Char's 7. How'd that happen?
She's always been my big kid. Even when she was a little kid, she was my big kid. But now she's 7! She really IS a big kid.
This kid...our relationship can be so complicated sometimes. I didn't anticipate that for a couple more years.
I
1) Tiny Wings
2) Retro Nintendo games and why having kids rocks
3) Mario stories at a hockey game
4) Dude, I have a 7 year old. What. The. What.
5) A-hole animals
6) Acne ageism
7) Laundry update
8) Books
Remember when you were like 11?
Remember when you were like 11 years old and you really ROCKED, like ROCKED! at Mario games on your NES? And you kind of thought that since you can beat the whole game in one sitting and not miss any coins on any level and you can get the million free lives when you have that one koopa shell bouncing back and forth off the steps and not even use the warp pipes to get to Bowser? Yeah, and you thought since you rocked so hard that you would somehow have some kind of professional future playing Mario games?
All you gotta do, my friends, to make that dream a reality, is have a couple kids. And then download some old skool Nintendo games on the Wii (or break out your old NES/SuperNintendo/N64) and show your kids how awesome you are. It all comes back really quickly. I could not believe how many secret spaces I remembered - where to get the free lives, warp whistles, techniques for getting extra guys at the end of the level. It's like I was transported to Allison's basement. To my sister Jill's house in Elmhurst. To all of my favorite games.
The children are in awe of me. IN AWE OF ME because I am so awesome.
Ellie is totally Mario 64 obsessed. That's my girl - it is the best video game of all time. Ever. She is disturbingly obsessed, and her demands for stories about Mario and Koopa the Quick and Bowser have led to an incredibly elaborate backstory about all the Mario characters. My fave? Our consistent storyline that Mario and Luigi found Bowser as a young turtle while walking in the woods and took him home and hid him from their mom and when she found him she made them take him back to the woods, and Bowser always felt so rejected and unhappy and sad that that is why he vowed his revenge on the two brothers.
This story is especially awesome because we were discussing it in the bathroom stall at the hockey game and when we came out two girls were washing their hands and told me it was an awesome story and I'm the coolest mom ever.
I knew, as a kid, that someday all my mad Mario skills would pay off. I just never knew how they would pay off.
THIS is my life.
All you gotta do, my friends, to make that dream a reality, is have a couple kids. And then download some old skool Nintendo games on the Wii (or break out your old NES/SuperNintendo/N64) and show your kids how awesome you are. It all comes back really quickly. I could not believe how many secret spaces I remembered - where to get the free lives, warp whistles, techniques for getting extra guys at the end of the level. It's like I was transported to Allison's basement. To my sister Jill's house in Elmhurst. To all of my favorite games.
The children are in awe of me. IN AWE OF ME because I am so awesome.
Ellie is totally Mario 64 obsessed. That's my girl - it is the best video game of all time. Ever. She is disturbingly obsessed, and her demands for stories about Mario and Koopa the Quick and Bowser have led to an incredibly elaborate backstory about all the Mario characters. My fave? Our consistent storyline that Mario and Luigi found Bowser as a young turtle while walking in the woods and took him home and hid him from their mom and when she found him she made them take him back to the woods, and Bowser always felt so rejected and unhappy and sad that that is why he vowed his revenge on the two brothers.
This story is especially awesome because we were discussing it in the bathroom stall at the hockey game and when we came out two girls were washing their hands and told me it was an awesome story and I'm the coolest mom ever.
I knew, as a kid, that someday all my mad Mario skills would pay off. I just never knew how they would pay off.
THIS is my life.
Having a zitty day...
More like a zitty decade.
I have had some acne issues on and off as an adult. NOT SO MUCH as a teen, or a pre-pube. But as an adult, awesome breakouts every couple years.
Before I had Char, I had been on a topical gel - Differin - and it was pretty effective, cleared up what was going on at the time. Then I went off, prego you know, and after she was born things were okay and then at some point I went on Clindamycin which is another topical gel, this time an antibiotic. Somewhat less effective, but my skin wasn't so bad.
So fast forward to now. A couple weeks before my 35th birthday I go to the doctor and ask him for something for my pimply pizza face. He gives me the scrip for the Clindamycin, which I get filled and then realize I really wanted to try the Differin again, so I call my doc and he calls in the scrip. I get to Target to pick it up and it was declined by my insurance company due to... Ready?...PATIENT AGE. Say whaaa?
Yeah. I was younger when I was on it before. Differin is apparently used for things other than acne when you get to be a woman "of a certain age" so I had to have my doctor call and let them know that I look like a swamp beast and do, in fact, need the scrip. Awesome, right?
Anyway, I got it, and after the initial breakout phase of almost a month, it looks like my skin is finally clearing up. It's an ugly process. I'm glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
I have had some acne issues on and off as an adult. NOT SO MUCH as a teen, or a pre-pube. But as an adult, awesome breakouts every couple years.
Before I had Char, I had been on a topical gel - Differin - and it was pretty effective, cleared up what was going on at the time. Then I went off, prego you know, and after she was born things were okay and then at some point I went on Clindamycin which is another topical gel, this time an antibiotic. Somewhat less effective, but my skin wasn't so bad.
So fast forward to now. A couple weeks before my 35th birthday I go to the doctor and ask him for something for my pimply pizza face. He gives me the scrip for the Clindamycin, which I get filled and then realize I really wanted to try the Differin again, so I call my doc and he calls in the scrip. I get to Target to pick it up and it was declined by my insurance company due to... Ready?...PATIENT AGE. Say whaaa?
Yeah. I was younger when I was on it before. Differin is apparently used for things other than acne when you get to be a woman "of a certain age" so I had to have my doctor call and let them know that I look like a swamp beast and do, in fact, need the scrip. Awesome, right?
Anyway, I got it, and after the initial breakout phase of almost a month, it looks like my skin is finally clearing up. It's an ugly process. I'm glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Bookmark kinda post...
Things I want to blog about, but haven't been focused enough to do so...
1) Tiny Wings
2) Retro Nintendo games and why having kids rocks
3) Mario stories at a hockey game
4) Dude, I have a 7 year old. What. The. What.
5) A-hole animals
6) Acne ageism
7) Laundry update
8) Books
Wow. I don't have a single thing of substance to share with y'all. But it isn't as though that's going to stop me from posting anyway, suckers.
1) Tiny Wings
2) Retro Nintendo games and why having kids rocks
3) Mario stories at a hockey game
4) Dude, I have a 7 year old. What. The. What.
5) A-hole animals
6) Acne ageism
7) Laundry update
8) Books
Wow. I don't have a single thing of substance to share with y'all. But it isn't as though that's going to stop me from posting anyway, suckers.
F to the Y to the I
We found Mario's cap. NO THANKS TO YOU (exception: Amy C from high school).
In Snowman's Land all along, methinks. I was looking at the stupid snowman to the right of where Mario starts, but it was the snowman closer to the mountain that had the hat.
The sense of relief and joy was absurd for an adult woman in 2011.
In Snowman's Land all along, methinks. I was looking at the stupid snowman to the right of where Mario starts, but it was the snowman closer to the mountain that had the hat.
The sense of relief and joy was absurd for an adult woman in 2011.
Sunday readings
Really, universe? No one cares or wants to help me find Mario's hat? No one has info or ideas on other worlds/courses it could be in? Screw you guys. Thanks for nothing.
Also, I looove my husband for getting me the next 3 books in the Walking Dead series (11-13). AND for finally explaining to me how this works. Apparently each month there's a new comic that comes out. I don't know much about the world of comics except what I see on Big Bang Theory. So he has been getting me the "Trade Paperbacks" which are nifty little books that I assumed were the monthly comics that come out.
And I cruise through them like they are candy - fast, awesome reads. I have heard that there are like 75 issues so I'm thinking "Sweet, I'll get through all the current books while waiting for season 2 to start in the fall!" but guess what? These books? They aren't an issue. The books are 6 issues compiled together. I am a fool. I would never have read them so quickly if I had known that there weren't 60 more of them! Because I seriously read all three books today. In one sitting. OHMYGOSH I love it.
I guess now we start getting the actual comics every month, which is going to kill me. Like seriously, I have no patience or sense of delayed gratification on things like this. Agony. Pure agony.
AND I just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on my Kindle. I was turned onto the story of Henrietta Lacks and her HeLa cells after hearing her family's story on a RadioLab podcast (Sidenote: Are you all listening to RadioLab? Because you should be listening to it. Just saying is all. Get on it. Subscribe to it. Listen to it while you do dishes, or laundry, or whatever. I know I'm late to the podcast game, but I obviously want everyone to get in on it.). Cells taken from her cancerous tumor were the first to thrive in a laboratory setting, and reproduced so prolifically that they became the standard cell for testing, shared with labs all over the world, and used in developing so many vaccines, medicines, and treatments. In the meantime her family had no idea her cells were used, and didn't fully comprehend what it meant that her cells were everywhere, doing these amazing things in the world of science/medicine, and no one ever sat them down and explained it to them, quelled their fears and anxieties. I already know that I'll likely be googling around to learn more about this.
Also, I looove my husband for getting me the next 3 books in the Walking Dead series (11-13). AND for finally explaining to me how this works. Apparently each month there's a new comic that comes out. I don't know much about the world of comics except what I see on Big Bang Theory. So he has been getting me the "Trade Paperbacks" which are nifty little books that I assumed were the monthly comics that come out.
And I cruise through them like they are candy - fast, awesome reads. I have heard that there are like 75 issues so I'm thinking "Sweet, I'll get through all the current books while waiting for season 2 to start in the fall!" but guess what? These books? They aren't an issue. The books are 6 issues compiled together. I am a fool. I would never have read them so quickly if I had known that there weren't 60 more of them! Because I seriously read all three books today. In one sitting. OHMYGOSH I love it.
I guess now we start getting the actual comics every month, which is going to kill me. Like seriously, I have no patience or sense of delayed gratification on things like this. Agony. Pure agony.
AND I just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on my Kindle. I was turned onto the story of Henrietta Lacks and her HeLa cells after hearing her family's story on a RadioLab podcast (Sidenote: Are you all listening to RadioLab? Because you should be listening to it. Just saying is all. Get on it. Subscribe to it. Listen to it while you do dishes, or laundry, or whatever. I know I'm late to the podcast game, but I obviously want everyone to get in on it.). Cells taken from her cancerous tumor were the first to thrive in a laboratory setting, and reproduced so prolifically that they became the standard cell for testing, shared with labs all over the world, and used in developing so many vaccines, medicines, and treatments. In the meantime her family had no idea her cells were used, and didn't fully comprehend what it meant that her cells were everywhere, doing these amazing things in the world of science/medicine, and no one ever sat them down and explained it to them, quelled their fears and anxieties. I already know that I'll likely be googling around to learn more about this.
Parenting 101
So Char's handwriting is horrible. Like...legible if we sit and really, really, REALLY concentrate and work on it. And we didn't think it was so bad until we saw some of her classmate's writing, and realized "holy crud, it's bad."
One night, while helping her with her homework, Michael and I had an epiphany...Maybe she isn't really left handed at all! Maybe THAT'S why the writing is so bad! A ha!
So we switched hands and tried it out, Michael trying to say "Yeah, some people are ambidextrous, you might be! How cool! Let's try writing with your right hand!"
Nope. She's a lefty. It's bad with either hand.
We just can't wait 'til she is 15 and remembers this and remarks to her friends what dicks her parents are.
One night, while helping her with her homework, Michael and I had an epiphany...Maybe she isn't really left handed at all! Maybe THAT'S why the writing is so bad! A ha!
So we switched hands and tried it out, Michael trying to say "Yeah, some people are ambidextrous, you might be! How cool! Let's try writing with your right hand!"
Nope. She's a lefty. It's bad with either hand.
We just can't wait 'til she is 15 and remembers this and remarks to her friends what dicks her parents are.
Ponderings
- Sometimes the cat's bored meows sound a lot like Eleanor whining about her DS from bed, after lights out. Which means the past 3 times I yelled "Ellie! In bed!" it wasn't even her, it was the cat, racing up and down the stairs, then meowing. Oops.
- Made homemade, from scratch pizza tonight - oh my gosh, this simple recipe from allrecipes.com was amazing- made 2 mini pizzas for the girls to do themselves, and then one big one in our cast iron skillet for Michael and myself. I just couldn't stop. SO delish.
- We are kid free tomorrow. I feel like the hubs has some plans up his sleeve as my b-day is next week (mid-mid-30s, folks) and every time I suggest something he vaguely kinda sorta shoots it down or gives me a "maybe. I dunno." Or he plans to ditch me as he is sick of hanging out with me. Eh. Either way, Kid Free!
- I feel like we've been on the go more than usual lately, and like I've been checked out on current events the past couple weeks. And thus, instead of doing research and catching up from regular news sources, I just watch a week of Daily Show and get incensed all at once. Do people seriously sleep at night after stating in interviews that teachers make TOO much money, have benefits that are TOO generous, that they "only work 9 months a year, have summers off" and "don't work a full day"? Really? It is actually making me so sad and feel really bleak about people being able to make these blanket, ignorant statements with a straight face. Unbelievable.
- I realize daily that my mother should receive some sort of award for putting up with me as a kid. Not even me and my siblings - that is a whole other ball of wax. But me. Alone. My slobbish ways - eating in every room and leaving glasses and bowls and plates hidden from view. Leaving dirty laundry all over the place. Wet towels on the floor. School uniform crumpled under the dresser amid the animal fur. Talking NON STOP. About nothing of interest to anyone but perhaps another 7 year old. Refusing to do the edges of a jigsaw puzzle first. Calling out from bed, endlessly, every third night. THAT SAID...If I was as snuggly, funny, witty, into playing Mario 64 with my mom as my kids are? It'd be its own reward. Kinda.
- SPEAKING of Mario 64...So we downloaded Mario 64 on Wii and have been obsessed. We beat it with 70 stars, and are working to the 120 to get Yoshi off the roof of the castle. So here's my appeal: Mario lost his hat (effing Mario). No one is fessing up to being the one that lost it. It's been at least a week. No one knows what level/course it was lost in. We've gone through all the courses in Shifting Sand Land to see if that bastard Klepto-Condor has it. Nope. Hung out in all the courses of Snowman's Land to see if the snowman would be wearing it, if it were in the igloo. Nope. Even checked out Tall Tall Mountain to see if stupid Akiki the Monkey was holding out on me. Nope. Is there a glitch that totally erased my hat? Mario's getting hit by enemies and losing so much more energy. So anyone. ANYONE who has any advice, please let me know. (Sad, right?)
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- Made homemade, from scratch pizza tonight - oh my gosh, this simple recipe from allrecipes.com was amazing- made 2 mini pizzas for the girls to do themselves, and then one big one in our cast iron skillet for Michael and myself. I just couldn't stop. SO delish.
- We are kid free tomorrow. I feel like the hubs has some plans up his sleeve as my b-day is next week (mid-mid-30s, folks) and every time I suggest something he vaguely kinda sorta shoots it down or gives me a "maybe. I dunno." Or he plans to ditch me as he is sick of hanging out with me. Eh. Either way, Kid Free!
- I feel like we've been on the go more than usual lately, and like I've been checked out on current events the past couple weeks. And thus, instead of doing research and catching up from regular news sources, I just watch a week of Daily Show and get incensed all at once. Do people seriously sleep at night after stating in interviews that teachers make TOO much money, have benefits that are TOO generous, that they "only work 9 months a year, have summers off" and "don't work a full day"? Really? It is actually making me so sad and feel really bleak about people being able to make these blanket, ignorant statements with a straight face. Unbelievable.
- I realize daily that my mother should receive some sort of award for putting up with me as a kid. Not even me and my siblings - that is a whole other ball of wax. But me. Alone. My slobbish ways - eating in every room and leaving glasses and bowls and plates hidden from view. Leaving dirty laundry all over the place. Wet towels on the floor. School uniform crumpled under the dresser amid the animal fur. Talking NON STOP. About nothing of interest to anyone but perhaps another 7 year old. Refusing to do the edges of a jigsaw puzzle first. Calling out from bed, endlessly, every third night. THAT SAID...If I was as snuggly, funny, witty, into playing Mario 64 with my mom as my kids are? It'd be its own reward. Kinda.
- SPEAKING of Mario 64...So we downloaded Mario 64 on Wii and have been obsessed. We beat it with 70 stars, and are working to the 120 to get Yoshi off the roof of the castle. So here's my appeal: Mario lost his hat (effing Mario). No one is fessing up to being the one that lost it. It's been at least a week. No one knows what level/course it was lost in. We've gone through all the courses in Shifting Sand Land to see if that bastard Klepto-Condor has it. Nope. Hung out in all the courses of Snowman's Land to see if the snowman would be wearing it, if it were in the igloo. Nope. Even checked out Tall Tall Mountain to see if stupid Akiki the Monkey was holding out on me. Nope. Is there a glitch that totally erased my hat? Mario's getting hit by enemies and losing so much more energy. So anyone. ANYONE who has any advice, please let me know. (Sad, right?)
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