As per the usual the fall tends to offer less opportunities to read. Even so I did finish five books so here's what I thought of them:
1. My Left Foot - Christy Brown: This is one of the 501 Must Read books as well as our book club selection. I'm so glad I finally got to read this book. I remember when the movie came out and I thought it sounded interesting but I never got a chance to see it. The book is the story of Christy Brown, an Irish boy who was born with cerebral palsy. He recounts the courage and determination of his mother as she f0ught to keep him in her care and show the world that he was of value. His remarkable life really started when he realised he could paint with his left foot. From there he began to explore writing. The book follows his life from birth until around age 20ish. It's very interesting, and encouraging. I'd certainly recommend it!
2. Bobcat and Other Stories - Rebecca Lee: This is bad. I only read this book less than a month ago and I don't have much recollection of it. I do remember that it's a collection of short stories that are not at all related. There does seem to be a theme of infidelity and there's teachers involved in many of the stories. I remember they were all fairly depressing stories. Well, there's not much more I can say when they didn't leave enough of an impression to discuss in detail.
3. Gold - Chris Cleave: Well timed Chris, well timed. With the Olympics having just wrapped up I was certainly in the mood for this book. This story follows 3 main characters and a child over the span of about 20 years. The adults are all Olympic cyclists and it covers their journey through training and setbacks over the years. The characters are enjoyable and the story is interesting, though at times a little predictable. Though cycling is a major focus of the book it's really the story of the friends/lovers that make the book. Pick it up if you liked his other best seller Little Bee.
4. Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling: This book is a far departure from her Harry Potter series. Certainly it's an adult themed book with much swearing, drugs, sex, etc. The premise is that after the sudden passing of a town official there becomes an opening on the Parish Council. It follows the fallout of his passing and the fight for his spot on the Council. Really that aspect is quite small as compared to all the side story lines of the multitude of characters. It's a bit of a hodge-podge but still enjoyable.
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky: I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Many people like to use the term 'coming-of-age' when they read books like this and I can see why. Where the Breakfast Club was popular for this in the 80's, this book would have similar themes for kids of the 90's. The main character narrates this story through a series of letters to an anonymous person. He relates the span of about 1 year of his high school life. Pick it up.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
August and September Book Reviews
August was a good reading month! I got through more books than I thought I would which will make up for my slow reading in September.
1. The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett: I saw the mini-series and figured it was worth a read. It was likely a bit easier to read since I already knew the characters and the premise of the story. It starts out by following Tom the Builder and his quest to care for his family while trying to fulfill his dream of building a cathedral all in the middle of a British war for the throne. The story has many twists, turns, is full of backstabbing and many sub plots unfold. It is well written and the characters are certainly likable or detested depending on the author's purpose for them. I'd definitely suggest it.
2. The Power of Six - Pittacus Lore: This is the 2nd book in the Legacy Series. If you've seen the movie you know the general premise of the series. It's about an alien race that came to Earth to escape another alien race trying to annihilate them. This part of the series gives the back story of another one of the 9 Loriens left to protect Earth. If you enjoyed the first book you'll certainly enjoy this one. It's a good form of escapism!
3. A series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1, The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket: Ever since I saw the movie a few years back I was excited about reading the entire series. If you haven't seen the movie you really should.This book is the beginning of the story of the Baudelaire orphans and their unfortunate placement with their nearest relative who wants their fortune. I think the writing is brilliant and the characters are rich and unique. I'm hoping to read these again with my kids when they're a little older.
4. Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K Jerome: This is one of our 501 Must Read Books. I found it to be more of a collection of funny quips and short stories that make up the bigger picture of the story. It was amusing but I must admit that some of the language/sayings escaped me so I feel I missed some of the humour. It's probably not a story that most would pick up to read but it was cute.
5. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce: I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a man who finds out that a woman he knew in his past is dying of cancer. He believes if he walks to her (hundreds of km away) that she will live longer, at least until he gets there. His journey brings him in contact with many characters that teach him things about himself while looking back at his past. It's well written and sweet.
6. The Lost Files, I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore: Another book in the series follows the story lines of other survivors. I won't say much about it as once again you won't have any interest unless you've read the rest of the series but it's still a great escapism series.
7. Kim - Rudyard Kipling: This is one of our 501 Must Read Books. It's the story of an Irish boy orphaned in India. He survives by begging and running errands but his life gets turned upside down when he decides to throw his lot in with a Tibetan Lama. From there he gets mixed up in with trading secrets with spies, and gets sent to a boarding school and eventually gets back with his Lama to finish their quest. I thought at times the story was a bit confusing but loved the little quips.
8. The Rise of Nine, I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore: the next in the series. Also still good!
9. Falling Backwards - Jann Arden: I found this memoirs to be filled with funny stories about her childhood mixed in with sad ones as well. I felt I learned so much about her childhood and career before she succeeded as an artist. Worth the read!
September
1. Madame Tussaud - Michelle Moran: I've read a number of books by Michelle Moran before so figured I would give it a try. I found the general story to be interesting and was surprised at a number of things. Enjoyable and entertaining.
2. i, Robot - Isaac Asimov: I was genuinely surprised at this one as it's nothing like the movie, and I mean nothing! This book is based on recollections of a robot psychiatrist. She recants stories she's heard or seen in her days of work before she retires. It's interesting and full of great imagination.
3. The Story of Beautiful Girl - Rachel Simon: Interesting book and a fairly easy read. The main part of the story is about a women who was institutionalized in the 60's and the abuse she suffered there. She escapes long enough to give birth to a little girl and the story follows the main characters over the next 40 years. Enjoyable.
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket: The second in the series and just as fun as the first. Full of great imagery and interesting characters. Great series!
1. The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett: I saw the mini-series and figured it was worth a read. It was likely a bit easier to read since I already knew the characters and the premise of the story. It starts out by following Tom the Builder and his quest to care for his family while trying to fulfill his dream of building a cathedral all in the middle of a British war for the throne. The story has many twists, turns, is full of backstabbing and many sub plots unfold. It is well written and the characters are certainly likable or detested depending on the author's purpose for them. I'd definitely suggest it.
2. The Power of Six - Pittacus Lore: This is the 2nd book in the Legacy Series. If you've seen the movie you know the general premise of the series. It's about an alien race that came to Earth to escape another alien race trying to annihilate them. This part of the series gives the back story of another one of the 9 Loriens left to protect Earth. If you enjoyed the first book you'll certainly enjoy this one. It's a good form of escapism!
3. A series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1, The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket: Ever since I saw the movie a few years back I was excited about reading the entire series. If you haven't seen the movie you really should.This book is the beginning of the story of the Baudelaire orphans and their unfortunate placement with their nearest relative who wants their fortune. I think the writing is brilliant and the characters are rich and unique. I'm hoping to read these again with my kids when they're a little older.
4. Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K Jerome: This is one of our 501 Must Read Books. I found it to be more of a collection of funny quips and short stories that make up the bigger picture of the story. It was amusing but I must admit that some of the language/sayings escaped me so I feel I missed some of the humour. It's probably not a story that most would pick up to read but it was cute.
5. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce: I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a man who finds out that a woman he knew in his past is dying of cancer. He believes if he walks to her (hundreds of km away) that she will live longer, at least until he gets there. His journey brings him in contact with many characters that teach him things about himself while looking back at his past. It's well written and sweet.
6. The Lost Files, I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore: Another book in the series follows the story lines of other survivors. I won't say much about it as once again you won't have any interest unless you've read the rest of the series but it's still a great escapism series.
7. Kim - Rudyard Kipling: This is one of our 501 Must Read Books. It's the story of an Irish boy orphaned in India. He survives by begging and running errands but his life gets turned upside down when he decides to throw his lot in with a Tibetan Lama. From there he gets mixed up in with trading secrets with spies, and gets sent to a boarding school and eventually gets back with his Lama to finish their quest. I thought at times the story was a bit confusing but loved the little quips.
8. The Rise of Nine, I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore: the next in the series. Also still good!
9. Falling Backwards - Jann Arden: I found this memoirs to be filled with funny stories about her childhood mixed in with sad ones as well. I felt I learned so much about her childhood and career before she succeeded as an artist. Worth the read!
September
1. Madame Tussaud - Michelle Moran: I've read a number of books by Michelle Moran before so figured I would give it a try. I found the general story to be interesting and was surprised at a number of things. Enjoyable and entertaining.
2. i, Robot - Isaac Asimov: I was genuinely surprised at this one as it's nothing like the movie, and I mean nothing! This book is based on recollections of a robot psychiatrist. She recants stories she's heard or seen in her days of work before she retires. It's interesting and full of great imagination.
3. The Story of Beautiful Girl - Rachel Simon: Interesting book and a fairly easy read. The main part of the story is about a women who was institutionalized in the 60's and the abuse she suffered there. She escapes long enough to give birth to a little girl and the story follows the main characters over the next 40 years. Enjoyable.
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket: The second in the series and just as fun as the first. Full of great imagery and interesting characters. Great series!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Preschool To Grade 1 - Things We Couldn't Live Without
A while back I wrote a blog post called Baby to Preschool - Things We Couldn't Live Without and I thought I'd so a similar list now that the kids are a few years older. Here's my list of favs!
Preschool:
1. Oliver's Labels: My son has a allergies and after I blogged about it Oliver's Labels offered to let me try some of their allergy aware labels. What can I say, I fell in love. I LOVED the temporary wristbands that have his name, phone number and a clear NO NUTS stop sign on them. My son always takes his medi-alert bracelet off so what I love about these is that my son can't get them off unless I cut them off. I've placed these new labels on his lunchbox, and backpack and feel much more confident it will be noticed. Can be found at www.oliverslabels.com
2. CHILDish: Wee! My kids get so excited to eat off these personalized plates and use their personalized lunch boxes. Seriously, how cool it is that you can make the products resemble your kid? The kids think it's pretty neat to see themselves and it's made meals more fun (plus less of a battle over what plates to use!) *note* It's also a grade school product because the new personalized pencils worked perfectly for school; I didn't have to label anything! Can be found at http://mychildish.com/
3. Band-Aids: Yes I know you probably already have these but do you have enough?! On average I think our household goes through at least 1 a day. I put extra Band-Aids in the kids backpacks and make sure they have their favourite characters on them, it always seems to help. So, go buy more!
4. Twooth Timer: in the preschool years we started to teach the kids how to brush their own teeth. We still take a turn brushing and found the Twooth Timer helped teach them how long to brush for. We set the timer for 2 minutes and the 1st minute they brush and the 2nd minute we brush. The kids get a real kick out of it! Can be found at www.sprogs.ca
Grade 1
1. Moonjars: This product works for kids from preschool up but I think slightly older kids get it more. It's an allowance jar that helps to teach kids how to save money for specific things. We use the jar as savings for the charity of their choice (they picked the Humane Society), one for saving for themselves, and one for gifts for others (siblings, grandparents, friends, etc). Can be found at www.moonjar.com
2. Knot Genie: why didn't someone tell me about these before?!? This the only brush that DD uses and doesn't complain about. She will brush her hair wet or dry with it and not once say 'ouch!' I picked up one for both kids and I think we'll use them for many years. Can be found at www.sprogs.ca
3. Lunchskins: My daughter's school is a litter-less lunch school so they have adopted the practice of 'pack in - pack out'. This was new to me so I had to start researching ways to send her lunch in reusable containers that would all fit inside one lunch box. I found these and really love how easily the kids can open them themselves, and how well they fit in her lunchbox. I only bought two to test them out so now I'm going to have to buy a whole collection of them. The best part is that you can put them in the top shelf of your dishwasher to clean them and they are estimated to have 1000 uses. That's saving 1000 plastic sandwich bags! Can be found at www.sprogs.ca
4. Melissa & Doug Travel Toys: If you're like me you try to plan ahead and take items along if you're going to a restaurant, appointment, or a long car ride. I've found these travel toys to be among the best and they can keep my kids amused for quite a while. The items are pretty sturdy and have withstood two pretty active kids who have thrown them, banged them on tables, and stepped on them. The memory game cards can get a little bent so I'd suggest you do your best to keep them in the holder. Now that they're getting a little older they also really like the Hangman game but be prepared as the answer will like be their own name 1/2 the time. Can be found at www.melissaanddoug.com or most Chapters stores.
*NOTE* I have not been paid to advertise any of these items, they're just things I have purchased and love. The only exception is the labels from Oliver's Labels as I received a few labels to trial and I'll be going back to buy my own set!
Preschool:
1. Oliver's Labels: My son has a allergies and after I blogged about it Oliver's Labels offered to let me try some of their allergy aware labels. What can I say, I fell in love. I LOVED the temporary wristbands that have his name, phone number and a clear NO NUTS stop sign on them. My son always takes his medi-alert bracelet off so what I love about these is that my son can't get them off unless I cut them off. I've placed these new labels on his lunchbox, and backpack and feel much more confident it will be noticed. Can be found at www.oliverslabels.com
2. CHILDish: Wee! My kids get so excited to eat off these personalized plates and use their personalized lunch boxes. Seriously, how cool it is that you can make the products resemble your kid? The kids think it's pretty neat to see themselves and it's made meals more fun (plus less of a battle over what plates to use!) *note* It's also a grade school product because the new personalized pencils worked perfectly for school; I didn't have to label anything! Can be found at http://mychildish.com/3. Band-Aids: Yes I know you probably already have these but do you have enough?! On average I think our household goes through at least 1 a day. I put extra Band-Aids in the kids backpacks and make sure they have their favourite characters on them, it always seems to help. So, go buy more!
4. Twooth Timer: in the preschool years we started to teach the kids how to brush their own teeth. We still take a turn brushing and found the Twooth Timer helped teach them how long to brush for. We set the timer for 2 minutes and the 1st minute they brush and the 2nd minute we brush. The kids get a real kick out of it! Can be found at www.sprogs.ca Grade 1
1. Moonjars: This product works for kids from preschool up but I think slightly older kids get it more. It's an allowance jar that helps to teach kids how to save money for specific things. We use the jar as savings for the charity of their choice (they picked the Humane Society), one for saving for themselves, and one for gifts for others (siblings, grandparents, friends, etc). Can be found at www.moonjar.com 2. Knot Genie: why didn't someone tell me about these before?!? This the only brush that DD uses and doesn't complain about. She will brush her hair wet or dry with it and not once say 'ouch!' I picked up one for both kids and I think we'll use them for many years. Can be found at www.sprogs.ca
3. Lunchskins: My daughter's school is a litter-less lunch school so they have adopted the practice of 'pack in - pack out'. This was new to me so I had to start researching ways to send her lunch in reusable containers that would all fit inside one lunch box. I found these and really love how easily the kids can open them themselves, and how well they fit in her lunchbox. I only bought two to test them out so now I'm going to have to buy a whole collection of them. The best part is that you can put them in the top shelf of your dishwasher to clean them and they are estimated to have 1000 uses. That's saving 1000 plastic sandwich bags! Can be found at www.sprogs.ca
4. Melissa & Doug Travel Toys: If you're like me you try to plan ahead and take items along if you're going to a restaurant, appointment, or a long car ride. I've found these travel toys to be among the best and they can keep my kids amused for quite a while. The items are pretty sturdy and have withstood two pretty active kids who have thrown them, banged them on tables, and stepped on them. The memory game cards can get a little bent so I'd suggest you do your best to keep them in the holder. Now that they're getting a little older they also really like the Hangman game but be prepared as the answer will like be their own name 1/2 the time. Can be found at www.melissaanddoug.com or most Chapters stores.
*NOTE* I have not been paid to advertise any of these items, they're just things I have purchased and love. The only exception is the labels from Oliver's Labels as I received a few labels to trial and I'll be going back to buy my own set!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
100 Random Things
For my 100th post I thought I'd say something profound. But since I couldn't think of anything profound I thought I'd post 100 random things. Let the oddity begin:
1. I LOVE my daughter's freckles
2. Armadillos creep me out, they're like rats with a shell
3. Pasta, pasta, pasta - yes please!
4. My husband had a very elaborate way to propose to me but when it fell through at the last moment he planned a slightly less elaborate proposal.
5. I like GINGERS!
6. Bubble bath = Bliss
7. I didn't find my passion until I was 30 years old and working at the Mustard Seed in Calgary
8. Still don't understand why people have to be bitchy about what phone I use. I like it. It's my preference. Let it go. You are not superior for owning a different brand of phone.
9. Fall is my favourite season because I can wear many sweaters
10. GOILERS
11. My son loves robots and that makes him cool in my books
12. I have no idea what to do with our massive cd collection
13. Jinx!
14. I say 'seriously' way to much and now my kids say it all the time
15. I sometimes repeat myself
16. I sometimes repeat myself
17. Words I find funny: bunwich, poke-check, five-hole, and kerfuffle
18. Cat purrs heal many hurts
19. The best invention in the past 20-ish years (besides the internet) is the PVR
20. That being said I watch many shows in FFWD mode
21. I've been married twice. HA! No I haven't, just thought I'd check to see if you're still reading.
22. Hugs and hearts to the people who come out and volunteer with me :)
23. Love that Hubs and I have the same love of fine dining, traveling and movies.
24. Troy and Abed in the MORNING!
25. Favourite 2 books of all time: To Kill A Mockingbird and The Power of One
26. Not a fan of going barefoot
27. Twitter kicks Facebooks butt
28. I talk too much and listen too little.
29. Nerds RULE!
30. What?! I'm only at 30?! I should have done this post for my 30th post not 100th.
31. I quote tv shows ALMOST as much as Hubs quotes movies
32. Vampires don't sparkle
33. A few months ago I got asked for ID at age 37. Woot woot!
34. Did you drink enough water today?
35. I'm lucky to have some amazing friends, all bring something different into my life and I hope I give a little something back to them :)
36.Going to be an Auntie again...wee!!!
37. According to Myers Briggs I'm 50% introvert and 50% extrovert; it's kinda right.
38. Watch Community and 30 Rock, if you don't you're missing out.
39. After living in the country for 18 years it took me 2 years to adjust to the noise & lights at bedtime
40. 4 is my favourite number
41. I always set a time limit to wallow and feel depressed
42. After many years of trying I still have yet to 100% correctly complete the paper crossword
43. So far it's taken me 4 days to write this post.
44. ohhhh, two 4's in a row (see #40)
45. People that share an email address with their significant other baffle me. I have 5 accounts to myself.
46. Does anyone else remember the tv show Four on the Floor? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_on_the_Floor
47. I have no desire to ever be on tv. EVER.
48. I exercise so I can eat more foods I like that are not good for me (except they do wonders for my mental state)
49. We have a cat named Zazoo who likes to eat the strings on balloons and then puke
50. Half way there!
51. Love that my daughter has friends that call her Joc. One of the main reasons we named her Jocelyn was because it could be shortened to Joc.
52. I have one of the longest nick names ever: Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo (but I go by Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabado) and it's from the Simpsons http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Joey_Jo-Jo_Junior_Shabadoo
53. Peanut Buster Parfait is my ice cream weakness.
54. I only tend to make it 3/4 of the way through self-help/parenting/advice books and then never finish.
55. Spoon!
56. Yes, certain references you'll only get if you're a nerd.
57. My Grandpa Charlie was my hero.
59. No really I'm on 58 but once again I was wondering if anyone was paying attention.
59. Places I want to see the most: China, Rome, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Turkey, and the list goes on...
60. I got glasses when I was in grade 3 and contacts when I was in grade 11 because I broke 8 pairs of glasses in sports in grade 10.
61. Remember Beta, Palm Pilots, Texas Instruments, and transistor radios? I do.
62. I learned to type on an actual typewriter.
63. Why do people say 'dethawed'?
64. Smiling is my favourite.
65. CSIS is cool.
66. The real James Bond will always be Sean Connery
67. Since everything has become non-smoking I'm a total smoke-snob & can't stand the smell
68. I'll stop watching a boring movie but won't ever put down a boring book.
69. *snicker, snicker*
70. What the WHAT?!
71. It's now taken me 8 days to write this.
72. People that fight on social media sites amuse me.
73. We really liked the name Marcus for a boy but his name would end up sounding too much like the department store Marks & Spencer.
74. Still want to have 2 cats named Mulder and Scully
75.Remember the days the Black Dog used to show episodes of the X-Files in their basement? It was so packed people sat on the floor to watch.
76. Pop pop!
77. Dill pickle chips #FTW
78. Ironing was my least favourite chore growing up.
79. Shelling peas was my favourite because you could do it in front of the tv AND eat them at the same time.
80. I miss drive-in theatres.
81. My mom said my first crush was John Travolta after seeing Grease when I was 3 or 4.
82. Country music and I don't mix.
83. Have you watched The Soup? You should. It basically just makes fun of all other tv shows and it's awesome: http://thesouptv.com/
84. The one famous person I would have liked to have met before her passing was Mother Teresa.
85. I buy local as much as I can, after that I buy Canadian as much as I can.
86. Always have a zombie apocalypse plan in place.
87. Rule #2: Double Tap
88. I have a gift for predicting tv show, book and movie plots early on. It's a fairly useless gift.
89.Zumba!
90. The weather is the weather, you can't do anything about it but move.
91. Go volunteer somewhere, it will make you feel like a million bucks.
92. I prefer using commas rather than semi-colons even when I know I'm using them incorrectly.
93. Tom Cruise scares me and he always has.
94. I dread the day my son will no longer let me pinch his cheeks.
95. What ever happened to keytars?
96. Oh I'm picking out a thermos for you, not an ordinary thermos for you
97. This is seriously the most random list EVER. See, I used #14 again.
98. Watch out for tickers.
99. My family is my everything.
100. I'm shocked I'm still blogging after 2 years and even more shocked I couldn't come up with a better 100th post than this!
1. I LOVE my daughter's freckles
2. Armadillos creep me out, they're like rats with a shell
3. Pasta, pasta, pasta - yes please!
4. My husband had a very elaborate way to propose to me but when it fell through at the last moment he planned a slightly less elaborate proposal.
5. I like GINGERS!
6. Bubble bath = Bliss
7. I didn't find my passion until I was 30 years old and working at the Mustard Seed in Calgary
8. Still don't understand why people have to be bitchy about what phone I use. I like it. It's my preference. Let it go. You are not superior for owning a different brand of phone.
9. Fall is my favourite season because I can wear many sweaters
10. GOILERS
11. My son loves robots and that makes him cool in my books
12. I have no idea what to do with our massive cd collection
13. Jinx!
14. I say 'seriously' way to much and now my kids say it all the time
15. I sometimes repeat myself
16. I sometimes repeat myself
17. Words I find funny: bunwich, poke-check, five-hole, and kerfuffle
18. Cat purrs heal many hurts
19. The best invention in the past 20-ish years (besides the internet) is the PVR
20. That being said I watch many shows in FFWD mode
21. I've been married twice. HA! No I haven't, just thought I'd check to see if you're still reading.
22. Hugs and hearts to the people who come out and volunteer with me :)
23. Love that Hubs and I have the same love of fine dining, traveling and movies.
24. Troy and Abed in the MORNING! 25. Favourite 2 books of all time: To Kill A Mockingbird and The Power of One
26. Not a fan of going barefoot
27. Twitter kicks Facebooks butt
28. I talk too much and listen too little.
29. Nerds RULE!
30. What?! I'm only at 30?! I should have done this post for my 30th post not 100th.
31. I quote tv shows ALMOST as much as Hubs quotes movies
32. Vampires don't sparkle
33. A few months ago I got asked for ID at age 37. Woot woot!
34. Did you drink enough water today?
35. I'm lucky to have some amazing friends, all bring something different into my life and I hope I give a little something back to them :)
36.Going to be an Auntie again...wee!!!
37. According to Myers Briggs I'm 50% introvert and 50% extrovert; it's kinda right.
38. Watch Community and 30 Rock, if you don't you're missing out.
39. After living in the country for 18 years it took me 2 years to adjust to the noise & lights at bedtime
40. 4 is my favourite number
41. I always set a time limit to wallow and feel depressed
42. After many years of trying I still have yet to 100% correctly complete the paper crossword
43. So far it's taken me 4 days to write this post.
44. ohhhh, two 4's in a row (see #40)
45. People that share an email address with their significant other baffle me. I have 5 accounts to myself.
46. Does anyone else remember the tv show Four on the Floor? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_on_the_Floor
47. I have no desire to ever be on tv. EVER.
48. I exercise so I can eat more foods I like that are not good for me (except they do wonders for my mental state)
49. We have a cat named Zazoo who likes to eat the strings on balloons and then puke
50. Half way there!
51. Love that my daughter has friends that call her Joc. One of the main reasons we named her Jocelyn was because it could be shortened to Joc.
52. I have one of the longest nick names ever: Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo (but I go by Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabado) and it's from the Simpsons http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Joey_Jo-Jo_Junior_Shabadoo
53. Peanut Buster Parfait is my ice cream weakness.
54. I only tend to make it 3/4 of the way through self-help/parenting/advice books and then never finish.
55. Spoon!
56. Yes, certain references you'll only get if you're a nerd.
57. My Grandpa Charlie was my hero.
59. No really I'm on 58 but once again I was wondering if anyone was paying attention.
59. Places I want to see the most: China, Rome, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Turkey, and the list goes on...
60. I got glasses when I was in grade 3 and contacts when I was in grade 11 because I broke 8 pairs of glasses in sports in grade 10.
61. Remember Beta, Palm Pilots, Texas Instruments, and transistor radios? I do.
62. I learned to type on an actual typewriter.
63. Why do people say 'dethawed'?
64. Smiling is my favourite.
65. CSIS is cool.
66. The real James Bond will always be Sean Connery
67. Since everything has become non-smoking I'm a total smoke-snob & can't stand the smell
68. I'll stop watching a boring movie but won't ever put down a boring book.
69. *snicker, snicker*
70. What the WHAT?!
71. It's now taken me 8 days to write this.
72. People that fight on social media sites amuse me.
73. We really liked the name Marcus for a boy but his name would end up sounding too much like the department store Marks & Spencer.
74. Still want to have 2 cats named Mulder and Scully
75.Remember the days the Black Dog used to show episodes of the X-Files in their basement? It was so packed people sat on the floor to watch.
76. Pop pop!
77. Dill pickle chips #FTW
78. Ironing was my least favourite chore growing up.
79. Shelling peas was my favourite because you could do it in front of the tv AND eat them at the same time.
80. I miss drive-in theatres.
81. My mom said my first crush was John Travolta after seeing Grease when I was 3 or 4.
82. Country music and I don't mix.
83. Have you watched The Soup? You should. It basically just makes fun of all other tv shows and it's awesome: http://thesouptv.com/
84. The one famous person I would have liked to have met before her passing was Mother Teresa.
85. I buy local as much as I can, after that I buy Canadian as much as I can.
86. Always have a zombie apocalypse plan in place.
87. Rule #2: Double Tap
88. I have a gift for predicting tv show, book and movie plots early on. It's a fairly useless gift.
89.Zumba!
90. The weather is the weather, you can't do anything about it but move.
91. Go volunteer somewhere, it will make you feel like a million bucks.
92. I prefer using commas rather than semi-colons even when I know I'm using them incorrectly.
93. Tom Cruise scares me and he always has.
94. I dread the day my son will no longer let me pinch his cheeks.
95. What ever happened to keytars? 96. Oh I'm picking out a thermos for you, not an ordinary thermos for you
97. This is seriously the most random list EVER. See, I used #14 again.
98. Watch out for tickers.
99. My family is my everything.
100. I'm shocked I'm still blogging after 2 years and even more shocked I couldn't come up with a better 100th post than this!
Monday, August 13, 2012
As Clear As Mud
Have you ever tried explaining a cliche to a kid? The look of confusion is priceless, and to use a few old cliches, you could see their wheels turning and steam coming out of their ears ;)
I never realized how many old cliches I use in everyday language until I had to start trying to explain them to my kids. Some simply go over their heads and some I struggle to actually remember what the saying even means! Sometimes we simply say things because we've always said them and the kids have forced me to really look at what I say and when I use that saying.
I thought I'd list some of the cliches I use that I've found difficult to explain to my kids:
- Beat around the bush
- The best thing since sliced bread
- You can't teach an old dog new tricks
- Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
- Till the cows come home
- A stick in the mud
- A good rule of thumb
- More than you can shake a stick at
- A snail's pace
- The shoe is on the other foot
- The apple of my eye
- In the doghouse
- Full of vinegar (or full of the dickens)
Do you use these types of expressions? What's your favourite or most used? Have you tried explaining them to your kids?
As for my own use of expressions I think I'll have to filter them a bit more before my kids start thinking I'm nuttier than a fruitcake ;)
I never realized how many old cliches I use in everyday language until I had to start trying to explain them to my kids. Some simply go over their heads and some I struggle to actually remember what the saying even means! Sometimes we simply say things because we've always said them and the kids have forced me to really look at what I say and when I use that saying.
I thought I'd list some of the cliches I use that I've found difficult to explain to my kids:
- Beat around the bush
- The best thing since sliced bread
- You can't teach an old dog new tricks
- Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
- Till the cows come home
- A stick in the mud
- A good rule of thumb
- More than you can shake a stick at
- A snail's pace
- The shoe is on the other foot
- The apple of my eye
- In the doghouse
- Full of vinegar (or full of the dickens)
Do you use these types of expressions? What's your favourite or most used? Have you tried explaining them to your kids?
As for my own use of expressions I think I'll have to filter them a bit more before my kids start thinking I'm nuttier than a fruitcake ;)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Power of Blankie
Overtired and want some comfort? Green Blankie! Have a boo-boo and need a pick-me-up? Green Blankie!
I find it truly amazing how many children pick an object and become so attached to that object. It seems to be the source of many magical powers that can cure everything and do no wrong.
Surprisingly our daughter never really became attached to one particular object but our son has a beloved Blankie. He needs it at night to sleep but if he had his way he's carry it around all day like Linus from Charlie Brown.
It made me wonder why and when we give up these things? If they bring us such joy and comfort are they such a bad thing? I understand it's not ideal if they won't go to school without it, or they want to take it to play in the mud but if they can just use it in the comfort of their home do you let them have it whenever they want? We try to restrict the Blankie to just bedtime and instead we're trying to encourage him to use words to describe his feelings rather than just put his head under his Blankie.
I remember having a great affinity for a little pillow when I was young and I kept it until I was around 25 and the pillow disintegrated. Since then I can't say I have an object that I cling to when I'm feeling down. Do you or your kids have something that gives you comfort? Would you let your kid have it whenever or wherever they want?
Part of me feels sad that when my son no longer needs his Blankie he's going to lose a piece of his childhood that has brought him so much comfort.
I find it truly amazing how many children pick an object and become so attached to that object. It seems to be the source of many magical powers that can cure everything and do no wrong.
It made me wonder why and when we give up these things? If they bring us such joy and comfort are they such a bad thing? I understand it's not ideal if they won't go to school without it, or they want to take it to play in the mud but if they can just use it in the comfort of their home do you let them have it whenever they want? We try to restrict the Blankie to just bedtime and instead we're trying to encourage him to use words to describe his feelings rather than just put his head under his Blankie.
I remember having a great affinity for a little pillow when I was young and I kept it until I was around 25 and the pillow disintegrated. Since then I can't say I have an object that I cling to when I'm feeling down. Do you or your kids have something that gives you comfort? Would you let your kid have it whenever or wherever they want?
Part of me feels sad that when my son no longer needs his Blankie he's going to lose a piece of his childhood that has brought him so much comfort.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
June & July Book Reviews
Once again I'm behind with my book reviews so here's the books from June and July!
1. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith: This book takes a few tidbits of the history of Abraham Lincoln and rewrites them to include his efforts to vanquish vampires. It starts from his birth all the way to his assassination. It's an entertaining take on history and a fun way to learn a few facts about that point in US history. After reading the book I took a chance on the movie and was very disappointed to see that only about 5% of the book was in the movie. The book stood well on its own as fast moving and exciting so it's a shame they didn't use more of that premise.
2. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh: This story follows Charles Ryder as he befriends a young aristocrat and his family in the 1920's. Charles becomes ingrained in the family and all his and their trials through divorce, religion, sexuality, love and alcoholism. The writing is smartly done and allows you to fully imagine the era and the eccentricity of the characters. It was enjoyable and I can see why it make the 501 Must Read list.
3. A Secret kept - Tatiana De Rosnay: This is the author of the much beloved Sarah's Key so I thought it was worth a shot. The beginning of the book showed promise but sadly falls short. It is written very much in the same style of Sarah's Key in that you travel back and forth through time but this is achieved through letters from the past. What I found to be an issue with this book is that there are far too many subplots. You follow the story of Antoine and his sister discovering the past of their deceased mother. From there you also follow Antoine's love life, his difficulties with his children/father/ex-wife, and many other little issues. It's just too much to follow and you finally start to lose interest in all his problems. It's still an OK read but don't expect another Sarah's Key.
4. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth - Alexander McCall Smith: This is a typical Isabel Dalhousie novel. It's very formulaic so I won't go into detail as until you've read the first 7 books this one won't mean much to you!
5. King Peggy - Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman: Peggy went from being a secretary in the US to a King in Ghana and this chronicles her journey. Her struggles with being accepted as a female King by her own elders was interesting and informative. It was encouraging to see her prevail and get clean water, better health care and the like to her small village. It's inspirational but at times a little drawn out.
July
Books 1, 2 and 3 of the Josephine B. Trilogy - Sandra Gulland: These novels follow the life of Josephine Bonaparte and the French Revolution. It was very interesting to learn about her upbringing, her brushes with poverty, her first marriage, her imprisonment, her children and her relationship with Napoleon. The books are all very well written and super hard to put down one you start them.
4. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection - Alexander McCall Smith: again it's another in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series and it's really predictable. As in most of McCall Smiths books it follows a set formula so it's really much different than all the others in the series. This one follows Precious as she gets to meet her mentor, she helps the matron of the orphanage and a few other side stories.
5. Cosmopolis - Don DeLillo: This is a very odd, disjointed book. I was interested in reading it before the movie comes out and I'm not sure I'm going to be any the wiser when I see it! We get to see a day in the life of Eric, a 28 year old billionaire. His goal in the morning is to go get a haircut but he is waylaid by chance encounters with his new wife, his mistress, a presidential visit, a funeral, a riot and a few other weird scenarios. Throughout the entire day he's conducting business in his limo and trying to assess his impending downfall. The whole book reeks of narcissism and is highly unbelievable. Even with it being that it still offers an element of surprise entertainment like watching a car wreck.
1. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith: This book takes a few tidbits of the history of Abraham Lincoln and rewrites them to include his efforts to vanquish vampires. It starts from his birth all the way to his assassination. It's an entertaining take on history and a fun way to learn a few facts about that point in US history. After reading the book I took a chance on the movie and was very disappointed to see that only about 5% of the book was in the movie. The book stood well on its own as fast moving and exciting so it's a shame they didn't use more of that premise.
2. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh: This story follows Charles Ryder as he befriends a young aristocrat and his family in the 1920's. Charles becomes ingrained in the family and all his and their trials through divorce, religion, sexuality, love and alcoholism. The writing is smartly done and allows you to fully imagine the era and the eccentricity of the characters. It was enjoyable and I can see why it make the 501 Must Read list.
3. A Secret kept - Tatiana De Rosnay: This is the author of the much beloved Sarah's Key so I thought it was worth a shot. The beginning of the book showed promise but sadly falls short. It is written very much in the same style of Sarah's Key in that you travel back and forth through time but this is achieved through letters from the past. What I found to be an issue with this book is that there are far too many subplots. You follow the story of Antoine and his sister discovering the past of their deceased mother. From there you also follow Antoine's love life, his difficulties with his children/father/ex-wife, and many other little issues. It's just too much to follow and you finally start to lose interest in all his problems. It's still an OK read but don't expect another Sarah's Key.
4. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth - Alexander McCall Smith: This is a typical Isabel Dalhousie novel. It's very formulaic so I won't go into detail as until you've read the first 7 books this one won't mean much to you!
5. King Peggy - Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman: Peggy went from being a secretary in the US to a King in Ghana and this chronicles her journey. Her struggles with being accepted as a female King by her own elders was interesting and informative. It was encouraging to see her prevail and get clean water, better health care and the like to her small village. It's inspirational but at times a little drawn out.
July
Books 1, 2 and 3 of the Josephine B. Trilogy - Sandra Gulland: These novels follow the life of Josephine Bonaparte and the French Revolution. It was very interesting to learn about her upbringing, her brushes with poverty, her first marriage, her imprisonment, her children and her relationship with Napoleon. The books are all very well written and super hard to put down one you start them.
4. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection - Alexander McCall Smith: again it's another in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series and it's really predictable. As in most of McCall Smiths books it follows a set formula so it's really much different than all the others in the series. This one follows Precious as she gets to meet her mentor, she helps the matron of the orphanage and a few other side stories.
5. Cosmopolis - Don DeLillo: This is a very odd, disjointed book. I was interested in reading it before the movie comes out and I'm not sure I'm going to be any the wiser when I see it! We get to see a day in the life of Eric, a 28 year old billionaire. His goal in the morning is to go get a haircut but he is waylaid by chance encounters with his new wife, his mistress, a presidential visit, a funeral, a riot and a few other weird scenarios. Throughout the entire day he's conducting business in his limo and trying to assess his impending downfall. The whole book reeks of narcissism and is highly unbelievable. Even with it being that it still offers an element of surprise entertainment like watching a car wreck.
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