No Surgery Yet

Due to Archie heading off to Boise for two weeks for work we decided it was better if we put off Gabe's surgery till Archie would be able to be around. So not til October. I was getting pretty nervous about having to take care of him with all his post-surgery needs without Archie around so I'm glad we decided to do so.

Gabe is really growing now...he's sitting up all by himself now and hardly ever tips over, but we have plenty of pillows and blankies surrounding him just in case. He's also got his two bottom teeth coming up and they are just so cute! I've been trying to get some pics of them, but to no avail...hopefully, soon!

Everything Austen Challenge: Book Review: The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy:

Pride and Prejudice retold through the eyes of Mr. Darcy. I love seeing what other authors will do when it comes to Mr. Darcy.

The beginning was a bit slow and Darcy was pretty boring and broodish and arrogant. But by the middle it was starting to get pretty good. I liked hearing his thoughts, but I thought she rushed the book a bit and left out details I would have liked to known. She just gave brief summaries of what he was doing when he wasn't with Elizabeth...so I would've liked to have seen and heard and experienced what he was doing. That's why I really enjoyed the Fitzwilliam Darcy Gentleman Series by Pamela Aidan.

It was a quick read and fun, overall.

Everything Austen Challenge: Movie Review: Clueless

Clueless, Grade: A-

When this movie first came out I was in high school and boy did it resonate with me (not that I was rich, etc...!), but the idea of becoming someone better, especially at the adolescent stage of life, just resonated with me. I didn't have any idea that it was based on Jane Austen's Emma til much later! So this movie has always been a little close to my heart!

Cher is a rich fifteen-year-old in LA, who's rich and popular and totally clueless! Just like her Emma counter part, Cher feels she is the queen of her domain and uses her charms to convince her teachers to give her better grades and ends up bringing two of her teachers together! Soon a new girl Tai moves in from the wrong side of town and Cher decides to befriend her and give her a makeover. And then there's her Mr. Knightley, Josh, who happens to be her ex-stepbrother. Will Cher get a clue or remain clueless???

This is a great modern adaptation of Emma, but more than anything it's just a great movie!

Wolfy, Boog, and Origami

Here are some pics of the Boog this last week. Archie started juggling all of his toys and he just thought that was so funny!

Archie actually made an origami crane out of a Dove chocolate wrapper!

Boog in his baseball shirt supporting me in my softball loss!

Wolfy hiding in Archie's shirt! So cute!

Here's a little video of Boog giggling like crazy while his Daddy juggles his toys!

Sunday Samplings: My Scariest Dream

My dreams are never very life-like. I'm usually flying like Superman or meeting celebrities, etc. It's the real life dreams that really are quite frightening and I don't have too many of these, thank goodness.

The scariest dream I ever had was about six months into my marriage. I dreamed that Archie was walking down the street with his Aunt Jean and his mother at night. You know one of those dark alley type situations. And he got mugged and knifed. He was rushed to the hospital and there was nothing I could do. I just had to watch and do nothing. I woke up crying my eyes out. It was the most vivid dream I have ever had, even to this date. It's definitely not anything I want to experience again. But I'll probably inevitably have one about Boog one day that will make wake up bawling...I just am not looking forward to that day. Oh, the stuff of dreams. Thank goodness I don't have a psychic gift with dreams!!

Everything Austen Challenge: Movie Review: Pride and Prejudice (1980 &1940)

Pride and Prejudice (1980), Grade: C-

Let's just say I'm very grateful for the 1995 version and the 2005 version. This one was boring and I didn't like Darcy at all or Lizzy for that matter. I kind of hoped they wouldn't get together in the end. I guess if you're a purist this may be worth one view, but I really could have missed this one.

Pride and Prejudice (1940), Grade: B-

This one was short and sweet and they had a few changes to the story so that made it fun! Definitely worth one view. I definitely didn't get the feel that it was Regency England. The costumes were all wrong. I felt like it was taking place in the Civil War south of America! I was expecting Scarlet O'Hara to pop around the corner at any time with her 'fiddle-dee-dees.' The acting is a bit cheesy, but overall it was a fun adaptation!

Everything Austen Challenge: Movie Review: Bride and Prejudice

Bride and Prejudice, Grade: A-

When this first came out I wasn't too sure about it...so I never saw it, but then I read someone else's review on this for the Everything Austen Challenge and I decided to give it a try! I'm sure glad that I did. It was smart, funny, and intelligent. I'm also a sucker for musicals...so that might throw some people off since they do spontaneously break out into song and dance throughout the show!

I loved the story retold through the Indian culture! Darcy was still conceited, "Caroline Bingley" vain and vapid, and "Lizzy" still as smart and witty as ever!

In this version Darcy is American and his family is really rich due to being in the hotel business and comes out with his friend "Bingley" and Bingley's sister (not the names in the movie) to attend a wedding. We meet "Mr. Collins" who is trying to break with his Indian roots and be "American." Darcy's mother wants to exploit India for her hotel business and looks down on "Lizzy" for being a "native." "Mr. Wickham" is also quite more devious in this one.
The costumes are beautiful as well as the cinematography. This director is also the director of Bend it Like Beckham, which is also a wonderful film. I highly recommend this adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice!