Category: Memes

Thursday Thirteen: Things I’d forgotten about newborns

I’ve seen the Thursday Thirteen meme around forever, and have been meaning to play along. This is another one of those posts I’ve been writing in my head for days and pecking out in stolen moments over the last week or so.

thursdaythirteen300.jpg

Thirteen things I’d forgotten about newborns:

  1. How you start hearing phantom cries in the white noise of the shower or dishwasher or vacuum cleaner, and how you are always listening for them, even when baby is out of audible range — like, in the car with Daddy.
  2. How the three hours between feedings can seem like an entire day during daylight hours, and pass in the blink of an eye overnight. As in, “Oh my god, I swear I just closed my eyes – and you want to be fed AGAIN?”
  3. The way their feet, still reflexively curled as they were in utero, get stuck in the legs of the sleeper or curl up in the belly part.
  4. The way they gaze at you with the deepest and most intensely searching looks, and how you’re sure that you’ve just made an important cerebral connection with them, just before the biggest poops.
  5. How a fresh diaper acts as a laxative, stimulating the bowels to move almost invariably.

  6. How open air acts as a diuretic, and that baby boys love to make fountains.

  7. How much they hate it when you sit down. Under no circumstances may your butt come to rest on any piece of furniture. You can stand, you can sway, you can walk, you can dance and you can pace, but even if you maintain the exact positioning and orientation of your standing self as you ease your body into a sitting position, they will know and they will complain.
  8. That it’s HARD mothering a newborn. Intensely gratifying, but oh so very hard.
  9. That it’s easier to zip an angry cat into a wetsuit than wrangle a wriggling newborn into a sleeper, especially at 3 am.
  10. The endless loads of laundry. (I know, I’ve done nothing but kvetch about laundry and shovelling since the baby was born. But if I could eliminate those two things, I swear I’d have a whole extra day each week!)
  11. That they are fiercely strong little buggers. If a newborn doesn’t want to straighten his leg so you can bathe behind his knee, he damn well won’t do it despite the fact that you may be 18 times his size and 38 and a half years more experienced.
  12. The way the first smiles make it all worth while. You don’t realize how much you value an actual interaction with your kids until you start getting those first beaming, natural and gorgeous smiles. I’ve told Lucas that each smile buys him three hours of crying… lucky for both of us, he’s building up credit by the day.
  13. That it’s folly to think you have time to blog 13 things at all with a newborn in the house!

The sky is falling!

No, not really, but there are two really cool reasons to look up into the night sky tonight.

Way back in the day, blog used to cater more to my inner geek. I wrote about why we should explore space, and ranted about the evolution versus creationism debate. I don’t remember when I last wrote on the subject, but when I saw this meme at About Miche, I couldn’t resist:

JustSayHi - Science Quiz

(I would’ve done better if there were more astronomy questions! Theoretical astronomy and cosmology – stuff like chaos theory and string theory and the origins of the universe – have long been a fascination of mine.)

So, back to the free show in the sky tonight. First, there will be a gorgeous total lunar eclipse tonight, and for a nice change it is both at a reasonable hour AND at least here in Ottawa, the skies should be clear. The eclipse will be visible from most of North America, as well as South America and Western Europe, and the next lunar eclipse visible in Canada won’t be until December 2010.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the earth’s shadow — that is, the earth comes between the sun and the moon (as opposed to a solar eclipse, when the moon passes between the sun and the earth.) The moon won’t disappear completely, but will become a deep red or orange colour. You can see the earth’s shadow take the first ‘bite’ out of the moon starting at 8:43 pm EST, and totality begins at 10:01 pm and will last until 10:51 pm. For more info on lunar eclipses, see this excellent primer.

As if that weren’t cool enough, you will also be able to see the American military spy satellite USA 193 as it passes over Ottawa starting at 6:06 pm EST tonight. (You can get information about tracking the satellite in your hometown’s sky starting here.) This is the satellite that’s been in the news lately for its decaying orbit – either the US military will shoot it down in the next couple of days, or it will crash to earth some time in March.

You should be able to see the satellite with the naked eye. It will be about as bright and the same size as the brightest stars, and will take about five minutes to move across the sky. It will rise in the southwest and rise more or less overhead across the southeast sky before disappearing to the northeast. This website has a star chart with the path marked across it.

Cool stuff!

As if the Captcha Oracle wasn’t enough fun…

I really wish I had something better for you this Monday morning than a meme — but I don’t. But after all the weekend fun with the Captcha Oracle, this one seemed to at least fit in thematically. I wasn’t going to post it until I had my answers, but some of them were too priceless NOT to share. Thanks to Suze for the blog fodder!

iTunes Revenge

Rules: Put your music player on shuffle, press forward for each question and use the next song title as the next answer. (And yes, I have done something similar before… but this one has different questions.)

What does next year have in store for me?
Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears (ha! Good start!)

What’s my love life like?
Silver Bells – Perry Como (WTF? I thought I deleted all the Christmas music?)

What do I say when life gets hard?
Boots or Hearts – Tragically Hip (Okay, that’s kind of eerie in a way only a few people would understand. This was my theme song when I was going through my divorce. Way too weird!)

What do I think of upon waking up?
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard – Paul Simon (???)

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
(I skipped this one – the answer is “A Whole New World” from Disney’s Alladin.)

What do I want as a career?
Something – The Beatles (Well, that’s plenty specific.)

My favourite saying?
Looking for a Place to Happen – Tragically Hip

Favourite place?
Silly Love Songs – Paul McCartney

What do I think of my parents?
The One I Love – REM (Awwww!)

What’s my porn star name?
Red Rain – Peter Gabriel (snicker)

Where would I go on a first date?
Come What May – Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor (On the first date??)

Drug of choice?
Fall Down – Toad the Wet Sprocket (Yes, concussions can be a rush.)

Describe myself.
When You Were Young – The Killers

What is the thing I like doing most?
Here for a Good Time – Trooper (snicker)

What is my state of mind like at the moment?
Hard to Laugh – The Pursuit of Happiness (Yes, it’s hard to laugh when you are dying of impatience – but I’m managing!)

How will I die?
Too Much Love Will Kill You – Queen (I swear, I am NOT making these up!)

And now, the question we are all dying to have answered, WHEN will this baby be born?
Stuck in a Moment – U2

Hard to laugh indeed!

The rockstar meme

Maybe it’s the result of too many years reading Dave Barry, but my ear is always attuned to turns of phrase that might make a good name for a rock band. MamaTulip tipped me off to this meme, and then I saw it at Suz’s place too. I couldn’t resist!

Directions:

1. Click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. Click on this link: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. Finally, click on this link: http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/

The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

You then take the pic and add your band name and the album title to it, then post your pic.

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(Flickr image courtesy of javieketela)

Wicked cool fun!

Meme-a-palooza

Filched from Toddled Dredge (but she out-geeked me!)

Take the Sci fi sounds quiz I received 63 credits on
The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz
How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Take the Sci-Fi Movie Quiz lose weight
***

Filched from Casey:


You Are the Middle Finger


A bit fragile and dependent on your friends, you’re not nearly as hostile as you seem. You are balanced, easy to get along with, and quite serious. However, you can get angry and fed up with those around you. And you aren’t afraid to show it!

You get along well with: The Index Finger

Stay away from: The Pinky

(You think this result has anything to do with “oh my god, are you STILL pregnant?” crankiness?)

***

I don’t even remember where I got this one. If I filched it from you, let me know and I’ll give you props.



(Junior High? Further evidence of the inherent control exerted by my barely-repressed inner fourteen-year-old girl.)

***

Another less-than-subtle reminder that if you haven’t already done so, you can vote for me (or one of the many other worthy nominees) in the Best Family Blog category of the Canadian Blog Awards. You can only vote once per round, and voting for round one ends January 21. Vote me through to Round 2 so I have something to distract me from that other thing that I’m trying not to obsess over, okay?

Delurk, and guess that birthdate!

Sometimes things come together rather fortuitously on the blog.

For example, although yesterday seems to have been Official Delurk Day, when we’ve done it in past years, it has been a week long event, so I don’t think I’m breaking any invioble rules by playing along today. (Thanks to Greeblemonkey for the graphic!)

Since blog gets in the neighbourhood of 200 to 250 visitors a day, and the average post gets between 10 and 15 comments, I can do the math without even taking off my socks and shoes to figure out that there are a few of you dropping by but never saying hello. Yes, you!!

But, cuz I’m such a thoughtful and generous hostess, I’m not going to make you go to all the work of coming up with a pithy or thoughtful or insightful comment all on yer own. No, no, no. But I am going to make you work for it, and you can thank Fryman’s comment from yesterday for inspiring me.

The Player To Be Named Later is officially due three weeks from today, on February 1. Name the date and time of his arrival, and you win a prize! What prize? Erm, um, let’s see… how about a book? I’ll send you a book, of my capricious choosing, at some time within six months of baby’s arrival.

The rules:

  1. Your guess must include a day and hour.
  2. The closest guess wins the prize.
  3. Any guess between now and February 15 is fair game.

2007 – The Year in Review

I did this meme last year, and thought it was a neat way to take a look back at the year. These are the first sentences of the first posts of each month in 2007:

  1. I’m fond of odd-numbered years – they seem to be lucky for me.
  2. Considering how socially awkward I feel when I don’t have my computer to mediate my conversations, I’m becoming addicted to these blogger meet-ups!
  3. Sorry, I still don’t have much for you today.
  4. I’m so good to you.
  5. Parents of preschoolers, consider yourself warned: Thomas the Tank Engine’s popular “Day Out With Thomas” is coming to Ottawa this summer!
  6. First of all, thank you all for your sweet words of congratulations.
  7. Four states, two provinces, six days, 1850 kms, 546 photographs… and we’re back!
  8. As I mentioned, we spent an extended summer weekend with my brother’s family at his in-laws’ cottage.
  9. We’re freshly back from our weekend getaway to Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont.
  10. Tristan has been thinking a lot lately about how things will be when he grows up.
  11. Yay, it’s November!
  12. I can’t tell you what a relief it was to be done NaBloPoMo on Friday (yay! I made it!) and not have to worry about throwing together a blog post on the weekend, not because we lacked bloggable fun but because we were so darn busy I hardly had time to sit down let alone blog about it.

I love how so many of the year’s important events – finding out I was pregnant, three great trips, even a year of bloggy socializing – fall into this list, and how prescient the first line turned out!

(Feel free to play along, and leave me a note in the comment box if you do so I can come and check out yours.)

Where I’m coming from

An interesting meme on identity, pilfered from daysgoby. I’m not convinced I’ve done it justice.

I am from paperback books, from Lays BBQ chips in a turquoise bowl, and from orange shag rugs.

I am from primary-coloured paint chipping from cold metal playground bars, from a blue two-wheeler with a white banana seat and high-rise handle bars, from dog-eared lined notebooks and fat red pencils.

I am from the bruised green sky of a pending thunderstorm, from snow that works its way under even the most tightly wrapped scarf, from sleeveless shirts on starry summer nights.

I am from the raspberries and the lilacs, from red rosebushes crawling up the trellis and emerald green lawns carefully tended. From yellow brick houses with gingerbread trim, and wide straight streets with towering trees.

I am from presents on Christmas Eve, from crepes made from scratch, from Kiefers and McLeods and even deBeers – yes, those deBeers, but too far removed to inherit any diamonds.

I am from the laughter and the bliss.

From you are my shining star and you can do it. From you can’t play with us. From we don’t want her on our team, you take her, but we don’t want her either.

I am from Jesus Christ Superstar crossed with the Force and belief in a higher power. From but why? From how can you know?

I’m from kilts and Delftware and the Maple Leaf, from potato salad and rice-a-roni at Christmas, from hagelslag on buttered rye bread triangles, from canned spaghetti on french fries.

From the Mosel river valley, where the voices of ten brothers and sisters raised in song flowed through the vineyards and over the sundial, from twin brothers who married sisters, and from highschool sweethearts.

I am from patriotism and respect and kindness, from endurance and appreciation, from storytellers. I am from love.

(Feel free to play along.)

Seven random things about… Simon

About a million years ago, Laura from Lunatic Fringe tagged me for the “Seven Random Facts About Me” meme. I’ve done a bunch of these over the years, and it’s getting tough to come up with more fresh stuff that you don’t already know about me, which is part of the reason I’ve sat on this for so long.

Then, inspiration struck. You might not need to know seven more random things about me — but what about seven random things about Simon, the cutest preschooler on the planet?

Simon

1. He’s adorable. No, really, he is. He’s one of those sweet-natured, flirty, adorable three-going-on-four-year-olds who just seem to have a natural ability to charm people. And he uses it shamelessly to his advantage.

You're my brother

2. He’s going through a kissing phase right now. I’m laughing to myself just thinking of his puckered puss as he offers it to me to be kissed many, many times a day.

Simon at six months

3. He’s adventurous in his food choices. He’ll try just about anything, and often asks for us to share what we’re having. He loves salsa (even and perhaps especially the hot stuff), fruits of all kinds (but he favours bananas and apples), guacamole, and mustard. He’s also a “dipper” and will dip just about any kind of food into any kind of dip.

First birthday cake

4. He’s got a preternatural memory. He regularly beats all of us at Memory-type card games, and even his preschool teacher has commented on his ability to remember details of past experiences. He quantifies everything from a few hours ago to last year as “Remember a long, long time ago, when….?” but recalls far more than I ever do. Someday, that will come back to bite me in the ass in a big way – mark my words!

Easter eggs

5. He likes predictability and routine. Every single morning, he asks me the exact same questions: “Is Jen coming today?” and “Are you going to work, or the gym, or the airport today?” (Granted, I go to work five days a week, and the gym once a week, but I’ve only gone to the airport twice, maybe three times, in his entire lifetime. And yet, the airport ranks in his daily questioning – and will be further ingrained when in fact I do fly out to Toronto for another conference next week!) He also asks me, every day without fail as I walk in the door and often before I get my shoes off, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

Simon's first birthday adventure

6. He’s feisty. He’s got a temper, likes to get his own way, and doesn’t take kindly to being scolded. He’s not cowed by our voices raised in anger, but yells right back. However, he’s also easily appeased.

at Grand Bend

7. He seems to have a strong affinity for music. He loves to dance, to sing, to play musical instruments. Where Tristan loves Thomas the Tank and Scooby Doo, Simon prefers the Wiggles and the Doodlebops.

Simon

What, that’s it? I’ve got seven already? But, I’m not done yet! I didn’t get a chance to tell you about his unruly curls, how he crawls into bed with me in the morning almost every day, how he still says “lellow” instead of “yellow” and I secretly kind of prefer it, and how he sometimes calls me “Mama doo doo” for reasons that baffle me, and… and…

Simon the caterpillar

One thousand (!)

Did you know that the letter A does not appear in the English spelling of any number lower than “one thousand”? Oh, the trivial gifts the Interwebs give to me.

One thousand. Like, a thousand words, or a Thousand Islands. Or, one thousand posts.

Yes, my bloggy peeps, this is my one-thousandth post. One thousand posts in not-quite 34 months. The mind boggles.

You know, I always wanted to be a writer, and I always knew that I had an easy style when it came to stringing words together — but I always feared I had nothing to write about. *snicker*

And now, in honour of my one-thousandth post, a couple of favourite subjects: Books! Memes! BOOK MEMES!!

(Thanks to Raising WEG, from whom I filched this one.)

This list is via the Guardian’s report of the top 20 books re-read by Britons. I’ve italicized those books I’ve read, and bold-faced the books I’ve read more than once.

  1. The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
  2. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
  3. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  4. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
  5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  6. 1984 by George Orwell
  7. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
  8. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
  9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  10. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  11. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
  12. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
  13. Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews
  14. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
  15. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
  16. The Bible
  17. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  18. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
  19. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  20. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Hmmm, so I’ve read a lot of books Britons like to read, but didn’t enjoy them enough to re-read them. These books, however, are the first five that come to mind when I think about books that I’ve read more than once, and sometimes more than twice:

  1. Contact, by Carl Sagan
  2. Generation X, by Douglas Coupland
  3. Who Do You Think You Are, by Alice Munro
  4. The Shining, by Stephen King
  5. Shoeless Joe, by WP Kinsella

What books have you found worthy of re-reading?