Tag Archives: favourites

October 5, 2012

Friday Favourites 32: Search Terms

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

Today’s Friday Favourites are by request… a few of my favourite search terms which people have used to find their way to this blog.

They confirm my deeply held belief about humanity:

“People are weird, yo.”

don’t like me quotes – this remains my #1 search term. But I do… like you. I swear.

star wars lightsabers crossed – this is a very popular search also. And I’m dorky enough to be thrilled it leads to ME!

chubby baby, also gestational diabetes baby, chubby babies, big chubby baby, and babies with rolls – C is not thrilled that I posted that baby picture of her. But she was such a cute Buddha Baby!

I’m hard to surprise by a “search term” anymore, but what is really interesting is that these came up MORE THAN ONCE:

it’s the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you – I’ve read it over several times, no idea what either of you are talking about.

hipster grandpa – my Dad will be thrilled. All because of my little homage to his dumpster diving tendencies.

instruction on braiding armpit hair – I’ll have to put that one on pintrest.

merits of wearing pants – it’s a lively debate in our house. I’m glad we’re not alone.

ancient diapers – how ancient are we talking? This seems like a good time to send them to talk to their Dad.

orange vomit child, also sticky orange vomit AND best way to handle vomit-covered child – ya, really makes you want to read my blog more often.

A few more, these appeared only once, but that still seems like too many:

movie recommendation for love making – not that kind of blog dude.

oprah’s lifeclass mom doesn’t want to babys it grandkids – what the what?

girl wearing pull up in high school? – tapping into my deepest fear right now…

funny facebook pictures that are appropriate for christians – as opposed to those inappropriate ones that are GREAT for non-christians.

can my down syndrvome baby have a hair cut – yes

big girl panty harness – ummm.

is it true that christian bribes do not wearing panties at their marriage time and remain naked under wedding dress – first of all, when bribing someone to marry you, perhaps going commando is a good idea. But if we assume you mean “bride” then apparently I wasted a lot of money on my wedding day lingerie. Who knew?

you can’t restrain me with logic – right on brother!

daddy wears panties – That’s the rumor. Glen may kill me for this particular post (Underwear Crisis).

he was crazy to not wear underwear – Was he a christian bribe? Cause then it would totally make sense.

im not a hipster but i can make your hips stir lyrics – I would buy this on iTunes. For real.

So here’s me, thank you for reading; however you found me. Except for the handful of people looking for “modern day torture club”; stop reading and seek help immediately.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in favourites

September 28, 2012

Friday Favourites 31

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

I am finishing up this blog in the van as we wing our way up the picturesque Sea-to-Sky Highway on our way to Whistler for the weekend.

Or I would be if we weren’t stuck in Vancouver traffic. We have passed 3, count them 3, car accidents in 6 blocks. White PT cruiser meets grey junker. Black hatchback meets black nondescript mid-sized. Red car meets pole.

So glad we can all slow down and take a good long look. Pole girl looks so embarrassed. Trying to act nonchalant, “whatever, no biggie, I do this all the time… we’ll all laugh about it someday… please Lord let the earth open up and swallow me whole… my dad is going to kill me.”

Been there.

Quote

“The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.”
~ Aristotle
I’m totally pulling this quote out for my husband the next time a concrete post in an overcrowded parking garage jumps out in front of the van. It’s obviously the post’s fault, but we can be gracious about it.

Russian Dashcam Video

In honour of pole girl… it could be worse, so much worse.

And the runner up is…

Makes me glad to be alive. And not on the road with any of these people.

Blog

The friend who forwarded those last videos also encouraged me to check out the Bohemian Bowmans. Let’s call him… ummm…. Mr. McDreamy Hair. I quickly realized that I had read her work already and enjoyed it, especially her Chick-Fil-A piece. Jessica’s approach to parenting, faith and fitting into a new pair of jeans is funny and, above all, authentic.

She recently wrote a series about returning to church that was both shocking and encouraging. That’s MY church! Not metaphorically, for real. And these are my people (they may not be aware of my ownership, but nevertheless MINE)! I appreciate her guts in posting something both deeply personal and self aware.

And the nicknames. I really appreciate the nicknames.

Movie

I’m not exactly on the cutting edge these days. I still can’t bring myself to watch Blue’s Clues without Steve at the helm. This week I finally watched a movie that several people have recommended to me, many times. So you’ve probably all seen it already. If not, I’m adding my “Like” to the mix. A quirky take on the holocaust. Strange, but intriguing.

For a good time, do NOT watch this movie…

Hot Topic to Ponder and Discuss

This interview with Brian McLaren was a good follow up to the movie about a “perfectly nice” family’s participation in genocide. A discussion about Religious Hostility. What is Christianity to do?

Sappy Song

It’s kind of embarrassing crying the ugly cry while folding the laundry, but it reminded me so much of my grandpa. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he loved my grandma fiercely. He was lost without her those last 7 years.

So here’s me, in Squamish B.C. regretting this morning’s abbreviated nap time. The boy’s not a fan of road trips and he’s not afraid to show it. A crowded hotel room never sounded so good. Anything to get us all out of this van!

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in favourites

September 21, 2012

Friday Favourites 30

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

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Yesterday was a day of Great Importance for my husband. He explained to me that aside from the Life Changing Events: such as marriage to myself, obviously, and meeting each of our children for the first time, and I suspect the arrival of his iPad, though he didn’t mention it at the time… aside from these few things THIS was a day he had been waiting for all his life.

You have to understand, my husband is a man with few loves. He’s fairly lukewarm in his regard for almost everything on the planet. But those few things he loves, he loves intensely, devotedly, deeply… He is a super fan (I’m just glad the kids and I make the short list).

Yesterday he had the opportunity to see his favourite band in concert, with a full orchestra, at Red Rocks (which is some famous outdoor theater in Denver that has great significance to concert dorks… blah, blah… something about U2… blah, blah) and he got it all at some killer deal so we can actually afford it (sort of). I don’t have to understand all that to realize that this was an epic pilgrimage for my man.

AND THEN he got a backstage pass!

He’s over the moon! And I’m wife-of-the-year for enabling him!

Did I mention he’s in Colorado? And our 4 children are not. At 4:30 this morning, as I rocked the fussy boy, I briefly questioned the wisdom of this decision (and made a mental not to feed the boy more prunes)… but not for long. You see, he would have given this up in a second if I had made the slightest complaint (see note above RE: intense devotion). Which makes me want it for him even more; he really deserves it!

It’s funny how the happiness of someone we love can taste even sweeter than our own.

Quote

How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now, and there will never be a time when it is not now.

~Gerald Jampolsky

Band

Today, for the sake of my husband, I have to choose The Airborne Toxic Event as one of my favourites too. They are storytellers, poets and the kind of real musicians that so many bands pretend to be.

Movie

Maybe it’s the adoption angle. Or the fumbling through parenting. Or the fact that this is one of the rare films you can take your kids to without wanting to stab your own eyes out (Alvin and the Chipmunks “Chipwrecked” comes to mind). Or that it was a rare chance for me to do something without kidlets in tow. But I really enjoyed this sweet quirky movie.

Perfectly Timed Photo

Silly, juvenile, cute, twisted… there are all kinds on perfectlytimedphotos.com and let’s face it, it’s kind of a waste of time. But it made me laugh.

So here’s me, half a dozen text messages (with just as many exclamation points) hardly tell the story, but I have a feeling we will be reliving every minute of the Very Important Concert all weekend.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Uncategorized

September 14, 2012

Friday Favourites 29

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

I have started, and deleted, this opening sentence a dozen times. It’s not that I can’t think of anything to say (let’s face it, that is a rare, rare thing). It’s been a busy week and there are so many topics to write about, I can scarcely begin. So I’ll touch on them all. Brace yourself, it’s a rollercoaster.

Today my son Simon would be 9. And maybe he still is. Maybe they have chocolate cake and streamers in heaven. But as much as I dream about the boy he would have become, my only memories are of the tiny infant born so early and so silently. I haven’t found time to think of him until just now. I don’t know if that is good or bad. But I still miss him. I wish he could have met his little brother, he would desperately love someone to wrestle with after school.

Last night we threw a birthday party. I lost count after 43, but I’m pretty sure it was more like 50 sweaty-faced, laughing children darting in and out of climbers and slides; stuffing bits of food into their mouths before jumping back into the current. The walls shook with each body check in the hockey game next door. The noise was tremendous. It sounds crazy, but it worked! B isn’t able to tell us which 8 friends will make the cut for her party. And all the kids at school are wonderful to her. So, we picked them all. We rented out the play centre and handed invitations out to the whole of grade 3 (and their siblings, because I’m all about getting my money’s worth). With the help of our 2 favourite babysitters, it was far less work than any of the other parties we’ve thrown this year. And so much fun!

Yesterday afternoon, we finally got our van back from the dealership. Our blue Kia has a personality. She likes to give us a hard time: engine light and spontaneous downshifting et cetera, almost always when I’m driving. But she is on her bestest behaviour for the mechanics. She hates me. I was actually thankful when she acted up for Glen too (see, I’m not making it up!). Despite her erratic behaviour, she got us where we needed to go this week and FINALLY the experts figured out her problem. She’s getting needy in her old age and perhaps she feels we haven’t been spending enough money on her. The $450 repair should keep her happy for a while. Hag.

This week has been sad, thrilling, exhausting (always), frustrating and fun… it’s a messy life. I’m still a fan.

Quote

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

~ Henry David Thoreau

Oh, I hope so! Because I am definitely on the right track then.

Piece of Planet Earth

I tell myself that I should get rid of it every time I see it. But I can’t bring myself too. Even when I almost walk right into it. Even when the neighbour girl shrieks and runs away. We have the most awesome spider web at our front door. It glistens with dew drops each morning. And at night the fat stripey spider scuttles around renovating and expanding her domain. I can almost hear David Attenborough in my head as Glen and I watch her take down a giant horsefly. We called the big girls and stood and watched for a long time. Not much makes us pause anymore. So I’m grateful to her.

I tried to get a good pic of our spider, but she’s shy. This is very close to what it looks like at our front door.

I call her Charlotte in my head and imagine she’s very intelligent, but if she tries to lay eggs in my house, there will be no mercy.

Video

Becca doesn’t do well with opening presents. It is too quick, too much new, too much pressure, just too much all around. So we decided to emulate friends and asked for donations instead of gifts. It’s handy that her Dad happens to work for the Down Syndrome Research Foundation.

In a special, sneak peek showing here’s a video about the work they do. YOU are the first to see it!

They told Edison’s Mom and Dad that he would probably never speak, may never walk… He showed them!

This video was made by my brilliant brother & sister-in-law!

Book

Somebody’s Child is a collection of stories told from every viewpoint on adoption that you can imagine – birth parent, adoptee, adoptive parent, sibling of a foster child… I would recommend it to everyone, not just those interested in “adoption stories.” Because these are essentially human stories, full of love and brokeness and angst and growth. Each one is compelling in its own way. Each one is so different. Which is kind of the point.

Disgusting Article

30 Canned Foods You Never Knew Existed and frankly, NEVER should have. Gross!

Here is Number 1 on the list: Whole Canned Chicken

So here’s me, chicken for dinner suddenly seems less appealing.

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in favourites

August 24, 2012

Friday Favourites 28

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

My 20 year high school reunion is coming up. Mine. Which is totally weird since I’m still a young adult. Yes I am. I don’t care what those dumb check boxes on my census form say.

I was asked to be part of a medical study along with my sisters, but they decided to leave out anyone over age 35. So I don’t have to answer endless questions and get a full physical. Except now I feel kind of left out. I’m interesting. I have medical problems to contribute.

My girls were watching a movie the other day and told me that it was a “REALLY old one, made in like 2005…” 2005 was only yesterday. I’m sure it was.

As young as my brain thinks I am most days, my body reminds me I’m kidding myself. But I hear 40 is the new 20. And if I say it often enough, it’ll be true. I’m sure of it. And I’m not even 40 yet, so I have time to let the idea sink in.

I hear 40 is the new 20.

Quote

“Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternatives.”

~ Maurice Chevalier

Book

I wasn’t sure about this book, but my sister never steers me wrong. It was fun and easy to read, without rotting my brain. It addresses issues of tradition, race and aging, while telling a sweet love story. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is romantic and funny. And the leading man is 68 years old!

Soul Healing, Life Changing, Energy Building, Most Brilliant Thing To Do WITHOUT Kids

This summer, when my sister-in-law volunteered to take me to the Scandinave Spa  in Whistler for the day I was somewhat skeptical. A whole day lounging around in my swimsuit… not my idea of fun. But, the brothers were determined to take all the kids and give us a whole day off. Who am I to argue with that?

The drive up through the mountains is almost worth the price of admission. Although you can pay for a massage at the spa, doing the baths is plenty relaxing in itself (and only costs $50-something). Practicing this Scandinavian tradition you cycle through 15 minutes of hot (hot pools, sauna and eucalyptus steam room), 1-15 minutes of cold (cold pools and nordic shower) and 15 minutes of relaxation (sun room, deck chairs, fire pit, and my favourite “hammock haven”). Did I mention that this is all done in silence?

Spiritual retreat, hot bath, good book and pampering all rolled into one. Bliss. It’s the most relaxed I’ve been in years.

Blog

This blog is titled Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures  Not only does it make me feel good about universal parenting themes, but my artistic ability also. And it uses a semi-bad word quite frequently, which feels a little bad-ass.

There are some that illustrate my life as well. For instance, I feel this quite accurately captures our family’s daily sunscreen battle:

www.crappypictures.com

Invention

Hovding (with the little dots over the “O” that I just can’t figure out on this keyboard) sounds like yet another Ikea shelving system, but in fact, it is a really cool invention (also from Sweden). The invisible bike helmet… for real. Check it out!

Video

Occasionally I think children should rule the world. Watching this video is one of those times. Plus, Flight of the Conchords and their bizarre New Zealand humor is hilarious. Glen thinks they’re stupid. You be the judge.

So here’s me, and most of the time I just think that I should rule the world. Or at least MY kids should. Just don’t anger the boy, he’s got a wicked head butt.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in favourites

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.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in favourites

August 10, 2012

Friday Favourites 26: Farewell Olympics

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

After Canada won Gold in Hockey at the 2010 Games, B led the parade down the street waving her little flag for all she was worth!

I lived in Calgary during the ’88 Olympics. And again near Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. When the 2010 Games first appeared on the horizon, I remember friends complaining about the crowds, the traffic, the shameless waste of resources… all legitimate concerns. What they couldn’t understand was the feeling the Olympics brings with it.

I’ll admit, I spouted a few “I told you so’s” as most of them got swept up in the largesse of the Games. It’s a kind of magic. Even for those of us who couldn’t care less about sports.

This is the only time I find myself voluntarily turning to a sports channel on t.v. Our favourite was the trampoline where Canada has made a real impact. I’m sure it also something to do with the fact that this year’s birthday present to all the kids was our very own trampoline. Of course they are full of complaints about mom’s many rules; no flips, no back drops… I’m not looking to raise Olympians, just trying to avoid neck injuries.

Quote

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”
~Pierre de Coubertin (founder of modern Olympic Games)

Shameless Emotional Blackmail

If you have children, or a mother, or a beating heart, you can’t help but get a little misty eyed at these P&G ads. I kind of wish they would let those little ones sleep in, but the ending makes me all goopy inside.

Infographic

Because I’m a nerd. And I love trivia. And it’s pretty amazing how big the Paralympics are!

Less Meaningful, but Still Interesting Olympic Infographic

Because, if I’m honest, the sports aren’t really the fun part of the Olympics for me. It’s the drama. The stories. And the outifts. Cause I’m shallow like that.

App

But not all our life revolves around the Olympics. We have other, very important things to do with our time to. For instance…

Thank you Uncle Ben for introducing us to this great app! Move over Guitar Hero, the Ocarina2 turns any iPhone/Pod into a musical instrument. We can play everything from Bach to Beiber by blowing into the end of the phone, and following the fingering on the screen.

Music Video

We’re big fans of a as-of-yet-little-known children’s band The Reluctant Minors. Because my littles enjoy the music and Mommy’s crazy dancing (I have a strong suspicion Daddy does too; talk about sitting in the seat of the mockers). Because my big girls deeply appreciate all things weird and random. And because Matt and his family are very good friends of ours from back in the day (he will always be a quirky teenager to us and it’s strange to see him all grown up, with a very cute wife to boot).

So here’s me, startled that both the Olympics and the summer are almost over. How did that happen?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in favourites

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.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in favourites

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.

3 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in favourites

July 6, 2012

Friday Favourites: Red Eye Edition

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

Yesterday I found myself eyes glazed, zoning out on an old episode of Law and Order. I already knew whodunit. I’m pretty sure I watched this one in high school. If I start watching Matlock or Murder She Wrote, I shall require an intervention.

It is two and a half weeks since we brought our new son home and it still feels surreal. He is SUCH a sweet boy and so much fun!

We occasionally sleep through the night. Precious items have been destroyed or moved up even higher. And some days we almost feel normal.

But we are so tired. The after-a-long-day-skiing-or-amusement-parking tired; worn out in a good way.

Quote

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.

~Newt Gingrich

Sounds like parenting to me…

Book

I needed something easy to read, but interesting enough to hold my weary attention. This quirky, intelligent book really fit the bill. The narrator of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 15-year-old boy with Autism. It is fascinating to see the world through his eyes. I enjoyed the strange cadence of the writing. I may have stayed up late to finish it (stupid, stupid, stupid)!

Fake Movie Trailer

I’ll never sing “I’m the map, I’m the map…” again without thinking about this (yes, I sing that; all the cool moms do). Dora the Explorer has grown up and is kicking ass. Warning: this is not a preschool video.

I would totally see this movie.

Graduation Speech

We just got a beautiful book for S from auntie and uncle. It’s about how very special he is. “You are the one and only ever you.” I get all misty and goopy when I read it, and the kids roll their eyes (definitely their father’s daughters).

“You are special.” It’s true. It’s important to hear. I tell my kids so all the time.

Which is why this graduation speech caused such an uproar. It’s not what many parents want their children to hear, but I think it’s just as true and just as important to hear.

“You are not special.” The world does not revolve around you. You are part of a bigger universe. And we are all in the same boat.

Infographic

Infographics are a marvel of the modern world. Because if your educational message has a slick design with computer generated graphics, I’m more likely to listen. Really.

Courtesy of The Simple Dollar: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/burnout/

So here’s me, and the smart part of my brain that just read that infographic says “go to bed early,” but a much louder part says, “there’s a rerun of Stargate Atlantis on and you’ve only seen it twice.” I wonder who will win.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in favourites