Summer TV Premiers

Anyone that knows me knows that I watch a LOT of TV. I also watch a wide range of TYPES of shows. Here are some of the summer premiers I'm looking forward to...

ROOKIE BLUE 

This show started back last week with it's third season. I've watched the two previous seasons and I love this show. Wikipedia describes the plot as this "... the lives of five rookie cops from 15 Division who have just graduated from the academy. They must learn not only to deal with their duties as police officers, but also deal with the problems and expectation of their families and friends. It has been described as the Grey's Anatomy in the world of rookie cops."

BREAKING POINTE 

This is a new show that starts TONIGHT on the CW - exposing what's it's really like in the competitive world of Ballet. CW says this about the show "It's every little girl's dream to grow up and become a ballerina, but nobody knows what the world of competitive ballet is really about. No one sees the sacrifice and discipline it takes to look perfect for the audience. Nobody knows that in order to advance and get the best roles, dancers have to navigate the complicated social politics inside the company. And, no one sees, when the curtain goes down, the drama that bleeds into the dancers’ private lives…until now." It goes behind the scenes of a real dance company in Salt Lake City called Ballet West.

LONGMIRE

This is a new A&E show that starts on Sunday. Wikipedia says, "The series follows Walt Longmire, as he tries to get back on his feet after struggling with the death of his wife. With the help of his daughter Cady, the new deputy Victoria and his best friend Henry, Walt decides to run for re-election against Branch, a young deputy in the department who also wants the sheriff position of Absaroka County, a fictional county in the State of Wyoming." I've been seeing commercials for this one and it looks like a great new version of Walker Texas Ranger meets Dr Quinn Medicine Woman and all the other current cop shows on TV.

TRUEBLOOD

This one should be pretty self-explanatory  - starting it's fifth season in two Sundays and I can't wait to see what they've got up their sleeves! I've been a long time lover of the books, and I love the show too in it's own respects. My husband and I both love this show! So excited.

SUITS

Going to debut it's second season in just a few short weeks, on June 14th. I look forward to this witty yet to be taken serious show yet again this summer. This was one that my husband and I both loved. It's all about this kid, Mike who gets hired on at a firm not having even attended law school and his boss KNOWS it! Can't wait.

Those are some of the MANY that I will be watching this summer. Comment if you want to know more of what I watch. (:

Hunger Games - Book/Movie Comparison (SPOILER ALERT)

You don't want to read this post if you haven't at least read book one of the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins or seen the movie that came out this year.

According to me - these are some of the BIGGEST differences from the book to the movie counterpart. Some good, some bad. Some are indifferent which means I liked both ways that the story was told.

If you are still reading and want the spoilers - Hunger Games is a story written in the perspective of a girl who's determined to win the prize but gets hung up on her anger and trust issues. Getting out of her head was the best way to tell her story on the big screen, but doing so meant that a lot of useful information was lost in translation.

Most of the differences work out in the films favor and director Gary Ross did a fantastic job using Katniss's flashbacks, a reality tv side plot, and moments from The Capitol to tell the story the best way possible.

These are the biggest differences I noticed during my time in the theater - feel free to comment and tell me some of the other things that caught your eye.

When the movie begins, we get an overview of the games and see an interview highlighting Seneca Crane's work on the 74th Hunger Games. This helps us perceive the world outside of Katniss's thoughts but also introduces the Capitol and some of the key players early on. I thought it was a great way to start and a way to explain to those who hadn't read the book about what was about to happen.

District 12 was just about as drab as I imagined it from the description in the book, but we didn't get to spend much time with Katniss there, nor did we meet any of the other people living there. The Hob was barely shown - Peeta's father, Madge, Gale's family and many others are just absent from the story. I think that without these people, District 12 just became the place where she lived and not the place that she lived to protect. Those relationships were pretty important in her ties to 12.

When Peeta lost time on screen - it became very hard to root for his survival. Of course, he's willing to die for Katniss; he's endearing, artsy and emotional - but the movie lacked in showing his strategic abilities. The book did a much better job of explaining  and balancing his softer side with his intellectual and strategic side.

Katniss was not given the Mockingjay pin as a symbol of her tribute from Madge. Instead she purchases it from the Hob and gives it to Prim before she leaves - instead Prim presses it back on her sister stating that it will protect her. It's a touching moment that will connect and define their relationship in the future as sisters.

Once we reach the arena, Katniss's hardships are drastically condensed. All of her time spent wandering the woods, finding water, acclimating and battling dehydration are completely overlooked and cut out. Not seeing this fight to survive at the very beginning makes it a lot more difficult to understand the scope of the games.

Seneca and Snow scenes were very informative on screen. It gave us a chance to see what Snow is truly capable of and that as long as he's around, nothing will be easy in the districts.

Shots from the arena are intermixed with commentary from Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman. I loved the way the reality tv show with these guys helped explain elements of the game, such as tracker jackers.

Instead of District 11 giving Katniss bread in thanks for Rue, they give her rebellion. This scene was not in the books, of course, but I think that it sets up well what's to happen in the next two books as all the districts turn in rebellion due to Katniss.

Gale's screen time was cut short. I think that this was a bad decision - it could be argued that his part in the story is sub-plot, but without the interactions it's hard to understand just how entwined their lives are in District 12. I think with a little more Gale, his reaction to Katniss and Peeta's kisses would have been easier to understand as well. Then it could be a true love triangle.

Let me know what you think. Did you like the book or the movie better? I choose the BOOK! (:

Dancing Ryan. This cracks me up! *Old Video*

 

This video is from a few months ago. He still dances like this today! 

Inspiration.

Playing with his birthday balloons!

He's officially ONE years old!

Ryan's party went off without a hitch last weekend. We had a great time with all our friends and family that came! Thank you all for the wonderful experience and for the gifts as well! Ryan is going to be best dressed kid and the kid with the most toys at the beach! (:

Here are some photos!

His party was Avengers themed! (:

Eating our smash cake - and you can see our Captain America tattoo! (:

Opening presents - this was our Caterpillar & book from the Bradley's!

He loved this card, he started pulling it apart! (: Thanks Aunt Steph!

He loved his Cozy Coupe car! (:

What kind of parent are you??

As I get further into this parenting thing - I learn from myself, trial and error, and from friends about how to parent. I also learn the same ways about how NOT to parent. I have my own style, mostly based from how my parents raised me. I'm going to use this post, mostly for my own benefit, to talk about the different kinds of parenting styles. Be sure to comment and let me know what you think or about what kind of parent you are! Also, you can read THIS POST for some age appropriate discipline techniques.

Psychologists have determined FOUR different categories for parents over the years. I am going to list some characteristics here and then I'll talk about the category I think that I fit into!

First of all, we have the AUTHORITARIAN parent. This parent sets super strict rules in the household and failure to follow them always results in punishment. Most of these parents fail to have any communication or explanation to the children about the reasons behind the rules. Their go to answer for questions about the rules would probably be "because I said so". These parents have high demands and rarely are responsive to their children. Authoritarian parenting styles generally lead to children who are obedient and proficient, but they rank lower in happiness, social competence and self-esteem.

The second type is the AUTHORITATIVE parent. These parents still have the rules that are expected to be followed, but it's a much more democratic relationship. These parents are willing to listen to and answer questions that the kids may have. They are also more apt to nurture and and forgive than punish kids when rules aren't followed. They are assertive but not very intrusive. Authoritative parenting styles tend to result in children who are happy, capable and successful in life.

The third type is the PERMISSIVE parent. Mostly known as the indulgent parent - little rules and few demands on their kids. These are the parents that have little control and rarely discipline their kids. They have low expectations of maturity and self-control. They are very non-traditional and very lenient when it comes to the kids boundaries. Typically avoiding confrontation, taking the status of a friend and not a parent in the home. Permissive parenting often results in children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation. These children are more likely to experience problems with authority and tend to perform poorly in school, or have learning disabilities due to the lack of learning at home.

The fourth is the worst kind of parent in my opinion. The UNINVOLVED parent. While these parents fulfill the kids basic needs, they are usually detached from their child's life. In the most extreme cases, these are the parents that will reject or neglect the kids needs all together. Uninvolved parenting styles rank lowest across the board. These children tend to lack self-control, have low self-esteem and are less competent than their peers in structured environments.

So, what kind of parent are you?

I'm an Authoritative parent. I can be relaxed on the rules now and then and allow my kid to have his freedom when it comes to some boundaries. But I do have rules and I expect them to be followed in the home and with how he's supposed to act in public. 

I expect my son to behave himself, especially in public. There is only so much I can do to punish him right now which means it's only communication and an occasional pop on his diapered booty. I'm not afraid to spank my son, but it's what I consider a last resort and mostly just to get his attention, not to hurt him or to inflict pain.

I pray that Ryan grows up happy and capable in life. I hope that my authority in the home helps him to deal with a structured life outside of the home. I hope that my efforts here and in his life allow him to grow up being able to follow rules and learn from me how to grow up to be the man that God wants him to be.

First Year - Looking Back

If you haven't read Ryan's birth story and would like to, it can be found here:

 Ryan's Birth Story

Looking back over the past year, many things have changed. Looking over this blog I realize that one of those things was my ability to find time to write! (:

But, I'm back with a vengeance and looking for a fresh start in getting this blog going again! I hope to share many new things from my life - recipes, ideas for going green, things about my life and more. I look forward to gaining and reaching more readers.

To get back to my point of this particular post - my baby boy will be one year old on Sunday. I keep thinking back to the day he was born. I find myself forgetting some of the smaller details and that makes me sad. But then again, I have so many other memories from this past year that stand out more.

Seeing Ryan do things for the first time, watching him learn and his brain develop has been so much fun. I look forward to all the other new things he will do and hopefully say in the future. Currently the only word he says is "up", but I have a feeling that will change soon. He babbles more now than ever and I can't wait to start having conversations with him.

His birthday party is on Saturday, and I hope that he enjoys his day. I am sure I will have stories and pictures to share soon! (:

12 Months - New Pictures!

Walking and trying to talk!

I still can't believe it's been a whole YEAR since I gave birth to this handsome boy! I've done a LOT of living and loving the the past year! I will have a post about that later... for now, just enjoy the photos! Thanks Heater Beauchamp Photography for the amazing job capturing all that is Ryan! (:

First family photo since September!

He's really into the things he finds on the ground!

These boys have my whole heart!

Eating our cupcake - he ate the whole thing!

 

 

I can't believe he's almost ONE!