Tag Archives: app recommendation

December 7, 2012

Friday Favourites 38

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

Tonight the girls watched part of “Yours, Mine and Ours” about two huge families who become one Mega family. Four kids is hardly a mega family, but the lovely chaos on-screen definitely feels familiar. And fun. And exhausting.

Life with 1.6 children is not historically the norm, so maybe we’re not the weird ones after all. And I don’t think it’s just about numbers. Maybe this is just how family life is supposed to be. Not neat and orderly. Not easily manageable. Not picture perfect. Just real and sticky and loud and bumpy and strangely sweet.

Quote

I’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the modern world who has heard that classic AA staple: the “Serenity Prayer.” But I wonder how many, like me, had never heard the whole thing. You know, the parts that don’t fit on a mug or bumper sticker. The extended version has been a huge help to me this week:

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Documentary

The best thing about Netflix (other than reruns of favourite tv series from my teen years) is all the documentaries. I’m not the kind of person who often chooses to rent or go to a documentary when there are perfectly shallow, predictable sci-fi/action/dramas out there, but with all these options I find myself watching films made for grown ups, by grown ups. And actually enjoying it.

This week I watched Precious Life, made by an Israeli journalist about the family of a Palestinian baby who needs a bone marrow transplant to survive and is transferred to a Jewish hospital. My favourite part is when the Dr. explains the process of transplant to the family, how the body and the new marrow may fight one another, but they must learn to coexist if he is to survive.

monkeyappPreschool App

Who wants angry birds, when you can have a happy monkey?

Monkey Preschool Lunchbox has cute games of matching, colours and simple puzzles. Enough of a challenge to help them learn, but enough change and rewards to keep it fun. Definitely the best preschool app we’ve got right now.

Big Kid App

iPod art by C
iPod art by C

For older kids (and immature adults like me) this Art of Glow app is pretty fun. Not only can you make pretty, shiny pictures, but you can animate them. Eat your heart out Lite Brite!

Blog

I’ve been enjoying the blog Laments & Lullabies lately. The author wrestles with serious stuff: mental illness, step-parenting, marriage and raising a toddler. She has the two elements I love most: she’s uncomfortably (for some) honest and she’s hilarious. I especially enjoyed Evidence my Toddler is Smarter than Me. So true.

Preview

Fellow dorks: a new Star Trek movie! Yay!

Music Video

It IS December, though I find it hard to believe… so here’s a little Christmas cheer. Love the song. Love Jimmy Fallon. Love the preschool instruments.

So here’s me, off to visit the farm with my city kids today. I wonder if they’ll still be keen to eat bacon after spending some time with it In Real Life?

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October 26, 2012

Friday Favourites 34

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

I told my husband that I would DEFINITELY post something upbeat and life affirming this week. So far I’ve managed insecure/neurotic and angry/confrontational. It’s not looking good.

This afternoon as I rocked an extra-tired boy in my arms for Nap Attempt #3 (his first nap was interrupted by an impromptu field trip to pick up sick big sister from school and his second by the aforementioned sister coughing/crying/calling for Mommy)… anyway, there was rocking and wiggling and he decided that I just HAD to take a turn sucking on his soother (which smells strongly of spit but is nevertheless a very sweet gesture). He’s a giver.

We were having a moment there, when he started coughing so hard he puked. A half liter of curdled milk all over me, the chair and the once-upon-a-time-cream-coloured-carpet. As I scrubbed and laundered and bathed, I have to admit I wasn’t feeling all that upbeat or affirmed.

But then I realized how good I’ve got it. Hubby worked from home today so I wouldn’t miss my lunch date with my aunt. Sick boy is extra snuggly and I am well within my rights to keep him in footie jammies all day long. Sick girl is content to lay on the couch and reacquaint herself with the Wiggles (just in time for their big concert on Sunday, at which point she WILL be healthy, she WILL). The big girls have playdates, fun activities at church and sleepovers, quite happily leaving us home to enjoy early bedtimes and whatever the grownups want to watch on Netflix all evening long.

It really is a wonderful, messy, difficult, meaningful, smelly, exhausting, worth-it-all life!

How’s that for upbeat? Now here’s some random stuff that makes me smile.

Quote

“Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.”

~ Jim Carrey

Marketing Gimmick

Make something pink, add the tag line “for her” et voila: a whole new product. If it’s pointless enough Ellen, will promote it on her show.

App

Earlier this week I was reading a book, blissfully unaware of the world around me when out of nowhere a car careened around a corner, hit a blockade, flipped over and over and over and landed RIGHT ON TOP OF ME!

The next day I was caught in a fiery explosion while talking on the phone. The girls found Action Movie FX and I can’t help but get caught in the crossfire. You can add all kind of disasters to whatever you happen to be filming with just a click of a button.

Apple Maps Parody

So here’s the thing: I love apple products. And like most people who do, I am strangely loyal/obsessed/fangirl about them. But apparently Google doesn’t feel the same way. In fact, Apple and Google broke up last year. And Apple was all like, “I don’t need you anyway, I’ll make my own maps, better maps… You’ll rue the day!!! Mwhahahaha…”

So, the latest iPhone and, thanks to automatic updates, ALL of our phones, now have Apple Maps. And it is Terrible. But, there’s always a bright side; this one is that now we can all make fun of it. I bet Google is feeling pretty smug right about now.

So here’s me: I smell like vomit, the snot on my face is not my own, but who’s to say this isn’t life affirming?

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October 12, 2012

Friday Favourites 33

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

My online persona is a real whiner (my offline one is too, but you don’t know that, so I can pretend that she’s nobly stoic or tenaciously cheerful or at least less of a drama queen). I like to think that my tendency to struggle is offset by my deep joy and gratitude for this life we find ourselves living.

I’d write more, but the boy is climbing on the table and trying to grab this computer for the 837th time in the past hour. I think this means he’s feeling better.

Quote

A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.

~ Jerry Seinfeld


Video which most closely resembles my life:

To follow up yesterday’s post, and of course to spread the word about the dangers of heart disease – love this one!

Video which reminds me how absurd most of my “problems” are:

Without a doubt #FirstWorldProblem is one of the best hashtag threads on twitter (Mom: that means that people on the internet write little sentences about one topic and label them so that everyone can read them). Helps keep things in perspective and makes us laugh at ourselves – this presentation of it is brilliant!

Video which made me think, but enjoy doing it:

We watched a clip from The Truth About Dishonesty at our care group as part of a discussion about the moral path. The animation is entertaining (RSA Animate can make almost any lecture amusing) and I’m always interested in the perspective non-religious people have on the church. What struck me most is our insulation from consequences, ability to rationalize almost anything, and above all, the power of a fresh start.

App

For the first time I’m bringing you an app I haven’t actually used. I love the idea of it. Not another app with 7 different fart sounds or a bizarre game to waste my time, but something to help improve mental health. If you’re convinced that your life and the lives of people you love are not affected by mental illness, you’re probably in denial. Maybe you should see someone about that.

The recommendation from Comments from the Couch with psychologist and therapist, the Ducklows:

“At the core, the Optimism applications are mood charts, designed to help with managing mental and emotional health. They are used as self-help or self-improvement tools for depression, bipolar disorder, and other real life health concerns…

The Optimism apps help you to be more in charge and less dependent on your biology and your emotions. A continual feedback loop, in the form of charts and reports, improves your understanding of who you are, what you are going through and the things that are helping or hindering you.”

So here’s a word from the boy, (I thought I should give him a “turn” after all): 0-o[451536

lklkjagkjkdfaiccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

jklds4154444444444444444444444444412

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August 17, 2012

Friday Favourites 27

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

There is a lot to celebrate at our house! The smallest girl has managed to keep her panties on and clean for one day; not today, but it happened. So we have hope that it will happen again someday. If only that were how all of us measured success; wouldn’t life be happier? Clean underwear for the win, and everything else is icing.

The big girls are each having their birthday parties this weekend. At first glance this seems masochistic, but it means we only decorate once AND the leftovers from the first party are served at the next, so it’s actually kind of brilliant (and exhausting).

The man of the house just turned almost 40. Okay, 37, but since he reminds me often that our lives are nearly half over, I round up. What? He started it.

But the real party is for the boy. All because he now has many new vocational options open to him, such as: piano tuner, safe cracker and music critic. It’s not that these are our lifelong ambitions for him (although, now Glen is hankering after unlimited back stage passes); the thing is, we simply want him to have every opportunity.

When we adopted S it was with the understanding that his hearing loss (moderate-mild) was quite likely permanent. He has many risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss. One of the reasons the social worker first looked at our profile was our experience using sign language and dealing with a significant speech delay. We were prepared for it. I had the ASL app loaded on my iPhone and we had bounced around a few ideas for adjusting our life to compensate. We would be fine.

BUT they put tubes in his ears shortly before we brought him home. And there was a lot of fluid. And we had hope that this would help and maybe even clear it up altogether.

AND IT DID! On Tuesday afternoon we squeezed into a claustraphobic audiology booth at children’s hospital and he tested “Normal.” Gold Stars all around!

Quote

“Music is perpetual, and only the hearing is intermittent.”
~Henry David Thoreau

App

Most of the time iPhone/Pod/Pad apps lead to solitary play. It’s a treat to find one that not only encourages family interaction, but teaches proper grammatical terms. It takes a team effort to create silly stories with this app. Not only does Mad Libs have us all talking and laughing, but we clarified adjective vs adverb and discussed the meaning of “plural”… in the summer… for fun. You’re welcome, future English teachers.

Video

Julie Tennant is incredibly wise. And she loves her life. And she has Down Syndrome. And I kinda love her.

“I’d rather be slow to learn, than slow to love.”

Religious Joke

My fellow Christians, one of the best things about us is the ability to laugh at our own cheesiness. Those who can’t usually fall into the Pharisee camp. Or they’re just really dull. Or they actually do think it’s funny, but are too full of fear/guilt/angst-masquerading-as-reverance to show it.

The penultimate example of Christian cheesiness – Footprints in the Sand poem. That’s not to say it isn’t profound. And meaningful. And true. But oh, so very overdone.

Dorky Joke

Yes, this is my favourite kind of joke. This one was on George Takei’s FaceBook page… not always appropriate, but ever so funny.

Thank you http://i.imgur.com/4wwhM.jpg

So here’s me, with two, count them, two birthday parties this weekend. One is a spa-themed slumber party for 12 year olds. The other involves a kiddie pool full of jello, volleyball with a fish and hamburger shaped cupcakes. At least one of my children is normal.

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July 19, 2012

Friday Favourites: Twenty-Something Else

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

So as you can tell by the title, I’ve barely got time to post anything, much less figure out what actual number of FF post this is.

In fact, I wasn’t going to write one at all this week. What with all my complaining about how busy/tired/heroically philosophical I am these days, I wouldn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression, like, say I’m spending my few precious moments of down time cruising FaceBook to see what fun and weird and sappy stuff my friends post there. Or vegging out in front of silly YouTube videos instead of investing in my family or doing dishes or dealing with the plague of ants that has descended on our household. But who am I kidding, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Quite often that includes a “hey, you just have to see this” and all 6 of us (including the littles who don’t really care but hate to be left out) crowded around a tiny iPhone screen. So I’m wondering, does that count as family time?

In exchange for not judging me too harshly, I will share some of the sappy/silly/weird stuff that has amused me this week.

Quote

I decided I wouldn’t post this quote, because I tend to be so very sappy these days already, but lets face it, this is who I am these days…
Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn’t grow under my heart – but in it.

~ Fleur Conkling Heylinger

YouTube Video

Catchy song + One of the BEST Movie Series of All Times (well, – that first prequel fiasco) =

YouTube Video for the Preschool Cohort

Same song. Different powerhouse series. Never too old for Cookie Monster.

App

My friend Kathleen is a talented children’s author of the Blueberry books. I’d definitely recommend her series and am really looking forward to her new Christmas book (order now for a deal).

It would be so handy to carry her around in my pocket at all times, then I could whip her out to read stories to the kids in waiting rooms, long car rides, shopping trips… basically anytime I need a distraction. So I do.

The Blueberry App from Pic Pocket Books (which carries other titles also) reads through her first Blueberry book on my iPhone when I can’t. Brilliant!

Self Actualizing Quiz

Cause the internet is nothing if not a massive waste of time. But I feel I know myself just a little bit better now, don’t you? Apparently, I’m TOTALLY a hipster.

Oh, wait, except for the part where I took a stupid quiz on FaceBook to measure my level of hip non-conformity. Doh!

Thank you HowHipsterAreYou.com

Teething Remedy

I was devestated reasonably upset to realize that the teething tablets which got us through B’s teething days are no longer on the market. But Foster Mom pointed us to a homeopathic remedy called Camilia and they are FANTASTIC! Melts away irritation and soothes the snarling beast sweet toddler in no time! Plus, you can redose almost immediately if needed. If only I had remembered this at 2 in the morning (by the time 4 am rolled around I finally managed to climb out of the groggy haze and give it to him, and we both went immediately to sleep!).

So here’s me, with Surfin’ USA on Wii dance for the 6783rd time just so I can finish this post. Next up: poopy diaper, leftover lunch feast and packing for family holiday.

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July 13, 2012

Friday Favourites: Twenty-something

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

Tomorrow is a BIG day in our ongoing adoption saga. It is the first visit with foster family after bringing our boy home. We’re having an early birthday party for our soon-to-be 2-year-old with ALL the people who love him best.

We love them too, so it’s no hardship to have them here. But, it’s a big deal too.

I’m not going to lie. It’s awkward. And unnatural. And weird.

I’m not sure what the happy ending is for an event like this. I want him to run into their arms and hug away all the sadness they’ve been feeling. I want him to cling to us and refuse to let go. I want him to be completely unaffected by the whole affair. I want him to express all the angst and emotion that this confusing change must create. I want to interrogate them about every detail of his life and learn all his stories. I want to live only in the here and now, where WE are a part of his story.

So, I’m pretty much a mess about the whole thing. But at least there will be cake. Everything is better with cake.

Quote

“I like flaws and feel more comfortable around people who have them. I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

~Augusten Burroughs

And now, further proof that he’s a brilliant guy:

“Red hair is great. It’s rare, and therefore superior.”

Blog/Twitter Feed

In honour of my son (who pulled out the racks and climbed INTO the oven this morning) I am going to promote a hilarious blog “written by” the Honest Toddler. You don’t need to have a toddler to appreciate this humor, but it helps. The Seven Stages of Night Grief really resonated with me this week.

These days, I pretty much scroll blindly through a twitter feed full of theology, politics and life-affirming, sappy quotes to read the tweets from @HonestToddler. For instance:

  • Stranger in my house.
  • He has a toolbox that should be mine and is looking at the toilet. Watching from behind the door (with my SWORD).
  • HE SPOKE TO ME!! And laughed. Uh…you are not my daddy and we are not friends. We will never be friends.
  • Took refuge in my cardboard box. I’m invisible.
  • What kind of a grown man comes into someone’s house to play in their potty? Supervising him closely again.
  • I farted. He noticed.
  • Farted again. He looks uncomfortable.
  • He asked me if I’d like to go play with my toys. NO I’M FINE HERE THANKS. Farted again.
  • Told mommy I need to use the potty. She’s excited. Asked the hostile to take five.
  • Have fun working where I just pooed, stranger. Three M&Ms!!
  • He just pulled a couple washcloths out of the toilet. Getting out of here before people start pointing fingers.

And on and on and on.

Movie

In the middle of all this toddler-mania we TRY to spend some one-on-one time with each of our big kids during the week. Last week I took the 9-year-old to see Brave.

Girl power. A beautiful Scottish princess with bushy red hair. What’s not to like?

The moral of the story: “Listen to your Mom.” and “Mom is always right.” At least, that’s what I heard. My obedient, submissive daughter tells me I am wrong, wrong, wrong about the point, but it was a decent show with a few good laughs.

App

Speaking of movies, there is no reason, NONE, to waste your time waiting in endless lines at the movie theater, especially on cheap Tuesday when things are crazier than ever. Use Cineplex Mobile to buy your tickets (with an additional scene card discount) from home (or the car, or the parking lot or anywhere your little heart desires), then scan the bar code at the “Mobile Ticketing Booth” on the way into your movie. It prints your tickets instantly; there is no line up, no wait, and no need to bother printing your own ticket. I almost felt sorry for all the poor schmucks lined up out the door last week. But it was kind of fun to zip right past them with a confident swagger.

We also use this app to find theaters, movie times, trailers and ratings.

Splurge

Obviously we are big movie buffs. For our last “date” before we entered the Toddler Zone, Glen and I decided to splurge on a VIP theater. The price tag is enough to choke all but the most decadent at $22.00 per person, BUT if you use your Scene points (which you can collect each time you go to a movie or buy a snack), it is exactly the same as any other movie. We’ve been collecting for a while, so our big VIP splurge cost us $0. And it was well worth it. Don’t waste your free movies on anything but the VIP theater!

These theaters have a restaurant and bar in the waiting area. The seating has tables, foot rests and if you sit in the very front row, full on leather recliners. No waiting in line for snacks like regular folks; the wait staff will seat you, take your order and bring you your meal (that’s right, appetizers, entrees, desserts… this is restaurant food). Even the bathrooms are fancy-schmancy, so be sure to stop by.

So here’s me, did I mention that I’m a red head? Which is rare and therefore superior. Spread the word.

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June 15, 2012

Friday Favourites 22

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

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!

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May 30, 2012

Friday Favourites 21

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

Last night I rocked my son to sleep for the first time… insert sappy sniffle… bliss!

He mostly smiles my way, plays for a few minutes, then runs to foster mom or Daddy, but when I “babysat” him on my own for an hour last night, we snuggled and played together. We had a great time, just us. The next 2 weeks we will continue the gradual transition home. It’s a lot of driving. And it’s hard to leave him each time. But it’s all worth it.

It’s an awkward, wonderful, strange and exciting time!

Quote

“We should not be asking who this child belongs to, but who belongs to this child.”

~ Jim Gritter

Homage to the West Coast

These are my people. This is my home. And we are hilarious. Portlandia is a show for anyone who:

a) enjoys mocking hipsters

b) enjoys being a hipster OR

c) doesn’t know WHAT a hipster is (and you really should in this day and age, since I suspect hipsters will one day inherit the earth).

I was pointed in this direction by S’s nanny, since Dumpster Diver lady and I share a catch phrase. That thing I say whenever S does something cute (usually involving absolutely-smitten-with-his-new-son Daddy): “Awwww”

I watched this with my Dad this week. I find it somewhat alarming that his only comment was “That’s good aluminum there, why would anyone throw it out? It’s worth $1/lb…”

Mom, this could be your life. Who knew Dad had so much hipster potential?

App

She scanned my thumbprint into her iPod. Very official. Kind of an “Alias” vibe. Lo and behold, my name pops up, along with the information that I am currently parenting 3 children with another one coming home soon. What the WHAT? How does it KNOW this?

An upbringing fraught with suspicion about “evil government” and conspiracies of sinful worldly systems kicks right back into play (embarassingly easily to be honest). My moment of panic is cut short as I realize L is giggling like a hyena. It’s a prank app. And it really works. Grandma was mystified that it knew who she was. Grandpa was spitting mad… cue Big Brother rant… Even Glen fell for it.

Fingerprint Security Scanner has given my kids their $0.99 worth of funny practical jokes. You can prompt it to say anything about the person who is “scanned” in. The possibilities are endless.

Blog

iGame Mom is a wonderful resource for anyone looking for great apps and ideas. We’ve used her How to Child Proof an iPad to help us sort out ALL our apple devices. It only takes a few seconds for grimy little fingers to create total havoc. S loves Daddy’s iPad almost as much as Daddy, so this saved our bacon.

Coming To Theaters

In high school I tried to read it in the original language. It seemed sophisticated and intellectual at the time. My french is not that bien, so it was just a collasal waste of time. How do you say “pretentious” en francaise?

It is one of the BEST stories ever told (Victor Hugo), and the musical version is hauntingly beautiful (Schonberg). Add Hugh Jackman, Ann Hathaway and Russell Crowe to the mix, on a big screen… and now I’m ridiculously excited! Coming soon… a new movie version of Les Miserables.

Seeing the musical live, still on my bucket list.

So here’s me, je suis tres exhausted, but happy this week.

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May 17, 2012

Friday Favourites: Adoption

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

I’m busy on Monday afternoon. Just in case you wanted to hang out, or needed help moving a sofa, or something. I’ll be busy.

I’ll be meeting my son for the first time!

App

Thanks to my T-Zero app I am able to report that we will be meeting him in:

2 days, 23 hours, 45 minutes and 52 seconds…ish

 It is possible that keeping a running countdown on my iPhone is a BIT over the top, but Life Changing Moments don’t come around everyday. He’s a bit shy and has stranger anxiety, so I’m practicing my calm, cool, non-traumatizing faces in the mirror.

Song

When B was born, it was 3 weeks before we were able to bring her home. Glen and I took turns sitting by her incubator, and eventually, snuggling her and her many tubes. There were so many big worries on our plate: Down Syndrome, a leukemia scare, muscle tone, feeding difficulties, but the one that seemed to matter most was, GETTING HER HOME! It was so hard to leave her at all. This song was on the radio all the time those days. I used to sing it to her under my breath and imagine smuggling her out with me.

These days I have the song on repeat again.

Book

As we ALL prepare for a big change I have been on the lookout for “Big Sister” books to read with B. It has been surprisingly difficult to find preschool level books which work for our situation. There is no baby in my tummy, we are bringing home a toddler, not an infant AND we are not going to a far away country to do it. Apparently, we’re not a big demographic.

I was thrilled to find On Mothers Lap. It is a great sibling book about a parent’s expansive love. We read it while we rock “back and forth, back and forth” on the rocking chair Glen bought me for Mother’s Day. The final line of this simple story says it all: “there is always room on Mother’s lap.”

Blog

More than just an adoption advocate, Kristen of Rage Against The Minivan is both funny and challenging, with a huge range of guest posts about every topic under the sun. I feel like I actually KNOW her family, who are awesome, even though I’ve never met them. When I first read her Form Letter Apology I knew we were kindred spirits.

Also, she is one of the creators of the Pintrest You Are Drunk board, which is one of the reasons I get SUCKED in time after time. So there’s that.

Genius

Honestly, this one has nothing to do with adoption. But it makes me smile. And hug my kids. And shrug my shoulders about my own “struggles.” It’s an old 60 Minutes segment about an amazing musician, who is also happens to be blind and developmentally delayed. I’m not sure what is more inspiring, his musical genius or his sweet personality.

Definitely, his personality!

Quote 

One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a long time.

~Unknown

So here’s me, T minus 2 days, 23 hours, 23 minutes and 6 seconds until we set eyes on a new land.

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May 4, 2012

Friday Favourites 18

By So Here's Us.... life on the raggedy edge.

Another week, and another collection of random recommendations. Our adoption is moving forward at a glacial pace. And I am inexplicably (okay, very, very explicably) inspired to write posts about waiting… so stay tuned.

Quote:

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

~Douglas Adams

Blog:

Sadly, our extended family has more than a few addicts in its ranks. It’s a tragic lifestyle/illness and I’m left feeling angry, bewildered and completely helpless in the face of it. Sober Boots takes on this giant with faith, humour and the kind of wisdom that comes from “been there, done that”. Apart from the focus on alcoholism, I feel like Heather Kopp is someone I want to know and spend an afternoon gabbing with over coffee (for an introvert that is really saying something).

Infographic:

This is an incredibly accurate portrayal of my home country. I grew up in “Bibles”, spent five years in “Centre of the Whole Freaking Universe” and ultimately moved out to “Rain, Rain, RAIN” right near “Snobs”.

Courtesy of http://lolsnaps.com/news/22612/0/

Rick Mercer Video:

Along these same lines: “Everything you wanted to know about Canada, but were afraid to ask.” Surprisingly educational coming from a comedian. Three years behind the game, but I finally understand what happened when parliament was suspended in 2009.

I made my girls sit down and watch it. I know, I can hear the howls of protest: “educational stuff on a Pro-D day, what kind of monster are you?”

Beanie Baby/Hunger Games Video:

Finally, they’ve found something useful to do with all those beanie babies from the 90s! Funny and surprisingly faithful to the book, definitely worth a look for anyone who has seen the movie and/or read the book.

App

In honour of this very special holiday (Star Wars Day, duh) here is an app that both I and my 3-year-old nephew really enjoy. Feel the force on your iPhone as you use realistic sound effects to draw and swing your LightSaber and, well, that’s pretty much all it does. But it’s a LightSaber, so how cool is that! LightSaber Unleashed is a slight upgrade from the program I have, still free, and will totally make you the cool auntie.

So here’s me, wishing you a Happy Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you!

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