A New Addition

The plan was to drop Mallorie off at the airport, run an errand and be home by dinner. Her Continental flight was delayed a couple of hours, so Cade and I thought we'd park in the rental car drop off lot to wait for her flight to depart. Unfortuntely there were no empty spots, so I decided to go ahead a run my errand. We were in and out of the store within 5 minutes and still Mallorie's flight was delayed. I didn't want to leave Greensboro, in case her flight was cancelled. As we drove by Bridford Parkway, I had an idea.

"Cade, would you like to go to the animal shelter and visit the dogs?"

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, and as he yelled an emphatic "YES!" I realized what a tricky undertaking this would be. Cade has been wanting a dog for a couple of months. I politely and firmly told him we were only visiting, simply killing time until Mallorie's flight departed.

We laughed at some of the cats - those that sat on top of each other and the kittens that played around their sleeping bedmate. We then moved to the dogs. We stopped at each cage, read the name of the dog(s) and the breed. We got through the first house and Cade was doing very well. We did the same in the second house and just as we started down the last row, Cade became enamored. The dog's name was Ned. He was 2, a mix of Siberian Husky/Terrier/Pitbull, and had been at the shelter since July. Cade asked if we could walk Ned. I was initially hesitant; a mixture of pitbull is still a pitbull, but Ned was sitting just as calm as you please. I also noticed he was a sponsored dog, and sponsored dogs don't have much time. He hadn't been walked yet, so I agreed. A volunteer helped us leash Ned and outside the 3 of us went.

I noticed immediately that as we walked down the aisle, even though dogs were jumping and barking, Ned never stopped, never barked. He let Cade lead him out.

As we stepped into an empty lot, two other volunteers noticed us. "Are you considering adopting him?" they queried. Before I could shake my head no, they went on to tell us what a great dog Ned was. "Very gentle, very loving." "He'll lay his head in your lap and soak up affection." I watched as Cade threw a ball. Ned retrieved it and let Cade chase him a bit. He never jumped up on Cade and did come up so Cade could pat him. And even though other dogs were rough-housing near by, Ned didn't care. After 20 minutes of outside play, Ned allowed Cade to leash him and we returned to his cage.

To Cade's credit, he never said a word. He didn't have to. He looked up at me and I saw it in his big brown eyes. A boy had definitely found his dog. Fortunately, I was as impressed with Ned.

Thirty minutes and $70 later Cade, Ned and I headed home. On the drive Cade admitted he didn't exactly love the name Ned, so Cade and I started discussing alternate names. Snowy, Whitey, Salem, Cherokee. Cade suggested Commander. I liked it. And Ned became Commander.

Oh, and Mallorie's flight did eventually depart.

Zombie!

I warned her of the dangers of working Evil Dead: The Musical.

She obviously didn't listen...

An Afternoon At The Movies

Mallorie and I really wanted to see this on opening day, but my work schedule interfered. So, we caught the show this afternoon.

We had a great time singing along with our favorite Glee songs "Raise Your Glass," "Jessie's Girl," "Loser Like Me," and "Somebody To Love." Our favorite part of the entire movie was after the credits and the Mini Warbler. He is too cute for words; Mallorie and I laughed until we cried.

We were so inspired by the concert that we decided to finish watching all the Season 2 episodes that we hadn't watched since April.

We are Gleeks and proud of it!

An Afternoon At The Movies

While I grew up in the Smurf era, I didn't really get into the cartoons. Still, I did own a few of the figurines and used the "smurf" language for a time. That a Smurf movie was coming out did nothing for me. That it was offered in 3D did not impress me. That it was a live actin movie set in NYC and starring Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays had me putting it on my "must see" list. Mallorie is a fellow NPH and Jayma Mays fan so she was willing to go. Cade decided to go based on a few TV commercials.

All in all it was an enjoyable movie and we had a good time.

Super Excited!

Mallorie and I are going to see them tonight!!!

Very Proud

Happy Birthday, Mallorie

(Yes, that's a dragon cake. )

Tonight's Feature

The play came to my attention in 2006 when Cynthia Nixon won a Tony for the role of Becca. I read the play shortly thereafter and immediately fell in love with it. I wish I could say the same about this movie.

I'm baffled over why John Cameron Mitchell chose to set particularly intimate scenes in public venues. A bowling alley? A cold, dank basement? A public park? I mean, really??? Mallorie also felt those scenes lost their power in the wide open spaces.

I'm still trying to decide if I liked Nicole Kidman's portrayal. I did like Aaron Eckhart as Howie and I thought Miles Teller was spot-on as Jason. I thought it was unfortunate that Nat's (Dianne Wiest) and Izzy's (Tammy Blanchard) roles were so watered down in the movie. Maggie Gallagher and Laurel Ullman, who played these wonderful roles in Theatre Alliance's staged reading were soooo much better.

My Mother's Day

I had a very nice Mother's Day. Cade made a colorful card for me, as well as a decorative cup. Mallorie gave me some much needed Bath and Body Works lotion in one of my favorite fragrances. And all chipped in for an absolutely stunning Pandora bracelet.



I also received a FB message yesterday that really made my heart smile.

So, yes, I had a very nice Mother's Day.

Last Night's Feature

As soon as Mallorie got home from spotlighting WSTA's Alice In Wonderland we popped in the DVD. We both knew it was a twist on the traditional vampire story, however neither of us were expecting it to be so gory. Aside from the CG scenes, the FX were disgustingly good.

It really was a sweet coming-of-age love story, and both child actors were remarkable. Richard Jenkins was absolutely amazing. A particular moment between him and Abby had me initially reeling from inappropriateness, but then had me pining from such tenderness.

Last Night's Feature

After delivery of an all-better laptop, last minute laundry, pre-packing, a mad dash to Kohl's to get an electronic tag removed, Chris, Mallorie and I finally sat down to watch the DVD.

The storyline is one you've seen a million and one times before, and the story itself is fairly ho-hum. What really made this movie highly enjoyable were:

1.| Jake Gyllenhaal - NAKED. Man, oh man! The boy has a rockin body to equal his rugged good looks. Like a kid in a candy store I couldn't help but drool and squeal with delight during each of his fleshy scenes. Mmm hmm.

2.| Anne Hathaway. She is absolutely beautiful. Expressive eyes, pouty lips, and gorgeous hair.

3.| Josh Gad. Hi.LAR.i.ous

Ten Second Theatre

I absolutely love that Cade is so creative, and it warms my heart that he is following in my theatrical footsteps. He likes to write and perform his own plays. After writing his script he talked Mallorie into originating the role of Guy. Here's his latest 10 second production:

Cade: Hey, do you want to ride bikes?

Guy: What is a bike?

Cade: You know what a bike is.

Guy: Do you think my hair is bad?

Cade: Just shut up, okay?

Guy: You shut up.

Cade: You.

Guy: You.

Cade: Just...bye.

I gave them both a standing ovation!

Tonight's Feature

After some slight begging Mallorie agreed to watch with me. She had to pause the movie a couple of times to ask me to explain what was happening. I had to smile. Her questions indicated a deeper interest from a more mature point of view. She is really starting to think like an adult, instead of a teenager. I'm proud of her.

We both liked the movie, though I wasn't sure if I liked the fact that the lead character wasn't a clear cut good guy/hero.

A Most Wonderful Friday

The morning started early. 5:27 to be exact. The school system called to advise of a 2-hour delay. I waited ten minutes for a return call because I thought for sure it was a mistake. I rolled over, grabbed the TV remote, and tuned in to channel 2. Sure enough, a two-hour delay. I obviously missed the latest weather forecast. I reset my alarm and snuggled in for a few more hours of sleep.

With Cade (finally) off to school I got ready for my day with Mallorie. We were going to head to some places she was interested in applying for jobs. I also had to stop by LabCorp for a pre-employment drug test.

Mallorie and I hit Harris Teeter and Walgreen's. After chatting with the customer service manager in Kmart, it was apparent no one uses paper applications anymore. Mallorie and I decided that we'd spend all day Sunday applying to these places, and others, via their websites. With that we headed to LabCorp. Unfortunately we arrived 10 minutes into their hour lunch, so Mallorie and I hung out in the parking lot until they reopened at 2pm. I was in and done within 10 minutes.

Our next stop was Ham's Restaurant in Kernersville for a late lunch. Mallorie had a burger and I had a turkey sandwich. Both of us had the homemade chips, cooked crispy instead of left floppy. Lunch was very nice outside of a few rock songs played at a higher volume. I was proud of myself for resisting the urge to get a cookie skillet for dessert. After lunch we headed to Greensboro. We had plans to see a show in the Greensboro Fringe Festival.

We arrived early and browsed one of the art galleries in the Cultural Arts Center. We also perused the displayed artwork of some Guilford County elementary students. I can't believe the talent some of these kids have! I was blown away by two works - one from a student in 2nd grade and one in 4th grade. The detail in both pictures was so advanced. I'm envious of such natural talent!

We chatted with Bill and Kathy Cissna as well as Kati Fraizer before the show. The show started at 6pm and was relatively short. Mallorie and I were back home by 8pm.

I know these days will become fewer and further between, so I absolutely treasure these precious mother-daughter days.

Family Movie Night

Mallorie and Cade both wanted to see this movie, so I added it to my Netflix queue. They were very excited when it came in today's mail.

It only took me 10 minutes to dislike the movie. Honestly, I was shocked at the amount of violence. From Max's outbursts and meanness to a cruel dirt clod fight. It was all I could do to sit through the remainder of the movie.

There was one saving grace. When Max decides to leave the island, Carol (voiced by James Gandolifini) is very sad. Cade was very affected during this scene and tried his best to hide the fact that he was crying. Watching him trying to "be brave" made me almost cry. After the movie I was able to have the "it's okay for boys/men to cry" talk.

It's been a very nice Christmas. We've gotten some beautiful snow. Mallorie and I are staying warm and enjoying a repeat of season one of Glee. (As you can see, Lizzie is keeping Mallorie extra warm!)

I am very proud of Mallorie. She starts her first real job tonight, a paying gig! She will be running spotlight for the Greensboro Ballet's production of The Nutcracfker at the Carolina Theatre. I helped her with her resume, but she secured the gig all by herself!

Report Card

Cade brought home his first real report card today:

B in Reading
B in Writing
B in Science
A in Social Studies
C in Mathematics

I'm so proud of Cade! Too, Mallorie deserves a little of the credit. Not only does she pick him up at the busstop, but she helps Cade with his homework every day. She takes this job very seriously. I'm so proud of both their accomplishments.

Art by Me

Well, the art is actually by Cade and is part of a school fundraiser. Everyone draws a picture and the fund raising company will turn it into a magnet, mouse pad, trivet, etc. I've got all of Mallorie's magnets and all of Cade's, except for this year.

Usually the fundraiser package comes home with a "sample" magnet. As happens every year, we forget to return the magnet and end up having to pay the $5.00. This year the company didn't include a sample magnet. Nothing to return and I'm still $5.00 to the good.

Oh, Cade says it's a picture of a bird. A tropical bird, to be exact.

Cade has a "Bones" test today. Let's hope this skeleton he put together (under Mallorie's supervision) will help him pass.