Thursday, 15 November 2012
Today we tried to make progress on Isla’s room. I took the day off from work and so, once Owen was at school and Isla was at her baby-sitter, we had the place to ourselves. We managed to get a second coat of paint on everything.
Of course, we broke for lunch. There’s an awesome Thai food restaurant about three blocks from our house. We’d only been there once before, but we really liked it. Since the best time to go to a restaurant is when our kids aren’t with us, we felt it was our duty to take a lunch break at a dining establishment.
After lunch, we accomplished a little more work in Isla’s room. Then Jennifer had to go pick up our daughter, and I had to get to class.
This evening, Owen assisted me in getting another coat of paint on the wall in the basement (which, believe it or not, actually helps us complete Isla’s room).
This weekend we plan to do more painting, and I’m gonna install a closet in the basement so I can remove my clothing from Isla’s room. Wish us luck.
Friday, 17 November 2012
This evening, the four of us sat down to watch a movie together. It is extremely difficult to find a movie that all of us will enjoy, so this doesn’t happen to often. I mean, we all sit down together on Wednesday and Sunday nights to watch the latest episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race, but this isn’t ideal. For one thing, many of the commercials during the shows depict graphic violence and upsetting imagery. I’m not opposed to my kids seeing violence on TV (to an extent, of course), but these images really bother Owen. So we have to be on guard to change the channels. Also, Isla really couldn’t care less about the shows, so often our TV hour devolves into a scramble to keep Isla quiet and entertained.
Anyway, this evening we watched Winnie the Pooh. The one that came out last year (not the one from 1977). It has no scary imagery and, at 63 minutes long, it’s scarcely longer than a TV show, so that works for Isla. 
I’m happy to report that the film was quite good. My wife complained of it being a little boring, which, I guess, it was. I pointed out to her that we weren’t the target audience. Of course, the best in “children’s’ films” is entertaining for adults, too (think: WALL-E), so this wasn’t in that stratosphere. But nor was it roll-your-eyes stupid fare that, in my opinion, is almost insulting to kids. There have been a few films like that – where I sat down to watch them with Owen, shook my head in disgust, then quickly packaged it up and whisked it back to Netflix. This movie was waaay better than that.
The film is very much in keeping with the spirit of Disney’s 1977 foray into the Hundred Acre Woods. The animation is hand-drawn. The characters interact directly with the text of Milne’s novels (e.g., piglet slams into a sentence and bounces off some words), and a narrator not only sets the scenes, but nudges the characters along.
Despite the short run time (at one minute shorter than Dumbo, it is the third-shortest film on my list of motion pictures I’ve seen), there are several interwoven plots: the gang is worried that Christopher Robin has been abducted by a scary monster, Eeyore has lost his tail and needs help finding it, and most of the characters fall into a hole that they dug. And, of course, Pooh is trying to obtain hunny (honey). It’s funny, witty, and poignant. I’m kind of baffled that this wasn’t nominated for Best Animated Picture at this year’s Oscar ceremony, especially since Rango, a marginally logical welter, won the prize. But I have many issues with the Oscar selection process, so…whatever. If you have kids under 10, this would make a great family flick to rent. Two of the extras include a short Pooh film, and a non-related story about the Loch Ness Monster. Both are also fun and appropriate.
Saturday, 17 November 2012
This morning, Owen and I went to the U of M along with a couple of his schoolmates (and their dad). The U’s College of Science and Engineering held a family day today.
Owen and I went to this last year, too, so there was quite a bit of repeating. This time we attended a presentation called “Energy and U,” which was fun primarily for the fact that 
the presenters blew stuff up about ten times. Owen thought the highlight was the five second clip from Star Wars where Luke blows up the Death Star using lasers.
We also went into the Exploradome. This is a big, blow-up contraption where you have to lay on the floor and you look up at the “sky” while they zoom you around the solar system and the galaxy.
This was my third time in the Exploradome. I first visited it when they paid a visit to my job (since my employer helps pay for the thing, they kind of owed us), and then again at an astronomy fest Owen and I attended in early 2010. It’s well worth the visit – if the Exploradomw is ever coming to your local school or library, take you kid. Or just go yourself if you don’t have any kids. It’s fascinating. Find out more here: CLICK THIS. Oh, and bring a pillow.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
More painting today. Actually, only Jennifer painted, as I tried to keep the kids entertained and out of her hair. I think some of the woodwork is now done being painted, although some of it will require another coat. Though I am a fan of colder, snowier Novembers, I am pleased that the past several days have been warm enough to keep the windows open to allow for venting of the fumes.
In a related story, I purchased and assembled a closet for the basement. Owen helped, too. This evening, I made a few trips from Isla’s room carrying my clothes downstairs. Having my clothes downstairs has the added bonus of being right next to the bathroom. Until now, I’ve had to grab my clothes for work the next day and carry them downstairs each evening and set them on the bathroom counter. If I forgot to do this, I’ve had to verrry quietly go into Isla’s room in the early morning and feel around for clothes, or use a flashlight and risk waking her up. No more. Starting tonight, I no longer have to pick out clothes the night before. Tomorrow morning I will wake up, go downstairs, and pick out clothes with the lights on and without having to tiptoe around. Yay for me.
The next step is to get the built-in closet out of Isla’s room. So…if you’re in the market for some closet shelving, now would be an opportune time to let me know.