A Mama's Rant

General Mills is taking you to the movies

Since a new movie theater with IMAX and 3D opened up near us, the kids and I have been going to the movies quite regularly. Every time we go I seem to drop $30 to $40 on not only the movies (3D and IMAX are even more expensive than regular movies) but popcorn and drinks, too. (We try to economize by sharing, since our theater gives free refills – but still!) And with all the cool holiday movies we want to see from Fantastic Mr. Fox to Planet 51, there’s got to be a cheaper way to do things.

Now General Mills is helping to make seeing all those holiday movies a more affordable this year. You can receive a free movie ticket when you purchase two specially marked packages of General Mills cereals(Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Trix and Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs).

After purchasing your two cereals, visit generalmills.com/moviecash to enter the code found inside each box and print your free movie certificate good for admission to any movie. That’s it!

These would make great stocking stuffers or a great way for your spouse to take the kids to the movies while you wrap presents. Or forget the kids and go with your girlfriends to see some George Clooney movies. Just keep in mind that the certificates are only good for 60 days after you print them, so plan accordingly!

To find a participating theater near you, log on to the eMovie Cash Locator. If your favorite theater isn’t available (mine isn’t, darn it!) you can click here to email them. To find out more about how the program works, check out the FAQ page.

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Disclosure: General Mills provided me with a free coupon for one box of General Mills cereal, information on the program, and four eMovie Cash certificates through MyBlogSpark.

Family Fun at Two Miles High

This is an entry in the Babylune Family Vacation Group Writing Project.

Traveling with small children is like Napoleon invading Russia. You bring a ton of stuff, you’re constantly on the move, always repacking, and you never bring enough of the right things. This is especially true when you’re traveling in mountain country where summer weather can go from sunny and hot, to raining, cold or even snowing.

One 4th of July weekend three years ago, my husband Paul, our two children Nathan, who was four then, and Lucie, who was 15 months, and I took a trip to two of Colorado’s mountain hot springs resorts. Since it was a holiday weekend, it was impossible to get two nights at a resort. Even with the extra hassle of having to change hotels after one night, I was looking forward to relaxing in the soaking pools and not having to cook.

We had an easy drive. The kids slept most of the way and didn’t get antsy until we stopped for lunch in Buena Vista. The public restrooms were small with only one toilet and no changing tables. This resulted in long lines, which my family only made worse since Nathan took a long time and had to visit the toilet twice.

People didn’t seem to mind waiting since a feature of mountain towns is lousy service. It’s slow and provided by mountain folk who are brain dead from the lack of oxygen at nearly two miles above sea level. After a trying lunch where the food was good, but the kids impatient with the wait, we finally made it up to the first hot springs resort.

A Night at the Drive In

After an unusually quick dinner that night, we took the kids to an old-fashioned drive in. Lucie started whining from her car seat immediately after Nathan and his dad left to get some snacks. I took her up front with me, figuring the mountain air and a bottle of milk would quickly put her to sleep. Instead, she went into hyper-overdrive. She wiggled around on my lap, honked the horn, and tried climbing out of the window. Exasperated, I put her back in her car seat. When she protested, I gave Lucie her baby doll, covered her with a blanket and commanded, "Go night-night NOW!" She finally gave up and went to sleep after a brief cry.

Nathan stayed awake for most of the movie with the help of a cup of lemonade and handfuls of malt balls. But between the day’s long drive, soaking in the hot springs, and trying to see the movie out of our not-so-clean windshield, I was tired, had a headache, was happy to drive back to our motel after the movie was over.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours

After our 2-3 feet of snow this week, we piled into Big Bad Dad's Tundra - Nana too - and headed to FlatIrons Mall to get the annual picture taken with Santa. The traffic was horrendeous in and out of the mall, but we had to get the kids' picture taken. After all this is the same Santa we've been seeing since we moved back to Colorado six years ago.

The line wasn't so bad. In fact, it took Big Bad Dad longer to get coffee than for the kids to get their picture taken. BBD wasn't too happy about missing the picture. It was the first year Boo Girl didn't freak out about Santa. Instead of breaking into tears, she asked him for a rocket fishing rod, something her brother has been begging us to get since he saw the commerical on Nickelodeon.

Rocket rishing rod? Uh, no way. The boy needs to learn how to cast like a real fisherman. Heck, even his mother knows how to cast. Or I used to when, as a kid, I fished on a regular basis on the Jersey Shore and in the Florida Keys. I'm a bit rusty now but like riding a bicycle, it comes back with a little practice.

Merry Christmas everyone.

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SERIOUSLY HO HO HO

Getting the kids' picture taken with Santa this year was a bit of an ordeal. First it was snowing, so we took Big Bad Dad's truck (lucky for us he was still out of town) which meant switching the car seats, toys, books, clothes, diaper bag, and cell phone charge cord from my car. Luckily, even with the wind, snow and ice, it wasn't a bad drive to the FlatIron Crossing Mall, where we get the pictures taken with the same Santa each year.

We hit the bathroom at one of the department stores and I changed the kids into clean outfits - jeans and red shirts and shoes. By the time we changed and walked over to where Santa was, it was time for him to take his break. Damn! So off we went to California Pizza Kitchen, first to change the kids back into their dirty clothes, and then to eat pizza. (Oh the pizza! I just love the Thai Chicken Pizza. It's the only pizza with chicken I can stand. Otherwise chicken on pizza and pasta skeeves me.)

After dinner, we cleaned up and I got the kids back into their photo clothes. Then back over to Santa's station we went. There wasn't much of a line - thank goodness - and the kids were excited to tell Santa what they wanted (golf clubs for Monkey Boy and toys for Boo Girl). When it was time to sit on Santa's lap, Boo Girl went from smiles to a big frown. "You gotta be kidding me!" her expression said.

Even so, it turned out to be a pretty good picture. Monkey Boy looks great as usual, and Boo Girl is very, very serious. Heck it's an improvement from last year's scream fest. Maybe in 2006 we can get her to smile?

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends!

Many Jewish holidays commemorate events invested with historical and religious meaning. Hanukkah means "dedication," and it commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by foreign forces. The celebration also reaffirms the continuing struggle to live by God's commandments and to lead Jewish lives.

When all is said and done, perhaps the most important message of Hanukkah may be found in the name of the holiday itself: dedication. When Jews have dedicated themselves, through faith and action, to the pursuit of high religious and human ideals, Judaism has been strong. That imperative, to strengthen the Jewish religion and people, remains an important challenge at this season, in every generation. (From the Jewish Outreach Institute)

Learn more about Hanukkah from the History Channel.

Did you know that 55 percent of the Denver-Boulder area's 70,000 Jews are unaffiliated, which is one of the highest rates in the country?

You can read how Stepping Stones, a Jewish outreach effort, is trying to connect with the region's large number of intermarried couples and unaffiliated Jews in today's Denver Post article, Hanukkah's illuminating lesson.

OH FUNKY TANNENBAUM!

As requested, here are some pictures of our retro-cool Christmas tree and all the ornaments we've collected over the years.

Here's Big Bad Dad and his elves decorating it.

And here's the littlest elf threatening to pull it down.

VINTAGE HOLIDAY DECORATING

I usually pick our Christmas tree's color scheme the year before when I can stock up on tinsel and balls at the after-Christmas sales. (The only exception was after 9/11 when I did a last-minute patriotic red, white and blue color scheme.)

This year's colors? Pink and silver.

Huh?

Let me explain. Last year I bought a 4-foot and a 6-foot vintage aluminum pom-pom tree at a thrift store. (You know the kind your grandma had with the color wheel? You can see some examples here.) We already had a new, reproduction 10-foot aluminum tree and three color wheels, which we rarely use because they're fire hazards.

Yes, we do have enough room for three trees.

So this year, I planned to put pink balls on the smaller trees and pink tinsel on the large tree along with the ornaments we have collected over the years. I was going for a retro-cool feeling and planned to repeat the theme with silver tablecloths, candlestick holders, etc.

However, did I ever mention that 20-month-old Boo Girl is a climber and must mess with every button or knick-knack that she sees? So I'm predicting that she'll knock down the Christmas tree at least once this year.

Needless to say, I've abandoned the pink GLASS balls and will be using last year's styrofoam green balls, leftover red tinsel from the year before that, and our red and green table decorations. We're also going to only put up the big tree and hang the stockings from the way-up-high window ledges instead of the mantle piece. We're doing whatever we can to make less temptation for the Boo Girl.

Big Bad Dad and I are setting up the tree in stages, too. First he assembled it, hung the lights, and placed it on a low coffee table. When Boo Girl approaches it, we tell her, "Yes, it's pretty. NO TOUCHING!"

Later we'll put on the tinsel and the non-breakable balls. Then we'll put on the hardier ornaments. I think I'll forgo the extremely delicate glass bird ornaments just in case.

(And when we're finished, I'll take a picture and post it. Wish us luck!)

HALLOWEEN PIX

O.K., enough Halloween photos already. I'm sure all you BlogExplosion surfers are sick of them.

But for those friends and family members who are interested, check out our Halloween Photo Album and the pictures of Pirate Dad, Cowboy Tex and Minnie Girl.

There will be more pictures once I get the film roll back from Big Bad Dad. (He took the regular camera to Ireland. And it promptly broke. Since I've already spent over $100 having it fixed once, I'm not going to do that again. So I have a bid on eBay for another digital camera like the one we already own.)

EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN

Read my latest, Every day is Halloween over at DotMoms.

I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween. I think it's going to rain and/or snow here in Colorado. This is not surprising as it either snows the week before the holiday or is freezing every year we've gone trick or treating.

I may end up taking the kids to the mall this year instead. At least we'll be warmer.