Alice's Adventures Underground: October 2007

Anne Geddes Eat Your Heart Out

Posted on 10/31/2007 11:38:00 AM - by NG

Happy Halloween from The Caterpillar...

and everyone in Wonderland.

Edited to add: I just realized that in the second picture, The Caterpillar has pumpkin on her pants... a direct result of the first picture. Mother of the year!!

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My Not Halloween Party

Posted on 10/31/2007 11:34:00 AM - by NG

"Momma, we're having a Fall Farm Party at class day. I can wear a costume, but not a scary costume. I can be an animal, a scarecrow, or a barn."

Since we were all out of barn costumes (??!?) we went with Barn Cat:

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Wanna See Something Really Scary?

Posted on 10/31/2007 10:50:00 AM - by NG In: memes

I've been working on my Dooce impersonation this week with all the photos. I guess I need to break my vow of silence sometime. This seemed like a fun meme to steal which would not require many brain cells to complete a post. Maybe I'll get back to writing actual words tomorrow. (Or the next day.)

Halloween Meme

Bold those you’ve seen.
Italicize movies you have started but couldn’t finish.
Add an asterisk* to those you have watched more than once.
Underline those on your To Watch list.

The Shining* - Oh man, do I love this movie. Especially the remake that they did a few years ago, which in my opinion, was much, much better than the Jack Nicholson version.
The Exorcist - I have an issue with devil possession movies. It's the one thing I'm not interested in watching.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Haven't seen the new one. The old one bit.
The Silence of the Lambs* - one of my favorite movies of all time, not because I too want to make a suit of human skin, but because it's just generally a perfectly made film.
Jaws* - you can't be a John Williams fan and not have seen this one, but ultimately? The soundtrack was better than the movie. Except for the line "We're gonna need a bigger boat." and Robert Shaw's drunken tirade.
Halloween - This (and Friday the 13th later) were the quintessential make-your-date-hold-you-close movies of my teenagerhood. Perhaps in the ultimate act of rebellion, I refused to see any of them. Once they got to Halloween 23 and Friday the 54th, I vowed never to rent any of them either.
Psycho* - I loves me some Hitchcock. Although there are much better Hitchcock films as Hitchcock films go.
Seven* - This is possibly the creepiest movie I have ever seen in my life. The kind of movie that makes you lose what little faith in humanity you had left. I've seen it several times.
Rosemary's Baby - I'm sure this was all "pushing the envelope" and stuff when it came out in 1968, but I saw it for the first time just this year and the only thing that horrified me was how stupid it was.
Poltergeist* - Seen it about a million times but the first was in a movie theater in a small town where my cousins lived and the exit door let out into a cemetery after the movie was over. Awesome effect.
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Another quintessential teenage horror movie of my teen years. I did not see it until I was in my 20s and realized that Johnny Depp was in it.
Friday the 13th - See Halloween
The Thing - Fun old film that I always enjoy.
The Evil Dead - Oh my. The KingofHearts has a Giant Thing for this movie. I found its campiness fun until it got old... which is about 6 minutes after the opening credits roll. However, the movie is made infinitely better by reading this book first.
Carrie* - Loved this. Loved the book. Loved the new version. Especially love all the parodies done of it since.
Night of the Living Dead - Classic!
The Omen - Another stupid one that I didn't seen until adulthood.
An American Werewolf in London - How did I miss this one?
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - Why haven't I ever heard of this one?
The Hitcher* - I have a history with this movie. The remake was just as interesting as the original and I loved what they did with the characters - although Sean Bean pales in comparison to Rutger Hauer on the creep me out scale.
Lost Highway - Somehow missed this despite my devotion to David Lynch. Because I love watching a movie and going "Huh?" when it's all over.
The Blair Witch Project - Hated it. Oh lordy was this a load of crap.
Pet Cemetery - How could you not love any movie with Herman Munster in it? Oh.. wait... it could be Pet Cemetery.
Saw - Yeah... since I had kids I haven't seen a scary movie in the theater.
The Ring - Could not decide if this was dreadfully scary or dreadfully stupid.
Scream - First one was fun. Didn't bother with the sequels.

Happy Halloween!

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Late Spring

Posted on 10/30/2007 06:49:00 PM - by NG

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Decor

Posted on 10/30/2007 06:49:00 AM - by NG

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Curiosity

Posted on 10/29/2007 04:14:00 PM - by NG

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Gunsmith Detail

Posted on 10/28/2007 07:11:00 AM - by NG

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Sunset

Posted on 10/27/2007 09:22:00 AM - by NG

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Ghosts from the Past

Posted on 10/26/2007 06:37:00 AM - by NG

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Here Comes the Oxcart

Posted on 10/25/2007 08:48:00 AM - by NG

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Fall Colors

Posted on 10/24/2007 01:01:00 PM - by NG

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My Pumpkin!

Posted on 10/22/2007 12:30:00 PM - by NG

What do you get when you combine a pumpkin patch, a camera, and a shut-in mother who hasn't been out of the house in awhile?

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Higher Math

Posted on 10/19/2007 03:15:00 PM - by NG

We're working on recognizing larger numbers with The Dormouse because recently we realized that while she could count to one hundred, she did not recognize what 52 on the clock meant.

KingOfHearts: "If 'two - zero' is twenty, what is 'two - two'?"

Dormouse: "Two-ty."

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Can't. Talk. Sleep. Deprived.

Posted on 10/18/2007 10:50:00 AM - by NG

Enjoy these photos instead.

Newest meal at Chipotle: The Baby Burrito

I highly recommend getting one of these to help with your baby care needs.

The nice thing about Grandma coming is the free hair styling sessions.

Unless, of course, you don't happen to like the "Marlo Thomas Flip"

Smooches.

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8 Random Things Meme

Posted on 10/12/2007 06:48:00 AM - by NG In: memes

An idea from Amalah. Because I'm patently unable to come up with real stuff to write about lately.

8 Random Things in My Kitchen:

Breast pump
Portrait of Stravinsky
Giant conch shell from Hawaii
Three boxes of sparklers left over from July 4th
Glow in the dark plastic skeleton
Three misshapen glasses I made in a glass blowing class a couple of years ago
Brass camel
My daughter's pony tail in a plastic bag

Really makes you want to score an invitation to dinner at our house, doesn't it?

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Does That Mean There's Hand Toe Too?

Posted on 10/11/2007 08:35:00 AM - by NG

"I have a boo boo on my foot thumb."

"You mean your big toe?"

"Yeah, my big toe."

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Beltway News

Posted on 10/10/2007 06:37:00 AM - by NG

WASHINGTON -- Two tractor trailer accidents -- one in Virginia and one in Maryland -- are causing delays along the Capital Beltway Wednesday.
One accident is on the Beltway in Tysons Corner at Route 123. It's causing delays on the Outer Loop.
The side of the truck split open as it was being uprighted. The truck's contents spilled on to the Beltway, according to WTOP Traffic's Lisa Baden.

The Associated Press reports the trailer in Tysons was carrying Chick-fil-A food products, which are now spilled all over the road. Please no one tell The Dormouse, we'll have to drive out there and hang out on the freeway.

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Hold the Door, I'm Four

Posted on 10/09/2007 12:12:00 PM - by NG

The Dormouse had her fourth birthday this past weekend. There's been much discussion over the past month about her birthday and just how we would celebrate and the suggestions have been multiple and about as varied as counting pennies to insert in rolls for the bank. Thanks to Oriental Trading Company magazines and their endless supply of paper plate and napkin products, we went from "Princess party" to "Kitty party" to "Mermaid party" to "High School Musical Two party" to "Cinderella party" to "Sleeping Beauty party"... the list doesn't end, just my resolve to write it all down.

In the end, we didn't get it together at all. We really intended to throw her a party for her peers, but it was the weekend of my church's general conference and that made all her church friends unavailable for a Saturday afternoon party. We had about a million different brainstorms for excellent and/or fantastic parties, but when celebrating with your parents and their adult friends, the excitement kind of paled. So ultimately, between new baby, company, conference and general post partum apathy, we just copped out.

After I got through the initial shock of HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN... I TOLD YOU THAT THREE WAS THE LIMIT AND YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED TO GET OLDER, we held a little celebration at her school on Friday and then on her actual birthday, took her to this place, which will henceforth be known as "my birthday surprise". There's not much in the world The Dormouse enjoys more than fall, pumpkins and Halloween, so it's fitting that her birthday falls during this month when all her favorite things are available and about:

Slides

Pony rides

Baby pigs

Haystacks

Face painting

Cows to milk

I don't even know what to call this, but she loved it

Pumpkins

Thanks to Monica for the awesome party and cake...

especially the trick birthday candles. (She claims she didn't do it on purpose, but it provided endless amusement.)

I'd like to wax saptastic about her

last birthday and the year we've been through and all the changes we've seen, but I lack the brain cells to do so today.

So instead, say "cheese",

and take The Caterpillar's advice and get a nap.

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Celebrity Lookalikes

Posted on 10/08/2007 08:41:00 PM - by NG

Is it just me, or does my child resemble J. Wellington Wimpy?

I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

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Kid Jokes (Vol. 5)

Posted on 10/07/2007 05:11:00 AM - by NG In: Kid Jokes

A new twist on the Interrupting Cow joke:

"Momma, Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

"Interrupting scary kitty."

"Interrupting scary kitty, wh..."

"MEOW!!!!"

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The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Posted on 10/05/2007 08:44:00 PM - by NG

The Perfect Present for Your Bald, Genderless Looking Newborn Girl:

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Ball and Chain

Posted on 10/04/2007 07:48:00 AM - by NG In: marriage

"Marriage is like a pair of scissors. So joined that they cannot be separated. Often moving in opposite directions, yet always threatening to punish anyone that comes between them."

To my brother, who takes that plunge today, and his fiancé, who appears to make him happier than I've ever known him to be:

Best of luck. Wish I could be there!

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Beauty and the Beast

Posted on 10/03/2007 07:11:00 AM - by NG

A friend of mine has been dealing with her daughter's eating disorder for a couple of years now. It's gone from not that much to worry about to serious concern to considering hospitalization and run the gamut back and forth again. I've been thinking a lot about this issue lately as The Dormouse begins to be as susceptible to television and commercials as her father. We've started these conversations:

Watches commercial for some 'you'll look younger skin care product' on television.

"Momma, you should get that."

"Why?"

"Because then your skin would be smooth. My skin is smooth, but your skin is not smooth. So you should buy that."

What?? We've had these discussions about toys, food, makeup, haircare products and tampon commercials. She's not yet four, people!

It's especially disturbing to me, I think, because advertising is sort of lost on me. To me, commercials on television are the times when I talk to my husband, go to the kitchen or the bathroom, pick up the living room, or flip across the channels to see what else is on (yes, that most male of qualities, I possess and am proud of it). In general, I don't watch television so much as listen to it while I'm doing other things. On the rare occasions when I do allow a commercial to run unchecked, The KoH often will say something about it and I am patently unable to remember what product was being advertised - even after staring straight at the set while it aired.

The KoH, with his auditory memory, is different than me, however, and will kindly repeat the entire thing verbatim if I missed a portion. I'm concerned that The Dormouse is just like him in this respect.

Knowing what I know about eating disorders, I realize that they're not caused by the media or too much television. But I do know that can't be helping either. It's like your kid already has one strike against her and all this crap they see everyday is just reinforcing the errant thinking; it's a constant fight of two steps forward, one step back.

So, I love that Dove has started these real beauty ads that make us think about our concept of beauty and what we teach, not only our children, but also ourselves. But at the same time, I don't want to buy too much into this, because after all, Dove is selling a product too.

I'm not sure what the answer is and my guess is that there isn't just one answer ...or even five. For me, the hard line is this: turn off the television once in awhile - which, believe me, is easier said than done.

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Perfection by Mickey Hamster

Posted on 10/02/2007 07:44:00 AM - by NG

Remember the game of Perfection when we were kids? (Please, someone say you do. Please tell me I'm not that old.) It was basically a speed puzzle. You had so many seconds to put all the pieces in before the ding-er dinged and all the pieces would pop out at you. I remember getting one for Christmas one year and getting really very proud that I got good at doing it in faster and faster times.

The Dormouse, apparently, would have been happy with this game as well. And maybe if I bought her that game, I wouldn't have to hear Toni Basil's Hey Mickey thirty-five times in a row in an afternoon as she uses "Mickey Hamster" to time herself and try and finish a puzzle before the song ends.

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I Am Pleased to Announce

Posted on 10/01/2007 07:08:00 AM - by NG

After four nights of sweating through three pairs of pajamas,

...the return of my ankles.

Or at least a reasonable facsimile of such. From this, three weeks ago:

To this:

They're about 75% back to normal I'd say, but I'll live with it if it doesn't mean I constantly feel like the skin on the tops of my feet is going to rip open at any given moment when I stand or move my feet. Ah, sweet, sweet flexing of the talocrural joint!

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Dodging a Bullet

Posted on 10/01/2007 06:55:00 AM - by NG

Mom births her 12th baby — 17-pound Nadia

Siberian woman unaware of newborn’s weight until Caesarean section

BARNAUL, Russia - A Siberian woman who gave birth to her 12th child — doing more than her fair share to stem Russia’s population decline — was stunned to find that little Nadia weighed in at a massive 17 pounds, 1 ounce.

OK - ignoring the obvious that everyone's talking about... TWELFTH baby? Someone convinced this woman to go through pregnancy TWELVE times and THEN all her babies were more than eleven pounds? You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

I love the look on the "little" baby's face as it looks at the giant baby next to it:

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Alice's Adventures Underground