just for fun

from Jill(stolen from Toya)
So, the idea behind this meme is that you bold every one of these things that you've done and leave the rest in standard typeface.
01. bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. swam with wild dolphins
03. climbed a mountain (in Bali)
04. taken a ferrari for a test drive
05. been inside the great pyramid
06. held a tarantula
07. taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. said "i love you" and meant it
09. hugged a tree
10. bungee jumped
11. visited paris
12. watched a lightening storm at sea
13. stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. seen the northern lights
15. gone to a huge sports game
16. walked the stairs to the top of the leaning tower of pisa
17. grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. touched an iceberg
19. slept under the stars
20. changed a baby's diaper
21. taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. watched a meteor shower
23. gotten drunk on champagne (cheap champagne)
24. given more than you can afford to charity
25. looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. had a food fight
28. bet on a winning horse
29. asked out a stranger
30. had a snowball fight
31. screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. held a lamb
33. seen a total eclipse
34. ridden a roller coaster
35. hit a home run
36. danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. adopted an accent for an entire day
38. actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. had two hard drives for your computer
40. visited all 50 states
41. taken care of someone who was drunk
42. had amazing friends
43. danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. watched whales
45. stolen a sign
46. backpacked in europe
47. taken a road-trip
48. gone rock climbing49. midnight walk on the beach
50. gone sky diving
51. visited ireland
52. been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. in a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. visited japan
55. milked a cow
56. alphabetized your cds
57. pretended to be a superhero
58. sung karaoke
59. lounged around in bed all day
60. played touch football
61. gone scuba diving
62. kissed in the rain
63. played in the mud
64. played in the rain
65. gone to a drive-in theater
66. visited the great wall of china
67. started a business
68. fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. toured ancient sites
70. taken a martial arts class
71. played d&d for more than 6 hours straight
72. gotten married
73. been in a movie (yup i was an extra in Police Academy 4!!!)
74. crashed a party
75. gotten divorced
76. gone without food for 5 days
77. made cookies from scratch
78. won first prize in a costume contest
79. ridden a gondola in venice
80. gotten a tattoo -
81. rafted the snake river
82. been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. gotten flowers for no reason
84. performed on stage
85. been to las vegas
86. recorded music (sure i used to record the radio onto cassettes back in the day)
87. eaten shark
88. kissed on the first date
89. gone to thailand
90. bought a house
91. been in a combat zone
92. buried one/both of your parents
93. been on a cruise ship
94. spoken more than one language fluently
95. performed in rocky horror
96. raised children(am raising child, does that count?)
97. followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. passed out cold
99. taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. walked the golden gate bridge
102. sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. had plastic surgery
104. survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. wrote articles for a large publication
106. lost over 100 pounds (not all at once but i lost 30+ pounds when i was 22 and i have just lost almost all my baby weight )
107. held someone while they were having a flashback
108. piloted an airplane
109. touched a stingray
110. broken someone's heart
111. helped an animal give birth
112. won money on a t.v. game show
113. broken a bone
114. gone on an african photo safari
115. had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118 ridden a horse
119. had major surgery
120. had a snake as a pet
121. hiked to the bottom of the grand canyon
122. slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. visited more foreign countries than u.s. states
124. visited all 7 continents
125. taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. eaten kangaroo meat
127. eaten sushi (yummy!)
128. had your picture in the newspaper (does the Jewish magazine count?)
129. changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. gone back to school (i went back to Uni to do my TESL )
131. parasailed
132. touched a cockroach
133. eaten fried green tomatoes
134. read The iliad
135. selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. skipped all your school reunions
138. communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. been elected to public office
140. written your own computer language
141. thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. built your own PC from parts
144. sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. had a booth at a street fair
146. dyed your hair
147. been a dj
148. shaved your head
149. caused a car accident
150. saved someone's life
That was fun. Leave me a comment if you do it too!!!

The War At Home

The War at Home is a half hour comedy on FOX about two parents Dave (played by Michael Rapaport, from "Boston Public") and Vicky (played by Anita Barone, from "The Jeff Foxworthy Show") and their daily battles against their teenage children to keep their home, their children, and themselves in order.
I LOVE this show and I'm so happy to have discovered it is back on the air. I get really upset when a great show comes on the air and then it's cancelled without warning. I was just thinking about The War at Home and decided to check if it was going to be back on as I hadn't seen it this season...can't wait till Nov 5...Ohhh pish, just remembered we have a wedding that night- must remember to set my VCR and actually watch this hilarious show!

KNOW THYSELF

i HAVE BEEN TAGGED BY THE BEAUTIFUL CURIOSITY KILLER
"KNOW THYSELF" TAG!
What is/are YOUR:
Easy how-to ways to beat a bad mood? i could say, think positive thoughts but that is bullshit- usually a good workout or a good cry or a long sleep does the trick
Never-fail lip color? I still love VIVA GLAM II by MAC, that c0lor always looks awsome on my lips, regardless of the season or my mood
Personality type (via myersbriggs)? according to the qualitative analysis i am:
distinctively expressed introvert
very expressed sensing personality
moderately expressed feeling personality
slightly expressed judging personality
Greatest strengths and weaknesses (like in a job interview)? I always hated this type of question...greatest strengths- good communication skills, great command of English Grammar, understanding of peoples needs. Weaknesses- i hate being critisized, i am very sensitive
Names of the trees in your yard? who the heck knows!! That tree has been there way before I was born!
Mother-in-law's favorite flower? i'll have to play safe and say ROSES
Names of 4 friends whom you're going to tag
Jill Christine Gavin and ...have to think of a last one!

our stalker

We currently have a stalker in the neighborhood. I have seen this stalker continously come around every day for the past few months, although I had seen the offender as far back as 2 years ago. This stalker is a white male with bushy, matted hair and green eyes. The stalker comes around and torments little Owen, the smaller, more timid of our two cats. The offender appears to be a ferrel cat. Each time I hear the frightening hissing noise coming out of Owen's mouth I just know the awful white cat is near by. These two cats have a long standing hatred of each other and continously attempt to attack each other through our back door. Thank g-d for screens and glass to protect our little Owen. The white cat looks pretty vicious and I cannot imagine Owen lasting very long in a real face to face fight. In fact this cat has been in so many fights it is either missing an eye or has had an eye scratched to the point of being so swollen and infected you cannot even see the eye itself.
Unfortunately no amount of yelling at or shewing away makes this beast cat disappear. He seems to want to torment our little sweet Owen and will sit at the back door for hours at end causing complete disruption and tumoil around our home. Any suggestions or ideas (other than setting out laced tuna-which i could never actually do) on how to get this beast to leave our little Owen alone??? He is the bully and instigator in this whole matter and I'd love to have this long standing fight come to an end!

What do YOU do when...

1. you meet a totally obnoxious person who will not stop talking to you, someone you cannot imagine ever being friends with

2. your husband comes home from a work function with a piece of green food stuck between his 2 front teeth, and you know it was there all night

3. you notice someone very obviously staring at your engagement ring while in the midst of an exercise class

4. you really really have to let one rip but if you do everyone will hear it and know it was you

5. you have met the same person over and over again but cannot for the life of you remember their name

6. you bump into someone from high school who looks absolutely awful but used to take amazing pride in their self appearance

7. you meet someone and their really really homely baby

8. you realize that you had a booger hanging out while you were out lunching with your good friend (and she never mentioned it)

9. the back of your pants get all wet because of the rain and it looks like you peed your pants

10. someone asks you what your husband does for a living and looks horrified when you tell them

All of these things have recently happened to me. Just wondering if my reactions were similar to what yours would have been...

Ugly Betty

There has been so much hype over Ugly Betty I was wondering if anyone has seen this show. I would like to watch it but it conflicts with Grey's Anatomy and I am really too lazy to go to the basement TV to set the VCR to tape the show (and then i have to go back down to the basement to actually watch the show)

oh my

i was just hitting the "next blog" button on the top of the page when I came across this grotesque display...I guess in all my years of internet use I have never actually realized how easily accessible this stuff is. Now as a parent I will have to make a very concerted effort to control and watch what type of sites my children are looking at!
Okay finished my rant!!

book meme

One book that changed your life: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This book taught me to enjoy every moment of your life. Do not take life for granted
One book you read more than once: the oxford english dictionary- i read that one all the time and seem to go over the same spots over and over again
One book you want on a desert island: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. This book is so dense and full of detail it could take me a long while to read and there is so much to think about it would keep me occupied for a while!
One book that made you cry: The Girls by Lori Lansens. The story of conjoined twins who overcome huge obstacles and live suprisingly seperate lives despite never leaving each others side.
One book that made you laugh: Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I love this trashy sort of book- i especially laugh because I don't know how anyone could get into so much financial trouble by shopping!! I mean have some self control!!!
One book you wish would have been written: 10 easy steps to get rid of a psycho Brazillian lover.
One book you wish had never been written:I'll have to copy Jill on this one. After 10 failed attempts at read Moby Dick I finally gave the darn book to Goodwill,
One book you are currently (re)reading (again & again): The Yale Child Centre Guide to Understanding your Child.
One book you have been meaning to read: The History of the Future by Gavin Kanowitz. I feel really guilty that my husband spent ryears and years writing this book and I have yet to read it...okay maybe i'll start right now.
I am not going to tag anyone...nobody who hasn't already done this reads my pathetic blog anyway

Postcards from the Mothership

Postcards from the Mothership
i agree with allowing women to nurse babies anywhere they need to as babies must eat BUT I'm not sure this woman was discriminated against. She was not asked to but her boob away and stop breastfeeding, she was told that she cannot bring her baby to the class PERIOD. She probably should have inquired prior to the registration about whether or not she could bring the baby to class. Perhaps there was a safety issue or health concern ( this is a pottery class, maybe there are fumes and possible toxins in the air)
Of course she has a right to nurse her baby anywhere she needs to but this is not the real issue here-the issue is whether or not the baby is welcome in the class at all...

we've been tagged...

3 Things That Scare Me
*brinkley barks
*loud noised
*the milk drying up
3 People That Make Me Laugh
*bubby
*mommy
*daddy
3 Things I Love
*milk
*bath time
*sleep
3 Things I Hate
*a dirty diaper
*loud noises
*when mommy drinks too much caffeine
3 Things I Don't Understand
*why crying is not the best form of communication
*why I MUST take naps
*why i have to wear those dreaded onesies!
3 Things On My Desk/Table (or blanket)
*my blue rattle
*a picture of mommy and daddy
*my photo album
3 Things I Am Doing Right Now
*dreaming of milk
*sleeping
*looking very cute
3 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
*taste something other than milk
*make my mommy and daddy proud
*discover a new physics theorum
3 Things I Can Do
*eat my fists
*smile
*make "talking" noises
3 Things I Can't Do
*walk
*talk in adult language
*eat solids
3 Things I Think You Should Listen To
*baby einstein CD's
*my cooing noises
*CHUM FM 104.5
3 Things I Think You Should Never Listen To
*Marilyn Manson
*Culture Club
*Settler Radio
3 Absolute Favorite Foods
*mommy milk
*mommy milk
*mommy milk
3 Beverages I Drink Regularly
*mommy milk
*mommy milk
*mommy milk
3 Shows I Watched as a Kid
*Baby Einstein
*baby animals
baby songs
3 Babies I Tag
* Ella
* Kaira
* Nathan

amazing!!

On my search to feeling human again I have discovered a few interesting things...firstly, putting on jeans rather than sweats can make a person feel like a participating member of society, second, a little mascara and/or eye shadow makes all the difference in the world to how a woman looks and finally one teeny weeny pair of earings can make me feel pretty as opposed to frumpy...i can be wearing the same jeans and t-shirt but put on a pair of earings and WOWSA...i feel normal again!! I am going to have to invest in a few more shorter pairs as my little guy has discovered pulling on my long earings and boy does he have a grip!!!

Winners?!?!

Yesterday I took a trip downtown. After walking around Yorkville for a while I decided to check out the new Winner's on Bloor. There was so much controversy and hooplah made about this store opening in this location I needed to check it out. Well this store is not your typical Winners! The first indication that things are different here was when I looked at a beautiful purse by TOD'S and discovered the $1200 price tag staring back at me...my jaw hit the floor! The next item in question was a stunning wool coat (name brand i'm sure) with a price of $999.99 (why bother with the .99 at this point?!?!) I also came across loads of shoes in the +$200 range...I'm just prepared to spend that kind of money at Winner's of all places... and Winner's is supposed to be affordable...i guess affordable is a relative word.

we went to a wedding last night and after agonizing about what on earth to wear I decided that i would get a body "slimmer" to put on under my dress rather than buying a new dress....well after spending a small fortune on the DD full peice body armour I have decided that I would have been better off just getting a new dress....oh well I can always wear it after the next baby (but hopefully i won't gain 1/2 as much weight next time as i did this time)
anyway here is a pic from last night...

some new pet peeves

Since becoming a mom i have developed new pet peeves...here are a few of them

1) strangers who think they can give you parenting advice. I don't want or need advice from the woman working at the Winners fitting room on whether or not my baby is hungry, or on how to hold my baby

2) impatient drivers who honk or follow too closely- CAN'T they see I have a baby on board sign displayed in my window and don't they care??

3) people who think they can just touch my baby without asking or wasing their hands- i'm talking about strangers in stores or little kids who may be covered in germs (the parents of which don't bother to tell them to stay clear or look and not touch)

4) MORE TO COME...have a case of baby brain and I can't think of the others right now

I feel good

It is so amazing how one silly pair of jeans can make a person feel human again!! I recently bought a new pair of jeans to fit this new rounder, more voluptuous body of mine and I cannot comment enough on how much better I feel. Until this new purchase of mine I had been shlepping about in yoga pants and draw string sweats which are extremely unflattering, I had not realized how much pregnancy weight I had actually lost as those were the same pants I'd been wearing throughout my pregnancy. Now that I have been wearing jeans again I feel sexier, look thinner and actually got a few complements from my MIL on how good I look now (YEAH for me:)

oh boy

I have decided that enough is enough...I never wanted to be one of those sweat pants clad moms who becomes a frump once the babies are born...SOO on my adventures at Yorkdale today I bought some new clothes-nice new jeans and capri jeans AND I made a pitstop into Sephora. This was only my 2nd time in Sephora and I have to say that store is pretty darn neat...had I had more time I may have done more damage but I only had a few minutes as hubby and baby were waiting outside the store for me-so i could only buy the one hair product I knew i wanted and didn't have a chance to try out other stuff (thank goodness actually) but I am committed to trying to look and feel my best even with baby in tow. I have started to exercise more, eat much healthier and even put some make up on again and before I know it I'll be fitting into my size 6 and 8 clothes that have been just taking up space in my closet since I got pregnant.
I want to be a yummy mummy!!

becoming a parent

It is amazing how becoming a parent can totally change your perspective on life and living. This amazing new experience brings you to a whole new level of contemplation and understanding of the world. Since my son Elie was born almost 6 weeks ago my life has undergone so many changes...not just the obvious ones like dealing with sleep deprivation, no longer thinking of myself first, and the need to take care of a tiny human being, I'm referring to things like learning to smile at things that may have bothered me before- ie- the screaming kid being dragged out of the mall by his mom, or the woman who just pulls her breast out and feeds her hungry baby in the middle of busy food court. (I have yet to do that BUT I have been forced on 2 seperate occassions to feed in more public places than i would have normally found comfortable or appropriate-first time was at Baskin and Robbins one evening- no way were we going to make it home to feed since the walk was about 20 minutes and Elie was VERY HUNGRY, the second time was just yesterday while hubby and I were taking Elie for a nice walk through High Park-we were forced to sit down on a park bench and just feed him- it didn't matter that tonnes of people were walking and driving by- baby was hungry and that was that!!)
I have also learned that being and patient and relaxing are key to making life easier for myself. If my boy is having a crying frenzy and I can't figure out what the source is I have to just take a deep breath, relax and handle it, I cannot get all worked up or else the crying will never stop- usually all he needs is a little bouncing and hugging and he is good to go- we even get some sweet smiles these days.
The neccessity of teamwork has also been reinforced drastically over the last 6 weeks. Hubby and I must work together to make this parenting thing work and be enjoyable, if we don't than there is definitely the possibility of a meltdown.
Other things that have changed in my life is my relationship with my own parents. I have always found my folks to be a little annoying and have always been annoyed by them...lately I have never been more greatful that they are here and able to help out. My mom has been a g-d send these past weeks, she comes over, takes care of baby and lets me rest, shower or just have some ME time AND she loves doing it too!! The only thing she can't do is feed my little sweety (unless i pump a bottle which I like doing at times anyway)
I have realized that the world news is no longer important to me. I would rather watch Baby Einstein on repeat play than take the time to watch the news (especially with the sh*t that is going on now) Watching and reading the news just makes me angry and I want my baby to feel only happy vibes from me. I have been smiling a lot more lately and I think Elie will appreciate it.
HMM...I am certain that there are more a lot more ways becoming a parent has changed my perspective but right now I am having a baby brain moment so I'll let it go but if/when I remember I will update this entry :)

oh to lose something so beloved...

I recently took a trip to Shopper's Drug Mart to pick up some of my favourite shampoo and conditioner. Inner Science has been my brand of choice for a while now as it was affordable but not awful the way so many drug store brands tend to be. Unfortunately when i saw it was on sale I also saw the sign saying DISCONTINUED...oh boy now what was I going to do??? The company that makes Inner Science attached coupons to the bottles for a new Pantene shampoo but I have never had great luck with Pantene and do not find their shampoo does great things for my extremely hard to manage hair. Any suggestions on another reasonabley priced brand that will tame my thick, wavey, stubborn hair??? HELP!!

The Jewish Magazine

I have posted before about the power of Jdate but I thought I'd post about it again because this time these powers are actually in print!!!
A few months ago Jill told me about this guy who was writing an article about Jdate success stories. I immediately emailed him and we arranged a phone interview. Gavin and I spoke with him for about 45 mnutes and gave him "our story". Some of the details in the article are off but the gist of it is correct. Gavin and I actually met in August 2003 not 2004 but other than that things look A-OK...anyway check out the article on pages 28 and 29 of the magazine.
Enjoy :)

the breastfeeding debate....

I didn't plan on making this a baby blog as I do have a site for my little guy but this issue has been on my mind a lot lately and today I went to a mommy group were we discussed the issues of breastfeeding quite a lot. Most of the moms in this group formula feed their babies and all the little ones are healthy, thriving energetic little people...
anyway I was recently forwarded this article and thought I"d post it here as I found it very inspiring and helpful (although I am choosing to continue breatfeeding for a while still)
Read and let me know your thoughts on this

Confessions of a Closet Bottle Feeder

I admit it. I had no interest in breast feeding before my daughter was born. I knew it was the "thing to do", but it just didn't seem like the "thing" for me. Secretly I hoped my new baby wouldn't figure it out. I dreamed I wouldn't have adequate milk supply. I imagined all sorts of scenarios that would give me the easy out and make it okay not to nurse my new baby daughter. Then on December 30, 2005, my little girl was born and suddenly my world changed. I couldn't believe that she was our creation and I was continually amazed that she depended on me for life. I was in love. In an instant, I was determined that I would breast feed her exclusively and suddenly I had no interest in a bottle or formula. For those first few days, we struggled and learned together and I had never been happier. While I thought I was doing a fine job with the feedings, her second doctor's visit proved me wrong. Our little girl was still losing weight and she was very dehydrated. I was devasted. My doctor all but threw a can of formula at me and said "get this kid on the bottle"! I was crestfallen. Tears ran from my eyes. I was horrified. I was annoyed. How could this be? Things were going so well. I spent hours with a private lactation consultant (at $150/hour!!) to help me perfect the feeding routine. A few more days of crying for both me and my baby (she was obviously STARVING!) and close to $1000 worth of consultation services later, I was forced to introduce the bottle. At first I wouldn't feed her. I refused to be the one to give my baby this powder and water mixture. It seemed so unhealthy. It seemed so unnatural. Most of all, it seemed so unfair. Everyone else seemed to be breast feeding. So devasted and ashamed, I couldn't and wouldn't bottle feed my daughter in public at the beginning. I was so fearful that someone would judge me as an inferior mother because I was giving my daughter formula. If I did have to feed her in public, I'd prepare the bottle at home, so that one might think it was pumped breast milk. It took me about two months and a lot of sad and lonely days to get over this insecurity. I am proud to say that my daughter is six months old and now she rarely eats a meal INSIDE of our house. She snacks at Starbucks, she lunches anywhere from the local park to the Four Seasons' Studio Café. My daughter is healthy and thriving and thoroughly enjoys her bottles of formula. Countless people have enjoyed bonding with her while feeding her a bottle and this has given me a lot more time and flexibility. While I support and applaud any mother who breast feeds her baby, I now know that how you feed your baby is a personal decision. My daughter couldn't be happier, and neither could I.