Pronunciation: /ˈɛlɪg(ə)ns/
The quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.
After I explained my header images and how they signify my ideal life, my beautifully dressed neighbour asked me to also clarify my moniker, Escaping Elegance… Continue reading
I have a pretty significant bruise where I sprained my ankle. It’s gotten a few oohs and aahs around the office, and that’s saying something, seeing that I work in a hospital.
It’s brought to mind a few other major bruises that I’ll always remember… Continue reading
Posted in General
Tagged ALS, broken nose, bruises, Funny, Harry Potter, humor, humour, kids
Maitre D’ from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
14 years ago, on August 13th, my sister, brother-in-law and I were very late for a wedding… Continue reading
I stumbled down some stairs today and sprained my ankle. (I’m okay Mom!)
I was carrying an armload of stuff, as usual, and landed in a heap on the grass. Luckily, the only witnesses were the boys and The Husband, who was bringing up the rear with his own armload of stuff.
When I didn’t immediately pop back up, The Husband went back in for an ice pack and the boys planted their bums on the stairs, repeatedly asking, “Mommy, are you okay?”
While I rolled on the ground in that early state of is-it-broken-or-just-sprained pain, I happened to pass some gas. My 8-year-old brightened up and exclaimed,
He was right, suddenly I couldn’t stop laughing…
Previous: Funny things my kids say #4
Posted in Funny things my kids say
Tagged Family, Funny, humor, humour, Husband, kids, Sprained ankle
We just had an amazing day. There were roller-coasters, Ferris wheels, water-slides, tubing, and hours in a pool.
ET, our six-year old has been going full tilt since 7 AM, and has only stopped to eat. He has also been talking non-stop, giving us a play-by-play of every activity… even though we have been beside him for it all. Continue reading
A friend of a friend received a new heart yesterday. Let’s call him Paul.
Paul has a young family and is a fit and healthy guy. A few months ago, he started to feel sick and began having some trouble breathing. A virus was attacking his heart causing myocarditis, damage and swelling of heart tissue. He was in heart failure.
Paul fought off the virus but there was just too much permanent damage to his heart. He could regulate things with drugs for a while but he needed a heart transplant. They got the call Thursday night. Continue reading
Posted in General
Tagged accident, buckle up, car crash, Family, heart transplant, organ donation, seat belts
t a recent convention, child actor and well-credentialed nerd ambassador Will Wheaton sat on a panel attended by conventioneers. During the question-and-answer period one convention-goer (with a video camera) told Mr. Wheaton about her recently born daughter and asked him to describe for her daughter what was awesome about being a nerd.
The answer Mr. Wheaton gave was profound. In my opinion it was dead-on and touched the very zeitgeist of the feeling I try to get across in this blog. No matter what it is you love: Dr. Who, classical composers, Star Wars, architecture, animation, parenting… it’s all about loving those things as much as you can, and finding other people who love those same things as much as you do.
The convention-goer put the video up on YouTube and it is currently making the viral-rounds in nerd-circles (which I thoroughly travel). Of course you can just watch the…
View original post 757 more words
Posted in Caught My Eye
Tagged blogging, DORKDADDY, Funny, geek, nerd, Social media, Star Trek, Television, Wil Wheaton
My boys in a hole (2009)
Next year, we are planning to surprise the boys with their first trip to the Florida theme parks and I have no doubt that they will be over the moon with excitement… but they were also giddy with joy today because it was movie and PJ day at camp.
We spent an afternoon at the playground this weekend and enjoyed a visit from a beautiful yellow lab and the young woman who was walking her. Our smiling 6-year-old watched as they walked away across the field and said,
We hope he was talking about the dog…
Previous: Funny things my kids say #3
Posted in Funny things my kids say
Tagged Dog, Funny, humor, humour, kids, Labrador Retriever, Pets
Lord of the Flies (1990); movie adaptation of William Golding’s novel
Generally, I believe kids need to be left alone to play, without interference from adults.
On our side of the block, we have a total of seven boys between the ages of 5-9. (Take a moment to contemplate what this means in terms of noise.) We, the involved parents, let the boys work through their issues and only step in when someone gets hurt, either physically or emotionally. Even then, if it is minor, they are usually able to sort things out on their own.
This isn’t because we’re lazy — although it is a royal pain to have to stop whatever you’re doing to be the referee — but by sorting out their own disputes and bruised feelings, they learn how to compromise and make amends.
A few days ago, a recent empty-nester across the street told The Husband how much she enjoys sitting on her porch watching our group of boys. She specifically commented on how well they arbitrate their play and how quick they are to ensure injured parties received remediation.
As my boys get older and more involved in team sports and group activities, these skills are becoming more and more important. From the sidelines, I’ve seen them join a team where they knew no one and quickly make a place for themselves. I’ve also seen them welcome a new kid into a team and help them find their bearings.
It might sound like I’m bragging, which is not my intention, so allow me to add some counter-balance; I’ve also seen my kids act like complete assholes. Continue reading
Posted in General
Tagged Behavior, behaviour, civilized society, discipline, Family, kids, Lord of the Flies, Parenting, Playground, rules
Escaping Elegance 