Let the Good Times Roll

Among the many benefits of Beni’s employment at a large state university is the occasional complimentary family bowling outing at the school’s lanes.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Which is worse? That our soon-to-be-three-year-old pretends he’s pooping out a rock, or that we find the whole scene hilarious?

Pillow Pals

Lounging in their pajamas and in bed well into the morning, Olivia and Reed are doing their best to make today as lazy a Sunday as Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell’s.

Against All Odds

I first became aware of Rachel Simmons’s work when I watched a show she hosted on PBS called A Girl’s Life. In it, she introduces the audience to four American teenagers who are dealing with the issues of cyber-bullying, body image, and violence. Simmons is the founder of the Girls Leadership Institute, and she’s written several books, including Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls.

I picked up the revised and updated version of Odd Girl Out from our local library. While reading it, I often turned to Beni to ask if she had to deal with any of the vicious and vindictive peer-on-peer attacks detailed while she was growing up. She answered yes, that she had been victim at various points during her pre-teen and adolescent years, but that the omnipresence of cell phones, lap tops, and social media added a potentially dangerous dimension to the lives of girls growing up in today’s world.

All of which makes me fretful for Olivia’s journey through girlhood, but also hopeful that her mother and I can provide her with the knowledge, support, and love needed to navigate the challenges that come her way. Books like this one help us in our journeys as parents.

Not-Good Night

We watched Last Night last night. I hope it’s the last time we waste away the evening watching a mediocre movie. The premise—how humans deal with temptations—is nothing new, and I have to say that Eva Mendes, while beautiful, falls short in her portrayal of a temptress. Resist this film, if you can, even if you’re a fan of the stars Mendes, Sam Worthingon, and Keira Knightley.

Good Fortune

I found out about The Fortune Cookie Chronicles from it being reference in another book I’d read for the 50/50 project. Written by Jennifer 8. Lee—that’s no typo; her middle name is 8 (a number in Chinese that symbolizes prosperity and good luck)—this book chronicles the history of Chinese food in the United States. I learned last week that this book is a finalist for my university’s 2013 summer reading project.

And for good reason. It’s a fun read about a topic that most of us have had experience with over the course of our lives. I’ve recommended it to my parents—diners at many Chinese restaurants around the world—and to all of you. As a cookie’s fortune might read: A pleasant surprise is in store for you.

Front and Centerpiece

Our centerpieces include a papier-mâché royal penguin, kalanchoe flowers, and a dozen rocks in an egg carton.

Thin Line Between Brotherly Love and Hate

The hoops theme continues: two posts in two days. Today’s is about Once Brothers, the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about basketball professionals Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac, and how the sport brought them together but civil war tore them apart. This again, was a stroll down memory lane, as I remember following their NBA careers closely.

Their story is retold by Divac—Petrovic died in an automobile accident in 1993 before the two had the opportunity to reconcile—and the cameras follow him as he attempts to find closure. The movie certainly shines good light on Divac—he’s shown as being a misunderstood and innocent bystander when the waves of nationalism divide his home country and team; his reaching out to Petrovic’s mom and brother after all these years was magnanimous in spirit—but it also provides ample screen time to those who were on the other side. Once Brothers is emotionally manipulative in the ways good documentaries are, but I was happy to take that calculated journey, much like I believe Divac was to reunite with his former friend’s family.

Better Laettner than Never

I, for one, never hated Christian Laettner. Also, I’m no Duke-hater. In fact, I once owned a pair of Duke basketball shorts that I picked up during a visit to their beautiful campus. My favorite school teams were Georgia Tech and Michigan, but ultimately I was a fan of college basketball, and few teams were as memorable and skilled as the Blue Devils squad that featured Laettner, Grant Hill, and Bobby Hurley.

And so Gene Wojciechowski’s book The Last Great Game—an in-depth account of Duke’s and Kentucky’s seasons leading up to and beyond their epic battle in the 1992 NCAA East Regional—triggered all sorts of happy memories from the early 1990s. For those of us who watched the game live, it will forever be etched in our memories; for those who missed it, you have ESPN Classic to thank for this wonderful documentary.

For the uninitiated or the uninterested, please allow this fast-break summary: This contest between Duke and Kentucky has been called the greatest game ever played, and not just because of its incredible and improbable ending. It featured a villain (Laettner stomped on a fallen Kentucky player's chest during the game), a hero for Kentucky (Sean Woods hit a difficult bank shot over an outstretched Laettner to give Kentucky the lead with two seconds left in overtime), and a villain-turned-Duke-hero-remained-Kentucky-villain (Laettner and his final shot). But it was the incredible and improbable ending that clinched its status as the great game ever. Watching it still gives me chills. You?

Show of Strength

The kids demonstrate how a balanced diet that includes plenty of Chipotle soft tacos of rice, beans, cheese, and guacamole translates on the muscles front.

Iowa Great Deal of Gratitude

My thanks go out to my mom for recommending The Girls from Ames, a book about the lasting friendships of a group of women who grew up in Ames, Iowa. My thanks also to Jeffrey Zaslow, the author of this inspiring book. (Who, it must be noted, died tragically just a month ago in a car accident in northern Michigan while promoting his newest book.) And lastly, many thanks go out to the women featured in this book, who opened their worlds to Zaslow and his readers.

In this book, Zaslow chronicled the experiences that eleven girls had growing up in a university town in the Midwest, and how those formative years shaped their adult lives and relationships. The bonds that the women continue to share remain as strong as ever, and their unequivocal support and love for one another is the standard for which we should aspire in our own friendships.

Night and Date

Beni and I made a date night to watch Date Night, a comedy starring Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. It’s what you might expect from two accomplished actors/comedians, and the premise of a married couple with young kids in desperate need of a date night certainly resonated with this married couple with young kids in desperate need of a date night, but it was Mark Walhberg who stole many of the scenes as Holbrooke, the security expert and former real estate client of Fey’s character.

Biker Gang of Two

The kids ponder the possibilities that await them on the bike trails by our house. A mild winter has meant more time spent outdoors overall, and the forecast of a warm spring means an increased likelihood of our time outside being on the seats of our bikes in the upcoming season.

Chick Lit

The onset of spring means the return of various members of the avian community, whether those birds are in the flesh feather or of clay.

Can't See the Forest for the Tree

The Tree of Life is one of those films that we’re supposed to admire for its sweeping imagery and the director's grand vision, and so it left me frustrated because I was only able to appreciate it for its beautiful cinematography. My attempts to scratch the surface of director Terrence Malick’s genius resulted in rebuffed and bloodied fingers and a dizzied head. As a result, I can’t recommend it for everyone, but I would say it’s worth watching if you’re in the mood for a movie that attempts to explain the meaning of the universe.

Flat Character

Flat Stanley—he of the Flat Stanley enterprise—accompanied us on our trip to the big city this weekend. He had some pad thai and some flat rice noodles—of course—at our favorite noodle shop, and Olivia gave him some cover under the paper umbrella she purchased at a trinket shop in Chinatown.

Stanley moves on next via US Postal (although faxing must be another viable option?) to Michigan, where he’ll join my mom and dad in their lives of always busy semi-retirement.

Cape-able Combo

Olivia dressed as a Japanese warrior, and Reed as a global superhero, as the dynamic duo sampled the many flavors of the foods and exhibits at the annual international festival.