I’m channelling all the feels through random memes these days. Feel free to comment and share your own.
As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.
Benjamin Franklin
A metaphor for life in the age of homeschooling and quarantine.
We picked up our kids’ school materials last weekend to prepare for an indefinite period of homeschooling. Like the rest of the known universe, our schools are closed. I am henceforth in charge of simultaneously managing the formal education of a 6th grader and a 2nd grader. I teach adults for a living; I’m well aware that I have neither the skills nor the patience to engage in primary school instruction. This box represents unfamiliar territory.
The amazing teachers, administrators, and counselors at the school cleaned out lockers and desks (think about all of the fun and yucky stuff they found). Then they packaged all the supplies we would need to ease the transition. They put everything into carefully labeled boxes for the kids, ready to be opened and absorbed in a new environment. This box represents a dedication to learning.
I felt the love and attention each box was given as they were carefully loaded by volunteers into the car. But something wasn’t right; it felt cold. The sterility and caution of the current environment was apparent. Everyone wore gloves and stood awkwardly far apart from each other. The typical warmth of our school community was missing. This box represents social distancing.
It broke my heart to tell my daughter she couldn’t get out of the car to hug her favorite principal when we arrived at school. Teachers were fighting back tears as they waved from afar and told us how much they missed their students. This week we’ve gotten so many emails and check-ins from everyone at school saying how hard the physical separation is. We feel it. This box represents the love teachers have for their students.
We’ve spent the last week foraging through the books and supplies in the box. Both kids were relieved to have familiar materials as we worked through the first week of homeschool. The textbooks, pencil stubs, and incomplete sets of crayons provided surprising comfort. This box represents my kids’ nervous excitement about schooling at home.
This is our daughter’s last year on the ‘lower’ campus of our school. The thought of her not returning to her second-grade classroom, sitting with her friends, and listening to her fantastic teacher is devastating. She may not swing at recess or eat in the cafeteria or worship in the chapel again. This box represents an unfamiliar grief.
Our first week of distance learning, utilizing the tools carefully packed in this box, was fraught with highs and lows. We are all adjusting and finding ways to connect to the material, to normalcy, and to each other. There were no instructions in the box. There were no answers in the box. This box represents an indefinite period of uncertainty.
Also, I’m really delayed in getting this post together. It has been on my ‘To Do’ list for almost a week. I find my ability to focus and prioritize my own needs has significantly diminished in quarantine. I’m working hardest to preserve calm and stability within the walls of our home without the freedom of exploration or luxury of socialization. And we’re adjusting. We’re practicing grace and finding fun where we are instead of seeking it somewhere else. This box represents a new (albeit temporary) normal.
Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.
Brene Brown
Our favorite Dallas Housewives travel to Careyes to celebrate D’Andra’s 50th birthday, dish about prenups, and take a ride on the Tragedy Train.
In honor of the Real Housewives of Dallas girls’ trip to Mexico, let’s spice it up a bit, shall we? I think a highlight reel of the Episode 3 revelations is the best way to proceed with this recap. And there’s a lot going on tonight so let’s start unpacking this (suitable for commercial flights) luggage.
Put on your fabulous metallic bathing suits and pour a margarita, everyone!
The feminist in me just loves that this hot house husband (Stephanie’s roast, not mine) is called out for doing the laundry by his wife!
The scene where LeeAnne visits Nardos to design her wedding dress is — in the words of my 6th grader — cringey. I’m not sure if everyone was on the same page when the budget talks started, but Steve, the dazzling wedding planner, handles it like a boss. We’re seven weeks from the wedding, and there’s one thing we know for sure about that free dress — it will have a train as long as a…
She and the kindergarten version of herself work on pervasive issues of low self esteem and anxiety. I love moments of venerability from my favorite housewives — they are so important for the ‘real’ part of reality tv.
Well, first we learn that Careyes is a beautiful coastal city in Mexico with a scary bridge across the water. But we have to get there by traveling via an annoying van trip through what can only be described as the ‘real’ non-resort-esque Mexican countryside. Better use the potty at the airport next time, ladies!
Listen, girl, I am with you on this one. While I appreciate Kary’s effort to use sleeping arrangements as a way to unhinge the bestie brigade, grown-A women don’t need to share a bed to feel close. Clearly the seven-bedroom compound has room enough for everyone.
Looks like Kameron hasn’t changed a bit since high school. Could we love her any more?!?
And had she known about the Careyes vacation home, she might have made more of an effort in the relationship. (Guillermo is still single, ladies!)
In the fight against the insulting infantile spousal allowance, Kary and Kameron bond over having their own money by way of their separate businesses. Now onto a collab – edible pink dog bracelets!
Kary has one. Stephanie has one. Jeremy has one. Kameron has one too.
Brandy doesn’t. And LeeAnne, well she’s a fourth-wife-lifer so no apparently there’s no need.
We also confirm what many of us already know — sometimes prenups include a weigh-in provision for wives. And it’s not just a Dallas thing. Rest assured, y’all, there’s no weight requirement for Mrs. Westcott, and she has a clever cupcake plan if anyone tries to change it.
We end the episode with some pretty heavy dinner conversation. While the other ladies do their best to stay out of the fray (Brandi is snoring away in her room), Kary and LeeAnne swap tragic stories of their upbringing.
Kary’s mom was an alcoholic and blew through all of her family’s money.
LeeAnne doesn’t want children because of her rough childhood. And she was molested over a shockingly long period of time. And she’s attempted suicide three times. Things get uncomfortable and tense, and we see LeeAnne’s fearlessness shine once again, albeit irascibly, in her confrontation with Kary.
RHOD is off and running, and this looks like the beginning of a beautifully dramatic season!
My ladies from Real Housewives of Dallas are back, and they came to play! Episode 1 of season 4 feels like a gentle slope up to a pretty freaking dramatic season. We spend most of the hour getting reacquainted with some old friends and meeting the newest RHOD cast member, Kary. All in all, nothing big happened in Big D this week, but we can see the drama fog rolling in…
Let’s start with the newest Housewife, Kary, a pretty transparent casting choice and friend of D’Andra’s. Kary’s role as it appears at this point is to add spice and subtitles to the franchise. She spent a lot of time outlining her feelings about sex (apparently lackluster after 10 years of marriage) and sexiness (needing to tone it down on a beach trip with her teenage daughter). From where I’m standing, it looks like she’s going to give Sexual Chocolate a run for his money.
Also Kary is still grinding axes with LeeAnne over the RoundUp comment from TWO SEASONS AGO… about the cast member she replaced!! (By the way, Cary, we miss you. And we miss Mark’s Molteni. But mostly missing Cary…) I’m looking VERY forward to Kary’s (with a “K”) interactions with Kameron and LeeAnne this season, and most especially the subtitles.
We find LeeAnne fretting about her impending nuptials. She’s going over details with her glitter-farting wedding planner, Steve Kemble, and over-explaining her networking role (the supposed reason she’s getting deep discounts on goodies for her wedding — because I’m sure it has absolutely nothing to do with being featured on national television.) And listen, I’m not buying all this ‘stressed out bride’ business, and I hope it doesn’t become a central theme. Wedding planning is nothing for a carny kid and former pageant queen; it’s just another day at the office!
The real LeeAnne story is her ongoing feud with D’Andra. And this is a REAL real feud. These ladies haven’t spoken in months, despite their agreeing to see a ‘relationship coach’ at the Season 3 Reunion. (Is that really a thing for friendships?!?) I kind of hate that it’s still going on. More on this in a minute…
Brandi is trudging along like the rest of the moms in the universe, trying to keep it together in the midst of chaos. And it appears the chaos with her sweet ginger kids is in full swing. Bruin is walking and couldn’t be cuter. But Brooklyn looks to be driving Brandi to the Jesus-juice. Now, I’m generally opposed to talking crap about other people’s kids, but Brandi uses some pretty unkind language to describe her own daughter (justified from what we see) and practices patience at a level some moms may not see fit to exercise. We’ll see where this one goes. At the very least, I hope someone holds on to this footage to show Brooklyn when she starts complaining about her own pre-pubescent daughters.
Stephanie and Travis seem to have gotten their act together, and they’re now officially #couplegoals. We’re a long way from annoying to-do lists and seemingly misogynistic marital behavior. Travis is facing a self-admitted midlife crisis, reinventing himself in anticipation of his 50th birthday. I dare say his self-care regime has been influenced by his time with Harvard co-eds, and I LOLed at Stephanie’s testimonial about his new rituals. I absolutely love this story line and really, really hope we get to see Travis talk D’Andra through her cash flow crisis and Mama D issues.
The central theme of episode is the “Friendtervention” staged by Stephanie for LeeAnne and D’Andra over their years-long feud. Kameron and Kary are off on spring break, but Brandi and Stephanie are determined for their friends to mend fences. D’Andra is already fraught with stress over her failing business and mama drama, but she says she wants to try to work things out (sans relationship coach it seems). LeeAnne comes looking for an apology over accusations of Rich’s infidelity. I’m sorry, y’all, but things don’t look good for these two.
I don’t see these former friends clearing the air and laughing all of this off (Brandi’s goal, not mine) any time soon. I’m sure LeeAnne’s amygdala was on overdrive, but she does well keeping it together (eyes darting around for a bowl to bang). D’Andra’s posture was en fuego, and she’s obviously choosing her words very carefully trying not to make things worse. We end the episode with a toast to the future, but what does that mean?!? (Spoiler Alert!) We already know D’Andra didn’t attend LeeAnne’s wedding so where, oh where, do we go from here?
Looking for a few new spooky Halloween ideas? We’ve scoured Amazon for the best finds of the season.
We are very serious about Halloween in our house. Very serious. We throw parties. We decorate every nook and cranny. And we carefully plan our costumes as early as possible (but we don’t purchase them before September 1 because kids change their minds…). I have amassed quite a collection of decorations and supplies over the years, but I just can’t resist fun, new Halloween stuff. My storage spaces echo this sentiment with packed collections of spider webs, gothic candelabras, and myriad spooky materials.
Yet every year I scour my favorite haunts for trifling trinkets and spirited sundries to add to my collection. Of course, it would be wicked for me not to share the treasures I’ve found. So, my pretties, here are my favorite Halloween treats from Amazon.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission on recommended products at no additional cost to you.
Changing out throw pillows is one of my favorite ways to spice up seasonal decor. I use festive pillows on my patio furniture, living room sofa, and chairs to set a spooky mood around the house.
Pop this cool find in a jack-o-lantern on the porch or in a vase as a centerpiece for a chilling party effect. It uses water for mist so safe it’s around kids.
Use these blood bags, syringes, and Petri dishes to serve potables (potent or otherwise) at your spooky soiree.
I love to suspend these creepy gummy body parts in a thin layer of Jell-O in a Petri dish. My kids ask for them every year!
We love dressing up the skeletons that sit on the porch every Halloween. Bony and Peaches are always festive as they welcome our guests. The last couple of years we’ve started collecting (plastic) animal skeletons to add to our spine-tingling display.
A spooky mantle or table sets a the mood for all who dare to visit your home. I love to gather miscellaneous decorations and kids’ Halloween crafts with a few new things to spice up the fright!
Our outdoor decoration game is always strong, and we’re shameless with our inflatables from September to January. I love these new witch hat lights for over the front door or adorning a tree. They’re battery operated so they can go just about anywhere. Try switching out your porch lights with these flame-effect bulbs to trick the treaters. I also like to change our front flood lights to glow spooky colors on Halloween night.
Halloween wraps fear in innocence, as though it were a slightly sour sweet. Let terror, then, be turned into a treat …
Nicholas Gordon
It’s more than just the books – beat the heat and the dreaded “summer slide” with a visit your local library.
I’m a big believer in libraries. I think it’s a hazard of my job as a college professor, but I find tremendous value in spending time in the presence of books. With the kids out of school and looking for new and fun activities, summer is a perfect time for a library field trip. Here are my top five reasons why:
This may go without saying, but borrowing books is ideal for bibliophile kids like mine. A trip to Half Price Books costs us at least $50, and the benefit of free books should be enough to justify the visit. My kids, especially the 11-year-old, is a veracious reader, and he can easily read three or four books every week over the summer.
Libraries are chock full of books, but you can find lots more there too. For those of us who actually own and know how to use a DVD (Blu-Ray, whatever…) player, you probably know you can also borrow movies, television series, and even (gasp!) audio books.
These aren’t the real treasures though. In my opinion, the best non-book parts of a library are found in exploring special collections like maps, photographs, and other undiscovered materials. And if you really want to rock your kids’ world, show them some old newspapers on microfilm or microfiche.
Public libraries everywhere feature exciting kids’ programs for all ages. While there’s always story time and puppet shows, most cities invest in intriguing author visits, science demonstrations, etc. to attract audiences to their libraries. Follow your library on social media to stay on top of events and activities.
First, librarians are some of the most helpful and kind people in the universe (at least the ones I know are). They are always more than willing to help you or your child find your new favorite author or literary genre. Get to know the librarians at your local public library, and they’ll greet you with a warm smile every time you stop by.
Moreover, public libraries are, well, public. People from all walks of life use libraries to search for jobs on the internet, conduct genealogy research, and even to escape extreme weather conditions. Libraries are a demographic melting pot. While I can’t attest for every community, our Dallas public libraries provide a sound lesson in the vast diversity of our great city.
Planning a trip this summer? Trying to overcome the dreaded “summer slide”? Just looking for something new and different to do? Plan some time at your library. Send the kids on an age appropriate scavenger hunt. Start a family book club. Assign them a research project for your summer vacation destination (hint: look at some of those maps I mentioned earlier). Use the library for its intended purpose – to sit quietly and browse.
Every time you enter a library you might say to yourself, “The world is quiet here,” as a sort of pledge proclaiming reading to be the greater good.
From The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snickett
Hey parents – can we talk for a second? How’s homework going at your house? Is it always as tranquil and compliant as in my house? Do you look forward to sitting down to help your little angel with essays and history and complex math problems? Isn’t it the highlight of your evening? Yep, me too.
Homework is not a fifth-grade phenomenon. We’ve been at it since kindergarten. For better or worse, our kids attend a school that stands squarely on the ‘homework builds discipline’ side of the fence. Our fifth grader spends 30 to 90 minutes on homework every school day — 45 minutes is about average at our house — in addition to reading and other extra-curricular activities. The thing about fifth grade homework is that it’s the first time I’ve really been challenged by the assignments. I mean, when was the last time you labeled the parts of a volcano or recounted the battle of Yorktown*?
Save for learning to read, fifth grade seems to be when the real ‘you may have to actually use this stuff later’ knowledge begins. There’s definitely something to this “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” business. The teachers are doing their best to trick the students into early iterations of algebra (although they’re still calling it math) and exercising their creative writing muscles with research papers and haiku. And they’re assigned homework that corresponds with all these new and improved intellectual pursuits. Needless to say, things have gotten real.
What’s more is that the teachers trying to prepare the kids for the independence of middle school. Gone are reminders about turning in assignments at the beginning of class and opportunities to revisit silly mistakes. We get fewer and fewer notices about homework and long-term projects, and if parents don’t pay close attention to the teachers’ correspondence, we could miss the one and only announcement you get about test dates. Honestly, I think the teachers know that parents need almost as much training for junior high as our children do.
Most schools at all levels assign homework to reinforce knowledge presented classroom and, perhaps, encourage/force parents to get invested in their kids’ curriculum. I’ll explore some of the research (ahem, controversy) behind homework in a future post. Meantime, parents, sharpen your pencils — our kids are gaining on us! Read what they read; study what they study. Test your own knowledge. You might just (re)learn something from your 5th grader and their homework.
I’d love to hear about your adventures in homework, Bon Mot Mamas!
By: Shel Silverstein
The Homework Machine, Oh the Homework Machine,
Most perfect contraption that’s ever been seen.
Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,
Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds’ time,
Your homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.
Here it is – “nine plus four” and the answer is “three.”
Three?
Oh me…
I guess it’s not as perfect
As I thought it would be.
*In fairness, I frequently recount the Battle of Yorktown because, as my bon mot besties know, I’m a shameless Hamiltonfan.
Look out, ladies and gentlemen, I’m officially a sorority girl, nay woman! Some twenty years after graduating from college, I have gone Greek. It’s not like I set out to pledge a sorority in my forties. I’ve been a proud, self-professed GDI throughout adulthood (I don’t want to offend so look it up…). Please don’t get me wrong here — it’s not as though I’ve stood in conscious opposition to fraternities and sororities. I honestly never considered making it part of my undergraduate experience because a) I was never really exposed to Greek life prior to going to college; and b) Like most of my classmates at Texas A&M (whoop!), it wasn’t a priority for those in my social circle. As a matter of fact, despite its growth in perceived popularity, Aggie Greek life has declined about 2% in the 20 years since I graduated (from roughly 14% of undergraduates in 1999 to 12% in 2018).
The predominance of my Greek fluency has come from teaching at SMU where nearly 42% of students are initiated. I have always been curious about the costs (even the non-pecuniary ones) and benefits of membership, and I love to use sororities and fraternities as anecdotes in my nonprofit classes, i.e. “Why can’t your sweet parents deduct those membership fees?” or “What types of social capital might one derive from participating?”. Ironically, I have only ever attended one fraternity party in my life, and it was at the now defunct Pike House at SMU (Pi Kappa Alpha if you are fancy; oh, and it was a much tamer group in the 90s…). Needless to say, I have a lot to learn.
Truth be told, I’m a much better sorority girl in my 40s that I ever would have been in my early 20s. I’m far better at understanding the sincerity and importance of the sisterhood. While I’ll never know the rush of rush or the giddy excitement of the secret-location sorority formal (I’m fascinated by the idea that ladies and their dates board a bus to an undisclosed destination for such a shindig!), I’ll forever cherish the rituals of initiation. It’s just as well because I’ve always hated surprises, and my pledge class of three amazing grown-A women suits me just fine. Pledging as an old lady, ahem Honor Initiate, means I don’t have to be concerned with the reputation or preconceived ideas about specific sororities or their members. I didn’t choose Tri Delta. Tri Delta chose me.
The story of how this all transpired is less glamorous than it may seem. I met Karen Hughes White, Tri Delta’s effervescent and indelibly impressive CEO while teaching a course as part of a Nonprofit Leadership Certificate program. Essentially Karen was my student. We became fast friends with a mutual interest in nonprofit organizational effectiveness and sound management (I always say I’m a hoot at cocktail parties…). One day over scrumptious popovers at Kenny’s, Karen presented the idea of honor initiation and invited me to join the Tri Delta sisterhood. I accepted immediately because a) These are the types of opportunities you should never turn down, and b) I loved the idea of aligning myself with an organization whose central values included “to be kind alike to all and value inner self and character above personal appearance.” Moreover, some of my absolute favorite women like my bestie, Tamra, and ‘fake’ nieces Landry and Chaney, would become my sisters and stand in support of my initiation.
The whole thing is pretty hilarious and indicative of the crazy opportunities I tend to stumble upon. And I’m so honored. I’m learning about the nuances of these relatively illusive organizations (kind of makes me long for Franklin’s Junto, but that’s another post for another time…). I’ve unwittingly created a legacy for my daughter. And here’s the thing about sororities I’m just now starting to fully understand — they make a really positive impact on affiliated women, especially members of Panhellenic organizations. Women in their 20s probably don’t fully appreciate the currency it provides. The benefit of pledging a sorority at 40(ish) is that I know the value of strong female relationships. and I’m excited to see where this Tri Delta experience takes me. In the meantime, I’ll be practicing the secret handshake.
Thoughts? Feedback? I’d love to hear from you, Bon Mot Readers!
Sometimes, when you have a tiny platform like this blog, you have to take the opportunity to reveal a slim glimpse into your real life. To tell tales that might shed light on issues suffered by one or a few of the tens of Bon Mot readers. To provide proof that the stories we recount about our not-so-little boy are as outlandish as you think. To send a shout-out to the characters who shape our childhood – the teachers, neighbors, and friends. And maybe to remind us all of what it was like to be ten again…
This “Tales from the 5th Grade” series was inspired by the hilarity of our kid and the struggles unique to parenting an eleven-teen ager. Our son’s journey through 5th grade has provided my husband and me more simultaneous challenges and joyful moments than we ever expected. Someone should have warned us that preparing for middle school requires serious effort and honing parenting skills we thought we had a few more years to sharpen. This last elementary school lap has certainly tested our stamina. Our race to attempt to navigate the need to promote his independence while limiting his exposure to the oh-no-you-didn’t moments is fraught with hurdles, and we didn’t adequately stretch for it. Adolescence is a tricky thing, and 5th grade is proving to be the portal to all those things we dreaded about parenting older kids. We were sort of shocked and a little offended when he learned to decode our s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g of things years ago, but now he understands our inside jokes. He’s sharp as a tack and listens even when he pretends he’s not. Moreover, there’s something to this ‘smarter than a fifth grader’ business. We’re half-way through the school year, and we’ve conquered the Periodic Table, the American Revolution, and mathematical order of operations. We’ll soon tackle early iterations of algebra (these kids are barely 11 years old) and the Civil War and this will ALL be on the test. So consider this your warning, my friends. They’re gaining on us – in maturity and intellect and wit.
We recently embarked on a 5th grade class project that proved to be a learning experience for the entire family. What started as a simple writing assignment ended up being a culinary adventure none of us saw coming. Our son was tasked with crafting an instructional paper and, ultimately, making a ‘how to’ video. His class was given only a few restrictions for this assignment – nothing to do with video games and nothing too simple. That’s it. The kids chose lots of fun topics, and it was quite the conversation starter for fifth grade moms. We were amused by the obviousness of some of the kids’ choices – dancers chose to teach others to twirl, artists chose to teach others how to sketch a particular object; you get the idea.
So ask me what our precocious kid chose to write about for the assignment. Keep in mind that his interests vary from art to soccer to playing the ukulele. Yep, that’s right, he chose “How to make a French macaron!” Now ask me if I’d ever made a French macaron before. Nope, never. It wasn’t as if I whipped up a delicious batch every Christmas for the family to enjoy with a warm cup of apple cider. This ‘how to’ idea materialized seemingly from thin, well-whipped air. (Thank you, kids’ cooking shows…) What honestly didn’t occur to me during our conversations early-on about the assignment was that we would actually eventually have to DO the how to. The video and tasting parts of the assignment didn’t trickle home until we were already committed to making these delicate French pastries that take serious time and experimentation to perfect. When asked why he chose this complicated endeavor for the assignment, our son simply replied, “I’ve always wanted to make French macarons, and I thought this was a good opportunity to learn.” Plus, the recipe he found online during his search at school guaranteed “the perfect macarons every time.” Well, who can argue with that?
In light of our 5th grader’s enthusiasm for his project despite the raw (under baked, you get it…) territory, we did the best thing you can in a situation like this — we learned while teaching. And I began to appreciate the ambitious nature of our young chef. He wasn’t deterred by the idea of making macarons so neither was I. We lived to tell this 5th grade tale, and it was a tasty one.
For those wondering, here’s how it turned out —
A few things to note:
“Careful cooking is love.” – Julia Child
Stay tuned for more Tales from the Fifth Grade…
Hey Bon Mot Mamas — I know I am not alone in recounting these zany tales! What are yours?
Mary Poppins is back! And she brought A. Ham./Lin-Manuel Miranda with her this time (swoon!)! Having just returned from an advanced screening of Mary Poppins Returns, I feel like it’s my duty to dish. I’d sing about it, but I can’t carry a tune in the shower. In short, it’s practically perfect… you know how it goes… First, please understand that I’m a Mary Poppins super-fan. As if going to a prerelease event wasn’t enough, I’ve been known to stalk the ever-elusive (some might say aloof) Mary Poppins at both Disneyland and Disney World, and I always go with Mary Poppins when it’s my turn to choose our family movie. Once as obscure as the Cheshire Cat (my second favorite Disney character), I loved Mary Poppins before loving Mary Poppins was cool. So to say I was excited for this movie is a gross understatement – I was preparing for a religious experience.
Regardless of my shameless fandom, Mary Poppins Returns delivers in every way. 54 years was worth the wait (yep, it’s been THAT long, Mary Poppins was originally released in 1964). And it’s a marvel from start to finish. A musical serenade sandwich that starts and ends with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Jack” gently guiding us back into Mary’s magical world as we quickly realize that the Banks children have grown up in a generally unchanged milieu. Set 25 years after the original, we find Michael Banks and his three precocious children in desperate need of a spoonful of sugar. There are cleverly placed references to the original movie throughout Returns, and they help enhance the story that’s being woven in this continuation (the kids call these ‘Easter eggs’). Emily Blunt’s “Mary” is as enchanting as ever and plays the character best in her nods and glances. Julie Andrews isn’t an easy act to follow, but Blunt’s personification makes us believe in the modern incarnation of our beloved character.
The song and dance numbers are perfectly themed and imaginative and inject just enough wonder to make us forget the silliness that got us there in the first place. Instead of jumping into artfully drawn sidewalks, we slide into bathtubs and spin into lovely decorative dishware. My absolute favorite, “A Cover is Not a Book,” combines the clever lyrics and (literal) performance we’d expect from Lin-Manuel Miranda, but, even more delightful, Mary shines in her simultaneous coyness and bravado on stage. I double-dog dare you to try to sit still.
A note of caution though – and something we have to remember about our dear Mary Poppins – she likes to float in when the wind comes in from the east and things start brewin’. Needless to say, things have begun to ‘turn turtle’ (a phrase you’ll understand more when you see the incomparable Meryl Streep sing about it in Returns…) in the Banks’ world. We’ve come to expect heavy plot lines from Disney — what with Bambi and Dumbo and Frozen (and, well, all of the Disney movies I can think of…), on-screen parents don’t have much of a chance to live to see the end of most of our favorite childhood movies. And Mary Poppins Returns is no different. Be prepared for some doozies including intense scenes with endangered kids as well as themes of grief and financial hardship. They certainly don’t overshadow the amazing spectacle of musical performances and the pure joy of this movie, but I was a bit surprised by the underlying sadness throughout. Frankly, I was glad I saw it before taking my kids so I could be proactive and prepared for questions and content. Plus, I needed to experience this spiritual serenade without fear of a potty interruption.
Nevertheless, Mary Poppins Returns is a must see, two-thumbs-up, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (I couldn’t help myself…) cinematic experience that reminds us of the merriment of childhood and the inimitable charm of heroines like Mary. So run, walk, fly by kite, gallop on a carousel horse, do whatever you can to see this movie on the big screen! Because we may not be around to see Mary Poppins return again.
“First of all, I would like to make one thing clear: I never explain anything.” -Mary Poppins
