#december to me is a write off month. its the pizza party week of months. the year is Over. we're done here

[sodrippy]

always like omg i REALLY want to read and watch this particular show and this movie and take a walk and i cant do ANY of it what is WRONG with me im just paralysed into doing this one activity thats sucking up all my time whats wrong with me )))):

and then i remember it is a major effect of adhd, a disorder i have had my whole life<3

[the-canary]

One More Night - S.R

Summary: What were you supposed to give a man you didn’t know that well? (Modern!Reader/Steve Rogers)

Prompt: I got you for secret santa so now I have to buy a gift thats absolutely amazing but also hope you don’t find out its from me and it doesn’t reveal that i’m in love with you

A/N: this is for @buckychrist ‘s holiday writing challenge. either the last of the year or the first fic for some people. christmas was last week, but let’s keep it going a little while longer! thank you to the lovely @isavuu for brain storming with me <3 and happy new year’s everyone! 

Masterlist

Feedback is always welcomed.

Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers.

That is the name you pull out of your friends’ Secret Santa list at the beginning of the month. You try to stop yourself from groaning -- Bucky’s and Sam’s best friend, Tony’s business partner, the twins’ surrogate “dad” in their really bad dad jokes, Sharon’s sort-of ex.  

This is all the ways that you know Steve Rogers, but despite running in the same circle of friends for years -- you didn’t really know that man. He was quite and hardly ever talked to you, and it wasn’t for your lack of trying. You were in a vicinity and he just ran for it or started talking to someone else, eventually you got the point that he wanted nothing to do with you, as sad as that made you feel.

But now -- now, that you had to give him a gift, you were at a loss in what to do.

Sam and Bucky’s combined laughter echo off the walls.

“Why you finally got her after all these years!”

Steve groans as his best friends take joy in his sudden dilemma. He shakes his head before leaning into the leather of the booth.

“What am I going to do?”

“Well, maybe you’ll finally---”

You don’t know enough about Steve and you can’t really go to Sharon, since that would be a little weird, and asking wither Bucky or Sam would just give you away. So, you ask Nat to meet you for lunch outside of your work in the middle of December. Her green eyes twinkling as if she already knows what you are going to ask her, as she takes a sip of her Cafe Americano.

“What is this about exactly?” she asks with certain coyness that makes you just a bit anxious.

“I was wondering what you could about Steve,” you immediately respond, “I mean outside of what he does and somethings here and there, I really don’t know much about him. He really keeps to himself, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know,” she smiles a bit more before adding to underneath her breath so that you don’t notice as you dig into your lunch, “Though mainly around you though.”

“So, what can you tell me?”

“What would you like, Steve?” Wanda questions with a bright smile, as said anxious man brings out two pieces of paper.

“I just wanted to run this by you...for her present,” he admits softly, as Wanda’s eyes widen a considerable amount. She gaps at the name printed before she goes from looking at the pair of tickets and Steve, who just moves around awkwardly in the booth seat.

“Are these?” she pauses, remembering how you hadn’t stopped talking to her and Pietro about a certain event for months only to be disappointed that you couldn’t get tickets due to annoying website problems, “How did you even get these?”

“A friend in the marketing department,” Steve admits bashfully with a shrug as Wanda looks at him -- as she is trying to read his mind before giving him a small smile.

“Well, I keep your secret for now, Rogers.”

Wanda keeps smile as Steve shakes his head, embarrassed and unsure of what to do next.

Nat gives you few details about the super secretive Steve, but she does tells you that even though she does tell that even though he works with an advertising agency what he really loves is to paint and visiting museums when he can, which isn’t often enough -- his words, not hers. It’s then when you set about to work, looking to see if you can find what type of art Steve might enjoy or what he even focuses on. As you go through your list of friends, that is  when you beginning to see -- the little spark of Steve Rogers that seems to shine in all of their lives.  

Steve seems to be the glue that holds everything together in your little grow of friends as you soon come to realize. He and Bucky knowing each other since childhood, meeting Sam and Nat in college (who brought in Clint, whom she has been dating since forever). He brought in Tony through work meetings and just sharing certain ideas in common, who in turn brought in Pepper (his now wife), Rhodey, and Sharon -- who had been dating Steve when you came in.

You had joined this little group as an extension of the twins, Wanda had meet Steve through her internship a few years back (she would later bring in her boyfriend, Viz) and Pietro basically considered another younger sister when you first meet back in college -- these two world collide and you had been part of it ever since. While, there were noticeable ages differences here and there, everyone was very supportive of the rest of the group -- milestones and birthdays were celebrated as a family. However, even family had fights sometimes, Sharon had thrown everyone into a tizzy when the all-American blond couple had broken up a few years back-- everyone seemed to have an opinion about the deterioration of their relationship, but you-- you were just trying to help.

“Hey Steve,” you were standing in front of his new apartment with a nervous smile, as blue eyes gave you a questioning look.

“Hey,” he starts off as he sees that you are carrying a large bag of food and other items, “I don’t mean to be rude, but can I help you with something?”

“I-I was just wondering if you wanted to have a night in,” you try your hardest not to stammer as he give you soft smile, “You know movies, pizza. Just if you want to.”

He scrutinizes you for a moment, wondering if you are just pitying him cause of the current situation at hand but as you beam at him a shy smile with bright eyes -- Steve knows that you aren’t. He knew that you were a sweet gal from what he had seen from afar and know you were just trying your best in a very confusing situation.

“Yeah, come in,” he states, opening the door a bit more as you nod and come in for one of the very best nights in your life.

It was only for a couple of weeks, Steve and Sharon tried to make it work one last time and then Bucky and Sam proceeded to through the ma in a stream of unsuccessful dates, but you were sure --even if you never spoke again after that-- that you fallen for the man...just a little bit.

And now, you wanted to lift his spirits, just a little bit.

Thus, when you realized and searched just exactly who Steve liked in terms of modern day artists -- well, you knew with all your pitched pennies what person you had to call on to get it.

“Hey Tony,” you call him one mid-December day, “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

To be completely honest, Steve had sought out those tickets with a blind determination because he knew how much she loved that band -- she spoke about them all the time with Pietro, he had caught her humming their songs and lyrics from time to time with a bright smile on her face. He wanted to make her happy, but he was unsure how much he would enjoy them especially since he was aiming to be the one to be with her that night of the concert.

He personally knew how damaging it could be to see someone dislike or worst be uninterested in something you loved, so he goes to  Pietro for musical advice -- as bad as that sounds coming from Bucky’s annoyed tirade.

“Mmmm, I’ll just tell you her favorite song,” the young man smiles, as if he already knows what Steve is seeking out, though the blond never lets a word out.  

Steve finds himself staring at the purple cover art with a bit of apprehension, he had heard some of Pietro’s music before, but as he presses play -- he soon finds himself humming along.

The truth is that I fell in love with you And now I don't know what to do But I'd do anything to steal a little time

“I’m guessing your his Secret Santa,” Tony can’t help but remark as you stare at the painting in awe, as you shake your head.

Tony had helped you find an old art piece from an old Brooklyn artist that Steve seemed to be fond of and while you had a placed a good chunk in to pay for it, Tony had put the rest though as he already understood what you were going for.

“He’ll really love it,” Tony remarks as you turn and give him a bright grin that catches him off guard for a moment before he chuckles to himself. You’re confused for a moment before going back to staring at the painting. Later on, when you ask Tony how you were going to pay him back, he just shook his head vehemently.

“Anything to make the old man happy,” Tony states with a smile, using the old nickname for Steve that you still don’t quite understand the story behind. However, as you thank him, Tony knows that you don’t understand that he meant you instead of the painting placed behind the two of you.

Oh, if you only knew.

December 25th passes like a flash within your little group, as you all spend it in Tony’s Buffalo home.

Everyone watches gifts being exchanged with screams and excitement on how could it be. Most of your friends realize who their Secret Santa is by the end of the night. However, as you scream over the two tickets and Steve looks with awestruck wonder at the painting hanging in Tony’s living room. Neither of you say anything --too scared over the potential of rejected feelings than anything-- as the night moves forward.

The two of you say goodnight to each other awkwardly.

The rest of the group groans in annoyance and sets their own plans into motion.

It’s December 31st when you see Steve again, the craziness that comes with the end of year making it hard to see any of your friends until Tony’s party and while you had wished it was under better circumstances were also doing your best to avoid the man since the failure that came with your Christmas gift. His silence over the painting was something that stung you deeply. You knew a Steve that was already to debate and speak out about what bothered him -- you had seen it numerous times before when it came to politics or football, so to see him so quite shocked you.

You ran and hide for the entire night, while also trying to find who exactly had given you those tickets -- such a precious thing since the band’s music had helped you through some tough times. So, it didn’t help that through the process of elimination, you came to realize that it might have been Steve. He had given such a nice gift and you had give him...that thing.

You hated yourself for it, stuck between hiding and wanting to kiss him for such a beautiful thing.

It certainly didn’t help that he seemed to keep looking for you and he was a goddamn hound-dog when it came to it. Though, it wasn’t until the clock was close to midnight that you were able to catch your breath on the balcony overlooking the rest of Manhattan as the ball was close to dropping. Everyone inside was cheering the start of a new year, as certain song came up.

I just hope you realize That you know I believe in a thing called destiny So please don’t   Please don’t   Please don’t Don’t sleep on me

You gasp at the sound of a familiar song playing in the background of all the festivities, but instead of going back inside. You freeze at the sound of a certain voice: “It’s a good song, huh?”

You glance to your side to see a certain man in dark pants and a white shirt rolled up to his elbows as he seems more interested in swirling his drink before glancing to meet your eyes. He gives you a bashful smile before going back to looking at the city ready to enter a new year.

“It is. I love a lot of their music,” you state softly, unsure of where all this could be going as Steve nods.

“I’ve picked up a lot of their music recently,” Steve lets out an unsteady laugh, as your eyes widen just a but as you look at the blond, putting two and two together.

“Does that mean you,” you let out softly as somewhere in the background the countdown began, but you were unfolding something completely different,  “...gifted me the tickets for the concert?”

“I know how much to loved them,” Steve admits with a shake of his head and a  swing of his drink, trying to get some courage to move forward with admitting a lot of things, “And I know how hard you took it when you couldn’t get those tickets in time.”

“I...Thank you, Steve,” you grin, as the fireworks slowly begin to pop on the dark sky in front of you and for a moment you me mesmerized by how the colors light up the blue in his eyes.

“Anything for you, sweetheart,” Steve answers back softly, as he leans in a bit more for a second though your heart is going crazy at the new nickname he had given you, “ Does that mean I’m right in guessing that you gave me the painting?”

“Yeah, I even asked Tony for help,” you admit a bit embarrassed, “But you were so quiet, I didn’t...think you liked it.”

Steve has to look away and  laugh at this, as you give him a confused look: “I loved it. I was just shocked is all. You don’t see one of those everyday.”

“Oh, that’s good,” is all you can really say, trying not to skirm underneath his gaze that seems to have changed slightly from the friendly blue eyes you are used to -- it was more intense than before.

“So, since we both worked really hard on each other’s presents,” Steve starts off and though he seems calm, his heart is thumping like crazy, “That’s this might be more than a friend thing, right?”

Blue eyes keep watching you, as you nod meekly and unsure as he gives you the biggest grin.

“So, if I asked you--”

It’s all Steve gets in before you nod and pepper his cheeks with kisses, as he places his hands on your hips and spins for a brief moment, laughter echoing in the small balcony as the party keeps going on inside.

And even though, Christmas had come a little late for you -- the new year certainly look better than ever.

[theycallmebeccawrites]

Chris & Ellie Bonus: Our Little Family

With Tumblr holding my original writing blog @beccaheartschrisevans captive (aka flagged as explicit), I have made a secondary writing blog and may end up closing the other all together. In the meantime, I am reposting all of my stories on my new blog.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Ellie Spencer (OFC)

Rating: PG

Warnings: n/a

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Chris & Ellie Bonus Stories Masterlist | Chris & Ellie Masterlist

December 20, 2028

Chris Evans let himself into the old barn that he and Ellie had converted into home offices for both of them in the loft and a game/media room on the main floor. He quickly reheated the soup he'd carried from the main farm house kitchen then climbed the stairs to where Ellie was working on her second novel.

"Lunch is served," he said, making his presence known.

"It smells amazing," she replied, turning away from her computer screen.

Chris set the soup on the TV tray next to her and smiled as she dug into the soup. He smiled as she moaned over the taste of his mom's famous chicken noodle soup and he was reminded of the first time he served it to her over fifteen years ago.

"Did you hear from your mom?" Ellie asked in between sips of soup.

"Yes, she called while the kids and I were eating lunch," he replied. "The presents and our winter clothes got there this morning and she's already put the winter gear in the van for when she picks us up tomorrow at the airport."

"Good," Ellie nodded. "And the kids?"

"The twins are napping," he told her. "And I told the boys to set out what they wanted to take to Boston on their beds. As soon as I get back to the house, I'll double check what they've pulled out and supervise them putting it in their suitcases."

"Send them with twice as many socks and underwear," she said. "They never seem to have enough when we're there."

"Noted," Chris nodded. He stole a glance at her computer screen. "How goes the writing today?"

"Good," Ellie replied. "I think I should be done by dinner and then I'll get it sent to my editor and I'll be done for the rest of the year."

Though she still worked as an editor, Ellie had written her first novel when she'd been pregnant with the twins, a little over three years ago. The whole process from writing to publishing it had taken nearly a year and a half and had taken its toll on her. She had put off starting her second book until this past fall and was now trying to get the final chapters to her editor before the December 31st due date so she could enjoy the last two weeks of the year with Chris and the kids.

Tomorrow, she, Chris and their five kids—Tommy, 9 ¾, Marcus, 8, and Scottie, 6 ½, Penny, 2, and Stephy, 2—were headed to Boston to spend Christmas Chris's family. After Christmas, the whole Evans family would be spending a few days down in Florida at Disney World. Chris, Ellie and the kids would spend New Year's Eve traveling back to Oregon so the boys would be ready to go back to school on January 2nd.

"How does pizza sound for dinner?" Chris suggested, wanting an easy dinner for the night before they left.

"That sounds perfect," Ellie agreed as she finished eating her soup. "Thank you for lunch, Chris."

"You're welcome," he replied. He gave her a quick kiss then gathered her dishes and left the barn. He made his way back to the old farmhouse that he and Ellie had purchased the Christmas after they'd gotten married.

It had been his idea for them to settle down in Oregon and it had been a lucky chance that they had fallen in love with a farm a few miles down the road from her parents' place. They had rented out most of their land to their surrounding neighbors, but they had kept the barn. The first couple years they'd owned the house it had been a construction zone. They had done as much as they could to conserve the charm of the 100 year old house, but they had also upgraded it with modern necessities. They had also added four small guest cabins with small kitchenettes for when his mom and siblings came to visit.

Entering the house via the mudroom door, Chris toed off his shoes and then made his way into the kitchen. He froze in the doorway when he saw his and Ellie's twin daughters, Penelope and Stephanie, sitting on the counter with the cookie jar open between them. Sitting on the ground in front of them were the family's dogs: Duchess the golden retriever and Nemo the chocolate lab.

"How did you two get downstairs?" Chris asked as he quickly crossed the kitchen. He put Ellie's dishes in the sink and then positioned himself in front of the twins.

"Cookie, dada," Steph said, holding out a slobbery cookie to him.

"You two are little cookie bandits," Chris shook his head. He grabbed a toddler with each arm and nestled them on his hips before he made his way to the stairs, the dogs following him. As the five of them climbed the stairs, he saw that the gate at the top of the stairs was wide open. "BOYS!"

It took a second, but soon all three of his sons were standing in the doorways to their rooms looking at him.

"Who left the toddler gate open?" Chris asked.

"Tommy was the last one upstairs," Scottie tattled.

"Do you three want to know where I found the twins?" Chris asked and then continued without their responses. "They were sitting on the kitchen counter eating cookies when I came back from taking mom her lunch. If the gate had been closed, they wouldn't have gotten down the stairs."

"Sorry, dad," Robert Thomas, "Tommy", muttered as he looked down at his feet.

"We were lucky neither of them got hurt," Chris said. "Just remember next time."

Tommy nodded and disappeared into his room.

"Let me clean up the girls and put them back in their room and then I'll come help you two," Chris told his younger sons.

"Ok, daddy," Scott Wilson nodded before running back into the room he shared with Marcus.

"I'll close the gate," Marcus Alexander offered.

"Thanks, buddy," Chris smiled. He carried the twins into the bathroom and set them down. "You two finished eating your cookies?"

The two blondes nodded their heads and held out their sticky fingers. Chris grabbed a washcloth and got it wet before he knelt down and cleaned up both girls. Once he was finished, he tossed the washcloth down the laundry shoot, making a mental note to do another load of laundry tonight, and then carried the girls back to their room.

"You two need to take a nap," he said, tucking them into the twin bed they shared. They had tried putting them in different toddler beds, but they hadn't liked that at all. So they had gotten a twin bed for them to share. "I love you two."

"Wuv you," Penny smiled up at him.

Chris kissed both girls on the head and then left the room, closing the door behind him. He checked the gate to make sure it was closed and then told Duchess to guard it. The five-year-old golden retriever walked over to the gate and then laid down in front of it.

"Good girl," Chris smiled.

Chris spent the next hour helping his sons pack their suitcases as well as their backpacks with things to do on the plane. Little Scottie hadn't laid out any clothes to pack as he had been more interested in choosing which toys to take to Boston. Since he didn't care about what clothes he had to wear, Chris picked out his outfits and then packed them into the suitcase. Marcus, on the other hand, had laid out too many clothes and it had taken a lot of discussion to narrow it down to what he actually needed to take. When it came to checking Tommy's suitcase, there had been a discussion about how many shoes he really needed to take to Boston where he would only be wearing snow boots outside and Florida where he was going to need a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of flip flops.

Once the boys' suitcases were packed and carried downstairs, Chris went into the girls' room and quietly packed their bags with the outfits he and Ellie had talked about earlier in the week. By the time he was finished, the twins had woken up from their nap and they slid down the stairs on their stomachs, feet first, as he carried their suitcases down.

It was a little after four in the afternoon when Ellie came into the house with a big grin on her face. "It's finished!" she announced after finding him and the kids watching a movie in the living room.

The boys gave her hugs and she sat down on the couch next to Chris and the twins. The twins quickly abandoned him and cradled themselves against her.

Chris smiled as he watched the three of them. The twins had been a surprise addition to their family at the end of October two years ago, Stephanie Marie on the 29th and Penelope Anne on the 30th. They were officially "Super Bowl Babies" as they had been born nine months after the Patriots had won the Super Bowl.

They had done a gender reveal party for the twins, but had found out what they were having in advance, which turned out to be a good thing, because Ellie hadn't been thrilled with the idea of having girls at first. She had been upset with him for a couple days, but then they'd gone to the mall to get some stuff for the boys and he'd found her in the baby girl section crying over the adorable frilly outfits. They'd left the mall with clothes for the boys and sparkly tutus for the girls.

Letting his eyes move to the floor where the boys were stretched out with their eyes glued to the TV, Chris recalled their entrances into the world.

It had taken him and Ellie nearly a year and a half, after they'd gotten married, to get pregnant with Tommy and they'd floated between Oregon, LA and Boston for the first six months of the pregnancy. For the last three months, they'd stayed in Oregon, celebrating Christmas there and planning their first Oregon Super Bowl party in February. Family and friends (including his former roommates and their wives who'd made the trip for the day) had descended on their house with the goal of watching a great game, only to have him and Ellie rush out of the party during the first quarter after her water had broken.

In typical Ellie fashion, she had insisted all morning that she was fine, despite the fact that she was having what she claimed were Braxton Hicks contractions. She had been in the middle of trying to tell her mom that she was fine when her water had broken. Then all hell had broken loose and Chris had jumped into the back seat of his in-law's car while they drove to the hospital. Their family members had come along to the hospital, while their friends had stuck around to help with the party and clean up afterwards.

Robert Thomas had made his appearance a little after nine that night and was the one of the two best things that had happened to his dad that day since his New England Patriots had won the Super Bowl. For their first family photo, Chris had put his Patriots jersey back on and they had wrapped baby Tommy in a Patriots blanket.

Eighteen months later, they'd been back in the hospital when Marcus Alexander made his grand appearance. Chris's mom had come to stay with them in the weeks leading up to Ellie's due date, so she could help with Tommy.

Ellie had woken Chris up in the middle of the night to tell him it was time to go to the hospital. They'd woken up his mom before leaving for the hospital and had asked her to tell everyone else. They were only at the hospital for a little over an hour before Marcus decided it was time to join the world. By the time the rest of the family made it to the hospital, he'd already had his first meal and all three of them were napping.

The naming of their first two boys had been easy; they'd used a family name as well as the name of their favorite quarterbacks: Tom Brady and Marcus Mariota. The hardest part had been deciding which boy would get which name, but they had settled that with a quick best out of 3 paper, scissors, rock. Surprisingly, it had been Ellie who had won, but when she had laid her eyes on her first born, she'd known he was a Tommy. And she'd had the same feeling with her second when she saw him for the first time, he'd been a Marcus.

Two years later, Scott Wilson arrived. Unlike his two older brothers, both who'd come a week or two early, Scottie stayed until he was threatened with eviction. Their middle of November baby became their Thanksgiving baby and ultimately their early December baby when he finally arrived December 1st.

He was named after his Uncle Scott, who was a supporter of Chris and Ellie's relationship even when they hadn't been. His middle name, Wilson, was Ellie's mom's maiden name and not a nod to the former Seahawks Quarterback (or so Ellie claimed). He was an easy going baby and practically started laughing in the womb. He was the perfect combination of Chris and Ellie in looks while his older brothers favored one parent over the other: Tommy more like Ellie and Marcus more like Chris.

Chris was pulled out of his thoughts when two little hands patted his cheeks. Blinking, he looked down and saw Steph sitting in his lap.

"Piza, dada, piza!" she said.

"You want pizza?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"Do the rest of you want pizza, too?" Chris asked.

"YES!" the boys shouted and the girls mimicked seconds later.

"Alright, everyone go get your shoes on," Chris instructed. "We'll take the dogs to Meme and Papa's and then we'll go to the pizza place."

"The one with laser tag?" Tommy asked.

"Sure, why not," Chris nodded.

"YES!" Tommy exclaimed.

"Should we invite everyone?" Ellie asked.

"Why not," Chris nodded. "It'll mean we get to play laser tag too."

"Yes!" Ellie exclaimed in a perfect imitation of their son.

An hour later, Chris found himself helping distribute pizza to the kids table. His boys and their cousins, both older and younger, were talking and laughing about everything from comic books to tv shows. It filled his heart with joy to see how much they enjoyed each other, especially knowing that his kids also had a special bond with their cousins in Boston.

It had been Chris's idea for him and Ellie to settle down in Oregon after all three of her sisters had announced they were moving back to the area they all grew up in. He'd known that Ellie would want to stay on the west coast, but he didn't want to live in LA permanently so Oregon was the perfect place.

For all but the summer that Ellie was pregnant with Marcus, Ellie and the kids had spent the end of June through the beginning of August in Boston with Chris's family with Chris joining them if he wasn't working. The kids got along great with their cousins and, more often than not, it was like no time had passed between their last visit.

"And Nonna said that it's gonna snow," Chris heard Marcus tell his cousin closest to him in age. "So we're gonna have a big snowball fight on Christmas for sure!"

Chris chuckled as the cousin expressed some jealousy, especially after Marcus then brought up the trip to Disney World. Both kids knew, however, that come Spring Break, this side of the family would be spending the whole week at Disneyland.

Moving to the adults table, Chris took a seat next to Ellie and nudged her with his shoulder. She turned away from her sister and smiled at him.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too," she smiled.

"I love you, too, man," their brother-in-law said from Chris's other side. Chris laughed as his brother-in-law grabbed him from behind and kissed his cheek.

Chris knew that he and Ellie were lucky to have grown up so close with their siblings and parents and they knew they'd both won the in-law jackpot. As much as Chris wished he got to spend more time with his family in Boston, the Spencers' had taken him (and all three of his brothers-in-law) and had made them their own. It was better than anything he'd ever imagined.

"Get off me, you monkey," Chris said with a laugh. He playfully elbowed his brother-in-law in the side and then shook his head. "Or I'll tell mom what you bought Garrett for our brother-in-law exchange."

The family had gotten together during the past weekend to celebrate Christmas together. The adults had done a gift exchange with everyone buying for two people, but Chris and his brothers-in-law had done a special bonus exchanged. They were mostly gag gifts and what not, but they weren't allowed to do anything below the belt. Though, the first year they had included their brother-in-law Mark, he'd given Chris a month's supply of Rogaine, which had only been funny because Mark was already bald. Other previous gifts had been a year supply of condoms for Chris following Marcus's arrival and then another year supply the Christmas after the twins had come around.

As the gifts were always exchanged in their father-in-law's mancave out of sight of the women, they usually weren't things that were meant to be spoken of again. So with Chris's threat, his brother-in-law's face paled as he quickly shifted his eyes away from the glare that their mother-in-law was giving them.

"Honestly," she said shaking her head. "You boys are almost worse than raising teenage daughters!"

Her sons-in-laws let out belly laughs as her daughters let out cries of disbelief.

Chris wrapped his arms around Ellie and kissed her cheek. "I love our family," he said.

Author’s note: This story was originally written in December 2016. A paragraph regarding the winner of the 2019 Super Bowl was edited on February 3, 2019.

Want to find me off tumblr? I’m @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

My tag list is always open, just let me know if you’d like to be added!

[weekendsabo]

Journal - Tuesday, December 4th, 2018

What a weird night last night. It wasn’t so much weird as it was I was sober. I wanted to drink so bad, but I did good. I did get to the point where I just wanted to be home and not talk to anyone. I was J&T and N&S and just didn’t have the energy to talk to them. It was great seeing Eric and Tony. They have a show on the 19th that I’ll go too. Hangout with the folks till the show so I don’t have to come all the way home, but I don’t know what happened. Maybe I was looking forward to seeing Luna that I just made me not want to be there. Then the ride home I was just bummed. Thoughts of killing myself started popping up and that hasn’t happened in a long time. I was even thinking about hoe I would do it and how I could do it and not have my family find me. It was bad. I’m fine now, but maybe it was cause I wanted to drink so bad it just and not having one just ruined it. It cause I should have just stayed home. The Quacks were cool, and Beemaster as well, but I think its only cause I was sober. If I couldn’t have brought the week it would have be better.

Cont on 10/28

So I have Ty down for dinner on Friday. Probably Melca as well. Once I hear from James and Tsvet then I can figure if I need to invite someone else. I still want to invite her. I would say something like: Hey, I don’t mean to bug you, but I’m having a couple friends over for dinner on Friday and I was wondering if you want to join us. I’m making pierogies and I can make some vegan ones no problemo. I invited James and Tsvet, but I haven’t heard back, but I’m thinking around 7pm for dinner and possibly we’ll play some board games. Let me know! Something like that. maybe soy something along the lines of I really hope you can make it.

Cont on 10/26

I realized on the way home from work today that I still have like half the year to fill out this month. Right no I have 158 days left to fill in 17 days. Still doing good at 6 a day technically 7 if you count the day I have to write. I got this! Left overs are delicious. I sliced up some potatoes with jalapenos and roasted them up and its delicious! It’s almost like a weird form of Irish nachos! Plus the actually tortilla chops. It’s great. And I did good and didn’t over eat today. Maybe intermittent fasting is the way to go. I get to binge eat but its no a couple times a day. Like usual. Who would have thought potatoes on potatoes would be so good! I want to do like a roasted pepper hummus I could always so garlic, but I feel that’s easy. or maybe I’ll just do one. I just don’t know. Well, I asked her (Luna). Lets see if she replies. Probably won’t. I do not have my hopes up. It’s whatever. I want to say that I wont care and just move on but I know if I see her and she i s excited to see I will gall right back into it.

Cont on 10/25

Well, she replied. Which is cool. Hopefully this all works out! I think it will. Worst comes to worst it’ll be Ty and Melca and just J&T can’t make it, I will invite some more people. I’m excited. It would be so cool to play that show. I’ll make a group message tomorrow morning and see if its something that can actually happen. James and Tsvet cannot make. I wish I would have known about Vivian’s party cause I would much rather do that. But with out drinking it would be tough. I would do alright though. Just have to be more open like I am after a few drinks. Loosen up, I can be just as fun sober. I know I can. But it would be so nice to spend some time with her. I think I would. If Ty happens to ail by Friday. I’ll hit up James and see if he wouldn’t mind seeing if I would go to the party. Either way. This month is shaping up to be a good one. Minus the bear. Tera Melos Saturday. Hola Mons Monday. I’ll probably skip the Guitar thing. Wait. That’s a different week i think? Then maybe I’ll play a show with BTU on the 21st

Cont on 10/24

I’m dedicated to getting a home gym. I will get an exercise bike and weights and just work out everyday. After the New Year. I’ll get Neal back to the gym. I’ll have it be my bike day? or do pull ups and other things I can’t do at home. I just can’t wait to lose this weight. 209 this morning. Well see what its at tomorrow. I did good. I don’t know how much I ate, but I feel it was under 1500 for sure. I should be under 209 tomorrow. I will eat breakfast and no lunch. Then the same dinner, but just one potato tomorrow. I should definitely be under 200 by NYE. Just take it easy. I’ll make the quinua salad for lunch next week with some fresh veggies. Dinner will be I don’t know, but it will be healthy. Gotta take it easy on the pizza for sure. Once a month type thing. Its just sooooo good. I’ll do a double batch the sauce and freeze some. Maybe I’ll do a meat but with the ground meat I have. Maybe. I don’t know. I do know I should have been better with writing in this. It may take longer than this month to finish it, but no matter where I’m at I will start a new planner after new years.

Cont on 10/23

I wonder if I can make stuffed bell peppers with tofu/mushrooms/veggies. I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes. I feel it needs a fat. Maybe use coconut oil? I will start my sour dough starter next week for sure. If I start it when I said I would I would be swimming in sour dough bread. I kind of hope Luna doesn’t make it, then I don’t have to do it all vegan. I’ll do a cheesy periogi with bacon and onion sauce, and if its just the three of us I’ll invite Lil’B and Austin and Faith tomorrow and see if they are down. I wouldn’t mind at all if they come over. I’m just kidding. I do hope Luna will make it and crash here. Fridge need to be cleaned. I’ll clean the bathroom and do some laundry tomorrow. I really need to start writing neater to be able to read this later. Laying down and writing just doesn’t work.  Puck up the living room and dining room and that’ll be good. I wish I could easily wash this blanket just in case. I need to clean out this laptop and fix this stupid virus. I may bet this bear off. Maybe I do like it. And my hair is looking good as well.

[aion-rsa]

Upcoming Must-See Movies in 2021

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It’s 2021. Finally. If you’re reading this, it means you’ve hopefully gotten through the wreckage of last year unscathed and are ready for a brighter future. And if you’re also a movie lover, this certainly includes a trip (or 20) back to the cinemas. Although a month into the new year, and our hope for a better tomorrow has faded a bit–especially with new COVID variants spreading. Yet there is reason to remain warily optimistic. Yes, including about theaters

For nearly a year now cinemas have remained largely dormant, and given the already shuffling 2021 film calendar, that will continue for the foreseeable future. However, studios (with one notable exception) remain mostly committed to getting new films to the theater this year, and the current 2021 film slate gives reasons to be hopeful.

Indeed, 2021 promises many of the most anticipated films from last year, plus new surprises. From the superhero variety like Black Widow to the art house with Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, 2021 could be a much needed respite. So below is just a sampling of what to expect from the year to come…

Judas and the Black Messiah

February 12

It’s kind of hard to wrap one’s head around the annual “Oscar race” in a year when little trophies don’t seem so damn important, but Warner Bros. feels strongly enough about this movie that it’s getting it into theaters and on HBO Max right in the thick of the pandemic-delayed awards season. And judging by the marketing, it’s bringing heat with it.

Shaka King directs and co-writes the story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), who became the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s and was murdered in cold blood by police in 1969. LaKeith Stanfield plays William O’Neal, a petty criminal who agreed to help the FBI take Hampton down. This promises to be incendiary, relevant material — and it’s almost here.

Minari

February 12

Lee Isaac Chung directs Steven Yeun–now fully shaking off his years as Glenn on The Walking Dead–in this semi-autobiographical film about a South Korean family struggling to settle down in rural America in the 1980s. Premiering nearly a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, Minari had a quick one-week virtual release in December, with a number of critics placing it on their Top 10 lists for 2020.

Its story of immigration and assimilation currently has a perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics lauding its heart, grace, and sensitivity. A few of ours also considered it among 2020’s best.

Nomadland

February 19

Utilizing both actors and real people, director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Marvel’s upcoming Eternals) chronicles the lives of America’s “forgotten people” as they travel the West searching for work, companionship and community. A brilliant Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a woman in her mid-60s who lost her husband, her house, and her entire previous existence when her town literally vanished following the closure of its sole factory.

Zhao’s film quietly flows from despair to optimism and back to despair again, the hardscrabble lives of its itinerant cast (many of them actual nomads) foregrounded against often stunning–if lonely–vistas of the vast, empty American countryside.

I Care a Lot

February 19

A solid cast, led by Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Chris Messina, and Dianne Wiest, star in this satirical crime drama from director J. Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed). Pike plays Marla, a con artist whose scam is getting herself named legal guardian of her elderly marks and then draining their assets while sticking them in nursing homes. She’s ruthless and efficient at it, until she meets a woman (Wiest) whose ties to a crime boss (Dinklage) may prove too much of a challenge for the wily Marla. It was one of our favorites out of Toronto last year.

The Father

February 26

Anthony Hopkins gives a mesmerizing, and deeply tragic, performance as Anthony, an elderly British man whose descent into dementia is reflected by the film itself, which plays with time, setting, and continuity until both Anthony and the viewer can no longer tell what is real and what is not. Olivia Colman is equally moving as his daughter, who wants to get on with her own life even as she watches her father’s disintegrate in front of her.

We saw The Father last year at the AFI Fest and it ended up being a favorite of 2020; Hopkins is unforgettable in this bracing, heartbreaking work, which is stunningly adapted by first-time director Florian Zeller from his own award-winning play.

Chaos Walking

March 5

This constantly postponed sci-fi project has become one of those “we’ll believe it when we see it” films until it actually comes out. Shot nearly three and a half years ago by director Doug Liman, Chaos Walking has undergone extensive reshoots and was at one point reportedly deemed unreleasable.

Based on the book The Knife of Letting Go, it places Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far From Home) and Daisy Ridley (The Rise of Skywalker) on a distant planet where Ridley, the only woman, can hear the thoughts of all the men due to a mysterious force called the Noise.

Raya and the Last Dragon

March 5

Longtime Walt Disney Animation Studios head of story, Paul Briggs (Frozen), will make his directorial debut on this original Disney animated fantasy, which draws upon Eastern traditions to tell the tale of a young warrior who goes searching for the world’s last dragon in the mysterious land of Kumandra. Cassie Steele will voice Raya while Awkwafina (The Farewell) will portray Sisu the dragon.

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Disney Animation has been nearly invincible in recent years with other hits like Moana and Zootopia, so watch for this one to be another major hit for the Mouse.

Coming 2 America

March 5

The notion of whether nostalgia-based properties are still viable has cropped up repeatedly in the last few years. However, streaming, which is where Coming 2 America finds itself headed post-COVID, makes golden oldies much safer. This sequel—based on a 32-year-old comedy that was one of Eddie Murphy’s most financially successful hits—sees Murphy back as Prince Akeem, of course, along with Arsenio Hall returning as his loyal friend Semmi.

The plot revolves around Akeem’s discovery, just as he is about to be crowned king, that he has a long-lost son living in the States (we’re not sure how that happened, but let’s just go with it). That, of course, necessitates another visit to our shores—that is, if Akeem and Semmi presumably don’t get stopped at the border. The film reunites Murphy with Dolemite is My Name director Craig Brewer, so perhaps they can make some cutting-edge social comedy out of this?

Godzilla vs. Kong

March 26

Here we are, at last at the big punch up between Godzilla and King Kong. They both wear a crown, but in the film that Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have been building toward since 2014, only one can walk away with the title of the king of all the monsters.

Admittedly, not everyone loved the last American Godzilla movie, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but we sure did. Still, Godzilla vs. Kong should be a different animal with Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) taking over directorial duties. It also has a stacked cast with some familiar faces (Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, and Ziyi Zhang) and plenty of new ones (Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, Danai Gurira, Lance Reddick, and more).

It’ll probably be better than the original, right? And hey with its HBO Max rollout, questions of a poor box office run sure are conveniently mooted!

Mortal Kombat

April 16

Not to be deterred by the relative failure of Sony’s Monster Hunter in theaters at the tail end of 2020, Warner Bros. is giving this venerable video game franchise another shot at live-action cinematic glory after two previous tries in the 1990s. Director Simon McQuoid makes his feature debut while the script comes from Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and the cast includes a number of actors you’ve seen in other films but can’t quite place.

The plot? Who knows! But we’re guessing it will feature gods, demons, and warriors battling for control of the 18 realms in various fighting tournaments. What else do you want?

Black Widow

May 7

Some would charitably say it arrives a decade late, but Black Widow is finally getting her own movie. This is fairly remarkable considering she became street pizza in Avengers: Endgame, but this movie fits snugly between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. It also promises to be the most pared down Marvel Studios movie since 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and that’s a good thing.

In the film, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff is on the run after burning her bridges with the U.S. government and UN. This brings her back to the spy games she thought she’d escaped from her youth, and back in the orbit of her “sister” Yelena (Florence Pugh). Old wounds are ripped open, old Soviet foes, including David Harbour as the Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Nat and Yelena’s girlhood instructor, are revealed, and many a fight sequence with minimal CGI will be executed.

How’s that for a real start to Phase 4? Of course that’s still assuming this comes out before The Eternals after it was delayed, again, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

May 14

Taylor Sheridan is among the best writers in moviemaking right now. Having all but cornered the niche around modern Westerns, he’s responsible for the scripts for Hell or High Water, both Sicarios, and Wind River, the latter of which he also directed. He’s back in the director’s chair again for Those Who Wish Me Dead, which has been described as a “female-driven neo-Western” set in the Montana wilderness. It is there a teenager witnesses a murder, and he finds himself on the run from twin assassins, and in need of protection from a likely paranoid survivalist. The film stars Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Aidan Gillen, Jake Weber, and Finn Little.

Spiral

May 21

Chris Rock has co-written the story for a new take on the Saw franchise. Never thought we’d write those words! The fact that it also stars Rock, as well as Samuel L. Jackson, is likewise head-turning. It looks like they’re going for legitimate horror with Darren Lynn Bousman attached to direct after helming three of the Saw sequels, and its grisly pre-COVID trailer from last year.

Hopefully this will be better than most of the franchise that came before, and given the heavily David Fincher-influenced tone of the first trailer, we’re willing to cross our fingers and play this game.

Free Guy

May 21

What would you do if you discovered that you were just a background character in an open world video game—and that the game was soon about to go offline? That’s the premise of this existential sci-fi comedy from director Shawn Levy, best known for the Night at the Museum series and as an executive producer and director on Stranger Things. Ryan Reynolds stars as Guy, a bank teller who discovers that his life is not what he thought it was, and in fact isn’t even real—or is it? We’ve seen a preview of footage, so we’d suggest you think Truman Show, if Truman was trapped in Grand Theft Auto.

F9

May 28

Just when you thought this never-say-die franchise had shown us everything it could possibly dream up, it ups the stakes one more time: the ninth entry in the Fast and Furious saga (excluding 2019’s Hobbs and Shaw) will reportedly take Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his cohorts into space as they battle Dom’s long-lost brother Jakob (John Cena, making a long-overdue debut in this series). Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron all also return, as does director Justin Lin, who took a two-film break from his signature series. Expect to see the required physics-defying stunts, logic-defying action and even more talk about “family” than usual.

Cruella

May 28

Since Disney has already made an animated 101 Dalmatians in 1961 and a live-action remake in 1996, it is apparently time to tell the story again Maleficent-style. Hence we now focus on the viewpoint of iconic villainess Cruella de Vil, played this time by Emma Stone. She’s joined in the movie by Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, and Mark Strong, with direction handled by Craig Gillespie (sort of a step down from 2017’s I, Tonya, if you ask us).

The story has been updated to the 1970s, but Cruella–now a fashion designer–still covets the fur of dogs for her creations. This is a Mouse House joint, so don’t expect it to get too dark, and don’t be completely surprised if it ends up as a premium on Disney+ in lieu of its already delayed theatrical release.

Infinite

May 28

This sci-fi yarn from director Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer) stars Mark Wahlberg as a man experiencing what he thinks are hallucinations, but which turn out to be memories from past lives. He soon learns that there is a secret society of people just like him, except that they have total recall of their past identities and have acted to change the course of history throughout the centuries.

Based on the novel The Reincarnationist Papers by D. Eric Maikranz, this was originally a post-Marvel vehicle for Chris Evans. He dropped out, and the combination of Fuqua and Wahlberg hints at something more action-oriented than the rather cerebral premise suggests. The film also stars Sophie Cookson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Dylan O’Brien.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

June 4

James Wan is already directing a new horror film this year so he’s stepping away from the directorial duties on the third film based on the paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). That task has fallen to Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona), so expect plenty of the same Wan Universe touches: heavy atmosphere, superb use of sound, and shocking, eerie visuals.

Details are scarce, but the plot—like the other two Conjuring films—is taken from the true-life case of a man who went on trial for murder and said as his defense that he was possessed by a demon when he committed his crimes. That’s all we know for now, except that, intriguingly, Mitchell Hoog and Megan Ashley Brown have been cast as younger versions of the Warrens.

In the Heights

June 18

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway hit musical gets the big screen treatment (by way of HBO Max) from director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). Set in Washington Heights over the course of a three-day heat wave, the plot and ensemble cast carry echoes of both Rent and Do the Right Thing. While a success on the stage—if not quite the cultural phenomenon that Miranda’s next show, Hamilton—it remains to be seen whether In the Heights can strike a chord with streaming audiences.

Luca

June 18

Continuing its current run of all-new, non-sequel original films started in 2020 with Onward and Soul, Pixar will unveil Luca this summer. Directed by Enrico Casarosa–making his feature debut after 18 years with the animation powerhouse–the film tells the story of a friendship between a human being and a sea monster (disguised as another human child) on the Italian Riviera. That’s about all we have on it for now, except that the cast includes Drake Bell and John Ratzenberger.

Pixar’s recent track record has included masterpieces like Inside Out, solid sequels like Toy Story 4, and shakier propositions like The Incredibles 2, but we don’t have any indication yet of what to expect from Luca.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

June 25

Can anyone honestly say that 2018’s Venom was a “good” movie? A batshit insane movie, yes, and perhaps even an entertaining one in its own nutty way, but good or not, it made nearly a billion bucks at the box office so here we are.

Tom Hardy will return to peel more scenery down with his teeth as both Eddie Brock and his fanged, towering alien symbiote while Woody Harrelson will fulfill his destiny and play Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, the perfected hybrid of psychopathic serial killer and red pile of vicious alien goo. Let the carnage begin!

Top Gun: Maverick

July 2

It’s been 34 years since Tom Cruise first soared through the skies as hotshot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, and he’ll take to the air once more in a sequel that also features Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, and more. The flying and action sequences from director Joseph Kosinski (who worked with Cruise on Oblivion) will undoubtedly be first-rate, but the studio (Paramount) has to be nervous after seeing one nostalgia-based franchise after another (Blade Runner, Charlie’s Angels, Terminator, The Shining) crash and burn recently.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

July 10

With Shang-Chi, Marvel Studios hopes to do for Asian culture what the company did with the groundbreaking Black Panther nearly three years ago: create another superhero epic with a non-white lead and a mythology steeped in a non-Western culture. Simu Liu stars in the title role as the “master of kung fu,” who must do battle with the nefarious Ten Rings organization and its leader, the Mandarin (the “real” one, not the imposter from Iron Man 3, played here by the legendary Tony Leung). Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy) will open up a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with this story and character, whose origins stretch back to 1973.

The Forever Purge

July 9

One day nearly eight years ago, you went to see a low-budget dystopian sci-fi/horror flick called The Purge, and the next thing you know, it’s 2021 and you’re getting ready to see the fifth and allegedly final entry in the series (which has also spawned a TV show). Written by creator James DeMonaco and directed by Everardo Gout, the film will once again focus on the title event, an annual 12-hour national bacchanal in which all crime, even murder, is legal. How this ends the story, and where and when it falls into the context of the rest of the films, remains a secret for now. Filming was completed back in February 2020, with the film’s release delayed from last summer by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

July 16

There are two types of folks when it comes to the original Space Jam of 1996: those who were between the ages of three and 11 when it came out, and everyone else. In one camp it is an unsightly relic of ‘90s cross-promotional cheese; in the other, it’s a sports movie classic. Luckily for kids today, NBA star LeBron James was 11 for most of ’96, and he’s bringing back the hoops and the Looney Tunes in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

The film will be among the many Warner Bros. pics premieres on HBO Max and in theaters this year, and it will see King James share above-the-title credits with Bugs Bunny. All is as it should be.

The Tomorrow War

July 23

An original IP attempting to be a summer blockbuster? As we live and breathe. The Tomorrow War marks director Chris McKay’s first foray into live-action after helming The Lego Batman Movie. The film stars Chris Pratt as a soldier from the past who’s been “drafted by scientists” to the present in order to fight off an alien invasion overwhelming our future’s military. One might ask why said scientists didn’t use their fancy-schmancy time traveling shenanigans to warn about the impending aliens, but here we are.

Jungle Cruise

July 30

Disney dips into its theme park rides again as a source for a movie, hoping that the Pirates of the Caribbean lightning will strike once more. This time it’s the famous Adventureland riverboat ride, which is free enough of a real narrative that one has to wonder why some five screenwriters (at least) worked on the movie’s script.

Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) directs stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt down this particular river, as they battle wild animals and a competing expedition in their search for a tree with miraculous healing powers. The comic chemistry between Johnson and Blunt is key here, especially if they really can mimic Bogie and Hepburn in the similarly plotted The African Queen. If they can sell that, Disney might just have a new water-based franchise to replace their sinking Pirates ship.

The Green Knight

July 30

David Lowery, the singular director behind A Ghost Story and The Old Man & the Gun, helmed a fantasy adaptation of the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. And his take on the material was apparently strong enough to entice A24 to produce it. Not much else is yet known about the film other than its cast, which includes Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie–and that it’s another casualty of COVID, with its 2020 release date being delayed last year. So this is one we’re definitely going to keep an eye on.

The Suicide Squad

August 6

Arguably the most high-profile of the WB films being transitioned to HBO Max, The Suicide Squad is James Gunn’s soft-reboot of the previous one-film franchise. It’s kind of funny WB went in that direction when the first movie generated more than $740 million, but when the reviews and word of mouth were that toxic… well, you get the guy who did Guardians of the Galaxy to fix things.

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Elements from the original movie are still here, most notably Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, but the film promises to be weirder, meaner, and also sillier. The first points are proven by its expected R-rating, and the latter is underscored by its giant talking Great White Shark. Okay, we’ll bite.

Deep Water

August 13

Seedy erotic thrillers and neo noirs bathed in shadows and sex are largely considered a thing of the past—specifically 1980s and ‘90s Hollywood cinema. Maybe that’s why Deep Water hooked Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal) to direct. The throwback is based on a 1957 novel by the legendary Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), and it pits a disenchanted married couple against each other, with the bored pair playing mind games that leave friends and acquaintances dead. That the couple in question is played by Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, who’ve since become a real life item, will probably get plenty of attention close to release.

Respect

August 13

Respect is the long-awaited biopic of the legendary Aretha Franklin, with the Queen of Soul herself involved in its development for years until her death in August 2018. Authorized biopics always make one wonder how accurate the film will be, but then again, Aretha had nothing to be ashamed of. Hers was a life well-lived, her voice almost beyond human comprehension, and the only thing now is to see whether star Jennifer Hudson (Franklin’s personal choice) and director Liesl Tommy (making her feature debut) can do the Queen justice.

The King’s Man

August 20

This might be a weird thing to say: but has World War I ever seemed so stylish? It is with Matthew Vaughn at the helm.

An origin story of sorts for the organization that gave us Colin Firth and the umbrella, The King’s Man is a father and son yarn where Ralph Fiennes’ Duke of Oxford is reluctant about his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) joining the war effort. But they’ll both be up to it as the Duke launches an intelligence gathering agency independent from any government. It also includes Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as charter members.

Oh, and did we mention they fight Rasputin?

Candyman

August 27

In some ways it’s surprising that it’s taken this long—28 years, notwithstanding a couple of sequels—to seriously revisit the original Candyman. Director Bernard Rose’s original adaptation of the Clive Baker story, “The Forbidden,” is still relevant and effective today. Back then, the film touched on urban legends, poverty, and segregation: themes that are still ripe for exploration through a genre touchstone today.

After her breathtaking feature directorial debut, Little Woods, Nia DaCosta helmed this bloody reboot while working from a screenplay co-written by Jordan Peele (Get Out). That’s a powerful combination, even before news came down DaCosta was helming Captain Marvel 2. And with an actor on-the-cusp of mega-stardom, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, picking up Tony Todd’s gnarly hook, this is one to watch out for.

The Beatles: Get Back

August 27

Peter Jackson seems to enjoy making films about what inspired him in his youth: The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, his grandfather’s World War I service informing They Shall Not Grow Old. So perhaps it was inevitable he’d make a film about the greatest youth icon of his generation, the Beatles. In truth, The Beatles: Get Back is a challenge to a previous documentary named Let It Be, and the general pop culture image it painted.

That 1970 doc by Michael Lindsay-Hogg zeroed in on the band’s final released album, Let It Be (although it was recorded before Abbey Road). Now, using previously unseen footage, Jackson seeks to challenge the narrative that the album was created entirely from a place of animosity among the bandmates, or that the Beatles had long lost their camaraderie by the end of road. Embracing the original title of the album, “Get Back,” Jackson wants to get back to where he thinks the band’s image once belonged.

Resident Evil

September 3

Let’s try that again. As one of the most popular video game franchises of all-time, the original handful of Resident Evil games appeared ready made for adaptation. Visibly inspired by cult classic zombie movies from George Romero, Resident Evil once even had Romero attached. Instead we got the deafeningly dull Paul W.S. Anderson franchise starring Milla Jovovich. And those decade-spanning monstrosities lacked something any self-respecting zombie film needs: brains.

Now Resident Evil is back in a reboot helmed by writer-director Johannes Roberts. And he’s off to a promising start by apparently focusing on the plots of the first several video games in the series. The cast includes Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, and Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker. So far so good. Fingers crossed.

A Quiet Place Part II

September 17

The sequel to one of 2018’s biggest surprises, A Quiet Place Part II comes with major expectations. And few may hold it to a higher standard than writer-director John Krasinski. Despite (spoiler) the death of his character in the first film, Krasinski returns behind the camera for the sequel after saying he wouldn’t. The story he came up with apparently was too good to pass up.

The film again stars Emily Blunt as the often silenced mother of a vulnerable family, which includes son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds). However, now that they know how to kill the eagle-eared alien monsters who’ve taken over their planet, the cast has grown to include Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. While the film has been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak, trust us that it’ll be worth the wait. Is it finally time for… resistance?

Death on the Nile

September 17

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) became a surprise hit for director and star Kenneth Branagh. Who knew that audiences would still be interested in an 83-year-old mystery novel about an eccentric Belgian detective with one hell of a mustache? Luckily, Agatha Christie featured Poirot in some 32 other novels, of which Death on the Nile is one of the most famous, so here we are.

Branagh once again directs and stars as Poirot, this time investigating a murder aboard a steamer sailing down Egypt’s famous river. The cast includes Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright, Tom Bateman, Ali Fazal, Annette Bening, Rose Leslie, and Russell Brand. Expect more lavish locales, scandalous revelations, the firing of a pistol or two, and, yes, more shots of that stunning Poirot facial hair.

The Many Saints of Newark

September 24

The idea of a prequel to anything always fills us with trepidation, and re-opening a nearly perfect property like The Sopranos makes the prospect even less appetizing. But Sopranos creator David Chase has apparently wanted to explore the back history of his iconic crime family for some time, and there certainly seems to be a rich tapestry of characters and events that have only been hinted at in the series.

Directed by series veteran Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World), The Many Saints of Newark stars Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti (Christopher’s father), along with Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta, and others. But the most fascinating casting is that of Michael Gandolfini—James’ son—as the younger version of the character with which his late dad made pop culture history. For that alone, we’ll be there on opening night… even if that just means HBO Max!

Dune

October 1

Could third time be the charm for Frank Herbert’s complex novel of the far future, long acknowledged as one of the greatest—if most difficult to read—milestones in all of science fiction? David Lynch’s 1984 version was, to be charitable, an honorable mess, while the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries was decent and faithful, but limited in scope. Now director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) is pulling out all the stops—even breaking the story into two movies to give the proper space.

Read more

Movies

Dune Trailer Breakdown and Analysis

By Mike Cecchini

Movies

What Alejandro Jodorowsky Thinks of the New Dune Trailer

By Mike Cecchini and 1 other

On the surface, the plot is simple: as galactic powers vie for control of the only planet that produces a substance capable of allowing interstellar flight, a young messiah emerges to lead that planet’s people to freedom. But this tale is dense with multiple layers of politics, metaphysics, mysticism, and hard science.

Villeneuve has assembled a jaw-dropping cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, and if he pulls this off, just hand him every sci-fi novel ever written. Particularly, if relations between the director and WB remain strained…

No Time to Die

October 8

Nothing lasts forever, and the Daniel Craig era of James Bond is coming to an end… hopefully in 2021. In fact, delays notwithstanding, it’s a bit of a surprise Craig is getting an official swan song with this movie after the star said he’d rather “slash his wrists” before doing another one. Well, we’re glad he didn’t, just as we’re hopeful for his final installment in the tuxedo.

Director Cary Joji Fukunaga is a newcomer to the franchise, but that might be a good thing after how tired Spectre felt, and Fukunaga has done sterling work in the past on True Detective and Maniac. He also looks to bring the curtain down on the whole Craig oeuvre by picking up on the last movie’s lingering threads, such as 007 driving off into the sunset with Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann, while introducing new ones that include Rami Malek as Bond villain Safin and Ana de Armas as new Bond girl Paloma. Yay for the Knives Out reunion!

Halloween Kills

October 15

2018’s outstanding reboot of the long-running horror franchise—which saw David Gordon Green (Stronger) direct Jamie Lee Curtis in a reprise of her most famous role—was a tremendous hit. So in classic Halloween fashion, two more sequels were put into production (the second, Halloween Ends, will be out in 2022… hopefully).

Read more

Movies

Halloween: A Legacy Unmasked

By David Crow

Movies

How Jason Blum Changed Horror Movies

By Rosie Fletcher

Curtis is back as Laurie Strode, along with Judy Greer as her daughter, Andi Matichak as her granddaughter, and Nick Castle sharing Michael Myers duties with James Jude Courtney. Kyle Richards and Charles Cyphers, meanwhile, will reprise their roles as Lindsey Wallace and former sheriff Leigh Brackett from the original 1978 Halloween (Anthony Michael Hall will play the adult version of Tommy Doyle). The plot remains a mystery, but we’re pretty sure it will involve yet another confrontation between Laurie and a rampaging Myers.

The Last Duel

October 15

What was once among the most anticipated films of 2020, The Last Duel is the historical epic prestige project marked by reunions: Ridley Scott returns to his passion for period drama and violence; Matt Damon and Ben Affleck work together for the first time in ages as both actors and writers; and the film also unites each with themes that were just as potent in the medieval world as today: One knight (Damon) in King Charles VI’s court accuses another who’s his best friend (Adam Driver) of raping his wife (Jodie Comer). Oh, and Affleck plays the King of France.

With obviously harrowing—and uncomfortable—themes that resonate today, The Last Duel is based on an actual trial by combat from the 14th century, and is a film Affleck and Damon co-wrote with Nicole Holofcener (Can You Ever Forgive Me?). It’s strong material, and could prove to be one of the year’s most riveting or misjudged films. Until then, it has our full attention.

Last Night in Soho

October 22

Fresh off the success of 2017’s Baby Driver (his biggest commercial hit to date), iconoclastic British director Edgar Wright returns with what is described as a psychological and possibly time-bending horror thriller set in London. Whether this features Wright’s trademark self-aware humor remains to be seen, but since the film is said to be inspired by dread-inducing genre classics like Repulsion and Don’t Look Now, he might be going for a different effect this time.

The cast, of course, is outstanding: upstarts Anya Taylor-Joy (Queen’s Gambit) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) will face off with Matt Smith (Doctor Who), and British legends Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. And the truth is we’re never going to miss one of Wright’s movies. Taylor-Joy talked to us here about finding her 1960s lounge singer voice for the film.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

October 22

While the idea of a Hasbro Movie Universe seems to be kind of idling at the moment, corners of that hypothetical cinematic empire remain active. One such brand is G.I. Joe, which will launch its first spin-off in this origin story of one of the team’s most popular characters. Much of his early background remains mysterious, so there’s room to create a fairly original story while incorporating lore and characters already established in the G.I. Joe mythos.

Neither of the previous G.I. Joe features (The Rise of Cobra and Retaliation) have been much good, so we can probably expect the same level of quality from this one. Director Robert Schwentke (the last two Divergent movies) doesn’t inspire much excitement either. On the other hand, Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) will star in the title role, and having Iko Uwais (The Raid) and Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) on board isn’t too bad either.

Antlers

October 29

Dramatic director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles) is doing a horror movie. As we live and breathe. And he’s doing it with a huge boost of confidence from Guillermo del Toro, who has opted to produce the movie. Antlers is the tale of two adult brothers, one a teacher and the other a sheriff, getting wrapped up in a supernatural quagmire that involves a young student and a “dangerous secret.” And with a cast that includes Jesse Plemons, Keri Russell, and Graham Greene, we are very intrigued… even if we must wait once again due to a coronavirus delay.

Eternals

November 5

Based on a Marvel Comics series by the legendary Jack Kirby, the now long-forthcoming Eternals centers around an ancient race of powerful beings who must protect the Earth against their destructive counterparts (and genetic cousins), the Deviants. Director Chloe Zhao (fresh off the awards season buzzy Nomadland) takes her first swing at epic studio filmmaking, working with a cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry, and more.

Read more

Movies

Upcoming Marvel Movies Release Dates: MCU Phase 4 Schedule, Cast, and Story Details

By Mike Cecchini and 1 other

Movies

The Incredible Hulk’s Diminished Legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

By Gavin Jasper

In many ways, Eternals represents another huge creative risk for Marvel Studios: It’s a big, cosmic ensemble film introducing an ensemble that the vast majority of the public has never heard of. But then, it’s sort of in the same position as Guardians of the Galaxy from way back in 2014, and we all know what happened there.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

November 11

With the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot criticized (fairly) for its lack of imagination and castigated (unfairly as hell) for its all-female ghost-hunting crew, director Jason Reitman–finally cashing in on the family name by returning to the brand his dad Ivan directed to glory in 1984–has crafted a direct sequel to the original films.

Set 30 years later, Afterlife follows a family who move to a small town only to discover that they have a long-secret connection to the OG Ghostbusters. Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Paul Rudd (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) star alongside charter cast members Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and, yes, Bill Murray.

King Richard

November 19

Will Smith’s King Richard promises to be a different kind of biographical film coming down the pipe. Rather than being told from the vantage of professional tennis playing stars Venus and Serena Williams, King Richard centers on their father and coach, Richard Williams. It’s an interesting choice to focus on the male father instead of the game-changing Black daughters, but we’ll see if there’s a strong creative reason for the approach soon enough. The film is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, Joe Bell).

Mission: Impossible 7

November 19

Once upon a time, the appeal of the Mission: Impossible movies was to see different directors offer their own take on Tom Cruise running through death-defying stunts. But then Christopher McQuarrie had to come along and make the best one in franchise history (twice). First there was Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and then Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Now McQuarrie and company have set up their own separate quartet of films with recurring original characters like new franchise MVP Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) across four films.

Read more

Movies

Audio Surfaces of Tom Cruise Raging on the Set of Mission: Impossible 7

By Kirsten Howard

Movies

Mission: Impossible 7 – What’s Next for the Franchise?

By David Crow

Thus enters M:I7, the third McQuarrie joint in the series and first half of a pair of incoming sequels filmed together. The first-half of this two-parter sees the whole crew back together, including Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, Ilsa, Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and CIA Director Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett). They’re also being joined by Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, but really we’re all just eager to see what kind of insane stunts they can do to top the HALO jump in the last one.

Nightmare Alley

December 3

Director Guillermo del Toro is finally back with a film which was originally intended for release in 2020. But like so many others, Nightmare Alley saw its production frozen due to the coronavirus. Del Toro’s first film since winning the Best Picture Oscar for The Shape of Water, Nightmare adapts William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name. With a script by Kim Morgan and del Toro, it tracks a mid-20th century carny played by Bradley Cooper who is also a silver-tongued grifter. But his con meets its match (and is then outclassed) by his chance encounter with a psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett). They’ll make a hell of a team.

West Side Story

December 10

Steven Spielberg has just two remakes on his directorial resume: Always (1989) and War of the Worlds (2005). While the former is mostly forgotten and the latter was an adaptation of a story that has been filmed many times, his upcoming reimagining of West Side Story will undoubtedly be directly compared to Robert Wise’s iconic 1961 screen version of this classic musical.

A few numbers in previous films aside, Spielberg has never directed a full-blown musical before, let alone one associated with such powerhouse songs and dance numbers. His version, with a script by Tony Kushner, is said to stay closer to the original Broadway show than the 1961 film—but with its themes of love struggling to cross divides created by hate and bigotry, don’t be surprised if it’s just as hard-hitting in 2021. Certainly would’ve devastated last year….

Spider-Man 3

December 17

Sony has finally gotten to a “Spider-Man 3” again in their oft-rebooted franchise crown jewel (technically though this film is still untitled). That proved to be a stumbling block the first time it occurred with Tobey Maguire in the red and blues, but the company seems undaunted since Tom Holland’s third outing is expected to bring Maguire back—him and just about everyone else too.

Read more

Movies

Spider-Man 3: Charlie Cox Daredevil Return Would Redeem the Marvel Netflix Universe

By Joseph Baxter

Movies

Spider-Man 3 Adds Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange

By Joseph Baxter

With a multiverse plot ripped straight from the arguably best Spidey movie ever, 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, Holland’s third outing is bringing back Maguire, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, Alfred Molina as Doc Ock, Jamie Foxx as Electro (eh), and probably more. It’s a Spidey crossover extravaganza that’s only missing a Spider-Ham. But just you wait…

The Matrix 4

December 22

Rebooting or continuing The Matrix series has always been a tough proposition. While the original Matrix film is one of the landmark achievements in science fiction and early digital effects filmmaking in the 1990s, its sequels were… less celebrated. In fact, directors Lily and Lana Wachowski were publicly wary about the idea of ever going back to the series. And yet, here we are with Lana (alone) helming a project that’s been a longtime priority for Warner Bros.

Read more

Movies

The Matrix 4: Laurence Fishburne “Wasn’t Invited” to Reprise Morpheus Role

By John Saavedra

Movies

The Matrix 4 Already Happened: Revisiting The Matrix Online

By John Saavedra

The Matrix 4 also brings back Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith. This is curious since Reeves and Moss’ characters died at the end of the Matrix trilogy—and also because Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus did not, yet he wasn’t asked back. We cannot say we’re thrilled about the prospect of more adventures in Zion after the disappointment of the first two sequels, but we’d be lying if we didn’t admit we’re still curious to see the story that brought Lana back to this future.

The French Dispatch

TBA

Wes Anderson has a new film coming out. Better still, it is another live-action film. While Anderson’s use of animation is singular, it’s been seven years since The Grand Budapest Hotel, which we maintain is one of the best movies of the last decade. Anderson  is working with Timothée Chalamet and Cristoph Waltz for the first time with this film, as well as several familiar faces including Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and, of course, Bill Murray.

The French Dispatch is set deep in the 20th century during the peak of modern journalism, it brings to life a series of fictional stories in a fictional magazine, published in a fictional French city. We suspect though, if Anderson’s last two live-action movies are any indication, it’ll have more than fiction on its mind–especially since it’s inspired by actual New Yorker stories, and the journalists who wrote them! We missed it in 2020, so here’s hoping it really does go to print in 2021!

Other interesting movies that may come out in 2021 but do not yet have release dates: Next Goal Wins, Don’t Worry Darling, Blonde, The Northman, Resident Evil, Red Notice, Army of the Dead.

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The post Upcoming Must-See Movies in 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[memorylang]

Home for Christmas: Birth, Endings and Marriage | #18 | December 2019

I returned from Mongolia to the States for 12 days this winter! It’s the first of my three stories picking up from my adventures away.

With a confluence of reasons to see the States this year, plus some for China, this felt like the perfect Christmas journey. I open with Advent meeting my baby nephew, then Christmas among my family in Vegas before my travel to Reno (my college town) for a wedding and my return to Vegas. Then I left to China. 

Settling In: Stateside Once More

Having set a new record for days outside the U.S., my late-December return marked nearly seven months overseas. 

Upon returning to the state my family occupied, Nevada, I learned its population just passed 3 million. My state’s population nearly matched Mongolia’s! But with the Vegas Valley, its population hits nearly twice Mongolia’s capital. 

But as for temperatures, comparisons stop there. By the time I reached Vegas, I’d shed my puffy winter coats and stuffed them in my backpack. Vegas sat at a toasty 15°C (59°F), compared to Mongolia’s -30°C (-22°F). And Vegas friends said their weather felt cold!

Reunited in Vegas

My first days back at the house, caught up with my four siblings who reassembled. And I ate copious amounts of food, of which I’ll write a couple blog stories from now.

I would bring music, photos, some of my journals, travel souvenirs, Bibles and letters as keepsakes for my continued service in Mongolia. Special thanks to my 23-year-old brother for helping me through my college boxes in the garage. 

I love rainy days. They remind me of Mom, too, at times. 

My older brother gave me plenty tech support, including helping me get downtown to replace my Surface that’s been faulty since Dad bought it three years ago. (Free upgrade!) I also backed up files to cloud storage I could access from Mongolia. 

I also kicked up a K-Pop playlist with recommendations from friends and my 18-year-old youngest bro. The list used to just have songs I encountered at Kiwanis CKI events and a few from my 17-year-old Mongolian host sister. I felt needing K-Pop’s positive vibes and high-energy, as opposed to American pop’s tendency toward symping. Why dwell in darkness when I have the light?

But here’s the key reason I came back to Vegas early. I needed to sort through our late mother’s belongings. I’ll touch on this during the next blog story, about my return to China. Thank you to those who supported me through the sorting.

Baby Wally

I returned home for Christmas for a huge reason—to finally meet my nephew, Wally! 

Squishy baby Wally came from Ohio with my 42-year-old half-brother and my sister-in-law one night, the fourth week of Advent. 

Meeting them the next morning felt amazing. 

I’m an early riser, and his family was still on Eastern Standard Time. After finishing hard drive backups upstairs, I walked downstairs to the kitchen, where Wally stared at me from his rolling chair a long time. He was eight months old. 

I loved his marshmallow hands and how he babbled both incomprehensible murmurs I repeated back to him and vaguely word-seemingly things like, “dada.” I probably only held him a couple times, but we made up for that with how long others held him while he continued to gaze at me.

My brother said Wally really liked me. 

I mentioned a little how the toddlers at the orphanage, too, seemed fascinated by me. Someone somewhere told me babies, kittens and puppies must sense goodness in people. 

Christmas in America

Leading up to Christmas, my family attended Simbang Gabi, a Filipino Catholic celebration during Advent. Since Dad had my siblings and I come, we also got to see the Filipino family ours has evidently spent time with. It reminded me somewhat of the Feast of Santo Niño I attended three years ago in Reno. 

I loved getting to experience at a beautiful church the whole Mass in English—my first back in the States. The Filipino pastor gave a very Vegas homily, in how our vibrant Catholic community sets an example for this city. The Mass also featured a presider I recalled would sometimes say Mass at our church we’d attended since moving to Nevada a decade before. Afterward, we enjoyed a reception featuring copious amounts of Filipino food and music, per usual. 

Midnight Mass

As is Christmas tradition, my family attended Midnight Mass at church. But this year, my 20-year-old sister drove so we could attend carols early. Our music even included hymns from Afro-Caribbean traditions, in addition to choral classics. I recorded clips from caroling and shared with fellow Peace Corps Catholics and Mongolian friends. I wore my silver Mongolian дээл, since this could be the only year I’m back for Christmas while a Peace Corps Volunteer. 

During Mass, I remembered baby Wally when our new pastor spoke of baby Jesus. (Our past priest announced his relocation during my final Mass in the States seven months ago.) Anyway, babies are outstandingly helpless. They require others to survive and thrive. And humans seem biologically programmed to love and care about infants. 

Yet I considered Easter Vigil (my favorite Mass), too, since our Midnight Mass began with a hymn like, “The Exultant.” So I felt somber, considering what mankind one day does to who was once this poor infant. 

After Mass, I greeted a high school friend who’s stayed involved in Kiwanis Circle K International at UNLV and still sings in our local church’s choir. Like many, he felt astonished I could come home from Peace Corps but gleeful nonetheless. 

Full Families

On Christmas Day, my visiting siblings, my younger siblings and I continued the movie-going tradition, seeing, “Knives Out.” I found it delightful, with heartwarming heroes and a clever cat-and-mouse adventure with contemporary themes. I loved its art. Plus Craig and Evans were hilariously not playing James Bond and Captain America. 

That evening, our family had a wonderful dinner, with the Filipina family over. Unfortunately, my youngest brother decided to schedule for work that night, which aggravated Father. But, we still had a nice time. I like how my siblings’ ages merge well with their ages. (From oldest to youngest goes: their oldest sister, my older brother, me, their second oldest sister, my younger sister, my youngest sister, their youngest sister, my youngest brother.) 

Plus, my half-brother, his wife and their son also attended. He sincerely thanked the other family’s mother that our dad had someone new in his life. I smiled, agreeing. It reminded me the speech he gave years ago in getting to know my mom. 

The guest family’s oldest and second oldest sisters brought their boyfriends, and my older bro brought his girlfriend, too. We’d such a large Christmas dinner that we used the kitchen island counter space for food, then the dining room and ping pong tables for eating. 

Following our meal, we exchanged gifts I’ll cover when I describe what I brought back to Mongolia.

Returning to Reno

After Christmas and further friend adventures (I’ll cover in a couple blogs from now), I flew up to Reno, my undergraduate city of four years. We’d a wedding coming.

I felt amazed to boomerang from my high school city to college town and back before my return to Asia. Even in Vegas’ airport, I saw college friends I hadn’t seen in years! Rather, they saw me, while I video called my professional mentor. They joked that they would have thrown Chex Mix at me, but they weren’t sure we had that kind of relationship. I would have loved it, haha.

On the flight, my friends gifted me two palm-fulls of Chex Mix. I felt elated. After take-off, I felt pleasantly surprised to hear and understand small talk around me. People behind me chatted about EDM music careers. From the window on my right, I saw how Nevada’s snowy mountains looked steeper than Mongolia’s. I continued rehearsing my wedding reading I copied down, Romans 12:1-2, 9-18. 

As the flight neared landing, I gazed out the window and saw the familiar Sparks hill where the house my college friends and I rented stands. After landing, I felt weird somewhat recognizing the faces of uni students around in the airport. With a Reno-Sparks population over 500 thousand, though, “The Biggest Little City” stands five times larger than the “big” city where I serve in Mongolia. 

Here to Serve

Just as I disembarked my plane began a funeral service across town for the mother of someone close to us all. While I didn’t have to come, I wanted to. I remembered how touched I felt by those who came to Mom’s funeral, even if they only met her briefly. 

When I arrived, somewhat dazed, in the lobby, the soon-to-be-weds spotted me from the pews and walked out to greet me. They brought me to sit with them, beside other parishioners from our church I hadn’t been with in seven months. As the eulogies concluded, and our priest blessed the casket with the family, we sang together.

I felt at ease among such close friends. The service felt a warm reintroduction to my college town community. For, my trip home wasn’t meant quite for me. I meant to support.

First Wedding Party

That night, I reunited with and met the many of our wedding party for rehearsals. Rehearsals went smoothly. Afterward, the wedding party enjoyed pizza and wings with the bride and groom. I felt gleeful to catch up with some of my favorite faithful folks from my final years at university.

Between wedding rehearsals and Sunday Mass, I reunited with the choir I knew and loved singing with four years, including my confirmation sponsor. Even our instrumentalist who’d since left for graduate school returned to play. Just like old times. 

That weekend, I also attended my first bachelors’/bachelorettes’ party. I felt much more relaxed among these people I’d known a while. I enjoyed the added benefit of having no college coursework to distract me from being present to those there. I felt honored to partake in the wedding tradition among such fun people.  

Christian Love

The Monday morning of the wedding, one of our choir members had a family emergency, and I received the appointment to cantor our psalm, “To You O God, I Lift Up My Soul.” So I started rehearsing from the morning-of. 

I wore the most eclectic outfit, including a normal pair of black slacks I’d known since high school in Vegas (before 2015), the golden silk shirt I bought in Beijing the 2017 week I first met Chinese relatives and the black suit jacket I bought in my Mongolian city for Teachers’ Day 2019. What a coincidence they asked me to wear golden colors, a suit and something traditional if I liked. These came together with my Reno boutonnière to form, for me, among my most meaningful outfits. 

As the hours neared showtime, our jazz cue began, and I transitioned from greeting guests at the door and choir rehearsal to assembling for the procession in. I walked in with a close friend, who I loved chatting with. I especially loved the ringbearers with the rings on their sabers. Most special, our wedding party had front-row seats to witnessing the bride’s beautiful entry and seeing the heartfelt betrothals. I felt like such a cheerleader.

I stepped up to the ambo for what the groom called his favorite psalm. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to let me be the vessel. I sang with a little soul, yay. Seeing the couple’s and my choir members’ cheer gave me strength all the way to my high-note finish. 

Then I closed the songbook I borrowed from the Grand Knight, prepared the mic once more, probably gave a curt smile, and began the reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans. 

In Mongolia’s capital for the Peace Corps conferences, one night at dinner, one of my Catholic friends asked me my favorite Bible verse. I said, "Oh, I love these readings from Saint Paul, since he was my confirmation Saint. And reading his readings feels like reading a cosmic ancestor of mine. Especially, 'Do not conform yourselves to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind'" (Romans 12:2). After that, I went to help my student and a teacher apply for summer fellowships to the U.S. that were due the next days. After finishing those a few hours, I finally opened the bride-to-be’s message to see exactly which Paul reading she sent me. As I got midway through reading it aloud to a friend, I realized this was Romans 12 and went, "OH MY GODDDD."

What a sacrament. I felt great hope that taking my time with relationships will lead to extraordinary joy. Choir members congratulated me on an amazing psalm. After Mass, our priest commended me as having delivered the best reading of Romans 12:1-2, 9-18 he’d ever heard. I felt stunned. 

The wedding reception felt wonderful. I spent most of my time with the fencing group. I enjoyed their fellowship, and they enjoyed my energy. I’d spend my days up to New Year’s among the newlyweds and their family still.

Las Vegas and Nevada Grow on Me

Given the subtle ways Nevada reminds me of Mongolia, I felt myself starting to feel more at-home in the Sagebrush State than when I left. From Vegas to Reno and around.

I used to loathe telling people I’m from Vegas, actually. I usually note it as the city where my family lives. But, after seven months in Mongolia, I feel like even Vegas has its charm. Hearing Panic! At The Disco on a mall radio felt right at home. 

Vegas lights appeal to many from many places—especially Asia, reports say. And that’s special. Mom liked this city.

Up next is my New Year’s 2020 experience, followed by my return to Mongolia through Beijing, China.  You can read more from me here at DanielLang.me :)

[filosofablogger]

Good Monday morning, friends!  Welcome … please overlook the mess … I was lazy this weekend and the house is a bit shaggy around the edges.  I do have a special treat for you though, so grab a cuppa and since it is Monday morning, the lead-in to a brand new week, let’s find something to make us laugh, shall we?

Apparently Allison Barron’s father was not too keen on the idea of her marrying her boyfriend, Levi Bliss.  Poor Bliss had gone to a lot of trouble to set the scene for his bended-knee proposal, having conspired with relatives to set up letters spelling “Marry Me?” on the side of a large hill alongside a highway.  As he and Allison drove down the highway, the lettering came into view, and Levi pulled over to ‘pop the question’.  He was on bended knee in front of his beloved when on top of the hill, out popped her father holding a sign that read: SAY NO

Turns out it was all in good fun.

“We immediately both started laughing. My sister was behind us so we turned to her and was like, ‘Is this real?’ He was like laughing and smiling — he was proud of his sign. It was very my dad, in like a great way — he’s awesome. Always with the dad jokes and he finds them hilarious. We love it.”

Levi’s mum was none too happy about it, though, and was said to be a bit angry.  I suspect, with her son marrying into the Barron family of jokesters, she better learn to lighten up a bit.

Do you guys remember last year in July when I wrote a Jolly Monday post that featured ‘avocado art’?  I was just amazed at the intricacy with which the artist, Jan Campbell, was able to carve the delicate avocados.  And it was just a little sad to know that her artwork had a shelf-life measured in hours, for avocados begin to go bad the minute their insides are exposed to air … just like … bananas!  Well now I have found yet another artiste, one whose medium is … yep, you guessed it … bananas!

Meet Stephan Brusche, an artist in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who has been drawing on and carving bananas for nearly 7 years now.  I’ll let Stephan tell you a bit about how he got his start in banana art …

“I wanted to test out Instagram filters when I was at the office. There wasn’t nice scenery or anything fun to draw or take a picture of, but I did have a banana from lunch. So I figured, what if I drew a little happy face on it? I discovered it’s actually pretty pleasant to draw on a banana with a ballpoint pen. The texture of the peel and the pen is really smooth. The next day I thought, let’s do another face. And then I thought, let’s see what else I can come up with to draw on the banana. From that point on I started experimenting and I never stopped.”

And here are just a few of my favourites …

Chiquita featured Stephan on its website last year.  Check it out for some cool links!

The Detroit Zoo is trying out a new promotion, but somehow … I just don’t really think it’s going to go over too well.  According to NBC News …

Free buckets of 5 pounds of animal manure, dubbed Detroit Zoo Poo, will be handed out on April 14 as part of the zoo’s GreenFest celebration. The event precedes Earth Day and will showcase how the zoo recycles waste.

Buckets will be available to the first 1,000 visitors to the zoo’s anaerobic digester educational display.

The digester converts 500 tons of animal manure and other organic waste each year into methane-rich gas to help power the zoo’s animal hospital. Nutrient-rich fertilizer is a byproduct. The zoo notes the compost “is great for putting in your garden.”

Um … thanks, guys, but maybe not this year …

Imagine waking up one morning, only to find out that you’re dead. Such was the fate of poor Constantin Reliu who learned in January that he is dead – at least officially, though Mr. Reliu continues to breathe, eat, and all the other things we think of as being consistent with life.

In 1992, unable to find work in his native Romania, Mr. Reliu went to Turkey where he found work as a cook.  His wife opted to remain in Romania, and when he returned for a visit in 1995, he found she had been unfaithful to him.  Still, he hung around for a few years, but in 1999 decided to return to Turkey.  Last December, Turkish authorities discovered that his visa was long expired and deported him back to Romania.  And that is when his troubles really began.

Upon landing at Bucharest airport, he was informed by border officials that he had been officially declared dead and underwent six hours of questioning and tests. They measured the distance between his eyes to see if it corresponded to an old passport photograph; they asked him questions about his home town, such as where the town hall was; they checked his fingerprints.  Finally, he managed to convince the immigration authorities and he was allowed to leave.  But now to obtain new papers … not so fast, Mr. Reliu!

It turns out that his wife had him declared dead in 2016, and it is much easier to have a death certificate issued than to have it overturned!  After months of trying to get the death certificate declared null and void, last week Mr. Reliu exhausted his last avenue and was told in no uncertain terms that he must remain dead. A court in the northeastern city of Vaslui refused to overturn his death certificate because his request was filed “too late”, and the court said the decision is final.

“I am a living ghost. I am officially dead, although I’m alive. I have no income and because I am listed as dead, I can’t do anything. I think I am going to cry.”

His wife is now living in Italy, but no word from her on this mess.

Wait a minute!!!  Isn’t Jolly Monday supposed to be … well … JOLLY?  That was a sad, sad story!  Try again, Filosofa, and this time make us laugh, or at least smile!!!

Since the late 19th century, canines, aka dogs, have figured prominently in police work.  They have served in a protective capacity, but also as drug-sniffing dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, and let us not forget the most noble, Search & Rescue dogs.  Man’s best friend.  But felines … cats, aka moggies … have been ignored by police and military.

Last week, the Troy, Michigan, police department hired their first ever cat!  They interviewed 5 kittens from the Michigan Humane Society, and finally made their selection, though it will be a few weeks before the cat is able to begin her new position.  The kitty remains, as yet, nameless, and the department plans to hold a contest among the schoolchildren in Troy, with the child who submits the winning entry being rewarded with a pizza party!  Isn’t this a great way to promote police-community relations?

And now down to the nitty gritty … what is the job description?  Well, I believe there will be some undercover work, for the police department spokesperson seemed a bit reluctant to provide too many details.  But what she did say was that the kitty would be involved with community outreach, helping bring attention to the needs of the Michigan Humane Society, and will also be in charge of the department’s Twitter feed.  Hmmmm … the Significant Seven always give me that old excuse about not having opposable thumbs whenever I try to get them to do something useful, like write this blog!

And now, folks, since I seem to be having a problem with my sense of humour this morning, I think it’s time for Jolly Monday to wind down with a few cartoons, then ♫ Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It’s Off To Work You Go … ♫  Please, dear friends, share those lovely smiles with others today … make somebody feel just a little bit more loved.  Have a great week and keep safe!  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa!

Maybe someday.

  Jolly You-Know-What Day … Good Monday morning, friends!  Welcome … please overlook the mess … I was lazy this weekend and the house is a bit shaggy around the edges. 

[pastelbatfandoms]

Mommy Survey

I.) THE PARENTS

A.) Mommy

First Name::Michelle

Initials::MRC

Current Age::30

Age when child was born::27

Single, Dating, or Married?:Married

Eye Color::Brown

Hair Color::Brown

Height::5'1

Body Type::Petite

Religion::Agnostic

Month of Your Birthday::April

Number of Kids::1

Kids Current Ages::2 years

B.) BIOLOGICAL DADDY

First Name::Michael

Initials::MAC

Current Age::30

Age at Child’s Birth::27

Eye Color::Blue

Hair Color::Brown

Height::6'1

Body Type::Stocky

Religion::None but not Atheist

Month of Birthday::December

Number of Kids::1

Still together?:yes

How much is he involved with the kid?:Very much

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II.) LIFE BEFORE BABY

Did you think you wanted kids?:yes

Did you ever babysit/work with kids?:No

Did you party a lot?:No

Smoke?:only as a Teen

Drink?:Socially

Do drugs?:Smoked Weed as a Teen

What were your favorite things to do/hobbies?:Read,Dance,Collect Dolls,Watch TV,Shop,Write,Computer,Play with My Pets

How did you meet the baby’s father?:We Found each other on a Dating Site Called Geek 2 Geek and Met 4 Months later at My Brother’s House in Tacoma.

III.) PREGNANCY

What was the 1st clue that you were pregnant?:I was Late and I never am,and I was having Period Cramps without the Period

How did you feel when you found out?:Excited,Nervous

How long did you wait to tell the dad?:I told him I thought I was the next day

How did he initially react?:he was Excited we’d been trying for almost a year

Were you dating, married, or not together at the time?:Married

Was the baby a surprise, or were you trying to get pregnant?:trying

How long before you told your friends?:We Posted it on Facebook as soon as we knew for sure

What about family?:Same

Were you nervous to tell anyone?:No

Did anyone’s reactions surprise you?:No

Did you ever consider abortion or adoption?:We Considered Adoption or I did but it’s so Expensive and such a long Process. Michael’s always wanted his own kid.

If so, what made you change your mind?:Michael

Were you living with your parents, the dad, or on your own?:We obvi live together

Were you working/in school?:No

Did you have to “shop around” for the right OB?:No

Did you find out the gender before birth?:Yes

Describe how you felt when you first saw the baby on an ultrasound::Happy

Was the dad there?:yes

Were there ever suspicions that something was wrong with the baby?:No

If something WAS wrong, did you question going through with the pregnancy?:I would never abort

How far along were you when you started to show?:3 Months

Ever took pictures of your pregnant tummy?:Yes

Were you a smoker when you found out that you were pregnant?:No

:Did you ever drink during pregnancy?:No

What about drugs?:Nope

:Did you take prenatal vitamins?:Yes

Did you ever have morning sickness?:Once

What about gestational diabetes, swollen feet, etc?:I had Gestational Diabetes and Swollen Feet and Hands the last few Months

Do you have any genetic probs. you were afraid would pass on to the baby?:No

Did you ever cry about silly things because of hormones?:yeah

Did you have any weird cravings? For what?:in the first Month,Like Pickles Hot Dogs and Mustard wrapped in a soft Tortilla

:Did you go to lamaze classes?:No

Wasn’t it amazing when the baby kicked?:yeah

Did people ask to rub your belly?:thankfully no

Did you ever dream about the baby?:yeah

Do you miss being pregnant?:I did for awhile not anymore

What was your expected due date?:Oct 3,he was born on Sept 14

Did you ever get hurt or injured while pregnant?:no

Did you read baby books/magazines?:yes

Top 3 boy names you liked::Adrian,Logan,Jackson

Top 3 girl names you liked::Meredith,Madeline,Echo

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IV.) THE BABY SHOWER

Did you have just one, or more?:1

How far along were you?:7 Months

Did the dad attend?:yes

How many people attended?:idk a good handful

Did you have activities/games planned?:yes

What was your favorite gift?:The Diaper Cake was pretty neat

What gift ended up being the most helpful?:the clothes

Did you get anything that you never used?:yeah we got two Baby Carriers so we sold one

Did you have a diaper cake?:yep

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V.) LABOR

Where were you when you went into labor?:at home

What were you doing at the time?:I was sleeping then I felt like I had to pee so I went to use the bathroom and My Water Broke so I woke Up Michael around Midnight

Were you alone?:No

How long before you went to the hospital?:maybe an Half hour

How did you get there?:Michael Drove

How did you feel? (nervous, excited, scared, etc):Nervous I guess I was just in pain so I wasn’t really concentrating on anything else

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VI.) BIRTH

Did you give birth before, after, or on your due date?:Before

Who all came to the hospital and waited in the lobby?:My Sister in Law and Nieces were there First then My Mom and Aunt Drove over From Tacoma to Spokane! Michael’s parents and Brother where also there.

Who stayed in the room during birth?:all except my Father and Brother in law

Did anyone film the birth?:No

What kind of birth was it (C-section, vaginal, water birth, etc):Vaginal

Did you have an epidural?:yes

If yes, did you still find labor/delivery painful?:Not with an Epidural,the beginning when I was in labor without the epidural yeah

Did you have an episiotomy?:idkwhat that is

Was your OB there, or did you have an on-call doctor?:I had an on call Doctor

Were there any complications during/after delivery?:we did have to use a Vacuum to get him out,he waited until My Mom got there lol

Did you curse anyone out during labor? Scream/cry?:No

How long were you in labor before you started pushing?:Not very long,in total it took 15 hours

How long were you pushing before the baby was born?:awhile

What time was it when the baby was delivered?:5:16 PM

How long before you first got to hold the baby?:right away

Did you have any injuries from labor and delivery?:I did tear

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VII.) THE BABY AT BIRTH

Name::Adrian Rhys

Initials::ARC

Whose last name did the baby keep?:Our’s

Birth weight::6.8

Bald, a little hair, or a full head of hair?:Full head of hair

Eye color at birth::Blue

Did it change later?:it’s a bit More Grey Now but we prbly won’t know his true eye color until he’s a year Its Dark blue.

Hair color::Dark Brown

Features inherited from mommy::Hair Color (and it being Oily unfourntly),Nose,Ears,Lips,Skin Tone,Long Fingers

Features inherited from daddy::Face,Mouth,Eyes,Feet

VIII.) HOSPITAL STAY

How long did you stay in the hospital?:5 days,he was  at risk for Jaundice and He lost a pound

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Did the baby have to stay longer?:we stayed with him the whole time

Did the baby have to go into the NICU?:No

Did you have any issues with the hospital or nurses?: No I liked Most of the Nurses Especially Audrey who did Most of  the Work while I was having Him.

When it was time to go home, were you excited or scared?:Excited

Did anyone stay at the hospital with you?:Michael

Who all came to visit in the hospital?:My Brother and Michael’s aunt

IX.) NEWBORN

Was he/she an easy baby?:yes

Did they have colic?:a bit

Breastfed or formula?:Both

If breast, did you have any problems with nursing?:yes,which is why he’s formula fed now. but he was breast fed for a Month

Did baby use a pacifier?:yes

If so, what word did you use for it?:Binkie

Cloth or disposable diapers?:Disposable we do have some Cloth but we haven’t used them yet

Where did the baby sleep?:in His Crib,His Swing or With Me

Did the belly button ever make you nervous?:a bit

If it was a boy, was he circumsized?:yes

Did you bring them to the hospital often?:No Just for his Checkups

What was the hardest thing to adjust to?:lack of sleep

Something funny you did because of sleep deprivation::Funny,there was nothing funny about it

Something cute they did as a newborn::he always does cute things,his smiles are always cute as well as his Cooing and laughing

Do you remember the first real smile?:yep

How often did you do tummy time, and when did you start?:we tried to do it once a day

How old were they when you finally felt comfortable leaving them w/ someone: 1 Month we left him with his Grandma while we went to the Movies

Who, besides dad, helped the most at this age?:Grandma’s

How long before you went back to work?:

What about dad?:he could only get a Week off but he did take More Days after that,since we were in the Hospital during his Paternity leave

How well did siblings/pets adjust to the baby?:um The Pets were a Bit Leery but Now Jacob gives him Kisses every now and then and The Cats headbutt him.

Did you ever use a baby sling?:No

What about a walker?:yes

Anything scary happen to/with the baby at this age?:Not really

Did they ever have febrile seizures?:no

Stop breathing?:no

Cutest outfit at this age::His Monster Footie PJ’s

Where was baby’s first outing to?:The Cat Zoo

When did you start transitioning to solids?:idr

What was baby’s reaction?:he liked it mostly

What was their favorite first foods?: Squash 

Did they get sick often?:just a bit of Spit up he only Vomited once

First word: Hi

:Second word: ok (now he knows SOOO many more!) 

:Were they baptized?:No

X.) TODDLER Age

 first crawled:idr as soon as he could get up on his feet he was walking. 

Age first walked: 9 Months I thinks 

:What was their favorite thing to do at this age?:at Toddler age? so the age he is now...watch Cartoons,play on his Kindle,play outside,play with his toddler,run around and be hyper lol 

Foods they love? Chicken Nuggets,Pizza,Taco’s. 

:Foods they hate?: he doesn’t really NOT like anything...he doesn’t like the breading on Corn dogs lol 

Who (besides mom and dad) was their favorite person?: Grandma

What about best baby friend?: Adrian only really hangs out with two baby friends his Cousins Mark and Luke. 

Did they attend daycare? Nope

 At what age?

:Did you fill in one of those baby scrapbook things?: No I could never find one....

If so, did you finish it, or give up on it?:

Did they watch TV as a toddler?: yes he’s been watching TV since he was a baby. (back then his favorites were The movie Home and Slugterra.) 

If so, what is their favorite shows?: He likes all the Disney shows and any Dinosaur Shows,he also currently loves watching Ruby Gloom,Rugrats Power Puff Girls and Star vs The forces of evil.  

Favorite Movies? Disney Movies (currently Toy Story,Tangled and The Good Dinosaur),Trolls,Minions,Monster High. 

What was their bedtime routine?: his only routine is brushing his teeth before bed.

What time was bedtime?: 10

What time did they wake up in the morning?: 10

Did they enjoy bathtime?: He’s loved Baths ever since he was a baby. 

:What were their favorite songs?: He likes The Band Ghost lol he likes any song on Story Bots and that annoying Daddy finger Mommy finger song he found on you tube...

Favorite Color: Red and Orange

Favorite animals?:Cat,Monkey,Elephant, any cute animal really. 

Favorite place to go?: The Park or Chuck E Cheese

Did you go to the park a lot?: Yes

What about take baby to restaurants?:We take him,he’s usually good. but he does have a habit of throwing his food on the floor. 

What were your favorite crafts to do together?: Coloring and we made Daddy a shirt out of finger paint for Father’s Day. 

Did you ever color in their coloring books for your own enjoyment?:No I have my own XD 

Were they social, or more reserved?:he’s pretty social. 

Did you ever use a “leash”?: No

Ever had a problem with a babysitter?:Nope I’ve never had a stranger baby sit my kids. 

Were they gentle with animals, or a little too rough?:he can be a little rough until we tell him to pet the Kitty instead of chase them. 

Did they ever get bit by an animal?: No

What about another kid?: No

Were they biters/hitters?:Yes unfortunately 

Any allergies?:

At what age did they potty train?: He is now or on his way. 

How hard was potty-training for you?:How long did it take?: it’s been awhile...but he is only 2. 

Was there any punishment for not using the potty?: wtf...No!

What was their reward for using it?:LOTS of praise and Candy. 

What were their favorite outdoor activities?: riding the bikes at home or just chasing the Dog with sticks lol,at the park he loves the slides or doing whatever the other kids are doing. 

Favorite indoor activities?: His Kindle,playing with his toys,especially his Dino’s or Cars. 

Any major behavioral issues?:Not really,if he talks back he gets a time out. 

Health issues?:

Any friends/relatives they just did not like?

:Some funny things they did at this age: He’s done so many things I can’t pick just one. recently him acting like a spider monkey is pretty funny. 

:Some cute things they did at this age: When he’s trying to sing or dance. 

:A scary event that happened at this age:when he first chipped his tooth but he’s done it so many more times...that was when he 1 yr though. 

:Did you spank them at this age?: No

What about yell at them?: Yes

What one thing did they eat most often? PB&J or Honey Sandwiches or waffles. 

:Did they get candy/chips/sweets?: Yes

What about soda?:No

Fast food?: Yes

Were they overweight or underweight?:Neither

Did they pick up any bad words from you?: Yes but we quickly correct him. 

Sing along with mainstream radio?: In the car yeah. 

Did you ever give them Benadryl so you could get some sleep? no!

What about take them on vacation?:he’s ridden with us to Bellingham a few times. 

What was their comfort item?: His Monkey and a blanket. 

XI.) PARENTING STYLE

Would you say you are more lenient or strict?:A good mixture of both 

Were you ever a single parent?:No

Worked or stayed at home?:Stay at home

Did you and your partner ever fight about how to do something “right”?:prbly

Anyone ever criticized your parenting?:Who, and what did they say?: I don’t know and don’t care. 

What was the best compliment you received about parenting/child’s behavior?:

Did you ever discipline someone else’s kid?: when I had to Baby sit yeah. 

What was your main way of disciplining?: Time out or Grounding. 

How often were you guilty of using the TV as a distraction?: lol all the time

XII.) DID YOU EVER

Fight/argue in front of them?: try not to

Accidentally break/lose a toy?: yes

Give in to a fit?: Yes

Make a myspace/facebook under your child’s name?:No,he can have one when he’s older

Use WIC?:Yes we do

Foodstamps/welfare?: Nope we apparently “make too much”

Take them to Disney World?:Hopefully!

Take them overseas or on a plane?: Not yet

Get in a car wreck with them in the car?: No thank god

Let them miss school when they weren’t really sick?:

Get them their own pet?:We Might

Rent a Fun Jump/jump castle for their birthday?:Nope

Bake a cake/cookies with them?: We will

Smoke around them?:we don’t smoke

Enter them into sports?: If he wants to

Take them to a public pool?: Sure

Move after they were born?:we will be

Write them a letter to give them when they are older?:No

Take them to a museum?:No but I do want to take him to The Dino Museum

Take out a life insurance policy?:Write a will?

Get a kids song stuck in your head?: ALL THE TIME

Watch Youtube together?:When he watches you tube kids on his kindle 

Download a game for them on your phone?:No he has a Kindle now before we let him play Pokemon Go on our phones.

Get walked in on during an intimate moment?:Not yet lol 

Lie to a pediatrician?:Get a second opinion from another doctor?:

Call CPS on someone?: Almost

Get dirty looks when your kid threw a fit?:Again idc

XIII.) FIRSTS

Halloween Costume: The Baby from The Addams Family

Pet:: We have 3 Cats and 1 Dog he doesn’t really need his own pet yet. 

Vacation:To Bellingham Wa.

:Death they experienced::None

Formal event they attended:None

:Coherent drawing::None he did paint me a Finding Dory picture :) 

Professional picture:Our First Christmas together. 

:XIV.) MEMORIES

Are most of your photos o them developed or digitally stored?:Digital

Did you keep a journal of moments you don’t want to forget?:I will

Do you make home videos?:Yes

Do you have any of their old toys/clothes in storage?:Not in Storage but we have kept some of his old clothes. 

What about things they’ve made (drawings, etc)?:Yes

Do you send family photos as Christmas cards?:we do

Do you have framed photos of them displayed in your house? Not yet we have the photo’s but not frames....

:How about at work?:

In your wallet?: Michael does

Do you still have their ultrasounds?:yes

Did you keep their first lock of hair/tooth?: hair yes

Did you get a tattoo for them?:I will

XV.) EXPERIENCES

Tell me about something that happened related to the following.A time when you felt extremely proud::A heartbreaking moment::A time you look back on and regret your actions::Something your kid did that had the whole room laughing::Something they did that surprised you::Something incredibly sweet that they did::An event that made you angry::A moment you wish you had recorded::A bad holiday experience::A moment you would erase::A strange dream you had about your kid::A time you regretted buying a toy::A funny moment involving your kid and their friends::An awkward moment::Worst place you had to change a diaper::A moment involving your kid and an animal:

:XVI.) SOUNDTRACKA song that describes the labor/birth::A song that describes the kid’s relationship with dad::A song that describes your relationship with dad::Song you’d dedicate to your kid::Last song you listened to with your kid::Kid’s current favorite song::Song you sang to them at bedtime the most::Lyric that they always get wrong::A song by an artist with the same first name as your child::Song that has your kids name in the lyrics::

XVII.) OPINIONS

Breastfeeding in public::Not for Me

Vaccinations::Sad to see him Cry but it’s Important to get them

Teach them your religion, or let them discover their own?:Discover their own

Teenagers having babies?:ugh I’m against it

Abortion?:Pro Choice

Gay Parents::Pro

What would you do if your child told you they were gay?:fine with me

Leashes for kids::Mean

Pit bulls and kids::Pit Bulls are not Mean unless they are taught to be!

Smoking while pregnant::I don’t think so

Feeding kids fast food::ok every once in awhile

Letting toddlers watch TV::Fine,Adrian watches TV Now!

Homeschooling::seems hard but I’m not against it

Ear piercings for toddlers::No,that is so Vain

XVIII.) COUNTDOWN

10 Places You’d Like To Take Your Kids Someday

1::Canada

2::Disney World

3::Grand Canyon

4::Universal Studios

5::Japan

6::Puyallup Fair

7::Bellingham

8::Kansas

9::

10::

9 Favorite Things To Do Together1::2::3::4::5::6::7::8::9::8 Things You’ve Learned Since Becoming A Mom1::2::3::4::5::6::7::8::7 Favorite Memories1::2;:3::4::5::6::7::

6 People Who Have Helped You Out The Most

1::Michael

2::Mom

3::Alicia,My Sister

4::Michael’s Mom

5::Michael’s Dad

6::My Niece Miranda

5 Quotes From Your Child1::2::3::4::5::

4 Things You Want To Say To Your Child

1::I love you very much

2::you are the cutest baby ever

3::I will never abandon you

4::we will always be there for you

3 Bad Habits Your Child Has1::2::3::2 Good Pieces of Advice for Other Parents1::2::

1 Favorite Physical Feature of Your Kid 1::his smile

OPTIONAL: a picture of your child::

Adding questions! Favorite Superhero/Villain: Batman or SpiderMan and Killer Croc or Joker. Favorite Princess: Rapunzel Favorite Book: 3 little Ducklings If S/he's seen Anime what's his/her favorite? Yokai Watch.