The Wonderful World of Subliminal Messaging

There are many things that (thankfully) go over children's heads. I was thinking about this today as Alaina watched Dumbo. It made me reflect on several Disney movie plots, and the mixed messages they send.

Let's take the awkward baby elephant that gets wasted, wakes up in a tree, thus discovering he can fly.

Or the 16-year-old scantily-clad mermaid who defies her father's authority to be near her supposed "soul mate," with whom she has never spoken.

And then there's the strained family dynamics in the pride lands, where an envious uncle murders his brother and attempts to murder his nephew. The nephew returns to avenge his father, and, after a fight to the death, resumes the throne.

And let's talk about the sinister step-mother who subdues her orphaned step-child into domestic slavery. This daughter of a judge is wondering where CPS is at.

And yet I still love Disney movies. Every one. Except maybe The Black Cauldron. That one is creepy.

For those of you not on Goodreads

Looking for a good book to read? I thought I'd share some of my favorite books I've read recently. A major chunk of my ideal day would be spent in bed with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate, and the sun shining through my window.

The Classics- I love these because, along with having a great plot, they tend to be very thought-provoking. This also means they tend to be long. Most of these are 800+ pages. Don't be intimidated!

Anna Karenina- And you thought your family was dysfunctional. This one really gets you thinking about your own relationships, and what brings happiness.
Gone with the Wind-LOVE LOVE. I'm half-way through right now.
Les Miserables- Beautiful. There are some long-winded passages about random historical things, and I skimmed those parts. But seriously I love this book.
The Virginian -this one starts slow, so skip the first 120 pages if you must. Just know that the Virginian is a cowboy who loves the local school teacher, and Trampas is the bad guy.


Just for Fun-Sometimes you just need a mindless book that makes you smile.

Edenbrooke-Jane Austen-esque novel. I'm sort of embarrassed that I read this book in 2 days. It's cheesy, but fun.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-Charming and witty
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio-true and very unique story. Fun to read.


Not so happy, but really good books

The Book Thief- so this WWII/holocaust novel was a fascinating page-turner with a really unusual narrator. It's been a while since I've read it, but I think there was some language in this book.
Rebecca (by Daphne DuMaurier)- a suspenseful mystery
The Thirteenth Tale- This one was really well written, but kind of dark.

Biographies-typically I'm not thrilled about reading biographies, but I will recommend one:

Unbroken- about a WWII survivor. Holy cow, what a story. I think the movie comes out this year.



I'm pretty sure everybody has already read The Help and Life of Pi, so I didn't include those.

I have appreciated reading so much more since graduating college and leaving behind those mandated textbook reading assignments. Caleb still lives and breathes textbooks, so I can't convince him to read anything more. He did read Ender's Game with me last summer, though. We're redboxing the movie on Saturday.

The Wonder Eater.

There are some days when it's hard to be the mother of my 2-year-old. But then at dinner she says "More broccoli, please," and I get to thinkin' I have it pretty good. Today she asked for just a tomato for lunch. And  then she ate the whole thing.

Story Time Dropout

"Excuse me, but until your daughter learns how to behave I suggest you don't come to story time."

That's what the librarian told me today. So I picked up my squirmy son, my "spirited" daughter, the diaper bag, our winter coats, and my pride, and slumped out of the West Lafayette Public Library. Looks like we'll be frequenting the Tippecanoe County Library for a while.

One of my favorite family photos

This picture is almost 2 years old. If you look closely you will find something amiss. The young boy in the picture is not my son. His name is Byron, and we love him. Byron's class had "Grandparent's Day" a while back. Since neither set of Grandparents lived nearby, he naturally chose us as the lucky replacements. (My mom always says I have an old soul. Maybe Byron honed in on that.) Anyway, I love the way his hand is gently placed on Caleb's knee, like this is the greatest day of his life. It gives me hope that my own children might think I'm worthy of a public appearance once in a while.