checked my calendar this morning and realized that Monkeybutt is due to leave for camp in less than two weeks (and that the balance of his camp fees were due Saturday...don't worry, taken care of.) He's home for a week, we move Katie into her dorm, and they both start school. That's less than a month away, folks. I guess I'd better fit some serious merry-making into the next few weeks...of course I just got the new Harry Potter book, merry-making will have to wait. Here are some pictures from this summer...so far.

And Happy Birthday to my muy fabuloso MOM tomorrow!

Silly silly me...

I'm feeling a bit goofy this evening, and unfortunately not having any luck channeling said goofy-ness into words...so no fascinating blogging will be done this evening.

So, I leave you with this fabulous picture of my mother as a lovely tufted bird. Isn't she gorgeous?

And I encourage you to laugh uproariously at something tomorrow. Laugh so hard it makes your sides hurt and your bladder ache. It will keep you young. Check out the new link I posted, www.nataliedee.com. Thanks, my sweet decorative scissors girl, for the link - I nearly peed my pants myself tonight.

Surprise visits...fishing adventures.

Please forgive me for ignoring you all, my adoring masses. It has been quite the two weeks here in chalet Missy. My darling Monkeybutt attended his first sleepaway camp last week (4-H camp) and was NOT happy to leave. He would have happily nature hiked and canoed the rest of the summer away. Even the promise of another week of camp (this time at the highly coveted Camp Ernst - that of the giant water slide and banana boats) did not immediately raise his spirits. He did have some great stories and information to share when he returned, however, including an interesting ghost story, a recipe for something called "puppy chow", and tips for identifying a coral snake. Did you know there are 4 venomous snakes indigenous to Kentucky?
On the 4th, after a rousing bbq with some friends, we attended the local festival. It was small, and not so very interesting to the adult folk with me, but the Girl Child was pretty thrilled. She played some of the free games and danced to the country (shudder) band with several of her little girl friends (one of the lovely aspects of moving here - we actually run into people we know). We sat right by our car and watched the fireworks, which was very cool - they were right over our head. Would have been better had it not started pouring right before the finale - but we had a good time. And we needed the rain, so I can't complain.
This past weekend my aunt (mother's sister) surprised us with a visit. She and a friend drove down from Columbus on Friday. I was cleaning out my car (an attack with crayons, several snack-filled car trips, and a vomiting episode convinced me it was time) and noticed a van driving up and down our cul-de-sac. People get lost here all the time so I thought nothing of it until it stopped in front of our house. I was about to duck for cover (I thought the woman trudging up my lawn was going to try to sell me something), until I realized it was my beloved Aunt MB. They stayed until Monday morning and we spent the weekend chatting, bbq-ing, roasting marshmallows, watching our neighbors set off ridiculously dangerous, but very cool fireworks, playing basketball...and fishing. Yes, my darling studmuffin actually guilted me into waking up early Sunday morning to go fishing. Ok, well, I don't fish...but I brought my chair and prepared to watch the children fish. But they continually needed assistance (darn 4 year-old), and I even had to unravel a snagged line from a tree. There were some highlights, though...

• The girl child caught her first fish ever. Very exciting.
• She learned to cast - properly and well. She's very proud.
• Studmuffin fell in the pond trying to get a hook out of a tree. Tee hee.

GC also kept referring to the fish she caught as "blue jays". They were blue gills, of course. That is obnoxiously funny at 7AM.

My one regret is having (of course) forgotten my camera. It was early!

It was a nice visit and a lovely surprise. The kids fell in love with both of them...our big family reunion is next weekend and both were asking if they'd be there, and are thrilled that they will be. What a wonderful thing for our kids to get to know extended family - beyond the parents and grandparents...It gives them a sense that they come from something big.