Domestic Psychology

final words for 2008

// December 31st, 2008 // No Comments » // life

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

Douglas Adams

Amy says:

// December 30th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // kid quotes, parenting, siblings

“Why can’t I have a twin? I want a twin.”

Amy has a talent for demanding the impossible. I should have told her I gave her a room of her own for 9 months.

just a bit of ash

// December 29th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // health, local, people

We have a friend who talked about the damage mining does to the ecosystem long before the Kingston spill. We’ve been pestering this friend to say something in the aftermath of this giant mess. The friend decided to take water samples and photographs before giving an opinion. Our friend needs more evidence than “looks yucky” to hypothesize about something. Sadly, we couldn’t get the scientific explanation we were hoping for, since our friend was prevented from getting near the site. Our friend wasn’t just told to stay away, they were physically detained and interrogated. After being labeled an “ecoterrorist” our friend was finally allowed to leave without water samples or photographs.

If the area is safe, why aren’t people allowed to take photographs? Why are they refusing to allow scientific experts to sample and test the water? If the area is too dangerous for anyone except HazMat cleanup crews, why isn’t the mess being cleaned up with any kind of expediency? What damage can an ecoterrorist do to a toxic waste spill? Are they afraid someone might, I don’t know, clean it up?

quickie movie reviews

// December 28th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // movies

Bender’s Game is the very best of the Futurama movies. It’s an homage to Dungeons & Dragons that manages to skewer the past, present AND future.There’s a three stooges gender joke in the movie that was acted out in my living room just last week. The Yellow Submarine intro is so good you’ll have to watch it twice to catch all the references to past episodes and characters. Don’t rent this one. Buy it.

Horton Hears a Who is cutesy and holds the youngest children’s attention IF they watch it in 30 minute increments. It has several really good lines thrown in for the parents, but there is a tiny sexist subplot that should have been resolved differently. Otherwise, it’s very visually satisfying. A good choice for family movie night that all ages will enjoy.

Lost Boys is an oldie that I inflicted upon my Twilight obsessed teens. The effects are dated and the makeup artist must have been someone’s mother’s Avon lady, but the humor has aged well. Drag this one out of the clearance bin and dust it off for the teens.

Mamma Mia! is a movie made for middle aged audiences. Unlike Across the Universe’s focus on re-interpreting Beatles music for today’s teens, Mama Mia focuses on middle aged characters and disco’s Abba. There’s a beautiful, young couple in the movie, but the trio of mature women who Hollywood would normally only give odd “character” roles are the vibrant soul of this movie. The plot is thin and the acting is campy, but the movie is so much fun that it doesn’t matter. Pierce Brosnan’s crime against singing is forgiven because of the platform shoes and glittering spandex that he wears during the encore number. The only thing in the movie that jarred me from my happy place was the computer illiterate forty-somethings. That’s just not right. Feeling old but not dead? Watch Mamma Mia and sing along.

Saturday night at the Cove

// December 27th, 2008 // No Comments » // flickr, holidays, local

How I spent December 26th

// December 26th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // flickr, me

Christmas 2008

// December 25th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // flickr, holidays

shopping assistant

// December 24th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // holidays, me, relatives, sandwich generation, shops

Grandaddy: “I’m at the bookstore and I need to find something for your mother.”
Me: “Do you want to give her a book, music or coffee?”
Grandaddy: “I want to get a CD and one book.”
Me: “Okay. Walk to the music area and find the pop section”
Grandaddy: “Found it.”
Me: “Look for Jack Johnson or Josh Groban or Jason Mraz or . . . ”
Grandaddy: “That’s too many choices, just tell me what to get.”
Me: “Get the CD with a cute guy on the cover.”
Grandaddy: “Done. Now I need to know what book to get.”
Me: “Okay. Walk to the just released paperback section.”
Grandaddy: “Found it.”
Me: “Look for a book with a couple on the cover who have the wind blowing their hair.”
Grandaddy: “Done. Thanks.”
Me: “No problem. Need anything else?”
Grandaddy: “Nope. I’ve got from here.”

Fifteen minutes later he dropped off the bag of purchases so that I could wrap them.

waiting is hard

// December 23rd, 2008 // 2 Comments » // holidays, parenting

One of the children who is old enough to know better went to bed at 8:30 tonight. Earlier than his school night bedtime, during his winter break, without prompting, he tucked himself in bed. Doug and I quizzed him to find out if anything physical or emotional was causing him pain. Eventually, his words revealed that he thought tomorrow is Christmas. As soon as he realized his mistake, he was wide awake and out of bed. Ironically, tomorrow night, the actual Christmas Eve, it will take me hours to get everyone calmed down and tucked into bed.

Evan’s tree

// December 22nd, 2008 // 2 Comments » // flickr, holidays, preschoolers

$2 tree + bugs and dinos from the toybox = one happy 3-y-o