Gossip and Beignets

This weekend was the perfect combination of relaxing and activities. We weren't running around too busy but we also had enough things planned to keep us from getting bored and restless.

On Saturday, I had some childhood friends over to my house for a chance to catch up and, of course, do a little gossiping. It's always so nice to be able to reconnect with the people who are truly important in your life.

Blast from the past - I think we're improving with age.

My friend, Monica, is busy traveling all over the world, flying planes and other cool stuff so it was great to have her in town and hear of all her adventures. Her jet-setting lifestyle is so fascinating to me - especially in comparison to my slow paced, small town life on the range in rural Kansas. Maybe someday I'll have the opportunity to visit her on one of her exotic adventures. (oh - good idea for a future friend's get together.)

Ethan had a lot of fun hosting the little girl at our house. They attend daycare together as well, so it was nice for them to be able to play in another setting and spend some time together. It worked out really well for them to be familiar with each other and play so well together so that their mommies could gossip and visit.

We headed to Shelly Ann's Cafe for breakfast. The food was filling and just how a country cafe should be and it always looks like a scene from a parody of small town life with old men having their coffee break and telling stories. It hasn't changed much since I was a little girl. I remember loving to sit and spin on the stools at the counter and I'm always glad to see that they are still there.

We headed out of town later in the afternoon for our monthly shopping trip. The closest Wal-Mart is over 60 miles away, so we try to plan ahead and go monthly to stock up on household basics and grocery staples. We drove 90 miles and into Nebraska so that we could go to a town that also has a Target and a large hunting/outdoors store for Jim.

We decided to try Eileen's Colossal Cookies for an afternoon snack. Jim and Ethan choose M&M cookies and I opted for a classic chocolate chip cookie. They were big, soft and rich. Yum! The cookies provided the perfect pick-me-up for getting through our marathon of shopping we needed to get done and the drive back home.

On Sunday evening, I took Ethan to his first movie at the theater and we saw Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

The local movie theater doesn't start movies until 7:30 p.m., which is Ethan's bedtime, so I wasn't too sure on how he would do being out so late. He behaved so well and I was a proud mommy. He stayed in his seat the entire time and the movie really held his attention...as did his movie goodies. Ethan and I both enjoyed a Kiddie Combo of a small drink, popcorn and mini candy bar. At only $2.50, I think it's a great deal for a movie theater treat.

The Princess and the Frog movie review:

I wasn't really looking forward to this movie but I didn't know when another little kid geared movie would be coming to Phillipsburg and I figured Ethan was finally old enough to enjoy a movie at the theater.

I'm really glad that I decided to see the movie. The beginning of the movie really shows New Orleans and its diverse culture, music and food. It reminded me of our honeymoon (we took a cruise that ported out of New Orleans so we stayed a couple of days touring the city) and all of the delicious beignets that I ate while there. (The title character in the movie is famous for her "man getting" beignets.)

I appreciated that the main character in the movie was an independent woman that was working two jobs to make her dreams come true of owning a restaurant. She knew that working hard and being honest to yourself was the best way to get your dreams.

Along the journey of the movie, she learns the importance of love and balancing that with her ambitions of owning a restaurant. I think this is a theme that many women today struggle with, especially those with career ambitions that are also trying to juggle being a wife/mother.

In classic Disney style, she finds her prince and lives happily ever after. However, I liked that their happily ever after wasn't in a castle but working together as a team to make their dreams come true and opening the restaurant.