Make it a double

Ear infection, that is. Yep, it's in both ears, though one has more fluid and the other (though with less fluid) is more infected. Fun. And he hates the medicine, so I get to be "mean mommy" and force it on him for the next 9 days, half the time by myself, since DH will have already left for work in the mornings. Joy.

Currently feeling: ear-itated

Another fever (and some scrapping)

Daycare called us at 3:15 Friday afternoon to report Luke was running a fever of 102. He felt hot as a firecracker, and his face was red (and not from playing or anything). But he seemed to feel fine. He even had quite an appetite for dinner Friday night. I hoped it was just a small bug and would go away. Well, he woke up with virtually no fever this morning (99 degrees), but he fussed. All. Day. Long. But since he's not talking, we have no idea if and/or where he's hurting, or if he's just tired. He hardly ate all day. He did perk up a bit right at the end of the evening, including laser-blasting everything in sight (a good sign, since he watched almost all of Star Wars today without a single laser-blast or light saber reenactment; highly unusual!), so we'll see how he feels tomorrow before deciding what to do about a doctor on Monday.

In other news, I've been quite the busy scrapper here in January. I've done 9 layouts! Wow, even I didn't realize it was that many until I just sat here and counted. Instead of listing them all out, I'll just give you a link to my January 2007 Scrapping Archives. Might take a bit to load, since it also includes the 2007 CD Calendar close up pages, but all of the new stuff is at the top. Hope you enjoy!

Currently feeling: tired of fevers

You're not serious

I just read the following over at IMDb:

The trade paper said that the MPAA will now warn parents that some R-rated movies are not suitable for younger people -- whether or not they are accompanied by an adult.

Now (and I can't believe I am about to say this), in their defense, both the PG and PG-13 definitions include something about some material not being suitable for all audiences, while the R definition does not. That being said, I have to points of contention with that particular quote.

#1: If it isn't for the content, then just why, pray tell, would they require an adult to attend with someone under 17? Did people think it was just a way of annoying both adults and children? Or maybe a way to increase revenue by requiring an adult ticket be purchased along with a child one? They list the reasons for the ratings right on the posters and in the previews. Those descriptions alone should be enough to tell you that it is inappropriate for a child. Come on, people!

#2: I am greatly concerned by the word "some" in the quote. Only *some* R-rated movies are not suitable for younger audiences? If it *is* suitable for younger audiences, then it wouldn't have been rated R in the first place, now would it?

I guess the old saying is true: Make something idiot-proof, and someone will come along and build a better idiot.

Currently feeling: baffled

New Movie Musings sent out

If you have signed up to receive my Movie Musings (movie reviews by me!), you should have received the most recent one by now. Check your bulk folder, but if you didn't get it, please let me know. I reviewed five films! Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Stranger Than Fiction, Casino Royale, Eragon, and The Pursuit of Happyness.

Shameless plug: If anyone reading this is interested in receiving my movie reviews, as infrequent as they are these days, please either email me (erinmarie AT rocketmail DOT com), or leave a comment with your email address. I'll get the new ones posted on the web, hopefully sometime this week, but it is currently well after midnight, and I have got to go to bed!

Currently feeling: sleepy

Season 3: High Stakes Poker

Everyone is all excited about the premieres of 24 and various other television shows. And what are DH and I watching? High Stakes Poker on GSN! I swear, we're addicted. We had heard that our favorite player, Daniel Negreanu, would not be playing this season after getting burned (bad!) last season, but he's here. Yay! Lots of familiar faces, a few new ones; some familiar, some not. Havin' fun!

Not even watching the Golden Globes tonight. I know, I'm sad. I don't love the Globes, for some reason. I don't know what it is about the Oscars, but that is really the only awards show I watch each year. If there was nothing else on, sure I'd have the Globes on, but I'd probably be doing something at the same time (like scrapping). I'll read about the results tomorrow, and maybe try to figure out what movies need to be on my "to see" list if I intend to hit all Best Picture Oscar nominees this year (one of my 101 things). We'll see.

Had a great day today sans child. Slept in with my honey (after dropping Luke off at daycare), had lunch at our Japanese restaurant that terrifies our son (he doesn't like the noise or the flames), spent our gift card to Best Buy, enjoyed a little of the beautiful weather, then saw a movie (The Pursuit of Happyness). Picked up the kido, dinner at Captain D's, then the premiere of one of our favorite shows. Doesn't get much better!

Currently feeling: quite content

2006: For Fun and For Real

There was a meme going around last year to do a blog year review, so I thought I would do that again this year. But considering how this past year has gone, the meme won't really touch on the big events, so I'll do a more "real" recap after the meme. So keep reading! This might get long.

The Blogging Year in Review 2006

Instructions: take the first sentence (or 2) from the first post of each month of 2006. That's your year in review.

January: Snitched from Whiz. This is all I can manage for tonight. I'll try to post a more thorough (and traditional) recap later this week.
This very meme, recapping 2005, followed those words on January 1, 2006.

February: No lower, in this case. We have dropped the mattress in Luke's crib to the lowest possible setting. Next stop: toddler bed. That was actually the entire blog entry for that day. I can't believe that was almost a year ago! He's still in his crib, and it is still at that setting, and until he starts climbing out of it or protesting the crib (or he literally outgrows it), I intend for him to *stay* in the crib.

March: Actually, there is no point. I was feeling the need to blog, but I don't know what to say. Lots I could say, serious and trivial, just not feeling up to it. Gee, that feels like deja vu. Been feeling much that way again lately.

April: I saw this on Joy's blog, and I thought it was a fantastic idea! Way better than New Year's Resolutions to me; I don't know why. Ah, my 101 Things in 1001 Days list! LOL Funny to see that here.

May: So, when last discussed, I was reviewing the virtues of digital scrapbooking, one of the primary virtues being that it is free if you stick to the freebies, it's a cheap hobby. Um, yeah. Considering I got a 250GB external hard drive to hold all of my freebies and, ahem, purchases for digiscrapping, I'd say I'm long past that point. In fact, I seriously need to curtail my purchasing.

June: Guess who's blogging! That would be my mother, who hasn't blogged, or scrapped, in ages.

July: Hard to believe that eight years ago yesterday (yes, July 4th), DH and I were married. Oh the irony, considering yesterday's post.

August: Some of you may recall that I was previously offered a contracting position with my old company that never panned out. Ah, I had just been contacted about the job offer for my current job! And where I should be working right now, LOL.

September: Geez, has it only been a week since we left? Feels like a month, at least. I don't ever remember being this tired in my entire life. The aftermath of my grandmother's funeral.

October: We all know how men are when they're sick. One is bad enough, but two? Oh yes, a house full of sick males, right before Luke's birthday and the discovery of his horrible ear infection.

November: Woo-hoo! I am very excited to announce that I have finally recorded 10,000 hits on my blog. That was a fun day!

December: His email from a few minutes ago:
Just heard from the neurosurgeon. The neurulogical radiologist who read the films says the discs look fine, but there are some degenerative changes. Getting word on my father's condition, after he had an episode at school the day we were leaving to return home after Thanksgiving. He was fully checked out during December with all kinds of tests, and he is just fine.

2006: The Way It Really Was

January: Luke was teething. I was sick. Disney bought Pixar.

February: Laura died. Luke learned to wave. I was offered a job. Luke had his first cold. Luke visited his first playground. Luke had his first stomach virus.

March: The job fell through. We left Luke at Nana's and Papa's and went to Disney alone. Luke got sick, again.

April: My uncle got married. I made my 101 Things in 1001 Days list. I redesigned my blog. We realized that Luke is HUGE for his age. Luke discovered his imagination. I fell "hook, line, and sinker" for digital scrapping.

May: I visited Miami for the first time. Jacob graduated with his Ph.D. Granny broke her hip. Luke said his first word (down).

June: I started Mom on digiscrapping. Luke said "mama." Granny took a terrible and terrifying turn for the worse. I met Scott Leonard of Rockapella at the airport. I flew first class for the first time. Granny does better physically, but starts mentally slipping. We visit her for the last time. I started my scrapping blog. Luke acquired his pink kitty.

July: DH and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. I *finally* got my Social Security information straightened out. Lots of scrapping. Lots of child frustration. I turned 30.

August: I was asked to interview for another job. DH's turn to be 30. I got the job! I began the nightmare of finding daycare for Luke. Granny died. I discover how much my new boss truly rocks.

September: We finally have daycare, almost a month after I started working. Lego Star Wars II is released, and DH and I are disappointed in it. Luke learns to jump. I got very sick.

October: Bot Luke and Steve are sick. Luke is diagnosed with his first ear infection plus peri-orbital cellulitis, two days before his birthday. Luke turns 2. Mike brings Jennifer to the party and proposes that afternoon. I visit Toronto, Canada, and Niagra Falls. Luke and Steve are in a small accident. We all survive what would have been PaPaw and Granny's 60th anniversary. Luke is a baseball player for Halloween.

November: I make 10,000 hits on this blog. I see a deer in our neighborhood. We make it through our first Thanksgiving without Granny and what would have been her 84th birthday. We have new family portraits made. Luke is officially diagnosed with a speech delay and hearing problem. Dad has a possible neck/nerve relapse.

December: Dad is cleared for his neck. I get terribly sick. Christmas is a great grand affair. I try all sorts of new food. I ring in the new year surrounded by my family.

Busy year! After all that, I'm hoping for a pretty quiet 2007. Hope yours is going swimmingly so far!

Currently feeling: listed

Krista got me again

I am in the midst of that 2006 review (if anyone still cares, now that the month is half over). I also still have 3 movie reviews to write up from December! Oops.

And I want to thank all of you who have come out of the woodwork to cheer me on with my new goal, in comments and in email, literally from all over the world. I appreciate it! I can't say that I have been doing great yet, but I have made some baby steps, and I *will* have a firm plan in hand very soon. But your support means the world to me! Thank you.

In the mean time, Krista decided to tag me with her own little idea for a meme. Actually, I think it is a useful exercise that we should all do more frequently.

"List 10 things that are making me happy right now, right this second..."

1. Hearing my son's gentle sleeping breath over the monitor.
2. Scrapping templates, because they rock!
3. My new PhotoBlast actions.
4. My new 250GB external hard drive, so I could download all of my recent purchases without having to delete anything to make room for it.
5. Josh Groban's new album, Awake.
6. Feeling the love of my family and friends regarding my new goal.
7. The cascade of Christmas cards that have come in the mail from my various pleas for them in cyberspace. Thank you all!
8. The beautiful weather we've had this weekend, that should continue tomorrow.
9. I found a great dress to wear to my BIL's wedding in March. (Now, if only I can find shoes....)
10. Planning a day out on Monday, just me and my hubby, after we drop off the child at daycare.

Currently feeling: happy