DVD Review and Giveaway: Two From Disney

I received a few Disney DVDs to review last week, so here goes ...

Bridge to Terabithia: This movie sparked my interest because it's based on the Newbery-winning novel of the same name by Katherine Paterson. It's rated PG, but I popped it in and watched it with my 5 and 7 year old boys without knowing much about the story. This without a doubt led to an "oh shit" moment, but it turned out OK. My 7 year old had to watch it in two sittings; my 5 year old left after 15 minutes, then returned for the second half.

Basically, it's about two tweens, Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke. Jess is an artistic, driven boy from a poor farm family. He goes to the School of Bullies, where apparently there are no teachers or even playground monitors and bullies can charge 5 year olds money to use the bathroom. Leslie's the new girl, also a misfit but from a rich family. The two forge a friendship and take to the woods, where Leslie introduces Jess to the kingdom of Terabithia.

The graphics are awesome, and the story deftly walks the line between lush fantasy and cold, hard reality. It left me wanting to read the book, that's for sure. Before you let your kids watch it, check out the Amazon review by Orrin C. Judd (it's on top). He does a great job of summing it up without giving the story away. If you'd like more of a taste of what the movie's all about, check out these clips:

• Side by Side View of Special Effects
• Troll Hunting
• Interview with Author Katherine Paterson

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (The Friendship Edition): Truth be told, I didn't agree to review this but they threw it in with Bridge to Terabithia. My kids like Pooh in stuffed animal form well enough, but never took to the cartoon. I put the DVD on expecting immediate revolt from my boys, but they suprised me by watching it without complaint. My two-year-old (yes, she turned 2 yesterday!) watched with them, and it was a happy family DVD moment. When it seems like your kids are growing up too fast, it's nice to see them suspend "the hate of all that is babyish" for an hour and watch Winnie the Pooh.

The next day, as I cleaned out John's closet, I asked him if he still wanted a shirt with Pooh on it. He gave an enthusiastic "yes!" and I think I'll put it on him regularly because -- *sniff* -- as long as he'll still wear Pooh he's still my baby, damnit!

Anyway, I realized that I already own this DVD in the form of it's previous release, The 25th Anniversary Edition. What about you? Do you need to feel, if only just for 74 minutes, like your children aren't about to grow beards and get mortgages? Want my copy? Leave me a comment telling me what you're up to this summer. Any vacation plans? Working? Home with this kids? Fill me in, I'm dying to know. I'll accept entries between now and Saturday at midnight, and post the winner on Sunday. Good luck!

Stories From My First Grader

When my son entered 1st grade last fall, he couldn't read at all and was reluctant to do so, even though he has always loved us to read to him. He got some extra help through the year, and has become a solid reader. I'm proud of him. So yesterday I took him to Barnes and Noble where the tall shelves of books gave him a slight panic attack but he got to pick out some books (How to be a Pirate and Skippyjon Jones) and whatever treat he wanted (vanilla cream frosted cupcake). We split a lemonade and read Flotsam and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I think he had a good time.

Friday was his last day of school, and he came home with a backpack crammed full of work from the year, including several stories that he wrote and illustrated. Did I mention I'm proud of him? Plus, these two made me laugh. (I fixed the spelling but left the punctuation and paragraph breaks in tact.)

Playing With Ava

Ava plays with me because she likes me.

She laughs because I did peek-a-boo. She likes me when we swing on the play structure. She cries when she doesn't get her way. Ava is so fun to play with.

I like to be Ava's big brother.

Ava runs away from me when I chase Ava. Ava says "ruf" for love. Then she gives me a hug.

Then we go inside. Inside we play. Then we eat. Then we go back outside. Outside we play chase. She chases me I chase her back. Then she jumps on me then I throw her down the slide.

My Cat Shadow

My cat is black and white. She is fun to play with. She likes when I give her a toy mouse. She eats paper then throws up. Then we clean it up. She sleeps on my bed. She wakes me up in the morning. She's fun.

Then we go down stairs. Then I eat breakfast. Then I get dressed. Then I go to school. Her name was Shadow.

Shadow likes to sit on my lap. She is the funnest cat in the world. And I like to play with her. I give her toys.

On the weekend I played with her. My cat died in January. And I hope I get another cat.

MotherTalk Blog Tour: Garage Sale America

This book review is part of a MotherTalk blog tour. To read other posts about this book, click here.

I went to my first yard sale when I was 8 years old. Kicking around in my front yard, I noticed cars parked along the street and people milling around at my normally dormant neighbor's house. As I got closer, I realized there was a bunch of stuff strew out on their driveway. The next thing I remember, I was on my knees in the grass, rummaging through a bunch of board games: Stratego, Battleship, Clue. Adrenaline pumping, I kept dragging stuff into my house and running back across the street with a fistful of dimes, until my mom bristled or they ran out of stuff, I can't remember which. I still have a few of those games.

Not until my twenties, as I traveled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, did I again experience that rush of a good deal found. Our Ford Tempo was jammed with tents and coolers, but Brian and I managed to find room for a $5 wooden bookshelf, which we later refinished and which suited our office perfectly.

From then on, going to yard sales has been one of my favorite past times. Especially now that I have kids and can't always stop when I see an interesting sale, I love nothing more than a morning of wandering from sale to sale, newspaper on the passenger seat, large coffee in hand.

Some of my favorite finds through the years include:

• An estate sale where Brian and I got a bunch of stuff for our new, empty apartment, including a steamer basket that I still own 15 years later.

• A huge collection of Beanie Babies for 25 cents each, which we found when my first son was 18 months old and which still forms the cornerstone of the kids' stuffed animal collection.

• A child's wooden rocking chair, solid as rock, for $15. That same day, I also bought a Little Tike's rocking chair for $3, having seen the same one on ebay for $15 plus shipping.

The funny part about the rocking chairs is that I specifically wanted to find a rocking chair for the kids when I went out hunting that day -- and I found two. You see, I always say a little prayer before I head out to yard sales, asking for what I'd like to find. I do believe there is synchronicity involved when we set out to hunt through people's crap, er, cast-offs.

For example, after seeing how ridiculously expensive View Masters were at Toys R Us, I decided against getting one for Ben's birthday. A few weeks later, I was loading three of them (one vintage) into my car along with a carrying case holding 50 mint-condition discs -- all for $5. Last summer, I wanted soft-rubber blocks for my 1-year-old, and I found a large set for $2 at pretty much the only yard sale I attended all year. Recently we went to Todd Farm and, among other things, I wanted some ice cream sundae glasses for the kids. I scored a set of five tall, thick glasses with nary a fleabite* for just $10.

My latest score? A neighbor of mine had a pathetic-looking yard sale going, but I mosied over anyway. I scored a 1970s' Little Tikes doll house with a box full of dolls and accessaries for $20, just in time for Ava's 2nd birthday. Sweet!

Wait a minute. Was I supposed to be reviewing a book? Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that.

What a lot of fun I've had reading and admiring Garage Sale America, by Bruce Littlefield. Aside from being a restauranteur, a successful author, an interior designer and an all-around fun guy, Littlefield is an avid fan of "yard hopping, garage stopping, and barn storming." He calls them "the ultimate reality television" and "the perfect antidepressent because it's a good deal for all involved." I happen to agree.

The book is a work-of-art, truly, jam-packed with full-color photographs of interesting people and things that Littlefield has come across at garage/yard/barn/tag/estate/rummage/stoop sales across the country. Even though it's a paperpack, it's got thick, sturdy pages, each one with a different mix of interesting info, such as:

• State-specific advice on what to look for and where.

• Details about collectibles. (Think Matchbox cars, Tiffany glass, fishing lures. Yes, fishing lures.)

• Unique stories from and about individual collectors, yard salers and families, such as the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players (a cult phenom inspired from a yard-sale find).

• Tips on buying and selling from the pros, such as The Yard Sale Queen and many others (including, of course, Littlefield).

• A month-by-month guide of events across the country.

• A glossary of both useful and entertaining garage-sale terms such as: "tire kicking: Testing things out, plugging things in"; and "Robin Hood sale: A sale in a wealthy neighborhood that makes for a lot of Merry Men and Women."

There's also an entire section featuring Littlefield's 1940s' farmhouse located in the Catskills, which he has artfully decorated with his vintage finds. This section has decorating/living tips and photos of the entire home with details about the items including how much he paid for them.

The author's breezy writing style made me feel as if I were tagging along with him on a Saturday morning treasure hunt. His way of turning a phrase tells me that if I did hang out with him, it would be a blast. In fact, I was surprised when reading his bio to find that Littlefield doesn't have his own television show. He seems like he'd be a natural for that venue, although he's so active in other areas that he may not have the time. (He does, however, have a blog.)

Garage Sale America is sure to be enjoyed by yard-sale enthusiasts as well as collectors and people interested in interior design (especially vintage). It's also got a strong pop-culture bent, and I think it would become well-worn on just about any coffee table.

* Fleabite: A tiny chip in pottery or glass, usually not large enough to warrant foregoing a purchase.
- Garage Sale America.

Music Review: Soular and Michael Buble

UDATED to add: We have a winner by random drawing, and it is Patti of The Amazing Life of Patti! Simmer down now, try to contain your excitement long enough to go say hello to her. She's just realized her dream of becoming a nurse and is now making her blogging comeback. Congrats, Patti!

I had the chance to review a few music CDs, and I had to say yes because IT WASN'T KIDS' MUSIC!

Love Crash Heal by Soular (Astonish Records): I got this CD a few months ago and have listened to it several times since then, to see if it would grow on me. I happen to like rock music that's not too head-banging and that I can sing along to, and this CD fits the bill. The band's first single from the album, "So, This Is the Way It Feels," is pretty catchy. There was never a time when the CD was playing and I needed to TURN THE MUSIC OFF NOW. I didn't find it to be grating, and it has some good rhythms and rock. There was something about it that I didn't like that I'm having a hard time putting into words. Sometimes the music sounded a little muffled or blurred, and seemed to overwhelm the vocals. A production problem, perhaps? I love strong singers and the vocals just didn't seem to stand out as much as I'd have liked. Still, it's a pretty good listen.

Call Me Irresponsible, by Michael Buble: I agreed to review this CD because I saw Buble on American Idol and thought he was great, even though I don't usually go for the big-band, Sinatra style of music. In addition to the Sinatra tunes, this CD has Bubl-ayed versions of "Me and Mrs. Jones," "Always On My Mind," and "Wonderful Tonight." Unfortunately, I prefer the originals of all three of those songs. Buble's renditions are just too sleepy for me, and "Me and Mrs. Jones" never reaches that great crescendo, even though I'm sure Buble's voice is more than capable of it. The album includes a few songs that Buble wrote, "Lost," and "Everything." I like them both, especially "Everything," which confused me when it came on -- I didn't think I was listening to the same CD! "It Had Better Be Tonight," an old Henry Mancini tune, is another of my favorites. Overall, this CD's a keeper. Buble's voice is like buddah people! He's a great preformer too, I'd love to see him live. You can check out his YouTube page here.

Want to win my copy of Soular's Love, Crash, Heal? Please leave me a comment with the name of the CD you can't live without this summer. I'll accept comments through Friday at midnight, and will post the winner Saturday morning.

The Thinker's Meme

Have you seen that meme circulating the Internet, cleverly disguised as an award? It's the Thinking Blogger Award, and I decided to accept it like an award rather than a meme because, I'm a glass-half-full kind of woman. I've never even been nominated for a blogging award, never mind won it. So when Christine at the The Bean Blog awarded me, I even shed a tear. I know! Shut up!


I like this meme because it's another way for blogger's to spread some link love, and that's never a bad thing in my book. Three bloggers have tagged me, each with their own different take on this meme.

• Christine at The Bean Blog chose five bloggers from her blogroll.
  
• Jill at Single Mom in the City awarded me for a post about my miscarriage called I Remember You.
  
• Liz at This Full House, ever the overachiever and rule-breaker, awarded her entire blogroll, saying five words about each blogger.
  
• (Maggie at Pocket Change did a similar meme, the "you-you," which I think morphed from the Thinking Blogger Award. Either way, it was great fun. If I had a smaller, more up-to-date blogroll, I'd try it. Thanks, Maggie!)

All three Thinking Blogger awarders said extremely kind things about the awardees, and I feel honored to have been tagged. I'm also happy to spread the link love. Here are the official rules for the Thinking Blogger Award meme:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
   
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.


3. Optional: proudly display the “Thinking Blogger Award” with a link to the post
   that you wrote.

I awarded seven people, not five. Since I got tagged three times, I gave myself two extras to give out. So without further ado, I'm giving the Thinking Blogger alien dude to:

• Mary at Mom Writes. Mary is a fantastic writer, and real go getter. She's always challenging herself, taking her kids on adventures and throwing parties and going for long runs, all things I aspire to. I always feel uplifted after reading Mary, even (or, especially) when she shares her struggles.
  


• Philip at The Blue Sloth. Philip stays home with three kids and still manages to do things like "open up the boat for the season" and "build a sky garden," while I sometimes struggle to simply cook dinner. He'll probably email me after he sees this with tips on how to get dinner done, urging me to be creative to accomplish my goal. That's one thing I love about him.
  


• Amanda at Mandajuice. Amanda at first glance may be "just a mommy blogger" as she's described herself more than once. However, the folks at Club Mom, at Disney (holy crap, Disney!), and at Wonder Mom disagree. She's a kick ass blogger who generously shares her life with her readers, and who has me thinking, How do I get a piece of that paid blogger action??
  


• Jo(e) at Writing as Jo(e). When I read Jo(e)'s blog, I want to climb into my monitor and go hang out on her couch. Or be a student in the college class she teaches. I think my blood pressure goes down when I read her prose and look at her pictures. She reminds me to slow down, and to take joy in the simple things. And she makes me want to move to the middle of nowhere.
  
  
• Angela at AngelaGilesKlocke.com. I've been reading Angela for years. I downloaded a book of hers about parenting and writing before I even knew what a blog was. She has an amazing life story yet she's still merely a spring chicken with everything to look forward to. Her talents in writing and photography come through loud and clear on her blog, as does her ability to inspire others with her story and with her drive to achieve her own dreams.
  
  
• Dani at Postcards From the Mothership. Dani's one prolific blogger. She shares all the usual ups and downs that come with being a working mom of two boys (expecting number three!). In between she also broaches interesting and unexpected topics. There's always a good discussion going on at her blog, which is one reason why I rarely miss a day.
  


• Sheryl at Paper Napkin. Sheryl's awesome. What can I say about her? She's always doing something unique on her blog, inventing memes such as the purse party and "a day in the life," and I always play along. She's also a designer who's created some fun and unique blog banners. Her writing blows me away. I follow Sheryl around the internet like an annoying little puppy dog, and I'm lucky she hasn't kicked me out from under her feet yet. She's that nice.

So there you have it, the blogs that are my daily reads. Spend some time with any of the above bloggers, and I guarantee they will get you thinking. About what? Well, you never know until you get there. Happy reading!

MotherTalk Blog Tour: The No-Cry Discipline Solution

This post is part of a MotherTalk blog tour. For links to other posts about this book, click here.

Let me admit upfront that when it comes to discipline, I haven't got it figured out yet. For example, I bitched at my 5-year-old while writing this post. I'll spare you further confessional details and just say that, if someone were passing out grades for disciplining kids, at this point, I'd probably get about a C+.

It's not that I haven't read a lot of parenting books. I have, to the point of being a bit burnt out by the topic. However, I have to persevere, because I've got three gremlins to raise, and because things still don't go as smoothly around here as we need them to. Some days, it's hard to get them to cooperate and behave, it's hard to keep my cool, and it's hard to remember that, when it comes to parenting small children, the days are long but the years are short. We stand to lose many potential happy memories if my husband and I don't find more effective discipline methods, and soon.

Enter Elizabeth Pantley. I'm suprised that I hadn't hear of her before this. In addition to her latest book, The No-Cry Discipline Solution, she's written a library full of parenting books, serves as president of the parent-education company Better Beginnings, and authors a nationally distributed school newsletter, Parent Tips, which I believe I received from my son's preschool.

As I flipped through The No-Cry Discipline Solution, at first I thought it was 1) geared toward parents of children younger than mine, and 2) giving me the same old pat answers, such as "give choices." However, as I dug deeper, I realized that Pantley has packed a ton of information into this book, information that I can certainly apply to my five- and seven-year-old boys.

I like that Pantley emphasizes coaching and teaching children, with lots of nurturing and empathy thrown in. I like, too, that she doesn't give just one "magic" answer for the most vexing parenting problems. She gives many different strategies for dealing with just about any problem you'll face while raising kids, in most cases telling you exactly what to do and what words to say. She gives so many options that I was grateful to see a "reminder page" at the end of each chapter, kind of cheat sheet, with all of her advice from that chapter in one easy-to-scan list.

During the seven years that I've been a parent, I've heard a lot of summations about what discipline involves. One I heard at a recent MOPs meeting I attended was 1) teach, 2) train, 3) correct. However, I like Pantley's definition of the four parts of discipline even better:

1. Correct immediate behavior
2. Teach a lesson
3. Give tools to build self-discipline and emotional control.
4. Build the relationship

She follows this up with many examples of how to put the four steps into action. The chapter, "Discipline and Cooperation, Choose Your Adventure," was very helpful, with many strategies for getting kids to go with the flow. Thanks to Pantley's advice, Ava's diaper changes now feature a diaper puppet show, and I've been practicing my "when/then, now/later, you may/after" phrasing with all three kids.

Everyone's heard of creating family rules. I've flirted with doing that for a while but I was stuck. Pantley's gotten me unstuck by advising me to write down my 10 most troublesome discipline problems and building a list of 10 clear and concise rules from them on a poster board decorated with fun stickers. I also can't wait to try Pantley's "quiet bunny" approach to teaching my kids deep breathing and relaxation.

If I had to pick a favorite part of the book, it would be the section "Planning Ahead, Looking Ahead: Your Child as a Teenager." It features a four-page chart of typical (mis) behaviors of kids and teens, then for each, it gives the preferred behavior and how to help your child develop that preferred behavior. The best part? The "how to help" column is broken down by age (toddler, preschooler, child -- hey, I've got one of each!), with advice specific to that stage. The advice has been enlightening for me, as I often confuse myself as I attempt to discipline my preschooler and first-grader for similar infractions.

There's also a large section that addresses us, the parents, directly. In it, Pantley looks at anger from all angles, why it starts, how to avoid it, and how to back out of the room like a turtle into its shell when emotions boil over. She disects and refutes the "common mistaken beliefs and negative thoughts that cause angry emotions to spiral out of control," including "my child misbehaves just to spite me," "my child listens to me only when I get angry," and "my angry outbursts create permanent damange in our relationship," in which she gives parents a pat on the back and assures us that kids are resilient. I think anyone who struggles -- whether once in a while or often -- with yelling at their kids and ending the day with a sense of regret or frustration will gain a lot from reading this section. I know I did.

In one part, Pantley addresses the familiar parental refrain, "I shouldn't have to repeat myself over and over again on the same issue!!" (Exclamation points mine.) "Actually, adults still engage in this rule-testing behavior," Pantley reminds us. "Do you always obey the speed limit? No? According to some studies, almost 70 percent of driveers admit to speeding over the posted limit."

The last part of the book, "Specific Solutions for Everyday Problems," offers nearly 100 pages of detailed advice tailored to the specific behaviors that can push even the most patient parent over the edge. It even includes a section on other people's undisciplined children! Pantley seems to have thought of everything.

Anyone looking for advice on discipline will do well with The No-Cry Discipline Solution. I've been there/done that with many parenting books, but I do feel like I've found a valuable resource in this book. It will have a prominent home by my computer in the family room, and I plan to refer to it often. In addition, I'll get an Amazon credit for writing this review, and I plan to spend it on another of Pantley's books: Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging and Pleading and Get Kids to Cooperate. Like I said, when it comes to disciplining my kids, I've grown and improved a lot over the years, but I know I have more to learn. Pantley seems like just the right person to teach me.

Boy Logic

The other day, I heard my five year old screaming frantically in the basement play room. As I went down the stairs, his words became clear.

"Ben's peeing in my shoe!"

Rather than walking ALL THE WAY upstairs to use the toilet, like a civilized person, my seven year old had stepped outside to pee in the grass. When he saw John's sneaker, which had been left out in the rain, he something more. He saw opportunity. He decided to... fill it up, much to John's horror.

After I explained that the sneaker may be ruined and that was gross and we use toilets, I stopped ranting for a minute and asked him to explain himself.

He shrugged and rolled his eyes as he said, "Mom. The sneaker was already wet."

I had a similar moment with John in the bathroom the next day. I walked in to find a continuous sheet of paper towels lining the entire floor, culminating in a heap at John's feet as he sat on the toilet, peering at me through the paper towel roll.

"John," I said, annoyed. "What did you DO? WHY did you do this?"

To which he replied, in his sweetest voice, "I just wanted to make a telescope, Mom."

In case your wondering, both boys got off without further disciplinary action. As for the sneaker, I washed it three times and it still smelled like pee. So I sprayed it with some Smells Be Gone and now it seems fine. The paper towel roll didn't entertain John for long. I found it in the trash 20 minutes later. However, two days later, I still have a giant heap of paper towels sitting on my kitchen counter.

My Wisdom for Today

To my husband: When you buy your wife a (small) bar of chocolate for your wedding anniversary, she will end up spending $200 at Target the very next day. So the budgeting doesn't really work out in your favor.

To the random guy at Target: If a toddler has 20 flowers and 12 butterflies on her clothing, she is a girl, despite all evidence (a lack of long hair and a husky voice) to the contrary.

You're welcome.

A Belated Winner

Sorry I'm late revealing the winner to my book giveaway. I'd like to say I was off at the beach or lounging in my backyard slurping a frosty drink through a straw, but alas, I'm on deadline. Again. Hopefully this will be my last project for the summer.

Also, it was my 14th wedding anniversary yesterday. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything except that it's another excuse for being late. After all, there was laundry and dishes to do and meals to cook and baseball games to attend and ... Wait a minute. Oh yeah, we did exchange cards at about 11:30 last night, before lapsing into comas. It was a romantic 30 seconds.

Thanks for all of your great suggestions for funny stuff. The book and TV show recommendations will be great for a summer of snorting ice tea through my nose. OK, hopefully not though my nose, but you know what I mean. Thank you. I'll keep you posted re: laughing's effect on weight loss.

And without further ado, the winner of Jacquelyn Mitchard's The Rest of Us , chosen by random drawing, is Tina! Congratulations, and please send your address to clouth@gmail.com so I can mail you the book.

Thanks to all who played along!

Still a Rookie, After All These Years

I'm over at DotMoms today. Please click the link below to read this post. Have a great Saturday!

My son, Ben, recently turned 7. Standing in the kitchen the morning before his birthday, he said, "Mom, I used to call you Mama, but now I call you Mom."

A Perfect Post

Blogging's funny. Last night, I clicked over to one of my favorite blogs, noticed her new design, then noticed .... she'd taken me off her blogroll. I was sad. Was the sadness out of proportion? Probably. But what could I do? Feelings aren't always logical.

And then, the kind and wonderfully talented Lindsey, cofounder of the Perfect Post Awards, appeared in my inbox with great news. She's awarded me a perfect post award for All Gone, which I wrote the week I stopped breastfeeding my toddler, Ava.

And now I'm happy. Is my happiness out of proportion? I don't think so. In fact, I think that's the whole purpose behind the Perfect Post Awards, to spread warm fuzzies. Thank you so much Lindsey! I'm truly honored.

~~~~

I've never awarded a perfect post award before, but I think it's high time I did. A few weeks ago, while reading one of my favorite bloggers, State of Grace, I found myself incredibly moved. I'm trying to find the words to describe her post, Forgiveness Where It Belongs, but I'm struggling. As I read it, I could feel these powerful emotions washing over me, and it felt good. Damn good. And since then, I've gone back and read that post a few more times. Today, I'm going to print it out and put it in a place where I'll come across it from time to time, so I can remind myself to take her advice.

Congratulations, Grace. And thank you for your wise words.