Thursday, June 30, 2011

Anything Once: Girls night out - after baby

It didn’t hit me that it was really going to happen until Sofia was asleep in bed. I rushed into the bathroom to throw on some make up and ran then ran out to the living room. In a desperate whisper, I implored my husband, “I’m going out – what in the world do I wear?” 


I've primarily been sporting PJs or workout clothes. When I go out I always have to calculate the nursing factor, which means I've been circulating through about 6 tank tops and three other shirts for 5 whole months. I barely recall how to dress any other way.

It had been 14 months since I’d gone out without a human inside of/physically attached to my body. I had forgotten how this was supposed to work. I threw on the one dress in my closet that was not an old bridesmaids’ dress or my own wedding dress. I crawled under the bed to find a pair of heels that were collecting dust from over a year of disuse:



I stood stunned at the door, staring at my husband, waiting for a baby's cry to bring me back to what must be reality, but nothing stopped me, so off I went.

As I drove away, a series of thoughts flew through my head:
1)    Pull into the far left lane, you’re a carpool. Wait. No. You can’t drive in the carpool lane. No one else is in the car!
2)    Adele’s “Rolling in the deep” comes on the radio. Oh yeah. Now I’m getting pumped up and excited.
3)    On the freeway now, wish I could leave the windows down – the rush of wind through my hair helps to prep my mood – but for once my hair is “done” so up the windows go.
4)    “Rolling into deep” ends and the following songs and stale air start to be a downer on my mood.
5)    Maybe if I drove faster, that would help keep my excitement rising. I wish I had a convertible right now.
6)    This is too good to be true. I’m speeding, my car feels totally different without an infant babbling in the back seat, something is bound to go wrong. I should really slow down and turn on my defensive driving brain.
7)    Oh shoot, there’s my exit. How am I gonna get around the big rig between my lane and the exit lane?
8)    Oops! Sorry dude I just cut off. Thank you for not crashing into me!
9)    Phew. Made it off the freeway in one piece.
10There's a fire starting in my heart . . .” Adele’s on again?! Song of the night! Mood is back up.

I went on in to the restaurant. It was awkward figuring out how to relate socially again without a baby to attend to. But everyone was so kind and gracious that I was eventually able to ease back into human interaction and have a great night. Night – as in the time after the sun goes down. Wow. Forgot what the world looked like then!  I sure hope this “anything once” gets many-a-repeat performance! 

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Presents! Gifts! YEAH! Part Two

Giving gifts is fun for me, but let me make it clear: I LOVE getting gifts too. If you'd like to send me one right now, I will give you my address, just ask. Here's a top five gifts I've received list, in no particular order:

1. Tickle Me Elmo. For most of middle school, a backwards Elmo hat was my signature, every day accessory. Don't mock it, I still know it was awesome. Anyway, the Christmas that Tickle Me Elmo was the hot item and people fought over them in toy stores and sold them on ebay for hundreds, I had the flu. I felt like crap. That night, when Grandma had convinced us all to leave the dinner table to rush to the presents, everyone was instructed to watch me open my first gift. Weary and confused, I sat in a chair while my cousin grabbed her camera and handed me the gift she had purchased for me. And it was...Tickle Me Elmo! I realize I was technically way too old for a toy like that, but MAN was it exciting. And it gave my great-grandmother the giggles, which made it entertaining for the whole family.
2. An Insurance Deductible. The Christmas before Jeff and I got married, he got in a wreck that required thousands in repairs. Fortunately, Jeff had insurance to cover most of it. Unfortunately, his deductible was super high. This was rather crushing for us. We were at my aunt's house a week after the crash, and she pulled me aside and told me that God had told her to pay the deductible. She ended up splitting it 50/50 with Grandma, and this gift blew me away. Not only was it super generous, but it was something we never would have considered asking for and gave us such peace and glorified God. BAM! Awesomeness.
3. A Military Pin. For my 16th birthday, my Grandma Bradshaw gave me the pin and compact set that Grandpa Bradshaw had given her when they first started dating. They have such a beautiful love story, and I was utterly honored to get this heirloom.

4. A Children' Book. For our anniversary this year, Jeff wrote a children's book, incorporating pictures of us and hilarious fictional names. I love it. It's thoughtful, creative, and funny. (For the record, my engagement/wedding ring was probably the single best gift I've ever been given, but that feels like cheating.)
5. A Wedding. Sometimes I am dumb and forget what an amazing gift my parents gave Jeff and me. I guess our American culture makes us girls feel all entitely, which is whack. Not only did they finance the whole shindig, they were also super supportive and helpful through the whole thing. Obviously that is a gift I will never forget.

This is just a sampling. Other favorite gifts that pop into mind: a photo collage with a brain teaser incorporated into it from Zoe, tickets to see Jimmy Fallon from Sissy, a surprise short family vacation at the Disneyland Hotel from my parents, a homemade quilt from Grandma Bradshaw, a maternity sweatshirt and mini celebration from my friend Tabitha (it was the exact right amount of hoopla for a freaked out unexpectedly pregnant me), a surprise party with a spy theme from Zoe and our friend Nathan (we were really into Alias then)...the list goes on. I'm blessed. And I'm leaving out tons of other examples. 

What are some of your favorite gifts?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Boys Allowed

Recently, a male lobster asked if it's okay for men to read this blog. Well, this is kind of a girly blog. I admit it. We are two girls who blog about motherhood or pregnanthood approximately 33% of the the time (you'd be surprised at how much thought I put into that fake statistic). However, it is still acceptable and manly to read Long Distance Lobsters. Here are the reasons:


1. Manly Men understand women. Whenever you guys come across a particularly girly post, you can claim it as research.
2. Many of our posts are so very gender neutral. Every Monday, for example, is Movie Review Monday. Manly Men like movies. Saturdays are for Snapshots. Manly Men like pictures. Sundays are for the Sabbath. Manly Men love Jesus. You get the idea.
3. A confirmed regular reader:
Please note: full, manly beard. And his NAME is MANny.
4. A second confirmed regular reader:
Please note: full, manly beard and he's
bad-assedly wiping blood from lip.
5. A third confirmed regular reader:
Please note: full, manly beard, intimidating look on
face, and overabundance of appetizers.
6. A fourth confirmed regular reader:
Umm...try to focus on his motorcross shirt and the fact that he's sitting next to (his sister's) baseball paraphernalia.
7. Manly men can also have long distance friends. But we turn to you, male readers, whoever you may be. Do tell: What are some challenges long distance guy friends face that chicks don't, or what are some of the ways lobster guys continue to bond sans proximity?


That's enough now. Point made. 


So read proudly, Male Lobsters! 

Monday, June 27, 2011

Movie Review Monday #6

Before Emily and I were even dating our current husbands, we planned to prepare for our weddings by watching all our favorite wedding movies. And sure enough, during my engagement, she sent me gifts of wedding movie DVD's and we had some great fun re-watching some of our favorites like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Fools Rush In, Princess Bride. Man, I must be forgetting tons, cause we had quite a list. Emily - why don't you work up a post of our wedding movies? Oh wait, you're about to deliver a baby. Scratch that. 


Emily's due date is coming up, and we really want Eiley to come early for insurance reasons. So Lobsters, I invite you to join with me in cheering Eiley on to get those contractions started and come quick and smooth before July 1 if at all possible. To cheer her on, I would like to provide a list of some of my favorite baby movies I enjoyed, leading up to my own delivery. 


1) Baby Mama. 
Baby Mama
In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a Tina Fey fan. What you may not have known is that I'm even more of an Amy Poehler fan. I ADORE Parks and Rec. Getting these two into a comedy about having babies together is movie genius. That's just all there is. 


2) Juno. 
Juno (Single-Disc Edition)
Ellen Page and Michael Cera are just two adorable people. It doesn't hurt to have Rainn Wilson in there either, "That ain't no Etch A Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be undid, Homeskillet." Witty and endearing with delightful music throughout. "Anyone else but you" is one of my favorite songs, thanks to Juno. 


3) Away we Go. 
Away We Go
I probably mostly watched this because I am a fan of the Office and therefore John Krasinski. But I was delightfully surprised at how clever and insightful it was at capturing the anxieties of building a home for a young expecting couple [a phase of life I'm intimately familiar with right now]. Also, the stroller scene nearly made me wet my pants from laughing so hard. 


4) Life as We Know It. 
Life as We Know It [Blu-ray]
While I do not want to advocate for all of their parenting methods - like shoving a baby down when she's about to take her first steps for example - this movie wins as a fun romantic comedy and a touching baby movie all in one - double score. Furthermore, I'm a sucker for movies about women who cook for a living [for example, I love "No Reservations" even though I usually hate Catherine Zeta Jones] and it doesn't hurt that the baby's name is Sofie [my baby's name is Sofia].  


5) Bella
Bella
Ok. To be honest, I didn't get to watch this while I was pregnant, but I really enjoyed this film and have never quite heard as much praise for it as I think it deserved. It's more on the dramatic rather than funny end. I found it both thought provoking and endearing. Beautifully done. 


Huh - strange number of films here about adoption, but that's ok. I would urge pregnant women to stay away from movies like Shutter Island. Well done film and all. Complete and total mistake to watch that when I was hormonal and expecting. If you've seen it, you know why. Also Revolutionary Road was another bad decision during pregnancy, and Inception, though one of my favorite movies of all time, gave me intense nightmares during pregnancy. Something about Leonardo DiCaprio - weird. Anyways - I hope you can enjoy some of these in these final days, Pyg [and other pregnant or baby crazed Lobsters]. 


For Jeff - I recommend The Switch
The Switch
Surprisingly thoughtful and endearing portrayal of a father's relationship with his son. With the stars from FRIENDS and Arrested Development in a movie together, you wouldn't expect something quite as sweet as what comes out. 


Lobsters, can you think of any great baby-themed films I'm forgetting?

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sabbath Sunday #6

This Sunday, my husband, who usually makes my Sunday afternoon naps a possibility, will be otherwise occupied. I fear it will not be the most restful Sabbath ever.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Snapshot Saturday #6: quack


Points to the person who can identify the children's book this sculpture commemorates. Double points if you can identify the location of the shot. This represents the very first book I read on my own. I took the shot when we were on the verge of trying to get pregnant and trying to figure out where in the country we were going to live ~ pretty appropriate to this story! There's a lot of emotion wrapped up in this image for me!

What is a childhood book that holds significance for you, and why?

Friday, June 24, 2011

Presents! Gifts! YEAH! Part One

Every Christmas, my family gathers around the dinner table and eats an elaborate turkey dinner. About ten minutes in, my grandmother (who, by the way, is one of my favorite people out of all the people ever) inevitably interrupts the feasting with "Is it time for presents?!" And it's not that she can't wait to open her presents - she just loves the excitement of it all. I think I get my love of gifts from her.


To be clear, I'm not really the best gift giver in the world. I tend to forget birthdays fairly often, even sometimes with Facebook reminding me. Fail. However, when something strikes me as perfect for someone, I get very excited about gift giving, and I thought you Lobsters might enjoy some ideas. Here are my top three favorites:


1. For my sister's birthday many years ago, I sent a letter out to a bunch of people we love asking them to write a short story or memory from their life and to send a picture that related to it. I compiled them all, scrapbook style, creating "Chicken Soup for Jenna's Soul." This gift was slightly ruined because Sissy found the letter I sent out before she received the gift, but it was pretty great nonetheless. 
2. Speaking of sister, she and I have been recreating childhood memories via poorly scripted/poorly acted short videos that we compile on DVDs for our parents. I highly recommend this. We have a great time making them (we think we're way funnier than we are), and my parents claim to love them too. 
3. For my best friend Mikkele's birthday this year, I wished that I could surprise her with a visit. As I am not made of diamonds and gold, that was not possible, and I decided to make her a video instead. And then I thought about how most of her closest friends live no where near her, and maybe they would like to make her a video too. So I sent out a Facebook message to anyone I'd ever heard her mention and asked them to send me a birthday video. I compiled them all on a DVD and edited it because I am a fairly new Mac user and find that stuff exceedingly fun. It ended up being like a really weird variety show - there were poems, songs, words of wisdom, a prank, a dance (well...me sitting in a chair dancing to Britney, but that still counts), dramatic readings, a tongue twister recitation, and even a fake cooking segment. 


Zoe also wanted me to mention a little mini garden set that I mailed to her. I painted little pots and sent seeds and a tray to arrange them on. She had recently been expressing her interest in cooking, and I thought she might enjoy her own personal herb garden. This was cute, but not quite a gifting masterpiece. But I'm sure glad you liked it, Zoe. 


I think part of the reason these were so fun to give was that I had a blast making them, and I felt like they gave a little glimpse of how much I love the recipient. Lobsters, what is the best gift you've ever given?

Thursday, June 23, 2011

eFriendship

I think that 100 years ago, people probably managed to have some perfectly lovely long distance friendships. I know I still love getting snail mail letters and I really love getting packages – as rare as both of these occasions may be. But it also seems like advances in technology today don’t hurt.

I have her to thank for my Gmail and Facebook accounts, for my first ever Skype conversation, and for my entre into texting and blogging. Wow – can you believe that all happened within the past decade? Seems like we’ve always had this stuff. Thanks to technology, there’s less excuse for distance getting in the way of being present in the lives of people you love. Yes, it’s different, but not all together impossible.

For example, last week, my husband, Manny, and I were having a little coffee date in one of my favorite spots, The Living Room in La Jolla. Cozy, textural, with a view of the ocean. This was our first time back there with Sofia. I was trying to work on writing a paper, but the caffeine jolt had plagued me with a bad case of temporary A.D.D., so I was really more focused on chatting with Emily through Gmail.

I just had to describe to her the preciousness of the moment as I was enjoying it. I was sitting on a red, velvety couch working on my laptop. My husband was sitting beside me, working on his laptop, and Sofia sat in between us, propped up by our bodies and the couch [she can’t quite sit up yet], looking all around. I handed her my cell phone and told her, “here Sofia, this can be your computer so you can work like Mommy and Daddy too.” Sweet, right? Wait for it.

No sooner had I typed the words out than I heard a beep coming from my phone. I glanced down to see my daughter staring intently at the screen, which displayed this text “HI, SOFI BELLA!” As I howled with delight, my husband [who rivals Emily in wit] unlocked the phone and opened up the keypad, helping Sofia to tap away her own text in response. Her message to Emily read, “Jkkn g57kxmvqqag Uldl bf.” She’s so communicative.

It’s not so much what tools you have at hand, but how you put those tools to use. My friend Catherine creates the most amazing homemade Christmas presents that she sends each year. My mom sends thoughtful care packages. My grandmother sends old photo albums with awesome captions under each photo. My dad sends pictures of himself where his expression says all that needs to be said. Emily puts technology to use to make me feel like she is present in my everyday life.

How could you use the tools you have available to reach out to a friend who might benefit from your involvement in their lives?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Nervousness.

A human is going to come out of me sometime soon. How weird is that? Yeah, it happens every day, but it's still weird to me. I've had mixed emotions about having a child - I usually start with dread because we are so not ready for a baby (mostly just financially, but that's something I tend to worry about most so it seems to loom extra), and that cycles to guilt for feeling dread because the baby is a blessing and I should feel wholly grateful, thrilled, joyful, [pick a happy adjective] about her. Last week I had a lovely realization that far less competent people have had children who turned out fine, so we should be okay too. But I still have some concerns, and I thought I'd throw them out there to you, Lobsters:

1. I'm afraid I'm going to become a different person. Lack of sleep will make me grumpy, hormones will make me super sentimental, or I'll turn into one of those people who only talks about what their kid did that day. I already struggle to not talk about my dog too much. I'm hoping that the baby will do even more interesting things than him, but then I run the risk of boring people with anecdotes about poop and drool.
2. Speaking of dog, I'm ever so slightly afraid that my child won't be as adorable as my Buster. In fact, if I don't think Eiley is cute, I won't say that aloud because that is socially unacceptable, but I will lean forward conspiratorially and whisper "...we know" when people first meet her. That's right - I have an ugly baby contingency plan. (We will very likely still love her, don't worry.)

...and he's not photogenic.
3. Collectively, Jeff and I know nothing about infants. We went to a "Parenting Your Newborn" class last night and learned a little, but I'm fairly certain that watching a Powerpoint is not real preparation for having a child. I have changed approximately one diaper in my life and I've never dressed a Squirmy McSquirmerson, so things are about to get slapstick in my house. I think this will be hilarious for the most part, so my concern here is mostly that people will laugh at me and I'll get defensive, or they'll criticize me and I'll cry or hit them back with some snark. I guess this goes back to not wanting to become a grumpy jerk.
4. I will be working full time after a little bit of short term disability (yeah, no maternity leave here - this baby is considered a disability). I'm nervous about juggling work with baby. My office is definitely working with me to make it as easy as possible, but without the possibility of paying for childcare, easy is not really going to be an option. I am pre-grateful for the friends who have expressed a desire to help out and the husband who is going to be super involved and my sister who I'm certain will be a super aunt.
5. Let's revisit point one. I'm seriously nervous about the lack of sleep portion of that. In my mind, I will not be sleeping for the next eighteen years or so. I love sleep, and I'm going to miss it like whoa. This is a selfish point. Feel free to judge me.

Any future parent Lobsters feel this way? Or is it all sunshine and excitement and basketball tummies?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Cooking with Zoe: Citrus Peanut Chicken Salad

One of my favorite songwriters, Rich Mullins, once said that he felt like when he wrote songs, he was really piecing together a quilt, rather than creating something new out of nothing. I think that describes nicely what I did with dinner tonight. Piecing together a few of my favorite recipe components and making a few twists here and there, I pulled together that had a nice balance of bright flavors, delightful balance of textures, and it was pleasantly filling. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m fully obsessed with all things peanut butter. If you try it out, I hope you enjoy it too.


Citrus Peanut Chicken Salad
2 servings

Ingredients:
Dressing:
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon orange rind

Chicken:
(Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Good and Easy Cookbook, 1996, p.74)
One orange
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 chicken breast half, sliced into strips

¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup finely chopped salted peanuts

Salad:
1 head of red leaf romaine lettuce, washed
1 can mandarin oranges
½ cup chow mein crispy noodles
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400˚
2) Grate the orange rind
3) Juice the orange
4) Mix orange juice with peanut butter and ginger in small bowl. Put chopped peanuts in a separate small bowl.
5) Salt the chicken strips. Dip chicken into peanut butter mixture, then into the peanuts to coat, place chicken into greased baking dish. Bake chicken for 25 minutes, turning once. Test to be sure the chicken is no longer pink by cutting into the center.
6) While chicken is baking, mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl, set aside
7) Tear lettuce into two bowls, add mandarin oranges, chow mein crispy noodles, cucumber, and orange slices on top. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve. 

Monday, June 20, 2011

Movie Review Monday #5.5: Top Ten Challenge Accepted

 Ok, Pyg, it was too fun reading your top ten(ish) post, so I'm going to accept your challenge to come up with my own. Not easy! [I can't possibly order them, so I shall count them by letter instead.] There may be a little cheating involved. Here goes.

A) Inception
Inception (Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]
I have been one of those super nerdy Matrix fans for over a decade. In case you doubt me, know that one of my wedding gifts from the person that knows me better than anyone, my husband, was the complete 10 disc box set of Matrix movies. Those commentaries introduced me to Cornell West, who I just adore.
I mean look at him, how can this guy not inspire admiration and respect?
Sorry, you're wondering how my obsession with the Matrix and Cornell West has anything to with Inception? I'm just trying to point out that my devotion was strong. And when I saw Inception, I had to admit that a new movie had outdone my old favorite. Emily, I know you totally disagree with me on this. You detested Inception, and you are entitled to your taste. But what I loved about the Matrix's philosophical bent was filled out with equally profound psychological insight in Inception. I finally felt like someone had out done the action/graphics of the Matrix, not just a poor attempt to replicate it. I would also just like to sneak in there that Inception covers most of what I had loved and appreciated about Vanilla Sky as well. So in one movie, I'm actually getting to mention five. I'm such a cheater. 


B) [or f, depending on how you're counting] The English Patient
The English Patient (Miramax Collector's Edition)
It is visually beautiful. The literary quality is genius. Michael Ondaatje, who wrote the novel the movie is based on, is absolutely one of my favorite authors. His Sri Lankan roots free him of the canned Western story-telling formulas to allow him to explore the true depth of human character and broader themes in a profound way. The movie might have actually done the book some justice in this case.

C) Snow Falling on Cedars
Snow Falling on Cedars
Speaking of movies doing justice to books, I think no movie I've ever seen has done better than this one. It doesn't hurt that Ethan Hawke was one of my girlhood celebrity crushes. This is an amazing story that gave me my first introduction to the Japanese Internment, and explores the heartbreak of racism in such a beautiful way. The aesthetic quality is stunning too. The truly profound forgiveness that takes place from so many angles in this story makes watching it it a rich and uplifting experience.

D) Amelie
Amélie
How many times did we watch this one together, Pyg? It's just so fun and colorful and clever. Audrey Tautou is precious. It has fun polka music. It has photo-booth adventures. And there are gnomes.

E) Little Women
Little Women (Collector's Series)
Confession: When my OB did an ultrasound where she thought my baby might be a boy, I started to cry. All my life I had wanted a baby boy. But suddenly, I was so upset because I would not have a little girl to read Little Women to. Emily laughs her face off every time she sees this one because crying-Claire-Danes apparently does not quite sell it for her. I on the other hand, am ALWAYS in the mood for this movie. Always. And like Jo, I found myself a professor to marry and grow old with. Manny - you might have this movie (/book) to thank for our marriage. ;)

F) Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice
Emily pretty much covered this one. Also, I'm a sucker for Keira Knightley. Pretty much always in the mood for this one too. I'm also delighted that most men I talk to really love this film too - helping Pride and Prejudice finally bridge the gender gap [see You've Got Mail for more on that topic].

G) The Prestige
The Prestige
It would just be cliche for me to put The Dark Knight into my top ten, everyone says that's the best movie ever. And yes, it was amazing. But honestly, The Prestige is one I find myself choosing to watch much more often. Maybe I enjoy a good mystery or twist. Apparently I'm quite the Christopher Nolan fan (Memento would have made my top ten about 7 years ago), though I must say he made one or two super weird ones before he really found his groove. 

H) The Village
The Village (Widescreen Vista Series)
I feel like it's so uncool, or at best controversial to be into M. Knight for some reason, but I really love some of his work. Like I said, I enjoy a good twist. [things really went ary when he made "The Happening" though - oh boy - please avoid that one!] The Village is my favorite. Joaquin Phoenix pre-crazy is beautiful, and this was an amazing debut for Bryce Dallas Howard. The subtle artful power of a few of the moments in this film bring me to tears without fail. I especially appreciate a love story where the damsel does not just wallow in her distress, but plays an active role as heroine to her hero so that together they win the day. Which brings me to my next favorite . . .

I) Wall-E
Wall-E (Single-Disc Edition)
Can I just use this as a representative to express how much I love pretty much all Pixar films? I lived in the Bay Area, I worked in Emeryville (home of Pixar - each movie has a subtle reference to little bits of the area), one of the guys from the lighting team went to our church [we got to cheer out-loud in the theater each time we saw his name in the credits - so cool]. I can't NOT be obsessed with Pixar. I am always so disappointed when I find a film intriguing and watch the commentary only to find out that the directors did not actually put that much thought into it and I was giving it more credit than it was due [unfortunately Inception falls under this category if you watch Leo's commentary on it - man that guy didn't get it]. This does not happen with Pixar. In Wall-E, we get a great heroine-strong-love-story, sci-fi, throw back to old-timey movies, and a good lesson about stewardship. It's hard to say which Pixar is my favorite, UP would be a close runner up (yay Fenton's!), Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo would also make the list, but for now we'll stick with this one.

J) Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are [Blu-ray]
I am pretty sure this film was made for men [not boys - despite what you might assume, this is not a kids film]. But can I love it anyways? In my masters in social work program, I fell in love with the power of play therapy, and in this movie, Dave Eggers [of whom I am a huge fan - seeing him speak in person at Berkeley was a highlight of my time in the Bay Area!] has projected an amazing play therapy series onto the big screen, using a classic children's book as a jumping off point. It is visually gorgeous. The music is delightful. It is inspired.