Movie Review: Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots, the new animated flick from DreamWorks, is a great film for kids and parents alike.

It features the voices of several well-known actors, including Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis and Billy Bob Thornton.

The story follows Puss (Banderas) being reunited with a childhood friend who betrayed him, Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Galifiankis), and their quest for golden eggs. Like the Shrek films, also done by Dreamworks and of which this Puss in Boots is spun off from, this film makes use of a range of favorite nursery rhymes to tell its unique story.

For example, the villains in the story are notorious husband and wife outlaws Jack (Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris).  In one scene, Jill comments that Jack has not been the same since he fell down that hill.  The golden eggs Humpty, Puss and newcomer Kitty Softpaws (Hayek) are seeking, can only be found at the top of a beanstalk grown by magic beans.

The story has lots of things kids will appreciate, but a few of the gags (hopefully) will go over kids' heads. For example, in one scene, a man starts telling of the legend of the magic beans, and he has parts of the story tattooed all over his body. On his back, there's a drawing of the castle, there's a tat of the goose on his body as well. At one point, the man starts to loosen his pants as he offers to show Puss the "golden eggs."  Puss stops him going, "No, no ... I've seen enough."  That, I'm sure went over the kids' heads.

Overall, pretty entertaining show. Here's the trailer, if you're interested. Puss in Boots opens today.

-Hyattsville Mom

Book Club Blues + Free flu shots ...

Very short post today, no post tomorrow and Friday will be my review of the movie Puss in Boots.

You see, I have the book club blues. How does one get the book club blues? One realizes three things: (1) they are on page 37 of the book club book, (2) the book club book has 345 pages, and (3) it's Wednesday and they need to get from page 37 to page 345 by Friday 8:30 pm.

I also have a lot of other things to do besides reading, so this will be tight getting this book finished in a timely fashion.  Though, truthfully, our book club is about getting together, so it's not the end of the world not to finish the book. But, I like to actually have read the book.

Before I go, I want to let you know there's a free flu shot clinic in Greenbelt on Monday. So, instead of paying $25 or $30 for a shot --or mist, head on over to the Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Rd, between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm Monday.  Flyer image is to your left, if you want more details.

Have a great next couple days. I will be reading.

-Hyattsville Mom

Book Tuesday: Poppleton & Friends

It's book Tuesday!

This is where I talk about books. No rules, except that I like it.  It can be adult or kid or new or old.

Today, it's one of my favorite books: Poppleton and Friends by Cynthia Rylant.  First of all, let me say, I don't think you can go wrong with a book written by Rylant. Her children's books are wonderful. I particularly love the Poppleton series.

It's a picture book, divided into three chapters. It's good for kids who have learned to read but aren't reading long chapter books. It's also great for parents to read to really young children.  Poppleton is an entire series, with Poppleton & Friends being the second book in the series.

I picked this book because it's the first Rylant book I ever read to one of my children. I just remember laughing hysterically while reading it and enjoying it so much, and having my son enjoy it so much.  Rylant's specialty is a perfect mix of heart warming and funny.

Like all Poppleton books, the chapters don't follow. They can be read as thee separate stories if you want. This is particularly good at bedtime, because you can just read one section and you're done, especially if it's already late and you don't have a lot of time left for story. The three chapters are: the Shore Day, Dry Skin and the Grapefruit.

Dry Skin is my favorite for funniness because it plays on so many things that adults get, but kids don't.  This story centers on Poppleton having dry skin. He calls his neighbor Cherry Sue for advice, and she says to put on some honey.  The next day, he calls her back and says the honey didn't help; it just made him want biscuits. Now,  of course, kids don't get that honey and biscuits are a Southern tradition, but I bust a gut at that. And the way the story ends, is just very funny, as it plays on a cartoon drawing custom that most people ignore. However, it's highlighted in such a funny way, it's delightful.

This is definitely a great book for kids, and the parents who read to them.  The only downside is she does not explain character relationships in this book. The first book explains Cherry Sue is Poppleton's neighbor and Hudson is his good friend. But, those can be overlooked, because it's so wonderful.

-Hyattsville Mom

You might have too much back hair if...

You ever feel like your life could appear in a comedy routine by Jeff Foxworthy  (the "You might be a redneck if ..." guy)?

I had that moment last night.

Well,  first you should know that my husband is perpetually hot, and often doesn't wear a shirt around the house. So, last night, I was helping our son with his homework. My husband was, as I understood it, hanging with our daughter. I assumed they were chatting or reading or doing something typical.

No such luck. As we're putting Ella to bed later, my husband says, "Thank you for combing my back hair tonight."

I was like, whaaaaat?

That's when I thought, gee, Foxworthy is writing my life.

Granted, my daughter likes to "style" her own hair and anyone else's who will let her.  On some level, it's really nice that my hubby doesn't mind her styling him. But, man, if you're taking a comb to your back hair, maybe just maybe it's too much.

Alright, that's it for today.

Have a good one. And don't be afraid to cut your back hair.

-Hyattsville Mom

Gearing up for Halloween

Ha ha ha ha (spoken like a witch)! Halloween is a little more than a week away, and as such, I thought I'd devote this Friday fun post to some of the Halloween happenings around the county.


Here's some of the fun stuff going on this weekend. And check our calendar section for stuff happening later in the week and next week.


-Hyattsville Mom


Halloween Happenings!


Oct. 21
Magic Show ($). Wear your costume and enjoy a magic show at the Potomac Landing Community Center. The show lasts from 7-9 pm and costs $5. For more information, contact the community center, 12500 Fort Washington Road in Fort Washington, 301-292-9191.


Halloween Party ($). For kids ages 3-12, come out and enjoy this Halloween party. Each child will receive their own treat bag. Pre-registration is required. The fee is $6.




Oct. 22
Jack-O-Lantern Campfire ($). Come out and see a bevy of carved, lit Jack-o-Lanterns at the Darnall's Chance House Museum. The fun, which includes a camp fire, roasted marshmallows, scary stories and fortune telling, starts at 7 pm. The cost is $3 per person. For more information, contact Darnall's Chance House Museum, 14800 Governor Oden Bowie Drive in Upper Marlboro, 301-952-8010.


Haunted Hayride and Egg Hunt ($). Aimed at ages 6-12, this haunted hayride and flashlight egg hunt will be held at Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road in Fort Washington. The fee is $7 per person. For more information, call the center,301-203-6040.

Spooky Storytime. Aimed at kids ages 7 and up, this storytime at the Beltsville Library branch, 4319 Sellman Rd. in Beltsville, will feature spooky stories just in time for Halloween. The FREE fun begins at 2 pm. For more information, contact the Beltsville Branch Children's department, 301-937-0294.

Happy Hallowmarine!($). Wear your costume and enjoy trick-or-treating at the National Aquarium, Batlimore. In addition to trick-or-treating, there will be several other fun interactive events going on between 10 am and 4 pm. This event is included in museum admission. Event is also happening Oct. 29. For more information, contact the aquarium, 410-576-3800, http://www.aqua.org.



Oct. 23
Watkins Farm Halloween ($). Crafts, cider, cookies, a costume contest and hayrides will all be happening at Watkins Park's Old Maryland Farm halloween celebration. The fee is $2. For more information, contact Old Maryland Farm, 301 Watkins Park Drive in Upper Marlboro, 301-218-6770.

An Interesting View on Cool...

Bonjour all (as we're in the heart of the KidsEuro Festival, which showcases European countries)!

Hope all is well with you.  For some reason, we're in the heart of birthday party season for my son's friends. Three parties in the next two weeks! We were out shopping last night and my son picked up a package of Mighty Beanz as a possible gift suggestion.

If you are not familiar with Mighty Beanz, they are bean shaped toys that wobble. They have are painted like monsters or animals or characters (Star Wars' Luke or singer Elvis Presley). The manufacturer says you can race them and that they perform "amazing tricks." A friend of my sons gave him one, and I have yet to see it do anything amazing, unless you include wobbling as an amazing task. I haven't any clue what is so wonderful about the Mighty Beanz, but the kids do seem to like them.

So, getting back to my story, I tell my son, Mighty Beanz are a possibility. Then I look at the price tag. A pack of THREE (yes, 3) Mighty Beanz costs $13.69. Now each of these beanz is about the size of the tip of my thumb.  I ask my son, "Wow, why are they so expensive?"  His response, "Because they're cool."

Hmm? Well, I had to explain to my son if he equates cool with expensive, then he's never going to be cool while living in our household.  But, that was certainly an interesting take on cool.

That's it for today. Be sure to catch the blog tomorrow, because I'll have lots of fun Halloween activities in the area!

-Hyattsville Mom

Dental Duty + a few Ikea Cafeteria Specials

Good morning. Happy Hump Day, as they call it.

I have a dentist appointment at 7 am this morning. It's a carry over from when my children were not in school and I had to go before my husband left for work (I'd be finished with the cleaning by 8 and home by 8:15 so hubby could get in by 9:15, just a few minutes later than normal). I thought about moving the time to later in the day since my kids were in school, however, I have the kind of luck where the kids would end up being sick that day, and I'd have to reschedule. So, I just left it, figuring I can go no matter what else is going on.

So, seeing as I've got a dental cleaning this morning, it's a short post. I thought I'd mention that I went to Ikea College Park for the first time in a long time yesterday and learned they have even better specials than before.  I actually took a picture of the specials sign so I wouldn't forget any. But, here's the rundown (in case the picture on the left is hard to decipher):

Monday - free breakfast (coffee is free everyday if you arrive before the store opens, 9:30-10 am weekdays)
Tuesday - free kids meal (for kids 12 and under)
Wednesday - baby back ribs $6.99 (I don't eat pork, so I don't know if this is a good deal or not)
Thursday - 1/4 chicken + mashed potatoes for $1.99
Friday -  Swedish yellow pea soup and pancakes and jam for $3.98


That's it for today.

-Hyattsville Mom

Book Tuesday: Molly Lou Melon

This is a book I heard about on a blog. Someone mentioned they were getting it as a gift for a niece. So, I went to the library and checked it out, and later I bought it.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon is a picture book about a short, buck-teethed girl who doesn't let teasing or her height challenges stand in her way.  Throughout the book, her grandmother gives her wonderful advice that helps her navigate the world and stand proud, despite the meanness of a bully at her new school.

Advice grandma gives, includes: "Walk as proudly as you can and the world will look up to you." It's a wonderful book for kids and adults alike.

The book is written by Patty Lovell and illustrated by David Catrow. Mr. Catrow has illustrated several of my kids' favorites, including I Ain't Gonna Paint No More and I like Myself.

And that's it on the books. FYI, today, kids 12 and under get a free kids meal at Ikea. You don't have to buy a meal there. Just bring your hungry kids.

Have a good rest of your day.

-Hyattsville Mom

Kids Euro Festival Fun at the Libraries

Hope you all had a great weekend.

It's Monday, and thought I'd kick it off by talking about the fun free Kids Euro Festival events going on at the libraries. I mentioned last week the Kids Euro Festival was offering free performances and programs around the DC area that focus on Europe. Well, many of the performances require reservations.  But, not the ones by the PG county libraries listed here.

And the cool thing is a lot of the library programs have snacks! I love snacks. Here's the list. Enjoy! 

Oct. 17, 4 pm

Monday Magic in Germany

Listen to German tales and make a German treat. For ages 6-9.

New Carrollton Branch, 7414 Riverdale Road in New Carrollton, 301-459-6900

Oct. 18, 11:15 am

Yiassou, Hello

Learn about Greece, listen to Aesop's fables, and make a craft. For ages 3-5

Upper Marlboro Branch, 14730 Main Street in Upper Marlboro, 301-627-9330

Oct. 19, 7 pm

An Irish Sorytime

Listen to Irish stories and music. For all ages

Laurel Branch, 507 7th Street in Laurel, 301-776-6790

Oct. 18, 10:30 am

Stories from Germany

Enjoy a snack based on the tale of Hansel and Gretel and make a craft. For ages 3-5

Accokeek Branch, 15773 Livingston Rd. in Accokeek, 301-292-2880

Oct. 20, 11:15 am

Celebrating France

Songs, crafts and stories celebrating France. For ages 3-5

Largo-Kettering Branch, 9601 Capital Lane in Largo, 301-336-4044

Oct. 26, 10:30 am

Hej from Sweden

Enjoy stories, crafts and a Swedish meatball. For ages 3-5

Mount Rainier Branch, 3409 Rhode Island Avenue in Mount Rainier, 301-864-8937

Oct. 26, 10:30 am

Bonjour!

Stories and a craft of French origin. For ages 3-5

Greenbelt Library Branch, 11 Crescent Road in Greenbelt, 301-345-5800

Oct. 29, 10:30 am

Italian Fun!

Stories and activities from Italy. Children and families welcome. Limit 30

Bowie Branch, 15210 Annapolis Road in Bowie, 301-262-7000

Nov. 1, 10:15 am, 11 am, 11:45 am

Stories from Ireland

Make a leprechaun craft and hear Irish stories. For ages 3-5

Surratts-Clinton Branch, 9400 Piscataway Road in Clinton, 301-868-9200

Nov. 1, 10:30 am

Bon Appetit!

Will read Stone Soup by Marcia Brown, make a craft, learn French words. For ages 3-5

Fairmount Heights Branch, 5904 Kolb Street in Fairmount Heights, 301-883-2651

Nov. 2, 10:30 am

Traditions Stories From Great Britain

Hear favorites like Tom Thumb and Jack and the Beanstalk and make a craft. 

Beltsville Branch, 4319 Sellman Rd in Beltsville, 301-937-0294

Nov. 2, 7 pm

Stories from Ireland

Make a leprechaun craft and hear Irish stories. For ages 3-7

Surratts-Clinton Branch, 9400 Piscataway Road in Clinton, 301-868-9200

Nov. 3, 10:30 am

Buon Giorno!

Learn about Italy through stories, crafts and snacks. For ages 3-5.

Glenarden Branch, 8724 Glenarden Parkway in Glenarden,301-772-5477

Nov. 3, 11 am

Tour de France

Stories about France plus a snack. Limited to 35. For ages 18 - 35 months

New Carrollton Branch, 7414 Riverdale Road in New Carrollton, 301-459-6900

Nov. 5, 10:30 am

Parisian Fun

Enjoy stories, a scavenger hunt and crafts, For ages 3-9

Oxon Hill Branch, 6200 Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill, 301-839-2400

Nov. 5,  11 am

Stories from Ireland

Make a leprechaun craft and hear Irish stories. For ages 2-7

Surratts-Clinton Branch, 9400 Piscataway Road in Clinton, 301-868-9200

Nov. 7, 7 pm

Stories from Italy

Italian stories, craft and snack. For ages 2-7

Spauldings Branch, 5811 Old Silver Hill Road in Spauldings, 301-817-3750

Nov. 9, 10:30 am

Cheerio!

Stories from Great Britain, including The Gruffalo, and a snack. For ages 2-5

Baden Branch, 13603 Baden-Westwood Road in Brandywine, 301-888-1152

Exciting Weekend Ahead, as Always!

While this isn't a long, leisurely holiday weekend, like last week, there's still lots of fun to be had this weekend.

First up, the group that sang one of my favorite songs when I was a kid, will be playing at the Publick Playhouse. Atlantic Starr, whose Always I listened to over and over and envisioned playing it at my wedding when I got older, will be performing at 8 pm Saturday. 

Also, there's the Fun Festival at Watkins Park, where the whole family can enjoy hayrides, carousel rides, nature center programs and more.  There's also a children's nature sketching class as well as archery lessons. 

Finally, don't forget to reserve your free Kids Euro Festival tickets online at http://www.kidseurofestival.org/index.php.   All these events are more are listed in our calendar.

Just to start your weekend off on the right groove, here's Atlantic Starr singing Always:

Have a great weekend!

Hyattsville Mom

A look at private and independent schools

As anyone with school-aged children who lives in Prince George's County knows, the schools in the area don't have a good reputation. My husband, an optimist through and through, says the schools are not as bad as people think, they just look bad compared to Montgomery and Howard counties (their schools are always on lists for the nation's best schools).

Whether they just compare poorly to schools in neighboring counties or are poor, many people seek alternative education options. If you're one of those people, there's an event this weekend that should interest you: the DC Area Independent School Fair.

The fair will have representatives from dozens of area private and independent schools. The fair will also include half-hour panels on how to choose a school, how admissions decisions are made and how to pay for these schools.

The fair, which has FREE admission, will be held from 3-5 pm, Saturday, Oct. 16, at American University's Katzen Art Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave in Washington, DC.  According to AU's website, parking for the center is free on weekends. More information is online here:  https://m360.aimsmddc.org/ViewEvent.aspx?id=31838&instance=0.

Now, lest you think I'm putting down the county's public schools, I'm not. In fact, I think some of the county schools are quite good. You just have to do your homework on them. And no matter how good the county schools are, if you want a religious-based education, or strong religious values mixed with school, you're not going to get that in county schools. So, it's good to know some of the other options.

However, if you do want a good county education, stay tuned to this blog.  Next week, I'll publish a post about some of the cool education options the county has.

-Hyattsville Mom

In retrospect, it was perhaps unreasonable optimism...

Me: Honey, I'm 100 percent sure he's just resting...

Well, the other day, my husband and I pulled up to our house to parallel park. My husband, who was driving, pulled a little beyond our yard, so we were in front of the neighbor's lawn. Right as he was about to back up,  he said, "There's a dead squirrel in the neighbor's yard."

I looked over and saw the squirrel, lying flat on it's stomach, feet spread out, and said, "Oh no, it's not dead. It's just lying there."

My husband gives me the hairy eyeball, then honks the horn. The squirrel doesn't move. "It's dead," he said.

I shake my head. "Ella and I were at the park this summer and we saw a squirrel that looked exactly like that: Lying completely still on it's belly. As soon as we got close to it, it bolted and ran off."

Well, I got close to this squirrel, and it didn't move.  The squirrel was, in fact, dead and was in that position several hours later.

Unfortunately, I think we may have a power line problem, as the squirrel was directly beneath the powerline. And, we've seen at least three dead birds beneath this same powerline over the past six months. So, I'm thinking something up there is not properly insulated, because animals walk across powerlines all the time without incident. So, maybe we owe Pepco a call.

Does anyone know who to call when you find a few too many dead animals beneath your powerlines?

That's it for today.

-Hyattsville Mom

Tuesday is Book Day!

 Hello all. Hope your day is going well, so far. 

Over here, things are well.  I thought I'd add a book component to the blog. I'm part of a book club with friends, and I read because I enjoy reading. So, I thought Tuesdays would be a great day to make book day. On Tuesdays, I'll share with you the review of a book I've read. It's not going to be an adult book each week. I like to read a book each week, but I don't always have time. Plus, adult books aren't all that's out there. With two kids, I read a lot of kids books, and it's always fun to share good kids book with others.

Today, on this first week, I'm going to tell you about a newer book I just finished (it came out in April): Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson.

First, let me share with you the blurb I saw on Amazon that made me want to read the book: "Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: 'Don't trust Ben.'"

So, after reading that, I said to myself, "Wow, I want to read that book."  And I'm glad I did.  The story is beautifully laid out and moves at a good, solid pace. The book starts with Christine waking up one morning, Ben explaining things to her, and then her meeting with the doctor who is trying to help her get her memory back.  


The therapists, whose had her journal to look at, returns it to her. Then Christine goes home, and the next day, after waking and having everything about her life explained to her, she reads her journal.

The reader gets the story laid out through these journal entries. It's fascinating and riveting because you're always trying to figure out why she shouldn't trust Ben. As a person who loves a good mystery, it's a great book because you have to keep reading to figure it out. Watson gives you--the reader--just enough information to keep you guessing and to keep you interested, but never enough to solve the mystery until close to the end of the book. And then even once that mystery is solved, you're still glued to the page, because even more suspense awaits.

It's a really good book, and if you're looking for something good to read, check this one out. It also brings up some interesting ethical dilemmas, too. This is a spoiler, so stop reading now if you hate spoilers. 

Essentially, during the book, Christine remembers giving birth to a child, a son. And, she thinks she shouldn't trust Ben because he didn't tell her about it. But, Ben later tells her their son died, and so he never mentioned it because he wouldn't want to tell her everyday she had a son and the son died and have her grieve over that son every day.  So, it's really interesting some of the issues it raises.

Well, that's it for today's post. 

-Hyattsville Mom

My 7-year-old: Terrified of Vegas Acts!

Siegfried & Roy and a lion.

Happy Monday!

Hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was good, and a bit interesting.

I told my son I was going to be chaperoning my daughter's fieldtrip to the zoo. He tells me we shouldn't go.

Me: Why not?
Son: (terrified voice) What if Siegfried & Roy are there?
Me: (not terrified) Ummm, we'll have a great show?

After a little probing, I found out  he is familiar with the fact that Roy was mauled by a tiger, but somehow got the impression these two were evil villains who brought out rogue tigers to terrorize the masses (I have no idea where he got this stuff).

So, I set him straight on who Seigfried & Roy are. I told him they shouldn't be feared any more than a turtle (unless it's the University of Maryland Terrapin, of course; if it's that turtle, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!).

I'm not sure what was more surprising, though: (1) his impression of Seigfried & Roy or (2) that he actually remembered the names Seigfried & Roy. I mean, he said it with perfect clarity and recollection,

That's it for today.

-Hyattsville Mom

P.S. Don't forget to like the Hyattsville Mom Facebook Page and follow HyattsvilleMom on Twitter. Often will post fun deals (like the Google Deals $5 Fandango movie ticket).

Plan Ahead for the Kids Euro Festival!

Happy weekend, all!

Normally, when I do a weekend post, I talk about things happening this weekend. Well, today I'll depart from that and talk about some things that are going to be going on over the next few weekends. What I'm talking about is the Kids Euro Festival.

Never heard of it? Neither had I 'til recently. I was doing the calendar the other day, and saw a couple of events at the PG County libraries that were listed as part of the Kids Euro Festival. So, I went to read about it and learned it's basically a bunch of free events (200+) all over the metro DC area that expose kids to European culture.  It's backed by the European Union and tons of embassies are participating.

The festival events start Oct. 14 and run through Nov. 10. So, why do I tell you about this today? Because even though all the events are free, some require reservations and the reservations are selling out. There's a clown group called Pip & Tout that will be performing at the Publick Playhouse on Oct. 23rd at 2 pm and, while FREE, they require reservations. Like I mentioned earlier, the PG County library will be hosting several programs.  If you want a full schedule, check out the Kids Euro Festival website. Be sure to reserve anything you want to attend.

Now, on to the current weekend. There's plenty of exciting stuff to do around here. Right here in Hyattsville, there's a kids' bike ride tomorrow morning (you need to reserve a spot, though), and a free string-quartet concert on Sunday in Laurel (again, you need a reservation).  If you don't feel like reserving a spot, you can head down to the National Harbor development and attend the Hispanic Heritage festival, or go over to the Surratt House Museum for some great civil war programs. All these items are on the calendar. Check it out if you need something to do.

That's it for today.

Hyattsville Mom.

I'm back

It's nice to be back!

I took a little break from blogging for the past week, so I could take care of a few things. But, now I'm back.

I got my flu shot, which was easy. Getting my son his flu shot was not as easy. I swear, he started bawling before we even got into the Minute Clinic office. It was all kicking, screaming and resistance (which is futile: really, I should make him watch Star Trek episodes featuring the Borg).  But, eventually, we got that needle and flu vaccine in him.  I am thankful that everyone in my house is now vaccinated (my husband and daughter went the previous week; my son was sick, so I stayed home with him).

I've updated the calendar, so there are new things on it. If you have anything you'd like added to the calendar, e-mail me at hyattsvillemom@gmail.com.

If any of you missed my Facebook post, FYI, there is still time to buy a Living Social Deal to a Corn Maze in Upper Marlboro.

Have a great day, and I'll be back tomorrow with the weekend roundup.

-Hyattsville Mom