Emma Turns 5!

I'm a little late with this post's annual birthday interview.  (Emma's actual birthday was the last day of November... better late than never.)    Anyway, you can brush up on Emma's answers from last year's interview here.  One change for this year... some questions were video recorded, as requested by my good friend, Schlager.  Wish granted!

In the videoing of my 5 year old, I quickly learned that some sessions go well.  Aaaand other times, you have to stop recording and change locations if the picking at her toenails distracts her from even the easiest of questions. 

Emma.  Come on now.  

Take two goes so much better...

 

 

 

And take three even continues to go well... until I laugh at her and she pulls out her best evil eye.  Do not laugh at Emma.  Just don't.

 

 

Other questions that I asked weren't caught on tape, but here were some of her answers:

 

What's your favorite cereal?  Froot Loops

 

What's your favorite outfit?  What's that outfit where the shirt attaches to the shorts?  (Me:  A romper?)  Yeah!  I like my romper.  Can I put it on?  (No, Emma.  It's winter.)  Groan.

 

Who's your best friend?  Addy, Sabella, and Skyler.

 

Other questions I can't believe I forgot to ask!

What's your favorite holiday? 

What do you want to eat for dinner on your birthday? 

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

 

Shoot.  I will do better next year...

 

To make up for it, I've included a few video bloopers: 

 

 

 

This one is called,  "Please don't ask me really deep, higher order thinking questions.  I'm five."



 

 This one is called, "I have a cold."

 

 

This one is called, "Please don't talk to me right now."
 

 

 

 

In a year's time, Emma hasn't changed much in a handful of areas.  She still loves to sing:

 

 

And draw:

 

And sing some more:

 



 

 

Happy birthday to my sweet, beautiful, hilarious, sassy, tough, stinky, and dramatic little baby.  I love you muchly...

 

 

 

What a girl.

Blog Therapy

Whoa.  It's been so long since I've blogged that I'm all discombobulated.  I just tried logging into the blogger website... and I actually had to THINK for a minute about what my user name and password was. 

As you can tell, I remembered.  But just LOOK at this place.  The format for entering a post is all different.  I don't even recognize the screen.  Shaking my head.  Things have gotten all modern-y and stuff while I've been gone.  It's not like it was  (back in April--- date of last post) when I used to walk 10 miles to school barefoot in the snow. 

Geez.

At least there's still a bright orange, hard to miss PUBLISH button.  I think I can still remember how to do this.

I miss this place, different as it may look now.  I remember when I felt clever and funny, and this was the place to be me.  I could make myself laugh and laugh and laugh with posts about nothing and everything. 

I've been REALLY REALLY grumpy lately.  It occurred to me that I haven't had a "just me"day in quite awhile.  Maybe this is part of the problem.  I'm sort of that person who needs to just walk around the mall by myself and not talk to anyone for an hour in order to feel recharged.  That has not happened.  I'm trying to devote a few minutes of just sitting here, in this spot, writing.  I don't have much to say, but maaaaaybe my mood will improve if I just force myself to ramble.  I want to be fun to be around again.

School has started again.  Duh.  It's October.  I have a great class, and while we have our fun, I sure wish I could have as much fun as Emma when she goes to school. 

Or at least as much fun as that kid rolling around on the ground behind her.

Jack is loving school - but what else is new? His teacher is my best pal and twin from whom I was separated at birth (of course overlooking that fact that we look not much alike at all and... um... that we were born in different years.)  But anyway, we think it's funny that Jack is in her class.  I get to hear Jack stories from a whole new perspective.  And sometimes I get to hear that he's not at all what I imagined as a student...  and I mean that in a good way.  Well.. crap... how can I mean that in a good way when it sounds like I'm saying that I previously imagined him in not a good way? That's not what I mean to say... having.trouble.describing. 

I guess I just imagined Jack a little daydreamy and shy.  Danavee reports that he is well-liked, pretty darn with-it, and can even be a bit of a ham.  Weird.  I like hearing Jack stories though.  It's fun as the Momma across the hall.


In other Jack news, he thinks he can whistle now. 

Not quite, buddy.  But... almost.  Maybe.

In Emma news, she's learning to read some very early beginner books.  That's so fun.

 

In cat news, Cookie was locked in this closet for the entire day today.  Her meows even sounded hoarse from what I imagine was her calling out "I'm in here and shouldn't be!"  to an empty, empty house for 10 hours straight. 

Cookie had an awful day.

In fish news, Blue is feeling blue.  He lays on the rocks at the bottom of his tank most days,  refusing most food and interaction.  I can't quite figure out what's wrong with him.  The Internet says he may have something call fin rot.  (The medicine I administered did nothing to perk him up, unfortunately.)  So I consulted the Internet again, and another suggestion says that maybe he just needs a fish lady friend. 

Come on, Blue.  This house can't take a fish death.  Not allowed, young man.

While our pets have seen better days, Emma's Bill Cosby impression has never been better.



No.  Emma is not imitating Bill Cosby.  But I'm onto something, right?  Right?!

Jack.  Holding a 2012-13 school picture of Jack.  This kid's cute.

I'll wrap up now.  Maybe I'll just tell Blue that he needs to take up blogging.  It makes ya feel better, I'm tellin' ya.

Age 9

The age at which the froggy ride quits being fun. 
And starts getting embarrassing.

That Kind Of Girl

Recently my nine year old has been participating in an after school running program. The kids stay after school and train with teacher training partners/role models in preparation for an upcoming local 5K race in May. Jack has been doing well with it, and he's having fun each and every week that the group has assembled.
Last Monday, one of my esteemed coworkers (who was running alongside Jack) asked, "So, why isn't your mom out here running with us?" And an honest Jack replied, "Well.  She just isn't the running kind of girl."

Wow.  What a true statement!  I so want to be the running kind of girl, but...  shaking my head.

But that got me thinking and reflecting.  What kind of girl am I?  Certainly not the health conscious, active, and fit kind in my kid's eyes.  And gosh, and I'd so like to be.  Jim more than makes up for what I lack in this image of a parent.  But still.  I'd like to bring something to the table here... for myself just as much as for my family.

And so last night, the stubborn part of me stuck out my jaw and did some spontaneous exercises with the kids.  It was fun.  And I'm a good kind of sore today.

And that was a small thing.  So I wanted more.

"Maybe," I thought to myself,  "I'll try to break some of my unhealthy eating habits."  The spinach smoothies were a new venture and made me feel sort of temporarily proud of myself.  I looked on Pinterest, again, for some inspiration. 

And so I found that the 'Greek yogurt advocates' caught my attention.  I'd never tried Greek yogurt before, and this wasn't the first time I'd heard about how wonderful this stuff is supposed to be for your health.  Anyway,  they convinced me, and I went out to buy some.  The Pinterest folk said that if I just "mixed in a package of dry ranch dressing, it would replace the taste of my ranch dips and cut out all that unnecessary fat." 

"Okay," I thought.  "Perfect.  Let's do this."

And so I did. Here's my Greek yogurt all mixed and yummy looking.  Carrot ready!

And then I tasted it.  It was okay.  But something just wasn't right.

Was it sort of sweet?

Yes.  I tried it again.  This was definitely sweet.  And it would never, never do.  A few more carrot bites.  I quickly began to get grossed out.

And so I went back to my computer.  Greek yogurt.  It said it right there on the screen!  Plain Greek yogurt!  They promised me this would work!  Liars!

And so I went back to the kitchen to look at my Greek yogurt that was pretty much breaking my heart.

Wait just a cotton pickin' minute. 

I'm apparently not a label reading kind of girl.  I'd purchased vanilla.  Not plain.  And this reminded me of the time I'd tried to make my friend, Andrea's, amazing salsa.  But instead of regular diced tomatoes, I'd come home with:

Basil, garlic, and oregano flavored diced tomatoes... that DO NOT replicate Andrea's amazing salsa in any way shape or form.  Trust me, I've tried it.

Sigh.

The Greek vanilla/ranch yogurt was promptly deposited in the appropriate place.

And out of disgust, I fixed myself some health conscious dinner.

I'm going to have to change my kid's image of his mother some other day.   

And you can just bite me, carrots.

Trying Stuff

Things I'm trying lately:

Instagram.  I love it!  Instagram is a smartphone app that takes regular ol' uninteresting camera phone pictures taken by me, slaps a filter of my choosing on them, and transforms the lighting/background/focal points into looking way, way, way cooler and more stylish.  Previously, this app has been exclusive to iPhone users, and this girl has been pretty envious over it.  But not anymore!  Android users, like myself, are now jumping up and down and snapping pics like crazy.  And it's free.

Now I'm not well versed in the technical terminology of photography, and I don't know the 'why's' and 'how's' that make these pics look better.  But they just do look better.  Check out the before's and after's. 

Emma before.

Emma after! 

Whitney before - a once texted photo called "I'm giving you the hairy eyeball, Jim."

Whitney after.  Still looking weird and disapproving, but at least with flair.



Spinach smoothies.  Yeah, that's right.  You read that correctly.  Pinterest has called my attention to these unusual concoctions that more than a few people say is "healthy yet surprisingly tasty."  I had to see for myself.  In a blender, I stuffed a fistful of baby spinach leaves, a small container of Yoplait vanilla yogurt, a quarter cup of Splenda, a handful of strawberries and blueberries, a drop or two of vanilla, milk, water, lots of ice, and then I pushed the "obliterate" button. If you can get over the strange purplish green color, you, too, can enjoy this treat without gagging.  The leaf bits get ground  into little tiny specks.  Just imagine that they're the vanilla bean specks in a bowl of some completely indulgent vanilla ice cream.  And at the same time, it'll make you sort of feel like you've at least attempted to be healthy. 

Since then, I've learned that Jim has done research and found that eating one regular container of vanilla yogurt is the equivalent of consuming three fudgesicles right out of the freezer.  And that sort of popped my bubble.  I'll try the fat free yogurt next time and get back to you on the taste factor vs. health factor.  I'm still hopeful.

Accepting the fact that Jack is growing up.  I mean.  Just look at my shoe next to his!  Ugh.

Accepting the fact that I'll never be able to do anything about my reaaally unnaturally THICK ankles.  This just now made the list.  After I uploaded the picture above.  Yuck. 

Getting through the school year.  Here's a milestone that shows a light IS at the end of the tunnel.  It's MAP testing time.  Kids take the state achievement test, and Danavee and Whit wear their ridiculously clever "#2 is #1 if you're a pencil"  t-shirts to honor the arrival of April.  Which precedes the arrival of May.  And we all know the significance of May.  The end of the madness. 

Solving the mystery that is my sabotaging washer and/or dryer. 

For the past year, I can't even count how many random and isolated pieces of clothing that, within an occasional load, come out of the laundry cycle completely ruined.  I will fold a piece and discover that one solitary pant leg is totally covered with splotchy blue patches.  Or sometimes red splotches.  And it's a puzzle that is not consistently predictable.  We'll go for months with a no-clothes-ruined streak, and then... BLAST IT.  Jim's shirt is ruined.  Emma's dress has to be trashed.  Or if it was this morning...

My best fitting khakis.  Red crap all down the leg.  Like I'd poured red Kool-Aid into the wash cycle.  WHAT IS THIS CRAZINESS?

No other clothes in the pile affected.  No color runs.  No melted crayon in the pocket.  I don't use fabric softener.  My detergent is not red.  Nothing.  No identifiable reason.  Just upsetting.  And I have no leads on this mystery.  Help.

Wearing more dresses because it makes me feel girly, and I like that.  I sort of look at this as an excuse to do more shopping.  And that could be fun.  Here's my first purchase.  A dress/Instagram combo.  Look how proficient I am getting at completing things on my "Try" list.  Hot dog!

Needs a sweater for school.

But my favorite part is the neckline, and a sweater hides that.  Boo!  Thanks to Danavee, by the way,  for teaching me how to pose like a model.  Work it, girl.  And thanks to Jack for the impatient look on my face because he wouldn't hurry up and snap the pic.  

Finishing the second book of the Hunger Games series.  I was definitely hooked on the first book, and I loved seeing it come to life in the movie theater.  And although I have begun the second book and am definitely entertained, I've just not made the time to push through it.  Ugh.  Come onnnn summer... when I am carefree and light.  I think we're down in the twenties for the countdown on days left of school.  It's a-comin!

While I'm still loaded down with school duties and strapped for time, I'll make do with visiting silly websites like THIS ONE to remind me of my love for the series. 

My "Hunger Name" is Chicory Thunderpickle and I "had the honor of being a District 6 tribute in the 69th Hunger Games." I was killed by my "inability to outrun a swarm of wasp creatures." 

Yeah.  That sounds about right.  Wasps have always had it out for me.

What's your Hunger Name?  Leave it in the comments for me, please.

Keeping my classroom decor more up to date.  I guess I've been preoccupied at work.  Uhhh.

 

Definitely do NOT let it snow.  Those might even be Christmas trees there.  Wake up, Whitney.  Sheesh.



Disney 2012 - Part 4

Wow... so I didn't intend on leaving you hanging for that long.  Sorry about that.
(The blog thing.  It's a love/hate deal these days.)

So, back to our Hoodenpyle vacation updates.  We visited Disney's Hollywood Studios on Day 4 of our trip to Orlando.  Day 5 was a return trip to the Magic Kingdom, but we've discussed that.  And it was just more of the same... Emma obsessing over Dopey.  :)

Hollywood Studios is one of my favorites.  Thrill rides a'plenty, and our favorite movie themed attractions around every corner.  There's something for everyone.

Mickey's gigantic wizard hat at the entrance to the park.

 Emma flirts with one of the soldier figurines (come to life) from Toy Story.

 These guys were sprinkled throughout a certain section of the park.  They never said a word and sometimes would stand frozen in place for the longest time.  Initially, you weren't sure if they were people or just very lifelike statues.  It was a kick to watch people poke them and try to make them move.  And every time they did, was a big startle from the surrounding crowd.  Good candid camera material. 

This guy here grabbed us and decided it was time for a group nap.

 

Later, we met up with Sully and Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc.  Mike is sort of creepy, but he provided one of my favorite shots of Jack.  Makes me laugh every time I look at it.

 Sully is furry and lovable.  And he and Emma hit it off really well,
 as you'll see below...

 My absolute favorite ride of any of the days, hands down, was the Toy Story Mania!  It's a new one, and if any part of you remembers and is still in love with the video game "Duck Hunt"... then you'll be smitten with this ride too.  We rode it twice, but I could've spent all day there.

 

 One of Jim's favorites is actually not a ride, but the car stunt show.  The show features drivers spinning really fast little sports cars this way and that in super tight spaces.... all in an attempt to show the audience how action movies (with those crazy car chases) are actually filmed.  We learned all the trick shots and "magic" behind the scenes.  Packs of cars moving in very tight choreographed wheelies, jumps, burn-outs, and spins.  It's like synchronized swimming... only... um.. cars and stuff.

The show was much the same as when we visited five years ago, but Jim smiled like it was the very first time.  Special guest appearance by Lightning McQueen... That was fun for the kids!

If you ever get to Hollywood Studies, be sure and stay until dark to see "Fantasmic"-- a special light/music/water show down in the amphitheater.  Whoa!  A-maz-ing!

I can't even begin to do it justice with the camera.  Water on fire.  Fountains that turn into projection "screens" of every Disney movie you can likely name.  Fireworks.  Boats.  Live character action.  Music.  It was just incredible.

And I bet Emma spotted Dopey before you did.  I'm just sayin'.

Now... about that lingering question from Part 1, "Did Emma convince her dad to take her along with Jack to get on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror?"

  Although she tried with all her might... and maybe even added a little bit of foot stomping... 

We. Knew. Better.

She and I had a grand time sitting on the curb, eating a gigantic hot fudge sundae instead.  Life immediately became fair again, in her eyes.  No worries at all.

To wrap up the stories of our vacation, I'll leave you with a little clip of Emma.  While we waited for the nighttime light show, she got the crowd warmed up.

Girl's got fantasmic moves. 



 

Disney 2012 - Part 3

Which brings us to Epcot, Day 3.

Epcot was an interesting place, for sure.  But I think it was geared for an older audience with lots of opportunities to read and learn.  It had more of a discovery center/museum feel than the blatant entertainment feel that the Magic Kingdom had offered.  Had it been just Jack, we might've spent more time here.  But we were all pretty darn tired by this time, and Emma was in and out on interest level. 

This, friends, is an example of an "out" moment.

Quite possibly another.  You get the point.

Some things that were right up Jack and Dad's alleys were the big rides.  Mission: Space was top priority for Jack, the space fanatic.

Mission: Space had some warning signs upon entry.  There were two choices: a code orange level experience and a code green level experience.  One was tame and would not induce vomiting.  The other would.  I paraphased the exact wording on the signs, of course.  Jack and Jim were pushing the limits here.  I shrugged as they both volunteered for the torture line. 

Some 45 minutes to an hour later, I saw the boys exiting the ride.  Jack was perky, happy, and fine.  Jim was messed up.  And he doesn't get motion sickness.  The "things don't feel right" sensation stayed with him the rest of the day.  He described it later as what you see on those movies that spin fighter pilots/astronauts around at the end of a long mechanical arm so that they can experience G-forces.  Gosh, I'm glad I didn't even consider getting on this ride.  Whew.

On the way to Mission: Space

Another big priority for the freshly blendered boys was the fast roller coaster called Test Track.  After riding that,  they were pretty satisfied with themselves.  While we waited, Emma and I practiced our photography skills. 

Hm.  I don't like my sunglasses.  Why didn't anybody tell me that my sunglasses were ugly?

Pretty standard Emma shot.

Palm trees.  Pretty.

I don't have many more pictures from Epcot.  Oh wait.  Yes I do.

I had never been to Epcot before, but when you ride the "Spaceship Earth" ride that goes up into the large "golfball" looking attraction, remember to smile nicely.  And don't make a face. 

This ride has a "history of society" kind of theme.  In order to give glimpses of the future, the rides summarizes mankind's past.  It's sort of an interactive ride, as it includes YOU as a character in the future.  In your "car", you also have a touchscreen, like we did, that will ask you questions such as "In the future, do you want to live in the country or the city?"  Another was, "How would you choose to get to work in the future?  By foot, bike, train, or personal vehicle?"  Anyway, all of these questions and answers will then be incorporated into a little movie about what your personal future will look like.  Every car's movie is different.  For instance, Jack will live in the country.  He will use solar power proficiently.  And he will live in this cool, futuristic looking tree house thing.

In my movie about my future with Jim, I don't remember what the specifics were on our living conditions actually.  I was too busy noticing that I will look like an idiot in the future.  See, nobody warned me, like I just did you, to smile normally.

Jim, of course, whipped out his phone to document this future Whitney.  I should've known.

Oh and just so that you can consider yourself EXTRA warned.  Your mugshot will be displayed for all riders to gaze upon later as you exit.  Just look up on the constantly updating ceiling panels out in the ride's lobby/exit room.  Yes.  I was definitely avoiding eye contact with anyone gazing upward, laughing sort of a cruel laugh.  Kind of like the one you're imitating now.  

AGAIN, just smile like a normal person.

Like I said, Epcot was kind of a short day.  We were tired.  But here's a moment that I forgot to mention from the Magic Kingdom.

I didn't have the heart to tell Emma that the lyrics aren't "Pirates like-a me."

Thanks for this little girl's self confidence boost, Pirates of the Caribbean.

Disney 2012 - Part 2

Monday was our first full day of vacationing in Florida, and we headed out for the Magic Kingdom with much excitement.  In fact, it sort of felt like everyone had the very same idea.  The place was clearly going to be a busy place during spring break season.  We stepped off of our shuttle bus, which was packed with standing room only.  Streams of people flocked into the gates of the Magic Kingdom from all directions.  Thus began our day of LOTS of waiting in line.

And when you wait in line for as long as we did, you play lots of wait-in-line games.

But it was all worth it. 

For these smiles.

After the initial castle-in-the-background shots, we hung a right into Tomorrowland. 

There's no doubt that Emma was just as impressed with the "Peoplemover" as Jack was when he was little.   And just to be fun, I tried to create the then/now comparison that follows:

Little Jack/Big Jack.  Makes me feel sorta nostalgic.

And this? Yeah, this just makes me laugh.  What a ham!

We battled Emperor Zurg in Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

I still can't believe that Jim beat me. 

Jack and I were graceful losers.

Later,we got our chance to meet several Disney celebrities. 

including Buzz Lightyear.

And Woody and Jessie.  Jack did as Buzz had asked and delivered a love note to Jessie.  There was some swooning.

Other highlights of our Magic Kingdom days included:

Carousel riding.

It's A Small World gazing.  Awe.

Riverboat riding.

Parade watching.

Dopey crush developing.

And making stops for Dopey hugs.

And more hugs.  Over the course of many days.

 

We did some souvenir shopping.

Treat eating.

And more Peoplemover riding.

Happy exhaustion #1.

Happy exhaustion #2.