2012 Summer Olympics

Dadda monkey and I love watching the Olympics. Every 2 years, we faithfully sit glued to our TV to cheer on the USA in various sports. We've also been fond of discovering new sports we didn't know existed and trying to figure out the rules. This year we've been intrigued by handball. I've always wondered, how do you go on to be a champion in some of these obscure sports. For example, I'm pretty sure my PE classes never had a handball session. Maybe Bro Bro monkey could be a natural at handball, but how would I find out? That's one thing I want to make sure I do for my monkeys; I'd like to give them the experience to try as many things possible and if they want to try something new, then I will dutifully sign them up to try it whenever I can.

Monkey girl is enjoying watching the gymnasts, but for some reason, she only wants to watch when there's a girl in a pink leotard. I don't think she quite has the grasp of the Olympics yet, but it's a start. I also have to mention I was shocked by the number of Judo flag carriers in the opening ceremony. I never knew Judo was so popular and honestly don't think I've watched much (if any) Judo, but now I'm curious so I'm going to keep an eye out for Judo when it's televised. Archery was also interesting yesterday. In fact so much so, that I completely forgot I had a neighborhood event that I had committed to. We were a little late, but had a good evening and made sure to have the DVR record the Olympics while we were out. As I sit typing this, the TV next to me is airing volleyball with the whole Monkey family watching. What Olympic events do you enjoy viewing? GO USA!

Ebates

I do a lot of online shopping and before I finalize any purchase, I always go check ebates.com to see if I can get money back from that merchant. Every quarter we get a check for the amount of 'ebate' we've earned. I've used them for a couple of years now and it's just a little bonus for the online shopping I do. Here's an easy link for you to signup and start earning cash back for yourself.

Pinterest Cupcakes

I'm a big fan of Pinterest, mostly because I'm already a big fan of internet surfing and my list of bookmarks is out of control. Pinterest allows me to view mostly pictures and in a sense bookmark them online in one central location where I can access it from almost anywhere (of course they have an app for that too).

 Anyways, Dadda monkey's birthday was last week so we decided to bake him some cupcakes. He's a huge fan of Andes mints and I happened across a recipe for Andes mint cupcakes on Pinterest. They were a big hit, even with the kids. I'd recommend decreasing the amount of mint extract for the icing just a bit, but they really did remind me of an Andes mint. I also have to work on my technique for filling cupcakes because most of them had very little filling. Also, my green food coloring came out faster than I expected so they're more green than I wanted, but I highly recommend this recipe.

Bravo, Brave!

We've been watching little clips for the new movie, Brave, for months now. Needless to say, we were eager to go see it. We've learned Bro Bro monkey doesn't sit well through movies yet, especially 3D movies, so Dadda monkey and I decided to bring Monkey girl along for a special evening.

Brave was a very entertaining movie and Monkey girl was fascinated with the main character, a young princess named Merida. Merida's not your ordinary princess, having been raised in the Scottish highlands. She seems to always have handy the bow her Dad gave her, much to her mother's dismay. Her mom is grooming her to be a proper princess and future bride while Merida would rather be riding her horse, Angus, and practicing her archery.

Monkey girl's eyes were glued to the screen and she declared she loved this movie when it ended. She's still talking about her favorite parts and requesting to watch it again. It's a must see for mothers and daughters in particular. Hope you all get to see it and enjoy it as much as we did. The clip below includes one of Monkey girl's favorite parts.


It's a classic Disney/Pixar film and we give it 0 monkeys sleeping,even though Bro Bro monkey was at home (and I might add, still awake when we got home).

Here's a fun little activity for your monkeys.

Happy Father's Day!

We didn't have many (any) plans for Dadda monkey today, but I think that's what he actually prefers. We're picking up some Chinese food for dinner, which is as much of a treat for me as it is for him since I've been trying to watch what I eat. After dinner, the monkeys have a small gift for him and then he gets to spend the rest of his evening watching TV or playing video games. Personally, I'd have gone for a trip to the spa or just going to the pool, but it's his day and he's happy, which is all that matters today. The monkeys have been very cuddly and lovey today. I hope all the Dads out there have had a fantastic day catered just to them!

Surprise Visits

We had an exciting week last week. We decided to take off for a couple of days to go to Galveston, TX. It was nice to be able to dip our toes in the 'ocean' (the monkeys don't understand the difference between the ocean and the Gulf yet) and play in the sand. Getting away, if even for a few days, does wonders for your emotional well being.
Meanwhile, we had some sneaky family members decide to surprise us with a visit. Much to their surprise (and our disappointment), we weren't home. Luckily, we were planning on heading home the day after their arrival and they extended their trip by a day. Monkey girl and Bro Bro monkey were delighted to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa even let the monkeys (and Dadda monkey and I) ride in his big truck.

The Avenger's Movie Review

Before you begin reading this, I want to let you know that I loved 

this movie. I didn't expect to enjoy it, but I did, especially in 3D.

The following is a guest post review from Dadda monkey:

I had the honor of watching The Avenger's recently in IMAX 3D.  I

have to say it was an outstanding movie.  The movie was obviously 

designed with 3D in mind, so I would suggest seeing it in this 

format if possible, but I'm sure it will be just as awesome in 2D.

     In my opinion Joss Whedon (Director/Screen Writer) has come

a long way.  This wasn't a teen script meant to capture the 

imagination of all those Buffy fans out there, it was a great piece of 

work that even Stan Lee would be proud of.  There was a lot of 

action in the movie, but something I didn't expect was the amount

 of humor. 

Robert Downey Jr. did an excellent job as Tony Stark, yet again.  I 

was laughing throughout a good portion of the movie, and to my 

surprise, so was my wife.  She wasn't a fan of any marvel super 

heroes and I'm not sure if she's ever laid a finger on a comic book, 

but she genuinely really liked the movie as well.  There were 

several times I looked over and noticed her laughing or sitting on

the edge of the seat.

    In all, the movie was excellent and I would recommend it to 

anyone as a great movie to watch, even if you don't like Comic 

Books!