Showing posts with label pirates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pirates. Show all posts
Sunday, September 27, 2015
What-What?! Week of September 27th
This week's post is going to be photos, 'cuz I just found a ton I haven't put up on my phone.
After reading the instructions in the Lego Jr magazine, they all demanded to be ninjas. This necessitated taking off their shirts (except Saffron, who's shirt didn't work. We had to get out a new one for her). It took a surprisingly long time before the boys started hurting each other. :P
Then they decided to be pirates, with eye patches.
...And hooks for hands.
Saffron is wearing four different patterned pieces of clothing in this picture. Kid likes to give OKGo a run for their money.
We did school. Don't worry, my table is always this messy.
I made an apple pie, with fresh, local apples. It is delicious.
And we had the puffiest clouds yesterday.
But the biggest news is that we moved Osric's bed to the kid's room. This is the first night in FOUR years that the husband and I haven't had a kid's bed in our room. This is the first step of getting him used to sleeping elsewhere. Eventually, Saffron will get her own bed in the other bedroom, Corey will get the top bunk, and Oz will be in the bottom bunk. And then it will be like we don't have babies anymore or something.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
What-What?! Week of September 22nd
Unfortunately, since I am now gone for dinner five days a
week, I haven’t had much time to cook anything interesting. My husband, on the other hand, has done a
great job in my absence. He has made the
most delicious mushroom and onion sauce, cooked in a red wine reduction, served
over breaded pork chops and baked potatoes.
Somewhat an odd mix of flavors, but delicious nonetheless.
Then, we did a pirate character craft; at first, my son wasn’t interested in it, and instead made a ship with pirates on it. My daughter, though, was all for it, and quickly put together a face. We used q-tips for the crossed bones on the hat, and simple construction paper for everything else. (Saffron's is left, Corey's is right).
I was re-listening to the Emphatical Piratical album and think that it’s probably the most grownup song on there. I read one review of the album that described this song as “wistful”, which is very apt for this romantic view of the pirate life.
'Til next week!
Talk Like a Pirate Day
This past Thursday, the 19th, was Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is a brilliant holiday celebrating all things piratical. In honor of it, before I went to work, the husband and I did some fun games and crafts with the children.
This past Thursday, the 19th, was Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is a brilliant holiday celebrating all things piratical. In honor of it, before I went to work, the husband and I did some fun games and crafts with the children.
First up, we played Ship Captain, a game that worked out far
better with my kids at home than my class at work. The kids particularly enjoyed running around
when there was a shark, or an island with treasure (my middle son pretended to
carry a giant treasure chest back on the boat).
Then, we did a pirate character craft; at first, my son wasn’t interested in it, and instead made a ship with pirates on it. My daughter, though, was all for it, and quickly put together a face. We used q-tips for the crossed bones on the hat, and simple construction paper for everything else. (Saffron's is left, Corey's is right).
The last thing we did was have “sailboat sammies” for lunch,
which were simple turkey sandwiches with cheese “sails”. This is one of the few times recently that my
son has eaten a turkey sandwich without complaint, and may lead to this
entering the regular rotation. Next
year, I hope to be a bit more extravagant with the activities, maybe even being
a bit factual and teaching the kids some history.
News: 3 Ethical Ways to Boost Positive Online Reviews via Entrepreneur
This article features three vignettes showing strategies that companies have taken to increase online reviews, and the benefits of increased consumer trust, notoriety, and success. The only thing that I dislike about this article, that the comments section points out well, is that one of the companies recommends not responding to negative comments in public. In my opinion, that is just backwards. When I see a review on Amazon (or Yelp, or wherever), if someone from the company has taken the time to reply to a negative review, even if it’s just a “I’m so sorry, please contact me at…”, it tells me that the company actually cares. That someone has a job monitoring comments, and that feedback is appreciated and important enough to garner a public response.
This article features three vignettes showing strategies that companies have taken to increase online reviews, and the benefits of increased consumer trust, notoriety, and success. The only thing that I dislike about this article, that the comments section points out well, is that one of the companies recommends not responding to negative comments in public. In my opinion, that is just backwards. When I see a review on Amazon (or Yelp, or wherever), if someone from the company has taken the time to reply to a negative review, even if it’s just a “I’m so sorry, please contact me at…”, it tells me that the company actually cares. That someone has a job monitoring comments, and that feedback is appreciated and important enough to garner a public response.
I was re-listening to the Emphatical Piratical album and think that it’s probably the most grownup song on there. I read one review of the album that described this song as “wistful”, which is very apt for this romantic view of the pirate life.
'Til next week!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
What-What?! Week of August 4th
This week, I was pretty busy; I made some delicious chocolate
chip scones, using my blueberry scones recipe, subbing chocolate chips for the
blueberries, and milk for the yogurt.
Also did some shopping for eBay fodder, and Target’s July toy clearance
for Christmas and birthdays for my kids.
This is a great article about Publix’s success – the company has achieved a net margin of 5.6 percent, higher than any of its public competitors. Publix has done it through an emphasis on first on service, then quality, but not price. Wal-Mart’s business strategy is low cost, which they, of course, translate into lower prices. The two companies have recently been engaged in somewhat of a price war; Wal-Mart claiming that Publix is more expensive, and that customers get more value shopping at Wal-Mart. Publix has been countering with some special promotions, but ultimately, the company is stating that the level of service and quality offers significant value to customers. I know that I’ve shopped certain stores, despite higher prices, because I wanted to shop somewhere that was easier to navigate, had better produce, friendlier cashiers, and so on.
There are certain films that I don’t watch: Labyrinth, Spirited Away, and Peter Pan, among others. Sometimes I forget why these films bother me, so I wind up watching them anyway; this past week, I watched Disney’s animated Peter Pan with the children. While the film itself doesn’t bother me (well, except for certain racially-charged scenes, but I do forgive it for its time period), the story of Peter Pan does. Peter Pan’s origin story, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, is truly sad; upon hearing that his mother wants him to grow up to be a judge like his father, he runs away as an infant. He goes to live in the Kensington Gardens, where he is befriended by animals, fairies, and other lost children. After a while, he decides to visit his parents. Once there, he finds his mother, sleeping in the nursery, crying for him in her sleep. Seeing that his mother misses him terribly, he decides to go back to the gardens to tell his friends farewell; he spends quite some time doing this. However, upon going back to his house, he finds his mother with a new baby. Assuming that he has been gone too long and forgotten by his parents, he leaves permanently. In the book, Peter is also described as burying and making headstones for children who get lost in the night. Perhaps I’m just a soft-hearted mommy, but the story just kills me. (Incidentally, you can read the book for free through the Project Gutenberg).
The Jake and the Neverland Pirates Band
Now, something happier! After last week, I went looking for more videos of the pirate band from Jake and the Neverland pirates. I was able to find this video of the band doing a concert in Disneyland, which also features one of my recent favorite songs from the show, “Hoist Up the Jolly Roger”. The way the band interacts with the kids in the audience is fantastic! I would really love to take my children to see them in person. :)
This is a great article about Publix’s success – the company has achieved a net margin of 5.6 percent, higher than any of its public competitors. Publix has done it through an emphasis on first on service, then quality, but not price. Wal-Mart’s business strategy is low cost, which they, of course, translate into lower prices. The two companies have recently been engaged in somewhat of a price war; Wal-Mart claiming that Publix is more expensive, and that customers get more value shopping at Wal-Mart. Publix has been countering with some special promotions, but ultimately, the company is stating that the level of service and quality offers significant value to customers. I know that I’ve shopped certain stores, despite higher prices, because I wanted to shop somewhere that was easier to navigate, had better produce, friendlier cashiers, and so on.
Beyond that competition, what’s especially interesting about
Publix is that it is the largest employee-owned company in America; because of
this, it treats its employees very well.
One of the most impressive statistics
in the article is that over 21 percent of Publix’s employees have worked there
for over ten years. This is a company
that I would feel good to support, for sure.
The Sad Story of Peter Pan
There are certain films that I don’t watch: Labyrinth, Spirited Away, and Peter Pan, among others. Sometimes I forget why these films bother me, so I wind up watching them anyway; this past week, I watched Disney’s animated Peter Pan with the children. While the film itself doesn’t bother me (well, except for certain racially-charged scenes, but I do forgive it for its time period), the story of Peter Pan does. Peter Pan’s origin story, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, is truly sad; upon hearing that his mother wants him to grow up to be a judge like his father, he runs away as an infant. He goes to live in the Kensington Gardens, where he is befriended by animals, fairies, and other lost children. After a while, he decides to visit his parents. Once there, he finds his mother, sleeping in the nursery, crying for him in her sleep. Seeing that his mother misses him terribly, he decides to go back to the gardens to tell his friends farewell; he spends quite some time doing this. However, upon going back to his house, he finds his mother with a new baby. Assuming that he has been gone too long and forgotten by his parents, he leaves permanently. In the book, Peter is also described as burying and making headstones for children who get lost in the night. Perhaps I’m just a soft-hearted mommy, but the story just kills me. (Incidentally, you can read the book for free through the Project Gutenberg).
The Jake and the Neverland Pirates Band
Now, something happier! After last week, I went looking for more videos of the pirate band from Jake and the Neverland pirates. I was able to find this video of the band doing a concert in Disneyland, which also features one of my recent favorite songs from the show, “Hoist Up the Jolly Roger”. The way the band interacts with the kids in the audience is fantastic! I would really love to take my children to see them in person. :)
Sunday, July 28, 2013
What-What?! Week of July 28th
This week, my eldest ruined my couch. Then my youngest threw himself off of it. We no longer have a couch, and I'm not sure what we'll replace it with. Possibly floor cushions, or bean bag chairs. Maybe we'll make the living room into a giant ball pit? It'd keep the kids busy, that's for sure.
News: Firefly Videogame Announced via Kotaku
I like Firefly. I named one of my children after a character from it, I have a rare piece of paraphernalia from the original fan ‘site (that Nathan Fillion frequented, oh yeah!), and so on. However, the headline that most summed up my feelings about this game was: “Firefly is Getting a Video Game, But Not the One You Want”. This will be a multi-player online social game specifically for cell phones and tablets. The setting of Firefly would make a wonderful action roleplaying game, a first-person shooter, even a card game, but not this. While there is the possibility of this social MMO being good, it’s pretty slim – Fox never understood Firefly before, and it doesn’t look like that’s changed much.
Product Review: Chex Vanilla
My family eats a lot of cereal, and that’s actually one reason that we tend to eat new cereals as soon as they come out – through coupons and sales, these new varieties are usually what I can get the cheapest. This past week, I bought a few boxes of General Mills’ Chex Vanilla, because the other specialty varieties of Chex we’ve tried (Apple Cinnamon, Honey Nut) have both been pretty good. The first bowl of this Vanilla variety I had blew me away. It is so sweet. Looking at the nutrition label, this is what I found: 8 grams of sugar for a 30 gram serving. Cheerios have 1 gram of sugar for about the same serving size. Eating this dry is like eating “puppy chow” – you know, during the holidays when you douse cereal with chocolate and powdered sugar. It’s not bad if you consider it as an indulgent snack, rather than a breakfast food. However, the vanilla flavor is sadly lacking, so mostly it just winds up being sweet. Overall, I think General Mills had a miss with this one.
News: Firefly Videogame Announced via Kotaku
I like Firefly. I named one of my children after a character from it, I have a rare piece of paraphernalia from the original fan ‘site (that Nathan Fillion frequented, oh yeah!), and so on. However, the headline that most summed up my feelings about this game was: “Firefly is Getting a Video Game, But Not the One You Want”. This will be a multi-player online social game specifically for cell phones and tablets. The setting of Firefly would make a wonderful action roleplaying game, a first-person shooter, even a card game, but not this. While there is the possibility of this social MMO being good, it’s pretty slim – Fox never understood Firefly before, and it doesn’t look like that’s changed much.
Product Review: Chex Vanilla
My family eats a lot of cereal, and that’s actually one reason that we tend to eat new cereals as soon as they come out – through coupons and sales, these new varieties are usually what I can get the cheapest. This past week, I bought a few boxes of General Mills’ Chex Vanilla, because the other specialty varieties of Chex we’ve tried (Apple Cinnamon, Honey Nut) have both been pretty good. The first bowl of this Vanilla variety I had blew me away. It is so sweet. Looking at the nutrition label, this is what I found: 8 grams of sugar for a 30 gram serving. Cheerios have 1 gram of sugar for about the same serving size. Eating this dry is like eating “puppy chow” – you know, during the holidays when you douse cereal with chocolate and powdered sugar. It’s not bad if you consider it as an indulgent snack, rather than a breakfast food. However, the vanilla flavor is sadly lacking, so mostly it just winds up being sweet. Overall, I think General Mills had a miss with this one.
Review: Captain Bogg and Salty’s Emphatical Piratical via Amazon
Emphatical Piratical is Captain Bogg and Salty’s most recent album, self-published in 2009. Unfortunately, there is little on the internet available for this band, so I actually had to buy the album (spend money, what-what?!). The husband and I really liked this album, and my children very much liked it as well, though I will say that I probably wouldn’t have bought it if I’d heard it first. It is kind of odd, but entertaining, mildly historical, and a good, fun romp.
Emphatical Piratical is Captain Bogg and Salty’s most recent album, self-published in 2009. Unfortunately, there is little on the internet available for this band, so I actually had to buy the album (spend money, what-what?!). The husband and I really liked this album, and my children very much liked it as well, though I will say that I probably wouldn’t have bought it if I’d heard it first. It is kind of odd, but entertaining, mildly historical, and a good, fun romp.
Luckily, I was able to find the song Emphatical Piratical on
YouTube, though without a video:
At this point, I would like to point out the word
“paralogical”, which means:
Paralogical: Of or relating to a form of reasoning that does not conform to the rules of logic.I think that this term is itching for a comeback in modern use. I hereby pledge to use it more often in my everyday speech.
The other song I found on YouTube is from their 2005 album,
Pegleg Tango, titled “Pieces of 8ight” – my kids especially liked this video.
If you imagine a hybrid of these two styles, that’s about what the
rest of the album sounds like.
Portland’s Pirate Festival
In researching Captain Bogg and Salty, I stumbled upon Portland’s Pirate Festival. Most years, it is a fine festival full of music, and so on. However, this year the event has been canceled, due to a member of the crew passing away, and the group’s replica pirate tall ship (the Royaliste) having had been almost completely destroyed by the Portland Sternwheeler (though these events were not inter-related). The group has my sincerest condolences, and I hope they are able to repair their ship. They are planning on having the event next year, which I would love to attend, though that will have to wait until the children are older.
In researching Captain Bogg and Salty, I stumbled upon Portland’s Pirate Festival. Most years, it is a fine festival full of music, and so on. However, this year the event has been canceled, due to a member of the crew passing away, and the group’s replica pirate tall ship (the Royaliste) having had been almost completely destroyed by the Portland Sternwheeler (though these events were not inter-related). The group has my sincerest condolences, and I hope they are able to repair their ship. They are planning on having the event next year, which I would love to attend, though that will have to wait until the children are older.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to work on my scone
recipe (kept forgetting to buy flour), but hopefully I’ll be able to work on it this coming week.
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