Movie rave

Tonight Larry and I watched Lars and the Real Girl. The premise is that a man (Ryan Gosling) has a girlfriend that is a blow-up doll. Sounds weird, right? Well, it is quirky, but it is also really sweet, funny and well done! It's a much more poignant little movie than I was expecting, but I really loved it! I recommend it!

We're back!

...and I'm feeling a littler overwhelmed. I feel like I have so much I need to update here, so for now I'll just make a list of what's to come, and then I'll update with posts over the next few days.

Future posts will include:

-Sara's six-month update
-Our Germany trip
-Book and movie reviews
-My birthday
-Mother's Day

I *think* that's all.

Book and movie reviews

I might as well get this one out of the way as it requires no photos.

While on my trip I read The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Hmm. I enjoyed it, but not to the point of recommending it. It's too heavy to be a good mindless read, but not complex enough to be a great read. At the risk of sounding like Randy Jackson, for me it was just kind of okay.

I'm now reading The Shadow of the Wind. I'm really loving it so far, but I'm wondering if its melodrama and/or whimsy are going to start to wear on me after a while.

Movies... On the plane to Germany I saw August Rush. This was a very sweet little movie. It's not realistic, but it's not supposed to be. I liked it. On the way home I watched Grace is Gone with John Cusack. It was a very well-acted, slow-paced movie. It's depressing and not quite entertaining, but at the same time I'm glad I watched it. It's about a father finding out his wife has died in Iraq and how he deals with the first few days after. I also watched 27 Dresses. It was entertaining, but I'd say at best it's a rental. My life would have been just fine if I'd never seen this movie. :)

Into the Wild

Larry and I just finished watching Into the Wild. You know, I read the book almost eight years ago, when Larry and I were engaged and he was living in the apartment in Huntington Beach. I remember that we watched an Imax movie about an Everest expedition, and thereafter I promptly read Into thin Air. I loved it so much that, upon my sister Susi's recommendation, I quickly followed with Into the Wild. Honestly, the book haunted me for a long, long time.

Tonight, the film haunts me in the same way. There's something incredibly eerie about it, but it's also heartbreaking: the idealism, the naivete, the loss. The movie is painfully beautiful.

So much to update!

Happy Easter!

I have much to write about, but let's start with the big stuff.

Today was Sara's first Easter. We took her to church this morning, and she loved the music from the contemporary service, although her daddy prefers the more traditional organ to the guitar and drums. After that we went to Tanja and Eric's for a barbecue. It was a lovely day, though Baby Girl was quite fussy--and not because of the bunny ears! She was showered with gifts by family and the Easter bunny. She is a very blessed little girl!


I got a haircut. I know there's kind of a stereotype about becoming a mommy and cutting your hair, but the truth is that it is still falling out like crazy thanks to the postpartum hormonal crash. Larry said he was okay with me cutting it as long as I didn't get a "mom" haircut. I think he meant something like this:


I vowed not to get the "mom" cut, so Larry gave me his blessing. It looks pretty flat from the front here

but here's a side shot that shows more of the cut:


I think I'm going to like it once I get used to it and it gets a little more shaggy.

We've seen a few movies lately.

1. American Gangster. This was a good one. Denzel Washington is always good, and it was an interesting story and very well-made.
2. Superman Returns. It was just okay for me. I am not the intended audience for this genre, but even a comic movie enthusiastic like Larry didn't *love* it. The pace was kind of slow at first, and it didn't really distinguish itself from other movies of its type.
3. Blades of Glory. After a day where Sajo spent more time whining/fussing than anything else, I just wanted to have some mindless laughter, and this movie provided it. It was ridiculously stupid...but in a good way.
   

California chicken rolls and random movie notes

I usually try a new recipe out about once a week. I keep intending to post about the recipe on here, but it hasn't happened yet despite some successes (like crock pot chicken and dumplings) and some failures (like vegetarian chili out of a cookbook). Since Larry liked tonight's dinner so well, though, I'll use the opportunity to make my first recipe posting.

California Chicken Rolls
Mix together 10 oz thawed chopped frozen spinach, 4 oz blue cheese, and 3 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes. Spread onto thinly pounded chicken breasts. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Cook in skillet until golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Source: Healthy Meals in Minutes (some mail-order cards I bought in the months before we got married!)

This was quick, yummy, and fancy-looking. ;) Thumbs up!

Movie notes: This week we've watched Michael Clayton and Blood Diamond. Both are worth seeing. Michael Clayton is just really well done--very smooth. Blood Diamond has some cheesy moments, but overall it's good. It made me stop and wonder about where my diamond might have come from.

Baby Girl update and random movie note

Sara is doing better. Last night she didn't wake herself up coughing, so that was a first in a while. :) She's on the mend and we'll be phasing out the breathing treatments.

In completely unrelated news, Larry and I saw two movies this weekend: Juno and No Country for Old Men. Juno was very charming and definitely a "feel good" movie. No Country was well-made, but I don't know if I necessarily *liked* it. Thanks to the grandparents for their outstanding job babysitting so Larry and I could go out!