Kid's movies...

So we watched the Movie Up this past weekend. It was a good family movie, and made us laugh, a lot. But it also made me cry. What is up with Kid's movies being so sad? seriously.

Disney movies are notorious for having a parent dead or dying during the movie...Brother bear has one of the saddest story-lines I have ever seen. Lion King, Bambi, Finding Nemo, Ice Age, Lilo and Stitch...all have parents die. Its sad, and I think, kinda cruel.

Where are the Moms in Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White? Cinderella? The list goes on. What is the purpose of a kids movie but to laugh and learn and have a good time. but thinking back and realizing all the orphans these stories are about really makes ya think. ya know!?

Real or Fake?

Soooo, it is that time of year again to get your Christmas decorations out and up, your Christmas cards signed, sealed and delivered, and the Christmas music is ringing in your ears...We were supposed to buy a new Fake Christmas tree this year, since the last 3 years of having a real one was kind of difficult. The Cats knocked the tree over the past 3 years, and all the needles...and watering and so on and so on. So when I go to look at some fake trees today, I am more than a bit disappointed with the selection and prices of them. The only one I liked at the store I went to was $399. Yea that's not going to happen. Researching online came up with not much more luck, though I do have a couple places lined up to go look at least.

When I was growing up we always had a real tree. I love the smell. I love that its not perfectly triangular. I love that I don't have to store it in the basement all year! Also our house is so small...especially now with all of Emma's stuff in the front room, the swing, play pad...it can't be a humongous tree! but I don't want the pencil thin ones either.

So wish me luck...and I hope I find the perfect tree...at a perfect price!
what do you have at your house? real or Fake? all White or Multi colored lights?

at least this one has some character!

Detroit

I don't live very far from Detroit, and when I was a kid my Mom used to pack up us kids and take the train out of Royal Oak and go see Santa down at Hudson's downtown. We used to walk around downtown all day and take the train back. I remember playing on the train and the time our neighbors and all their kids went with us. It was a fun time. We used to go down to the fireworks every year too when I was young. Every year until I was in middle school we went down, sat on the waterfront and watched the fire works.

We used to go downtown to catch the Boblo boat to Boblo Island every summer. My Mom's entire family, I'm talking 100 people, would meet at our house, and go take the first boat out and come back on the last boat of the day. Oh my gosh, the fun times we had. We went every summer for 10 or 12 years in a row. We couldn't leave our parents side until we were under the Ambassodor bridge, and then we were free to roam the boat. On the way back, we learned the Hustle on the dance floor and looked for the lights of the bridge as a sign we are almost home. Wow, that's a whole different blog, I could go on and on about the good times there.

I love Downtown and have tried to take Erica down there as much as possible. We meet up with my brother and take the kids to the river walk, or Campus martius, or the Ren Cen for a movie. Justin on the other hand doesn't like being down there, like when we went and got our H1N1 shots last week, he was freaking out, saying we were going to get shot. Two years ago, when we took Justin to see the Heidleburg Project, he didn't want to get out of the car and couldn't believe we were going to walk around and look at it with the kids. He listens too much to the news I guess, I mean I know Detroit isn't exactly a safe city, but there are so many treasures in it, I would hate to become so scared of the city and miss seeing any of them.

Detroit is Hockeytown, and we have been to all of the Stanley Cup Parades downtown. There is nowhere better to watch the Red Wings play, then at Joe Louis Arena. The atmosphere is AMAZING! It gives me chills just thinking about it. We usually try to get nosebleed tickets once a year to go see our favorite team, just to get our fix.

We also have our Detroit Tigers downtown, watching them play baseball on a hot summer day at Comerica park, is also something we must do every summer, or spring, or fall if we make it that far!

There are so many old buildings, I could stare at them forever. Like the old Central Depot building. I don't exactly know why this building stands out to me, or why I like it so much, but it is just mesmerizing. When I first got my store down river and drove south on I-75 past it, I remember seeing it and thinking, wow that's a cool building. There is such history in all these old buildings, and I love looking up information on them online.

Detroit isn't always portrayed in a good light on national news, and I know some crazy things happen on a regular basis. When we are on vacation and people ask where we are from, I proudly say Detroit, even though so many have raised their eyebrows at us. I have too many good memories of times spent with family and friends, to be scared or ashamed by the City I love.