I just saw a short clip of what Jeff Bridges said backstage at the Oscars after being honored as Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Bad Blake in Crazy Hearts.  And it has become my favorite Oscars Moment!

Yes, I did love what Sandra Bullock said in her Best Actress acceptance speech.  I loved that she thanked moms.  Yes, moms.  The unsung heros.  Loved it.  Teared up over it.

But what Jeff Bridges said seemed to resonate with me a little more, or on a different level.  Here is what he said in that backstage interview:

In regards to his wife, whom he contributes his success, “She holds that kite string. Let’s me go way out there, and then it’s so sweet being reeled back in.  I love coming home…But my wife and my girls, I guess the girls are the tail of the kite, keep me centered like that.”

I want to be that.  I want to be holding the kite string for my husband.  Not that I want to be holding my husband back but that I can let him drift amongst the clouds and just be there , keeping him connected to home.  He loves to dream.  He loves to think about what else we could be doing, in business and in life.  He’s not content just settling.  But he also has a strong sense of doing what is best for us, for me, for our girls.  I’d like to think that that is where I and the girls come into play.  That I’m there, keeping him anchored to the ground (in a sense) and, when he’s ready, reeling him in back home.  That, when he is floating around way out there, that it is our girls who keep him centered.

I just love that thought.  The image it brings to mind.  It is such a breath of fresh air to hear someone compare their relationship with their spouse and kids as something more positive, instead of the whole “ball & chain” analogy.  I hope this is the way that my husband looks at our relationship.  That he sees us as this magnificent kite flying team.

Photo courtesy of haloocyn on Stock.xchng.

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I wasn’t sure exactly how the girls would react seeing their favorite characters in person as we got ready to go to the Playhouse Disney Live show.  It’s one thing to see them on the tv in the living room as cartoons.  It’s quite another to see them “live” and in person, dancing and singing on stage!

The girls loved it though!  Zoe LOVED seeing Mickey Mouse and Abbi loved joining in on all of the dancing.  Abbi was a little concerned when Goofy’s hat fell off during the show and even tried yelling to Goofy that he dropped his hat.  (I don’t think Goofy meant to drop his hat)  Thankfully it was a loud part in the show!  Abbi was also questioning this morning, while we were watching Playhouse Disney, why Daisy and Pluto weren’t at the show last night.  I told her they must have been sick and she bought that.  Note to Playhouse Disney Live:  Get a Daisy and Pluto in the show!

Overall, the girls had a blast!  The length of the show was great (although the intermission got to be a little long for the girls) and the story and music definitely kept the girls’ attention.  The basis of the show is that Mickey is throwing a Music Party at the Clubhouse and is inviting some of his Disney Pals — Handy Manny, Tigger, Pooh & Darby, and the Little Einsteins, including Rocket.  Each friend is to bring a song to sing at the party. We get to watch (and help) as the Disney friends find, discover, and prepare their songs. Blast off with the Little Einsteins as they discover music around the world.  Hang out in SheetRock Hills with Manny and the Tools as they realize that the tools themselves make their owns special music.  And head over to Hundred Acre Woods to find the musical inspirations the woods themselves hold.  Wrap it all up with the famous Hot Dog Dance and you have one rockin’ show!!!

I’m so thankful to Feld Entertainment for giving my family this opportunity and for providing two other families tickets as well through the giveaway.  I cannot wait to take the girls to more live shows in the future!!!  And thank you to the Disney Live events for providing such amazing and fun events where families can make great memories!

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This week I was watching The View and they brought up the fact that Johnny Depp’s wife, French actress Vanessa Paradis, isn’t too keen on the fact that her hubby is acting opposite Angelina Jolie. Apparently, the new film the two actors are starring in has some pretty steamy sex scenes and Paradis is, well,  concerned.  The View ladies, with special guest co-host Valerie Bertinelli, debated back and forth on whether or not Paradis had anything to worry about.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The View c0-host, joked that she thought Jolie had some sort of super powers with men, while the other co-hosts tended to agree with her.  Valerie Bertinelli took a much different side.  She debated that, if your relationship with your spouse was strong and committed, then Jolie didn’t stand a chance.

Let’s be honest, Angelina Jolie does have a bit of a track record for causing a rift in her past co-stars relationships.  Billy Bob Thornton?  Brad Pitt?  What wife wouldn’t be a little worried if her husband was going to be acting out steamy love scenes with Angelina Jolie?  Ok, maybe more than a little worried.  It’s like throwing your husband into a pit of lions.  You know the lions have been “rumored” to eat people, so would you really want to chance it by tossing him in there?

The more I thought about this the more I kept coming back to two central themes: trust and faith.  Now, while I’m some what confident that my husband won’t be acting out any type of scenes with Angelina, there are still instances, occurrences where I still need to display trust and faith.  I need to trust him.  I need to have faith in his decisions.  And it’s not always easy.

So, what do you think?  Do you think Vanessa Paradis is right in not wanting Johnny Depp to be doing the movie with Angelina Jolie?  Have you ever not wanted your spouse to go somewhere or do something because of who else would be there?

This is why I still like watching The View.  I love that small snipettes or bits of their host chat causes me to think a little deeper. Now, if they could only get Barbara to quit plugging her specials and tv interviews and books every other minute…

* I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review. However, all opinions stated are my own and are not being swayed by compensation.

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The last time I laid on one of those beds it was 1998, nearly 12 years ago.  Really?  Had it been that long?  How could I have let so much time go by?  Sure, there have been trips out of the country, tattoos, ear piercings, and pregnancies, but 12 YEARS? Well, today, I had no excuses.  No recent international trips, tattoos, pregnancies.  Today, I could donate blood.

I had little over 45 minutes today before I needed to be back home to let the babysitter go and I knew that the church just down the road was hosting a blood drive.  I figured I would just stop by and check t0 see if they could even get me in and finished before I needed to be home.  They said they would try.  Ok!

They entered my updated info into the computer and then asked the question I had dreaded: “have you ever failed the iron test?”  The answer was an honest “no” but, in the back of my mind, I knew my iron levels are consistently low.  The nurse poked my finger, took a little blood and put it in the little tester machine.  I needed a minimum hemoglobin level of 12.5 g/dL.  Mine was 11.4.  I had two options: leave and try again next time or have a different nurse do a retest.  Retest it is!  Moving on to my left hand, after a much more painful poke, my hemoglobin retest came back at 12.9!  Yay!

I took my place on the very uncomfortable table in the middle of the room, the nurse asked my name about twenty times (I guess to make sure I wasn’t pretending to be someone else), and then we were off and draining.  The nurse was pleasantly surprised at how quickly my blood was draining out (I’m apparently a fast bleeder) and I was, umm, surprised at the choice of music they were playing.  I’m lying in a church, donating blood, and they are playing “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” by Crash Test Dummies.  You know the song — Once, there was this girl who wouldn’t change her clothes with the girls in the change room.” It was weird!

Anyhow, I finished donating, sucked down a small can of orange juice, and got home in time to let the babysitter go.  And it felt so good!  I loved knowing that I did something that could potentially help another person.  Not someone that I actually knew but someone.  And it was so easy.  Forty-five minutes, a few yes or no questions, and some needle pricks, that was all it took.

I will definitely be donating again. I have the blood.  I’m healthy.  I will continue to donate blood as long as I can.  What I’m really hoping to do now is to get tested to donate bone marrow (It’s on my Life List)!

Have you ever donated blood (or been tested to donate bone marrow)?  If not, what is holding you back from donating?  Don’t worry, I’m not judging you for not being a donator!  I’m just curious.  I totally understand that there are people that can’t donate and there are people that would rather eat dirt than be poked with a needle.  If you’ve never donated but are interested in doing so, here are some interesting facts:

• • 1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives
  • Every 2 seconds someone needs a blood transfusion
  • 5 million patients in the US need blood every year
  • Less than 38% of the population is eligible to donate blood
  • Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from volunteer donators
  • You get juice and cookies after you donate!

You can learn more about donating blood and even find local blood drives at RedCrossBlood.org.

FYI…this post actually has nothing to do with the American Red Cross.  They did not contact me to write this post and have no idea that I am writing it.  I believe strongly in donating blood, if you can, and wanted to share this experience with you.  I am in no way being compensated by the American Red Cross for this post or by anyone else.

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I am so excited to announce the winners of our Playhouse Disney Live giveaway!  I really hope these families enjoy the show and maybe we’ll even see you there!  For those who did not win, thank you for taking the time to enter.  I’m hoping to have a few more local giveaways coming your way!  And, it’s not too late to purchase tickets to the show this weekend.  You can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com or check for other Disney Live events at Disney.com.

Each winner will receive a family four-pack of tickets to the 4:30pm Playhouse Disney Live show on March 7 the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids. And the winners are…

Ann from AnnOnandOn

Jodi from jodimichelle

Congrats ladies!  I am sending you an email about claiming your prize.  If you did not receive an email from me, please email me at staceysays at me.com.

Thanks again to Feld Entertainment for providing my family and the winners’ families tickets to the Playhouse Disney Live show!!!

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