Parenting Teens

This entry is BOUND to offend some folks. I’ve warned you before that “normal” and I only bear a passing resemblance. I am not a soccer mom, I’m much more open with my kids than some think wise, and I pride myself in being offensive in many situations. So - if your a prude and the logo to the left offends you, ya might wanna skip this one. We’ll wait while you exit in an orderly fashion.

(insert hold music here)

Alrighty - they’re gone! For the rest of you? It’s time to talk SEX, BABY! What do you mean “again”? This time, it’s not me though, this time it’s all about the Midwest Teen Sex Show.

The Midwest Teen Sex Show is not sex education exactly - but it is “a space for frank discussion of all things related to teen sexuality.” They like to call it sex information, rather than sex education. They present the information in educational and entertaining ways - with insight and a lot of laughter. They’re not promoting teen sex, but they admit the same thing I do - it’s gonna happen. Sooner or later, it will, and it’s MUCH better to have information on all things sexual before making that leap into bed.

And yes, they include a disclaimer, that MTSS is intended for teens and adults, and if your under 18 get permission from your parents, etc.

Here’s the thing though - it’s funny. And educational. And tackles ALL the issues - including fetishes/kinks (Who’s your 16th president!), Prom (Prom babies cry just as loud!), condoms, boobs, hookups, HPV, Orgasms, the Penis, breakups, oral sex, porn, and more. Yes. THERE’S MORE.

I had never heard of this site before and it was VERY much my loss. Last night in a chat, a gal sent me the link (THANKS MYSTIC!), and I’ve been giggling ever since! Granted, I have the mind of a teenage boy, and this site is bound to offend some parents, but trust me when I say - your teens? Will LOVE it. They’ll want to lick it. Hump it. Have little MTSS babies with it.

Case in point, I called over Peppermist the minute she got home from school, and gave her a choice of videos to watch. We educated ourselves on the Vagina, Boobies (BEWBS!) and The Penis. And we giggled - we outright laughed - we smacked our foreheads in “Oh. eM. Gee!!” a couple of times. But, she learned stuff too. I asked her afterwards if she’d watch more, and she gave it a double thumbs up - and bookmarked it.

So - if you’re a little shy about giving info and talking with your kids but admit teens generally have wacked out senses of humor, or if you’re like me and have the mind of a 16 year old boy - check out The Midwest Teen Sex Show. Sex is funny. (And serious too. But mostly funny.)

PS - as I was writing this, it was announced that the MTSS is coming to a TV near you! Comedy Central has announced that it will be added to their lineup for 2009-10! My kids? are THRILLED!

When the ever lovely Melissa (Plugged In PR for Capcom) contacted me about reviewing the brand spanking new Neopets Puzzle Adventure, I expected fun, squeals, and squabbles from my girls. What I didn’t expect was the shockingly unusual sight of my daughters working TOGETHER. The laughter, the helping, the excitement, and the groans - it was all there.

I love my life!

So, as I mentioned before, the Neopets Puzzle Adventure is out now, just in time for Christmas. You might think, with a name like “Neopets” that it’s for the younger ages, but this is no easy-peasy elementary puzzle… or is it?

We waited eagerly for our PC copy, since I’m a horrible, awful, terrible mom who hasn’t let her kids have a DS or Wii yet. (Inorite? SO MEAN! Auntie got HER kids a Wii! (so go play over there, ya ingrates!) GOSH!) It arrived today, and we set about installing it for the girls. Minor problem as we tried to put it on the computer without internet access first, and it complained about it, so we moved it to my computer. Inorite? If I’m such a mean mom, why did I let them take over MY computer for the evening?!

We got it installed, figured out, and I let the girls at it.

And I left. I had to go into town to take some cash to one of my ‘other’ kids, as well as deliver a forgotten phone to my son at work, get my Diet Crack, etc. You know, mom stuff. Including being shocked at spending less than $50 to fill my gas tank for the first time in months. Yay me!

I returned, expecting to find that the girls had already beaten the game, or their arguing had ended in copious amounts of bloodshed. What I found was giggling girls, frustrated yet determined. It seems that they’d been trying to beat the second puzzle, and weren’t doing so well. The Girl, 14, was growling, as her little sister watched wide-eyed and tried to be helpful. They passed it finally, and OH! the CHEERS! And then? They tried another puzzle.

Finally, the Pup, 9, asked if she could try, and The Girl was all. FINE! And you know what happened next, right? Right. The Pup beat that game, and crowed in delight as The Girl? She stared, slack-jawed. And then banged her head on the desk.

Sure, they went on to try some more, working together, with good-natured competitive banter bouncing back and forth, but oh, I’ll never let her forget that her sister beat her in a game she said was too hard. Her YOUNGER sister.

Somedays, it’s FUN to be the mom!

So, I said all of that to tell you this - Get Neopets Puzzle Adventure for your kids - DS, Wii, PC. It’s fun and entertaining, and challenging. I love any game that makes you think, that makes you work at it, and heck, it even brought the girls together without arguing to work out the puzzles together. Anyone who has kids with 5 years age difference knows how very rare that can be!

Besides - it gives you moments like this: Hey, girly! You realize your little sister is better at that game then you, right?!

Man, I LOVE my kids!

PS. Stop gasping, Nana! I have NO idea where she learned such a thing. Honest. And the rest of ya’ll - no comments about the mess that is my desk. Kthxbai!

PPS. I just spent an hour trying to beat tha second puzzle battle too. Too bad the Pup is asleep - bet she could do it!

…join em! And let them laugh at you while they win.

Yes, I’m talking about video games, as well as MMO gaming on the internet. When’s the last time you played with your teenagers? A while back, Nik Yee over at Incredible Internet surveyed 300+ parents who do exactly that, play onlin games with their kids so that they have a better idea about what’s going on, and how to parent their children in regards to online activities. He has talked with teens and parents over the past year about the experiences and created a podcast to talk about his findings.

Basically - those who play with their kids, have a much better idea of what is really going on. As Parents, we often tend to automatically veto any activity we aren’t sure about. We tend to say no before we even know all the details - and how better to get the details then to jump in and play? Sure, your kids might think your spying on them, but give them the joy of beating you a couple times as you flounder around trying to figure out HOW DO I JUMP OMG QUIT HITTING ME and laugh along with them, and soon they’ll a- be teaching you the ropes, b - be telling your friends that your hopelessly dorky, but in a kinda cool way and c - know that you care enough to be involved, and to help them make the right choices along the way. He’s even got a contract to sign between parents and children that can help all sides feel better about internet use and gaming.

So check out the podcast below, the website as well and get involved with your kids! Who knows, maybe you’ll get good enough to beat THEM!

For those of you who don’t follow the music and artists that your teenagers follow,27-year-old rapper T.I.(Clifford Harris, Jr.) is currently in jail in Atlanta. He faces federal weapons-related charges, including possessing three unregistered machine guns, two silencers, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

T.I. is a big name in rap. His best-selling albums include King, Urban Legend, and Trap Muzik, as well as the movie soundtrack Hustle and Flow. His movie appearances include ATL and the current American Gangster with Denzel Washington. He hangs out with other rappers like Diddy, Young Jeezy, and Jay-Z. He’s a big influence in the lives of some of your teens out there.

T.I. was arrested on Saturday night, just hours before he was to appear on BET’s Hip-Hop awards in Atlanta. His arrest came as part of a federal sting operation in which his bodyguard was arrested attempting to purchase firearms from an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent. The bodyguard informed the ATF that he was purchasing the weapons for T.I., with money provided to him by the rapper.

The bodyguard also informed the ATF that T.I. had fronted him thousands of dollars to buy guns on four different occasions since July of this year. In cooperation with the ATF, the bodyguard wore a wire while meeting with T.I. to hand over three machine guns and two silencers. When he was told about one of the silencers, T.I. reportedly said “no flash, no bang” and asked for the “change leftover” from the $12,000 he had given the bodyguard for the weapons. At that point, he was taken into custody.

T.I. was convicted of drug distribution in June, 1998 in Georgia. He also has additional arrests, and a probation violation for unlawfully possessing firearms. This prevents him from legally buying guns himself. He will remain in jail at least until Friday, when hearings will be held to determine whether he is eligible for bail, and whether there was probable cause to arrest him.

Sounds like yet another wonderful role model for our kids. If you have teens who are into rap, talk about this situation with them, and follow the news with them. Seeing their idols forced to answer to, and take responsibility for, their actions, just might make them think a little harder before getting into trouble.

For more news on rappers see:
Diddy
Young Jeezy

T.I., Clifford Harris, Diddy, Young Jeezy, American Gangster, ATL, rap music, rappers, teens, teenagers, parenting, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

It can be difficult to find books for teens that hold their interest and, at the same time, deal with real life. The Kimani TRU line from Harlequin is a line of books aimed specifically at African-American teenagers. They feature strong characters, and deal with today’s teen issues in sensitive and down-to-earth ways that teens can relate to, and yet still hold their reading interest. And one bit of good news is that some of these books have male lead characters which can hold a guy’s interest as well! There’s a new book from this imprint on the first of each month. Here are descriptions from the August, September, and October releases.

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James “JD�? Dawson grew up in the hood, but left a life of violence three thousand miles behind to make something of himself at Clark Atlanta University. But when the freshman got off to a fool’s start–kicking it with his new homeboys, showing up late to class, not studying and checking out the shorties–JD was assigned a tutor, the luscious Katrina Turner. She made studying real fun. But if JD wanted to get with a girl like Katrina, he’d also have to learn to grow up.
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Three girls. Three high schools. Three gotta-read stories.

How To Be Down by Felicia Pride

When Nina Parker decides to straighten her Afro, lose her valley-girl accent and get a total makeover for her new school in the hood, the cutest guy notices — yes! But so does the meanest girl, Vivica, queen bee of her crew, who wants Jeffrey for herself.

Double Act by Debbie Rigaud

In the hood, Mia Chambers is ‘the smart girl,’ but at her prestigious new prep school she hardly stands out. So Mia does what it takes — only to be accused of selling out by her old friends!

The Summer She Learned To Dance by Karen Valentin

At first, Giselle Johnson hates spending the summer with her cousin from the Dominican Republic. But she soon starts loving the island and even learns to dance to her own rhythm. That is, until her cousin attracts Giselle’s high school crush…
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Fifteen-year-old Kenisha Lewis has it all: good friends who also live to dance, a hot boyfriend headed for the NBA, loving parents and a bling-filled home in the burbs.

But all that changes when her dad drops a bomb: he wants a divorce–and his pregnant girlfriend is moving in. Suddenly, Kenisha and her mom are squeezed into her grandmother’s small house in the city, and Kenisha’s sharing a bedroom with a cousin she barely knows. Could she hate her life any more? Yeah. Because her boyfriend dumps her, her friends are acting weird and her mother is getting more and more depressed. Time for Kenisha to push the pause button on her life and take a long, deep breath…
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For more on books for teens, visit Jackie at
Tiny Treasury

teens, teenagers, teen reading, teen books, Kimani TRU, Harlequin, Pushing Pause, Hallway Diaries, First Semester

Selling out concerts, that is! Now that ugly rumors of 14-year-old Miley Cyrus’ pregnancy have proven to be a hoax, she can concentrate once more on her upcoming tour. Those pregnancy rumors that abounded online were found to spring from an altered story from J-14 magazine.

The story had been modified to contain a supposed quote from Miley, which read “I’m going to take good care of my baby, I’ve already gained seven pounds. I was in real shock when it happened accidentally, I went a little to [sic] far. I’m sorry to all of my fans.”

The magazine was quick to deny any involvement in the rumors about Miley. Editor-in-chief Janet Giovanelli said, “Miley is an intelligent, respectable role model for young girls, and we at J-14 pride ourselves on presenting our readers with credible stories and information. This story is completely fabricated!”

So, now that that nasty rumor is history, Miley is back to her tour. For those parents who may be asking, “Who the heck IS Miley Cyrus?”, she plays the fanatically popular Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel’s TV show of the same name. I took the time to watch a couple of episodes.

The show is fairly innocuous. Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a teen who leads a double life. By day, she’s an everyday schoolgirl. By night, she’s a pop star. Her father is played by Miley’s real-life dad, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Is this confusing enough for you? Good. I’d hate to be the only one!

The show has proven to be a big hit for Disney. Disney has been very successful at turning out teenage singer/actresses-Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, etc. And, personally, I don’t find Miley any worse (or any better) than the rest of them.

And her show is, apparently, carrying over well to the concert stage. On her tour, titled Best of Both Worlds, Miley sings onstage as both herself and her Hannah Montana character. And the tickets are going like hotcakes! ‘Tweens and teens can’t seem to get enough of Miley/Hannah. Shows are reportedly selling out within minutes.

So, if you have kids who want to see the show, good luck getting tickets! If you have kids who are going to the show, and dragging you with them-try to relax and enjoy it! The best thing about Miley is that, at least, she’s a better role model for your kids than lots of others out there!

Miley Cyrus, Hanna Montana, Disney Channel, Best of Both Worlds, Billy Ray Cyrus

Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has apologized to everyone affected by his actions in running an illegal dogfighting ring-especially kids who idolize him. Here’s an excerpt from a Forbes article, quoting Vick’s statements following his guilty plea in federal court Monday:

Michael Vick stood behind a podium, all alone. His amazing speed and quickness was of no use in this predicament. He couldn’t scramble away from trouble with one of those nifty moves. All he could do was apologize. And ask for forgiveness. And start “bettering Michael Vick the person, not the football player.”

Looking somber and speaking without notes, Vick said Monday he was taking full responsibility for his actions after pleading guilty to a federal dogfighting charge in Richmond, Va.

He could go to prison for one to five years.

“I offer my deepest apologies to everybody out there in the world who was affected by this whole situation, and if I’m more disappointed with myself than anything it’s because of all the young people, young kids that I let down, who look at Michael Vick as a role model,” he said.

Vick canceled a Tuesday morning radio appearance on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show”. Host Tom Joyner said Vick’s advisors suggested that the football player shouldn’t talk at this time because someone “might take any part of our interview out of context.”

Vick called dogfighting “a terrible thing,” said he initially lied to the NFL and his team about it because he was ashamed, and apologized specifically to all those he deceived about a gruesome dogfighting ring: commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, coach Bobby Petrino and his teammates.

“I need to grow up,” Vick conceded

Michael Vick does, indeed, need to grow up. The sad thing is that, at age 27, he should already be grown up enough to know better than this. The fact that he isn’t is a sad commentary on the state of those who do their growing up (at least physically) in the public eye.

Vick, just like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and lots of other celebrities-whether they be in sports, acting, whatever-seem to believe that, somehow, the rules don’t apply to them. They are under some impression that, because they are young, talented, and rich, they can pretty much go out and do anything they want and not pay the consequences. And they are finding themselves in legal and career troubles because of it.

Talk with your children and teens about they Michael Vick situation. Point out to them that their actions have consequences, and that they must take responsibility for themselves. They will grow up to be better adults because of it.

Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick plea, teens, teenagers, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

All the drama! All the excitement! All the screaming! And that was just for Zac Efron! Efron and his High School Musical 2 costars won several awards at the Teen Choice Awards, as did Johnny Depp and his Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s Endcostars. A selected list of winners is below. For a full list of who teens picked as their favorites this year, go to Fox News.

Choice Movie: Action Adventure — “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”

Choice Movie: Drama — “The Pursuit of Happyness”

Choice Movie Actor: Drama — Will Smith (”The Pursuit of Happyness”)

Choice Movie Actress: Drama — Jennifer Hudson (”Dreamgirls”)

Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure — Johnny Depp (”Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”)

Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure — Keira Knightley (”Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”)

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy — Sophia Bush (”John Tucker Must Die”)

Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller — Shia LaBeouf (”Disturbia”)

Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller — Sophia Bush (”The Hitcher”)

Choice Movie: Villain — Bill Nighy (”Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”)

Choice Movie: Hissy Fit — Ryan Seacrest (”Knocked Up”)

Choice Movie: Breakout Female — Sophia Bush

Choice Movie: Dance — Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan (”Step Up”)

Choice Movie: Breakout Male — Shia LaBeouf

Choice Movie: Chemistry — Will Smith and Jaden Smith (”The Pursuit of Happyness”)

Choice Movie: Scream — Steve Carell (”Evan Almighty”)

Choice TV: Movie — “High School Musical 2″

Choice TV Show: Comedy — “Hannah Montana”

Choice TV: Reality/Variety Show — “American Idol”

Choice TV Actor: Comedy — Steve Carell (”The Office”)

Choice TV Actress: Comedy — Miley Cyrus (”Hannah Montana”)

Choice TV: Breakout — America Ferrera (”Ugly Betty”)

Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star — Sanjaya (American Idol)

Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star — Lauren Conrad (”The Hills”)

Choice Music: Single — “Girlfriend,” Avril Lavigne

Choice Music: Male Artist — Justin Timberlake

Choice Music: Female Artist — Fergie

Choice Music: Rap Artist — Timbaland

Choice Music: R&B Artist — Rihanna

Choice Music: Breakout Artist Female — Vanessa Hudgens

Choice Music: Breakout Artist Male — Akon

Choice Music: Love Song — “With Love” - Hilary Duff

Choice Music: R&B Track — “Beautiful Girls,” Sean Kingston

Choice Music: Payback Track — “What Goes Around..,” Justin Timberlake

Choice Male Hottie — Zac Efron

Choice Female Hottie — Jessica Alba

Choice Comedian — Dane Cook

Choice Summer Movie — Drama/Action Adventure — “Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix”

Choice Summer Movie — Comedy/Musical — “Hairspray”

Choice Summer Song — “Hey There Delilah,” Plain White T’s

Choice Summer Artist — Miley Cyrus

Choice Summer TV Show — “Degrassi”

Choice V Cast Video — “The Hills”

Teen Choice Awards, High School Musical 2, Zac Efron, Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean

The biggest illness affecting ‘tweens right now? According to ABC News it’s High School Musical 2. The sequel to the wildly popular first High School Musical is giving it’s young stars lots of media coverage-Zac Efron on the cover of Rolling Stone, Ashley Tisdale on lots of talk shows, the whole cast on “Good Morning America.”

Tweens and their spending power have made the Disney musical a hit-turning it into a $100 million dollar enterprise. According to Jane Buckingham, president of market research firm Intelligence Group, “They can spend about $50 billion. Increasingly they get their own allowances, they know what brands they like, they are very sure of what they want to buy.”

Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega said of the movies’ popularity among ‘tweens:

“It empowers young people … that they can take the responsibility themselves and be in charge of their own destinies, and that high school can be what they want it to be.”

Are your teens or ‘tweens fans of “High School Musical?” How do you feel about them spending their money on merchandise from the movie?

High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale, Kenny Ortega, Disney, The Disney Channel, Good Morning America, Rolling Stone, Intelligence Group

Aside from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which your teen has probably already read, if he or she is anything like mine!), here are a few of the books recommended by the good folks over at Teenreads. Click on the link to view an entire list, and to see all the other great things their site has to offer.

Cadel Piggott has a genius IQ and a fascination with systems of all kinds. At seven, he was illegally hacking into computers. Now he’s fourteen and studying for his World Domination degree at the Axis Institute. Although he may be advanced beyond his years, at heart he’s a lonely kid. When he falls for the mysterious and brilliant Kay-Lee, he begins to question the moral implications of his studies for the first time. But is it too late to stop a criminal mastermind’s evil plot?

EVIL GENIUS is an engrossing thriller that explores the fine line between good and evil.

SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS is a fluent, ambitious journey through the literary canon as well as a suspenseful tale of murder (or suicide?) and coming of age, told in the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue Van Meer. After a childhood spent on road-trips between universities with her erudite father (a man prone to aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue, in her final year of high school, falls in with a peculiar group of friends and their charismatic teacher, Hannah Schneider. A drowning and a mysterious death lead to a confluence of mysteries, and Blue is left to make sense of a landscape strewn with cultural references, perhaps entirely fraudulent, and at the same time, bleakly real. Pessl draws on every literary giant, from Shakespeare to Flaubert, Ovid to Tennessee Williams, in order to create the mindscape of a young woman who comes of age at a time when post-modernism is a theory of the past and literature is passé. Pessl’s opus will incite debate on both of these topics, between readers and reviewers alike, while the story unravels with fluid writing and unexpected plot twists.

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire — that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny — with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

What’s the best revenge when your best friend ditches you for the popular crowd? Alyson Noël reveals all in her hot new young adult novel.

As freshmen at Ocean High last year, Winter and her best friend Sloane thought they could ditch their nerdy past, launching from invisible to cool. But after another miserable year of standing on the sidelines they make a pact to do whatever it takes not to go unnoticed in their sophomore year, promising each other that whoever makes it into the cool group first will bring the other along.

One Sloane gets a taste of life on the A-list, she slams that door in Winter’s face. Suddenly cast out of her former best friend’s life, Winter takes revenge the modern way: by announcing all of Sloane’s dirty little secrets on an anonymous blog. Then the blog becomes more popular than she ever dreamed and Winter must decide if her retaliation is really worth the consequences — and if the price for popularity is one she’s willing to pay. Once again, Alyson Noël navigates the tricky waters of the high school social scene with the heart and humor her readers have come to love.

teens, teenagers, teen books, Teenreads, Evil Genius, Special Topics In Calamity Physics, Marked, Kiss & Blog, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

The minds of many teens, ‘tweens, and tons of others(myself included!) are on Harry Potter today. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the series, goes on sale at 12:01am tonight/tomorrow! My daughter and I preordered our copy awhile back, and we’ll be picking it up promptly at midnight, with the party at the bookstore, and everything else! She gets it first but, fast as she reads, I should have it no later than Sunday morning, or maybe even Saturday night!

I’ve stayed totally away from all the spoiler talk that has been going on. I think it’s really rotten of anyone to spoil it for those of us who have been waiting for so long! When my daughter’s friends say anything about it, we both cover our ears, and yell at them to be quiet (nicely, of course)!

So, everyone have a great weekend reading and, if any of you finish it before I do, please don’t tell me about it!

Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, teens, teenagers, parenting teens, parenting teenagers, teen reading, teen books

Well, the Pottermania for this summer has officially begun! “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” has been released. The race for who can see it first is already over, and now the race is on to as to who will see it the most times! And with the final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows coming out soon, there’s even more mania to follow. The Baltimore Sun has reactions from some fans who saw midnight showings last night.

Which brings me to the rest of my post for today. As usually happens with our favorite movies, my 16-year-old daughter and I were out to see a midnight showing. This was following a sprained or broken ankle scare yesterday morning (it turned out to be only a strain, thank goodness, but spending half the day in the emergency room was my reason for not posting yesterday). We went with in a small group with two of our friends.

It was, essentially, like a family reunion! Not that we knew all of the people there. But we all had a love of Harry in common, and getting together was great! In keeping with the theme of the evening, I dressed as Professor McGonagall and the three girls dressed as Hogwart’s students. The costumes were interesting. I even saw a couple of people who were wearing torn, black flowing robes and looking like Dementors. One extremely tall guy was wearing a wig and long beard and looking like Hagrid.

We arrived at 11:00pm, although we had already bought tickets earlier. But there were door prizes, a costume contest(we didn’t win, darn it!) and trivia. It was a fun and quick hour, waiting for the movie to begin.

Now, for the movie itself. This is no critic’s evaluation. I’m a huge Potter fan, and would have liked it, regardless. This is just my take. It was the shortest Potter film to date, at two hours, 18 minutes. It seemed to go much faster than that.

My favorite part of it all was that all the familiar characters were back-Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Lucius Malfoy. My least favorite part was that the movie is so jam-packed with familiar characters that it left very little room to introduce new ones. We saw extremely little of Tonks and Bellatrix Lestrange (a great turn by Helena Bonham Carter), who figured prominently in the book.

As usual, the veteran actors of the cast were superb. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black fits the role to a T. Alan Rickman did his usual outstanding job as Severus Snape, as did David Thewlis and Ralph Fiennes, as Remus Lupin and Voldemort. From the beginning, the casting of the professors and other older roles has been wonderful.

As for the younger actors-Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, I like them more with every movie. Some people feel that they are outgrowing their roles. I, on the other hand, feel that they have grown into them. They have a great cohesiveness, which improves with every Potter film.

Overall, I felt the film was really good. The tone was much darker, true, but then each successive book has dealt with darker themes, so this is to be expected. When you think about it, kids deal with darker issues the older they become, so the films mirror life in that respect.

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is a great activity to share with your kids-teen, ‘tweens, almost any age. If you like it too, so much the better. If you don’t, go anyway and indulge your kids a bit. They’ll appreciate it, and you might find yourself having a good time, if you can suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and accept the magic.

Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Ralph Fiennes

It’s time once more for the Teen Choice Awards. The awards will be broadcast on Fox, August 26th. Your teen can vote by going to the above website. Here’s a complete list of nominees. Some really interesting choices on here!

Choice Movie: Action Adventure

300

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End

Spider-Man 3

Transformers

Choice Movie: Drama

Step Up

Stomp the Yard

The Departed

The Guardian

The Pursuit of Happyness

Choice Movie: Chick Flick

Georgia Rule

License to Wed

Music and Lyrics

The Holiday

The Last Kiss

Choice Movie: Comedy

Blades of Glory

Evan Almighty

Knocked up

Night at the Museum

Ocean’s Thirteen

Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller

Disturbia

The Number 23

1408

Hostel: Part II

Saw III

Choice Movie Actor: Drama

Ashton Kutcher - The Guardian

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed, Blood Diamond

Channing Tatum - Step Up

Adam Sandler - Reign Over Me

Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness

Choice Movie Actress: Drama

Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart

Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls

Lindsay Lohan - Bobby, Georgia Rule

Meagan Good - Stomp the Yard

Scarlett Johansson - The Black Dahlia, The Prestige

Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure

Shia LaBeouf - Transformers

Chris Evans - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End

Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End

Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man 3

Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure

Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Keira Knightley - Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End

Kirsten Dunst - Spider-Man 3

Lena Headey - 300

Megan Fox - Transformers

(more…)

For teens, ‘tweens, and everyone else alike, it’s a Harry Potter summer! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has its U.S. release on July 11.

My 16-year-old daughter and I are so looking forward to this movie! With each successive movie, we’ve become more crazy about the series. We were thrilled to hear that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson had all been signed for the rest of the series. We plan to catch this one at one of the midnight showings with two of her friends.

We’re a little less thrilled with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It’s not that we’re not looking forward to reading it. It’s just that, with it being the final book in the series, we’re both prepared to cry, no matter how it ends! After all, this series of books has been part of both our lives since she was in third grade. Both the books and movies have been a great bonding experience for us, since we are both fans.

Is your teen or ‘tween a fan? Do you plan to see the movie and read the book? Let us know about your experiences with your kids over Harry!

Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, J.K. Rowling, teens, ‘tweens, movies, summer movies

I’ve been tagged by Bryan over at Sympathy Pain to inform all you readers of seven strange things about myself. This could be difficult. I mean, I’m used to all the quirks about me, so what seems strange any more?! Anyway, I’ll give it a shot.

1. I’m a big fan of science fiction and horror. Most people think I’m this typical suburban mom of a
teenager, but in my own home I like nothing better than sitting down watching the entire “Planet of
the Apes” or “Nightmare On Elm Street” series!

2. I have a quick temper-in cerain situations! Most of the time I keep my cool, but when I get on the
phone with insurance companies, government officials, or some other entity that wants to talk rules
and regulations, rather than give me answers, I can really get hot under the collar.

3. I never grew up in some respects. I can still eat ketchup on almost anything, including my
mashed potatoes!

4. My best friend in the world is my younger (by ten years) brother. We both love movies, science
fiction, and collecting things.

5. I love to collect science fiction toys (see #1)! I have lots of Star Trek and Star Wars figures, ships, models, etc., all over the house, including my living room,
and I love going to conventions!

6. I have a big crush on Johnny Depp. Okay, so it’s out there! Despite my longtime happy
relationship and recent engagement, I still drool over Johnny. It’s those eyes!

7. My teenage daughter and I are best of friends. Yes, we have one of those types of relationships.
And it works for us. We love going to movies and concerts, and shopping, together. Yet, she’s
never questioned my authority as her mom!

teens, teenagers, parenting, parenting teens, parenting teenagers, Star Trek, Star Wars, Johnny Depp, Planet of the Apes, Nightmare on Elm Street