the oscars

so last night i watched part of the oscars. ryan and i got rid of our cable, so i went to a neighbors house. but even though it was pretty fun to watch (Will Ferrell singing, Ellen hosting, Alan Arkin winning for Best Supporting Actor, An Inconvenient Truth winning for documentary) it's pretty long and not that fun to listen to people give crazy-boring speeches. plus, no offense, but i really don't care about the guy who won for sound editing and can't come up with anything to say other than "um, and, um, and so-and-so" for 45 seconds or whatever. plus, the people i was with are actually responsible and had to get up this morning for work. of course, i also have to get up for work but i'm not that responsible. i'll stay up late watching sub-par entertainment if it means being in your pajamas with friends, and eating ice cream.

so alas, i did not see the end of the show since i left with everyone else early. so i missed best director and best film. but i checked this morning as to who won, and it was The Departed in both categories, and i haven't seen the film. in fact, i was rooting for Little Miss Sunshine since i just saw it and loved it. Alan Arkin is in it, who i love and is in 2 other favorite movies of mine: The In-Laws, and Wait Until Dark. And there's Abigail Breslin, the young girl, from such fame as Signs, and also Toni Collette, who is pretty great in everything. the whole cast is well chosen: Steve Carrell, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano. the songs are good too, by a band call DeVotchKa, whose name means "little girl" in Russian (as informed by r).

you should go here and click on the "behind the scenes" to see a much shorter version of the awards with highlights and speeches. good times.

I heart documentaries

the most recent documentary that i have seen was one i just finished watching about 20 minutes ago. it's called "Unknown White Male" and was released in 2006, i think. what's interesting about it is simply the premise at first. a man wakes up at age 35 on the subway to Coney Island, with no memory of who he is, just a British accent and a backpack. the documentary includes video taken from a few days afterward, and then picks up when, 8-9 months later, and old friend of his asks to make the film. and now there is the film. well, at the end of the film he still hasn't gained his memory back, and after looking it up on the internet it looks like it's still the case. but here's where it gets more interesting, i think. i was looking the film up on wikipedia and found that there is some question as to the film's, and the subject's, authenticity.

i would recommend seeing the film yourself before reading this article about it, since it might make you view the film with a certain bias. but if you do check out the film first, read the article and see what you think after. i'm all abuzz thinking about it.
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another documentary i've seen lately, and subsequently feel quite strongly about is An Inconvenient Truth. if you haven't heard of it (highly unlikely, regardless of how you might feel about the issue) it addresses the problem of global warming and what is to be done about it. i personally adored the film. this is mostly because i knew it was important to see, but then we rented it, and i really didn't want to see it, but then it won me over. before, i felt like it was too much information to be responsible for, and couldn't bring myself to feel up to it for over a week. R was much braver and insisted one night that we finally see it.

i was reassured about halfway through when i realized that i didn't feel bombarded with scare tactics by Al Gore and the filmmakers. it was much more even-handed than i had feared. i realize that Al Gore himself is obviously outspoken about the fact that something must be done. but he's realistic, in my opinion, about what that may be for each person. at the end of the film several suggestions are given, many of which i think are VERY doable. for example: buying energy-efficient household appliances, when available. R and I will be purchasing a washer and dryer in the next 5 years, i'm sure. so we'll probably be on the lookout for an energy-efficient one. plus, there are even simpler things to do, like replacing normal light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs (cfl). i don't personally own a corporation that is contributing X number of tons of CO2 per annum, so i am content with switching out my light bulbs for now and feeling pretty darn helpful. between that and encouraging everyone i can to see the movie/visit the website, anyways.

so don't be afraid. the film ends with hope, and faith that we can fix the problem we've created. get informed and accept my documentary recommendation :) please visit www.climatecrisis.net where a lot more information is, too. go on. click on the link. it's painless!
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other documentaries that i've enjoyed (in varying degrees), and cannot be held responsible for their differences in accuracy (which in each film's case is usually disputed):

• The Smartest Guys in the Room (about Enron)
• Super-Size Me (lots of controversy, but fun to watch)
• 7 Up, 7 plus 7, 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, 42 Up, 49 Up; also called The Up Series (series of films starting with a group of 7-year-olds (in England from different backgrounds) and checking on their lives at intervals of 7 years)
• Baraka (visually beautiful! art film about various cultures from all over the world)
• Lost Boys of Sudan (i couldn't get into it much, it was okay)
  
• Hands on a Hard Body (it sounds like a porno, but it's really about a small town car dealership that has a contest to win a new truck by keeping your hand on the truck the longest--my favorite moment is when one guy admits to eating nothing the whole time, "except maybe a Snicker")
• Spellbound (about the national spelling bee in DC)
• Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (sooo interesting, but not the most well made)

two that i would like to see:

• Fast Food Nation--not really a documentary, but...(I read the book and enjoyed it immensely; it's by Eric Schlosser)
• Wordplay (about Will Shortz, maker of the New York Times corssword puzzles)
  

iPod-Elliptical-Workout Trifecta

Just in case anyone wondered what my playlist was while I work out here at my apartment complex's elliptical machine, (and thought, hmm I wish I had some songs that were the right tempo for working out on the elliptical) then today's your lucky day. I was visiting a friend's blog and she had posted her list of songs for just such an occasion. It's nice to know that other folks also prefer working out to a beat that coincides with the workout. It's much more synergistic, and dance-nerdy. Enjoy! (the album names are in parentheses):

"This is Such a Pity" by Weezer (Make Believe)
"Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab for Cutie (Plans)
"The First Single" by The Format (The Format)
"Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai (Synkronized)
"Where Do I Go From Here" by Jamiroquai (Synkronized)
"Now or Never" by Zebrahead (Playmate of the Year)
"Sexx Laws" by Beck (Midnight Vultures)
"Stockholm Syndrome" by Muse (Absolution)
"Love Foolosophy" by Jamiroquai (A Funk Odyssey)
"Life During Wartime" by The Talking Heads (Stop Making Sense)
"Why Bother" by Weezer (Pinkerton)
"Mixed Bizness" by Beck (Midnight Vultures)
"Pressure Zone" by Beck (Midnight Vultures)
"You Might Think" by The Cars (Greatest Hits)
"Shake it Up" by The Cars (Greatest Hits)
"Got to Get You Into My Life" by Earth, Wind, and Fire
"Electric Mistress" by Jamiroquai (Dynamite)
"Don't Let Go" by Weezer (The Green Album)
also probably some Crystal Method, if I could find my CD...

(faster-paced songs for the occasional interval of crazy-fast ellipticalling:)
"Feel Good, Inc." by Gorillaz (Demon Days)
"Staring at the Sun" by The Offspring (Americana)
"I Am" by Zebrahead (Playmate of the Year)--a few profanities, beware
"Mr. Brightside" by The Killers (Hot Fuss)
"Cars & Calories" by Saves the Day (Stay What You Are)
"Girl" by Beck (Guero)
"Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms (New Miserable Experience)
"Stickshifts and Safteybelts" by Cake (Fashion Nugget)
"Don't Let's Talk About Lisa" by Lonestar (Lonely Grill)
"Everything is Alright" by Motion City Soundtrack (Commit this to Memory)--few profanities
"When 'You're' Around" by Motion City Soundtrack (Commit this to Memory)--more profanities
"Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" by The Offspring (Americana)
"Idioteque" by Radiohead (Kid A)

*Disclaimer: I do the elliptical at an arbitrary pace of 6.0-6.5 as set by the machine's manufacturers. Also, I usually have the resistance up to the equally arbitrary number of "10". I'm not sure what these numbers mean to anyone else, but I DO know that the pace of these songs works for me, and said numbers. Hopefully they will for you too, even if you might have to tweak them. And hopefully you won't find yourself reading the list above and thinking that I am a huge weenie and don't challenge myself.

So there you go. My playlist. It tells a lot about a person. But keep in mind that there are several artists that I listen to regularly in normal, non-working-out life that aren't adequately listed here because of their lack correct speed and intensity. I need always loud, sometimes angry music to work out to. There are probably many other good choices. I would appreciate any suggestions by those who want to contribute their musical preferences. You will be improving my workout enjoyment and ability to be distracted for 45-50 minutes. Thank you.

love/hate

i love this funny shirt that my friend Melissa found. Which is ironic...that i love it. Hmmm.
i love my little Chubber. Especially when he falls down and needs his mommy and lays his head on my shoulder. :( This happened twice today.
i love my R. He's all studious and cute, and plays volleyball and can jump really high. And we like the same shows and watch them at night while eating dinner. And we love to talk to each other and vent. It's great. Sigh!
i love that G and B is paying for our moving expenses so we don't have to. And we don't have to drive our car out, since that's also covered. Booyah!

i hate looking for a mover. I just want to pick one and have it be over!
i hate looking for housing sight unseen. I, again, just want to pick one and have it be over.
i hate the lotion i'm trying to get rid of. it's waaaay too strong. it's much better for just hands, but as i've mentioned in a previous post, i'm trying to rid myself of the excess bottles.
i hate the cable company. they're supposed to be here yesterday, but they aren't even here today. whatever.

i love/hate Arc of Justice. it's still quite good, and very interesting, but the topic is sometimes hard to face. the degree of racism, even still lingering about today, is staggering. i would still recommend it though. important stuff.

zero

I just checked the weather on my Google account, and it says that it's 0 degrees Fahrenheit. this is without wind chill factors of any kind. and it's windy, let me tell you. so it probably feels like negative 50 or something out there right now. plus, the way the snow looks outside after being blown around is akin to how desert sand looks, all bleak and horrible. only here we're frozen, not dehydrated and sun stroked. and our windows suck. you can feel a frigid "breeze" while standing within feet of any window. they sound terrible too, like you're in the attic of a rickety country house during a tornado. it's kind of exciting actually. although annoyingly cold.

and poor little M just wants to go play in the snow, but his tiny face keeps getting chapped and bright red after only 10 minutes. so that makes him cry, but then so does bringing him back inside which he doesn't want to do. it's a hard knock life for that chubber.

solution: take your tiny man to the mall, before any of the stores open even, and then let him run down the shiny floors to his heart's content. we're not cold, we're not cooped up at home, we take excellent naps from being properly exercised and fed a warm lunch. this is indeed how the day has gone so far. the Boy is still napping peacefully in several layers of clothing, most of which are fleece. and i am trying to get up the courage to go and change into church clothes instead of staying wrapped up in this blanket on my bed, blogging.

Bones

I'm into a new show. A show by the name of "Bones", which airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8pm. Some reasons to watch:

1. David Boreanaz. He's funny, he's been on Buffy and Angel, and I love (I challenge you to make fun, I'm being serious) those 2 shows. In fact, I would love to get someone else hooked on them, via renting from Netflix or checking them out from the library. The library was how I discovered Buffy, and I'm not sorry.

2. Emily Deschanel. I think her character is interesting and funny. She's a big word using smarty-pants with lots of funny interactions with people more hip than she is. It's quite entertaining. Plus, she's based off a real person, which is kind of neat.

3. The opening title is written by The Crystal Method (love the Crystal Method, especially while rocking out in the car--without Miles, don't worry), and isn't nearly as stupid sounding as most TV show's themes.
4. The mystery. It's a crime show, and true to American television demographics I fit right in and like shows like Law and Order, CSI, and now, Bones.
5. Because you have nothing to do on Wednesdays.
6. Because you have the same taste as I do, don't mind admitting to liking these types of shows, and will do as I say.

p.s. I'm watching disc 5 of season one this very minute!
p.p.s. other shows I have fallen in love with this past year TBA

stream of consciousness

i went to the temple for the first time in almost a year (for shame!) last night and it was really fun. the detroit temple is neat because it's just a little one, but it still has that bright temple look to it, especially with all the snow around it. we have had snow falling out of the sky every day for about 7 days, and while it's never been much all at once, the days have added up to making for some nice scenery around here. without snow, Michigan is a little drab with all the grey clouds.

speaking of clouds, M took a plane ride with us over the break and discovered an interest in clouds from flying through them for 4 hours. he also developed an interest in planes, but not directly from the plane ride itself. it was mostly because the grandparents we were visiting live under a flight path and there was a plane overhead every 15 minutes. in fact, he was pretty confused when we got on the plane to come home and showed it to him, since it wasn't up in the sky and making a lot of noise. we'll have to work on that connection.

speaking of noise, we have some new upstairs neighbors who vacuum every night around 7:30. they're very nice, and the little boy is the funniest one of all. the first time i met him he invited me over and tried to throw a snowball at me. it was pretty great :)

speaking of great, Arc of Justice is going well and is almost halfway read. this is important because i must finish soon. the Book Club chose a book a few days ago, and i'm not in the mood to read 2 books at the same time. sometimes i AM in that place where i can split my concentration, but not this time. it might have something to do with the book we chose: One Hundred Years of Solitude, which for some reason seems a daunting read. but it's not even that big. i've read bigger books without much problem, but this one just seems like i might need a lot of effort to read it. of course i haven't even read a single page, so it's pure conjecture on my part. it might be the readinest book ever, and here i am slandering it. if it turns out that way, i'll make a public apology to it and take it back.

this next topic has little to do with the last paragraph, and more to do with the fact that R just walked in and asked how the "R is the greatest guy in the World" blog entry was going. so now i'm about to write a few things about him to get him off my back about it. he mentions this every time i'm on the computer, blogging or not. R is the greatest. R is the best. R is fun to talk to, even when he doesn't want to talk because it's past midnight :) (that would be my fault, gift of gab that i have). but seriously, R IS the greatest guy in the whole world, and you heard it here. from a very impartial judge.

speaking of judging, there's a funny bit on Arrested Development where they get the actor named Judge Reinholt to come on the show and be one of those TV judges on in the afternoon. also, Judge Reinhold is the same guy that played the Close-Talker on Seinfeld and takes Jerry's parents out on the town. funny guy.

speaking of funny guys, my child is one of the funniest ones in my life. he was so excited this morning to see his daddy was home that after breakfast he just ran back and forth in the main room shrieking and laughing. he also laughed pretty hard yesterday while stomping in the snow drifts that have accumulated this past week. AND(!), we find ourselves full circle to the original topic up top. good job me :) snow.

I'm an aunt!

My sister T had her baby V last week, and he's beautiful! He weighed close to 9 pounds and was 21 inches long. It sounds like the doctor was right to induce T so early, or he might've gotten stuck or something. Plus, V was born on R's birthday, with only 2 1/2 hours to spare (before being born on a less cool day). So now R feels a kinship with his new nephew and has sent a copy of the Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue" to try and influence his birthday-sharer's interests :)

It's a nice thing, to have nieces and nephews on both sides of the family now. I was the only one out of my siblings with a kiddo until last week, so now I'm Aunt K on both sides, and it's nice! It's made a little neater (sorry R's family's kids) by the fact that we have genes in common, you know? It's my sister's baby, crazy! Plus M might play with the little guy at future Christmases or what have you. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!
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Also, my little sister M is turning 19 today. I'd like to give a shout out to her, and how great I think she is: We have a lot in common and love to talk about anything and everything. She will vent to me, and let me vent to her. She's extremely understanding and really listens when you talk to her. She used to have long long hair, but from what I've heard, has cut it off in a fetching new do. She is attending hair school in Utah and is enjoying it so much that she's actually excited to have a job in her field (a good thing to feel). She's got freckles, and because of them reminds me of strawberries. She's got good taste in music, and likes to go to live shows. The voice mail message on her cell phone says "You've reached M. Congratulations." and makes me laugh every time. She's beautiful, and has repeatedly amazed me with her determination and ability to make her goals come to fruition. She's worked hard to get where she is and knows her worth and is proud, but is still grateful for what she's been given. She has dreams and aspirations that are all about being artistic and wholesome and creative, and is admirable for it. She's basically wonderful. Happy Birthday Mimcay! You're the greatest and I love you :)

updates

1. I have made it 4 out of 10 pounds for my goal of March 1st. good job me! I'm also very sore right now, thanks to my tyrant of a kickboxing teacher. So many kicks, so much leg-burning.

2. I have read more pages in Arc of Justice, and it's pretty much sucked me right in. It's about Clarence Darrow and the case he took involving Ossian Sweet. It's a saga of race, civil rights, etc. (To quote Simpsons: Lisa: You're like a modern-day Clarence Darrow. Attorney-at-law Lionel Hutz: Is that the black guy from the Mod Squad?)

3. M is securely into his new tantrum-throwing phase. It's (seriously) a good thing that I've been referencing a book called Positive Discipline for the First Three Years, or I might be more frustrated. Instead, I feel empowered by my ability to not lose my cool and try to help the poor little emotional guy.

4. I like my new CD by Jamiroquai. I believe it's called Dynamite, and for good reason. It's good dancin-in-da-car music. It's also good distract-your-toddler-with-dancing music. Plus, hello, it's Jamiroquai. You can pretty much get any CD by them and enjoy the groove that will ensue. Please, if you have the means, I highly suggest you pick one up. It is so choice.

5. Lastly, I'd like to admit that I have way too many bottles of lotion, and have decided to lotion up at least once a day, probably after showering, in an effort to rid myself of all these lotions. Most are half empty, or forgotten in the cupboard. But I don't want to be embarassed by the movers in May when I need an entire box labeled "Lotion". That's just silly. So, a-lotioning I shall go.

two books

i would like to recommend a book called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, even with it's accompanying profanity. it was quite funny, and yet also poignant and even heartbreaking. i read it with my book group. so far i only know that i've read it and my pal Kristen who lives next door (and just gave us free internet access to their wireless connection) has read it. i don't know if the other two gals have gotten around to it yet. that's the problem with book groups, trying to get on the same timeline. on the one hand, i'm glad to be in a book group: you read with a little more purpose, have people to discuss the book with, i tend to pay attention more to details and trying to remember them. on the other hand, what if the other members are offended by the profanity, what if they don't finish it for a long time and it's a little awkward. it's a gamble, those book clubs.

i'm also going to prerecommend a book called Arc of Justice, on R's recommendation. I have read 5 pages. i'll report more later.

i'm going to also shockingly mention another book, even though it means that i will flagrantly disregard my own title to this post. it's called The Stranger and will take about one afternoon to read. it's translated from the French, and is also the impetus behind a The Cure song which I have been singing in my head ever since I finished said book. again, happy reading.

What I did for Christmas break

Ahem,

Here is a rundown of what our Christmas was all about:

First we stayed home in Michigan prior to, and up to 3 days after, Christmas Day. M brought home a flu-like virus (I know it's not the flu, since we have had our flu shots. Plus, the doctor said so.), gave it to me, and I gave it to R. It wasn't actually that bad, except M couldn't shake it for a few days, and R's sickness coordinated with late Christmas Eve/Christmas Day which was sad :( But Christmas was good. M got an Elmo. I got a Sonicare toothbrush. R got Seinfeld Season 7.

We got over the sickness. We got excited about going to R's brother's wedding. We flew to AZ the day before and stayed with our favorite relatives: N and K and O (R's brother, and subsequent wife and child). We went to the wonderful sealing and were pretty misty-eyed. We took pictures, and it was cold, but the babies were CUTE! Any miniature versions of Sunday clothes are to die for!

We spent our week in AZ playing outside, running outside, looking for summer housing, seeing family, eating a lot of good red meat at R's parents house and at In-N-Out Burger, and getting more Christmas presents from R's fam. We got Little People dinosaurs and a mini keyboard for M. There were some ill-fitting shirts. There were some interesting book choices. (Anyone who knows R well will appreciate the mismatchedness of this gift: R got a book by Mitch Albom that wasn't "Tuesdays with Morrie". Heehee!) I got a cool salad dressing thingy from The Pampered Chef. We also had fun cooking together at N and K's house. We made fish tacos*! We made creme brulee! We made fondue!

(*Now I must rave about fish tacos: First you catch (or buy) some yummy Albacore tuna or Mahi Mahi, you marinade it in fresh lemon, soy sauce, and brown sugar. You grill it to perfection and set it aside. You warm or lightly fry up some corn tortillas in some oil. You cut up mango into chunks. You shred some lettuce. You grate some cheese (preferably some organic white cheddar, yum!). You make the Pico de Gallo: 2 cups finely diced tomato, 1 cup finely diced onion, chopped fresh cilantro (one big bunch), olive oil (about 1-5 tablespoons-ish), hot sauce (preferably Cholula, also yum!). Now you build your fish taco. Tortilla, fish, cheese, pico, lettuce, mango. Enjoy!!)

Okay, so we've now been back from vacation a couple of days. We are rested and happy and even ready for the last semester at Michigan. We are excited about moving, graduating, M's upcoming 2nd birthday, new jobs, possibly a new pregnancy (later in the year, i'm NOT pregnant now). I think 2007 will be a good year. I will turn 27, wow! I will have my 5th wedding anniversary, double wow! I feel good about it :)

If I had money

I would buy a better apartment after we move this summer. We are currently looking and can barely afford the necessary 2 bedrooms available.

I would buy my Lancome face cream.

I would enroll M in Gymboree for the next 4 months. He's QUITE the active child, and when you mix it with a small apartment and snow outside it makes for a sometimes-restless K, and an always-restless M.

I wouldn't freak out about the repairs we just finished on our freaking car. Stupid brakes.

I wouldn't apply for food stamps for the 2 months prior to R's new job and after we move from Michigan where we currently have food stamps without any application process (yuck!)

So basically I would skip the next 8 months and jump to the new job beginning in September. I know that we'll be more than fine after that date. But these next few months until then are looking anything but breezy. I will refer to it as the storm before the calm, if you will. I will also acknowledge that there are plenty of ways that it could be much worse than this. I will even admit that I'm being a baby. But it's my blog! I can be self-absorbed for now and then make amends later. Right? Okay then. I'm being a baby. I'm depressed about the lack of fun trips, the lack of freedom to buy the occasional clothing item. To quote Arrested Development, I just have to put my head down, power through...

merry freaking christmas

r and I both didn't think very hard about our family outing today, until we arrived. we thought we would go to the mall. we thought it would be fun. we thought it would be a good idea. we thought wrong. we forgot about the DATE, and that a lot of people are big jerks while under stress, time constraints, and in obnoxious traffic. it was...interesting, although not quite as bad as you may be imagining after my dramatic first sentences.

in general, M likes to get out and enjoy the play area at the mall, plus it's quite close to our house. and once we got inside, it really wasn't too bad. the worst part was actually while dining out at Arby's and hearing at least two sets of families having frustrated arguments about children eating quicker, hurry hurry hurry, etc. i'm glad that M casually enjoyed his fries and ketchup/catsup while mostly ignoring said embarrassing family fights.

it probably helped that R and I were already finished with all our shopping. this was due partly to amazon.com (i love you!!) and partly to a limited budget, which is a good motivator to pass things up and "just look". it ended up being a pretty good outing, in spite of our shock at the fulness of parking lot upon arrival. i looked for a pair of shoes for R's brother's wedding next week, and had minimal luck. there were no good white shoes to be found save one, only a few silver, and lots of red but not at the right price. $69? ouch! but they're so cute...

on our way out of the mall driving circle, we encountered, clearly, our most angry fellow shopper. granted, we were confused about which lane to be in but still, peace on earth, right. no. we got an eyeful of angry gestures, windows rolling down and then up, and some muffled yelling. the only we didn't get was the finger, so i'm thankful for that.

so for the next few days, beware. and merry freaking christmas :) love, k

good reads

i'm a big slacker, not writing in my trusty blog for a few weeks now. however, i'm making amends by writing a little something while M sleeps his way through church. i'm probably the least supportive wifey ever, since R is there right now giving a talk and i'm here at home in my pj's! but The Boy must have his rest, and he didn't want to have that rest until 2 hours later than usual. hence, no church.

so i'm reading this book about the Kennedy White House, and it's proved interesting. i was never much of a rememberer of facts, so anything i may have actually learned in the California school system while growing up is fairly fuzzy at best. not to mention that i've never been much of a studious student. and it's been one of my latest goals to remedy my lack of knowledge in all things political. to be honest, i think my interest in this started with the most recent presidential election. it was the first time i actually remember caring about the outcome of an election. and ever since then i've wanted to be more well versed in politics.

now, to fill in the holes of my past learning, i am seeking out texts about interesting political figures, past and present. the first book i've read on my new kick is this one, and i think it was a good place ot start. easy to read, yet pertinent to what i'm trying to achieve. next on the list: Johnson, and then Nixon, i think. i may as well go in order from where i've started :)

Booyah!

So I got a little something in the mail yesterday: a Sony Handycam. I have wanted one every since I took a Dance and Technology class a couple of years ago while in school. We made dance films and learned about using Photoshop and iMovie and I LOVED it. So now I have this new, very similar camera to the one I used then, and I can...make dance films? Okay so I can't really make any dance films, per se, but I can make other types of films that are less avant garde. Like "M Uses a Spoon", or "Hey Look, It's Snowing". But still, I have my video camera!!! So in case anyone needs me, I'll be reading the manual like a huge nerd. Also, I'd like to give a shout out to my parents-in-law who financed this new toy, and also had the good sense not to hold onto it until Christmas, but sent it now to ensure that lots of movies of their grandson would start streaming in :)

Also, a link for M's Wish List

Not that M needs as much help as I do, but here's a list for him anyways :)

Christmas wants, demystified

So, maybe I have become too practical for my own good. But the way I see it is that I just want what I want, simple as that. I have made an amazon.com Wish List, which I am encouraging any and all people who have drawn my name for Christmas exchanges to use to their benefit. Even those who have not been compelled to buy something by a list i.e. husbands, parents, etc.: here is a link (literally) to my little mind and it's desires for presents. Please do not think I'm being unromantic, or that you are uncreative by using this list. I MADE IT BECAUSE IT'S FULL OF THINGS I WANT!!!

Okay then:

Halloween!

VIRTUAL AND ACTUAL PUMPKIN CARVING
My good friend Jordan, in California, emailed me this and I think y'all should try it :) We are carving our own pumpkins this weekend with The Boy. I think he's really going to dig the whole put-your-hands-inside-a-pumpkin-and-squish-the-innards thing. He does it to green beans every day, so why not a big ol' pumpkin?

TOUR OF HALLOWEEN
Later this afternoon M and I will begin our Tour of Halloween. He is dressing up as a lion (which he will also wear trick-or-treating later in the Tour) and is trekking to the Briarwood Mall here in Ann Arbor with me to hit up a bunch of local stores for candy. Also it's an excuse for me to turn Halloween into a Halloweekend, instead of a day :) then tomorrow, after Stake Conference in the morning, and after the nap, we're going to Wiard's cider mill to pick apples and go to the petting zoo, etc. On Monday I don't think there's anything going on, but on Tuesday (!) we will go trick-o-treating, again, in the very cute lion costume (hooray for Target!) on the actual Halloween. Also, I have purchased a witch hat and broom and am planning on wearing my black-and-orange striped toe socks while doing said activites with my tiny man dressed as a lion. I'm hoping I can convince him roar a lot in the next few days.

HALLOWEEN VIEWING
I have requested a copy of the film "The Witches" from the Ann Arbor library, and it should be here by tomorrow so that R and I can watch it. I think it's still too scary for M, although based off the children's book of the same name by Roald Dahl. Also, I have tried to get a copy of "Wait Until Dark" with Audrey Hepburn, another good scary/Halloweenish movie. And if I had not already seen it a few times, I would be getting my hands on a copy of "The Ring", which is the best scary movie I think I've seen. So if you're reading this, go rent The Ring and scare yourself silly. You'll thank yourself.

Cedar Point

So who would've thought that in Sandusky, Ohio, only 2 hours from where we live, there is an amusement park that has some of the fastest and tallest (and funnest!) rides in the world?? go figure. now the question has morphed into: Why didn't we know this sooner? Say, the previous 2 years we have lived only 2 hours away? Say, before I was pregnant and/or had a child who pretty much can only eat food and ride the merry-go-round at these parks? oh well :)

no, actually, even though it would've been more fruitful without a child in tow, we had a pretty great time this last weekend. R and I drove down with M (during naptime=bad idea) and met R's cousins there. B flew from UT to Washington DC to meet C, and then they drove to Sandusky. And S and J drove up from Nashville. Then we all rode the roller coasters, ate fast food, and then had to turn around and go back to our respective places. It was short but sweet :)

I mostly talked to C, who waited with me out of line with M for two and half hours while the rest of them waited for the Millenium Force. After they exited, C and I used the handy parent pass and went to front of the line to wait a few mintues for the FRONT of the ride. we're talkin' very front. as in pee you pants scared front. please note that i'm not a pansy. this ride goes faster than any other roller coaster I've been on in my life, kid you not. it's currently the 3rd highest coaster in the world, and probably one of the fastest. this is further scaryified by the fact that all that holds you in is a secure, but mere safety belt and lap bar. and you go up the first big "up" and it seems to never end! in other words, i highly recommend it!

Also, M went through his first "haunted" house at the park. there were squiggly mirrors and squishy floors and blow up pumpkins and spiders. he didn't cry once! well, except when it was over and he tried to run back in. he also saw a line of monsters dancing the Electric Slide, which besides being awesome to behold in the first place, was impressive because he reached out and touched the werewolf without too much trouble. this wasn't too surprising to me, but every one else was very impressed with his bravery. (i wasn't surprised because we've already ventured to the Halloween store before, and he was picking up big plastic, hairy spiders that gave ME the willies.)

hooray for Cedar Point! pictures to follow soon :)

Freaking out

well, last week i had a bit of a scare with The Boy. i figure i was lucky that R and I had been sick prior to this scary day, so that I at least had some frame of reference when the scariness began. M woke up Thursday morning pretty normally, although he'd been coughing and it sounded bad enough to take him into the doctor just to make sure. so i called and set up an appointment for after his nap at about 2pm. so before the nap I gave him some Tylenol to keep his mild fever down (it was about 100.3) when he woke up i took his temperature again and it was still around 100.

by the time we drove to the doctor and were seen it was about 20 minutes or so. when they took his temperature it was 105.3 and i just about died. the nurse even said something like "whoa, 105.3", which doesn't really help, you know? so (fortunately) i brought some tylenol and gave him more at that point, since he was due for another dose anyways. it turns out that the first dose i gave him was about half the size it was supposed to be. so all you Tylenol-dispensing mothers out there, please note what your child's weight is and make sure you constantly know how much medicine to give. otherwise your child may scare you to death and then proceed to cry uncontrollably in the doctor's office because of their misery :(

but don't worry, it all ended up just fine. the Tylenol kicked in and he cooled off. and then we went to the pharmacy and got Motrin and more Tylenol to get us through the remainder of the sickness. the only other part was that he had to go the hospital to get a chest x-ray (just in case), which he didn't like very much. but here we are, a few days later, taking nice long naps, eating lots of food, and playing outside with rocks again. not to mention, i've become a more seasoned mother and no longer fear (as much) The High Fever. thank goodness! the end.