S Club Mama

Like most moms, some days are hard and I dream of running away to join the circus. In reality, I would take my kids over smelly animals any day. But it’s fun to think about what it would be like to actually join the circus. If I were to join the circus, my job of choice would probably not be one that most people would think of. I would not be a trapeze artist or a lion tamer. I would not be a bearded lady or the world‘s shortest woman. I would love to be the ticket taker. In college, I was pregnant with my first child and worked in the cafeteria. I had a horrible morning sickness all day long and could not stand to be around food. So the manager, a dear friend of mine, made me the cashier. I loved every second of it! As the cashier or the ticket taker at a circus, you get to see everyone come in. You are the face that greets them and ask them how they are doing. Those kind words of greeting can make a person’s day! I am very extroverted and I usually gain energy from b...

Princess hasn’t been to a movie theater yet - she will be four this summer. I have been attempting to find a movie to take her to and a lot of them could have scary/intense parts (I’m looking at you Toy Story franchise!). I have heard rumors of Frozen 2 but I’ve also heard rumors of a plot twist I’m not a fan of. So her future movie watching was looking bleak until Dumbo. Princess loves The Greatest Showman, and Dumbo is circus-themed too. Barring any intense scenes (I’m a huge fan of Plugged In movie reviews and Common Sense Media reviews to help me filter media for my kids), I think we have a winner. image via Grace Hill Media Synopsis:  From Disney and visionary director Tim Burton, the all-new grand live-action adventure “Dumbo” expands on the beloved classic story where differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) a...

"A Wrinkle in Time" is a beloved book by Madeleine L'Engle and Disney is coming out with a new film starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Oprah, and newcomer Storm Reid as "Meg Murry."  A Wrinkle In Time opens in US theaters March 9, 2018 . The film, which is an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and ultimately, the triumph of love. Directed by Ava DuVernay from a screenplay by Jennifer Lee based upon the beloved novel by Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wrinkle in Time” is produced by Jim Whitaker and Catherine Hand with Doug Merrifield serving as executive producer. 

Disney has a new film coming out called "Queen of Katwe." It's based on the true story of Robert Katende and Phiona Mutesi from Uganda. Phiona grew up in the slums of Katwe, Uganda and she came upon Katende and a group of children playing chess in a church building (not the type of church building we imagine here; think makeshift). Katende starts to teach her and guide her, building her confidence, not only in chess but in herself. She finds herself competing in local chess matches and then winning international competitions. Their story proves that champions can come from the most unlikely of places. "Queen of Katwe" opens Friday, September 30 nationwide! As I've said before, I love underdog stories. A girl from the slums of Africa winning international chess tournaments and eventually having her story become a feature Disney film - that's good stuff to me. I believe God allows underdog stories because that's what all stories truly are. We ar...

When The Princess & The Frog came out, there was much ado about the voodoo in the movie. I'll admit, I was taken aback by this practice that many still actually practice. However, after watched Snow White during my run yesterday, I came to the realization that many Disney movies talk about or show witchcraft or magic of some sort (whether for good or bad). Here's the list I came up with. The Little Mermaid Snow White  The Santa Clause Cinderella Anastasia Sleeping Beauty Pirates of the Caribbean Enchanted Twitches Halloweentown Freaky Friday The Sword in the Stone Mary Poppins Beauty & the Beast Aladdin Alice in Wonderland (??) Peter Pan Pinocchio Fantasia Some of my favorite Disney movies are in that list! I have no problem with my kids watching those (except perhaps Pirates of the Caribbean but that's too old for them), so why did I (and so many others) have a problem with the Princess & the Frog movie? Because the other magic seems more like pretend wherea...