Media Blackout

I am officially setting myself to media blackout. I don't want to read, I don't want to see, I don't want to know. I haven't waited this long, with only five days to go, for some idiot to ruin the whole thing. And you know it will be released early. Has been for every previous time, and this time, they don't have the recourse of "we won't send you the next one" since there is no next one.

Yes, I am talking about Harry Potter. I really wanted to do a midnight release party, but I couldn't last time because I had an 8 month old at the time. Since my birthday is coming up, I thought it would be a great way to celebrate my birthday! Then I realized that someone there is going to flip to the back page as soon as they are handed their book, and inevidably, someone is going to shout "Harry dies!" or "Harry lives!" or some other huge spoiler, which would tick me off to no end. So I'm having it shipped to my house, guaranteed to arrive Saturday (in theory). Just not worth the risk. My brother is so worried about A) release party spoilers and B) not receiving his book at his apartment that he had *his* copy shipped to my house. I wonder what time Saturday morning he will be camped on my doorstep? LOL

Currently feeling: I'm not listening!!

Luke with a cast, the short version

The short version: Even though they could not see a fracture on the xray, examination of the elbow said that at least one bone, and probably two, are cracked at his elbow. They are non-displaced, which is great, but they still put a cast on it (blue, if you're curious) so that he would not end up displacing it should he fall again. We go back in three weeks for removal.

Long version to come, just not right now.

BTW, DH is fine. We think it might have been something he ate. We all three had the same thing, except for one item that only DH had. He only ate one bite at the time and said it tasted bad, so he didn't eat anymore, but it may have been enough. Thank goodness. One patient at a time is more than plenty.
Currently feeling: trying to hang in there

Movie Muse Shorts: Ratatouille, Transformers, and Harry Potter 5

I'll get the full musings out eventually, but with everything else going on this week with Luke's arm (thank you all for the well-wishes), this is the best I can do for now.

Ratatouille
Very good; I enjoyed it quite a lot. Didn't quite reach the heights of The Incredibles for me, but very funny and worth seeing nonetheless. No coda.

Transformers
Transformers was about what I was expecting, which is a good thing! Some people were saying it would be the next "Independence Day." I wouldn't go that far. ID is one of my favorite films of that genre, and this didn't quite measure up. I am also a self-admitted Armageddon fan (another Michael Bay film), and it wasn't quite that good either. But still, quite good, definitely the best "turn your brain off and enjoy it action movie" I've seen in a while. And the effects are just jaw-dropping, as you knew they would be. Again, definitely worth seeing, and on the big screen if you can! There is not a coda per se, but there are three short clips in the first couple of minutes of credits, so don't leave the theater immediately. The first two are just funny, but the third one (ironically the shortest) has some meaning.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I was unexpectedly able to catch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this afternoon. Really quite good, though it stuck more to the spirit of the book than the letter. Captured most things pretty effectively, even if not exactly the way everything happened. I think they missed two *hugely* important points from the book, one at the beginning and one at the end; guess we'll find out in 10 days (with the release of the final book) if it is ultimately important or not. DH, a non-book reader, enjoyed it as well, though he did have a few questions that I needed to answer when we left. No coda at the end, so no reason to sit through all the credits.

Currently feeling: full of films!

I can see it is going to be one of *those* weeks

::sigh:: Luke broke his arm yesterday. I'll give the full details later, I just wanted to put it here for now so you would know. Very minor; the radiologist isn't even positive it is broken (head of the radius where it meets the elbow, and non-displaced), but better safe than sorry. He's in a soft cast right now. We'll see the Orthopedic arm and wrist specialist on Thursday.

Didn't have time to really post this yesterday because, well, I was just too darn tired! Put Luke to bed at 6:45; he had no nap yesterday (other than about 30 minutes in the car after we left the ER), so he was flat out exhausted, and I was in bed myself by about 7. I'm only up and awake now because DH is upstairs throwing up. Luke will probably be awake in the next 30-60 minutes, so no real point in going back to sleep.

Yeah, great week so far.

Currently feeling: sheesh

Happy 9th!

Anniversary, that is, to DH and me!

Currently feeling: lovey

Something I've never seen before

My husband's chin! Apparently, this was his twisted idea of an early anniversary gift. (I'm kidding!) Here's what happened:

Sunday night, DH accidentally shaved off half of his goatee. No, I'm not making that up; it was an accident. See, he uses a beard trimmer to keep it, well, trimmed. It has a guard that he has to put on to adjust the length that it is trimmed to. Recently, he has begun doing his trimming and shaving while Luke takes a bath. Soap him down, then shave/trim while Luke plays in the water. Apparently, Luke was being rather distracting by splashing a lot (and making a mess on the bathroom floor) when DH began trimming his goatee. Only being distracted, he forgot to put the guard on it and didn't realize it until half his chin was cold!

He called me upstairs, saying he needed my assistance and opinion on a matter. I was within 100 pages of finishing my re-read of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (and he knew that!), so I knew he would not have interrupted me if it were not important. I could not even imagine what it was, though, and I was even more concerned when he said it didn't involve the still-splashing child. Frankly, I didn't even notice. I was too busy looking around the bedroom and the bathroom, trying to figure out what was wrong. I even looked at him and didn't notice. (Hey, it was only half-gone, and the other half was still scruffy, not cleanly shaved, and I was looking him in the eye!) Then he pointed at his chin, and I just burst out laughing.

And I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. I laughed until my stomach literally ached, tears were rolling down my face, and it was all I could do to stay standing. (I'm still snickering about it, actually.) He kept asking me what was so funny, and the only answer I had for him was "I don't know." I have no idea why it was (is) so funny. Shock, maybe? Both that he could do such a thing, especially by accident, and shock at seeing his chin after all these years.

He grew his moustache and goatee as an upper classman in high school because he was tired of looking so young, well over a year before he and I ever met. And (until Sunday night) he had never shaved it off since then. So, in the almost 13 years that we have known each other, I've had no idea what his chin looked like. (Hey Mom, it has a small dimple! (My mom has a thing for chin dimples.)) Can't really say if it looks like Luke's or not yet. I think we'll have to wait for Luke to get older, since that is really when a man's face starts taking on such characteristics. At least if a dimple appears, I'll now know where it came from.

DH didn't (and doesn't) think this is very funny. He's not super-mad about it or anything, but I can't say he's overly happy either, especially since I still have to fight a smile when I look at him (which he *certainly* doesn't think is funny, though he does usually end up laughing as well; whether with me or at me, I cannot say). It will probably take at least 3-4 weeks (if not longer) for it to grow back. He actually went back in and not only shaved his chin clean, but shaved off his moustache as well. He said he figured this was the closest he will ever get to doing it, so it was now or never (and that I should take a picture, because I would never see it again!). Now that *really* shocked me and, for some reason, isn't nearly as funny. I really thought he would just leave it scruffy (it will get scruffy at some point, why not now?), and I never would have dreamed he'd shave off the moustache along with it, since it was completely unscathed. Given that it has been nearly 15 years since he actually took a razor to his chin or his upper lip, I'm surprised he didn't slice them off! And we wouldn't want that. Now that I've actually seen it, I can say for sure that it is a very cute chin.... (snicker)

We were afraid Luke would react badly when we picked him up from daycare on Monday, but he did fine. (DH didn't shave cleanly or remove his moustache until after Luke was in bed Sunday night, and I take Luke to daycare in the morning, so he hadn't seen the end result yet.) I remember hearing stories of my cousin seeing her father without his beard for the first time around age three. She burst into tears and started screaming "that's not my daddy!" Thankfully, nothing so dramatic for Luke. He hardly seems to have noticed.

But as fun(ny) as this has all been, I'll be glad when it has grown back. He just doesn't look like my husband of practically 9 years (as of tomorrow) without them.

Before:


And after:


Currently feeling: still trying to repress the giggles

June 2007 Round Up

Monthly Round Up idea borrowed from Katie the Scrapbook Lady.

Much easier to get this out in a timely fashion when you make notes all month and even (shock, gasp) pre-type some of it as you go along.


Credit: Pinky Blinkies

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Finally started Half-Blood Prince. Thought I would finish it this month as well, but that didn't happen. Should still finish in plenty of time for the release of Deathly Hallows. I think that's it.

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
The DaVinci Code (better than I expected), Premonition (not quite what I was expecting, but still good), Ratatouille (very good and highly enjoyable), and Sky High (surprisingly good, highly enjoyable).

Also finally started watching Cities of the Underworld and The Universe off the DVR. Both quite good, though I think I prefer Cities of the Underworld. And The Closer *finally* started its new season. Yaaayyyy!! I didn't realize how much I had missed that show until we started watching it again. There is just nothing on network television right now (well, during the regular season) that is that good, not even CSI.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
My mom's birthday is in June, but we were unable to celebrate with her. I sent cards and called, of course. She was supposed to be here the weekend after her birthday, but she got dreadfully sick and could not make it. Father's Day was also a quiet affair, as usual. Some cards, some candy, and we went out to eat, and I called my Dad (but he wasn't home). That's it.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
I threw a baby shower for my best friend Connie. Two, in fact, since she missed the first one due to her plane having mechanical difficulty. I threw together a second shower in about an hour, and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun. And my friend Mandi gave Luke a homemade "taggie" blanket, which was very sweet of her.

I eventually gave my mom her belated birthday gifts (chocolate and bubbles; don't ask). Also made her favorite cake (brown sugar bundt cake, but I made muffins out of it) for her visit. Picked up some essentials for my newly-relocated brother the weekend he arrived.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
My nagging minor health problem hung on for the first half of the month, but seems to have resolved. (Basically, Aunt Flo came to visit for about six weeks straight, not fun.) I also got some kind of viral respiratory thing just before the baby shower. I was terrified it was going to turn into bronchitis, but it never did. It actually went away quite quickly, all things considered. Thank goodness!

We also discovered that Luke gets these huge welts when he is bitten by something (we think mosquitoes, but we're not sure). We're talking dime to quarter size (1-2 cm in diameter). They don't seem to hurt or bother him, it is just disturbing. He has about 15 bites right now, and we have no idea where or when he got them. They just appeared overnight one night, and they'll be gone in a couple of days (if they follow the progression of the other ones). Apparently, he decided to take after my mother rather than me (or my father) in this particular regard. I virtually never get bitten; if there is a mosquito or gnat within 10 miles of my mother, it will bypass everyone else so that it can bite her. LOL I know it is a really minor thing, it is just slightly upsetting to me as a mom.

Other than that, we were all good this month, yaaayyy!!!

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
The baby shower(s) was the main thing. Also helped my brother move in to his *Atlanta* apartment. Woo-hoo!! Not sure that was exactly fun, but it was exciting, and we could not possibly be happier about him being here. We're currently taking bets on how long my mom can last with now *both* of her children and her only grandchild living up here before she can't stand it anymore and moves up here (with Dad, of course, LOL).

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
My friend Talley introduced me to a new restaurant called Mimi's Cafe (over near Perimeter Mall, for all you locals). I'd never even heard of it, but apparently, they have locations all over the country. And wow, was it yummy! We actually met there for breakfast (didn't even know restaurants like that served breakfast!), and I later took my mom there for lunch when she was here (Dad was here, too, but he was at a conference, so it was mainly Mom that I got to see). It is our type of casual yet elegant restaurant. You don't feel out of place in jeans, but you also would not feel out of place in a nice outfit either. Maybe a touch swankier than Ruby Tuesday's and the like, but still casual and comfortable. I look forward to eating there again! Lots of wonderful things on the menu I look forward to trying.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Well, I had to get four new tires and the alignment done on my car, which suddenly began vibrating quite badly and pulling rather dramatically to the right. We bought a new washing machine hose, since the one we had split and sprayed water into our kitchen, enough to cause a lake about an inch deep and soak the carpet within a 3-foot perimeter. We also bought four Vortex fans and rented a carpet cleaner to help dry our carpet following said flood.

Oh, and Luke got another completely new summer wardrobe. He was rapidly outgrowing the one I bought him back in February in preparation for our Disney trip. I guess that *was* almost 5 months ago, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I feel like summer just started, so how can he already need all new summer clothes?! Thank goodness I realized it at the end of June! When I started actively looking for new shorts and shirts for him, I noticed that most stores had everything on clearance. Why? Because they are already putting out long pants and long sleeves! Sheesh, people, it is JUNE! That would be the middle of summer. You know, hitting around 100 degrees for the next several weeks with *lows* in the 80s. We will be wearing shorts and t-shirts for the next 3-4 months minimum, with long pants and certainly long sleeves still a long way away. I realize school starts in about a month (which is also insane, IMO), but who needs fall clothes to start school in August? No one in Hot-lanta, I can assure you. If I'd waited a couple of weeks to go shopping, there would have been nothing left. I guess long sleeves and long pants make as much sense in July as bikinis make in February (which is when they hit the stores this year; it's so messed up).

What were this month's disappointments?
Connie missing the shower was a huge one, though perfectly understandable given the circumstances. It was a perfectly lovely shower at an elegant little tea room, but without the guest of honor, it just wasn't the same.

What were my accomplishments this month?
Throwing that second shower and putting it together in about an hour was pretty amazing, especially knowing how I like to plan things. (I'm already planning Luke's birthday party. In October!) Oh, and my new contract position that will start around September 1! Not sure that counts, though, since the position once again just fell in my lap.

What were Luke's accomplishments this month?
He is officially counting now! Previously, if you tried to count things with him (like count the crayons), he would just count by rote and keep counting (usually to 10), even after you ran out of objects (only 3 crayons, but he would still count to 10). Obviously wasn't quite grasping the concept. But we were watching Blue's Clues a couple of weeks ago, and Blue and Steve were trying to decide which door to take. Luke looked at the screen and said, "one, two, three, four!" And there were indeed four doors. Blue and Steve were not even counting the doors, just trying to choose the smallest one, so there was no prompting from the show to count them. He did that himself. He now counts all sorts of things.

He is doing very well at going pee-pee in the potty, at least during the day. I think going at night will be a long time coming (he sleeps like the dead, like his mommy), and he still has no interest in pooping on the potty. But given that he had virtually no interest until about six weeks ago, I think we have made great strides!

There is another new lovey in his life. Two, in fact. Orange kitty has been supplanted by bear. Or Booster Bear. (He was trying to put the pop-off back panel of his Buzz Lightyear on bear in the car the other day, so DH came up with Booster Bear, Buzz's new sidekick.) Bear is now the companion of choice in the car, while orange kitty now has to wait at home. He is also taking his light up (fiber optic) white doggie to bed as well. All three go up and down to and from bed daily, while puppy and Eeyore must stay in the crib.

He's had a bit of an imagination explosion as well. Toys now talk to and interact with each other. He has several new Star Wars Galactic Heroes sets that he loves. He was even giving pink kitty (who now lives in the car) her choice of juice or water the other day. We take him a cup of juice to have in the car after daycare, since it takes a while to get to dinner after we pick him up and he gets cranky. So I'm driving, and I suddenly hear, "Juice? Water? Juice? Water? Juice? Okay." Followed by a loud slurping noise. I glance in the rear view mirror, and he is holding the straw up to pink kitty's mouth and making a slurping noise. Apparently, pink kitty chose juice. LOL

He also finally learned to pedal the tricycle. You know, the one we got him for his second birthday? Yeah, well, 8 months later, and he finally figures it out. I think part of the problem was that they had little scooter things at daycare that you sit on and push with your feet. No pedals. So he would come home and only want to use his feet on the ground. We tried showing him what to do with the pedals, and we even watched the segment on Sesame Street where Elmo talks about and demonstrates (and sings a song about) pedalling a tricycle. Still no go. He loved being on the tricycle, so that wasn't the problem. But early this month (he did it for the first time when Connie was here, actually), he finally got it going, pedals and all! Then he had to learn to steer, which didn't take long. He now happily pedals all over the downstairs (which is mainly one large room with just a small divider wall in the center, which he loves to circle). We might actually let him take it outside on the pavement soon. We'll see.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
Let's see. We covered the shower and the flood, the counting and the tricycle, Jacob's move and a new contract. Those are certainly the biggies. Nothing else really comes to mind.

Wait! I forgot! DH got his first ever speeding ticket. Okay, that is all.

Currently feeling: quite pleased