Horton Hears a Who - A Feldman Family Review

While most of America is off celebrating Easter, we're doing what most Jewish families do on this special holiday - we hit the movies!  Today we checked out Horton Hears a Who and while I initially thought it would be too young for my movie savvy kids, I have to say, it was a really good movie.  I loved the fact that Steve Carrell and the hilarious Seth Rogan are in the film along with Jim Carey, Carol Burnett, Jonah Hill and Jesse McCartney.  I also think that Dick Van Dyke was the narrator but the kids had to hit the bathroom at the end so I couldn't stick around to watch the end credits.

The animation studio that created Horton is Blue Sky Studios, a production company based in Westchester, NY - how cool is that and the same masterminds behind Ice Age - which means this movie is a total winner - from the colorful characters, incredible scenery and distinctive voices, we found ourselves laughing right along with our kids to the far fetched Dr. Seuss tale of an elephant who becomes convinced he's hearing voices from the mayor of a tiny city that's the size of a speck.

If you haven't gone to see Horton Hears a Who yet, trust us, this one's a must-see for the entire family. And, we also have some preview picks that we definitely plan to check out once they hit theaters.  Top of the list includes:  Ice Age 3, that new Kung Fu Panda movie starring Jack Black and Nim's World starring Abigal Breslin and Jodie Foster.  We also saw a preview for Speed Racer - which I know my son is going to love and Wall E - which is from Dreamworks but to be perfectly honest, I have no desire to see a movie about a robot again.  Let's just admit that Star Wars by far had the best robots - there's no reason to try to create a better robot movie because to be honest, it simply can't be done.

So that's it for the Feldman family movie review hour.  Don't miss Horton and have a Happy Easter!

A Conversation with My Five Year Old

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to live in a mansion."

"Wow, that's great Dylan, can I visit?"

"Sure, and I'm also going to buy a car that's a convertible."

"Really, and what exactly are you going to be when you grow up?"

"Oh, that's easy, I'm going to work in a supermarket."

Hopefully he's talking about owning a chain of supermarkets, otherwise he's going to have to work a ton of hours as a bagger or cashier to buy that mansion!

Role Mommy Tip of the Day - How do Get a DVD Player on the Fritz to Work?

I'm sure you've been there.  Your child is about to slip in his favorite DVD and watch a two hour movie and you're excited because you're about to have at least 90 minutes to get some work done.  But here's the thing.  The DVD player isn't working and while your husband keeps trying to press every button he can find, he can't seem to get it going.  So he calls in reinforcements. 

"Beth, can you fix the DVD player?"

"Sure.  What seems to be the trouble?"

"It won't work and I don't know what else to do - I've pressed every button and has turned the damn machine on and off like five times."

"Let me have a look."

Within 20 seconds, I've diagnosed the problem.  A disc that has two long scratches and a fingerprint smudge.  While I can't fix the scratches, I put a little saliva on my finger, rub my sweater on the disc 4-5 times and voila, it works!

So to fix a DVD player, all it takes is a little spit and a piece of clothing you're already wearing. What does it cost?  Nada.  No go out and have a happy Sunday, on me.

Review of New Musical, "In the Heights"

We just had the chance to see a brand new musical that, in the words of my husband - a true theater aficionado, is "way better than Rent."  Click here to visit Role Mommy Recommends and find out about "In the Heights."   Then buy a ticket and judge for yourself!

Question of the Day - Can you legally adopt a monkey?

The discussion in the car this morning drifted to an important topic.  Can we own a monkey and if so, is it legal to do so?

After consulting Google, we happened upon a website that says that if you live in New York City, then no, you cannot legally own a monkey.  However, if you reside in New York State, then the laws governing ownership of a monkey are much more lenient so you may be able to actually adopt one and raise it as a pet.

Now here's the next question - where could you even find a monkey to adopt one and if you find one, can monkeys even be housebroken?  Plus, I'm sure it costs a boatload to own a monkey - could we rent him out at parties and Bar Mitzvahs and re-coup our expenses?  We already have a name picked out.  Boynton - for the hippest senior citizen community near West Palm Beach Florida.  Now all we need is a monkey.  Or we can always stick with the stuffed variety - they're cheaper to buy and easier to clean up after anyway. 

Is there a pet your kids are begging you to buy for them?  

Meet the Founders of Meal Makeover Moms!

Today, Traveling Mom's Kim Orlando and I welcomed the founders of MealMakeoverMoms.com and they gave us some great tips on how to spruce up our hum drum meals for family and give our kids some healthy options to some of their fast food favorites.   Find out about their great recipes, at home cooking parties and how they're food is kid tested and mom approved!

The Daylight Savings Hangover

Daylight Savings totally did a number on me today.  I am in a complete haze and no matter how many cups of coffee I drink, I can't seem to shake this nagging feeling of total exhaustion that has consumed my body.  As I sit her on my couch writing and watching "Drake and Josh" and answering my son's umpteenth question of the day, all I want to do is take a nap - or find some cheesy 80's movie that I can fall asleep to without interruptions. 

Before I had kids, I used to look forward to lazy Sundays where I had nothing on my agenda and would be content watching a movie marathon in my pajamas.  But now that I'm constantly pulled in a million directions, there is no rest for the weary.  I've got a one hour break before my daughter gets back from her gymnastics class and then we're off to the movies.  From there, we'll grab a light bite for dinner and wind up in the supermarket before it closes so I can get milk and juice for the kids' breakfast tomorrow.  Then it's bath time, pajama time, brushing teeth and lights out.  Just thinking about the rest of the day makes me want to pass out. 

That's it.  I'm ditching Drake and Josh and hitting the living room where I can flick on the tube and get lost in another decade for the next 45 minutes.  Nothing like a Brat Pack marathon to shake off the daylight savings blahs.

Nobody Puts Swayze in the Corner

What a sad day today.  I just heard that Patrick Swayze is battling pancreatic cancer.  I truly hope that he caught it early and will hopefully beat this deadly disease.  Swayze starred in some of my favorite films of all time (yes, I am lame, but it's true).  From "Dirty Dancing" to "Ghost," Patrick Swayze was a fixture of 80's pop culture.  Let's hope that he beats the disease.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Our latest Blog Talk Radio Show!

Today we spoke with Alan Scofield, founder of The Story Home, a new website that has virtually taken off in 22 countries worldwide!  Find out how this master storyteller is sharing his stories with internationally and how you can download his original tales for your kids too!  Click on the Blog Talk Radio link above and listen in!