Positively Feminine!

Here's a new website: Positively Feminine! I know of them because they asked to use a couple of my articles. They are here and here. I think it's a pretty cool, comprehensive website. Browse a bit!

It's 9 p.m. Friday -- and my day looked nothing like it was supposed to at 8 this morning! I filled in at a group swim lesson that I have taught for previously. It called to mind why I chose not to do that this summer. Yeeeshk. Mostly fun, but what do you do with a 4 year old that says, "No, thank you. I'm not going to get in today." Well, I will tell you what I did with him (this will shock people that know me): I let him sit there. When I taught for the whole session, I felt bad for the poor mother that paid $60 for this kid to sit on the side of the pool and I would coerce and cajole, beg and bribe. Not today -- that is SO not my problem if he doesn't want to get in. Say what you will about men vs. women, boys vs. girls, but a frightened girl will do precisely what I ask her with tears rolling down her cheeks while a frightened boy will scream (so why do they call it "scream like a girl"?) and thrash and make your life miserable. I had also forgotten what it's like to "catch" the kids off the diving board. Jee-hosophat. If they don't land smack on your head, they land close enough to send as big of a tidal wave as you can get with a 50 pound child from a 4 foot board. I do admit that every parent should be able to see the look I see as they "take the leap." Joy, fear, adrenaline, anxiety, euphoria. Kind of like me and mother hood!

After swim lessons we went to McDonald's for a truly quality lunch! That was our compensation (partly) for not being able to swim this week. Then to Wal-Mart to get a snack, then to the 2:20 showing of 'Cars'. We got to the theater at 2:15. Sold out -- for the 2:20 and 2:50 show. Okay, 3 tickets for the 4:40 show. Thinking better of this, I call Troy to ask him would he like to join us, could I buy him a ticket. Sure, that would be fun -- I'll leave work a little early. Back I go (I had just walked down the shopping center a bit) to buy another ticket -- now 4:40 is sold out! I trade in my 3 4:40 tickets and buy 4 tickets for the 5:10 (are you keeping track? -- there's a quiz!) We return home, very hot from wandering at the shopping center, and very sad that our day is not going like we planned.

I went to the grocery store to get us squared away for the week, then dashed home for the kids and I to hustle and put it all away. Still sweating. Hustle BACK to the movie theater to get good seats since this was obviously a popular show. The movie is running late, we'll have to wait in the lobby. Guess what -- air conditioning is out. I know, I know, I know there are bigger problems in the world than the air being out at a movie that I've just paid $22 for my entire family to see. I know, I know, I know that some families in 3rd world countries live on $22/ month. I am here to tell you that I could think of none of that as I stood in the lobby with sweat rolling down every surface of my body. I asked 3 different theater employees (who, BLESS THEM, had to wear a long sleeve shirt, long black pants, and a vest) if the air was working in the theater. They assured me it was. I still readied my argument to the manager for when I walked in a steamy theater so that I could get my $22 back. I stood and waited and marveled at the poor guy working the concession stand. I still don't know how he didn't drip any sweat in the popcorn.

Finally, finally, 5 minutes after the movie was supposed to start we were allowed into the theater. YES! Blissful air. Blissful cool air. Approximately 25 minutes of trailers, and finally the show. For all the stinky reviews, it was really cute. One review I read said that it didn't have any great "over-riding moral theme". I disagree. Another review said it didn't pull off the 'car' idea as cleverly as other Pixar films had been. I disagree. One review said it would never live up to 'Shark Tale' or 'Finding Nemo'. If my children were much smaller, I would far more prefer 'Cars' for the simple fact that there are no intensely scary scenes like I think there are in those other two movies. One of my favorite parts of 'Shark Tale' is the reporter fish named "Katie Current" (with a famous Katie for her voice). I think one of my favorite 'Cars' characters was the sports reporter named "Bob Cutlass" (with Bob Costas as his voice). I just marvel at the creative minds that put all of that together. Obviously, far more right-brained than me!

We made it home from our "afternoon movie" at 7:30. Wrecked the kitchen making a pizza for dinner -- a state it is still in. Tomorrow we have scheduled "work in the yard day" so the kids are already gearing up to complain!

Wait a few weeks, grab your favorite kid(s), and go see 'Cars'. You won't be sorry.