Sunday, August 1, 2010

Birthday Girl

My girl took her first steps. On her first birthday.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Junebug

I spotted this on the way up the street with my daughter. We couldn't stick around to tape it long, because we were on our way to grammie & grampie's, but this Junebug is being attacked by red ants. If I'd had the time and equipment, I could have filmed the Junebug being eaten alive.

Friday, June 25, 2010

It was a present for the family!

One of my cats brought me a present. I think it's amazing, but it's not for those with weak stomaches. IE: I'm the one who'll have to clean it up, as my husband will surely refuse.






Thursday, March 18, 2010

teething dream

My daughter is teething, and she's started whimpering in her sleep in the early hours of the morning.
The Result: Mummy has weird dreams.
I had a graphic dream where my daughter opened her mouth, unhinging her jaw like a Hungry Hungry Hippo, and I could see multitudes of little teeth, some just visable beneath raw open gums and some growing from other teeth.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

I'm Still Me : An open letter to Today's Parent magazine

My husband's aunt purchased me a subscription to Today's Parent magazine, and I'm about 4 issues in. I have a love/hate relationship with magazines in general. I was a loyal Cosmo reader straight up until they published an article about what you should do if your man isn't receptive to things being stuck up his butt... An Entire Article... and nowhere in the article did it say "Stop trying to put stuff up there", which is what I would have written.
Today's Parent is now the source of my magazine related ire, for the following reasons:

1. Smoothies: Enough with the smoothies, you don't have to mention smoothies in every single issue. It seems almost as if the publishers have some sort of contractual arrangement with The Smoothies Association of Canada, wherein they must sneak at least one mention of smoothies per month.

2. They published an otherwise fine article a few issues ago about a family that plays a different genre of music during dinner, depending on what day of the week it is. Then the Author, the Dad of the family, feels the need to add that he "needs" to let the reader know that just because they listen to reggae, does not mean they (he and his wife) smoke pot. It's implied that the reader would/should otherwise have assumed that this gentleman partakes in (pointlessly) illegal substances, AND that it's somehow the reader's business, and relevant.

3. Tips on how to "make" your kids eat. Dudes...If a kid isn't hungry you should NOT make them eat. Eating when you're not hungry makes your appetite increase and skews your understanding of what constitutes an appropriate serving.

4. In the last issue, they ran an article on phases kids go through. There was a woman described as having an "abiding love for turtlenecks", who's daughter had gone through a goth stage, and later wore dreadlocks and who is now releived that her college age daughter now wears "alot of beige". Mark my fucking words Today's Parent Magazine, If my daughter ever wears "alot of beige" at any point before the age of 40 I will ask her if she's depressed and ask her to seek councelling. Seriously. Beige.

Ultimately what it boils down to is this: Today's Parent is a conservative publication. I'm just not conservative, and I'm not going to turn into the tan-slacks-wearing, minivan-driving, 12-year-old-boy's-haircut-having, force-feeder-of-smoothies that Today's Parent wants me to be.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

J'Adore Dior... or not so much

Miss B has a better wardrobe than her Momma thanks to huge sacks of hand me downs from the sister of a friend of mine. I don't buy big fashion labels new, but I am pretty easily impressed if I find them second hand, but often dissapointed:

This is a hand me down, and probably at least 5 years old, but I looked it up and similar suits run $59.99-69.99 new.


For clarification, this is a Baby Dior, but it's 100% polyester, which to me is like a fashion oxymoron.


Also, my mom thinks it's super cute, and I do not.



Here's supermodel Baby B modelling her Christian Dior.



And labels for those skeptical as to the authenticity of a polyester Dior:


Monday, February 1, 2010

Book Review : This is How by M.J. Hyland

Patrick Oxtoby has suffered a mental break, but it sounds like he's been mentally ill for some time. Patrick has just been jilted by his "fiance", his first girlfriend who he had proposed to after only dating 2 months. He stifles an urge to push her down a flight of stairs and decides, instead, that he should just move away.
In the first half of the book literally every conversation is akward. Patrick tries to joke, to flirt or just to partake in the conversation, but as the book is written first person, the narration reveals a methodical reasoning that reminds me of sociopathy.
Patrick's views on women are messed up as well. He fixates on the first two attractive women he meets, and becomes overly protective and posessive over his landlady, and strangely forward, and demanding of a waitress he meets and forges a bond (mostly in his head) with. He describes both women as beautiful, but makes a point of stating that they aren't wearing any makeup.
The day after Patrick arrives, his mother follows him, for some reason upset that her adult son has moved out of her house. She accuses him of leaving in order to hurt her. She fails to pick up any cues as to her unwelcomeness. Patrick stifles an urge to push his mother off a pier, and instead just offends her by bluntly telling her he wants her to leave him alone.
Ian Welkin is one of Patrick's roomates. Welkin comes from a well to do family. He's a charming flirt a drunk and a womanizer. In short Patrick focuses alot of resentment on Welkin, while at the same time rationalizing that he wants Welkin as a friend, more than he doesn't want Welkin as a friend. Theres also sexual tension directed by Welkin on Patrick.

As if you couldn't tell by the foreshadowing, Patrick commits a violent act. He accidentally kills someone. He's sent to prison.
The second half of the book is alot less akwardness. Patrick has a much easier time dealing with his fellow inmates, and even with a creepy guard that wants to help/rape him (he doesn't get raped at this point) Things actually go pretty well until Patrick makes friends with an inmate that wants to be his lover, at which point more powerful inmates threaten to pimp him if he doesn't provide them with money and drugs.
By the end of the book it's evident that Patrick will, once he serves his minimum sentance be in some senses both healed and damaged.