Jude Sleeping

This is how we find Jude sleeping most of the time now:

Looks pretty uncomfortable to me but what do I know??

Kick Start My Rock And Roll Heart

A little while ago jesse set out on an adventure to find songs that rocked her soul. I decided to partake in this journey as well. I love any excuse to listen to a whole lot of music. For this first one I wanted to find one that people wouldn't expect coming from me. People that know me would probably be expecting something from Elliott Smith or the Beatles. Well, not so fast. I pulled this one out. This song first came out about nine years ago and rocked the whole world. Everybody on this planet knows this song but that doesn't make it any less awesome or meaningful to me. It doesn't have to be something obscure or undiscovered. This is about the music.
There is just something incredible infectious about this song and Every time I hear those first few notes and then the drums and vocals come in, I get tingles all over. I have heard this song well over a hundred times in the last nine years and everytime it still has the same effect. Thats what I am searching for in this journey. Now, the song you all know- "The Middle," by Jimmy Eat World.

WE WON WE WON WE WON

Last night, we won our volleyball tournament and became the league champions! Can I get a woot! woot! ? We played awesome; everyone was totally on, and it was tons of fun. First and second place got t-shirts, but ours said "CHAMPIONS" on it. I'm just sad we don't have any more games to play.

Make that 6 Teeth

Yep, Jude's other top tooth broke through the gums today. Geez!!

Funny Jude Things Lately

So, I slacked a little...I promised to blog once a week and that didn't happen. I can't believe how fast time flies by! But, I'm going to try my best to do it from now on. Why? Because...it's fun! The easiest thing to blog about is Jude, of course. :)

This pic was taken right after bathtime. His hair's getting long! Of course, it doesn't stay like this when it dries, darn it.
He doesn't sleep better than when he's snuggled up with mommy or daddy.

This is the most recent...and awesome-ist thing Jude does now: FISH FACE!!! Even during dinnertime.

And his favorite new toys are the drumsticks from the Rock Band drums. He loves them, and uses them to bang on everything...the floor, chairs, other toys, the kitten, and people. And check out his mouth full of teeth! FIVE teeth!

Look at this standing man!! He's pretty much pro at it. And, of course the kitten has to be nearby when Jude is playing.

Conclusion: Jude is the coolest kid ever!!

......

NOT A FUMBLE!!!!!!!!

You all better write a giant thank you note to that official.

Soul Song

I am setting off on a noble quest. A quest to make the Ultimate "Soul Song" Playlist. I don't mean the music genre: soul, but I mean a playlist of those songs that when you listen to them, something happens. You know what I mean? It's not just good music, or great music, or even fantastic music. It's music that was inspired to be made because it comes from a place of pure truth. Songs that rise up inside you. Songs that get inside you and won't get out.

Maybe it's something different for everyone, I don't know. Maybe some people are scratching their heads right now thinking what is she talking about? music is just music, man. I don't know. Maybe different songs work this way at certain points in your life and lose their lustre over time. I don't know. But, I'm on a quest to find out.

I think it would be truly orgasmic to have all my "soul songs" in one place, one after another. I don't know if I could take it, but I'm going to find out. And, if you please, maybe I'll share the journey. It's going to take time, careful deliberation, and intense scrutiny to find the "it" that I'm talking about. With each song choice, I'll post it on this blog. Feel free to scrutinize my findings and see if maybe they are "soul songs" for you as well. And, if by chance none of my songs do it for you, be my guest and start your own quest. I'd love to be introduced to more possible "soul songs" for my own collection.

once a week at least

Wow...the blog posts lately have been very few and far between. I don't know what happened! But, I think it should stop now. Or, go, as it were. I'm going to try and post once a week at least, even if there is nothing to say. Could be scary. Topic of this post: Jude is crawling!

ridikulus!
nuts!
unbelievable!
fu-get aboot it!

No, it's true! And, he's already knocked over two sodas. Don't worry, I cleaned it up. He's also a teeth-making machine. He has two top and two bottom, and I swear, they're still coming like there's no tomorrow. We bought him a baby-sized nerf football because he loves the full-size one so much and he ripped a big chunk out of it with his freak teeth and tried to eat it.

It wasn't too shocking, however, because he tried to swallow a bandaid a couple weeks before that. He took it off his own leg and put it in his mouth. Did Dad miraculously see and stop it just in time? No. Did Mom sense something was wrong and swoop in? Uh-uh. Thank goodness for Uncle Jake who always seems to alert us responsible parents to the fact that our child is about to choke on something yicky.

and I just keep thinking: is this real?
is this happening?
is someone kidding?
Nope. It's really real and really happening and freaking funny.

Halloween

I know I said Jude would be the Son of Rambow for Halloween this year, but we decided it would be better to do that when he is a little older. So, Jude went as a puppy for Halloween. Here he is when we went Trick-or-Treating at the mall:(And, yes, I shamelessly used him to get candy for Justin and I.) He was a little subdued while we were there, but he made the cutest little puppy. It fit his personality so well.

"I've been a good puppy! Where's my treat?"

Jude Laughs...a lot

And sorry about the crazy camera work, it turns out it's hard to tickle and film at the same time.

I read and read and read

I need stuff to read!! Help! Everyone who reads this blog should give me some suggestions of good books to read in the comments section. I'm running low and I blow through them so fast, please help my habit. I really appreciate it! Thanks!

Oh, and I'm keeping track of all the books I read in the sidebar link "I Read," just for fun.

All About...

JUDEI've been totally slacking in the keeping-people-updated-on-Jude department, and since he's almost 5 months old, I decided to share the best moments of being 4 months old. Jude is getting more and more aware all the time!

And he's quite the looker, too!

He's still not too crazy about being on his stomach...

but he tolerates it for small durations of time.

He prefers sitting up and playing with toys. He's getting pretty good at doing it on his own, but he likes someone to be right there just in case he falls over, or if he reaches for a toy and then can't pick it up because all his weight is on it.

Everyone who knows him knows how happy he is. He loves to smile...

and be tickled by Grandma Betts...

so much so that he can barely stand it!

He has a ton of personality!

AND, look closely, TWO bottom teeth!

He can be silly, but he can be thoughtful, too.

I'm sure everyone has heard Justin and I bragging about how tall Jude is, but that's not always a good thing! Check out these pants, and yes, they are supposed to be pants:

Thanks, Jude, for stretching out to your full height for the picture!

Yesterday, we went to the park with Grandma and Grandpa Betts, Jason and Heather, and their two kids: Lincoln and Lily. This is how Jude felt about going down the slide with daddy:

Not too sure about that! But, he made a new friend. Lily is fascinated with him. She wants to touch him, but doesn't know if she should.

Despite having a little cold, Jude was really good the whole time we were there. He's okay as long as he's hanging out with daddy:

and mommy:

He spent some time pretending he's a puppy!

But, by the end of the day, he's a tired little puppy.

This Guy:

is teething!

So Long Suckas!!!!!!!!!

Goodbye cedar city. I hate you.

The French Lieutenant's Woman

Last month for the book club we were supposed to read "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and discuss it this month. I just wanted to let those people who are participating know that I will definitely be writing about it soon on the forum, but we're in the middle of moving and it's very sudden, so it might be a couple weeks before I really get to it. I guess it just gives people more time to read it. :)

Goodbye My Lover

This is one of my favorite musical performances ever, and James Blunt is one of my favorite performers ever. He seems very genuine, on this song in particular. Enjoy!

My Way or the Highway

It's definitely Jude's way all the way, and I think he knows it. :) He has Justin and I wrapped around his little fingers. For those of you who haven't seen him in awhile, he's getting sooo big. We put him next to his cousin, Tylie, who is 8 months older, and they are almost the same length! She is only a couple inches longer than him. They almost have the same size feet. And, I couldn't believe it when I picked up his other cousin, Sophie, and she was so light. She is the same size he was when he was born; it's so crazy to think about!

He is such a sweetheart. You can always get him to smile, even when he's really tired or hungry, no matter what. I have so much fun playing with him all day. Justin tells him daily that his mom is crazy. Maybe it's true cuz I will do anything to make the kid laugh.

They Call Me Red

Who does this remind you of? Okay, well, maybe before the haircut. Anyway, we miss our "Red" and want him to come home! This is from Dr. Seuss' "Hop On Pop" by the way! We're very into Dr. Seuss lately.

Hey Baby!

I miss my babies!! I love You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ooo. you make me live
whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the best friend
that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend.
You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love
The things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live.
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
You, you're my best friend."

Opinion vs. Fact

OPINION
"a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty."
"a personal view, attitude, or appraisal" (dictionary.com).

"An opinion is a subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. However, it can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another by analysing the supporting arguments.

"An opinion may be the result of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. In casual use, the term opinion may refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact-based beliefs" (wikipedia.com).


FACT
"a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true" (dictionary.com).

"The word fact can refer to verified information about past or present circumstances or events which are presented as objective reality" (wikipedia.com).

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Everyone in this world believes their own opinion to be right, otherwise they would change it to something else. But, I'm seriously annoyed with people who claim their opinion to be true; that there is no wiggle room whatsoever, and that everyone else's opinion is false. Guess what? An opinion cannot be true or false, thus the nature of opinion. You can only have an opinion about something that hasn't been determined to be true or false; something that is purely subjective.

Movies are a good example. Every movie on the planet has at least one fan. You can't tell me that I'm wrong for liking or enjoying a movie, even if I'm the only person on Earth who likes it. It's my opinion. We can discuss why I like it, why you don't, and you may even be able to change my opinion about the movie, but that doesn't mean I was wrong to begin with. It's all about my personal preference.

Likewise, you can't have an opinion about something that is determined to be true by facts; something that is subjective. Cigarettes are bad for people. This isn't my opinion, and can't be my opinion, because it is a fact. It is proven to be true. If someone believes that cigarettes are good for them, it's not just that they have a different opinion from the rest of us, it's that they are wrong.

Opinions are opinions because they can be changed. I can like a certain movie when I'm 12, and dislike it when I see it again at 25. Facts cannot be changed, no matter how much we discuss them or change our personal preferences.

Elegy

I went to a movie the other day
and somehow expected you to be there.
Only a crude copy remained.
And somehow, the laughter died too.
Did you take it with you,
leaving in your place him to sniff and tense?
The man who murdered you was
filled to the brim with himself, and
couldn't see past the holes in his nose.
Sokka, you were too young to go.

an Abecedarian poem by Jesse Betts

Aang is Airbender, Avatar
but who is this "Ong" and why is he masqueradin'?
Can't waterbend? Can't play? well, they got the nostrils right.

Don't know if you remember--
edge of my seat--as the
face-stealing spirit Koh told of the

great plan to kill yin and push
Heist him from his hole and
in a flourish, Zhao. fry. him. whole.

Justice is Aang-big-blue-Ocean-Spirit-fish, pulling Zhao
killing Zhao in big blue Ocean Spirit fish fist
Lungs squeezed shut

Maybe M.
Night thought it inconsequential
"Ok the fish-thingy is weird...let's cut,

paste something in it's place." A tidal wave that goes nowhere. How
quaint, Zhao and M. Night have stuff in common
Rude, rudimentary overstepping of boundaries and the

spirits are angry.
tsk tsk. Take my advice M. Night and retire before
u suck water. The wave was a

Very climatic moment following
weird exposition, nonexistent rising action, and then a sad denouement
xpands from there. Oh, and oh

yah,
Zuko's a wussie.

"The Last Airbender"

After anticipating it for a long time, I finally went to see The Last Airbender. My whole family loves the cartoon, so when most of us gathered for a family reunion of sorts, we planned to see it. Me, Michael, Amelia, Brent, Kelsey, Kurt, Austin, and Nyah all went together. I'm glad to say that Austin and Nyah enjoyed the movie, but, unfortunately, ALL the adults were in agreement: The Last Airbender is the biggest piece of crap movie ever. You might say that we failed ourselves by loving the beloved cartoon too much that the live movie could never live up to it. Maybe we did have expectations, but only moderate ones, and I think it's impossible to completely separate a movie from the cartoon it is based on. To fully express just how horrible I thought this movie was, I've decided to write a poem a day on the subject, using different poetry forms, until I feel satisfied. First, the Japanese Haiku:

The Last Airbender

is such a crappy movie.

Do not go see it.

Tomorrow I will dazzle you all with an "Abecedarian" poem about this crappy piece of crap movie. If you would like to read up on some of the forms I will use, here is a good site: http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/197

Special

Oh, I'm real. Real enough to defeat you! And I did it without your precious gifts, your oh-so-special powers. I'll give them heroics. I'll give them the most spectacular heroics the world has ever seen! And when I'm old and I've had my fun, I'll sell my inventions so that everyone can have powers. Everyone can be Super! And when everyone's Super...no one will be.

Anyone recognize this quote? It is spoken by the villain Syndrome in "The Incredibles." There is another point in the movie where Helen Parr says "Everyone's special, Dash" to which Dash replies "which is another way of saying no one is."

As you all probably know by now, I'm kind of a freak who likes to write about the weird parallels I see in movies and shows. It's interesting to me. It's pretty obvious what they're saying in "The Incredibles." When everyone is special, no one is. It reminds me of shows like X-Men where everyone in the show has a super power, so no one really stands out as being special. Sure, if you are more interested in one power than the others, it gives the illusion that the character with that power stands out, but really, they are all on equal ground. It also means that the characters on one side of the conflict have no advantage against the characters on the other side. Still using X-Men as an example, Professor Xavier and his mutants are on equal footing with Magneto and his mutants because they all have powers.

Lately, I've been watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph function as a unit trying to end the war. Aang is the Avatar, Katara is a master waterbender, Toph is a master earthbender, and Sokka...well, he's not really anything. What happens in a situation like this? All the members of the "unit" have powers that make them "special" except for one. Another example would be in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Everyone in the "unit" has special supernatural attributes except for Xander. Some would say, poor Sokka and Xander! They are just normal...and kind of useless against powerful enemies.

But, I disagree. Sokka and Xander may not have special "powers" like bending or slaying, but to me, it seems like they have more heart as a result. They are both ready and willing for a fight, even though they are risking more, and more at risk, for what they believe. They are fighting for the greater good even though they are at a huge disadvantage. Not only do they both keep their respective group together as a team, but they are able to step up and save the world in their own way. Basically, the fact that Sokka and Xander don't have abilities actually makes them different from everyone else, which actually makes them stand out from everyone else, which actually makes them the special ones.

Jude LAUGHED

for the first time last night! Do you remember the Friends episode where Rachel has just had her baby and she decides to wake Emma up so she can play with her, and then she can't get her to go back to sleep? All she does is cry and cry. They read in a book to swing the baby back and forth in your arms quickly? Anyway, Jude was a little upset last night, so I decided to try it. Within seconds, he was GRINNING, and then all of the sudden, these little giggle noises were coming out of him! It was the cutest thing!

Celebrity Survey!

1. Scariest

2. Most angry

3. Funniest

4. Least Funniest

5. Hottest

6. Ugliest

7. Most Annoying

8. Most Talented

9. One that looks most like an animal, and what animal

10. One that could possibly be an alien living among us

11. One most likely to come out of the closet

12. The best one to play you in a movie

13. One you would want to be stranded on an island with

14. One you would want to play opposite you in a movie

15. Best hair

16. Best eyes

17. Best lips

18. Best legs

19. Best butt

20. One you wouldn't want to be stranded on an island with

21. Most likely to win an Oscar in the next 5 years

22. Most interesting

23. Most underrated

24. Most overrated

25. One you originally hated that you now like

26. One you originally liked that you now hate

27. Celebrity that won't last long

28. Next one to check into rehab

29. One that most deserves a happy meal

30. All-around favorite

Blogs From My Toilet 5

The phrase "that is so last week!" is sooo last week.

Awesome Pictures of Jude

AVATAR

no, not the blue people, the bender people.

I began watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender" quite awhile ago. It was before it had even all aired on TV. In anticipation for the live-action movie version, and because I was visiting my brother and he hadn't seen any of it in at least two years, Michael and I started watching it from the beginning. I came back home before we could finish watching all 3 books, and when I started up where we left off, I soon realized that I had never seen the ending to the show! I was positively shocked! I got to a point where I started seeing episodes I had never seen before. It was puzzling, but also really fun. When I explained it to Justin, he made me promise to stop where I was and watch it from the beginning with him. Then we would get to see the ending together. The anticipation almost killed me. At that point, I only had one disc (6 episodes) left. But, I started over again for him.

Over the past few weeks, we've been watching it all we could. It's been kind of hard for me to wait so long to see the final moments. Finally, we got caught up to me. We only had one disc left. Last night, when Justin got home from work, our plan was to watch all 6 episodes back to back. We began...6th-to-the-last-episode...5th-to-the-last-episode...4th-to-the-last-episode...3rd-to-the-last-episode...it was in the middle of the 2nd-to-the-last-episode that I realized that Justin...Fell...Asleep.

After all that, I ended up watching the end of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" by myself. I oohed by myself...I ahhed by myself...and, hm, yeah, I cried a little...BY MYSELF! Can you believe it?

Now that I've gotten that out, I would just like to say that this is maybe the only show I've ever watched where the finale did not disappoint, not even a little. It was perfect. Now I can't wait to go see "The Last Airbender," which just came out in theaters, and hopefully, I won't have to watch it alone. :)

I Just Saw Eclipse!

Justin kindly took over solo parent duty so I could go see Eclipse in the theater this afternoon. Don't I have the greatest hubby ever? I enjoyed myself a lot. It's nice to get out of the house and escape into movie land. The theater I was in was pretty full, and there were two showings at the same time, so the turnout was good. Mostly women, of course, but I'm happy to report there were a few guys in there as well. Confident in their manhood, I guess. :)

The movie was very much in keeping with the first two movies; the tone and feel was the same, which I think is very important. They all fit together, if you know what I mean, which is pretty good considering there was a new director in charge. I also thought they were able to condense the novel down pretty well without sacrificing too much. My favorite part of this movie was, of course, the battle scene. I won't ruin anything but let's just say, I agree with their decision to show moments in the movie that were passed over in the book because of Bella's point of view. I don't know if it's just because Jacob is my favorite character in the books, but I enjoyed Taylor Lautner's performance the most. Don't hate me! I just think he portrayed Jacob pretty well.

For those of you who have seen it, and those of you who will see it, I have one question: Don't you wish there was more smiling?? I know it's an intense situation but, jeez! Everyone's so serious! Okay, well, that's my initial response to Eclipse. I would really love to hear what everyone else thinks of it. :)

Book Club 2.0

The discussion of "The Things They Carried" begins today at forum.ibetts.net. Participate if you dare! For the month of July: "The French Lieutenant's Woman."

A rose is a rose is a rose*

The Vampire by Philip Burne-Jones

There has been some discussion about the Twilight series on Nic's blog and on Jake's blog. I thought I would chime in on my own blog. yay!
First, I would like to address the claim that the vampires in Twilight are not real vampires because Meyer changed their characteristics so drastically. Brian Frost, a literary historian, said, "belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself" and may go back to "prehistoric times." Not only that, but they appear in so many different cultures all over the world that their exact origin is muddied. Wikipedia defines vampires as "mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person." By this general definition, Meyer's vampires qualify. But, did Meyer actually change them so much to begin with? Did she come up with original ideas for her vampires?

If someone were to ask you what a vampire is, I think we would all come up with the same answers. Immortal, drinks the blood of humans, weaknesses include sunlight, wooden stakes, crosses, and holy water. Meyer created vampires who are immortal but choose not to drink human blood and are not killed by any of the above weaknesses. They have to be torn apart and burned. Also, she made her vampires extra "super" with special abilities like mind-reading, clairvoyant abilities, and the ability to affect peoples moods. She also made her vampires with an alluring nature; the ability to draw humans to them. She turned it into a love story between a vampire and a human girl. Unfortunately, NONE of this is new to the world of vampires.

In John Polidori's The Vampyre, written in 1819, his main character is Lord Ruthven. He was the first vampire to be alluring, sexual, elegant, and suave. He is also the first vampire to marry a human girl.

From 1845-47, James Malcolm Rymer wrote a 868-page story about a vampire named Varney. He had fangs, hypnotic powers, and superhuman strength. Like the vampires of Twilight, Varney could eat and drink regular food in the human fashion, but it didn't agree with him. He could go out in daylight and had no fear or loathing of crosses or garlic. In fact, F.W. Murnau's film "Nosferatu," in 1922, was the FIRST vampire to be killed or harmed by sunlight.

In 1897, Bram Stoker wrote maybe the most famous vampire story: Dracula. In this story, Dracula lived with 3 female vampires known as the "Brides of Dracula" as a coven or family. He had sharp teeth and his eyes flamed red when he was angry (not entirely unlike the Cullens' eyes when they are hungry). He had no reflection and had the physical strength of 20 men. Dracula also had special "powers." He had powers of hypnosis, mind control, command of nocturnal animals and the weather. He could also shapeshift into a bat, a rat, a wolf, vapor, and fog. These powers are not unlike the Cullens' special "abilities."

Most importantly, the Cullens were not the first to give up human blood. Varney the Vampire, in 1845, was the first "sympathetic vampire" meaning "a vampire who loathes his condition but is nonetheless a slave to it." There are characters like this in almost every Anne Rice novel as well, most famously Lestat in Interview With the Vampire in 1976. We also see this in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the character Spike. He chooses to live a life free of human blood.

In Anne Rice's novels we also see that the vampires have to be burned down to ash to be completely destroyed (although there is still a question of whether they completely cease to exist even then).

Not even the animalistic nature of Meyers' vampires is original. In the comic book mini-series 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles (written in 2002), and the film adaptation, the vampires aren't magical. They are animals hunting prey. As you know, Twilight was published in 2005.

Stephanie Meyers did NOTHING completely original with her vampires except for making their skin sparkle in the sun, which is not a significant contribution to vampire lore at all. In fact, it is one of the most criticized decisions she made in her novels.

It is obvious that vampires themselves haven't really evolved much. There have been many different combinations of characteristics attributed to vampires in literature and film for the past 200 years, but nothing really new. But, it is also not necessary to come up with something new. Vampires are beloved and feared, and vampire lore is not tired. People will always be fascinated by stories involving vampires, IF the stories are well-written and compelling.


Sources!
*Sacred Emily by Gertrude Stein
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_days_of_night
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nosferatu
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varney_the_Vampyre
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampyre
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dracula
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tables_of_vampire_traits
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Burne_Jones_le_vampire.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Ruthven_(vampire)

What Being A Parent Does

I have recently discovered that there is a certain and unique kind of insanity that comes with becoming a parent, as I'm sure a lot of you reading this knows. If there are any parents out there trying to deny this, all I can say is that you must have been semi-insane before you became a parent and, therefore, your previous insanity mixed with the parental insanity resulting in a super insanity that brings with it a false sense of security and peace.

You see, it is inevitable, and immediate. The huge life changes mix with the lack of sleep to create a cataclysmic combination of fried brains and intense mama/papa-bear instincts. It makes you powerful and insecure at the same time. It makes you step up and, also, fall short. It makes you joyful and, in the same moment, it makes you want to burst into tears. Doubt and amazement, full-blown glee and confusion, complexity and the simply mundane. Being a parent does all this.

I am happily insane.

Where Have All The Classy Gangster's Gone?

Since I have been going back through watching The Sopranos again, I have been wondering, "Where have all the classy gangster's gone?" It used to be if you saw a guy dressed in an expensive suit with some jewelry on and his hair done all nice you would think, "I bet that guy's a gangster." Now if you see a dude dressed like that you think, "I bet that guy's an accountant." Gangster's used to dress nice, keep their voices down, fade into the background as much as possible, and always keep their mind clear. Now, gangster's walk around with their pants around their knees, with their hats on sideways and their jesus bling blingin' saying, "yo, yo, homie yo." These guys are retarded. That's why it used to be nearly impossible to stop the gangster's, because they were hard to pin down. Now, just look for the jackass walking around with his hands in his pants. The days with tommy guns, alcohol smuggling, and leaning on people. Those were days...

Because I'm A Nerd

My only question is, where were these writers and choreographers when they were making new star wars movies?! Not only does this game look absolutely amazing, it looks far superior to any of the new crap star wars movies. These guys should have written the movies, and this should have been the storyline. If you don't know the storyline of Darth Vader's apprentice, you should look it up. It's freaking awesome. Check this out.

Pet Peeve: Whose Side Are You On, Anyway?

I have heard this expression SO MUCH recently on TV and it is usually in situations where the person saying it is being completely irrational. And, often, it is said when there are no "sides" to speak of. "Whose side are you on, anyway!?" Uh...the other guy's side, please, because you are insane right now.

One Step Closer

So yesterday Matt and I got our EIN number for our business, and we have another meeting with the chamber of commerce director of small businesses guy. We also started talking with the bank yesterday and he is looking over our business plan and our financial projections, but he was sounding pretty optimistic about it. We also just worked a deal with the liquidator guy for Hollywood Video, and he pretty much said that I can have whatever I want at whatever price I want. Everything is looking awesome and hopefully this all works out. We want to be open before the 24th of july. Hopefully we get the loan and everything goes according to plan. Then the world domination can begin. I am very excited for me and my family, and Matt. We are awesome, and that's pretty much that.

I hate titling my blog posts.

I finally caught a partial smile on camera! Full smile: soon to come...hopefully.
I know it's out of focus, but check it out! Justin has tried telling him that he'll break his thumb if he punches someone, but he insists on holding his fists like this anyway.

I don't get enough pictures of me and him together. It took some serious acrobatics to get us both in this one, but I'm very talented.

Justin's First Father's Day!

Jude helped me color in the exclamation point. He loved it. And Happy Father's Day to all the other fathers in the family!

**Must Watch With Sound

Best "So You Think You Can Dance" Audition:

He's awesome, huh? Too bad he can't really do partner work, but he's the best at what he does!

I Don't Get It

In what crazy sport can an official take away your points with no explanation of why, who, what, and for basically no good reason, and that decision stands and can't be overruled?? Oh yeah, soccer. And this whole time I thought football had the stupid rules.

To the Bank!!

BEFORE AFTER
Come on, bank people! Give this guy a loan!

Jude Says Hi

BC Reminder

Hey, it's about halfway through June already! Remember to get a copy of "The Things They Carried" and read it by the end of June so we can talk all about it on the ibetts forum! Yay Book Club!

New Obsession

This is the new song that I am obsessed with. It's called Soulshine by the Allman Brothers. It's amazing, and the original lead guitarists name is dickie betts. That is also awesome. Enjoy!

Video

This video isn't really that good, but it has pictures of a cute baby in it, so that makes it seem better than it is. Enjoy. :)

Awesome Quote

"If you think temporary tattoos are okay, perhaps I can interest you in some temporary eternal damnation."

Stephen Colbert
I am America (And So Can You!)

Book Club: Reborn

I can't believe its been a year since we were doing my book club! I didn't intend on letting it lapse for this long, but I guess that's what happens when you have a baby: other things fall by the wayside.


I officially want to bring it back to life now! Nic, is it still okay if we use the forum?? That would be awesome! Oh, and the only difference from the book club before is that I think I'm gunna pick the books, just because there are so many I want to read and discuss. I will definitely take suggestions though! We'll start discussing the first book at the end of June, which is "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. I've also picked books for July and August. I've updated the Book Club Schedule on the page.

Everyone who wants to participate, it's located at forum.ibetts.net (if it's still okay with Nic) and you just have to register if you haven't already. We can start posting and responding to topics as soon as we want! I'm way excited!

Apparently I Have Two Babies

Reverend's new favorite spot: Jude's crib. I know I should probably chase him out of there, but he's so peaceful! Jude will grow out of the bassinet soon. I'll deal with it then. :)

Hey Jude

Jude is 3 weeks old and he looks like his daddy more every day. His hair has lightened and it has copper tones in it. His eyes are blue. And, check this out:


He's freaking LONG! I can't believe how TALL he already is! Look at our little athlete!

More Jude

"Daddy's Little Guy"

"Wide Awake"

"I Wanna Hold Your Hand"

CCR

Hey, I have an extra ticket to the Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert next week in St. George and I need somebody to go with me! Does anybody want to go? Can anybody go? Oh yeah, it's next thursday. C'mon somebody. They sound awesome, and it's two of the original members of CCR. Although one of them is not John Fogerty, they got a dude that sounds almost identical to him. They are awesome. Somebody go with me!

I'm a Mama

I don't really know what to say! I'm a mama! It's crazy...I don't know if it's really hit me yet. In the past week, I've experienced soooo much, and felt every emotion possible. Jude is a week old already, and he is just the cutest, best little guy EVER. (I'm not biased.)

I was looking at everyone's Baby Betts guesses today and thought I would share the results. The person who guessed the most right is...AMELIA!!! She guessed that Jude would be 8 pounds, 4 ounces...and he was! She guessed that he would be 21 inches long...and he almost was! (20 3/4 inches). She guessed that he would be born on April 15th...and he was! She guessed that he would be a boy, and he obviously is! AND, she guessed that I would be in labor for 17 and a half hours. If you count labor and c-section time, she was only off by 2 hours! Amelia, I think you may be clairvoyant! It's eerie how well you guessed. Congrats.

Justin and I are super psyched about Jude, and we can't wait for everyone to meet him!

IT'S TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIGHTING out of the blue corner, this man is a jiu jitsu specialist. He stands at 20 and one half inches, weighing in at 8 pounds 4 ounces, hailing from Cedar City, Utah, Jude Michael Betts!!!