One of the best ways to encourage your learning-to-read and learning-to-spell children is to let them IM with a grandparent or the like.  Keep an eye on what they're doing, but let them have at it.
It's so cute!

Happy Independence Day!
God bless America!  Land that I love.

It was 1995.  I was a sophomore in high school.  I was friends with all kinds of kids at the First Baptist Church in our town and their Youth Director had just moved in down the street from me.  It was good times.
I got invited to their Lock-In and we had a good time.  I liked Lock-Ins.  Our church didn't have them very often.  Rarely.  Like, one every 5 years.  That isn't often enough for people who like Lock-Ins.
We had stayed up all night doing this and that and it finally was about 4 in the morning and some friends of mine were going into the old sanctuary to watch a movie.  What movie?  The Princess Bride  Oh, good.  I had always wanted to watch that, I thought.  Ken Davis made about a million jokes about that movie on his tape A Twisted Mind.  Ok, it was like once.  But, when you've watched that tape over and over... once turns into a million.  Trust me.

We laid down and I was surprised to see Fred Savage and Peter Faulk from the get-go.  Kevin and Columbo.  Good mix.  Then, Westley was the guy from Robinhood: Men In Tights and Princess Buttercup was "Jennay" from Forrest Gump.  "We were peas & ca-ots again."

I watched up until Westley left and was murdered by the Dread Pirate Roberts and the next thing I knew, it was time to go home.

I gave the movie another chance in 2003 when I was pregnant with Phoebe and Mom wanted to watch it.  Again here, we're talkin' zzz's.

This movie just didn't have it.  Or so I thought.

THEN, on the message board I frequent.  Someone tried to get me to guess a movie quote by saying, "Inconceivable."  I was clueless. Truly.  Someone said something about peanuts and I was lost.
Oh.  That movie (when I finally found out).  I just don't like that one much, I said.

A few months ago, I saw the 20th anniversary edition out in stores.  It is cool how it says The Princess Bride right side up and upside down.  (I had to type that 3 times to get it right.)

Friday, I saw it in the store marked down to $7.50.  I got it.  I figured third time's a charm, right?

Nope.




Wait.  Someone made it through the movie.  Who was it?  Oh yeah, that's right.  Logan.


And, I guess someone had to take his picture while someone else was putting the girls to bed. That would be me.

I'll say it.  I like the movie.  I never truly gave it a chance.  The first time doesn't count.  I was tired.  Too tired. The 2nd time, I was crocheting.  And, I got tired.  And, I was pregnant and missing my husband across 4 states.  The third time, I made myself like it.  It wasn't hard.
Sid laughed a lot.  I got a lot of jokes about the movie.  I had a vested interest.  My kindred spirit loves it.  I had to try again.

I did, and I'm glad.

"My name is Inigo Montoya.  You kill my father.  Prepare to die."
"As you wiiiiiiiiish."
"Anyone want a peanut?"
"Inconceivable!"
"You keep saying that.  I do not think it means what you think it means."

I'll stop.  But, I just want to say.  You have to cut Phoebe and Chloe some slack.  They were up late and had played hard that day.  And, they're girls and it is more of a "guy" movie (in some spots).
I really thought the eel was going to eat Buttercup.

Oh, Tucker fell asleep too.  He was tuckered.