No outfit is complete without a.....

....tutu!  Ok, so maybe that only applies if you are five.

I whipped this up this morning.  The hardest part was fending off the little ballerina until I was finished.
I have enough tulle left over that I think I need to make Bear a matching one.

After the photoshoot Charlotte said she needed me to dance so she could take a picture of me.

Maybe I need a tutu too?

Or maybe I should just borrow Charlotte's when she isn't looking!

Happy Canada Day!

My country turns a sprightly 143 today.  We are still so young!  

Every day I am reminded of how fortunate I am to grow up in such a safe and prosperous place.

I must say thank you to my fellow Canadians in the Armed Forces who are working hard to protect my freedom and risking their lives every day in the process. 

Emmett wants to be a Soldier when he grows up.  I am both proud and terrified at that thought.

PS:  I made those cupcakes for Emmett's last day of school.  They celebrated Canada Day a bit early.

Growing.

Yesterday I saw something I never thought I would see in my house:

This is my husband, the computer software developer, rebuilding the alternator of his ahem, "classic" car.  (Is an early-eighties Pontiac Parisienne considered a classic yet?)

Somehow The Universe got the message to my grease-monkey brother and later that evening he called Richard so they could talk about it.  (Isn't it funny how that works sometimes?)

Later in the afternoon I mentioned this strange occurrence to my friends at a yarn-dyeing party. (This dyeing party, actually.)  The wise hostess and guest pointed out that this is the one of the interesting parts of being married.  Watching your partner grow and learn new things.  Richard is not from a handy family.  His parents are much more likely to hire people to do things than they are to tackle them  themselves.  The year I bought Richard a table saw his dad thought I was trying to hurt him!

So, I stewed on this overnight.  I tried to think of what I have been doing lately to grow.  I am learning to run. (4.19 miles yesterday!  Then I rode over 4 miles on my bike to and from my friend's house--and I can still walk today!  I am getting fit!)  I recently took an anger management class (that is for another post).

What have you done to grow lately?

Randoms

First, I want to reassure my wonderful and concerned readers that Charlotte's hand is much better.  The doctor gave us some magical cream that took the swelling right down.  I cleaned Char's room very thoroughly and found no more evidence of arachnoid invasion.


Here are some random snapshots of our life recently......

This is what happens when your cheap set of measuring spoons falls down the garbage disposal.

Here is my little girl "reading" in the back yard.....let's take another look.....

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance???   Well, aren't we the pretentious little hipster!!  (The next day she grabbed Lives of Girls and Women, by Alice Munro.)

Two hours at the fair and Richard felt like he was hemorrhaging twenties.

The parents were much happier about having the two year old on a leash than the two year old was being on a leash.  (seriously--I don't know how we could have gone to the fair without it!)

Soccer season is over.  What will be my motivation to fold laundry now???
I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed watching Emmett and Charlotte's skills develop over the month they played.  Emmett was slow to start, but really got into it by the end.  Charlotte is a real scrapper on the field.

We're all in this together

Today started like any other.  I stumbled, bleary-eyed out of my bedroom in the general direction of the coffee maker with two out of my three demanding cereal at a very high volume.  The house was dark because there were storm clouds outside.

Once I had some coffee and the kids were fed I noticed something odd about Charlotte's hand.  It was very red, hot and swollen.  I saw a bug bite on one of her swollen fingers.  I gave her a dose of antihistamine and proceeded with lunch packing and child herding.

Fast forward a bit to school drop off.  I notice in the brighter light of the parking lot a jagged edge to the redness on Charlotte's hand.   Crap.  This is probably cellulitis.  I grabbed a pen from her teacher, drew an outline around the swelling and told the teacher to call me if the swelling or redness spread..

I went about my errands.  No one called.  I pick up Charlotte.  Her hand is still swollen, red and hot.  There is a walk-in clinic down the street from her school.  Charlotte, Matthew and I sat here for an hour and a half and then my fears were confirmed.  Prescription in hand, we head to the store.

Everyone is tired, cranky and hungry.  I debate about just leaving the prescription and having Richard pick it up after he is finished work.  My nurse brain tells me to wait.  Cellulitis is not something to mess around with and hours can count.  We wait. While sitting in the pharmacy I remember I am out of ibuprofen.  I grab a bottle off of the shelf and toss it in my cart.  Dear little cranky Charlotte asks (in between fielding hits from her equally cranky brother) "Mom, what are those pills for?"  I tell her they are for headaches.  She very innocently asks "Mommy, what is giving you a headache now?"

A woman who is browsing the same shelf I am overhears our conversation.   She looks over.  We exchange knowing glances.  She whispers to me she has three boys herself.

It is nice to find an ally on the battlefield.

EDITED TO ADD:

I sent Charlotte to her room to clean it.  I asked her to take the sheets off of her bed and put them in the laundry room.  A little while later I heard screaming.  She came running up the stairs.  "There's a BIG SPIDER in my bed!!!!"   This girl is prone to hyperbole, but when I got down there I had to put on my best poker face.

There WAS a HUGE SPIDER on the mattress.

Now I am wondering if that is what bit her hand.

Can we keep telling her it was a mosquito at soccer practice?  I'd kind of like her to keep sleeping in that room.

You started out so small. We really had no idea what we were doing with you. 

You challenged me from the start.  You were not in any of the parenting books I read.  You taught me to trust my instincts and to be confidant to throw the advice of so-called "experts" out the window.  You taught me how to be a mother.  You MADE me a mother.

You taught me incredible things like sign language and silly things like the names of the characters on Ben 10 Alien Force.

You are now teaching your brother and sister things. 
You will always be teaching me.

I can't believe you are seven today. Happy Birthday, Big Guy!

Road Trippin'

Last Friday I pulled Emmett out of school at lunchtime, loaded up the old minivan and headed Up North.  My mom had the weekend off, and we rarely visit, so I bit the bullet and made my first solo trip with the kids. Richard stayed home and hung out with his buddies and did some home-repair projects that would be hard to do with kids underfoot.

My car is old.  I do not have a portable DVD player. You can't even get radio or cel reception on parts of the drive to my mom's place.  I kept the kids entertained by singing along to their CDs at the top of my lungs, providing fresh colouring books and crayons, and lots of snacks.  Lots and lots of snacks.  At one point on the way home I had to listen to Matthew tell a knock knock joke for an hour which was rather traumatizing, but if that is the worst that happened, I think we did pretty well!

When we got there I had playdates lined up with some friends.  One old high school chum has three little ones of her own and a lovely farm with a dugout where my urban kids got to do country-kid things like catch tadpoles and chase new kittens.

One of the friends we played with took me running.  It was a lovely way to wake up on a Sunday morning--running just out of town and smelling fresh grass and trees before the heat of the day set in.

I also got to meet in person someone I have only ever talked to through our blogs.  We sat in a coffee shop with my running partner (small world--they are friends too)  for four hours!  I am so glad we got to meet face to face and hope that won't be the last time.

I am glad I finally found my courage to make the trip.

My Little Star

Charlotte had her final dance recital of the season last week.
She loves the stage and looks very comfortable up there.  The dressing room chaos doesn't faze her.

I love watching her on stage.  I love watching the other classes dance too and seeing the progression from youngsters just finding their feet to dancers feeling comfortable in their bodies and reveling in all they can do.

37:16

Check out my fitness blog to see what I was up to today.

Nothing to see here....

BUT if you mosey over to my fitness/cooking blog you can read a bit about what I am doing to stay in shape:

Here's a hint:

I am running.

Oh wait.  I do have something to say.

Charlotte has been sick with a nasty stomach bug for a couple of days.  Yesterday she slept all day on the couch.  (I know!  Charlotte!  Sleeping in the middle of the day!  Scary!)  So, while she slept I did many loads of laundry, vacuumed and mopped the floors and generally tried to clean the sickness out of our house.  I must say that I love my lemon and ginger-scented floor cleaner--it really freshens things up.  Anyway, not long after the final laundry load was dried and the floor shiny and clean, the dog threw up on the floor.

Sigh.  THIS is why I hate housework.  The futility of it all.

PS--Charlotte is all better today.  Full of her regular spunk and energy.  Whew!

PPS--Do you like my blog's new outfit?  Is it irritating or charming that you never know what you are going to see when you click on my link?

A Dramatic reading. Sideways. (Probably only interesting if you are Grandma)

Emmett loves the Chester series of books. I will do anything to encourage him to practice reading, so here he is showing his stuff. I am sorry the picture is sideways. I don't know how to fix that.

Guess who had a birthday yesterday??

Happy fifth, my girl!
It feels like we have had a bumpy year.  Four has been a year for Charlotte to really try to assert her independence on the world.  Whether it be making her own lunch of jam and sauerkraut sandwiches, trying to boss her brothers around,  or thinking she can walk home from Emmett's school alone, she is showing herself to be very strong-willed and assertive.  These traits will serve her well some day and help her do great things in this world, but for now, I bumble along and do my best to reign her in without crushing her spirit.

When I think of Charlotte I keep thinking of Cyndi Lauper's song True Colours:

Show me a smile then
don't be unhappy, can't remember
when I last saw you laughing
if this world makes you crazy
and you've taken all you can bear
you call me up
because you know I'll be there
 

But I see your true colors
shining through
I see your true colors
and that's why I love you
so don't be afraid to let them show
your true colors
true colors are beautiful
like a rainbow 

I am realizing that we push each other's buttons so well because we are so very much alike.   Charlotte is my mirror and sometimes it is really hard to face that reflection.  By helping her through this world I am finding out all that I need  to learn myself.   

The challenge of being her mother is one that I sometimes shy away from, but I will never turn my back on it.  She is my girl and I want her to shine.

Thank you Ami!

 Ami gave me this cute award.  The catch?  I have to answer her questions and then make some up and tag some more people.  I like her questions and they are giving me an excuse to write a bit on this almost-snowy Sunday Morning.  Thanks, Ami!


You see a small kid riding a bike in the street. No helmet. Does that bother you?
Yes.  Kids who are big enough to ride bikes on the street and not just hobble along on the sidewalk with a parent walking alongside need helmets.  Head injuries are not a laughing matter and most motorists are idiots who don't drive slow enough on residential streets.
 

Someone else read your newspaper before you did and mixed it all up and didn't fold it properly. How do you feel?
Ambivalent.  I am usually the one to mess up the paper and spread it everywhere, so I would be quite a hypocrite if I got mad at someone else for doing that!

You're almost done with the laundry. You're on the last load, which happens to be a load of dark clothes. One of your kids brings in a bunch of white socks. Toss them in with the jeans or put them in the hamper to wash later?I don't understand this question.  Laundry can be finished?  In my house laundry is never ever ever finished so if a pile of socks shows up it can sit in the hamper until enough whites shows up for a load. Oh, and I am really anal about sorting so there is no possible way I would put white socks in with jeans on purpose.  (I have eight sorting categories that all require different detergent/softener combinations.  I know I am crazy.  I have actually lightened up.  I used to have eleven sorting categories.)
 
You're out shopping with a relative or a friend. You brought a bottle of water, he did not. When you open it and drink some, he wants to have some, too. Do you hand him the bottle and not drink any more out of it yourself? Share it and drink after each other without a second thought?
Or?
Ohhhh, that is a tricky one!  My gut reaction is to drink what I want, offer the rest to the friend/relative and then not have any more after that.  If the relative is my child I would DEFINITELY not drink out of the bottle again as I know there would be backwash.
 
You're out to dinner with a girlfriend and there's a very famous male celebrity seated just two tables over. What do you do, if anything?
I would take notice and then giggle and whisper with my friend, but I would not get up and approach the celebrity.  I am sure they don't want me bothering them while trying to eat. 

You just found out your 48 year old best friend is pregnant. (oops)
Do you tell her that you're really, really sorry or do you start celebrating immediately and try to make it seem like it's a good thing while inside you're saying 'I am so glad it's not me' ?
I would put on a happy face and celebrate with her while thanking my lucky stars it is her and not me.  If she is not happy about it I would try my best to put a positive spin on things and help her see the bright side.Heck, I am 34 and that is how I would react now! 

If you could plant your whole back yard with flowers, what kinds would you choose?

I would want my back yard to look like a crazy meadow full of wildflowers.  Oh, and I think a pond with a little waterfall would be pretty too.  Not sure about fish though....

Do you like chocolate milk?
Who doesn't?

Are you afraid to shop or pay bills online?
Heck no!  I hate leaving my house to shop!

Are you a cat person?
Why or why not?
I love cats, but I am allergic to them so I can't own one. 

Ok, now for (no pressure) tagging:


April
Carolyn
Cynthia
Sarah 
Sandy 
Tammi
You.  Yes you.  The one who has stuck with me this far.  Leave me a comment and a link to your own blog and I will stop by and read your answers.

And your questions:
If you could go anywhere for a vacation, money no object, where would you go and why?  Who would you take with you?


What has been your biggest challenge as an adult?


What are you currently reading?  What led you to that book?


What is one thing you will never ever ever eat?  Why?


It is Sunday morning, 10:00 AM.  What are you doing?


Which is more important to you?  A tidy home or a clean home?  Is there a difference to you?

If you were given a full-ride scholarship to the post-secondary institution of your choice, where would you go? What courses would you take?  

Would you rather go to an action movie or a girly movie?

If/when you start to grow grey hair, will you wear it with pride or dye it into submission?


Dogs or cats?

We have a winner!

Congratulations to sweetpepper, the winner of my contest.

I very scientifically wrote each entrant's name on a scrap of paper, folded them and placed them in the back of Matthew's dump truck.  My lovely assistant Charlotte drew the winning name.

Thanks for playing, everyone!

We inerrupt this blog to bring you a brief message from a sponsor.....

I was given the opportunity to try Iams dog food with our Lucy today.  They have changed their formula to add prebiotics to help support intestinal health and aid in your dog or cat's immunity.

Click here to find out more about Iams line of pet food.


I have no idea if those claims will prove to be true, but as soon as I opened the bag and poured some into a dish, Lucy, who is usually rather indifferent about dry dog food, gobbled up what I placed in front of her.  The only other time I have seen her that enthusiastic about a bowl of kibble was when I poured bacon drippings over it.

Iams also wants my loyal readers to have a chance to try their new formula.  If you are Canadian, leave a comment at the end of this post and I will put your name into a draw for a coupon good for a FREE full-sized bag of Iams dog food. (In my city, that is a $22 value for a 17 kg bag of food.)  I will make the drawing at the end of the week.

Inside Emmett's head.

I finally remembered to remind Richard to ask for copies of Emmett's MRI pictures before his last appointment.  I found no fewer than 20 different slices of my boy's head in my email inbox yesterday.  I sifted through them, my Anatomy and Physiology knowledge very fuzzy in the back of my own brain.

It is both very cool and and a little creepy to have pictures of your baby, inside and out.  Seeing Emmett's cyst with my own eyes still kind of stops my heart, even though I know he is doing so well and that he will continue to do well even while carrying it around in his head.

 

You can see the cyst quite clearly in this picture behind the left eye, which is on your right.

Here is a cross-section of my boy's head.

I am pretty sure Emmett's cyst is the mass you see where his eye was in the previous picture, but I am not a doctor and have NO training reading these images.

What did you do this weekend?

Richard and Emmett and Charlotte headed off to the Big City on Friday.  Emmett's annual MRI was today

I was fighting a chest cold last week and just wanted to stay home.  So, Matthew and I hunkered down together for the weekend.

Thankfully there are four good playgrounds and a shopping center within walking distance of our house, so we spent the mornings playing outside and the afternoons napping and playing inside. I visited with a friend and my Grandmother so I wasn't starved for adult conversation.  A kind friend picked us up and took us out this morning so I wouldn't be home alone fretting while waiting for Richard to phone.  I am grateful for that!

There was a distinct theme to our inside games.

I couldn't escape the trains!  In this picture I am actually standing at the stove, in my pjs, stirring a pot of oatmeal.

On one of our walks we found a little spring by the playground.

I snuck in some "me" time too.

Having only one child to look after was positively relaxing.  I got caught up on the laundry, cooked food I love and got to laze around at naptime watching bad tv instead of breaking up wrestling matches.  I did get tired of the endless train games.  I will be happy to say "Go!  Play with your brother and sister!" tonight.  It will also be nice to have another adult to share the couch with. 

Oh, and Emmett did very well with his scan and the results were very positive.  We don't have to go back next year, and a verbal check in with the neurosurgeon will suffice.

Another Sign of Spring.....

We look forward to using our clothesline again after a long cold winter!

Spring Crafting

Yeah, yeah, Spring is usually the time for another "C" word...ahem, cleaning....but the only real Spring Cleaning I do is more vacuuming because the sunlight streaming through my patio doors highlights the cereal crumbs on the floor so well.

I was recently inspired by a post by the lovely and super crafty Soule Mama.  She has personalized napkin rings for every member of her family.  Now, she lives in Maine.  Maine is crawling with awesome antique shops and swap meets (I am sure you might even run into a roving Martha or one of her minions if you have your timing right)  I do not have access to these things, so I decided to dive into my considerable stash of beads, and with the help of Charlotte, we got to work.

These are not as elegant as SouleMama's, but they are fun and funky, and double as fashion accessories when Charlotte's mood and outfit decide that.

In another fit of crafting I grabbed a pair of ripped jeans that have been laying around my house and turned them into a cute new summery skirt for my fashionista girl.

What does Spring mean to you?  More cleaning?  More crafting? 

Just another day in Suburbia.

We live very close to the river that runs through our city now.  At the end of our street is a fairly untouched forest area where beavers and deer and all manner of critters live.  We see the deer walking down our street at night sometimes.  There are a lot more birds and squirrels and things  here, in our new neighbourhood than there were on our old inner-city street.

Matthew saw a squirrel on our deck this morning.  He was so excited he ran out and scared the bejeebers out of it.  The squirrel got almost nose-to-nose with him before deciding on an escape route.  I really don't know who was more startled when the little critter made a run at Matthew.  He hightailed it back inside while the squirrel hightailed it for a tree.

I put some whole peanuts out on the deck to lure the squirrel back so we could look some more.

Matthew went back outside and shouted at the trees:  "Querl, querl, ea!  ea!! "  (That is Matthlish for "Come here, Squirrel, Eat!  Eat!!")

After Charlotte got home from school I told her about our adventure so she got some more peanuts and made a neat line of them on the deck.  She then went outside and shouted at the trees "Come here Squirrels!  I have some peanuts for you!" 

She got really mad when they didn't come.

Out of the mouths of Moms

Today was a busy day.  Playgroup in the morning, drop off to visit the Grandparents in from the Big City after.  In between required stops at the gas station, health food store, and back home to retrieve a forgotten item. 
I am more than frazzled.  In addition to the craziness I am coping with a regression in Charlotte's behaviour.

I let the f-bomb slip at an inconsiderate driver who did not care that I was tired, frazzled and had a brain running around in a million different directions.

Emmett looked up at me with his big, soulful brown eyes.

""F*ck me" is a bad word, isn't it?"

I said yes, then quickly said I shouldn't have said it and that HE certainly shouldn't say it.

"You shouldn't say "F*ck you" either, right Mom?"

No, Emmett, no you shouldn't.  (and, for the record, he learned that one at school.)

I'm a believer.

Today is day nine of Charlotte's new dairy-free life. We are now in this for the long haul.

By day three of her new diet she was sleeping an extra 1/2 hour a night, and going to bed with much less fuss. By the end of the week I noticed her moods smoothing out. She is still a firecracker. She is still bossy and opinionated, but her tantrums are shorter. She is listening better and responding better.

I like her again, and I know that MY change in energy around her is making even more positive impact on our relationship.

What really clinched it for me was what happened to us yesterday. She got Emmett's chocolate milk at breakfast instead of her own chocolate (rice) milk. Last night she was up again, wandering the halls. She had a meltdown at playgroup this morning.

I am so thankful for the help and support I am getting, and for this book: (click on the photo for an Amazon link)


My good friend (and fellow blogger) Carolyn loaned it to me. I immediately ordered a copy for myself. She has been so helpful in helping us make this transition. It is always great to have an ally in your corner who speaks the GFCF language and already knows the ropes.

Making a diet change on a hunch is not an easy undertaking. It feels so overwhelming at the start and I have heard close friends of mine say "Oh, I am having the same troubles but I could NEVER do that. It sounds too hard."

I thought that too. I waited a very long time before I worked up the gumption to do this. I can't look back now. The book was a huge help. The first few chapters outline WHY this diet can be helpful and gives concrete instructions on how to execute the changes. It shows you what exactly your child can eat when you think there isn't anything. The recipes are for kids and some take into consideration texture and sensory issues that seem to come along with an Autism diagnosis.

Charlotte has not been diagnosed with Autsim or ADHD, but these seem to be the books that have the information that I need--sometimes you have to open your mind and see past labels to get the help you need.

My new challenge will be to find rice ice cream in our little city. I am trying very hard to look for non-soy dairy alternatives as I don't want to substitute one problem for another potential one, and soy comes with it's own set of risks. I am going to wait a bit and try a cheese trial as there is no casein-free alternative that is acceptable. Did you know that even soy cheese has milk in it??

We are having really good results with just eliminating dairy, so I am not going gung ho with gluten, but I am trying to find lower-GI (glycemic index) foods that will help stabilize her blood sugar and prevent highs and crashes.

I am so happy to have my girl back!!!!

.....a note about comment moderation

You may have noticed I have turned on comment moderation. It is not the fault of you, my wonderful, loyal readers.

I am getting spammed.

Rest assured, if you are a real human with real feelings and opinions, whether I agree with them or not, I will publish your comment.

If you are a spambot, well, you know where I think you can go.

Thank you for your encouragement and continued interest in the minutae of my life!

Am I one ot *those* moms??

I have been going through a rough patch with Charlotte. She is belligerent, wets her pants to get attention, and has real problems with sleep. I have reached the end of my rope with her more than once and have said things and done things to try to get her back in line that I am not proud of.

A meeting with Charlotte's preschool teachers got my mind going. According to them, with her current behaviour at school I should not be surprised if her elementary school teachers start calling me and suggesting she be screened for ADHD. (This is paraphrasing...in between dropping the ADHD bomb they said stuff like "we love her spirit" and "we embrace her individuality"...)

Ahem. Fuck that. I am SO sick of people painting an energetic kid who speaks their mind with the ADHD brush. I will homeschool my kids before I drug them. Period.

This whole changing the diet to change behaviour just smacks of new-age yuppy helicopter mom to me, and it sort of embarasses me to admit I want to try it. The last thing I EVER want to be accused of is being a new-age yuppy helicopter mom.

That being said, I would love to help Charlotte sleep and improve her eczema.


I am looking into counselling for us, and changing her diet. I am starting with eliminating dairy. Next on my hit list will be gluten. They say that mild intolerances to those substances can manifest themselves as sleep and behaviour problems.

Here is an article on milk
Here is an article on gluten

So, here is my question. Is it the diet change that is going to help?
OR
Is it the change in my energy around Char and the slight increase in attention I will pay her while analyzing everything she does going to help her?

I am probably just being crazy and overthinking...as usual.

The world through Charlotte's eyes.

I am feeling a bit ranty.

Today is the day of the big cross-border battle for hockey gold. I don't have TV channels and don't actually care about hockey anyway. (Yes, as I have said before, there are Canadians in this world who don't know anything about icing or offside passing or the differences between major and minor penalties. We live full and productive lives nonetheless.) It is still my patriotic duty to say GO CANADA, KICK SOME AMERICAN BUTT before I go any further.

Since I am not going to be another person going on and on about the Olympics I am going to rant about the Academy Awards instead.

Here is a list of the best picture nominees. The ones with stars next to them are the ones I have actually seen. (This is where I thank our sainted respite worker yet again.) I have linked each title to it's preview on YouTube for your convenience.

*Avatar
*The Blind Side
*District 9
An Education
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
*A Serious Man
*Up
*Up in the Air

Avatar for best picture? Really? Academy, are you serious? Don't get me wrong. The movie is very pretty. It is really, really pretty. The sad thing is that the story is a very dressed up retread of a story that has been told over and over again. When I think of Best Pictures I think of movies that have substance to go with their style. A story that stays with you and makes you think for days after you watch it. A story that gets people talking about more than special effects. If all you can remember about a movie is how great the special effects were, is it really Best Picture material?

I love a good action movie. I love special effects. I purposely seek out these kinds of movies to give my brain a break. Sometimes you want to go to a movie and relax and not think too hard. That is what Avatar is for. If we are going to choose a cartoon for Best Picture, how about we choose Up. Sure, no one glowed and could attach themselves to stuff with fiber optic cable, but the story was rich and layered and had emotional depth. When I walked out of the theatre after watching that movie I didn't just talk about the stunning visual effects and about what a lovely delicate touch the animators used with the 3D--I also talked about how the story was just as rich and full as the colours.

District 9 was incredible because it is a sci-fi movie that didn't need fancy eye-popping special effects to tell it's story. Up in the Air was enjoyable and also had a story line that was worth talking about, and a Serious Man had me bummed out for days afterward. (if you have seen it, you will know what I mean.) I was surprised I enjoyed The Blind Side as much as I did.

I have no idea who should win Best Picture, and in the long run, it doesn't matter in my life. I just hope that the voters of the Academy are smart enough to see past the flashy visuals of Avatar to choose a different movie. Of course in Hollywood beauty is only skin deep, so maybe it would be fitting if a movie that is really only pretty on the outside wins after all.

EDITED ON MARCH 3: We watched The Hurt Locker a couple of days ago...another interesting and thought-provoking movie much worthier of Best Picture than Avatar!