Movie Pass

So maybe purchasing my Movie Pass on the annual plan wasn't a great idea, but I'm hoping the company keeps limping along at least until school starts. I can't really go to movies much during the summer.

I'm kind of their idea customer, because I don't use my Movie Pass that awesome right now so I am costing them zero money. And when school starts I will probably go to one movie every week or two.

I need to see 15 movies to make my money back, hopefully I make it!

On the Road

I'm a planner. I think it comes naturally with being a mom, and those skills are honed when you become a special needs mom. A few weeks before the summer started, I carefully crafted a calendar to keep our days busy and packed so that we all wouldn't go crazy.

Well, my summer plans didn't start out exactly as we wanted.

Unfortunately my father passed away the first week of June, so it meant a family trip to Michigan. My father and I had a complicated relationship, but it was important to be there for my mom and the rest of my family.

It wasn't even our original plan for all of us to go to the funeral, but my husband gauged my mood and decided the entire family needed to go. So with a four prep time, I packed and loaded everyone in the car for an epic road trip across country.

It took us only a few days to get there, because we pushed hard. The kids were troopers. What did we do without Kindles and car DVD players in the past?

All in all, we were away from home for 11 days - three to get there, three in Michigan, and five days home. We took our time and spent the night close to friends on the way home to make it easier on the kids. And because we had been planning on going on a long camping vacation that week anyway. So that turned out conveniently for my husband work-wise.

Although we were in Michigan for sad reasons, it was nice to see the family and my friends. I even got to stop into my brother's new comic book shop. Rad Raptor Comics is in Adrian, Michigan, and you should check it out. I'm so proud of him.

I will probably blog later about some of our experiences on the road, however I just wanted to point out that no matter what we plan, God is always going to throw curve balls.

And while this would not have been my choice for summer activities, I think our family grew together and bonded more living 11 days in hotels and on the road across the country.

Phoenix ComicFest recap

We had a great time as a family last weekend - and even some fun time as a couple! This year was a big year because our son's behavior coach was able to get a pass to go to one of the day's with him! If you have a kiddo with special needs and an aide, write to the convention to see if they make accommodations. They were great for us!

Here's a rundown of the weekend:

Thursday 

This usually is our favorite day at the con because there are less people and you can take your time to look at all the vendors and enjoy things. My 6yo saved her birthday money this year and was able to purchase a couple of stuffed animals and an awesome giraffe hat.

The only downside of Thursday this year was that the Hall of Heroes, AKA the upstairs vendor hall, was not open on that day this year. So we couldn't check out any of the costume groups on this day. Also there are a lot of non-profits that usually have booths up there, like the Arizona Natural History Museum. Last year because it was a slow day, my son peppered them with SO MANY questions. It was great. But the slowness is probably why they didn't open it.Still, I feel bad for the vendors who had booths up there who lost a day's worth of potential sales. I hope they got a discount. The kids of course spent time in the Lego and art rooms. I love that the convention has these, as it is a great place to go to get a break from the crowds.

Friday

Long but fun day! The check in lines moved quickly, despite the extra security. Our kids opted to wear their costume-looking onsie pajamas as cosplay. We started out with lightsaber training from the Jedi Academy, which was super cute. And then we hit the Lego and art rooms again. 

Next we went up to the Hall of Heroes. The kids checked out the amazing super hero, Star Wars, Doctor Who displays and costumes. Boo found the Museum of Natural History booth and spent his time eyeing the fossils. 

There was also a large amount of video games to check out, which my 9yo appreciated. We especially loved the arcade area. He could have played there for hours, if we're being honest. Sometimes having younger siblings who want to look at other things can be annoying. 

We finished up the day with more shopping in the exhibitor hall, and of course some ice cream. 

Saturday and Sunday

Yay date day! We found some gracious friends who were able to take our kids for Saturday and Sunday (two of them were even on sleepovers, so it was a nice fun time for them too), so we got two days alone at the convention. 

We ate at non-kid-friendly restaurants, including the Cornish Pasty. I had their pasty called The Pilgrim, which is basically like a Thanksgiving dinner baked into the crust. 

We went to a few panels - a couple of the celebrity ones and a couple of just fellow geeks talking about geeky stuff. Our favorite was the Michael Rooker panel. He jumped out in the audience and ran around with the mic, letting people ask questions. My husband got to talk to him, but it happened so quickly I couldn't video it or get a picture. Dang it! 

And of course, spent money. I bought a lovely Tarth banner to hang in my room. And the rest of the time, we just walked around and enjoyed each other's company in a cool environment. 

Overall, it was a fun convention. We talked about maybe only doing two days next year instead of four, but we always change our minds when it gets closer. :) 

Summer plans

Summer break is finally upon us! I'm sure things will change, but for now I plan to follow the fun schedule you can see all over Pinterest.

1) Make something Monday - do a craft, plant something, bake together, etc.

2) Take a Trip Tuesday - go somewhere new and fun!

3) Wet and Wild Wednesday - kiddie pools, water balloon fights, squirt guns, you get the idea.

4) Thoughtful Thursday - do something kind for someone.

5) Fun Friday - This is kind of a free for all, but it can be a special activity, or no chores and reading time, pizza for dinner, etc.

This plan may have to be flexible. My son has behavior coaching four days a week, so we will have to work our schedule around or with them. Being out and about in the community is one of the things we are targeting for him this summer, so I'm guessing they will come with us on some of our field trips.

I also plan on having the kids read at least 20 minutes every day and do some worksheets so they don't fall behind. Like the mean mom that I am. :)

I will let you all know how it goes!

Free Comic Book Day!

Being a geeky family, we have our big events every year. Renaissance festival, Phoenix Comicfest, FanFest, the release of every Marvel or Star Wars movie, etc.  And the one we look forward to at the beginning of every May is Free Comic Book Day.

For those of you who don’t know, it is the first Saturday of every May, when comic publishers release special editions of comics for retailers to give away for free at the event. The goal is to get people interested in comics series they may not have read yet, and to step foot in a comic store and hopefully buy some stuff.

We were extra excited this year because rather than having to drive 30 minutes to a shop in a neighboring town, a comic shop opened up this year in our community. Surprise Comics did an amazing job with the event!

My family tried to get there early so we could see a wider selection of the free issues before they were gone. Getting everyone up and out the door on a Saturday morning proved to be challenging, but we got there about a half hour after the store opened.

We were greeted by someone handing out raffle tickets. They did a drawing on the hour throughout the day and posted the winning tickets on Facebook throughout the day in case customers had already left the store. Prizes included posters and figurines. Sadly, we did not win! Maybe next time.

Besides the free comic books, the shop had a lot of items on sale. There were several boxes of books for only $5 each, but my husband and I couldn’t browse for long because our kids were eager to get to the free stuff.  There was a table set up near the back of the store with all the free issues.

One of the things we love about free comic book day is the wide variety of content that can appeal to the various tastes of my family. We were each allowed to pick two comics, and all of us came home with something different:

• Chris – The Amazing Spiderman and Overwatch
• Me – Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise and Marvel’s Rising
• Superboy – Pokemon and The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Boo – Dr. Who and Star Wars
• Tink – Invader Zim and Miraculous Adventures

Once we grabbed our free books, the kids got their faces painted. Superboy became Spiderman and Tink got a lovely unicorn on her forehead. Boo opted not to be painted due to sensory issues (he doesn’t like stuff on his face).

There were comic book artists on hand demonstrating how they do their work, which was fascinating or Tink since she wants to be an artist.

We also wanted to buy stuff to support our local shop, so the kids picked out some Lego minifigures and Chris got some too for his desk at work (he’s the cool guy with the Super Saiyan Goku minifig at his workstation now).

On the way out of the store, they handed each of us a back-issue of comics they wanted to clear out of their inventory. So, we walked away with three free books.

Businesses around the store were also taking advantage of the traffic – the insurance agency next store was giving away free hot dogs, juice boxes and candy. My kids thought it was the best day ever.

Every store has different activities surrounding Free Comic Book day. One of the events we attended in Glendale last year had a mini-convention, with artists showing off and selling their works, as well as vendors selling their creations. Many shops have cosplayers who dress as super heroes on hand to meet and greet with the kids. My brother’s comic book shop in Michigan had an amazing Wonder Woman to greet guests.

I hope this rundown of Free Comic Book Day inspires you to bring your kids next year! It’s a great free event to take your kiddos.

Starting my annual MoviePass subscription

I signed up for an annual subscription to MoviePass for my birthday. Why? Because I love movies and having one is a nice excuse to treat myself to one from time and time.

For those of you not familiar to the program, you buy a monthly, quarterly or annual pass (depending on what types of deals they are offering when you sign up) and you can see a movie every day. You cannot see more than one movie in a day, and you can not see repeat movies.

My therapist asked me during a session what I like to do for fun. I have a special needs child and haven’t done a great job on emotional self-care lately, AKA finding time for myself to unwind. Since going to movies by myself when my husband can be home with the kids or they are in school is a great way to spend two hours in which no one can talk to me, she encouraged me to do this more.

I’ve only gone to four movies with the pass so far. Check in has bee very easy and I have experienced no problems. I’ve also seen movies I wouldn’t have spent the time or money to see in the theater, but have enjoyed just the same.

I don’t know if the business model of MoviePass is sustainable over a long period of time, so I’m going to see as many movies as possible in the next year or for as long as I can. I need to see at least 15 movies to break even on my cost – no problem.

So overall, I call the plan a win. I will update more as things progress!

The "A Quiet Place" Experience

The year was 1995. It was a sweltering summer day in our small town, which was celebrating its annual peach festival. In the middle of the day, 15-year-old me and probably half the town were seeking sanctuary in the air-conditioned theater. It was so packed that people were standing in the back (probably against fire code, but no one cared).

The movie was Apollo 13. Not one of the biggest blockbusters in history, but I will never forget the experience of watching it in that packed theater. Because in those moments when those astronauts were re-entering Earth’s orbit and had lost communication with NASA, we all waited with baited breath. When the voice finally sounded over their radio, the entire theater burst into thunderous cheers.

It was unlike anything I had ever experienced in a movie theater. To me, those unique shared moments of an audience are what makes certain films cement in our memories forever.

You know what I’m talking about.

Waiting in line at midnight to see The Phantom Menace, and the entire crowd screaming when the scrolling words and music played. A brand-new Star Wars movie!

Watching the Blair Witch Project, which launched the whole “found footage” style of movies, and some people not knowing yet that it wasn’t real. (Look, I was 18 and my small town didn’t have great internet.)

I haven’t felt that special theater viewing feeling in a long time, until I went to see A Quiet Place a few weeks ago. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, it’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are hunted by monsters that can only detect you through sound.

Most of the film is completely silent. The main family, which already knew sign language for their deaf daughter, has built their entire world about remaining as quiet as possible. The hushed mood of the movie, which sent anyone into a panic whenever even the smallest sound was made, carried into the viewers in the audience.

Whenever someone crinkled their snack wrappers or munched on popcorn, all the others would jump and treat that person to a glare.

Because the film was so quiet, you felt the terror the family felt at each noise. You saw sound hazards that could be made in every new scene. Would that hose break and water noise fill the air? An exposed nail – you know someone is going to step on it ad scream. And how in the world are they going to keep their new baby quiet?

With each moment, you sink more and more into the movie’s world and it is brilliant.

A Quiet Place is a good movie for many reasons. John Krasinski and Emily Blunt knocked it out of the park with their acting. And I didn’t know ahead of time that John actually directed the movie. The kids were phenomenal, and the themes of hope, survival, family and parenting were beautifully done.

But it was the feeling of comradery I had with complete strangers when we walked out of the dark theater into the noisy hubbub of the theater lobby that makes this film a great experience. We felt like we had survived…something…together.

A Quiet Place will be out of the theaters soon, and you can watch it when it’s available at home. But if you have the chance, I hope instead you take the time to be afraid of noise with a room full of strangers.