Friday Favourites 22

So, despite the incessant rain (let’s hear it for the West Coast, people!), this has been a wonderful week! Instead of running through the sprinklers and eating popsicles, we are all about splashing in puddles and cozy, family time. And this week our family includes a wiggly, curious, constantly-on-the-move little man who is the happy ending we’ve been chasing for several years.

So, who cares that we are on track for the coldest June in history (for real). Bring on the rain! We’re just too happy to care.

But what’s this I see out my window… sunshine. Very fitting!

Quote

Nothing like a deeply profound quote to celebrate…

I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2000 of something.

– Mitch Hedberg

Board Game

After the littles have gone to bed and the bigs are feeling the need for some parental attention, we often pull out the board games. We are definitely “game people”, but some of their favourites feel more like punishment than fun. Have you ever played “Canadopoly” with a 9 year old? It takes HOURS and the only thing worse is Disney Princessopoly, a pink and purple hell from which there is no escape.

One of the games we DO like to play is Whoonu. Not only is it fun and relatively quick, it is a great way to get to know each other better. Every person has a turn to be “it” and the others choose two of their “subjects” which they think the person will like best. The subjects on the cards are totally random – everything from tic-tac-toe to accents to Chinese food. The “it” person then arranges all the cards in order of preference and you collect your points (6 pts for first place, 5 for second, et cetera).

Apparently, C actually likes early mornings (though she is impossible to wake up and spends the first 15 minutes of her day lying on the kitchen floor whining that she doesn’t know what to eat for breakfast). L thinks the Weather Channel is fascinating. Glen rates the sound of breaking waves over air conditioning. Who knew?

App

Without a doubt, the FAVOURITE app in our house is iMovie. The girls, along with their sidekick/co-star from two houses down, have spent HOURS writing, filming and editing their own movies. The really fun ones are the many dramatic trailers which they’ve created with relative ease. Just follow the instructions, plug in movie clips where needed (i.e. – action sequence here…), and the app will do all the heavy lifting. We’ve been riveted by such masterpieces such as “The Three Weirdos”, “Obsessed With Myself” and “Evil Easter Bunny Spy Thing.”

Turn your iPod, iPhone or iPad into a film studio. I’ve fiddled around with many video editing systems over the years, and this is definitely the easiest to use. As cheap as I am, it’s worth the $4.99 price tag.

Movie Trailer

Not to be left out of the iMovie fun, our family’s film-making mentors (aka Uncle and Aunt) had Glen shoot this beauty on his iPad when he was visiting a few months ago. Welcome to the World Premiere of Super Family – taking cheesy home video to the next level!

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, that is in fact the Gemini-nominated director of “Love It or List It”, also known as Glen’s little brother. What’s more, these ARE the stars of Cerealized, a hilarious web serial which may or may not be freakishly psychic since they are now married and living together in real life. We’re working with professionals here! But the real draw is that cute little boy (takes after his aunt). He looks all innocent and utterly adorable, but we are going to conquer the world together one day!

Website

While we’re on the topic of high quality entertainment, let me introduce you to a brand new website for those of us who think TV is more than just a massive waste of time and soul-sucking instrument of global ignorance; it’s a lifestyle. TV Asylum brings you validation about People You Watch TV With and important articles such as We Need to Talk about The Office. I’ll admit it, I will never watch The Bachelorette, but I’m loving the Recaps; they are just so funny!

Song

I have loved this song for years and rediscovered it when I met Carolyn Arends last week. That’s right, as I mentioned in another post, she is one of my new favourite authors and I now am the proud owner of a signed copy of Wrestling With Angels! We haven’t exchanged friendship bracelets yet, but I’ll keep you posted.

This weekend, do whatever it is you have been dreaming about for years: make a movie, write a blog, adopt a child… you pick.

So here’s me, seizing THIS day. I think we’ll call this episode “Parenting the Boy.” Happy Father’s Day!