Please sir, I want some more

A couple of months ago Hugh said, "have you ever noticed that Tristan sounds like he has an English accent when he talks?"
"Uh, no." I said very disparagingly.
"Seriously listen to him he totally has an accent."
"He does not."
"He does."
"Doesn't."
"Does."
"Doesn't"
"Does."
"DOESN'T."
"DOES."

Fine.
"Doesn't".

Anyway, I didn't think of it again until we were in Vernon for a wedding in November and about 3 different people said, "Oh how cute, Tristan sounds like he has an accent." He doesn't exchange his 'r's for 'w's which is sort of classic accent sound in a kid or switch his 'th's for 'f's and try as I might I couldn't hear it so I just nodded and smiled, yeah, cute.

Then 3 weeks ago we had our parent/teacher conferences at preschool and at the end the teacher said, "By the way we were just wondering...We've never met Tristan and Ava's dad and we were just wondering if Tristan has an accent because his dad is British or something." Seriously people! There is NO ACCENT!

Last Friday for my birthday a good friend watched my kids so Hugh and I could do dinner and a movie. During the debrief when we went to pick up our sleeping babes Heidi, who knows better, asked, "Is there any chance Tristan is from a British prep school?"
Here in redneck central? Not to my knowledge.

I guess as all the kids were getting ready for bed there was a little disagreement over who was going to get to sleep in the magic bed aka the hide-a-bed. Finally Tristan pointed imperiously to the spare room and told Heidi's boys, "you, you, you," (also he has a slight stutter) "you, you, you, can go sleep in your father's room."

Fine. I admit it. I play tapes of Dicken's while the kids are sleeping. But only for Tristan.

Happy Birthday to me

Having a December birthday is interesting. On one hand I love it - the lights, the sparkle, the celebratory nature of the season. On the other hand I don't love it - it's parties that are not for your birthday and presents that are for under the tree.

Last year was my favourite birthday that I can remember. I turned 30 and we met my very dearest friend Michelle and her husband in Calgary for a weekend of shopping, dining, Stuart Macleaning, and giggling - all sans children, oh except for Sebastian who was two months old and still nursing. But he was so easy it was like having no kids - one night we were 4 hours at dinner and he slept in his carseat under the table the entire time without so much as a squeak. That was a great birthday and I give Hugh much kudos for coming up with the idea and making it happen. It completely makes up for my birthday the first year we were married.

That year we had moved to Vernon from Fort St. John 2 months earlier. Hugh was just starting as a youth pastor and I had been working retail for about a month so we were quite literally poor as church mice. That year we went out to Kelly O'Briens (had to take advantage of the free birthday dinner of course) and Hugh handed me a nicely wrapped parcel that turned out to be a pair of black gloves which I needed and appreciated. A few weeks later I was at an outdoor event of some kind with our new church trying to get to know people, wearing my new sueded black gloves - not real suede, sueded. There's a difference. Anyway it was snowing and with my gloved hands I had brushed the snow off my face throughout the evening. Can you see where this is going yet? When I got home and went to wash my make-up off I saw, to my horror, my face was covered in black, almost camo-like streaks. Awesome.

Now I get that we didn't have much money and I was truly grateful for the gloves, well until the dye came off on my face, but it really rankled when 6 months later for Hugh's birthday he got an xbox. It only took him 6 years to make it up to me. I'd say I got some good mileage out of that one wouldn't you?

This year I'm turning a very anti-climactic 31. We're not doing anything elaborate to celebrate like last year but I am going out for dinner and then to a movie with my husband who I will get all to myself; and since we haven't been out on a date without our kids since last year at my birthday that feels like a real gift indeed.

Hugh was quick to mention that we didn't go out for his birthday this year and that it would be my turn to do some making up. However if the movie tonight turns out to be boring maybe we'll do some making out - I think that should cover it don't you?

Life may now resume.

I have officially worked the Twilight fever out of my system (mostly). I've finished the books. I've read the leaked copy of Midnight Sun online. I've read everything on the Stephenie Meyer website. I've seen the movie and I've watched all the youtube interviews with the cast I can handle.

A few thoughts about Twilight...

1. Book 2 "New Moon" was my favourite of the official series.
2. The 264 pages of "Midnight Sun" (Twilight re-written from Edward's perspective) was my favourite of them all and I really hope Stephenie Meyer finishes it.
3. Book 4 has a very bizarre plot twist which I'm still not sure how I feel about.
4. The word "russet" was so overused in the books potatoes now make me twitchy. Surely there's got to be another description for reddish-brown!
5. The movie was disappointing. The special effects of the superfast running scenes were so terrible several rows (ours included) burst out laughing.
6. I loved Rob Pattinson as Edward even if the emo angst was a trifle overdone. And by trifle I mean extremely.
7. Although I appreciate the efforts brunette actress Nikki Reed put in to transform herself into a blonde (even bleaching her skin), visually the casting of Rosalie was very disappointing.
8. Kristen Stewart (Bella) is PAINFUL in interviews. I was actually squirming in agony watching one.
9. The casting for the bad guys was great! I am not at all surprised that Volchok (The O.C. kills Mischa Barton's character off) makes a great vampire.
10. As cheesy and overdone as this movie was at times I can't wait for "New Moon" to hit theatres.

Now back to reality... Isn't Christmas or something coming soon?