Heading to the Drive-In

Last weekend we went to the Drive-In, something we have wanted to do for a long time.  And it was so much fun!  There are so few Drive-Ins left, and I hope they don't disappear.  This one is a good 1.5 hour drive from our place in Enderby, so it was definitely a road trip!

The early show was Despicable Me 2, which was great fun for our little one...and the late one was World War Z.  Totally not suitable for a toddler, but started at close to midnight, so he was fast asleep by the time it started.

The Starlight Drive-In shares some great tips & rules on their FAQ page, but I thought I would share some tips that they didn't mention. You can join their Facebook page too! I have to say what also made this great was that the Drive-In was clean, the staff were pleasant, and so helpful!

So here a few other things to remember:

1. Snacks - lots of people will bring their own, but we do need to support these places with their concession if we want them to stick around.  If you buy popcorn...bring a small bag to put popcorn in for the little ones. And rig up some sort of drink holder...we forget we don't have one in the back of the car...even a closeable drink container would work. 

 

2. Blankets and pillows - you want it as comfy as possible! A small foamy mattress would be sweet too.

3. Zero gravity chairs...we didn't have any with us, but they look like they work way better than regular lawn chairs.

4. Something to do until the movie starts. Games/sports/etc...it looked like so much fun!

5. Hot cocoa for the late movie (the concession closes 20 minutes after the last movie starts).

And possibly mosquito repellant.   We didn't need it but it could be crucial to your enjoyment!  I think even one of those coils would work well. 

It was such a great experience...and we can't wait to do it again!

They will be what they will be!

As we venture into the terrible twos...we all know that they are so terrible, simply because they want to assert their independence. And the battles keep changing, so we have to learn to keep up! 

First, my son did not want to have his diaper changed. We discovered that if we put them lower within his reach, he could decide if he wanted to be changed or not.  

Then he decided he wanted to choose his own clothes...does it really matter if he wants to wear that sill hat with those rubber boots?

But now we are facing the - not wanting to sleep in his own bed challenge. And the only advice I have been given and that I can share is...consistency is key.  I'll let you know how that works for us!

The Bloggess...a shout out!



http://www.bloggess.com/


Gotta send out a shout out to a qwirky blogger. Just read this blog and love her sense of humor! If only I had the guts to buy myself a 5 foot chicken.

But I guess the mini lesson to be learned from this blog post is "learning to pick your battles".  Picking your battles...not something I'm good at (ask my poor husband).  I guess that I feel that we are always going a hundred miles an hour, and if I don't address something now, it will get missed.  But my husband (a man) needs to be able to process information, not vent it. 

I always found it a challenge to wait for the right time, but as a new mom "right times" come so infrequently now.  So how do we come to happy medium?  Why do I always feel like I am the one who has to bite her tongue?  Or does it just feel that way. :(

Maybe the trick is to treat it with a sense of humor.  Hmmmm....where can I get a 5 foot chicken?!

Tablets...the modern high tech kind

I'm thinking I need to get myself a tablet PC...but there are so many kinds! It was great when the only choice was the Ipad. But now we have the Blackberry Playbook, the Motorola, Samsung, and even Viewsonic has an android powered version. I work with a Blackberry phone currently...so a part of me would love to take advantage of the apps that the ipad/iphones have. I also use Windows based programs...so to delve into a different operating system would be awesome!! A tablet PC would  be great for social networking and to be used in place of an Ereader.  Is the backlight of the ipad really that bad? 

Is there a real difference between tablets? And will I lose out by not getting the Ipad?

Summertime...a change of routine.

Summer is here! And if you have lived in the Okanagan a while, this is the time when our out of town friends and family descend on us to sample a bit of the lifestyle we enjoy. We love having family come to visit us, and I am not adverse to change. I love to travel, and have always considered myself a little carefree and adaptable. But after a recent visit, I realized that I do have a routine...and my sister's family routine is different.

My sister came with her family which included, along with her husband, two four year old twins and a 1 year old dog. Talk about a different level of energy than what's usually in our house with a 9 month old son and a 16 year old dog. Naps never seemed to coincide and baby nap time seemed to be at the peak of the 4 year olds energy. We even went through a couple of nights where it felt like he was up every hour.

However, it was pretty cool how my 9 month old was fascinated with his big cousins. He would follow them everywhere a crawling baby could, but that caused bedtime to become a challenge. I'm sure that he felt that he was missing out on something while he was sleeping, so he fought it with all his might.

Learning to be adaptable is a reality in life, and I would love my son to learn this trait. Although, I was thinking, it would be nice to get him back into a proper routine with proper sleep. And as I was writing this, I did notice something else that may have been the culprit of those rough sleeps...looks like tooth #2 is here!

This posting was featured on Okanagan4Kids.

Thoughts on the death of Osama Bin Laden...

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that..." - Martin Luther King Jr.

The Royal Wedding...this millenium's style.

I don't know if I am a complete Royalist...but I do believe they have their place. Yesterday was the wedding of Prince William and his new wife Catherine. It was a beautiful ceremony, with several tender moments between bride and groom. The bride's (and maid of honor's) gowns were lovely. Everyone looked very regal. And I had this sense of loss. I actually felt a little like...Oh my Goodness, I'll never get to marry the future King and become a Princess!

Ok, I am a bit deluded.  The facts are, I live on the otherside of the world, I'm already married, and oh yes...I don't know Prince William, or any of his friends and family. :)

What is it about Royal weddings that bring the idea of fairytales out in us? Why do many women want to have a fairytale romance, with a prince on a white horse whisking us away.  Maybe it has more to do with the fact that I just passed our one year anniversary. And I remember that when I got married, my maid of honor said that I would never look at weddings the same. That I would always get a tear in my eye and think back to my wedding.

And why am I worried, I did marry a Prince, my prince.

PS The picture at the top was a mock up by the Daily Mail in April 2010...the one on the right is the actual picture of the Royal Couple...good guess on the wedding dress Daily Mail!

Oh to become a photographer?

I have always loved photography, and I thought I had an eye for composition.  But I look at my photos compared to others and I still have a lot to learn.  I'm wondering if I need better equipment?  Do I need to learn more about exposure, white balance and shutter speed?  Or does the advantage come in how you edit the photos? 

My passion is people pictures, action shots not posed.  I want to be able to take a shot of someone as they are laughing, crying, or yelling...but I can't seem to capture that emotion! Please let me know if you have any tips that I can use.

Pakora Palace

We found this little hole in the wall Indian place, called the Pakora Palace in Kelowna, BC.  I love hole in the wall places, because generally they are hidden gems.  Unfortunately, not this time.  While the food wasn't bad, it wasn't that great.  I ordered the butter chicken and the lamb curry.  While the flavour was, ok, the chicken in the butter chicken tasted preformed.  And the lamb in the lamb curry was mostly bone, and at $12 not good value! 

This is mainly a take out place.  And it's too bad they weren't better...we would have loved to have found a place to visit on a regular basis.


Food: * * *3/5


Service: * * * *4/5

Stroller Friendly: * * 2/5

Price: Dishes $8-$12 each

How Clean is too Clean?

We live in a world of anti-bacterial soap and disinfectants.  When you have a newborn you develop a new appreciation for cleanliness.  However, when is too much? 

I agree that when your baby is tiny, it is important to boil and sanitize all their equipment.  But after a while, once baby is out and about, where do you draw the line?   Now that my little one is ready to sit up by himself,  a lot more things are going in his mouth. There are so many products available to help keep baby clean, and I am trying to decide which ones I need.  But I think that we shouldn't over sterilize items around him, or he won't build any immunity. 

And while occasionally (before I can stop him) the dog will lick baby in the face.  My latest purchase to protect baby is a shopping cart cover.  There should be more concern with the germs on shopping carts because of the risks from raw meat present in supermarkets. Salmonella, Ecoli, and others are bacteria that can be very dangerous to children, a great reason to protect them.  I ordered a Babe Ease from http://www.babysteals.com/, that also doubles as a high chair cover for restaurants. I can't wait for it to arrive to see how it works!

CBC News - Consumer Life - Baby monitors recalled in U.S.

CBC News - Consumer Life - Baby monitors recalled in U.S.

Nearly 2 million baby monitors were recalled after the strangulation deaths of two infants! They were strangled by the cords on the monitors. Wait...don't all baby monitors have cords? Oh my goodness, how could they make such dangerous products. Can you believe that the company had to recall these items due to parents leaving the monitors too close to their babies? 

When are people going to be responsible for their own actions?!  While it is very sad that these parents have lost their children.  Responsibilty helps us develop our critical thinking and ensures we take the proper precautions where necessary.

Do you think the manufacturer should be responsible?

Celebrity Rehab Apprentice

Have you seen the commercials for the new Celebrity Apprentice!  It looks like they morphed the shows Celebrity Rehab and Celebrity Apprentice together. Whoa, that's some scary stuff going on there.  And what's the deal with Gary Busey?  It's coming out March 6th, enjoy!  http://www.nbc.com/upcoming-celebrity-apprentice/

Thank Goodness for Book Clubs

I was an avid reader when I was young.  Then university, life, and adventure happened...and somehow I got away from reading books.  I read magazines, text books, and with the explosion of the internet - online material.  Then a couple of years ago, a friend started a book club which I joined. It started off slow and I was reading one book every two months (I can't believe that as a child I used to read upwards of 10 books a week!). But even if I hadn't read the book for that week, I would attend Book Club.  I found that many of the conversations about the books, also addressed common concerns or issues in life and I was still able to contribute.  I'm so glad that I joined, and even with a new child I am pretty much able to keep up with the reading list.  It is great to spend an evening with the other ladies and expand my horizons even more, by reading books that I would not normally choose myself. Book Clubs have definately become more popular of late.  A local online magazine, The Pear Tree,  is profiling book clubs...maybe they will profile ours?!

Today is Chinese New Year!

Welcome to the New Year! I hope you have had a chance to clean your home, pay your debts, and resolve your differences.  On Chinese NY the elders give "lai see" or red packets ("fung bao" in Hakka) to the children of the family. These packets often contain money or chocolate coins.  They are used to symbolize good luck and ward off evil spirits.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! To you and your family...a proserous New Year!

Vaccinations

There is so much controversy with vaccinations (one of the hard decisions a parent has to make).  Here is some more information regarding the report that linked vaccines to autism, and the doctor who produced the report. An interesting watch for those parents or parents to be out there.

CBC Report on MMR link to Autism

I want to do a flash mob!

I've always wanted to do a Flashmob...but this Mp3 experiment looks really fun too!