It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

(and Saint John was beautiful.)

Use with caution

Last week we stopped at Benjamin's Books in Rothesay and we found a toy that Sean had when he was a child. You spin the stick between your hands and it will take off and fly around the room. The downside is that you can't really control where it goes. As evidenced in the photo.

Simeon had a good laugh over it at least. By the way, does anyone know what these are called?

I would recommend...

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Sean and I went to the movies a couple of nights ago (big thanks to Jen for babysitting!) and it was fantastic. I was expecting a very predictable Hollywood film, but it was MUCH better than I thought it would be and I loved it! I don't think I've ever cried in a theatre, but with this movie you just can't help it. Unfortunately it seems that on Tuesdays obnoxious people get in for free. I have the happy ability to block out idle chatter during a movie so not much phases me BUT this group really took the cake. First, a woman decides she needs to pee (she's in the middle of the row) ok, no problem, it's a long movie. Not ten minutes passes when her boyfriend realizes "hey! I have a bladder too - I think I'll use it" so HE goes (and at one of the most critical moments in the story too). Am I the only one who learned to go before the movie starts? Then someone's on-call walkie talkie thingy starts talking/ringing for 3 whole minutes while everybody in the rows around us whisper "it's not mine, is it yours?" until the guy next to Sean realizes it's his. He presses a bunch of buttons, none of which prevents it from going off again 5 minutes later. In summary: if you haven't yet learned the basics of potty and cell phone etiquette- start renting your movies.

2. The Business of Being Born. This is a documentary about the virtual elimination of midwives in the United States (it's very representative of the situation in Canada as well). It's a lot of statistics but very interesting. It focuses on the relationship between drugs during labour and the increase of c-sections and other interventions. The basic message is to inform yourself before you give birth because the doctors don't necessarily know what's best. For myself, when I had Simeon I went in with the desire to avoid having an epidural. I was given something to speed up my contractions (presumably in the oxytoxin family) and if I had known then what I know now I would have refused or at least questioned it. No one explained what it did, they just said I needed it and they're the professionals. Before I start to sound like too much of a self-righteous hippy/conspiracy theorist I'd like to clarify that I'm not looking down on anyone or trying to make anybody feel guilty I'm simply saying that I think it's very difficult to get to the facts and actually be informed enough to give consent. We're constantly being told "oops! I guess that's not safe for children after all." and I'm sick of it. How about actually doing research before recommending drugs. Our nurse emphatically stated that epidurals have no side effects; now however you feel about epidurals it is a drug and ALL DRUGS HAVE SIDE EFFECTS, to deny it is either blatant lying or frightening ignorance. I can't take cold medicine when I'm pregnant but a stong painkiller is a-ok? {deep breath} Anyway, it a great movie and it's definitely worth a watch. They also show the history of various birthing methods since the 1900's which is CRAZY!!!