Room on the Broom: A Review

Aaron's reenactment of Room on the Broom.

This month N Circle Entertainment was super awesome enough to send us the new movie by Julia Donaldson, the author of The Gruffalo!  Room on the Broom is based on another book by Ms. Donaldson and animated by the same creators that did The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child movies.  

I love the animation on these movies!  I think the animation is just perfect.  And the stories themselves are just so simple and sweet that they are great to watch at any age.  

The story is about a happy witch and her cat who are on a journey.  After a series of little mishaps the witch and cat begin to collect friends, much to the annoyance of the cat who wants the witch all to himself.

Through this collection of new friends the witch is being followed by a "fearsome" dragon who wants to eat the witch!  Eventually the new crew learns to work together to save the witch who rewards them with a new fancy-schmancy broom with room for everyone!

This adorable story teaches kids about acceptance, team work and friendship.  It's a wonderful movie and Aaron loved watching it over and over and over again.  (No really, it automatically restarts).  He said his favorite part was when they met the frog!  

If you're looking for a really cute short story for the kiddos, this is the one!  Two thumbs up from us for sure!  

If you're interested in getting Room on the Broom you can purchase a copy at NCircleEntertainment.com, Toys "R" Us and Target now!  SRP is only $9.99!  Get your copy now - you won't regret it!

 

9 months in, 9 months out! The EGH Version.

Elizabeth Grace - 9 months

Elizabeth Grace is 9 months old!  Look at her adorable face!  She is doing so well and is always so happy!  She brings us so much joy.

Elizabeth went for her 9 month check up yesterday and she weighs 23 lbs 2 oz and is 29 3/4 inches long - both are the 100th percentile!!  100% people!  Public Warning: I produce large babies!  I mean, they are normal at birth but then seem to just jump right into that BIG BABY stage and stay there.  Aaron, at 4 1/2 years old is just recently starting to "slim down".  

Elizabeth sits up on her own, is starting to pull herself up from a sitting position and is trying super hard to get those big legs under her to crawl.  Right now she just rolls everywhere.  The doc said it's a bit tougher for "bigger" babies to get themselves going since they've got more weight on them. 

She is just starting to get a bit big for her 9 month clothing and so we've got the 12 months ready for her.  We also switched her diapers to 7th Generation because they are unbleached and she kept having reoccurring rashes.  These diapers have definitely helped with that!  

She's got 4 teeth on top and 4 on the bottom and loves to smile (and bite!).  Of course she puts absolutely anything you give her in her mouth including you!  She likes to chew on Josh's collarbone which for some strange reason I think is kinda cute.  She also loves to put her hand in his beard and pull his hair & skin!  She likes to smack her brother's head and pull his hair.  And with me.... well, she likes to motorboat.  LOL!  Yeah, I just said that.  I mean, she's been on formula for more months than not but she just likes to rest her face in there and open her mouth.  It's so funny.  I'm sure it's a comfort thing.  

She wakes me up in the morning by banging her feet on the crib and yelling "Mama!  Maaaama!  Mamamama!" but she always greets me with a smile.  She's been sleeping through the night for awhile and takes 2 naps a day.

Basically, she's doing awesome.  We love her to pieces.  Thanks to all of our family for helping us out lately especially.  We love you all and will hopefully be sending some pictures out soon.  

Stay tuned because we've got some stuff on the horizon!!! 



       

The Cat in the Hat: Show & Tell Sure is Swell! Review

Cat in the Hat Review

This month our review for NCircle Entertainment is for The Cat in the Hat: Show & Tell Sure is Swell!  Aaron and I watched this new release based on the popular show that airs on PBS every morning.  

This dvd had 2 segments that taught us all about the 4 seasons of the year.  We learned about the weather, foliage and environmental changes for each season including what animals might go through in each season!

In 2 more segments we learn about the eyes/vision and hair/fur of different animals.  How different animals see, how their eye shapes are different and how their hair/fur protects them.  Each animal is individual and it taught us how the differences are beneficial to each animal.

And the final segment was, which was Aaron's favorite, taught us again about both the differences and similarities in different animals by showing us baby animals and how they might grow up to be very different than their infant stages (for example: tadpoles & frogs).  Aaron loved learning about the platypus!  

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! is a great series for kids to learn all sorts of things and in case you didn't know -- it has a voice of Martin Short as the Cat -- teaching children through adventure and rhyme!  This dvd gets another 2 thumbs up from Aaron.  Thanks NCircle!

The Cat in the Hat: Show & Tell Sure is Swell! is available at NCircleEntertainment.com, Toys "R" Us and at Target with a SRP of $10.99!  (Bonus!  You can watch it in Espanol too!)

 

Dino Dan: Dino Party - Our Review

Dino Dan!  Dino Party Review

This month our NCircle iNsider review is of Dino Dan!  Dino Dan is a television show that comes out of Canada (eh?).  Aaron loves Dino Dan and can name pretty much any dinosaur that comes his way.  Trust me, he knows more about dinos than you do.  Unless you're a paleontologist, that is.

In this dvd you'll find five dino-riffic episodes of Dino Dan.  Dan is a young boy who wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up.  In each episode he comes across a dino mystery in which he uses the scientific method to find clues and solve his dino dilemmas, all while learning about dinosaurs along the way.  Dan is the only one that can see these dinosaurs but he usually has friends and family helping him along.

If your child is really into animals and/or dinosaurs they will really enjoy this new Dino Dan dvd.  Aaron loved all of the episodes (his favorite was the Dino Party episode) and watched the dvd 2 days in row.  He even loves the extras because you learn real facts from a paleontologist!   

You can pick up Dino Dan: Dino Party at NCircleEntertainment.com or at a retailer near you, including Toys "R" Us and Target on 6/11/13.  The dvd retails for $12.99.  

  

The Happiest Place On Earth

Aaron meeting Mickey for the first time!

 Well, after talking about it and wishing for it we finally got to take Aaron to Disneyland for the first time!  It wasn't under the exact circumstances we wanted and it was only for one day, but we had a wonderful time!

In the beginning of May Josh got laid off from his job.  We knew it was coming because they are closing their Sacramento location and it was just a matter of time.  So when it finally happened I think there was a mixture of emotions.  After we let it sink in for a few days, I decided to make some lemonade with our lemons and spoke to Josh about going to SoCal for a week.  This was the time if any (besides not having the funds) to go down and visit family, introduce the kids finally, and if we were lucky..... take Aaron on his first Disney adventure!

After talking with family we made our plans and off we went!  We had a really great time visiting with family.  The kids got to meet most of my mom's family for the first time including my grandma GG!  And they got to meet a cousin on my dad's side too.  Aaron had so much fun with his cousins and so many people to pay attention to him he was in heaven!  We took the kids to the beach.  Elizabeth's first time ever!  And even though Aaron has been to Golden Gardens in Seattle, I'd consider this his *real* first trip to the beach.  Elizabeth was so relaxed and Aaron was having so much fun he didn't want to leave!  

Thankfully, I have a wonderful family who were kind enough to let us stay with them (in fact, we got multiple offers) and my aunt Bea was so super awesome to babysit Elizabeth on the day we took Aaron to Disneyland.  AND, since we were newly unemployed (and HOLY CRAP THE PARK HOPPER ONE DAY PASSES ARE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE) my grandma GG very graciously paid for the 3 of us to get in.  

Now, as a 35 year old California native, I still love Disneyland.  Like, I love it for myself.  I want to go and ride every. single. ride.  I want to visit the parks multiple days in a row.  I want to eat 5 churros a day and eat crappy food at the park for outrages prices.  YES.  I want it all.  I want the Mickey Mouse sweatshirt for $75 (I call that being swindled and pimped) and that neon light stick thingy that swirls so I can wave it around during the light parade.  I want to race around and grab Fast Passes for all the cool rides like Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain (OK -- all the mountains) and then in between ride all the cute nostalgic rides like Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and the Storybrook Ride.  YEAH.  I know that park like the back of my hand, yo.  I'm excited just writing this damn paragraph.  But I digress.....

Aaron.  We took our son to experience the wonderful world of Disney for the first time.  Before we got there I was thinking to myself... Man, I hope I don't get annoyed that all I'm doing is riding kiddy rides.  But as soon as we got off that freeway I knew it was all for him.  He was so excited to be there!  We never told him we were going so when we got off the freeway I asked him "Hey, do you know where we are right now?" and as he looked around he said "No, BUT THAT WAY IS DISNEYLAND!".  It was so cute.  

We went to California Adventure first because we knew he'd love Radiator Springs and all the Cars rides.  Which he did!  (PS - The main car racing ride.... Definitely a fast pass ride if you can get it).  We actually spent more time in Cars Land than we'd planned to so we went to Disneyland a bit late and didn't get to ride as many rides that I would have liked him to experience but we seemed to get the important things in.  He wanted to met Mickey and we did that successfully in Toon Town.  And he got to see a character parade and he absolutely loved it!  The look on his face was priceless!  

I am so glad (and grateful to my family for helping us make this happen) that we got to take him - just me and Josh - to make this memory.  It's something I'll always remember and I hope he will too.  

Here are all the pictures on our California Adventure:  FLICKR.  

Thanks to all my family for helping us out in all sorts of ways.  Can't wait for our next adventure!  

Mater!

Aaron Time

Aaron enjoying his frozen yogurt.

This morning I was in the kitchen putting away dishes, making coffee, getting ready to make breakfast.  I hear Aaron say something from the other room, but he often talks to himself (being an only child for 4 years basically).  Then he says:

A: Mom, I SAAAID I'm hungry!

Me: Ok, what do you want?  I'm about to make breakfast.  Do you want a frozen yogurt?

A: Oh yes.  

The water starts to boil so I stop putting away the dishes, go to the stove and turn off the burner and just as I'm lifting the kettle.....

A: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  C'MON MOM!  I REALLY WANT THAT FROZEN YOGURT!

Me: (laughing) OK DUDE!  Hold on!  I'm getting it!

I guess Aaron is taking a lesson from his impatient momma.  I have what I refer to as "Adriane time".  I.E. - things need to get done on "Adriane time" (which means immediately) and not on "Josh time" which is usually 3 or 4 days later.  Now we'll being dealing with "Aaron time" too!!  Haha!
 

These little fish are growing

Eating solids - 6 months

Elizabeth went in for her 6 month check up and boy, is this chick growing!  Elizabeth is 19 lbs (90%), 27 1/2 inches (95%), head circumference of 17 3/4 (98%), wears a size 3 diaper, size 9 month clothing and 12 month in pjs!  Big girl!

We have just started her on solids and are still not quite on a regular schedule with it.  She seems to want it sometimes and then not others.  And sometimes it's just like she has no idea what to do with it.  But we're going to keep trying!  I've only tried the rice cereal once, but have tried a few of the fruit and fruit combo organic baby food and have given her mashed up bananas at home and organic apple sauce.  

Elizabeth's teeth are coming in and her mouth is hurting baaaaaad right now.  She has the bottom two already poked through and I'm pretty sure the top left one is coming through too.  It looks like we might have another Aaron on our hands.  He got all of his teeth super quick and close to each other (time wise).  We having teething toys, rings for the freezer and I give her wet wash clothes (frozen and non) to help her.  We also use the teething tablets and I have a teething bracelet that a cousin gave me.  She pretty much chews up anything she can, including me and Josh!

Even with all this though, she's a pretty happy baby!

Blowing in the wind.

Aaron is also doing pretty well, though extremely bored at home with mama and baby.  We're hoping perhaps he can start at public pre-school this coming school year.  He's happy to have his daddy home these past few days and even that has changed his behavior a little (very little) bit.

Today, separately and without knowing, Josh and I both asked Aaron what he wanted to be when he grew up.  When I asked it was at the dinner table and we were all there.  At first he said he wanted to be an elephant.  So when I explained to him what I meant by the question, and gave him several examples he settled on veterinarian.  After going over it again and again in his head a few times, I think he liked the idea even more and reconfirmed this great idea to us.  When he grows up to be like, 8 yrs old, he wants to be an elephant.  But then after that, a vet for sure!  He says he might even have to live in the forest because he'll have too many animals to take care of.  He loves animals, watches Planet Earth over and over again, knows the names of really strange and random animals and dinosaurs and even knows if they are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.  I think he'd be a wonderful vet!  Now if only we could get him to stop chasing the dog!!!!