Love, family style

Valentines day has come and gone, a day to show the ones you love how much you really do care. Even if it's only a quiet evening at home, or a wild night on the town, spending it with loved ones is the only way to go.
In the distant past, I've spent the day alone. It sucks. I know you have all been there. Everywhere you look, couples are staring at each other googly eyed. Every TV commercial is featuring roses and candy. You can't leave the house on without feeling like social outcast.
My husband and I usually do the quiet evening at home. He offered to cook dinner, so he brought home some steaks and we did them out on the grill. Winter style. I made a lovely chocolate desert.
Being the sweetie that he is, my husband brought me home roses. For some reason, I just love RED RED roses. I know, they are overdone and trite on Valentines Day. There is just something about getting them that lets you know that you are loved. Like a dancer twirling her skirt, they slowly unfurl themselves as the days go by, and their heady aroma fills the room.
My son got several cards this year from family and friends. I don't think he is going to have any problem with school food when the time comes. He already seems to have a fondness for cardboard.

My favorite poem about love:

A Red, Red Rose

Oh my luve is like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
Oh my luve is like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

Robert Burns

Also, a package arrived from Grandma for my son on Valentines Day! It was the outfit! You see, she cut out this outfit 18 years ago for her youngest boy, my son's Uncle. She never got it finished, so when we had a boy, she thought maybe she should haul it out of the trunk. A few alterations later, it was done. This picture is of my son wearing it. It is so adorable. Good job, Grandma!

For more pictures of the boy, click here.

Annoying Celebrities

Is there anyone besides me who thinks that most celebrities are annoying? If you are a celebrity, it means that you are not yet elevated to the star level. Most celebrities cling to the faint hope that one day they may strike it big. However, it doesn't seem like this happens all that often, and most celebrities end up on stupid shows like "The Surreal Life, "Celebrity Fear Factor", "Dancing with the Stars" or worse yet, "Ice Skating with the Stars"

The most annoying thing about third rate stars is that they think they are the bomb. You see them running their mouths all the time, attempting to make complete sentences. If they would just shut up and watch the news, read a newspaper, or surf on over to CNN.com, they might have a clue as to what they are talking about.

My least favorite celebrity is anyone with last name of Simpson. From Jessica Simpson and her soon to be ex-husband Nick (a third rate celebrity in his own right), to her sister who can't carry a note and is not apologic about it, to OJ and his trials and tribulations. They all just need to go home and get off the air. The funniest thing about Jessica and Nick is that the tabloids had been saying for about a year and half that they where finished, but it was some kind of huge surprise when the ax finally fell. The funniest thing about OJ is that the guy can't pick his nose without someone taking a picture of it. He seems to get into more trouble. I (almost) feel sorry for the guy. I know I feel very sorry for his kids.

Britney Spears wins the Stupid Parent of the Year Award, knocking Michael Jackson and his baby dangling shenanigans off the charts. It seems like Britney doesn't think car seats are necessary, in fact, holding her son on her LAP while she is DRIVING! As a new parent, I can relate. My son cries and cries when I put him in his car seats sometimes. However, I calmly tell him that we have to be safe, and he has to ride in his car seat. This is not negotiable. I would rather hear him cry while in the car seat than in the hospital. She is truly brilliant. I hope she has learned her lesson. I at least hope her mother calls her and chews her out.

Another annoying celebrity is Paris Hilton. Her ultra tanned skin glows with an unnatural alien color. She is going to have skin cancer by the time she is thirty, and her hair is going to fall out from all that peroxide. She keeps getting in trouble for her sex videos. Her parents just bought her a bar, which is a GREAT investment if you ask me. Maybe she can drink for free now. That's just good cost savings. Although, maybe she should just get her liquor in bulk at Sam's club.
My point is we seem to be wasting too much time and energy on these has beens. They are terrible role models, and no one should watch anything they are involved with.

I actually made up a game called "guess when the celebrity will get busted." You pick 5 of your "Favorite" celebrities you think will be arrested in year 2006. Each arrest that is on your list nets you 10 points. You get 10 extra bonus points for guessing what they are arrested for. The player with the most points at the stroke of midnight 2007 wins. See the comments for my guesses. Let the games begin!

Clap Hello!

I have this song stuck in my head. It's "Clap, Clap, Clap, hello. Clap hello together!" I sing it to Scottie at his music class, while clapping his hands together for him. He hasn't quite mastered this yet on his own. It's an introduction song. The leader goes around the room, and introduces the children to each other. Unfortunately, it is a very catchy tune. It is also on the music CD that accompanies the class. So I have heard it about 50 times today, and now it's stuck in there. I tried listening to some Beatles, and Nora Jones, but I can't get it out my head.

Today was our first official music class. We went to a demo class that was held at the library last week, and since my son really liked it we signed up for the whole shebang. I thought it might be a good way to get some social interaction in for both of us, as we don't get out much. When the most excitement my son gets during the week is going to the store for groceries and flirting with the cashier, I knew it was time for him to meet some more kids his own age.

The location of these classes is the Wyoming Art Center, located in historic Wyoming Ohio. The town itself was beautiful, filled with antique Victorian style gingerbread homes that are well maintained. However, to get to Wyoming, you have to drive through a not so well maintained area. At one point, I looked around and spotted two check cashing places and two boarded up buildings. So when I got lost because of bad Internet directions, I was a little worried.

My husband will tell you that I am no good at directions. I need to print out a map before I go and refer to it about 1000 times in route. This is usually done while at red lights. I think that those on-line mapping services such as Mapquest secretly try to screw you up. They are always calling streets by the wrong names, or telling you to turn the wrong way.
Cincinnati is also evil. A road will run in a straight line east to west, north to south, but have anywhere from 3-5 different names. The problem is that every time it runs into a new town or village, it goes by that local name. Here in Cincinnati, there is a new town or village every few blocks. It is much like Chicago in that respect. I was looking for the address on Wyoming Rd, on W Wyoming Road, that became East Wyoming Road, and then turned into Benson St. Once that happened, I figured I had gone in the wrong direction, and turned around.

Eventually I found it, and we had a really good time. As it turns out, Scottie is the only boy in this class. The rest were little girls. I guess flirting with little girls that's better than flirting with cashiers.