Last night, Jenny, my sister and I went to see “The Help.” It was a good movie and a nice night out, and it reminded me that I really like seeing movies in a theater. I had forgotten, since it happens approximately once a year. Then I saw a “fall movie preview” in my husband’s latest copy of Entertainment Weekly, and voila, I have a list of movies I want to see in the next decade sometime soon.
Here we go! (Pictures and captions from imdb.com)
1. The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
2. A comedic account of a 27-year-old guy's cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
3. A comedy centered on the life of Kate Reddy, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids.
4. A woman looks back at the past twenty men she's had relationships with in her life and wonders if one of them might be her one true love.
5. An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.
6. Three avid bird watchers compete to spot the rarest birds in North America at a prestigious annual event.
7.* After spending the night together on the night of their college graduation Dexter and Em are shown each year on the same date to see where they are in their lives. They are sometimes together, sometimes not, on that day.
8. A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.
9. With the help of three fans, the Muppets must reunite in order to save their old studio from a greedy oil tycoon.
10. A family man is forced to deal with his twin sister from the Bronx comes to Los Angeles for a visit -- then won't leave.
So, what am I missing? What movie are you dying to see or have you seen lately that you loved?
*To celebrate the August release of the new Anne Hathaway movie One Day, Kodak is hosting a contest on their Facebook page. Share the photo of your one perfect day for a chance to win a trip for two to Paris, France and great Kodak products. The contest ends Friday, August 26, so hurry!
****** For more Top Ten Tuesday, check out OhAmanda.
That title will apply to Kate if she doesn’t get it together!
I’m not really going to off her, but my goodness there are times I’d like to wring her neck.
Like yesterday, for example.
We were visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes, which just this week was named “Most Beautiful Place in America” on GMA. It is stunning.
We visited last year and had a wonderful time and had been anxious to go again this year. However, as soon as we got there, it was clear that Kate was in one of her “I’m going to be a pain in the ass and there’s nothing you can do about it” moods. Yay!
Unfortunately those moods have been becoming more and more frequent. No matter what we do or where we go, it’s not good enough or we don’t stay long enough or SOMETHING makes her miserable. Which, in turn, makes us all miserable.
Jenny and I have actually both been struggling with this ungratefulness in our oldest children, and we’ve talked about it a lot.
However, we have no solutions.
So, readers, we turn to you. Have you dealt with this kind of thing? Did your kids grow out of it or did you beat it out of them? Or is there a more effective method to change their behavior?
Because seriously, if you can look at this view and STILL be in a terrible mood, I don’t know what to tell you.
We’re pretty embroiled in getting ready for back to school, and based on the conversations, posts and pictures on Facebook, Twitter and blogs, most of the rest of you are too!
It’s extremely important to my husband and me that our kids do well in school and have a positive experience – and that they provide a positive experience for their teachers as well. Aka, behave yourself!
I’m doing a series of posts about BTS for Country Crock, and this week’s theme is setting kids up for success in school. Since my husband is a teacher, I turned to him for ideas. Here are a few things we came up with that we as parents can do to help our kids be successful:
— Encourage reading. This is a pretty basic tip, obviously, but it’s a big one. Andy teaches science, but he often talks about how crucial reading comprehension skills are for success in every subject – kids have to be able to read and understand what’s being asked of them, regardless of if it is a literature exam or a chemistry test. Reading is the foundation for everything! And it’s one of life’s great pleasures, in my opinion. So, read to your kids, obviously, but demonstrate the importance of reading in your life by visiting the library together, having books in your home, and reading yourself! The next time I’m trying to read a book and Kate wants me to do something for her, I’m going to say “Not now, I’m trying to be a good example for you!”
— Stay involved. It’s important for kids to know that what they do at school matters to us – the bad things AND the good things. We usually go around the dinner table and ask each other what the best and worst parts of our days were. It gives us all an opportunity to tell about things we’re excited about, proud of, or worried about, but it also gives Andy and me insight into what goes on during Sam and Kate’s days. We also make an effort to let their teachers know that we support them and want to partner with them in regards to our kids. Since I don’t do drop off or pick up for Kate, it takes a little extra effort to stay clue in to her school life, but I think it’s important to do so.
— Cover the basics. We can’t usually be in the room helping our kids learn throughout the day, but what we do before and after school makes a huge impact on their behavior and ability to learn. It’s our job as parents to provide for their basic needs – only we can make sure they get enough sleep and eat a good breakfast!
Ok, that’s all I’ve got! But of course I want to hear from you. What tips for helping your kids succeed can you share with all of us?
****** Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Country Crock via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Country Crock.
