Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Ma Classe de Français

Wow. I thought I was a big shot with learning French. My accent is decent (in my own not-so-humble opinion), so I'll tear through the grammar and be fluent in no time!

Woah Nellie!

The more I'm learning, the more I find I need to learn. I would write a list of what I have learned, but it would take all night, and I need my sleep so my poor noggin can function in the morning! I have also attempted to stop blabbing and actually *think* about how to say things properly.

-By the way, Archie comics are just as funny in French as they are in English.

-When I read Selection (French Reader's Digest), I am as good at figuring out the meaning to obscure words as I am in English (which is to say, not very well...)

-Bescherelle is now online!!! It's a little green book that tells you how to conjugate every single French verb. I was so excited, I hit the like button on my Facebook account!

-And, I can type with French accents without having to think about it-woo! ´`ˆ¨and ç, watch out! I'm not afraid to use you!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Wiggle dance

We were getting the kids ready for their bath, and Susan would have none of it. Today when I reached for her, she ran back a few steps, turned around completely in a circle, then repeated this several times. I started cracking up when I saw her because:

-it's a perfect move because I can't get a good grip on her when I am trying to take her sweater off, and
-she looks like a little wind-up toy that runs straight, turns around, then heads off in a different random direction.

Then I decided to show off the "Daddy will pick you up and Mommy will take off your socks because she can" move.

Yeah, Susan wasn't too crazy about *that* stunt! :)

Learning French is like Playing Super Mario Brothers

No really, it is!

For the younguns out there, I used to play Super Mario Brothers. A lot. On the ORIGINAL Nintendo Entertainment System.

Anyway, for those who remember, you would stomp on some crazy mushrooms, smash some turtles, and pick up some gold coins along the way. Remember getting to the end of one of the Worlds, and having to encounter the Big Mean Badguy (Koopa king or whatever you call them?). The first time you'd get whooped BAD. The second time, WORSE! But you just kept going back for more because, dammit, you've got a princess to save! Then FINALLY! You'd squeak by a victory! Then onto the next world...and the next bad guy...

Anyway, this sums up my French learning so far. I had a blast going over the pronunciation and alphabet (hooray! I'm a superstar!), then onto Present Tense, then Passe Compose. I stumbled a bit on Imparfait, but got the hang of it (mostly, but it's getting easier every day). Even Plus-que-Parfait made sense when I thought about it (I went to the store before I filled up the car with gas-gotcha!)

But alas, I have met my Koopa King, aka Bowser:



(photo courtesy of arcadeartlibrary.com )

Its name is Pronoms Relatifs and the score is now:
Pronoms Relatifs: 2
Idania: ZERO!

After my first beating, I made sure I got plenty of rest, a nice big mug of coffee, and I was ready to BEAT this bad boy today. Alas, it was not to be. I have made more headway this time, and like Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone With the Wind" says,

"Tomorrow is Another Day!" (without the hoop skirts, mind you!)

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Project 333

No, nothing top secret! I was lurking around some minimalist blogs and came across this one at Project 333

The Basics
When: January 1 – March 31, 2011 (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)
What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.
What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)
How: Choose your 33 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of sight.
What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, replace them.

So today, I went through my closet, packed away what I still want to keep (but haven't worn in ages), got rid of the stuff that I simply won't wear anymore, and it is looking really streamlined already! I haven't counted the exact number of clothes that are left, but I felt better for going through my closet.

I guess this was easier than I thought because:
-I'm no fashionista!
-I had gone through my closet previously last fall before we put the house up for sale, so it wasn't overwhelming.
-I like the idea of not pawing through my closet frantically looking for something to wear.
-I had just finished going through the girls' clothes last week, figuring out what doesn't fit anymore, so I was already in the right frame of mind for this mini-project.

Anyway, my Senators hockey jerseys (how come I have 2?) are still there, along with a couple of business suits are on one side of my closet, (so I am cheating already-gasp!), but seeing as I won't be in any high-powered meetings or attending any Senators playoff games, there's a zero chance of me wearing them during the next 3 months.

During this clean-out, I have an extra shelf as a result. Michael was eyeing it (and did attempt to occupy the newly-freed territory), but I managed to block him-for now!

One of the final things I have to do is get rid of the comfiest, rattiest sweater I have, and replace it with something that was made this century-no joke!

Saturday, March 05, 2011

It's a Mad Mad Mad World

I feel like life is so hectic these days...once you throw in 2 working parents and kids, its an insane mix.

One of the things we do on Saturdays is take the girls to gymnastics. Both kids really love it, and I get to join Susan in the mornings. She find everything hilarious, whether it's climbing up a ladder, hanging on the rings, or when I throw her in the foam pit! Right now her favourite thing to do is forward rolls. She literally launches herself forward, and she can nail it pretty well most of the time.

Jillian has a good helper in her class to get her to follow the directions. I love the way that she can sit down and pay attention to the teacher the same way as the other kids do, not to mention that she's got a good sense of balance, and no hesitation whatsoever. I love it.

I am also seeing how kids are a reflection of ourselves...literally! I was talking to Susan the other day, and she started pointing her index finger at me, made a serious/frowning face, and said "Stay, stay....okay". Only then did I realize that when I changed her diaper on the change table, and turned my back to pick up her pjs, I had that look on my face-yikes!

On a completely unrelated note, I would love to see Kate marry Prince William live, but I doubt that would go over well at my new job! And I honestly doubt that I could get away with watching the entire wedding afterwards completely uninterrupted! Dammit, I'm not ashamed to admit...I AM a Royal Watcher!