Howefitz Blog

I have already reviewed Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but at that time, I had only seen one episode. That was over a year ago, and as I’ve continued to watch the show, I’ve become more enthralled with it’s family atmosphere. Not just in the ‘no one cusses or makes a lot of innuendos’ sort of family atmosphere, but a genuine sense of family among the characters.

I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t hum themes from Sergei Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf‘. I would imagine that most children wouldn’t know what an oboe is without it!

I remember as a kid listening to Patrick Stewart narrate it from a cassette I found at the library. Of course, I saw the Disney version more times than I can count, and who can forget the use of the wolf’s theme in the holiday classic ‘A Christmas Story‘?

When I was still living with my parents, I developed a yearly Thanksgiving tradition. I would set the alarm and get up early so that I could watch the entire original Star Wars trilogy before my dad got up and wanted the T.V. for football. Why Star Wars? Because this was before the prequels, so Star Wars still ruled. I’m still not into football, and Star Wars doesn’t have the same luster it once did, so I decided to compile a list of adult-friendly kids’ movies that you can enjoy with your kids this holiday season, or, if you are in to football, here’s some flicks that will distract your kids in another room while you enjoy the game(s).

I have been a fan of Kyle Baker’s for a while now. Actually, it’s been a decade. I remember seeing a lot of Y2K-themed books in 1999, but ‘I Die at Midnight’ popped from the shelf. It was how I ‘found’ Kyle Baker. The artwork looked more like animation cels than a comic book. And the story of a man who wants to end it all after getting dumped must have struck a chord in my 21 year old heart. The subsequent return of the girlfriend with our hero attempting to vomit the pills he just overdosed on, well, pure comic genius! It is the only Y2K book that I will still pick up and read and enjoy. (You can read the entire graphic novel for free at kylebaker.com!)

Let's go, Squaddies!

Before my wife and I started having kids, I imagined some day in the distant future, bouncing my son or daughter (or both!) on my knee and trying to figure out how to introduce them to the wonderful comic book characters I knew as a child. The movies are too adult and the cartoons I watched as a kid are just plain old.

I started buying toys. Then, there was a line from Marvel called ‘Spiderman and Friends‘. These featured little kid versions of my favorite Marvel heroes. I snatched up everything from teethers to board books to action figures and vehicles, anticipating the demise of the current Super Hero trend.

'Aaah, freak out!' Don't let this happen to you!

I took vacation this week and did a lot of house hunting. Right now we’re in a 2 bedroom apartment, which with the approaching birth of my son, will be waaaay too cramped for a family of five! So we’ve been looking for something a little bigger.

We found a townhome that I immediately fell in love with. Nice grassy back yard, another nice grassy area we can play in out front. (with no mowing by me, FTW!) It’s located on a quiet cul-de-sac, so no crazy drivers. 3 bed, 3 bath, fireplace, and a garage. Perfect. The two smaller rooms even already had a pink shade on the window in one and a blue shade in the other!

Every once in a while, a movie comes along, beats you over the head and changes your life.

I personally have had a few movie moments like that. Some of those were in animated films. But I don’t think any of them affected me quite like Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up‘.

I’ve been a Pixar fan since practically the beginning of the studio, when I saw their short ‘Luxo, Jr.‘ in a presentation called ‘Beyond the Mind’s Eye‘ on PBS. My first post on this blog was ‘Wall-E Restored My Faith In Pixar‘. Needless to say I was excited about ‘Up’, I just didn’t realize how excited I should be.

The sisters relate to each other...

As a Daddy Blogger, I find myself in a unique situation: I have a 15 year old step-daughter and a two year old daughter. I feel that this gives me a different perspective. I came into Kat’s life when she was four years old, so I missed the diapers and the slow development of her language skills. I’ve watched her grow up and marveled at her dreams and the decisions that she’s made. Even though I’ve had those eleven years of being a Daddy, with Calli it feels like I’m a brand new Daddy. Now I get the diapers and laugh at the way she reasons out words. Bunnies are ‘hoppies’ for instance. Doggies are ‘goggies’. With a new baby boy on the way in August, that’ll be a whole new world, as now I’m so used to girls, what do I do?

The Dragon Hunters crew look for the 'World Gobbler' as their planet crumbles around them.

It seems that it’s always on the weekend that I post about children’s entertainment. That’s probably because that’s when we generally watch movies!

Last night’s selection was ‘Dragon Hunters‘, a French computer generated feature film originally titled ‘Chasseurs De Dragons’.

When you’re married with children, sometimes it’s hard to get out and have that romantic evening for two. So why not kick back at home and watch a flick with the kids? Here, in no particular order, are my ten romantic picks that the kids can watch with you.

Beauty and the Beast

Cover of Beauty and the Beast

There’s no getting around Disney’s classic, so we might as well get it out of the way. I remember when Beauty and the Beast was first released, TV Guide ran an article that said something like, “A Sexy Disney Cartoon?!” While this one probably won’t get your blood pumping in that way, it’s hard not to get that flutter in your chest and a tear in your eye during the ballroom scene.