i am not a drama queen...

I've Moved!!

2007-06-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Billy has finally convinced me to move over to wordpress... so my new blog is HERE

Come check it out, leave me a comment and add me to your RSS feed!!!

Great Pictures!!

2007-06-05T14:03:00.001-07:00

Coming Soon...

2007-04-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am really looking forward to this movie... FRACTURE opening on 04.20.07.

The Day My Life Changed Forever

2007-04-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago today, my life changed forever. Jeremiah Stephen was born, it honestly just seems like yesterday... yet as I look at him and who he is becoming, I am so proud to call him my son. I love you Jeremiah! Happy Happy Birthday!

LOST

2007-03-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

I know there are a lot of naysayers out there regarding LOST this season, but I think it is a really well done, well acted, interesting show. The last 2 episodes on March 14th & 21st were excellent! Don't give up on the show now! It takes patience... I know, but they can't reveil everything.... I am sticking with the show until it concludes. I'm not going to stop watching it now and then watch the series finale in a few years and wish I would of stuck with it!! Besides.... it is JJ Abrams! Are you with me?

Reign Over Me

2007-03-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

First of all I love Adam Sandler, in both comedy and dramatic roles... Don Cheadle is an amazing actor as well and this just looks like a really well done movie. Can't wait till March 23rd!

The Black Donnelly's

2007-02-26T22:59:00.000-08:00

Billy and I watched a new show called The Black Donnelly's tonight after Heroes on NBC. It was very good, well written and acted. I'm hooked! If you missed it tonight, it will be playing again on Thursday at 10pm... check it out and let me know what you think!

Here is a synopsis of the show from TV Guide:

NBC is finally rising from the dead. First, they saved the cheerleader, now they’ve sucked us into family drama at its finest.

Did everyone love Joey "Ice Cream" — “because under pressure, I’m like ice” — as much as I did? He is the greatest, most unreliable narrator I’ve ever listened to. The year of his story changed not once, not twice, but three times. He definitely has a talent for exaggerating the story to his advantage by placing himself into every situation as if he is the fifth Donnelly brother. I especially liked his description of the Irish: “The Irish have always been victims of negative stereotypes.... People think we’re all drunks and brawlers. And sometimes that gets you so mad all you want to do is get drunk and punch somebody.” I have a feeling the detectives will eventually lose their patience with Joey. The book across the face is definitely going to leave a mark.

So, how much does Kevin owe the Italians? Even after he kidnapped Louie “Downtown,” Kevin remained loyal to his gambling addiction. (By the way, the character nicknames are a bit cliché, but I’ll go with it for the benefit of the show.) Kevin now owes over $5,900 — not like I was keeping tabs or anything. But that was before Jimmy shot Louie and Tommy (played wonderfully by Jonathan Tucker) massacred Sal Minenta, Sal’s men and Hughie Farrow. And now that Hughie is gone, the Donnelly brothers not only have to worry about defending each other, but the fate of the entire Irish neighborhood rests on their shoulders. I didn’t know a few card games could cause so much trouble!

While testosterone flows through nearly every aspect of the show, there is one sparkling gem of estrogen to be found in Jenny Reilly (played by the lovely Olivia Wilde). When will Tommy confess his love for Jenny? The attraction between the two is undeniable. “I thought what if he dies and he never knows that I loved him... I’m a married woman. Nothing’s ever going to happen.” So when is someone going to tell that poor girl that her husband is dead? That officially makes her a vulnerable widow. And who better to comfort her than Tommy?

Jenny’s plea to Tommy still doesn’t prevent him from getting into the elevator. He knows what had to be done for his brothers. I got chills when Kevin followed him. Tommy: “Where are you going?” Kevin: “Wherever you are.” The simplest of words can have so much meaning. All of this is happening as Jimmy is arrested and sent to rehab (thanks to Tommy’s talk with “Frankie”). We’re told that this was the day that will change Jimmy’s life. Will he come out of rehab a changed man? Will he be the new Tommy in the Donnelly family?

The flashbacks held strong throughout the story line, especially at the end where it showed the driver of the car that ran over Jimmy’s leg. You have to have sympathy for the guy. Although Jimmy spends his time shooting needles into his arm and hatching plans to kidnap Italians, he's still willing to do anything for his brothers. The flashbacks gave us insight into the guilt he carries. But the brother with the most guilt is Tommy. He was the one driving the car.

The ending of this episode was fantastic! I applaud Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, the award-winning writers of Crash and Million Dollar Baby, for creating a remarkable story about the paths we choose when facing the choice between right and wrong. I also have three brothers, so I found myself admiring Tommy for the actions he took. Tommy Donnelly is prepared to throw his entire future away for his brothers. How far would you go for family?

My pick for Best Picture

2007-02-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

I know everyone is thinking the Oscar for Best Picture will be The Departed... sorry Ryan, but it IS what everyone is saying.... including all the polls... however, this year I am going against the grain... (like last year when I voted for CRASH and it won!!) This year my pick for Best Picture is BABEL. What a remarkable thought-provoking film! It reminded me of Crash. The acting was superb, the writing was very true to life, it has amazing perspective shots, just overall a really good film. Even if I lose on the ballot for voting for it, I don't care! It was in my opinion the best picture, and if you know me, you know I liked The Departed a lot and really wanted it to win, but that all changed on Tuesday night when I watched BABEL.

I also would like the following actors to win:
Best Actor - Leonardo DiCaprio (I think he deserved it years ago for What's Eating Gilbert Grape)
Best Actress - Kate Winslet (1 of my top 3 favorite actressess)
Best Supporting Actor - Djimon Hounsou (So good in Blood Diamond and EVERY movie he is in)
Best Supporting Actress - Adriana Barraza (from BABEL - she was amazing)

Here is who I think WILL win:
Best Actor - Forrest Whitaker
Best Actress - Helen Mirren
Best Supporting Actor - Eddie Murphy or possible Alan Arkin
Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson

We will see this Sunday at 5:00 pacific time... I'm looking forward to Ellen Degeneres hostiing, she is hilarious!

Happy V Day

2007-02-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!! Much Love to you!

Ocean's 13

2007-02-09T22:03:00.000-08:00

I can't wait till June 8th to see this movie... Click here to see a preview. What can I say... I am a sucker for good looking guys and lots of intrique!!

My Team

2007-01-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

So if you know me at all, you know I enjoy watching sports, espeacially championship games... if you really know me... you know I am a Chicago fan (Cubs, White Sox, Bulls) and now my favorite football team, THE BEARS are headed to the superbowl!! They dominated today against the New Orleans Saints, what an amazing game! I will not miss the SUPER BOWL on February 4th... the Bears playing and Prince performing at halftime... what a great afternoon!

Santa Barbara News Press

2006-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

THIS blog entry by my husband, definitely sums up my thoughts as well regarding the SB News Press. I should just refer all my blog entries to him, he always states things just the way I would... but more eloquently. =)

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

2006-09-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Cute Girl!!

2006-09-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Lost her tooth in the middle of the night =)

SB Newspress Article

2006-09-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

LOCAL SCHOOLS GET THEIR GRADES

ROB KUZNIA, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
September 1, 2006 7:10 AM
The state released a comprehensive batch of test-score results Thursday, triggering emotions high and low across Santa Barbara County as the gains and losses of each individual school were laid bare.

For the first time ever, the state simultaneously released both the state and federal interpretations of a barrage of tests taken in the spring by students in grades 2 through 11.

It means the state this year unveiled more than just every school's academic performance index (API) -- a measure between 200 and 1,000 -- as it usually does this early on. This time, the state also released the names of schools that have been penalized by the federal government under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Although the difference between the state and federal accountability models is complex, in general, the state tracks the improvement of entire schools while the U.S. punishes schools that, by federal standards, fail to boost high enough the performance of struggling students. Neither system takes away money as a penalty or gives money as a reward.

All told, the results delivered good news to campuses including Isla Vista and Hollister elementary schools in Goleta, Santa Barbara High School and all three elementary schools in the Hope district.

But the news wasn't good for the five South Coast schools that joined the swelling ranks of those sanctioned by the federal government: Franklin and Harding elementary schools in Santa Barbara, Canalino Elementary and Carpinteria Middle in Carpinteria, and La Patera Elementary in Goleta. Nor was it good for San Marcos High, Goleta Valley Junior High and Cèsar Chávez and Monroe elementary schools, which are all one strike away from getting sanctioned by the federal government. (Schools get two strikes.)

The federal sanctions stiffen with each additional year of so-called Program Improvement. In the first year, schools must send every parent in the attendance area a humbling letter stating they may send their child to another school. In "Year 4," the school can lose its principal and staff or be converted into a charter school.

On the state accountability model, which includes the much-talked-about API scores, South Coast schools fared well.

The average score of every South Coast school district surpassed the state average API of 720. The Hope elementary district's schools averaged a whopping 900; Goleta, 804; the Santa Barbara high district, 760; the Santa Barbara elementary district, 743; and Carpinteria, 733.

The highest-scoring school in the county was Cold Spring Elementary in Montecito, with a 960; the lowest was McKenzie Junior High in Guadalupe, with a 618.

In Goleta, educators at Isla Vista Elementary School celebrated a historic occasion: The school became the first ever in Santa Barbara County to successfully climb out of No Child's sanctions. The achievement prompted a congratulatory visit by the district's superintendent.

"We've worked really hard, done a lot of introspective work -- looked at kids inside and out," Principal Lisa Maglione said. "We do not want to leave any children behind; we call it 'all children advance.' "

As a practical matter, the turnabout means the school no longer must send the disheartening letters.

Two years ago, partly in an effort to reverse the sanctions at Isla Vista, the Goleta school board granted Isla Vista and other low-income schools more money to hire more teachers. At Isla Vista, it allowed the school to better engage in small-group instruction every day for English, among other things. The practice continues.

The scores also gave Hollister Elementary cause to crow: The school surpassed the state-set target of 800 by eight points this year.

In Santa Barbara, educators at the flagship high school celebrated a historic moment of their own. For the first time in memory, Santa Barbara High School's API score surpassed that of San Marcos High. For years, Santa Barbara High has posted the lowest score of the district's three high schools.

Meanwhile, Dos Pueblos High, long considered the district's golden child, lost ground for the second consecutive year, falling from 798 to 784. But it remains the highest of the three.

At Santa Barbara High, Paul Turnbull, who took the principal post a year ago, attributed the success largely to a program that began shortly before he arrived: Struggling students are assigned to two periods of English. Affecting a full one-quarter of the school's pupils, the program -- which is expanding -- didn't come without sacrifice: The selected students cannot take elective courses such as woodshop, foreign language and music. Students can test out after one semester.

San Marcos High Principal Craig Morgan said he was disappointed by his school's drop from 749 to 741, but added that there's a chance the scores weren't calculated correctly.

"Something doesn't seem right," he said, but added that teachers already are sharpening their focus by scrutinizing the tests their kids took last year, in an effort to find weak spots.

At Harding Elementary, one of several Santa Barbara elementary schools bedeviled by an exodus of middle-class families, new principal Sally Kingston said she wasn't about to let the No Child Left Behind sanction undermine the hard work of her staff.

"The scores can be dangerous, because they oversimplify something complex," she said, adding that the staff has a plan in place to boost student performance. "Morale here is incredibly high. . . . If I could put this (morale) in a bottle and sell it, I would be a millionaire."

The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that an ever-increasing percentage of students in every subgroup -- white, Latino, poor, English learners and others -- score "proficient" in English and math. Currently, the bar is set at about 25 percent, but it rises continually and will do so until 2014, when it will hit 100 percent. Critics blast the legislation as unrealistic, saying that, by 2014, every school with enough poor students to receive federal funds will be sanctioned.

Indeed, the number of such schools spiked in Santa Barbara County this year, from 17 to 27 out of 103 public schools. The largest concentration is in the Santa Maria K-8 district, where 12 of 20 schools are being sanctioned. Three schools in the county have entered their fourth year of sanctions: La Cumbre Junior High in Santa Barbara and Fairlawn and Oakley elementary schools in Santa Maria.

I'm so excited for...

2006-08-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful elementary school is the first school in Califonia to come out of program improvement, this is an amazing accomplishment!! There will be a write-up in the paper tomorrow and I can't wait to read it! I will post a link here for you to read if you're interested!

We have the best staff of teachers and administrators and they deserve to be rewarded for leading our great school with such integrity and grace! A lot of families left due to the PI status and I couldn't be happier with the education my children are getting at Isla Vista School. It also has a kick-ass drama class, if I do say so myself!!!

I am so excited for our students and teachers!

Back to school...

2006-08-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the first day back at school for my kiddies and I have to admit a glorious day for me... shhhhh, can you hear that? Yes, it is the sound of NOTHING!!! YAY! I love my kids so much but it was time to go back to school, they would never admit this, but they were getting bored with summer! They are craving discipline and learning, I am craving quiet and solitude, so it is a wonderful trade-off.
This morning when we dropped them off, so many kids ran over to me asking when drama is going to start... it excites me to see their passion about starting again. I am so honored to be invloved at Isla Vista School and I can't wait to see what unfolds this year!

Heather and I @ Soliton

2006-08-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

What Kind of Flower Are You?

2006-08-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

I Am A Lily

I am a nurturer and all around natural therapist.
People see me as their rock. And they are able to depend on me.
I am a soothing influence. I can make people feel better with a few words.
My caring has more of an impact than even I realize.

What Flower Are You?

Summer of HBO

2006-08-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that we have crappy, made-up "Willow Vision" here at our apartment and to upgrade to actual cable is like $75 a month and we can only choose one carrier. (I know, ridiculous) So I have started watching all the shows I have been dying to see on HBO through Netflix, instead of watching Master of Champions or America's got Talent (because let's be honest... America dosen't... & that show bugs.)

So far, we have watched Entourage Season 1 & 2, The Comeback (painfully hilarious) and we are in Season 2 of the Sopranos, which is just absolutely brilliant! So my summer without my favorites like LOST, 24, Grey's Anatomy and Prison Break hasn't been so bad afterall.

You Tube

2006-08-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

You Tube is my new favorite way to watch videos and here is Ellen Pompeo from Grey's Anatomy getting punkd, it is hilarious and she got a lot of slack for being so bitchy. Listen closely to her strong Boston accent, she hides it very well on the show.

You can watch just about anything on You Tube, including music videos that are out... but never played... except on TRL. Like JT's new "SexyBack" (Yes, I admit it... I like Justin Timberlake, zip it!!) and even old ones I never got to see.

Enjoy!

The Office ~ PSA's

2006-04-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

HERE is a link to a hilarious PSA from one of my favorite shows ~ The Office. It reminds me of Bella saying... just walk away...

THIS ONE is so funny also!! While you are on the website, watch them all... It will give you a little laugh, and brighten your day!!

Alias Tonight!!

2006-04-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, after a 4 month hiatus, Alias returns on ABC tonight for a 2 hour special at 8pm. HERE is a great link from Heather if you want to get caught up!

8 years ago...

2006-04-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

After 24 hours of labor and a c-section this sweet little guy was born and has been such a source of joy in my life. My only boy and my first born... I just love his sensitive heart for things of the spirit and his excitment for living life.

Happy 8th Birthday Jeremiah!!! I love you so...

OUCH!!

2006-03-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

So... in my excitement that there was FINALLY a sunny day yesterday, and after hearing "Can we go to the pool?, "Can we go to the pool?, "Can we go to the pool?" from three eager, bored little ones, we headed out to the pool around 10:30 and it was not that sunny and kinda cold. I planned on going back up to the house around noon, but the delight on their faces I couldn't resist so we stayed till around 2pm. I took Bella to the bathroom at one poiint when Lilly exclaimed, "You're burnt" I was like I can't be, it isn't even warm out. So we left shortly thereafter and as the day unfolded 3 little red faces began to appear before me... and comments like "Mom, my shoulders hurt!" A sinking feeling began to set in as I stepped over to the mirror! I am FRIED!! I got so burnt yesterday, I look like a tomato and I am so swollen!! I feel horrible for not putting more sunscreen on!! The kids are not even half as burnt as me, thank God, but I still feel bad! Never, never forget to put sunscreen on!! Even if it is cloudy and cold.
Welcome to summer, ***ch!! Hehehehehe...