And the award goes to....American Hustle

My husband and I decided to see American Hustle tonight.  We planned on either that or Anchorman 2, but went with American Hustle since it was barely earlier and more of what I was in the mood for.  Lately, we haven't been able to get time away from our kids so we wanted to make the most of it.  Our youngest is sick with a viral infection known as RSV.  It's like a cold, but mostly just for babies.  It sucks.  He isn't sleeping well, he's unusually fussy, and his poor nose is all snotty.  Worst of all is his terrible cough.  He gets so red in the face and starts wheezing if you don't clear his nose out.  He's been to the doctor so we know that the only real thing we can do is use a saline spray and give him baby Tylenol if his temperature gets too high.  That and wait it out.  Seriously, there is almost nothing more pathetic than a sick baby.

Anyway, back to my original point.  This film is different than you might expect.  The characters are impressively well-acted and the writing turns out to not be so much writing as improvisation and it's also impressive.  Christian Bale is so much better than a lot of people probably realize.  Anyone remember a little movie called American Psycho?  Yeah, that's right, Batman used to be a serial killer.  Seriously, it's easy for the better roles to be overshadowed by the more publicized cheesy roles.  Don't get me wrong, I love the Batman movies.  I don't even mind Christian Bale's Batman voice.  Kevin Conroy, from the animated series did the same sort of thing, creating a separate sound for Batman versus Bruce Wayne.  That's right, Superman, Bruce uses more than glasses and a cheap suit to disguise his alter ego.  

But seriously, Christian Bale is incredibly talented.  Jeremy Renner doesn't look like Jeremy Renner and even Robert De Niro looks dissimilar to Robert De Niro as we know him (although he plays someone intimidating, which is just like De Niro).  Bradley Cooper is one of the only people that comes off much like his other roles, most notably Silver Linings Playbook.  

You know who was a surprise, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence.  Every time I see Jennifer Lawrence in a movie, I think the same thing.  She is Katniss.  She is seventeen.  Then we saw her in Winter's Bone.  Her character is tough as nails, rough, yet protective of those she loves.  Sounds like Hunger Games, right?  Still, she is really good in Winter's Bone and proves she can make you believe she is someone other than Katniss.  When I saw she was in Silver Linings, I kept thinking, no way, she's seventeen, and then I saw the movie and she was completely believable as her character.  She really commits to her roles.  You wonder at the end of her movies if it's really the same girl that was in Hunger Games.  American Hustle is a lot like that.  When you see who her character is and how she relates to the others, you think, Jennifer Lawrence?  Really?  The answer is yes.

Amy Adams.  We see her in Enchanted and Muppets and think that's all she is.  Song and dance, which she's really good at by the way.  When she was cast as Lois Lane in Man of Steel, I thought that was perfect.  Somehow it made sense.  Seeing her in the movie proved that to be true.  But this, this was acting.  Her character is alluring, charming, smart, and broken.  I really wanted her to save herself.  I was just so sad for her.  I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that I came to see Amy Adams in a new light.  I always liked her, but now I can really respect her acting as well as her singing and dancing.  It was nice seeing her less made up, less pretty.  Good for her.

Christmas Eve

Here we are watching Modern Family, relaxing after getting Christmas ready.  Kids are in bed asleep (even the babe), Santa has come and gone, stockings are stuffed, cookies have been eaten.  This has been a good, comfortable Christmas Eve.  Most of the time, I haven't had time to wrap anything because I've been working from Black Friday on, but not this year.  This year I worked the day before Christmas Eve.  NOT Christmas Eve.  This is the first year I've been completely off from Christmas Eve since my daughter was born six years ago.  SIX YEARS.  I know it's silly to complain, but nothing kills your holiday spirit like working retail.  I have kids.  I'd like to appreciate them during the holidays.  This year is that year.  I even wrapped some stuff ahead of time and shared tasks with my husband.  Amazing, right?  Yeah, I know.

Stockings hung by the chimney with care

We are celebrating our first Christmas in our new house and I'm over the moon about it.  I'm in my living room, TV on, baby asleep on dad, wine glass emptied, and I'm looking at our new Christmas tree.  Six feet tall, white, pre-lit (which apparently means someone twisted lights around every set of branches), with ornaments spread out haphazardly.  You can tell what sections my daughter did because there are ornaments clumped on top of each other, including candy canes.  This is the most chaotic tree I have ever had and I LOVE it.

The other exciting thing about our Christmas tree is that we actually have one.  I got to use ornaments that have never been opened before because I didn't have a tree to put them on, nor a place to put a tree to put ornaments on.  Let me take you through the last few Christmases I've had.

The year is 2005 and I'm living at my boyfriend's during my senior year of high school.  I don't remember a tree, but if there was one, I damn-sure had nothing to do with it.

2006- College.  My parents had a tree that they put up while I was at school.  Side note: My dad died a month later.

2007- My new husband's father's house.  The first live tree I have ever lived with.  It is so beautiful, next to an active wood-burning fireplace with stockings hung on the mantle.  Presents are settled on the floor beneath the tree, just waiting to be opened on Christmas Day.  My newborn daughter has just come home from the hospital two weeks prior after spending two weeks in the hospital from being born prematurely.  We watch A Christmas Story and eat eggs over easy that my amazing first father-in-law has cooked. Side note: He died nine months later.

2008- Staying with my mother during my separation from my husband.  I was a store manager then so I doubt I helped with the tree since I was busy selling Christmas presents.  Retail....

2009- I'm in my own apartment, but spending all my time at my crazy then-boyfriend's house.  His family comes down from New York.  We end up going there at some point as well.  His mother and stepdad are super sweet and everything is perfect, except him.  His Christmas tree is all his decision, just like everything in our relationship (except our break-up, BAZINGA!).

2010- Back at my mom's?

2011- First Christmas with my new husband.  We're expecting our first child together in April.  We get a two foot tree and stick it in a tiny box instead of a fake pot.  It's still in that tiny box, with the lights and ornaments we selected to put on it, currently occupying our mantle.

2012- Christmas at my in-laws because we were waiting to hear back about our short sale home purchase.  Very cozy with our daughter and six-month-old son, but no tree of our own.

2013- THE YEAR OF THE TREE!!!!!!!!!  Oh, and stockings that I hung on the mantle...