Fat Biscuit

When it Rains . . .

Another update for the fam. Owen is now being a total show-off with his teeth and lost another one last night, just minutes before we finished his bedtime story. I grabbed a small baggie, put the tooth in it, and placed the loot under his pillow. This morning when he found his Susan B. Anthony coin, Owen asked why the tooth fairy had taken the baggie as well. "I don't know," I said, "Maybe the baggie makes it easier for her to carry it." 

Now I'm kicking myself for not putting the baggie back under the pillow WITH THE COIN IN IT!

Gum Drops

Just a notification for all family members: Owen just lost his first tooth. Tonight the tooth fairy will visit. I've told Owen that he might want to stay in his own bed (instead of crawling into bed with us at some strange hour, as is his habit) so that tiny little lady will know where to go. 

All My Titles Seem Familiar

Owen has just stripped down to a comical turtleneck with underwear ensemble in an attempt to survive the burning inferno that is Nana's wood stove. Unfortunately for Owen, the stove is in the same room as the television, so he's put on a brave face. Nana's face was not so brave, however, when she realized that she would be sitting through a full-length Scooby Doo movie not once, but twice. Parents across the world were saddened when the creators of Scooby Doo decided to stretch out the usual storyline to a full 73 minutes or so. It could be worse; the video store near Lake Monticello also had a few Bionicle "films" which I deemed "not appropriate." What I meant was "not appropriate for Mommy and Nana to have to bear witness to."

Other things we have done today, while homebound owing to the weather:

1. Chased each other around Nana's house with light saber and hand gun engaged in deadly (intellectually) Jedi battle.

2. Pretended we were on a cooking show while Nana made us Welsh cakes. (sshhh, don't tell Sian!)

3. Played "hockey" in Nana's barely icy cul-de-sac.

4. Spied on Nana.

5. Taught Owen about the ups and downs in life through Chutes and Ladders, or Snakes and Ladders if you're British.

6. Consumed chocolate biscuits, Welsh cakes, lager, Fresca, fizzy, and one very healthy bowl of Special K.

Soon to be a Snaggle

Owen just pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear, "Loose tooth." 

It's his first, he discovered it at school today, and he hadn't told anyone until now. What will the tooth fairy put under his pillow when the tooth comes out? Is a quarter still the standard? Or is it now a Target gift card?

Mr. Bush is a Pinata

Had to go out last night in the cold; still without my recently ordered puffy coat. It was worth it, however, to celebrate Obama day at the house of A + S and to occasionally use profanity and make mildly inappropriate comments to near strangers. I kept it pretty tame though. The hostess made yummy ginger cookies and tempeh cubes with peanut sauce, which were really good! I'm sure they're called something fancier than "tempeh cubes" but that's what I'd call them. 

It was too cold to partake in the pinata bashing that A + S had thoughtfully planned for their back patio. That will have to wait till warmer weather. However, we all enjoyed peeking through their kitchen window, seeing the dangling pinata fish with a picture of Mr. Bush in its mouth, and thinking about beating it to a pulp at some time in the future. 

When we returned home, Owen was asleep in bed and R the babysitter was sitting at the dining table writing a letter. Tay and I then decided to stay up way too late watching Strange Culture. Not the best documentary I've ever seen but interesting. I kept waiting for Thomas Jay Ryan to morph into Henry Fool and start scribbling poetry.

Hibernate, Then Wait

It's not that cold, but it is cold enough to make me don my silk turtleneck, add layer upon layer, and wish I could just curl up in bed and read. It's only 8 PM, and I'm ready to hibernate. My menstrual cycle, the cold weather, the darkness; all of these things led me to skip book club tonight. I did want to see the ladies, but getting all the way into DC in the freezing cold seemed very very unappealing. I'll have to catch up with them over e-mail to see if anyone liked the last book (see sidebar) and to find out the next. I've returned again to Joyce Carol Oates and am reading Middle Age: A Romance, which Tay got me for Christmas. 

I asked a friend to recommend some new music to listen to while running. On his suggestion, I downloaded an album by School of Seven Bells. I was going to add it to my iPod for listening to this evening, but Tay left his jump drive in the spot where my iPod needs to go. He's upstairs reading Owen a Scooby-Doo chapter book at the moment, so I won't sabotage his work junk. I'll just be patient. 

I'm not patient enough to wait for this though. I ordered it today and wish it could arrive over night. I'm freezing in the mornings! That bus stop gig is no joke. 

Pause while audience grasps how truly spoilt fat biscuit is . . . 

Tomorrow is Power Yoga with my neighbour friend; then home again to wrap up my editing before the weekend. Saturday we are going to a friend's house for an Obama party; I hear there will also be some karaoke-type entertainment in "full effect." (Note to self: pick up reference book on contemporary slang and rehearse in front of mirror until, once confident enough, can incorporate said hip lingo into conversation and blog entries.)

Peace out.

Glen or Glenda?

I now own a DVD collection of Ed Wood's "greatest" films, including Glen or Glenda? and Night of the Ghouls. This all thanks to Scooberoo, who today bestowed upon me a belated Christmas gift when I stopped by to help him waste time on his work-at-home day. This is what us stay-at-homers do; we bug people who actually have real jobs. Sometimes we go to the gym and a coffee shop in the SAME DAY! It's really annoying, isn't it?

At Scoob's house I was so distracted buy all his stuff--so many books and movies and games and CDs to look at. I poked and prodded all his stereo and computer equipment (not innuendo); I even asked him, "Can I open your fridge?" I just really wanted to know what was in there. (Bread, turkey slices, some leftover beer, not much, really.) If you know me well, you know I like to rummage through people's personal belongings. 

Earlier this morning I had a physical with my Primary Physician, who has a small and cozy (but not terribly clean) office down the hill from me. It's not just the convenient location, however; there is no busy waiting room with an intrusive television blaring and no irritable office staff to contend with. Also, her office has this framed poster that says  "Refer you friends and family" in a 70s era font using all the colours of the rainbow. Strange but cute.

Overall summary of the appointment: I am not yet dead. My blood pressure was good, my weight was not worse than before, and that weird protrusion behind my right ear is just cartilage (malformed, I'd say). Now I have to drive upteen miles to get blood work done at some insurance-approved assembly-line-type laboratory. My doctor warned me that this lab work might cost me a fortune because as it has not yet been proven that I have high cholesterol, my insurance may not pay for the CBC. I'm willing to bite the bullet, however, because I need to make sure that my coffee-sugar-cheese diet is still working. 

Au Revoir, Sweet Man

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Originally uploaded by Alert Elf Toy

New Year, Same Stuff

Yesterday the gingerbread house was tossed into the bin, so for us the holidays are officially over. We each gave the house a kiss and said goodbye. (I can't think of anything useful to do with stale gingerbread.) 

This year we adopted several practices that I hope will continue next year. I've told all family members about this, so there's really no excuse for them not becoming traditions. (1) Constructing a gingerbread house from a kit. I will in no way condone the making of said house from scratch. (2) Indulging in a really awesome advent calendar, like ones from Lego or PlayMobil. (3) Playing a board game with the family. This year we played "Battle of the Sexes," which is an absolutely ridiculous game. Some of the questions were just plain baffling, so the winners are really just those who were lucky. One particularly painful example of the arbitrary nature of "Battle" took place at Christmas II. The boys' team (Tay, Owen, and J) landed on a wild card that sent them all the way back to the beginning; Owen broke down in tears. It was ugly. So, you can see why this should become a tradition, right? Maybe next year a different game. 

Today is the last day of Owen's vacation from school. I'm looking forward to going to the gym on Monday and doing some work again. Not sure Owen's ready to go back to school, but at least he has lots of spiffy new clothes to wear. 

Taylor and I are enjoying all our xmas pressies: soda maker, clothes, books, homemade vanilla and body oil, homemade cards, jewelry, and a sweet remote-control helicopter (actually Owen's but we're all enjoying it, even Auntie S and sidekick J).

Yesterday Owen drew a picture of the United States on his new easel. Then we played school. Guess who got to be the student.