Taste in Movies
Netflix knows me, and quite well I might add. Based on my rental history and my ratings of movies, it makes recommendations of other movies I might like. Sometimes I get a movie they suggest, sometimes not. It’s not the movies they suggest that impresses me. It’s the personalized categories, all of which I agree uniquely and accurately describe my tastes.
Action & Adventure based on real life — The key is “based on real life.” I love movies based on true stories — “ripped from the headlines” — or that present a story that I believe could happen.
Feel-good Teen Dramas — Sure. I love a good teeny-bopper flik. Takes me back, keeps me young, makes me laugh at my teen-age self. Some of my faves are Grease, Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, Bring It On.
Dark Military Movies – This is obviously hubby’s movie choices coming through. Although, I’ve been known to enjoy a good war movie from time to time. I even watched We Were Soldiers all on my own a few weekends ago.
Sentimental Wedding Movies — Yeah, I’m a sap for a wedding movie. My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Wedding Date, The Wedding Planner, Sweet Home Alabama, … love ‘em all.
Mixed feelings about responses to swine flu
I don’t know what to make of this whole swine flu thing. Are things really this serious or are “they” blowing this out of proportion? I don’t know. At a school across town there are two unconfirmed but “probable” cases, so they’ve closed that school for seven days and closed the schools my kids go to for the rest of the week. I care about my kids not getting sick and not spreading this virus but closing schools for multiple days and weeks is HUGE. I can’t work when they do that. My workload suffers, which I don’t like, but more personally my comp time suffers. I’m afraid to admit that because it sounds so selfish, but I can’t help but be aware of it. It’s so tough to balance those feelings of wanting to keep my kids safe and healthy with my desire to not use up my comp time. I have to use time so much as it is when they’re actually sick, I don’t feel great about using it when they’re not sick but might could get sick. At the same time, I don’t want them or others to get sick … so the quandry that is.
I’m also annoyed at government officials on the news telling parents to come up with their contingency plans for what they’ll do if/when schools are closed. Well, if they’re telling us to keep kids away from each other, then there is no contingency plan other than to keep them home. A friend, who’s son plays ball with Finn and is in the same class at school, offered to help with the boys if I needed to work. But what if her family is sick and passes it to mine or if we already have it and pass it to them? I could enlist my parents to help, but I don’t want them to get sick either. Besides, my mom works, so not even a realistic daytime option.
I’d like to see some government recommendation for what parents’ should do about this. They’re already talking about the affect on the economy if parents have to take days or weeks off work. What should companies do? I’ve requested to work from home and they’re usually pretty flexible about that kind of thing. I’m hoping the place where I work or the company I work for is going to come out with some official message for employees to do what they need to do to care for their families and manage their work too and give us the flexibility to do things different for a few days until this thing is over with. Or maybe even companies should close? A news clip this morning showed Obama saying stay home if you’re sick, but we all know people (me included) still come to work when they’re sick. What if schools were to close for a week? I don’t even know what I’d do. I just pray it doesn’t come to that.
It starts in kindergarten
This past weekend at a birthday party with Finn, I found myself quite troubled by all the talk about boyfriends, girlfriends, he doesn’t like me, I don’t like her, etc. It’s kindergarten. Can’t they all just get along and play? I sat by a mom who’s daughter was Finn’s girlfriend several months ago until they “broke up.” I knew about this because he came home around Valentine’s Day talking about the girl and even bringing home valentines from her. At the time, I thought it was cute and fun. A few weeks later he came home saying the little girl wasn’t his girlfriend anymore. He seemed mildly bummed about it but quickly (like 5 minutes later) forgot all about it. I asked him how he knew she was no longer his girlfriend. He said: Because she told him.
I hadn’t given it much more thought until this past weekend’s party. Other moms were talking about which girls were the girlfriends of which boys, how many girlfriends a certain boy had, how their daughter used to like this boy but now she likes this other boy, and so on. They all thought it was so cute. And it kind of is. But some kids seemed to be taking it too far and being mean to boys or girls they don’t “like.” The mom of Finn’s “ex-girlfriend” talked about one girl in another kindergarten class who started this “club” and she tells the other girls that she’s the most popular girl and bosses them around. Can we say the 5-year-old version of Mean Girls?
The whole experience just broke my heart because he’s 5! I think back to when I was 5, and we had the whole boyfriend/girlfriend stuff too, and we chased boys at recess and visa versa. My “boyfriend” most of that time was a red-headed, freckled-face boy named Junior. But I don’t remember kids being so catty and serious. I just want my kids to enjoy being children and not stress over silly stuff like this. I’m thinking, though, there’s very little I can do about it.
Love Thy Neighbor
I met one of my neighbors today — the ones that moved next door to us at the end of last summer and who I’ve waved at in the yard but never actually spoke to. It turns out that our oldest boys are in kindergarten together (same school, but not the same teacher) and we both have 3 yo boys too. The boys recognized each other and Sam, the nextdoor neighbor boy, came over to talk to Finn at the same time the 3yo neighbor boy came over and got a toy out of our garage. It was so cute!
All 4 boys played with our ride-on toys and balls while Ellie, the neighbor mom, and I talked a bit. Next thing we know, Finn and Sam have gone in our house. Finn asked him in to play Mario Kart. If I hadn’t just got in from work and had to figure out supper, baths, reading, etc. in a few short hours, I’d gladly have let Sam stay and play — and offered for him to come back another time. I never had a neighborhood friend like that so I’m glad that our boys will have that opportunity.
Easter Photos
I took quite a few pictures of the boys on Easter, while thoroughly enjoying my new camera that hubby surprised me with at Christmas. One of the photos was so nice I decided to use it as the boys’ official spring portrait — that’s right, no high-price photography studio or goofy photographers tossing stuffed animals in the air and tickling my kids to make them laugh. I did it myself, and their smiles are natural and my memory of the experience is much better than of past photo experiences in cramped studios where photogs are running late and by the time it’s my kids’ turn they’re cranky and it shows in my photos. Not that I’m bitter.
I ordered a handful of 5×7s and one sheet of 8 wallets — just enough for grandparents, great grandparents, two aunts and me — and spent around $10. Because I use Target for regular prints all my photos are stored on Shutterfly so I naturally used Shutterfly to order these prints as well.
And I couldn’t be happier. Talk about saving money during the economic downturn! And the photo is great, don’tcha think?
More miscellaneous Easter photos
Cool Stuff at Target
Saw these very cool picture frames and coaster sets at Target a while back. They have frames using vinyl records too.
I thought it was a very fitting to post for Earth Day with the whole reduce, reuse, recycle concept.
