Netflix (and other online sources for my favorite shows)

We don’t have cable television at my house. It’s too expensive. And I don’t need 300 channels, especially when the majority of television these days should be R-Rated. Even the commercials. I know sex sells, but do you have to use it to sell EVERYTHING? Even chewing gum? Ridiculous. So, the only appealing thing to me about cable is the DVR. But I don’t really need that anyway. Any show I really want to watch, I can find online. Most networks let you watch full episodes on their website. If not, then there’s HULU or Netflix. It’s something I like to do at night after the kids have gone to bed. I admit, I get a little bit obsessed sometimes. I’ve seen every episode of: Gilmore Girls, Alias, Ghost Whisperer, Journeyman, Fringe, Legend of the Seeker, Lost, Modern Family, and The X-Files.

PBS Kids (and other quality children's television programs)

I never used to let my kids watch much television. They’d watch movies or Signing Time, sometimes, but that’s about it. Then I got sick. About a year ago. For weeks and weeks I could barely function. Finally, I resorted to television. And let me just say, it’s quite a comfort to know that I can sit my children in front of the television and not have to worry about them seeing anything remotely inappropriate. No Victoria’s Secret Semi Annual Sale. No Bob, the Enzyte guy. Nothing.

And for that, I thank you, PBS, for quality shows like Sesame Street, Curious George, Super Why (Grace actually started learning her letters from this show.), Dinosaur Train, Cyberchase, Martha Speaks, Arthur, and The Electric Company (yeah, I even like that one. One of my favorite clips is Jimmy Fallon's Pocket Full of H's.)

Then there’s QUBO. The good thing about QUBO: they have kids’ shows 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Shows my kids really enjoy, like Babar, Miss B.G., Jacob Two-Two, and especially Rescue Heroes. (That's the one Jacob really likes. He panics when a commercial comes on in the middle of the show because he's so worried it's over.) The BAD thing about QUBO: the infomercials.

Grace is thoroughly convinced that every product they advertise is a miracle. I can’t count the number of times Grace has yelled, “Mom! You Have To Come See This!” Some of her favorites: Moon Sand, Pixos, Fun Slides (the carpet skates), Bumpits, InStyler (the rotating curling iron), Perfect Brownie Pan, Touch N Brush, Bendaroos (we actually got her these for Christmas last year), and the latest, Pillow Pets (It’s a pillow. It’s a pet. It’s a Pillow Pet!).

There’s a part of the ad that addresses moms. Grace franticly tries to get my attention, “Mom! They’re talking to you!” Sometimes she just quotes parts of the ad. “Kids of all ages love their Pillow Pets!” “P.J.’s fit right inside!” “They’re even machine washable!” (That’s my favorite because Grace knows it’s something I’d like.) “All it takes is one hug and your child will FALL IN LOVE with their Pillow Pet!” “Pillow Pets make the perfect $20 gift!”

The saddest thing about it is that showing the ad to my kid is the best way to get me to buy the product. There’s no way I’d think of buying anything they advertise if Grace didn’t get so excited about it and ask for it every single time the ad airs.

Thank goodness for the statement at the end of most of the infomercials that says, “Must be 18 years old to order.” When she hears that, Grace gets so disappointed. “Ah! No fair! You have to be 18?!?!”

The joys of television.

Happy Birthday, Joseph!

Dear Joseph,

Today you are a year old. Wow. And to my dismay, I still haven’t met you. But I love you all the same. And you look darn cute in your photos. I hope I at least get to meet you before you’re two. Maybe we’ll be able to since we might have a wedding or two in our family soon. I'll cross my fingers. Until then, be good to your mom and dad and keep your brother and sister in line.

Love,

Aunt Amy

Good Games

Here are my top ten favorite games:

Good Food

Here are some of my favorite foods (and drinks.)

Red Hair, White Dress

Last year I had red hair for a while. I also got sick and was in the hospital for a few weeks. I lost a considerable amount of weight. After I got well again, I fit into a lot of my old clothes. Including my wedding dress. I was so excited.

I got beautiful bridal photos before I got married, but I’ve recently discovered that my tastes have changed. All my wedding photos are very formal and professional. I think I like casual and candid better now. So my wonderful sister-in-law, Tasha, agreed when I asked her if she wanted to do a bridal photo shoot with me. Here are the results of that endeavor:

P.S. I really miss my red hair. If it wasn't so hard to maintain, I'd keep it red forever. But it rinses out every time I wash it so it fades really fast. Plus it dyes my pillowcases. And I keep my hair wet a lot in the summer because I overheat in this wicked hot desert. So it would dye all my shirts too. Sigh. But I do miss that red.

Lightning (and consequently, Thunder)

We’ve had several storms recently. I love stormy weather. It’s my very favorite kind of weather. I’ve often thought that I would enjoy living in Washington or Oregon. And I love lightning. The other night, after the kids went to bed, Ricky and I set up our camping chairs in the backyard and sat in the rain watching the lightning. After a while we started rating them. One was the wimpiest and ten was the awesomest.

So I looked up some information about lightning to see exactly what it is and how it works. In a nutshell, lightning is formed when negatively charged particles from clouds connect with positively charged particles on the ground. And thunder, I think, is even cooler. Lightning heats the air around it to temperatures between 15,000 to 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit in only a fraction of a second. This causes that air to expand violently and then contract, creating a sonic shock wave that we hear as thunder. Cool!

Lightning Fun Facts:

·          About 100 cloud-to-ground bolts of lightning strike Earth’s surface every single second

·          A bolt of lightning can contain up to one billion volts of electricity

·          A single bolt of lightning can heat the air around it to temperatures five times the surface of the sun

·          About 2,000 people are killed by lightning each year

Seeing lightning fills me with an almost spiritual sense of wonder and amazement. This earth that we live on is such a marvel. It is filled with so much beauty. Every time I witness a mere whisper of that beauty, I feel like I’m opening a precious gift from God.