Little People, Big World

Hey there everybody,

Last week I talked about the famous family, The Duggars, with there 18 kids and counting show on TLC and this week, by request of Kayley Erlandson, I will be talking about another TLC show, Little People, Big World.

For those of you whom have never heard of this show, it is based around the lives of the Roloff family. They are a family from Helvetia, Oregon. Oh did i forget to mention that they are a family of dwarfs?! Well, technically only three out of the six members of the family have the syndrom but there story is pretty interesting.

Matt and Amy are the parents. They are both dwarfs! Matt suffers from a type of dwarfism called Diastrophic Displaysia which kept him in the hospital for much of his child hood and has kept him in crutches for almost all of his life. His wife, Amy, has a more common type of dwarfism called achondroplasia. They have four children; Zach (18), Jeremy(18), Molly(15), and Jacob(12). Zach and Jeremy are twins but you would never guess it because Jeremy 6 feet tall and Zach is 4'4". Yes, that's right Zach is the third dwarf in the household. He shares the same kind of dwarfism as his mom.

The show focuses on their daily life and difficulties of trying to be normal in a big sized world. It's an interesting show to watch because it lets you see first hand what "small people" have to deal with in this world on a daily basis that we take for granted. Even going to a grocery store can be a difficult task by just trying to get something off of a top shelf. However, the family is completely normal and loveable.

All of the kids play soccer and Amy, the mom, coaches the youngest son's, Jacob's, soccer team. They deal with all of that and they have a farm. However, this isn't just a regular farm. It's a pumpking patch and amusement center that they run through out Pumpking picking season. Through out the years they have done so much to there farm including remodeling there house and building on to the amusement center. They've also gone as far as to build a trebuchet, which is a wooden machine used to launch pumpkings.

They are on to their fourth season already and you can't help but enjoy watching them. Especially, with the boys starting to date and get there driver's licenses. Seeing them all grow up and watching the farm progress is a really interesting process and i encourage everyone to watch atleast one episode to see what it's like to live like them.

BONUS: If you've ever seen Pirate's of the Caribean you might remember a dwarf pirate that worked for Capt. Jack Sparrow. His name is Martin Klebba and he is a good friend of the family and is featured in a few episodes. :)

Well i hope atleast some of you take the time to watch an episode or have already seen it and have some opinions you'd like to share. For those of you who are afraid of midgets (yes, you can be afraid of midgets! It's an actual phobia called mycroanthrophobia) then i hope that just by reading this you've learned a little and are one step closer to over coming your fear. Keeping fighting the good fight! :)

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!

Hey all,

So, my last blog was about the fabulous show Jon & Kate plus 8 and this week I'd like to keep with the theme of TLC shows by moving on to another big, loveable family, The Duggars. You may have heard of them. They are the family that has eighteen children. That's right, i said EIGHTEEN!!! Can you imagine? Well anyways, you can see their show on TLC. It's called 18 and counting.

This family is not only unique because of there size but also because of how self-less they are. The parents have said numerous times that they will have as many children as God will bless them with. Some people are shocked, some even offended. Another interesting fact about the family is that all of the children's names start with a J. The kids ages range from 21-3 months.

I remember watching this show one day in the dorm and eventually having a big group sit down and watch it with me! Half of the people watching really seemed to like how wholesome and sweet the family, while the other half spent thirty minutes complaining about it afterwards.

In my opinion, I don't believe that the Duggar's have done anything wrong! However, not everyone feels that way. Some people think that the parents are ruining the children by not letting them experience the "real world".

Another controversial issue that came up was about some of the rules. A big rule they have is that you can not kiss your girlfriend or boyfriend until your wedding day. I can see where this would be a hard concept to grasp, especially now and days, but it's interesting. Another controversial thing they do is praying in public.

Praying in public used to not be that big of a deal but these days it seems as though people have lost their faith or are leaning more towards spirituality rather than God. For some people praying in public makes them feel embarrased or awkward but for the Duggar's it's just another part of there everyday lives.

So what do you think about this family? Have you ever seen the show? How do you feel about there decision to have such a big family?

To check out more about the Duggar's you can visit there home page at http://www.duggarfamily.com/index.html or you can watch there show on TLC.
I've also included a list of all of there names below since everybody is usually pretty curious about that as well.

Thanks for reading!

Jim Bob and Michelle are the parents and then (from youngest to oldest) you have Joshua (& wife Anna who are expecting a baby of there own this year), Jana & John-David (twins), Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah & Jeremiah (twins), Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, and Jordyn-Grace. :)

Jon & Kate plus 8

Hey everybody,

So one of Shannon's last emails said that we didn't have to talk about the same stuff we've been talking about for the past weeks. Yay! Because personally I was getting a little bored and running out of good ideas for my "Inside Disney Movies" topic. So I've decided to switch (at least for this week) to another one of my favorite TV/movie topics: Jon & Kate plus 8!

I personally love this show! I am so addicted. I've watched almost every episode of the show and can't seem to get enough. However, not everybody shares my same feelings on this topic. Some people think the show is a little less than perfect. Maybe it's because of Kate's over bearing temper and her mood swings. Maybe it's because of one of the twin girls, Maddie, who is a never ending snot. Either way, I love the show.

In the family they have a dad named Jon, a mom named Kate, twin girls named Kara & Madelyn (Maddie for short), and the sextuplets. The sextuplets are three girls and three boys named Joel, Aiden, Colin, Hannah, Leah, and Alexis. They are the cutest kids you will ever see. As if eight kids weren't enough, they've recently added two German Shepard puppies to the household.

The show has so many viewers and for good reason too. People are curious how two people manage to raise eight kids and, for the most part, keep their sanity. The family is also good to watch because all of there personalities are so different. The parents are complete opposites along with the twins. Each one of the sextuplets has their own unique personalities and traits.

When you watch the show the first time you may be a bit over whelmed by everything that goes on in these people's lives but after a while you start to get used to their bickering and tempers and you may even find yourselves being able to predict what they are about to say.

One of my favorite things about the show is that it is completely unscripted! (And you can tell that in the first few minutes of the show) Everything is real; the screaming, the drama, the love, the playfulness. And it's all entertaining. It may be a little crazy but at the end of every episode they always manage to throw in a little slice of love. (Awww, precious)

To see why I am such a big fan of this show, you can watch it on Monday nights at 8 pm on TLC or you can log on to tlc.com and go to the Jon & Kate plus 8 link to watch webisodes. For those of you who are already seen it, why do you like or dislike the show? and Who is your favorite kid? I know it's wrong to have a favorite but admit it, we all have one!

Happy Easter everybody,
Courtney

Disney Songs

Hey all,

So this week we're going to be talking about one of the best parts (in my opinion) in movies....the songs! As musicals such as the recent hits of High School Musical 1, 2, and 3, and Hairspray have taught us, Music can make...or break a movie. Disney has had some pretty amazing songs in the past such as the the music from Snow White and Cinderella to Toy Story 2 and Cars.

When Disney movies were first made the music used in them was more orchestrated than anything. Now and days, the music is pretty much ready to air on the radio! Think about it, the music in Sleeping Beauty was orchestrated by George Bruns and it was adapted Tchaikovsky Ballet. Now, on the other hand, one of the songs from the movie Cars (Life is a Highway by The Rascal Flatts) which quickly became a hit on the US billboard Hot 100.

There have been some great movies and even greater soundtracks. Alan Menken won 6 awards for his work on The Little Mermaid, 7 awards on The Beauty and the Beast, 4 awards for Pocahontas, and 8 awards for Aladdin. And you can't forget Elton John's amazing work on The Lion King!

Obviously Disney movies are going to keep changing with the times (High School Musical for example) but that doesn't mean that they're never going to be good, as so many people think. With that being said I would like to know what you all prefer? Do you like listening to the ever catchy "When you wish upon a star" song from Pinocchio or newer songs like that of "Life is a Highway" by the Rascal Flatts?

I personally enjoy both but prefer the older style. It not only reminds me of my childhood a little bit but that type of music tends to calm me. :)

Either way, I want to know how you feel! So what do you prefer? What is your favortie Disney song? Also, what is your favortie "older" song and your favorite "new" song?

Have a great week!

Pixar vs. Disney

Hey Everyone,

So if you read the title of this post you obviously know that i'm about to compare Pixar to Disney. Some of you may be thinking, "Doesn't she know that Pixar is Disney?!". Well, yes I know that but look at the differences in the type of cartoons! Both types of movies are good and fun to watch but which is better?

So i'll leave this to you readers. Below are two list of movies; one that lists Disney movies and one for Pixar. Read over them and calculate which list has more movies that you like. Then tell me why you prefer them more. For the most part it's probably going to be because of the stories....but if it isn't let me know!

Disney

1. Snow White
2. Bambi
3. Cinderella
4. Peter Pan
5. Aladdin
6. Pocahontas
7. Hercules
8. Lilo and Stitch
9. Chicken Little

Pixar

1. Toy Story
2. A Bug's Life
3. Toy Story 2
4. Monsters, inc.
5. Finding Nemo
6. The Incredibles
7. Cars
8. Ratatouille
9. Wall E

So what do you think? Disney or Pixar? If we're judging these movies strictly by animation alone you have to ask yourself, "Do I want these characters to look like old school cartoons or like they could be walking around in real life with me right now?" What a thought! I personaly love Disney movies because they remind me of my childhood but when asked, my roommate said, "I would rather watch a Pixar movie because they're more 3D. They look like something you could touch." Well put senorita.

Well, let me know what you think and why. Can't wait to see!

Have a great week everybody!

Disney movies...which is the best?

Throughout the past 72 years Disney has been producing films…..some great, others not so much. No matter what though, Disney has created movies that have enchanted, amused, and inspired children of all ages and generations. While I do not approve of everything Disney has ever done (obviously by my blogs) I still think they have a good heart and truly want children to enjoy and realize the magic in life.

Disney has jumped from such movies as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (their first movie) to Chicken Little (their latest film). Throughout the years they have obviously improved on their animations and graphics which is always a plus. Through the use of computers they have made the characters more visually realistic and have reduced the need for animators. The number of animators it took for Snow White to become a moving motion picture is astounding. Also, for movies made in that time period they tended to need models to pose and act out each scene of the cartoon so that the artists could replicate movements accurately. They used a young dancer by the name of Marge Belcher for Snow White and Tinker Belle was modeled after Margaret Kelly. Now and days they still use models but they tend to be used mostly for animal sketches (such as they did with the Lion King).

Below is the list of all of the 45 movies Disney has under its belt from the past 72 years.

1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs December 20, 1937
2 Pinocchio February 1, 1940
3 Fantasia November 12, 1940
4 Dumbo October 22, 1941
5 Bambi August 12, 1942
6 Saludos Amigos February 5, 1943
7 The Three Caballeros February 2, 1945
8 Make Mine Music August 14, 1946
9 Fun and Fancy Free September 26, 1947
10 Melody Time May 26, 1948
11 Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, The October 4, 1949
12 Cinderella February 14, 1950
13 Alice in Wonderland July 27, 1951
14 Peter Pan February 4, 1953
15 Lady and the Tramp June 21, 1955
16 Sleeping Beauty January 28, 1959
17 101 Dalmatians January 24, 1961
18 The Sword in the Stone December 24, 1963
19 The Jungle Book October 17, 1967
20 Aristocats, The December 23, 1970
21 Robin Hood November 7, 1973
22 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh March 10, 1977
23 The Rescuers June 21, 1977
24 Fox and the Hound, The July 9, 1981
25 Black Cauldron, The July 23, 1985
26 Great Mouse Detective, The July 1, 1986
27 Oliver and Company November 17, 1988
28 The Little Mermaid November 16, 1989
29 The Rescuers Down Under November 9, 1990
30 Beauty and the Beast November 14, 1991
31 Aladdin November 10, 1992
32 The Lion King June 14, 1994
33 Pocahontas June 22, 1995
34 Hunchback of Notre Dame, The July 20, 1996
35 Hercules June 26, 1997
36 Mulan June 18, 1998
37 Tarzan June 17, 1999
38 Fantasia 2000 December 30, 1999
39 Emperor's New Groove, The December 14, 2000
40 Atlantis: The Lost Empire June 14, 2001
41 Lilo and Stitch June 20, 2002
42 Treasure Planet November 16, 2002
43 Brother Bear November 7, 2003
44 Home on the Range April 2, 2004
45 Chicken Little November 4, 2005

Which one is your favorite and why?
Let me know and i hope you enjoyed :)

Fairy Godmother, etc.

Hey there all,

So, last week I talked to about sidekicks and this week we're going to talk about something just as important! Fairy Godmothers!!! Would Cinderella have been able to go to the ball without her's? I think not! Would Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) have stayed out of the way of the Evil Witch for so long if not for her's? No stinkin' way!

Without these fabulous helpers in their lives how would some of our greatest princesses have made it as far as they have? But just imagine, for a moment if you will, what the princesses lives would have been like if their Fairy Godmothers hadn't have been there.

Also imagine this! What if instead of them being Fairy Godmothers if they were Fairy GodFATHERS!!!

What if the princess's had Fairy Godmother's instead of the princesses?! How do you suppose the stories would change? Would the princes be more sensitive towards the princesses? Who's to say but there's something to consider.

However, not all princesses had Fairy Godmothers. Pocahontas obviously couldn't have had a Fairy Godmother so....instead she had Grandmother Willow! She helped Pocahontas out just like a Fairy Godmother would....except without using magic....and she was a tree.

Fairy Godmother's tend to come into the lives of those who really need them. She was there for those who tended to not have a "mother-figure" in their lives; such as Cinderella. If you think about it, that's all they were. Nice ladies who took care of you and helped you to have your dreams come true...just like mother's tend to do!

So the next time you see a Disney movie with a Fairy Godmother in it thank your mom and remember all of the things she's done to help you get where you are today. For those of you who connect more to your father's, think of him in the same light. Because after all that's what parents are for; to love you and support you.

Well now that I've finished my "Lifetime" moment of the day....
I hope you've enjoyed this blog and will take another look at your parents and Disney's "helpers" (aka Fairy Godmothers, etc.).

Thanks for reading!