Movie Reviews....

Memory...
We both liked it. Suspense in all the right parts....freaky. Different.



The Queen...
Wow. What a wonderful job Helen Mirren did. I thought it was very interesting, but it was b/c I was interested in the subject matter. If someone were NOT interested in the whole death of Princess Diana & the monarchy, etc...I could see how they would get bored pretty quickly!
But still...Helen Mirren did a WONDERFUL job.

Movies...

Music & Lyrics....


Seen it?
Opinions?
Do tell, do tell.

1) I think Drew Barrymore is super cute in romantic comedies.
2) Hugh...oh, Hugh. I just can't help but think---every single time that I see him: you were boppin' Elizabeth Hurley, and still had to run around with hookers? You're a total moron.

Organization....

So...my child likes to line things up.
He likes for there to be order among his cars, among his shoes, among his blocks, etc.
OCD much?

Now, as I was walking through the living room, I came upon this:


Those are his fit-in-his-hand cars. The small ones. He put them on the arm of the couch & parked them just at the edge of a throw pillow.

And then I went into the dining room.
I had grouped all of Gage's shoes together, but he lined them up along the wall.


Now, I didn't originally notice this, but a coworker pointed it out: not only did he pair the matching shoes together, but they all go left-right, left-right.

So, I'm just sitting here today thinking, "Oh my goodness! He's sooooo smart!"
And of course, I had to share!

:)

Gimme Candy!

Monday...mid morning.

Gage wants candy.
Mama: What do you say? Can you say 'please'?
Gage: PEAS!
Mama....pausing...what do you say?
Gage: GIMME!
(oh, look for that moment in the video, b/c it's pretty cute!)



And after that...I took what could quite possibly be the worst picture of my child, ever.
Seriously. Ever.
Here's Gage...after a Hershey Kiss. [clearly, he was NOT prepared for the camera!]

What Baby Wants, Baby Gets.

"Gage, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Dat."

And folks...there you have it.
He gets what he wants. Why??? Because he chose corn.
Had he chosen....say...ice cream....well, I probably would have let him have it too. It's DAIRY, isn't it???

Anyway...Saturday morning, he chose corn for breakfast. And he yummed it up too!
:)

Friday Night...

"You made a match!
Look what you found!
You made a match;
Hear a SHEEP sound!"

Good Morning.

Good Morning, Sweet Boy!

I just love this picture!
1) the tag on his shirt was bothering him, so we just put it on inside out. that way, the tag was on the outside. done. problem solved.
2) it was raining outside, and we had to make a mad-dash to the car so we could go to Memaw's. So, I handed him the hat to wear to keep the rain off.
3) he wanted to pull his shorts up HIMSELF. So, they were a little crooked...but he did it himself!
:)

J-J-Jaded!

I know, I know I just came back from a vacation.

but you know what I need??? a VACATION!

Seriously, today, I'm just finding myself with a short fuse. a temper. just an underlying angry tone to myself. PMS'ing, maybe? I dunno.

But, today, I wish I had the following t-shirts to sport at work:

"If you can work the grill at Mickey-D's, then you're NOT disabled."
&
"My health care is not free; why should yours be?"
&
"A a representative for the taxpayers of Texas, I'm here to say that we're tired of footing the bill for your dumb-a$$. Get a job!"

Okay. Now, in my defense....I've had these hateful negative thoughts about those who met me with a sense of entitlement. I did not just have these thoughts from an interaction with someone who was truly in a rough spot due to a series of unfortunate events or who was desperately in need.
I began thinking the above after I was met with entitlement, use & abuse of the system, and quite frankly...today, I'm just done with it.

EMO...not to be confused with Elmo.

So...there's this....culture...subculture...of kids that call themselves "EMO". It's short for "Emotionally Disturbed"...



So, the "EMO" subculture of today is different than the "EMO" related punk style of yesteryear (from what I've read...), but it's kind of all followed a general trend to deviate from the norm, but LOOK just like everyone else in your group. Stand out, but fit right in, if you know what I mean.

So What Is Emo?
Some Basic Truths About the Emerging Emo Sub-Culture:
Emo is a state of mind and distinct lifestyle choice which involves one or more of the following dimensions in varying degrees and proportions.
1.Emo is a genre of music that's suffering character dilution and becoming harder to define
2.Emo is fashion statement
3.Emo is a form of identity that influences one's geopolitical views and belief system
4.Emo "kids" are characteristically "hetero-flexible", "bi-sexual" and open to experimentation in their sexual dealings

So, current EMO trends that you may see (my opinions of course, based on what I've read & seen so far):
* cutting.
* a bunch of talk about crying blood.
* b*tching and moaning about how tough & hard their lives are.
* everything is soooooooooo tragic, and they're just heart broken.
* love of drama, for drama & tragedy sake.
* lots of repeated suicide attempts, or gestures; lots of talk about suicide.

For fashion trends...


They've got black hair(usually)...jagged hair cuts with the side-swept bangs that constantly require tossing out of the eyes if the EMO individual wants to actually see...but of course, they don't b/c they want the hair to block their eyes, and therefore they can be more withdrawn & tragic & turned into themselves.

Makeup. Both boys & girls. Particularly around the eyes. (which, is bizarro, b/c the shaggy bangs usually hang down over the eyes...) hmmm....

Showing of scars.
Many cutters try to hide their scars & do whatever it takes to hide them. Not all of the EMOs. for them, it's kind of like a sticker nametag that says, "Hello, My Name Is EMO."

A book about "EMO" for those that want more info about this group...


And of course...there are the anti-EMO sentiments, that just make fun of them & their "SO MISUNDERSTOOD" mentality:




Now...do I think this is stupid? Yes.
But...as a parent, I think it is disturbing. Sure, every teen feels misunderstood & cannot fathom that THEIR parent could POSSIBLY know what they are experiencing. Sure there really are tragic stories out there in the world. Lord knows that I know that! But....any little trend that involves self-mutilation is NOT okay.
I would TOTALLY freak out if Gage were involved in this.
You want to wear your hair all like that--fine. I think you look like an idiot, but go ahead.
You want to wear make-up like a girl & be bi-sexual, bi-curious, gender-ambiguous, whatever. Hey--be safe about it. It's going to result in heartache I'm sure, whether it's from discrimination, or being judged & harrassed, or feelings of guilt or shame that may result... It's not the life I would choose for my child, but if you need to test the water...I will absolutely not judge for sexual identity /experimentation /preference, whatever. I just won't. But---no matter what, be safe about it!
BUT...cutting? NOT OKAY.
B*tching & moaning about how tragic life is....NOT okay. Why? Because (and I'm basing this on Gage's life so far...& then relating it to him being 16 & caught up in the EMO-thing...) well, Gage's life is not tragic, has not been tragic, and I'd be PERSONALLY offended by that crap.


Anyway...that's on my mind today.
The EMO subculture.
The cutting...NOT okay.
NOT cool.
And when they grow out of this EMO thing, (if they don't kill their tragic little selves first), then they will be sporting scars on their wrists forever. That'll be great to explain to their children...and grandchildren...

Conversation from a Marriage.

Husband: "What happened?"

Wife: "Oh, yeah, the tree fell."

Husband: "Yeah, but what happened?"

Wife: "It broke off and fell" (referring to the HUGE branch that is on the ground, in the backyard, that luckily did NOT fall on the house, but came within a few feet of doing so."

Husbaned: "I can see that. When did it happen?"

Wife: "While you were out of town."

Husband: "Ok. But when? Today? Yesterday?"

Wife: "I think today because it was not there this morning when I took the dog out."

Husband: "But, HOW did it happen?"

Wife: "I don't know. I wasn't standing there watching it."

Husband: "Did it rain here? Were there big storms?"

Wife: "I don't know--I was at work."

Husband: "Well, did it rain in Arlington?" (the city where I work.)

Wife: "I don't know, I was inside."

...I think I frustrate him to no end.
Who cares when, why, & how?
Part of the damn tree broke off the rest of the tree, and it fell to the ground, and that's where it is now. It needs to be moved, and although I tried to lug it down to the curb after watering the flowers, it just weighs too much.
Let's just take it from there & be done with it.
Mmmmm-kay?

"Trapes."

So, yesterday evening, Gage kept taking me to this one area of the kitchen, pointing up, and whining, as if he wanted something.
I could NOT figure out what he was wanting. There was nothing edible up there. Nothing particularly shiny, other than the toaster. So, I put him on my hip & he points to a bowl. It's a ceramic bowl that my mother glazed. It has grapes all over it.

I handed him the bowl & he was sooooo happy!
And then...he said, "Trapes." And pointed to the painted grapes on the side.
Then, he started licking the bowl.
Licking the not-real-grapes that were painted on the bowl.
Oh, it was too cute.

I explained that the grapes were not real. He then took me to the fridge & begged me to open it. Of course I did...& he pulled out the fruit & veggie drawer. He pulled out the bag of cherries (the bag is now ALMOST empty!). I pitted the rest of the cherries for him, and he yummed them up.

He just loves cherries & "Trapes."
:)

What the hell???

From.... www.smh.com...:


A New York gallery is featuring a bizarre sculpture of Hollywood celebutante and socialite Paris Hilton in a distinctly unglamorous pose - pregnant on an autopsy slab with one leg up in stirrups.

The sculpture, which goes on public display on Friday, was dreamed up by artist Daniel Edwards, whose previous works have included a nude, life-sized sculpture of pop princess Britney Spears on all fours giving birth.

The Hilton sculpture, which is designed to warn of the dangers of drink driving, comes complete with interactive opened abdominal cavity. The gallery is encouraging art lovers to get their hands on the removable organs.

Hilton was arrested in September last year for drink driving and was sentenced to a jail term last week for driving on a suspended licence.

"An interactive Public Service Announcement featuring the graphic display of a tiara-wearing, autopsied Paris Hilton with removable innards is designed to warn teenagers of the hazards of underage drinking," the gallery said.

"Paris's internals, which include her small intestines, uterus and foetuses, are removable to assist teens with an empathetic view of drunk driving tragedy from the coroner's perspective," gallery director David Kesting said.

The sculpture also features Hilton's Chihuahua Tinkerbell, also wearing a tiara, rampant and begging for attention.

"The tableau ... reminds potential prom queens no one is impervious to the pitfalls of drinking," the gallery, Capla Kesting Fine Art, said.

The sculpture is for sale, although the asking price was not disclosed.

The gallery has also invited students to compose an obituary for the socialite, based on the artwork.

Grades are In!

Grades are in!
Grades are in!

4.0!

Woohooooooo!

[yes, i'm bragging. so what? i worked my tail off, and so far, my cumulative gpa is a 4.0! ....and i'm sure i just jinxed myself by bragging...]

Tuesday...

So, we got back from Savannah on Monday night.

Went & got Gage Tuesday morning.
He had a pediatrician appointment late that afternoon...so I knew it would be a rough afternoon.

Decided to make his morning cheery by taking him SWIMMING.

Oh, that boy just loves the water!




He can get out of the pool by himself, but he doesn't go in by himself (thank goodness!)

"Hey ladies. How you doin'?"


After that...home for a nap....
Up & away to the Pediatrician's office.
Which...well, pi$$ed me off, to tell the truth.

In fact, I've got a whole new phrase after that day...
"Boo ya! You got RITZ'd! How'd ya like that, Biotch?"

Scene: I enter the waiting room with my child.
My appointment time (I use that phrase loosely), was for 3pm. We arrived just before 2:45.
I was told by "Theresa" at the front desk that our insurance is no longer valid, and coverage on my child ended at the end of January '07, and..."I hope you brought your new card."
To which I responded, "no, that's incorrect. we are covered through my employer, and I assure you the coverage is still the same."
Theresa: "Can I see your new card?"
Me: "I don't have a new card. The coverage is still through the same provider, and you've got the information on file. You guys need to call the 1-800 # to verify coverage, because I assure you, it's still valid."
Theresa: "Well, I need to see the card."
Me: "You have the numbers in his chart."
Theresa: "I don't have them right here with me."
Thought Bubble Above My Head: You F*&#@'in Lazy A$$ B*tch. I have a ONE YEAR OLD pulling on my pants trying to get me to look at the "pish", and he's screaming & you're too F*&#@'in lazy to go get his insurance information. You suck.

So...we get that settled. And, I was so worn out after talking with her & going through that...it barely even felt very good being right.

So, the new waiting room is divided into 2 sections. Cool, I thought. 2 play areas, 2 sides of the "pish" tank...more seating.

Theresa rears her attitude around the corner.
Theresa: "Well, is he sick or well?"
Me: "He's well. We're just here for a check-up."
Theresa: "Well, Mom, you have him sitting on the WRONG side with all of these SICK kids."
Me: (and yes, I get props for saying this outloud to her) "You didn't specify that there is a well side or a sick side, and there is no sign. How was I supposed to know the difference? But hey---I'm glad we got that insurance thing figured out."

Of course, I got a glare from her.
Whatever.
My ONE year old throws fits about every 20 to 30 minutes. One nasty look from her wasn't about to do anything to me.

After that...we trek over to the well side. We were there for all of about 30 seconds before Gage had 2 little girls crying.

See...he doesn't play much with other LITTLE kids. (and by little, I mean, under the age of 10).
So, he takes one little girls Webkin dog (yeah, I got to hear all about that crap...webkins...whatever), and he took another little girls Polly Pocket (props to me---I actually knew what that was. I also knew that within 5 seconds my child could have swallowed Polly & the pocket she came in!)
So, I have to take the toys from him---return them to their rightful owners, and we all got to listen to the screaming & crying that followed.
Until he was pleasantly distracted by another girl who came in for a check-up.
Oh, she was about 14 years old, taller than me, long brown hair & a cute smile.
Gage was smitten.
He went & got a magazine & took it to her.
"Caring for your Newborn". (Please don't let her need that magazine!)
Anyway, she politely thanked him & flipped through the pages filled with ads for breast pumps & diaper cream while Gage climbed up into the chair next to her.
He sat straight up with his legs straight out; the toes of his little feet hanging over the edge of the seat.
He had his little hands resting on his knees while he smiled up at her as if he was waiting for a report on the reading material he had provided.
Oh, it was so cute.

Then, it was our turn.
Woohoo!

Got checked into our room....got weighed....got undressed down to the diaper in the mega-cool (cold kind of cool, not fun kind of cool) exam room. 26.6 pounds, and hungry. Mommy tries to distract, thinking we'll be out of here soon. I have a baggie of crackers in my purse, but they just finished the office remodel, and I don't want to get crumbs all over the place....surely, he'll be in here JUST ANY SECOND.

At 3:45, we'd only been weighed. Still cold. Still hungry. Still undressed.
At that point, I busted out the crackers.
Screw 'em.
They get what they deserve. If Gage gets crumbs in the carpet---oh well. Maybe one of Theresa's tasks is to vaccuum at the end of the night. Hmmm...
And, I resigned that if the pediatrician had not entered the room by 4pm, I was going to dress Gage & walk out. Furthermore, I'd ask the people there to cut me a check for $50. Afterall, that's how much I owe if I don't show up for an appointment.
My time is valuable too. My time is worth something too. I was fully prepared to freaking leave, and DARE them to try to charge me for something.
So...at 2-3 minutes to 4, in comes the pediatrician.

He's so nice, and so patient with everyone. He's so good with Gage.
Why don't I speak up?
Why don't I say---hey, I really like coming to you---but don't book so many people on the same day if you aren't going to be able to keep up with your caseload? It's awesome that I get your undivided attention when you're in here. I'm sure that's why you CONSTANTLY run behind. All of us parents are so lucky to get your time. But don't spread yourself so thin that you end up pissing people off! And, in the future, I won't assume that I have an actual appointment at 3pm. Instead, I'll just take that as a SUGGESTED ARRIVAL TIME.

So, I didn't speak up to him.
Thought about sending a letter....in the end, instead of putting it in writing, we put it in Ritz.
Gage had crumbs from one end of that room to the other.
And....because I was mad....I didn't pick up a darn thing...

I'm sure poor Gage's chart is flagged...
It's like that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine wants to read what's written about her in her medical record...
It all goes back to Seinfeld!

:)
Pediatrician update:
Ht: 34 inches
Wt: 26.6 pounds
Head Circ.: I forget. I don't pay much attention to this one. Doc never seems worried.

Got 1 shot.
Ears look good.
Teeth are coming in.
Pedi suggested 1 Pediasure shake per day.
So far, Gage wants me to open the vanilla ones...but refuses to drink them.
He will drink the chocolate.
I've tried both. I wouldn't drink either one!

The Big Winner.

"I won a dollah! I won a dollah! I won a dollah, hey, hey, hey, hey!"




Yeah...we condone underage gambling.
Who doesn't???

Back it up...

Okay...so, I took off Thursday & Friday before the Savannah trip.

We didn't leave until Friday...so I had fun just staying at home with the Baby on Thursday. Um...I probably should have spent a great deal of that time packing...but whatever.

So...we went out to lunch at El Fenix.
Yummy!


Gage ate hot sauce...


Yeah...he had a lot to say...


And of course, once we spotted the fountain outside...he didn't want to leave.

Gosh...I am now wanting Mexican food!

Tall Boys....

Okay...so I'm not really talking about beer with this post...
Rather, I'm talking about my son.
My little tall boy.
Yes, I say "little tall boy".

He's ONE.
He's 34 inches tall.
He's almost 3 feet tall.

I'm 5 feet tall.
He's more than half my height.

He's just a baby.
Strangers always think he's about 3.
Well, he's not. He's ONE. (well...one & a half...) but still. He's a baby.

I love all 34 inches of him. I just worry that people might expect too much out of him if he is always bigger than others his age. You know---like do strangers look at him & think he's a "slow" 3 year old b/c he is not a super-participant in conversations that they try to strike up with him???

I'm not necessarily WORRIED about anything...I just don't want people to expect too much too soon from my baby....you know?

Savannah...that's a wrap!

So, Monday was our last day in Savannah.

But...I planned it so that we didn't have to be at the airport until around 4 pm!

We had a whole day to see more stuff....

Like...Paula Deen's Restaurant (for those who watch the Cooking Channel...she's on there...plus she does a live tour, has awesome recipes & spices & all kinds of stuff...and just seems as sweet as peach pie!)
www.pauladeen.com
So...the line to get into her restaurant...oh, it only wraps around the building...a few times.

This was a Monday morning. These people were waiting for lunch seats.
Crazy I tell you.
Crazy.

So, we went back to the Haunted Colonial Cemetery, and don't worry: parking was not a problem, b/c clearly there was a sign JUST FOR US:


Hello! Our rental was a CRUISER!


Clearly they knew we were coming.
Or, clearly, the Cruiser is the preferred rental of Savannah,GA & they want to be hospitable to out of town guests in their state....perhaps just a sign of that good ol' Southern hospitality.

Or (and this one is the truth)...there was a police station next to the cemetery...& the cruisers the sign refers to are actually police cars.
Whatever. I got a good laugh & really wished that Susan & David were still there for that "CWUUUUUUIZER" moment.

Anyway...so we went to the cemetery...




It was very interesting...and there were grave markers from the 1700s. The 1700s. It was just amazing.


Was he a pirate???


Something that we were told....overcrowding in this cemetery & others...led to decisions of removing every-other-headstone, and also moving headstones from areas that used to be cemeteries, and putting them in other cemeteries. So....they would move the markers, but not the bodies. And now...from what we were told---there are bodies buried under all kinds of squares, & houses, and buildings in the downtown area, but they are unmarked. Also, there is an entire wall of grave markers at the cemetery, but the location of the corresponding bodies is unknown...

[no wonder the place is haunted, right???]

Grave Marker & memorial for Button Gwinnet, who signed the Declaration of Indepence & was the President of Georgia.


The cemetery was very interesting...

We also visited the Mercer House.
You might recall this house from "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil" movie.
(excellent book & movie, by the way)...


Entrance to the Mercer-Williams House (as they are now calling it...)


Those are all of the photos I have of that....we went on a tour through the house...joined it late, and when I almost snapped a picture, I almost lost that finger! We had the tour-nazi running that show, and she was NOT about to let a single image be STOLEN!

So...after that...a stroll through Forsyth Park.
The fountain was being worked on...the flowers were in bloom & beautiful. The mossy trees were just beautiful & different than what we see everyday in Dallas...




So...after that...lunch. And another quick trip down to River Street & Bay Street..

This is the City Exchange Bell.
The Bell was constructed in 1802 and hung in the bell tower of the City Exchange Buidling on Bay Street. The bell now hangs in a replica steeple located just east of City Hall on Bay Street. The Bell is thought to be the oldest bell in the state.

And this is a statue called "The Waving Girl."

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Florence greeted the passing ships that went to the Savannah Port. She greeted them by waving a cloth during the day, and she used a lantern during the night. Some people say she wanted to be the first to meet her husband, as he returned to port.

And then...it was time to gas up the Cruiser & get it turned in before our departure.
Unfortunately, I think this pump was broken. Or, it was duct-taped, so maybe it was fixed.... hmmmm...who knows. I just know that ol' phrase: If you can't fix it, duct it."

Mother's Day....Part 2....

So, I've caught you all up to speed on how I spent the 1st half of my Mother's Day at the beach, in a lighthouse, and at a fort from the Civil War.

After that....sight-seeing in Savannah.

There were some BEAUTIFUL churches there...

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension


Independent Presbyterian Church


So from there, we took a pedi-cab down to River Street.
What's a pedi-cab???
Here's a pic of one:


So, we went down to River Street that is just full of shops & restaurants, and it's on the River so you see the boats go by. It's a fun OLD place to be. It's where they used to set prices & trade cotton.

And here is a big, HUGE boat going by with those cargo containers like they pull on 18-wheelers...yeah, this ship was loaded down with them like they were Gage's little building blocks.
It was MASSIVE.


And then we went to River Street Sweets...

According to www.riverstreetsavannah.com, River Street Sweets is Savannah's oldest candy store.

The Peanut Brittle was so yummy!


And so then....we hit the Savannah Candy Kitchen.
(mmmm...detecting a theme here???)


From what I read, The Savannah Candy Kitchen is the largest candy store in the South.

And boy---did they ever have a lot to choose from. There was wall-to-wall candy. It was awesome.

I HEART CANDY!

Just walking around...different shops & businesses....


Check out these steps. They were huge & steep.
Not super-easy for me, and Gage never would have made it!


And...then....we ventured into this random shop with all kinds of random things...and right there, before my very eyes....
A LEG LAMP!
IT'S A MAJOR AWARD!


I couldn't believe it. I giggled a bit & moved on.
But oh so funny to me.

We had dinner at Spanky's Riverstreet.
Excellent burgers. Mine was topped with green olives...oh so very yummy!

So then...we went on a HAUNTED Savannah tour.
wooooooooo!

I really wish that I could explain the voice of our trolley driver/trip storyteller.
It was just so fitting.

The concept is kind of cheesey, kind of fun.
Well, in the end---it was fun.

We went to Kehoe House in Savannah (www.kehoehouse.com), which, is actually where Megan & Stephen spent the night on their wedding night.

[please forgive the horrible picture]
So...apparently....it was a funeral home up until 1963...and now it's a hotel...and apparently---it's quite haunted!

We saw some other haunted places & heard all kinds of haunted stories...
We went to the Sorrel Weed House, which was featured on a GhostHunters show on the Sci-Fi channel...which, I'd seen prior to our Savannah trip....b/c we're kind of weird & nerdy like that.


It was soooo cool to see this stuff on the Sci-Fi channel, and then be there...be in the same house. It was weird & cool!

Me...in the basement of the Sorrel Weed House


When the haunted trolley tour ended, we were so curious about the Colonial Park cemetery. So, what happened? We went to a haunted cemetery at night.
Oh my!

Um, it was closed. We could see through the fence...but we put it on our list of things to do on Monday.

Good day.
:)
Long, but good!