you + me = US: Pop Culture

Showing posts with label Pop Culture. Show all posts

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The most awesomeness awesome trumpet solo of all time awesomeness.

Ben has learned to play the trumpet in school this year. He can play lots of songs like the Muppet Show theme and the melody from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." His favorite song to play is Axel F. Here is a video of him playing it just before his band concert.

Here's a picture of us at his band concert. He did a great job. I just wish I could have heard him. The other 200 trumpets were too loud.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Debbie Downer - 4 complaints I just need to get out there

SNL used to do a skit featuring Rachel Dratch called Debbie Downer. She'd endlessly bring up something depressing about her life regardless of how happy the situation and a "WHaaa WHaaaa" would follow on a trumpet. It's hilarious. Not so hilariously though, I feel like her today. I really don't want to complain because I truly love my life, but today. . . eh. . . notsomuch.

Theres a bedwetter here. I have several nights worth of sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and pajamas to prove it. Not to mention at least 5 more loads of other laundry. Laundry, what a dirty word. The bane of my existance. The second you finish, theres a whole new load waiting for you. Lurking. Multiplying like little bunnies. I sure love it.
Three of our kids got through strep and colds last week and are now feeling great. YAY! I'm coming down with something. Don't feel great. BOO!
Every night I have extremely vivid, usually disturbing dreams. EVERY NIGHT. Last night is not the first time this week that I've woken up crying. What do you do for that? How can I possibly feel rested and happy when I've been going through hell all night?
I love living with boys but don't love asking the question of the day, "Okay, who farted?" I can't help it if I want to keep the air quality of the house breathable and want to teach my kids social responsibility. Blech. Sometimes I just feel surrounded by "grossness."

These are the things on my mind today. Call me Debbie Downer.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Made Me Laugh

Alfonso sent this to me and it cracked me up! Does this look familiar??? Hope not.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Alice In Wonderland, A Movie to See

In anticipation of the movie release, I read the books (Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.) They were pretty wierd. And I'm not sure why, but they gave me nightmares. Could be the original illustrations by John Tenniel. . .

Look at those distorted dismal faces.

I have to admit after reading the books, I had some hesitations about the new movie coming out. I figured the Disney cartoon (which I love) was going to be as good as the story could get. Au contraire.

Last night, Alfonso and I and my mom and dad, went to see it in 3-D. They managed to take a totally nonsensical book and turn it into a beautiful and wacky story that actually has a point!!! In one part, a young Alice asks her father if she's gone mad. He says, "I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are." Those words are so nice to hear :)

I don't want to sound cheesy, but it was a VISUAL FEAST!!! Everything was distorted and bizarre, but beautiful. The characters were fabulous, the Mad Hatter, endearing. I absolutely loved it - so much so, that I keep thinking about it.

But leave the kids at home if they are nightmare prone.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

It Feels Like Christmas

It's in the singing of a street corner choir
It's going home and getting warm by the fire
It's true, wherever you find love it feels like Christmas

A cup of kindess that we share with another
A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother
In all the places you find love it feels like Christmas

It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the sprit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year

It's in the giving of a gift to another
A pair of mittens that were made by your mother
It's all the ways that we show love that feel like Christmas

A part of childhood we'll always remember
It is the summer of the soul in December
Yes, when you do your best for love it feels like Christmas

It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the sprit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year

It's in the singing of a street corner choir
It's going home and getting warm by the fire
It's true, wherever you find love it feels like Christmas
It's true, wherever you find love it feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas

Thursday, November 5, 2009

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these pics.

I've been following a sight called Intothetwilight.net In my opinion, it is the best website for staying updated with all things Twilight. Today I found these new pics featuring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in a photo shoot for Harper's Bazaar. Kristen has all these dramatic black dresses and the pics are completely hypnotizing. . . in a good way. Check it out:

If you're a Twilight fan I HIGHLY recommend this site. If your not a Twilight fan, I guess we can still be friends.

Can November 20th come ANY SOONER???? PLEEEEEEASE????

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Jelly Man Kelly

My friend Kami posted this on facebook today and I instantly traveled back in time. There I was, a pig-tailed first-grader, in my favorite purple overalls, criss-cross applesauce in front of our t.v., and giggling uncontrollably. What a fun song. Thanx for the chance to reminisce, Kami!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Complete New - New Moon Trailer and A Completely Hilarious Spoof

I cannot wait to SEE THIS MOVIE!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

HIH-LARIOUS!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Can't Wait To See This. . .

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Believe

My friend, Toni, lent me the DVD "Believe" which our family watched last night. Great show. Would be even Greater in person/whale. I'd fancy a swim with one of these magnificent creatures. Little Adair, down the street LOVES this DVD and cried when her mom insisted that we borrow it. Adair has such a passion for whales. It made me think, hey, someday she could become a whale trainer at SeaWorld. . . in fact, I would like to swim with a whale or dolphin someday. It is incredible to witness their sheer size, power, and abilities not to mention the bond they have with their trainers. It's amazing to see what can be achieved when two very different species, collaborate. The underlying message from the show is to believe in your dreams. These trainers dreamed to become who they are. A child was picked out of the audience. She shared her dream to become a vetrenarian. Everyone applauded her and she was given a whale pendant to remember her dream. I was inspired.

"Believe" made me think about the things in life that I really want to do. The person I'd really like to be. It's one thing to tell your kids, you can be anything you want to be. But strangely another to tell yourself, and believe it. Why is that? I'd like to know. Are you doing what you want to do? Are you the person you want to be? What childhood dreams have you fulfilled, or left unfullfilled.

I'm 30 years old. I like who I am. I love what I do. I have a long way to go before I'm a great person like my mom, or Maria Cole, or Laura Pendleton. I have a lot of selflessness to achieve if I want to be like my friend Siobhan or my sweet Grandma Lefler. I'm so glad that I have my whole life ahead of me. Time for self-mastery, time to learn how to play the flute, and the harp. Time to write and record the songs in my mind. Time to become a true friend, like my sister, Delynn. Time to swim with killer whales, ride a gondola in Venice, or take in the view from a distant mountaintop.

There IS time. I just need to believe.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

AMERICAN IDOLS LIVE 2009

For a limited time only, straight from our camera, here are a few show highlights.
This is intended for the viewing pleasure of our friends who weren't able to attend the show. No copyright violation intended.

Our "Slow Ride" Home

Friday, May 8, 2009

Somewhere In Dreamland

When I was little, my brothers and I loved to rent and watch the "Fabulous Fleisher Folios." "Somewhere in Dreamland" was our favorite cartoon of the lot. Please watch the whole thing, it's guaranteed to warm your heart. (pause the music below first)

Somewhere In Dreamland

Here are a couple other favorites:
Hawaiian Birds

Alls Fair at the Fair

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Dynomite Pink Spandex

(Before you watch this, pause the Josh Groban music below, and make sure you are sitting down.)

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Thank You, Celine Dion!

I am an unapologetic Celine fan. I believe Celine is one of the last TRUE divas. She has a lot of class, an immense stash of talent, and she really knows how to make her fans feel important (all while wearing 6 inch stilletos). This is the second time I've seen her in concert, and I'm consistantly floored by her ability to hit every note right on, perfect pitch, whenever she sings live-it is with recording studio quality. This concert was FABULOUS!

Well, last March, when he and I had just started dating, Alfonso bought tickets to the November, Celine Dion concert. Time passed, we got engaged and then married, all while looking forward to attending the concert in November. Well, the concert was postponed. Boo hoo hoo. Perhaps Celine was waiting for the next milestone in our marraige. I say that because the concert took place on Sunday night, February 22nd which just so happens to be two days after we found out we're expecting our first baby together! Wow, a lot can happen in a year!

p.s. Check out her amazing knee high strapped shoes. She had a rockin' wardrobe!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Thank You, Jim Henson

Mr. Henson, thank you for dreaming up these wonderful friends. You were a brilliantly creative man who changed the world using little more than fabric and string. They thoroughly entertained me as a child and even still, as an adult, there is no way that I can look at them and feel sad.

Kermit is one of my all-time favorites (especially when Jim Henson did the voice). Kermit is so sincere and likeable. Whenever I see him singing "Rainbow Connection" in the swamp whilst plunking away on his little banjo, I get teary eyed. And don't get me started on Cookie Monster; those bizarre googly eyes, the incurable cookie craving, the matted blue fur. What a cutie. Dear reader, who is your favorite Muppet/Sesame Street character? And why?

(john)Bytheway, I'm just getting started with these random and inconsequential pop culture commentaries.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Thank You, Mike Meyers

Yesterday I was thinking about how much this guy has made me laugh. Here are some pictures of him in some of my favorite roles. All I have to say is, Thank you, Mr. Meyers.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

American Idol Live! July, 14th 2008

Kids Say The Darndest Things

9/8/14 After a massive pillow fight with Spence and Will, Mia fell to the floor and exclaimed, "I'm soaking tired!"

5/15/14 We were watching a Baby Einstein movie featuring a rhino puppet. Mia said, "Mom, that rhinoceros is a genius."

5/13/14 Mia just told me some disturbing news about her imaginary friend. "Squella, not like you, so her is hiding." I even offered Squella a popsicle to bribe her into liking me and she wouldn't budge.
5 minutes later:
No wait, Mia just informed me, "Her likes you now. Her gets a pop-is-cle."

5/02/14 Mia has been coming up with some unique names for her imaginary friends, Squilla, Quinley, Tortilla are just a few. Well today she was talking to her friend Celia and said,
"What's your Cat's name, Celia?
"Tiddley-Dee"
"Oh!!! GREAT name!!!"
Later, I asked her later about the cat and found out that there are TWO! One cat's name is "Tilly-Tina" and the other's name is "Tiddley-Dee."

4/21/14 Mia was shouting at me from the bathroom in a bossy way. I said, "Mia, don't talk to me like that." She said. "I YELLING at you." I needed to leave the room and she shouted again and said, "Mommy come here, right now. I gon count and you gon go in time-out!!!" Sweet swirling onion rings, I'm in for it.

4/4/14 While enjoying a chocolate chip cookie together, I asked, "Mia, why is chocolate soooooo good?" To which she naturally replied, "Cuz we gon' eat it."
Best reason ever.

1/07/14 At the store, at the top of her lungs, in attempt to tell me that she's going to "crack me up" Mia shouted, "Mom, I go a crap you up!"

12/11/13 Today at story time Miss Sally was teaching the kids about the color red. She was pointing out those with red hair. She said, "This little boy has red hair, and look, this mommy has red hair. And this mommy has red hair!" There was a pause and Mia shouted out, "I HAVE TWO MOMMIES!" All the parents looked around, Miss Sally bewildered, looked at me. Appalled I laughed and said loudly, "I have NO IDEA what she's talking about." Everyone started laughing. . . hard! For the life of me I couldn't figure out why she'd say that. So afterwards I asked Mia, and she pointed to the two mommies with red hair and said, "See? Two mommies!" Ohhhhhh, now I get it. Two mommies with red hair.

12/14/13 The dinner table was busy with multiple conversations occurring at once when Mia said, "Hey Will, this song my favorite: (in sing-song)
Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty,
I like Hello Kitty"

12/03/13 Ben was teasing Mia on the couch. When she angrily yelled, "Ben, DON'T BLOW ME! I NOT a bubble!!!"

11/13/13 Today I was crying and couldn't stop. Mia dropped what she was doing and ran up and said, "Hold me, you feel better!" I hugged her tight and put her down. A few seconds later she came up and said, "Here Mom, a have a Kleenex."

Lately, Whenever we are having a nice snuggle moment as a family, Mia will come up and say, "All To-ah-gedder."

10/13/13 I need to preface this by saying, Mia's word for "girl" is "grill." After church Mia got very upset and ran to her room. Alfonso went up to try to comfort her and said, "Don't cry, Mia." To which she responded, "But grills like to cry."

09/25/13 Mia and I were playing with pretend snakes. In their "conversation", they made a deal and so I told her, "Let's shake on it." she immediately began to violently shake the snake.

08/24/13 Once again, Pandora displayed the album cover (One World's Acoustic) of Justin Bieber on the screen. Mia looked at it again and said, "Mom, look! A doggie. Doggie wif guitar."

08/21/13 Pandora displayed an album cover of Justin Bieber on the t.v. Mia, startled a little by the music, looked up at the screen, studied for a minute and said, "Cute doggie!"

08/19/13 As we were all getting ready to go swimming, Mia was excitedly showing everyone her "swimming soup."

08/17/12 A day after I taught Will about the Star of David, Will was playing with a couple of triangle magnets. When he had overlapped them just right he held them up and said, "Look, it's Jared's star!"

08/16/12 After taking off Ben's newly acquired football gear, Will sat next to me, sighed, and said, "It's nice to have a football player in the house."

07/24/12 I was looking at my wedding ring while tucking Will in to bed. Will noticed and said, "That's a pretty fancy ring." I said, "It is. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever owned. But I love it mostly for what it stands for." Will surprised me when he responded, "You love it because it reminds you of the day you got married. Even if it was made of wood, it would be a still be a great treasure."

07/23/12 After a run to Dairy Keen, Will shared the following insight: "The most humblest flavor of ice cream in the whole entire world is vanilla." When I asked why, he said, "Because it's simple, it's plain, and it's always there. "

07/05/12 Fearing that Mia might ruin his pillow fort, Will asked, "Mom, can we put her to sleep?"

06/28/12 As we were setting the table for breakfast, Will (7)said, "I'm a simple man." I couldn't help but smile. "I'm a simple man with complex thoughts." Did I mention, he's 7???

06/25/12 While I was looking for a rubber band, Spencer handed a large one to me and proudly said, "I wear 5 rubber bands on my wrist at all times."

06/22/12 For the second time, Spencer said, "I don't believe in sarcasm." I argued that sarcasm does exsist and gave him an example. His response, "I call that oppositism."

06/03/12 While we were driving, Spencer spotted a slowly oncoming tractor and car and said, " 'Wow, tractors drive slow!' thought the lady in the green car."

06/03/12 We had watched a bunch of old footage of Beatles performing some of their hits, when Will yelled out, "Can we PLEASE stop listening to classical music?"

05/12/12 Trying to explain to our sick kids why we couldn't have friends come play, I said, "We need to get this virus out of our house." Will said, "Lets give it to someone else!"

03/03/12 Will just said, "I have a faculty butt."

03/01/12 Will told Ben that from now on he wants to be called Bethica, queen of the sea.

03/01/12 Will came inside from shoveling snow with cold hands. After explaining to me that the problem was his gloves, he asked,"Can I have an upgrade?"

11/29/11 Me: "Will, what do you want the person you marry to be like?" Will: "Hot and sexy." Room fills with shock & stifled laughter. Me: "Will. . . what does it mean to be hot?" Will: "That you just came out of the desert."

11/28/11 When it's time for oracion/prayer, Mia oftentimes will fold her arms and talk quietly while the prayer is said. At the end we say "amen." She loudly says, "BOB!"

11/26/11 Alfonso swatted at the pesky fly once again. "It's taunting me." He said. Will exclaims, "It's taunting you??" Mutters to self, "I hate taunting flies."

11/10/11 Will walked in the door and when he saw his friend Annie sitting on the couch said, "I knew this day had something special in it." "What?" Annie asked. "You! I knew you were coming over. You make today special."

11/10/11 In the car, Annie (a girl I'm tending) said, "Jesus is so lucky! He gets to be born on Christmas, huh!"

09-09-11 Alfonso and I went on a date for our anniversary and left the kids with family. After we picked up the kids, Will politely asked, "Were there a lot of people at the anniversary?"

09-08-11 At the breakfast table, I was telling the kids that tomorrow would be Alfonso and my anniversary. Will lowered his head and said, "I'm glad I don't have to see that."

09-07-11 At a restaurant, we were all joking back and forth and Will said, "You gotta be pushing my leg!"

08-20-11 At our moving sale, my 3-year-old neice, Nicole held up a shiny quarter and said, "Look, I have a quenny."

08-20-11 5 minutes later, Nicole was whining. Her Mom, D.D. said, "I'm not going to talk to you until you use a big girl voice." Nicole gave her a mean look and said, "But you just talked to me."

08-19-11 Will, sitting at the table kept singing, "Can't you see, I love my pancreas, look at me, I love my pancreas." Over and over. Thank you, Wierd Al.

08-19-11 Quite proud of himself and giggling a little, Spencer announced, "Faster than a speeding two-year-old, able to leap a towering pile of laundry, it's SUPERMOM!!!"

04-29-11 We had just finished a large meal at Chick's Cafe when Spencer leaned back in his chair and energetcally patted his stomach saying, "Now I know what Santa feels like."

04-28-11 Will was helping me pull our huge new stroller out of its box. His job was to pull the box down as I held the stroller up off the ground. It wouldn't budge. He paused and said, "Wait, should I go drink some milk, to make my muscles stronger?"

About Us

Our blended family is many years and obstacles in the making. We two were raised in separate countries, different cultures and upbringings. For each of us, God's blessed broken road weaved through marraige, the birth of a child (or two) and a painful divorce, in the end, leaving a himless her and a herless him. We met on a blind date in 2008 and haven't been able to stay away from each other since. Married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple, we and our four children are determined to BE a forever family. This blog is an account of our daily lives, our ups and downs, and our journey to become "one."