<wednesday february 11, 2004 - 8:32 p.m.>

And now, a word from our sponsor.

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Ha. Intestinal flora. Great name for a punk rock band. Cracks me right up.

<tuesday february 10 , 2004 - 11:00 a.m.>

Emma and I wrote a story together. Now we need someone to draw us a good cartoony spider for it. She must have eyelashes, because it is a girl spider after all. :)

Unfortunately I can't draw. Would anyone out there be so kind as to volunteer? All I can give you in return is the everlasting gratitude of two little girls.

Read it here, if you like. (File is MS-Word) I should mention that this is based on a true story.

a

<sunday february 8, 2004 - 8:29 p.m.>

There are times when I get incredibly annoyed by other people's children. Mine aren't perfect, and I'll be the first to admit it. Evolutionary Powers have given parents the strength to withstand the annoyances perpetrated by our own offspring. But when it comes to other children, our fuses are much shorter.

We went to see Brother Bear at the Ottawa Family Cinema again yesterday. A kid behind us made loud (and high-pitched) observations throughout the entire of the movie.

Why are they eating fish momeeee?
He has a funny face momeeeee!
Is the bear dead momeeeee?

I know kids can't help it. They are naturally curious about everything around them. But this particular parent never bothered to tell her daughter to pipe down. They basically acted as if the theatre was her own living room.

I know, I know, in my entry about our trip to the movies I went on about how lovely it is that the theatre is filled with understand members of the parenting club ... but I'm here to say that although kids can be kids it's up to the parents to make an effort to keep them in line. There is a point. It's all I ask.

Manners don't come naturally to toddlers. You have to teach them everything, it doesn't just happen. And if you think it does, then, well, your kid is going to grow up with the table manners of a boy raised by a family of woodchucks.

Take eating for example. You have to show kids how to eat. They're not like other carnivores, which instinctively launch into their dinner without regard for whose hindquarter they may be chewing. You have to show them the food. Then, you show them a utensil. Then as they get older you show them how to use the utensil, and you try and try and try again until they are able to master it themselves. But they have to use it like society dictates. And that means using it a fork for it's proper purpose, not throwing it or poking someone in the eye etc etc. Someone has to show them how it's done.

So back to the kid behind us. It wasn't a lack of caffeine talking of my part, she was annoying the hell out of me and no one (read: her parents) was doing anything about it. Will she grow up to be one of those obnoxious adults who chatter in the theater during a film? Will she talk on a cellphone in the middle of a formal dinner? Will she chew gum with her mouth open?

Halfway through the movie she started kicking the back of Mark's seat with enough force that made our row vibrate. At this point she was sitting on her mother's lap, who definitely would have sensed what was going on. The parent did nothing until Mark turned around and made a comment.

The woman finally shushed her kid, and the movie concluded with further incident.

I was glad to get out of there.

<sigh>

Otherwise this weekend included a stamp and coin show at the Nepean Sportsplex. A hint to other parents: don't take children under five into a room full of small objects worth lots of money.

But I bought some pretty postcards (two old valentines and a lady in Indian headdress -- anyone interested? I could scan them in and post) and some old postage. Yes. I'm a geek. But more on that later.

:)

a