WEBSITE WEDNESDAY {jolleyonmovies}

Then you have to check out THIS site!

Let me explain why I love it:

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1.) Its snarky synopses and movie reviews hold just the right mix of the profound and the cynical to keep you entertained and informed.

2.) Movies geared toward all ages and interests are included: action, sci-fi, romantic comedies, children, movie adaptations, new releases, old classics, and even TV series.
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3.) Not sure if that show will be appropriate for you or your family? Find out the reasons behind those ratings.
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4.) Can't find the specific show you're looking for? No worries. Click on the "requests" tab and fill in your suggestion.
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5.) The site may also be run by my lil' sis. But WAIT! Don't be so fast to roll your eyes. I promise I'm not biased! This girl can write. I wouldn't post about it if I didn't sincerely think so myself.
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6.) If anything, the clever writing will make you laugh out loud. It's seriously hilarious.


GO AHEAD! Browse around for your next movie rental, and give her some blog love while you're at it. Let her know where you came from too. I am SO going to be the favorite sibling after this.


P.S. You can also like the Facebook page HERE.

MANHATTAN TEMPLE

Our first day in New York, Andrew, Mom and I decided to attend a session in the Manhattan temple. It was at the top of our list of things to do, and Becca would be at work anyway.

After taking a subway, we walked over thirty blocks to get there. 

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We figured it was worth the trek. 

It was surreal to see an LDS temple in the midst of the taxis, skyscrapers, and general chaos. And we were so excited to go inside to rest from the heat, humidity, and loud, busy city!

This is us pouting after the front-desk security guard informed us it would be closed until next week. 

We were sorely disappointed. 

The plan was to wear our church clothes that day because of the temple  in the morning and the Broadway play in the afternoon. But with no temple session to attend, we were pointlessly dressed fancy for NYC sightseeing instead. Ugh.

I though we might stand out a little bit...but I didn't realized how much until a group of guys stopped us in Central Park.

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They wanted to know if we were Jehovah's Witness missionaries. 

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Ha! 

But apparently, the Jehovah's Witnesses' worldwide church headquarters is in Brooklyn. 

I guess you could say that Watchtower is to Jehovah's Witnesses as Temple Square is to the Mormons. 

Anyway, has anyone out there actually made it inside the Manhattan Temple? Was it quiet, or could you hear the honking traffic and construction from in there? I was curious about that. 

*If you are curious about Mormon temples, you can read more about them HERE.

BROADWAY PLAY

While in New York, we saw the Broadway play, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

It starred Daniel Radcliffe...also known world-wide as Harry Potter. 

Ring any bells?

I thought it was kinda crazy that he was starring in a musical production. I mean, Harry Potter can sing and dance??
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But we learned that yes, actually, he can. His singing was...acceptable. And his acting was great! But his dancing? It was TRULY impressive. Like, I-was-completely-blown-away impressive. 
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Who knew Harry Potter had it in 'em?
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And it wasn't til the end that I realized he has a killer American accent. 

The theater was surprisingly small...fancy and beautifully decorated...but small. As a result, it was hard to believe how CLOSE we were to Daniel Radcliffe. He was right there on the stage in front of us. 

RIGHT. THERE!

I guess I'm not used to seeing a whole lot of  movie stars living here in Idaho, because it was very, very surreal.

I wasn't sure if musicals were Andrew's "thing."

But don't tell me he wasn't entertained! Not only was he and the audience laughing through the entire show, but every time I glanced over at him, he was leaning forward in his chair...eyes glued to the stage...mouth hanging open.

He even requested that we get tickets for another Broadway play while we were in New York. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it work with the short amount of time we had. 

After the show, a mob gathered around one of the exits hoping to catch a glimpse of the star. 
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What? You can't see him? 

Don't worry. We couldn't either.

The only way we could tell he was there was when the crowd started screaming. Body guards were yelling at everyone to back up, people were scrambling up poles and fences to see better, and I was taking pictures of a sea of cameras in the air. 

We gave up on the madness and left. But not before a young kid came up from the front of the crowd in a daze. I don't think he had recovered from being the sudden possessor of a Daniel Radcliffe signature, if you can call it that. Signature...mad scribbling...either one.

He was kind enough to let me take a picture. 

Anyway, like I mentioned in a previous post, this was the undisputed favorite part of everyone's NYC trip. 

WARNING: R-Rated Post

I was alone in my classroom reading this from one of my new third graders and dying to share it with someone. This little gal made three very funny mistakes right on top of each other...each a little more shocking than the last. 

I often have to translate students' experimental spellings in my mind as I read. My thought process as I read this went something like: 


You are a nice teacher.
You are smart. 
You are cool. 
You are fun.

Aww. What a sweetie. 

Do you like...touching kids? 

Um, that's awkward. Does she mean hugging them maybe?

Do you like...whores?! 

WHAT the...?

Do you like to...ride whores??!

OH. MY. GOSH!


It was at this point that I dropped the letter and laughed out loud for a minute straight. I mean, obviously, she wasn't meaning to say those things. In case you are wondering, I'm pretty sure the correct translation is something more like:

Do you like TEACHING kids?
Do you like HORSES?
Do you like to ride HORSES?

Nonetheless, this is one letter I will be keeping forever.

THE CURRENT BUZZ

I've been busy working on my bee-themed classroom for the first day of school (just a few days left!). As a result, my head is a whirl with cheesy bee puns. This "bee happy" banner I made is just a sneak peek of things to come.

So here's a story for ya:

I decided to be brave and enter some photography into our itty, bitty county fair. I printed three 8x10 photos, matted and framed them, and sheepishly handed then over at the fair grounds. I felt so foolish. It didn't help that I was completely surrounded by parents filling out entry forms for their children.

For several days after, I felt butterflies in my stomach every time I thought about going back. I had asked for my photography to be judged! How intimidating! What if I didn't get any prize at all?
But what if I did?
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My thoughts eventually snowballed into grand visions of ribbons and recognition. By the time I went to see the results, I was entertaining myself with memories of Wilbur from Charlotte's Web, being paraded around the fair with a full marching band. It could happen, right?

That's not exactly how it played out.

Not only were pink Participant ribbons hanging from each of my frames, but two photos were hung SIDEWAYS on the wall, as if the judges couldn't even tell what they were supposed to be!

I'm trying not to let this one experience squelch all my hopes and dreams.

I have given up on vegetable gardens for now. For 3 years, I provided tender, loving care through the summer until school hit in August. Then, it all died...just as everything was nearing its harvest time. I'd just be too busy!

I was tired of putting in so much work for nothing. So this year, I threw handfuls of wildflower seeds in our garden box and called it good. I was worried when for a few months it looked like a box of weeds. But recently...it paid off.

Oh, and this is what our house currently looks like. Dormers built, shingles laid, and most walls sheeted.

Several windows still need to be cut out on the front, and others need to be made bigger. But this gives the general idea.


Next up: house wrap and window installation!

HUMIDITY

I couldn't help but laugh at these pictures taken in progression on one of our days in New York. Pay special attention to my naturally curly hair...

Straightened. Sleek and smooth (though slightly windblown) as we wait for the Staten Island ferry.

Curling at the ends mid-afternoon on Wall Street. 

Orphan Annie. Crazy curls at the Tick-Tock Diner for midnight dessert. 

I don't know why I even tried. 

TOP TEN NYC SIGHTS TO SEE {according to us}

I feel overwhelmed by the task of blogging our New York City trip. This is probably due to how unbelievable it was. Or the fact that I took over 500 pictures (not even exaggerating). I mean, where do I begin?

I decided a nice, succinct top ten list would be the best way to start (and you all know how much I love lists). So, Andrew and I deliberated and debated. We saw SO MANY sights in three days that we couldn't include them all, and it was difficult to rank others with certainty.

But hopefully this will provide any future NYC travelers with some general guidance. Consider this the beginning of our Big Apple Series.

#10) Museum of Natural History

Free, with a suggested donation of $20.

Andrew says he's never been to a museum before this, and was excited to see the dinosaur bones. All I have to say is, there's no way this gigantic place has only one night guard.

(Any other Night at the Museum fans out there?)

#10) Museum of Modern Art

Free on Friday evenings.

Yes, this is also #10. We couldn't agree on which museum to put in this spot, so we cheated and put them both.

He thought the Museum of Natural History was awesome...I though it was just okay. I LOVED the Museum of Modern Art...and he wanted to jump under a bus by the time it was over.

It's all a matter of interest, I suppose.

There's just something about original work from Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, Chagall, Warhol, Gauguin, Pollock, Kandinsky, Seurat, and Van Gogh that floats. my. boat.

Can you guess which famous painting that is through the crowd?

#9) Washington Square Park

Free.

After wandering through trashy neighborhoods and crowded subways, this area was a breath of fresh air. Maybe it just reminded me of our college home-town, but I loved the clean, artsy, and youthful feel around the NYU campus here.

See the Empire State Building through the middle of the arch? We sat by a beautiful fountain for a long time surrounded by colorful gardens. This is also a favorite spot for musician street performers.

#8) Brooklyn Bridge

Free.

We walked halfway across and back again. You get a view of the city skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and ships floating by... not to mention the architecture of this beautiful bridge.

If you're lucky, it'll even start pouring just as you reach the middle.

#7) Ground Zero

Free.

The actual site is fenced up while the memorial and the new Freedom Tower are being built. Plaques, pictures, and memorials are plastered on sides of buildings and in shop windows.
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However, standing in the vicinity of where the towers fell and combining it with what I saw on TV all those years ago was more than enough. More to share on this special experience later.



#6) Central Park
Free.

You could spend an entire week exploring this park: lakes, playgrounds, forests, statues, memorials, fountains, bridges, etc. After the afternoon, we barely scratched the surface.

There was something enchanting about that forested oasis in the center of all the noise and bustle.



#5) Top of the Empire State Building
$20.

Not the romantic setting portrayed in Sleepless in Seattle. Long lines. Very crowded. Had to fight to get a good view on every side.
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Yet totally worth it.



#4) Time Square
Free.

Worth seeing in the day and again at night. No one follows traffic laws. Don't try to, or you'll get trampled. Great for people watching, but look out for that naked cowgirl though.

She's...naked, and the cops don't seem to care.



#3) Wall Street
Free.

This was unexpectedly magical. The architecture and cobblestone streets made it feel like we walked into a different time. Make sure to see the nearby Trinity Church as well.
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Where's Waldo Mom and Becca? Can you find 'em in the picture?



#2) Staten Island Ferry
Free.

White sailboats, ocean spray, and views of the city's skyline. One delightful hour.

Not to mention the ferry floats right past this lovely lady.

It would have taken money and time we didn't have to actually land on the island and go up inside the statue. And I think you have to get tickets far in advance.

#1) Broadway Play

Between $50 and $400 a ticket.

This was the unanimous, undisputed highlight of the trip for everyone involved. Wow.


This should be at the top of every one's list who comes to NYC. And I can't wait to tell you more about the show we attended.


Wow. But I already said that didn't I?