Not Whining at All. Promise.

I'm fine with taking the good with the bad. Really, I am. We have not heard the Washed Up Latina Whore's name around these parts ALL WEEK. It's such a beautiful thing, and we owe it all to Snow White.

But.

I don't know if I had ever actually watched that entire movie before this past week. I know I was fairly familiar with the premise, but somewhere along the line I totally didn't remember some of the more "interesting" parts of Snow White. You know, like the part where there's a guy with a giant dagger trying to stab Snow White to death. I also forgot about how the forest comes to life as a terrified Snow White runs for her life. Then there's the whole thing where the evil queen wants Snow White's heart delivered to her in the box. Mickey? Was not thinking about the two-year old kids when he made that movie.

But yet, Alexis LOVES that movie. She has watched it approximately eighty eleven seventeen bajillion times this week. Each time she watches it's like watching a mental patient going on and off meds in fast forward. She's happy! She's sad. She's happy! She's sad. The poor kid stands there staring at the TV alternating between BAWLING her eyes out and nearly falling over laughing. She really can't handle the scary parts, but refuses to to just stop the madness.

It's exhausting to watch. And heart-wrenching.

We've tried reasoning with her. We've tried explaining things to her. We've tried cutting her off altogether. We've finally resorted to trying to protect the poor kid from her own sensitive self. We stand there, right next to her, with the remote in hand, quickly fast forwarding every time a scary scene comes up.

Who would have thought that a six-year old Washed Up Latina Whore would be a better babysitter than the fair-skinned young woman who lives with seven short people?

Tree Hugger

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I truly have no idea whether nature or nurture plays a greater role in child development, but I know that Alexis has managed to turn into quite the little sports fan. Whether it's in her blood or she just caught on, who knows. For the most part it's a good thing. We can watch or take her to a game and she will not just behave, but actually enjoy the event.

Over the course of last winter, she developed into a hard-core Pittsburgh Penguins fan. She went to a bunch of games, watched them on TV, and was forever talking about the "Pen-ins." Then the season came to an end (BOOO!), and slowly we managed to wean her from the constant barrage of Iceburgh, Flower, Cindy (forgive the poor kid for not being able to pronounce "Sydney" mmkay?), Ryan, and Geno.

Then I screwed up.

About a month ago I was backing up photos and videos to an external drive and Alexis came over to sit with me. She asked to watch some of the videos, and we ended up watching a short clip from one of last year's Penguins playoff games. Ever since then? She's been bugging the crap out of us asking about the Pen-ins.

Every day.

Every. single. day. several. times. per. day.

The thing is there was NO Penguins to show her, other than stuff online. Let's just say I got a little tired of hitting "Replay" on YouTube. Her answer to the lack of Penguins action was to stoop low.

Very low.

She started asking to go to Pirates games.

Seriously.

She and I had a long talk about how this is Pittsburgh, and in Pittsburgh, there is no baseball in the fall. Ever. Nor will there be.

That took her right back to chanting, "Geno! Geno! Geno!" (I'm not even kidding.)

Thank ye hockey gods it is the most wonderful time of year.

I love Hockey Eve.

(Totally an old video, but I lurve it.)