If you're into that sort of thing...

It's been a long time since I've been into vampires (a lot of you know where this is going) and honestly, I can't say I'm 'into' them now. However, I am always looking for a good fiction book. After reading Deathly Hallows, and Brisingr, I was stumped at what to venture to next. I've blogged about this part before. See I got tagged.

So, moving on, some months back, my dad and stepmom came over for dinner and told me about the phenomenon of Twilight...asking me if I'd heard about the book. It's a book about a vampire (is what I remember the description to be) and I had no idea that hundreds of thousands of people, especially girls, were going nuts over this book series. I just kind of laughed afterwards, but now I know that it's more a love story than anything. A quest for goodness when you feel that you are a monster. Stuff like that. Back then, though, um...what, 8 months ago???...I just thought, "Huh, vampires. Haven't read anything about the undead since I was 16 years old and completely enthralled with Anne Rice and the Vampire Lestat." So, I tucked it somewhere so deep into my subconscious that I forgot about Twilight at all.

Then, I got onto a Harry Potter kick (this happens every 6 months or so) after watching the new trailers for Half-blood Prince and decided to rent Goblet of Fire. After watching it, I came across some new movie trailers and noticed Cedric Diggory (from Goblet of Fire, aka Robert Pattinson) in the trailer for Twilight. Huh. That rang some far-off bell.

I began reading about the movie and thought, "What the heck. I need a new book."

I've never had a harder time renting a book from the library. Because I was number 36 on a waiting list for Twilight, I began reading an old book I'd read a year ago (Islam Revealed) and had almost given up on getting a new book at all. Then, well, this is not very good of me and I definitely don't go around suggesting this, but I found the book online. Fully uploaded. Honestly...I'm serious...I really didn't think anything about it being a bootleg until Hubby mentioned it. I just looked up, 'Read Twilight online' and when a website popped up, I thought, "Oh, good, I can start reading it now." I can be really dense like that sometimes.

Ok, wow. I'm way off subject...kind of. Arrgh.

So, I read not the first, the second, and the third, but also the fourth and part of the fifth (legally) in a matter of a few weeks. Last Saturday, I saw the movie Twilight with Nikkilicious (sorry, Nikki, I don't know why I do that to your name) and well, it was pretty darn good. It could have been SO much longer and I would have happily sat through it. I was a little surprised that it was over 2 hours. That good? Yeah. Yeah, it kinda was. Beautiful cinematography. Everything was so green and vivid and I LOVED the baseball scene. Made me laugh outloud.

So, now realizing that Cedric...um, Robert Pattinson...is a pretty good actor, I began looking at some of his other work. And now I am psyched about a new movie he's in that is coming out in 2009. NO, I'm not talking about New Moon (Part 2 of the Twilight Saga), although I will be excited to see what direction that movie takes and hope it's even better. No, I'm talking about How To Be. It looks hysterical. And being from the Boom-a-Rang Generation (Gen x), it's right up my alley. Looks to be a promising little Indie movie. AND....ta da! It has Robert Pattinson.

However, I have to warn those who gush and blush and otherwise drool on themselves at even the thought of the British actor...he's NOT an Edward in this movie. He's not even a Cedric. He's...weird. And "normal." And quirky. I like it...if you're into that sort of thing...and I am.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

I just had to make a quick journal entry about Ham's new dainty ways. (Side note: I will not say "girly" to describe dainty behavior after reading the definition of girly, which says, "Weak, timid, or effeminate. Used of men.") No...don't like that much.

So, Ham is dainty...yet unbelievably tough. People often look at me with surprised loathing when Ham sprawls out after tripping over something (usually her own feet...much like her momma) and I barely bat an eyelash. She's just too much rough and tumble for me to react to every little stumble or fall. I'm not mean, I just know her.

So, indication #1 that she is becoming more dainty: She is now into bows. She likes to carry them around and she won't take them out of her hair if we put them there. (A big IF, because I usually don't think to accessorize her, although I do think it's adorable.)

The true test of daintiness (def: Delicately beautiful or charming; squeamish), came this morning when I was not paying much attention to Ham. I knew she was looking out of the window waiting for the neighbor's cat to make his appearance, so I didn't think much of it when she started whining as if to complain. I thought, "OK, she sees something she wants, but can't get to it. Or Tux (the cat) hasn't shown up yet." (I usually ignore whining unless she says, "Momma" and then signs 'help.') The whining soon increased and became more of a whimper. Before I thought to look, she began a pitiful sob and I could tell she was in some sort of pain.

I walked over to her (I try not to react 'violently' to her possibly, already painful, circumstances) and asked, "What is it, baby?" She stood there with tears running down her face, clutching a ball in one hand, whimpering and sobbing as if frozen with fear. Since she was standing in between the kitchen table and the window, I thought, "Oh my gosh, she really hurt herself." I thought maybe she banged her head on the table or something. I even scanned her free hand, now frozen with shock against the window, to make sure she hadn't gotten it stuck somehow.

I looked around and it only took a second to find the source of her horror.... A light brown, inch-sized cockroach. Still living, although barely moving, twitching its disgusting, whiplike antennae toward my baby girl.

For some reason, I began to mimic her horror and took great offense to this parasite...Ok, technically, it's not a parasite. I rushed to her aid with a paper towel that just so happened, thankfully, to be on the kitchen table and crushed the intruder. Ham looked up at me with almost as much horror as the roach's appearance had etched across her face. I almost felt bad for the little bugger...hahaha...the roach...bug.

I went against my usual compassion for anything living and did not feel bad for killing the nasty pest, but instead, said to Ham, "It's OK Baby, Momma got it. It's gone. It went 'bye-bye.'" I took it and flushed it and when I came back, Ham was still frozen, wide-eyed. I think she was just as surprised at her reaction as I was.

I held out my arms and she gave me a big hug and then toddled off to her basket of toys. It was as if nothing ever happened.

Today's reaction to the roach was a far cry from the reaction I saw on her face about 8 months ago.... The one I remember was an expression of immense satisfaction, as two little roach legs were dangling out of her mouth.

She's come a long way.

Guess who's using the potty???

So, Hubby has been trying to convince me to try and potty train Ham for quite some time (having read several articles on infants being able to be potty trained).

I knew the fact that babies in other countries do NOT use diapers and are able to 'go' in designated places outside their homes by the time they are 8-9 months old. Ham's 14 months old, so, why not.

Welp. She's doing it. Seriously. Since about two weeks ago, every time you put her on the potty, she strains a little, goes and then gets the biggest smile on her face. The cutest part? She'll sometimes reach over and tear off some toilet paper and rub her leg with it, then throw it behind her. SOOOO funny.

And, last week, she poopied on the potty for the first time. I just about fell over. She went #1 and I was about to get her off the potty and she clenched her fists and screeched a protest, so I was like, "OK, you're not done." Then she pushed a little and plop, plop. Too much information, I'm sure. I don't care. My 14-month-old can poop on the potty.

So now, she can wear training pants (not pull-ups, mind you...real cotton training pants...without that nasty rubber diaper cover) for hours at a time as long as we take her to the potty once every 30-60 minutes. Weird.

Here's a picture of her triumph...and a few just for fun in her undies.

Always, with the tongue. And holding Elmo for reassurance.

Not a care in the world.

Ok, yeah, so I'm wearing hand-me-down, BOYS, training pants from my 2nd cousin, Vinny. AND!?

If I didn't know her better, I'd say she was flaunting it.
OK, this is just TOO Grandmom McLeod. Hahahaha.

Now we're just waiting for her to break out in a Risky Business-type dance. I can see it now, Hubby and I are innocently eating breakfast and Ham comes skidding into the kitchen with socks and undies on, complete with plastic mixing spoon in hand, belting out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

She's a little more modest than that, it seems...when she knows she being photographed. Although, there is a reason I dubbed her "Ham":

A Tribute...Wordless Wednesday

My sister and others do this and I think it's a great idea. Not only does it gaurantee a post from me, it also helps me not have to think of anything witty to say and keeps people up-to-date.

Here are a few pictures for this new tradition: Wordless Wednesday