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The Brave Little Tailor: I actually saw this show at the end of July and forgot to list it last month! It was performed by kids at a local community theater. It is the first show my own children performed in. I had really wanted my daughter to be in it, just for old times’ sake. While she was unable to, we both enjoyed the show. It was a HIT for us.

The Mousetrap: As this is the first play my husband was in, I wanted our kids to see it. We all enjoyed the adaptation we saw. I thought it was weird the way they played up the humor, making it a much less intense show, but that made it more family friendly in a way. The audience laughed a lot throughout the show. Although I did not remember the humor in it, I still rate it as a HIT.

Night at the Museum 2: It seemed as if this show tried a little too hard to be funny/silly for little kids. There were some pretty insipid parts. But I did find myself laughing out loud a couple of times. I thought the girl who played Amelia Earhart did a great job (maybe better than the actress who played her in the recent movie!) I did enjoy watching the show with my daughter. I would rate it as neither a HIT nor a MISS.

Catch Me If You Can: I have seen this show a number of times, mostly on tv. Since my daughter had not seen it, I agreed to rent it and let her see it. She was fascinated by the “smarts” Frank Abagnale Jr had in outsmarting, well, everyone. While I did not like seeing the sex scenes with my daughter, we just fast forwarded through them, and enjoyed the rest of the show. I am glad it ends with Abagnale’s turn around to help the FBI and designing secure checks. This show is still a HIT with me. I really need to find the book!

Endurance News (July): This publication put out by Hammer Nutrition has some interesting articles and good education, though much of it is “advertising” for their products. As I already use the products, it’s ok. The magazine was all right, being neither a HIT nor a MISS for me.

Reader’s Digest (June): While I don’t read every article of this magazine, I always enjoy what I read from it and always learn something. Even though I am no longer a subscriber, this magazine is still a HIT with me.

“Words of Delight”: The Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken: While interested in the subject I was prepared for this paper to be boring. But instead I found myself engaged in the subject and able to understand most of it! I learned some interesting approaches and thought there was some good insight as well. While not a HIT in one sense of the word, I will still rate it so for me and the purpose for which I was reading.

Some Suggestions for Teaching the Bible as Literature by Alicia D. Lloyd: This piece also falls under the same idea as the previous one. I will rate it as a HIT in that sense as well.

Fear of Ducks: We went to see a comedy theater act that we have not seen in a while. It is one we have enjoyed for years and they will be retiring in the spring. While we have seen this show before, we stilled had lots of laughs and enjoyed how they have updated and kept it current. We love how they “make fun” of the city and the personalities in it.

Tomorrow is a big family surprise. My daughter and my oldest nephew have been working all summer on a special surprise for the whole family. And tomorrow will be the culmination of all the hard work. I hope it all goes over well for them! I know everyone will love it!

There are some words and phrases that just grate on me when they are said or spelled wrong. One of the biggest irritants for me is when somebody says “Calvary” when what they actually mean is “cavalry”. So when I came across this list to help people say what they mean and mean what they say, I was happy to help spread the word(s)!

My son has always been a verbal kid. He has always loved to read and converse and express his own ideas. And he is a pretty good writer too.  For the last three years he has been contributing articles to a community newsletter with a pretty wide distribution. So when he asked me for some way to make money I told him he could take a few of the blog ads I had been assigned. He jumped right on that, figuring that writing fifty words for a few bucks was an easy job! You can read his work in the previous post.

As summer winds down and kids go back to school, many people look to this time of late summer/early fall as the perfect vacation time. It seems like this could be an ideal time to travel abroad and take in all the sights and sounds with less of the crowds. While perusing some of the villas to rent I just can’t help but imagine what it would be like to take a stay in Spain, Italy, France or Croatia. I saw that there are over 7,000 last minute villa offers within the next 2 weeks! A European holiday would be a delightful way to end the summer!

Toy Story 3: We decided as a family to go see the newest edition of the Disney “trilogy”. I was not sure I wanted to see it and sort of “blew it off” when my son’s girlfriend’s mother told me I was going to cry. *Spoiler Warning* When I found out that Andy is 17 and getting ready for college and is figuring out what to do with all his toys, I knew I was going to be a lost cause! I teared up at the trash incinerator scene but cried all out when Andy gives his toys to Bonnie and sits and plays with them one last time on his way to college. In spite of the innuendos between Ken and Barbie, this one was a HIT for me.

Murder on the Orient Express: We watched the PBS Mystery Masterpiece version. While I like the book, I have to say that I was not too impressed with the film. It was a bit hard to follow and I even dozed off for a bit. I had forgotten about the ending, so while still liking the story, I think I have to say this film was a MISS for me.

Inception: WOW! Good movie. Our whole family votes this one as a HIT! Lots to think about and good conversations afterward.

Despicable Me: so-so. While I enjoyed the family time together and had no real complaints about this one (though I probably wouldn’t want to take little kids to see it) I will say it’s neither a HIT nor a MISS. (Just be aware that they are charging more per ticket if you choose to see it in 3D!)

USA Triathlon Life Summer Issue: While I did not read every article, I enjoyed the ones I did read. I learned some running mechanics for when I can get back to the running. I also enjoyed looking at all the upcoming races, wishing I could do one or two of them! This issue was a HIT for me.

I have always been a proponent of educational toys. And I think there are toys that can be educational in many forms and for all ages. I have seen toys that help with math skills, logic and creative thinking skills, reading skills and ones that foster musical talent . Every time I saw a toy that I knew my kids would like and that I also felt had great educational value and benefits, I would consider it an investment. And there were games that we all enjoyed playing together.

We have found board games, word games, musical games and even computer and video games that fall into this category. I love the ones that include interaction with others, like the board games. Some video games can be multiplayer, making them beneficial in that area as well. Anytime a child can play to help concrete something in his/her mind, it is a way to learn lessons without the pain and frustration that can sometimes build up when learning new and difficult concepts. I know that when my kids were young, if they were having a hard time with a new math concept, we would play games that related to that to help embed ideas into their brains. These kinds of educational games and toys can also help them learn and understand abstract concepts.

Have you seen the show Punk’d? I guess it is a sort of 21st Century Candid Camera where (usually well known) folks are set up to have practical jokes played on them. My kids like to watch it sometimes and earlier this year were caught up in all out prank war. So when my son left the country this summer, his sister had the grand idea to “pink” his room. She made a sign for his door that said “You’ve been punk’d pink’d”. Then she proceeded to use pink sheets on his bed and couch. She hung pink streamers and balloons from the ceiling. She decorated with all kinds of pink accessories, from stuffed animals to clothes to wrapping paper. Then she filled the floor with pink balloons. All in time for her brother’s homecoming. He loved the joke! I’ll post pictures on another blog soon.

My husband and I had a nice little vacation last week, just the two of us. It was a much needed get away. Today, when I came across the website for a Costa Rica resort, I wanted to take a look. As the site began loading its gorgeous photographs, my husband walked in. He took one look and asked if I was planning our next trip!

The Florblanca looks like a lovely destination. The photos of the sea and surrounding beaches look truly inviting. The villas look like a place I would never want to leave! The open area overlooking the jungle hosts a two person hammock just right for relaxing together and enjoying the sights and sounds. The bathroom looks like an amazing garden area. The Honeymoon House offers personal beach access and a complete kitchen. Rates start at $350 and the current special states when staying four nights, the fifth night is free.

Activities include lovely beaches, walking and jogging trails, cycling, yoga, fishing, swimming pool and what looks like the ultimate in luxurious relaxation. Though I did not see it listed, it looks like it would be a gorgeous place for scuba diving as well.

It seems that you can do just about anything with duct tape. Our neighbor even used duct tape as a border in his room. When my daughter saw that, she had to give it a try, of course using different colors. So for her birthday she got three colors of duct tape-black, lime green and turquoise. She has used these as a border around the top of her walls as well as to cover her closet door in a diagonal direction. It looks pretty cool! While several folks told us it might stick to the sheetrock and be hard to remove, we have found just the opposite to be true. The tape began coming down within a month. She has now gone back to add wallpaper glue to the back of the tape to help it stay attached to the walls.