obsessions

I'm not even sure if that's the right word for what I'm thinking of, but it seems to fit more than anything else my brain can come up with at this time.

There are lots of things that I love. That I'm passionate about. One of them sadly, are movies. ( Hmmm...maybe this is something I should totally give up for lent!) I watch alot of movies. Luckily I don't live in PA anymore (or near any other major centre with a new Shoppers Drug Mart) where movies are only $0.99. Most movies are worth that much, altho Legally Blonde 2 is not one of them! And so my movie watching has dwindled some since coming here but I still `do keep ontop of the latest releases. I've also given up horror flicks. Growing up for some reason, I had a thing for cheesy horror. And it didn't really bother me until I reached my early 20's when suddenly I realized they were just bad. Nothing about them was entertaining or worthy of my time. So I stopped. Have you ever strolled thru a movie store and noticed how many cheesy horror flicks there are out there? It's sad that they're so popular. Altho' I will admit I have seen the first 4 SAW movies. And we haven't been to the theatre lots here 'cos a). the selection here in Wetaskiwin is sub par (altho' the theatre itself is pretty good!) and b). movies in Edmonton cost $12.50.

Anyway so lately I've seen:
Punisher: War Zone - good I guess if you like guns. I was surprised that Steve knew what the majority of them were called. Not one of my favourites altho' I was with Steve so I won't complain!

Australia - who can argue with Hugh Jackman? I thought it was good. A "Gone with the Wind" type epic (with cheesy pastels and hockey lines). I would see it again. Steve wasn't too keen on it altho' he liked the fact that the actors actually got dirty.

Then came Twilight and I'll come back to that.

Ummm...what else did I see? Death Race (which had some awesome explosions) and we just saw Gran Torino last weekend (which was brilliant. Steve keeps making "Clint Eastwood grimaces". It's kinda getting annoying).

and on video: the duchess (at first I didn't think Keira Knightly could pull off being a mother of 3 kids, but I was wrong. She did a great job!) and righteous kill (didn't like it as much as I was hoping I would, what with 2 great actors like DeNiro and Pacino) and definately maybe (cute. I was a bit worried in the first 7 minutes, but in typical Ryan Reynolds fashion, it turned enjoyable and worth the $6 rental) and open season 2 (cute and funny, not as good as the original since Kutcher and Lawrence didn't return) and vicky cristina barcelona (hmmm...brilliant movie as far as Woody Allen is concerned. Penelope Cruz was amazing and who can't love Javier Bardem?) and transsiberian (this was a smart rental. Good plot, good actors, good all around) and space chimps ( my kids loved it and I enjoyed it too!) and igor (too dark, in my opinion, for a young kids movie) and felon (again, took a risk renting it and was pleasantly surprised. Good film!) and burn after reading (too much sex for my liking) and ghost town ( AWESOME! we loved it!) and appaloosa (I thought Renee Z. totally killed the movie. It had such potential with Mortenson and Harris only to be destroyed by the stupid "girl" storyline. Ugh. I was disappointed. But as far as westerns go, Steve thought it was good) and eagle eye (good entertainment) and nights in rodanthe (lame...can't believe I saw this one in the theatre...) and quantum of solace (awesome again. MUST SEE in the theatre. Danial Cragg will do Bond just fine) .

So anyway, going back to Twilight. I couldn't believe all the hype this movie was getting. I thought it was ridiculous and absurd. Teenage girls everywhere were talking about how they couldn't wait to see the movie and how they had read the books over and over again. I would roll my eyes everytime I heard someone say that.

That was until I saw the movie. I went out of curiousity on a weekend matinee (so I didn't have to spend more than $5) and LOVED IT. I couldn't believe it! I went again the next night. And again the following weekend. I was IN LOVE with this movie. And then it became a sort of obsession. I had to get more. So I went to the library and reserved the 4 books in the series so that I could read them. I was like 140 or so on the waiting list. This would take forever. At S'Store one day I saw the first book and bought it. I stayed up till 4 am that night reading it. Then amazingly the library called and had the 2nd book, New Moon available for me. I stayed up till 3 am reading that. A few weeks later, Steve and I went into Edmonton and I bought the 3rd and 4th books, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I stayed up later than I should've reading those. It was all I could do and think about....like a zombie....my mantra was MUST READ BOOKS. It was ridiculous. I admit that. It's totally absurd!! And then my brother burnt me a copy of the movie and mailed it to me. To be fair, I watched it steadily for 2 days then and now, I only watch it while working out. Call it an insentive! I don't know what it is about this series! Since then, in early December I've read all 4 of the books at least 6 times thru. And I know there are WAY MORE things that I could be doing with my time, creative things, productive things, many many things. But like I said, I just don't know what it is that draws me again and again. It's just good! :) Maybe it's the love story that I find so overpowering. Maybe it's the fact that it's actually clean. I made my parents watch it back in December and my Mom was impressed by how clean it was. She thought it would be much worse. No swearing, so sex. The author, Stephenie Meyer, grew up Mormon and she says it's hard to shake that influence off in her writing. You find out later in the books *SPOILER ALERT* that Edward (the vampire) won't sleep with Bella (the human) until they're married.

Anyway, so now I'm trying to move on. It's totally ridiculous, and I have to tell myself NOT to spend all my "free" time reading and instead do other things. The lure is still there, but it's slowly diminishing.

ouch. Matthias just shot me with a nerf gun. He's so dead later. What a nutball.

Now I've lost what I was going to say. Knowing now how ridiculous I am with this...Oh wait! I remember. Alot of critics are comparing J.K.Rowling and Harry Potter to Stephenie Meyer and Twilight. While I haven't actually read any Potter books, I've seen the movies. And if I had a choice of showing my kids one or the other, I'd have to go with Twilight. Harry Potter scares me. He really does.

There now. I've managed to waste a few minutes of your time by allowing you to read this gibberish, so perhaps it's better if we all go do something more productive with our time....where did I put that book?

something crunchy

Yesterday we ran out of sugar. The kids keep complaining that there's no dessert. So I used the little I had left (with a little brown sugar added) to make cookies. I didn't notice the time I started, so by the time I got them in the oven I had to go pick the boy up from school. I handed the timer to Callah and told her to tell Dad that in 5 minutes the cookies would be ready.

30 mins later I came home and saw smoke rising from the oven the timer on the oven going wild. I yelled "STEVE!!!" Immediately he runs up the stairs into the kitchen and says sorry as I pulled the charcoal cookies from the oven.

So that attempt was out the window.

Today we decided to make rice krispie squares. Simple enough. And yet as I started to chew off the excess marshmallow from the spatula I noticed it was a bit crunchy. And that's when I noticed that the end of the spatula had been melted and broken off.

So we'll see what happens. And I think I should basically stop baking ANYTHING for the next few days just to be safe.

tiddlywinks

ok so every now and then I think about blogging again. I don't usually have anything important to say, but once in a blue moon my brain does think of something creative.

And othertimes, with Kez crawling all over me and Callah continually telling me that she's hungry (and yes, I DO feed her!) I just want someone else to talk to. And during those times, this seems like the easiest outlet for one sided conversations.

See now...does that even make any sense? Maybe I shouldn't resurrect the dead.

But whatever.

I was merely just wallowing in my own self pity this morning at the thought of how easily it is for a person to be forgotten. It's like you spend years making and working on relationships with people, that maybe weren't as good as you thought they were - the relationships I mean- b'cos suddenly you leave and then it's like you're forgotten. You rarely, if ever, hear from these relationships and if you do, it's usually b'cos they want something, or need a place to stay as they pass thru your new location. And thinking of that, it makes me wonder if that's where relationships are today. Are we so busy in our own lives that it's too much of a hassle for a quick hello? Or do we just make the time for those who really matter. Meanwhile forgetting all those who might actually need- no crave- a friendly "hello" once in awhile too?

Anyway, like I said, I'm just feeling a little....agitated.

How sad...my first post in months and it's completely negative.

c'est fini

Ever since we moved here I just haven't felt right. And with that feeling comes a huge lack of motivation to do anything. I've always wondered about this whole blogging thing. Who am I? that I should be so interesting or unique that people would want to read about my life? No one really. It did make me feel good to think that people might stop by to read it now and then.

Anyway, I just feel that this is one more thing that I feel like I should be doing and not really wanting to. So until things feel better around here and personally, I will stop writing. And really, it's not like I have been writing lately anyway. I really liked what Cody said about leaving his...(roughly) we busy ourselves with so much. We should be trying to simplify it. And this blog is just something that isn't necessary right now.

So this is it.

I wish you all the best. I will continue reading the many blogs of friends and family out there.
Keep in touch!

Cheers!

wordless wednesday

and so it begins...

31

Today Steve-o turns the big 31. I was thinking about this yesterday. 31 - seems so old. 30 was a huge number to hit, and now it's over. It's like you're officially an adult. We were talking the other day and with Matthias going into Beavers, we looked at each other and said, "we're officially parents." Like we weren't before? It takes being involved in something, parent meetings and fundraisers to be a parent?

Anyway, I'll go way off topic here.


Happy Birthday Cowboy! Hope you have a good sleep and a quiet nite!

Quotable Monday

"I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. " Walt Whitman

dreaming

Last night Steve was scheduled to get off at 5. He got home shortly after 11:30 pm. It was a long night.

And rarely a person to remember her dreams. Last night I dreamt I moved to Australia and married Gerard Butler. Hmmm...wonder if that means anything? ;o)

myths

The other day we were watching Mythbusters. And they were tackling some widely known myths about germs. You know that 5 second rule when food falls on the floor? Totally false. No matter where the food falls, and actually anything OVER 2 seconds (they timed them from 2-6 seconds) there were germs. So unless you want to eat it, don't tell you're kids it's "germ free".

And ever heard that a dogs tongue is cleaner than a humans? Totally true. Kind of makes you wonder. So next time a dog comes and kisses your kid and you freak...remember the dogs kisses are technically cleaner (more germ free) than your own!

And one of the other tests they ran was where germs are found most in a house. Believe it or not, the toilet seat, was one of the cleanest areas. Go figure.

Just a little something to think about.

a good walk will make you feel better

If only doctors could prescribe stuff like that.

It's been a little stressful around our house lately. Came to a little bit of a warzone this morning. So when "darling husband" took the girls out to Callah's swim lesson, I cleaned furiously hoping to burn off some steam. When that didn't work, the warm sunshine outside beckoned, so I grabbed Gus and off we went.

It was nice. It was warm. It was refreshing.

I returned feeling much better.

"Darling Husband" and I talked and all is now right with the world...at least for the time being. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

wordless wednesday

me and my Dad.

how to conceive a boy...

...according to the Chinese calendar, we're not off to a good start. If we conceive this month, chances are it'll be a girl. So what else can we do for fun...

Eat like a boy. Okay. A "boy producing" menu should be packed with plenty of salty foods, red meats, eggs, peas, raisins, zucchini, mushrooms, beans, sweet corn, bread, and fish. This diet also recommends you avoid acidic foods in quest of a more alkaline (less acidic) environment for the boy-bearing sperm to thrive.

What else?

a recent study suggests that maintaining higher levels of glucose—which means sustaining a high intake of food throughout the day—will increase your chances of having a little boy. Consume a wide range of nutrients such as pottasium, calcium and vitamins C, E, and B12.

Another popular school of thought says that certain sexual positions can improve your odds of having a boy. But I don't really feel like getting into this one. If you'd like to find out more go here.

if you're hoping for a boy you should try to abstain from sex for several days before ovulation and then have intercourse as close to ovulation as possible. This increases the likelihood that the boy sperm (the faster swimmers) will beat out the girl sperm to the egg, and not have to survive too long while waiting around for the egg to show up. ( I knew this one!)

if you're trying for a boy, ask your mate to wear boxers for a while. (done and done.)

Based on his research, Dr. Shettles says that you're more likely to conceive a boy if your man drinks a strong cup of caffeinated coffee just before intercourse. (Got this one covered too!)

Some people claim that if a woman takes a dose of cough syrup a couple of hours before intercourse, she's more likely to have a boy. Supporters of this theory say that the medicine works by thinning the cervical mucous (just as it thins respiratory mucous when you have a cough), making conditions more favorable for sperm, especially those fast Y swimmers. The key ingredient that makes this work is guaifenesin, so if you're going that route, look for a product that contains it. (I had no idea)

*taken from Babyzone

Ooooh I just found this site. Might be interesting! Any other pointers?

UPDATE: Okay skip that. It costs $40! What else can we find...

Are you serious???? Okay after charting how old I was when I conceived the first 3, only Keziah is "right". So I feel better. Now to practice. ;o)

it's a girl!

I think....

Introducing the newest member to our family a 2002 Cavalier. It has a sunroof - I'm totally excited to use it! It's standard so that'll take some getting used to again (I stalled it 2x getting gas yesterday!). But you can't argue with 41 mpg on the highway. So in a round-a-bout way...thank you province of Alberta for horribly failing our Landy and making us buy a newer vehicle.

Btw in case you were wondering...this is what Landy looks like.

electric boobs

Awhile back I saw this movie and it was pretty good. A sucker for a good chick flick I'd have to say it's definately see-able. But one of the things that stood out the most was when they were in the bar singing Bennie and the Jets by Elton John. We all have those songs that we love singing along too, even if we don't know the words, or we think we do, but we're so far off the actual meaning. Well Jane and Kevin are in this bar, belting their hearts out to Bennie and the Jets and Jane sings "she's got electric boobs and ...." and they all have a good laugh. (the words are actually "she's got electric boots and mohair shoes...") So the other day, this song comes on the radio and I'm singing away in my kitchen..."She's got electric boobs...!!"

sigh.

Good times, good times.

Wordless Wednesday

Quotable Monday

"If you would be loved, be loveable." -Ovid

feeling good ramblings

The last 4 days Steve, the kids and I have been on a "stay-at-home" holiday. The original plan was to go camping, but since Steve and I couldn't bear the thought of all the prep work, we decided to just stay home and do stuff every day that's different. I would take one meal "off" a day and we'd eat out (or in). And we'd just relax and enjoy each other before school starts.

So Monday was basically a write off, 'cos Steve sleeps most of the day. The kids and I watched movies and took Gus for a walk to the park.

Tuesday we went into Edmonton. Spent a hideous amount of time at Princess Auto (note to self...next time Steve goes by himself!), ate out for lunch, hit London Drugs, drove back home, got a babysitter, dropped the kids off and then Steve and I went back into Edmonton for a date night. We hit the much anticipated Fatburger (and wasn't disappointed!) and Death Race (note to self...Cineplex DOES NOT do cheap Tuesdays!).

Wednesday we painted our tree fort/swingset. Now that was ALOT of fun with 3 kids dying to help! The kids got to pick their colours (sorta). Matthias picked a baby blue and Callah a brick red. I picked a nice rich, chocolate brown for the dog house and toy box (and sadly my carpenter training is not visibly evident on either one). It was a very busy day.

And today Steve had court, so the kids and I ran some errands and then we went swimming. We'd never been to the pool here before, but were pleasantly surprised. There's a nice sized, separate toddler pool on one side and a good larger, main pool on the other with a slide and diving board. When we arrived there were very few people there, and 30 minutes later, they all left leaving just 2 other people and us in the whole swimming area! It was awesome! We finished off with slurpees, lasagna and donuts! What a great day!

And like I said I'm really glad we did this c'os already, looking ahead, school starts up Tuesday. Matthias has soccer Mon and Wed. Callah has dance Tuesdays and swimming Thursdays (in the morning...I LOVE that!!) and then we signed up for the library story time (have to check the date of that one). So it looks like it's going to be a busy fall.

On another note...
I went for a jog today and I did alot of thinking. As my feet were hitting the pavement and my head was throbbing with every heart beat I had the feeling that I was actually on a holiday. That I didn't actually live here. It was weird. I keep hearing it takes a good year to settle down and think of this place as home. So let's see...3 months down, 9 to go.

And then I thought of how in this line of work you move often and not always where you want to go. There's a move coming up that plans to beneficial for us and not really anybody else. So how do you be happy about it, when others are not? A woman from Red Deer would like to know if I'd like to start a Spouses support group. I'd love to be in one, but do I have what it takes to start one up?

So all in all, in case you were wondering how I'm doing. I'm doing much better, which may go to ask if I was really depressed in the first place or just on a bad day run? Whatever it was, I'm thinking (and praying) it's over. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Sincerely hope you're having a good week and we'll chat again soon.

Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm stealing this from him. Thanks. Enjoyed our little visit!

Quotable Monday

Some of you may have read this one lately...

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, the wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. " John Ruskin

a slight kick...