The Oscars: A british invasion

Every year the Oscars seem to follow the trends of all the award show nominees. Have you ever noticed that pretty much anyone that's nominated for a Golden globe will undoubtedly be up for an Oscar? Unfortunately, that means that The King's Speech dominates the Oscars this year. If you haven't heard much about it, it's pretty much a stuffy British film starring a cast of characters that you see in pretty much EVERY British movie.

I swear, there must only be 7 working actors in all of Britain because they are the only ones that seem to ever appear in movies. You know who I'm talking about. There's Allan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Judy Dench, Helen Mirren, Colin Firth, Kiera Knightly and Helena Bonham Carter. And pretty much every British film has one or all of these people in it. I'm wondering how many love triangle combinations you can come up with to put Colin Firth in exactly? And it seems that anything coming out of the UK either is a Jane Austin movie, or a movie about the British Monarch. Really England, attempt to be original....please!

So with the drudgery of the King's Speech hoarding all the little Golden men, the Best Picture category can tend to go overlooked. Upon further inspection of the nominees, I was pleasantly surprised at the list of dynamic and versatile films picked for the prestigious award.

"Black Swan”
"The Fighter"
"Inception"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The King's Speech"
"127 Hours"
"The Social Network"
"Toy Story 3”
"True Grit"
"Winter's Bone"

Truly a difficult category. I love how the Academy has opened up the nominations of films that aren't always in limited release and artsy. Blockbuster favorites SHOULD be included in the list, especially when they show exceptional talent and creativity. Though there are a lot of really good movies in this category, I think it really comes down to two.

"Black Swan" was truly riveting. You wouldn't think a ballet story could be that way, but it was absolutely stunning. And "Inception" it's incredible story telling using complex ideals and philosophies is epic. I really couldn't tell you which one will win but I am interested to see the outcome. And I think that is pretty much the ONLY thing that will keep me watching this year.

I'm an author!

So I've been blogging now for several years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have been wanting for sometime now to take my two passions: blogging and music and work them together. Last week presented me with just such an opportunity as I joined the staff of HollywoodJesus.com as a music reviewer.

I mean, it's the perfect job! Brand new music every week that I get to listen to and critique? Yes please. I also want to broaden my writing experience and get some serious pieces under my belt so that I can be one of those pretentious hipster moms who drops their kids off at school and sits in Starbucks with a laptop on my lap and a latte in my hand. So without further adieu, I give you the introduction to my writing career: My first review

The land of 3

3 kids, 3 and under, 3 months in.

It's an incredible thing what time does to a person. Just 3 short months ago, I had a newborn baby in my lap and my mom, dad, and husband were all around helping me take care of kids and the house. I can remember feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of what I would do when all of those hands were gone, and it would just be me and 3 kids, ALONE.

It's definitely been an adjustment, and to be fair, there have been a lot of tears. But now that I am in the trenches, doing it alone, it's much more manageable than I ever thought it would be. Ofcourse, some days I get NOTHING accomplished and I find myself simply being a child holder- kissing boo boos, and breaking up fights all day. But somehow I feel like there will be a day when I will miss these things. Someday there will be a time when I will wish I could just sit on my couch and cuddle my babies again.

Insights on having 3 small children:

*Taking 3 little kids to the store isn't near as challenging as finding room for them all in the cart.

*How do you EVER find someone to watch 3 kids this age? It's an impossibility and I've resigned to the fact that maybe datenight will just have to be Tim and I and Netflix.

*Feeding this gang is something else. Our grocery bill has DOUBLED in a few short months. How this happens when one baby is full-time breastfeeding, I will never know.

*I have never seen so much laundry in my life. Everywhere I walk there is a load to be washed, or folded, or even worse a laundry basket full of clean and folded clothes just waiting to be put away. Who knew THAT would be the hardest part?

*The diapers aren't as overwhelming as I thought they'd be. I think once you get used to it, changing 3 diapers every few hours isn't as bad as one might think.

February 14th... a day that will live in infamy.

10 Years ago today marks a very special day in Warkentin history. It's the day we went on a monumental coffee date that changed the course of both our lives. This part, I think you've heard before. I think it absolutely amazes me how it's been 10 years already. When I think back to the naive, dream-filled, pie in the sky girl I was when I met him, it almost seems like a lifetime ago.

Our lives have changed courses several times since then. The career paths we thought we were going to take, we ended up abandoning. The passions we had for God's work changed courses, the road we took to starting a family got bumpy and unsure at times. Our perceptions of our world and ourselves have totally changed. Yet through all this time, all these changes, all this growing the one thing that has remained constant is our love and commitment to one another.

We were kids when we met and fell in love. And now, we're adults (or at least we'd like to think we are). What a difference a decade makes. And now here we are, shoulder deep in debt, kids and responsibilities. And I couldn't be prouder of the boy I knew and the man that he's become. We are lucky to have found eachother so young, to be able to grow together, to shape and mold who we are alongside a helpmate and support system.

Tim, there's no one I would rather pack a uhaul and move acrossed country with, sit in a hospital room holding a child's hand with, go to sleep next to, wake up beside, and grow old with. You own my heart and soul and you always will.

Love, your Valentine.

29th Birthday Recap

I've been working with some new video editing software and thought I'd share what I've learned. Here's a 2 minute snippet.

Dear Windows: YOU SUCK

This is what my face looks like after using my video editing software. I like to call this face: Technology, I hate you but I need you or Why am I so broke?

Now this all dates back to my younger years as a teenager. My parents were the focus on the family type who believed that computers were evil and the internet was the anti-christ. So when we brokedown and got the old dial-up aol back in...wait for it... 1998 it was a big deal.

Since then, I've obviously gotten more technologically savvy. But, I've always been broke. And it's been my experience that those two things DO NOT mix. When I went to college, my parents gave me a used Macintosh computer from 1986. If you think I'm exaggerating.. I assure you, I truly am not. They thought it would be a good "writing papers" computer, it turned out to not be.

Later I married Tim and discovered that we were forever doomed to remain oldschool PC people for 2 reasons: A) Because we were poor and B) His dad had a "nack" for building computers. Now this has proven to be helpful for computer updates, and I am terribly grateful that I don't still have the '86 Macintosh computer that weighs more than my 3-year-old.

However, I long for an imac. I drool over every commercial. I sigh in defeat whenever I see a youtube video with MAC software. I dream for the day when I will actually have a webcam built into my computer. I long for the day when I will own a laptop. But sadly.... I fear those will be the days I am in retirement and the MAC will be obselete.

So until retirement, I will be making the above face while I wait an absurd amount of time for my computer to think properly.

Erin Thoughts- February 4, 2011

*Why do they put ten hotdogs in a package but make you buy 12 hotdog buns? Evil marketing ploy, or way for you to feed ducks after you barbeque? Anyone's guess.

*A few days from now marks the Superbowl. Tim LOVES the superbowl because it's the biggest game of the year. I love it because it marks the end of football season. Either way, it's a HUGE celebration in our house.

*I'm turning 29 in a few days. It feels weird to say that. I used to think 29-year-olds were so old. On the plus side, it seems to be the age you give to women who are turning older "You don't look a DAY over 29." Okay, so maybe it's not SO bad.

*I've spent the last several months wondering who in the heck BRUNO MARS is. I have to say, I still don't really know and for that... I couldn't be more proud.

*Sometimes I wish I lived during the times of the wild west. But I have to say, I think it would be a little LESS like Dr. Quinn, and a little more like Deadwood.

*I totally want Pajama Jeans for my birthday. I was feeding the baby late one night, and saw an infomercial about Pajama Jeans- Pajamas that look JUST like jeans. I think this is a fabulous invention as I would much prefer to LIVE in pajamas, but don't want to embarrass my children by going to Target in them. This is the best of both worlds I think. But I've never bought a pair of $40 pajamas before. So, in case anyone was keeping track, it's not the fact that these are actually PAJAMAS made to look like JEANS that I'm worried about. It's how much they cost.

The February Curse

February is my birthday month, which most would see as a great thing. I see it as a cursed thing. Because, you see, every February without FAIL something always goes wrong and we end up having to spend all our money on fixing something, replacing something, or paying something and my birthday gets shoved in a box under my bed somewhere.

This year, in it's unfortunateness, is no exception. When the tire blew in the middle of January I just KNEW it was going to be a disasterous February. And, though it is MY fault that I spent the remainder of our money on groceries, I can't help but sigh and raise my fists up to the heavens. Ofcourse. February is cursed.

Recently, I was getting ready to go out and was listening to the radio. I heard this AMAZING song by the Script called "For the first time". If you haven't heard it, you should check it out. The song is all about how times are financially difficult and it really wears on a couple who have been together for a while. I must admit, I nearly cried the first time I heard it.

The last 10 years of my life have been much, much more than financially difficult. They have been financially impossible. But through it all, no matter what two things have happened: God has ALWAYS taken care of us, and Tim has ALWAYS stuck by me. That's what matters.

There's a line in the song that particularily gets to me and it's what I am now making my anthem this month:

"Oh these times are hard, they're making us crazy don't give up on me baby."

The Bachelor Breakdown Week 5