High Five for Friday (12.13.13)

1. Here we are, three full weeks after opening day, and I'm just now high five-ing for Catching Fire! I guess that's what happens when tornado fundraising, Thanksgiving travel, Christmas events, and eye surgery preparation join forces in a swirling storm of chaos. Amazingly enough (and thanks to fantastic babysitters and my generous husband) I managed to fit three viewings of Catching Fire into the last 21 days, and the countdown until next weekend, when I'll see it again with my sis-in-law, has already begun.

Did you see it? Did you love it? I loved it. LOVED IT. Now…how long until Mockingjay, Part 1?!

2. I technically should have high five-d for NBC's live presentation of The Sound of Music last Friday, but as I only half-watched the program the first time around - Carrie Underwood and crew provided the perfect background music for writing last week's High Five for Friday post - I decided to wait until today to give it a shout out.

It wasn't perfect, but nothing "live"- or with children involved, for that matter - ever is. I loved the singing (especially Carrie's) and dancing; enjoyed the costumes and sets; and was genuinely moved by the actors' commitment to and respect for the almost sacred material with which they worked. I also commend the network for taking a risk on programming that didn't fall into the category of "crappy reality television".

She didn't blink for three hours straight.

The hope when remaking movies is that doing so will bring old stories to new generations, and so while some critics knocked Carrie's performance, I thought she accomplished exactly what (I assume) the network wanted her to do: bring the story of the Von Trapp family to a new generation…a generation that wouldn't have tuned in without her in the leading role. I treasured the opportunity to introduce my children to this iconic musical through the magic of television.

Hallie especially found Maria and the children mesmerizing, and now that she and I have watched the entire three-hour program twice, she's a Sound of Music singing machine. Few moments are more lovely than listening to my four-year-old sing Climb Ev'ry Mountain at the top of her lungs.

Trying out the chair in the playroom.

3. Two weekends back, Tom and I sat together on the couch watching a football game. Across the room, a toasty fire burned brightly in the fireplace. We both wished we could - without having to rearrange the living room furniture - sit closer to the fire while still watching the movie, and we laughed about trying to find a gigantic dog pillow that would help us accomplish this goal.

Turns out someone makes the equivalent to gigantic dog pillows in the form of gigantic beanbag chairs, and when I mentioned this to my mom, she bought one for us online and had it shipped to our house. You guys, it weighs nearly 90 pounds and all four of us can lay in it at the same time.

Before the beanbag chair arrived at our door, Tom joked that such an addition to our family could change our lives. And now that the beanbag chair is here, I must admit that he was right…our lives will never be the same.

4. This is my view of the living room from the kitchen sink. If that's not worth a high five, I don't know what is.

5. And last but not least… I've posted this video twice before - once last Christmas and once the Christmas before - but I'm posting because it's my favorite Christmas flashmob of all time.

Linking up with High Five for Friday!