Pages

Pages

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tips for Tuesday - TV Shows: H20 and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Me - Today I am recommending H20. Me and my sister for the first time in all seven years of her life, agree that it is our favorite show. It is a show about mermaids. I love the characters. I love the plot. I love the story lines. It is happy, sad, and funny too. It is great show.

Mom - Today I am recommending Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The host of the show, Guy Fieri gets to drive all over the country in a real cool car visiting all these different places and meeting all these different people and trying all these different kinds of foods. It is a wonder that he does not weigh a thousand pounds. He is not afraid to try anything. I, on the other hand, am a picky eater so I would probably not want to try all the different foods. As a matter of fact almost every time they are making something on the show there is at least one ingredient they put in that makes me say that I would never eat that. However, I do  like learning about all the different places Guy goes to and seeing all the different people he meets and learning about their customs and the different foods they make and why. It is so much more than just a cooking show, and that is what is so great about it.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, April 29, 2013

What I like/liked about school

Me - I like recess. It is fun to run around and play outside. I like art. I like to make arts and crafts. I like music. I like to sing songs and listen to music. I like library because everyone in my family loves books especially my sister, Melia. I like gym. I like excercising. I like lunch. The food is really good. My favorite is pizza. We always have pizza on Fridays. Sometimes, we have pizza another day too. I like my teachers. I like making friends in my class. I like the end of the day because I like to see my sister and go home with my Mom.*

*The above is a guest post by Aurella.


Mom - It has been many years since I was in school and mostly I didn't like it. However, there were nice things about school. I always liked reading although I didn't always like the books we were required to read, and I didn't like doing book reports. I liked learning about history although I didn't like being tested on it. I never really bought lunch, but I liked the milk and ice cream they sold in school which I sometimes did buy. I remember they used to have these chocolate eclair bars or strawberry bars. I always bought the chocolate ones. I also bought chocolate milk too never regular milk. I liked library and recess. I only remember recess from first grade though and not beyond that.  I liked creative writing, but we usually didn't get to do that much of that  in school though. I liked when we did. When I was in high school I had a creative writing class that was really fun. It was the best and most fun class I ever had in school.

And that's our view. What do you or did you like about school?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Funny Friday - Are You Smarter Than a Kid?



Me -

When I was in first grade I said "You know how when you're collecting data, and you use tally mark?"

Dad said "What??"


Mom -

When Aurella was  4, she and I were playing a game where I would say a letter and she had to say something that starts with that letter. Aurella was saying words like Aurella, bumblebee, and cat. Then, we got to the letter O she said "obifirous."

Melia who was 8 at the time, the girls' grandparents, my husband and I all said  "Huh?"                                                                                                                                                                                  

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.   

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Doll Houses

Me - Doll houses, wow! I have a Loving Family doll house. I play with it all the time with Aurella. I love it. I've had it since I was two. It came with the mother, the father, the big sister, and the baby. When I was little I always called the baby, Willie Wonka. I don't know why. I hadn't seen the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I have so many extra dolls for it and some I use that didn't even come with it. The doll family ends up having like fifteen kids. I also have Full House dolls I once got for my birthday. There is no Joey doll or Comet, the dog, but I do have a lot of dogs and a cat and a bird for the doll house. I have always wanted a Barbie Dream House. They are too expensive though. My Dad always promises he will make me a doll house. When I was younger, my Mom wouldn't let him because she said I was too young. Now, that I am older I hope he will keep that promise.

Mom - When I was young, I always wanted a doll house. I had a lot of dolls and a lot of furniture, but I never really had a doll house. The kind of furniture I had wasn't really the kind that went with the kind of doll house that  I wanted anyway. I had all Barbie furniture, and I wanted one of those big old Victorian doll houses with the fancy old fashioned furniture. My father always promised me he was going to build me a  doll house. He never did though. I am not sure if he was intending to build the kind of doll house I wanted anyway. My girls have had many doll houses. When Melia was little she had a Fisher Price Little People doll house. It was small and only had a little bit of furniture. When she was a little older, she got a Loving Family Doll House. I think that was about two or three versions ago from what they have now. Aurella had a Fisher Price My First Doll House. Later, they shared a Dora doll house that Melia's friend gave them. We still have all the Doll Houses and all the furniture and dolls that go with them except for the Dora one and the Little People one we sold  those at a consignment sale. Aurella used to love Dora and when she stopped loving her she started getting rid of all her Dora things. We still don't have the kind of doll house I always wanted though. My husband always wanted to make one for the girls, but they were to young then. I still would like to have one some day not necessarily for anybody to play with but for show.

And that's our view. What did you always want to have that you didn't ever have?

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Trenton Thunder

What: Trenton Thunder

Where: Arm and Hammer Park
            One Thunder Road (AKA Cass Street)
            Trenton, NJ 07726

Who: Everyone


Our view:  If you are a New York Yankee fan living in or visiting the New York area, this is the place for you. If you want to see the Yankees but can't afford to go to a major league game this is the place for you. If you want to see future Yankee players this is the place for you. If you want to see current Yankee players making their way back to the major league team after overcoming injuries, this is the place for you. The Trenton Thunder are the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Double A is the second highest level of baseball's minor leagues. The Thunder play at Arm and Hammer Park which prior to this season was called Waterfront Park. It is one of the most family friendly ballparks we have ever been to. There are more between innings games and activities on the field than at many other minor league stadiums. There are also many more between innings activities that involve children than at many other minor league stadiums.There is also a fun area for kids called the RWJ Hamilton Kids Zone. The name is not the only thing that is changed about the stadium. Many improvements to the stadium were made this past off season including the installation of a larger video board. One thing that has not changed and is unique about the Thunder is their use of bat retrieving dogs Chase and Derby. However, if you go to a Thunder game expecting to see the dogs just remember they are not used for every inning nor for every game. Yet, even when the dogs are not working there is still a lot of fun to be had at Arm and Hammer Park. All in all, it is a really great stadium and a really fun place to see a ball game.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tips for Tuesday Apps. and Web-Sites: Virtua Families 2 and Clear Voice Surveys

Me -Today I am recommending Virtual Families 2. It is so much fun. It is like having a real family that you are controlling in your i-pod. They can even have babies. You have to drag them towards each other to have a baby. They may not want to have babies at that time. They get sick and you have to cure them. Mine even have cats, a tabby cat and a little black cat. The cats are kind of annoying because they are always wandering off. When the grown-ups die, you make a new generation with the kids, but the pets and furniture stay. It is really fun.

Mom - Today I am recommending Clear Voice Surveys. With Clear Voice, you only have to have 10.00 in your rewards account to redeem for a $10.00 Amazon gift card, a $25.00 restaurant gift card or a prepaid Mastercard. In addition to surveys, Clear Voice does a lot of clinical trials for the treatment of various medical conditions including childhood depression, Gout, and Crohn's disease among others. If you or a loved one qualify for a clinical trial you (or they) will get free medical care with regard to the condition including medication.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Spring

Me - Spring, wow! Spring is my favorite season. It is not too hot, and it is not to cold. It is just the perfect combination. You get to ride your bike, but it is not so hot that you have to go in immediately. You can play outside more. You have more recess except when it rains. In spring, school is almost over which is a bad thing if I am having a good year, but a good thing if I am not. Flowers bloom, and I like flowers. The leaves bloom on the trees. I love to climb trees. Then, it is like I am in a whole private world because the leaves block all the people out. You can go more places especially outside places. Baseball starts again. Our family loves baseball. We have already been to two minor league games this year. I can't wait to go to more baseball games. Spring means we made it through the winter. So if you don't like spring that much, I hope that the reasons I love it make you love it too.

Mom - Spring has the potential to be the best season weatherwise neither too hot nor too cold. It is rarely that though. It is usually a little too cold or a little too hot or a little too rainy or a little too something. Still. it is not as hot as the summer nor as cold as the winter. Occasionally, there is actually a day when the weather is just perfect. I like that the flowers bloom in spring. I like that the trees and grass grow. I like that I start to see chipmunks and squirrels and rabbits and other little animals around. I like seeing birds around again too except if they are chirping noisily outside my window when I am trying to sleep. I like being able to sit outside comfortably .I like being able to have picnics or take my kids to the park.  I like that my children can start playing outside again and don't have to be cooped up in the house all the time. I like that the winter is over. I like that summer is coming soon. Spring is a good time of year.

And that's our view. What so you like about spring?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.


Friday, April 19, 2013

Funny Friday - Talking to the Animals

Me -

Aurella always used to say that she understood what our cat said and she told us that that our cat always said "left foot, left foot."


Mom -

When my stepson, Jack was little we were taking the cat to the vet. "Shouldn't we tell her where we are going?" he asked.

"No." I said. "She wouldn't understand and she wouldn't be happy if she could. She hates the vet."

"We're going to Grandma's!" Jack said to the cat.

"That's not where we're going." I said.

"Shh!" said Jack.




 We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Amish Village

Me - Amish Village, wow! Last summer, we went to the Amish Village. My parents used to go there when they were kids at least my Dad did. My Mom can't remember if she went there before or not although she does remember going to Amish country. My friend came with us. We saw chickens, goats, pigs, bunnies and ponies. There was a gray and white pony. It was spotted. I had never seen anything like it. There were also three big horses. One of them was named Mr. Ed. My Dad wanted a picture of me with him. The horse kept moving his head from side to side, and I was scared. Then, Mr. Ed pushed me. When we first went in we got to see an Amish farmhouse. I wished I had brought my camera, but it was lost at the time. I didn't bring my phone either. When we got outside of the farmhouse, I remembered I brought my I-pod so I took pictures with that. They had a couple of old fashioned looking Amish buggies. My friend and my sister and I wished we could sit in one, but we couldn't. We had whoopie pie. It was really good. My Dad got us all souvenirs. I got an Amish doll, but my friend accidentally broke it. My friend got a solar powered key chain with her name on it and a picture of an Amish buggy on the back that said The Amish Country. My sister got a stuffed guinea pig. She named after our late guinea pig. I had a great time at the Amish Village. Maybe, when I get older I'll take my kids there.

Mom - Amish Village was a place that my husband remembered from his childhood. While I also remember going to Amish Country when I was a child, I do not specifically remember going to Amish Village. It was a lot smaller than my husband remembered it. However, we had a fun being and there learning about the Amish way of life. My girls especially enjoyed seeing all the animals. They had goats, birds, rabbits, and horses.They had the strangest looking horse I ever saw. It was multicolored and had both stripes and dots. There was also a horse called Mr. Ed, which didn't talk though, of course, of course. They actually used peacocks like guard dogs because peacocks will start making a racket when anything comes near. We also enjoyed visiting the one-room school house. Looking at the desks, I could just picture a young boy mischievously dipping the braids of the young girl in front of him into an inkwell. The Dick and Jane readers on display reminded me of my own childhood.  I loved looking at all the beautiful handcrafted quilts made by the Amish. I would have bought one on the spot if they weren't so expensive. Maybe, if I didn't have kids I would have splurged on one, but with kids in the house it didn't make sense to spend that much money on something that wasn't going to last that long anyway. We have been through many quilts in our house due to the rips and tears and stains associated with having children. We had dinner at Good and Plenty, a place I remembered the name of from my childhood but nothing else. It's reputation was well worth it. The food was delicious. Also, now you can order individual meals too instead of just family style meals. That worked well for us since we were there with three young girls who don't eat that much. All in all, the Amish Country was a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there and be a part of their culture. I am too attached to my modern conveniences.

And that's our view. Which modern convenience would you miss most if you had to give it up and why?


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Where -to-Go Wednesday - Amish Village

What: Amish Village

Where: 199 Hartman Bridge Road
            Ronks, PA.

Who: All ages

Our view: If you are interested in history and specifically learning about how people from another culture live, Amish Village is the place for you. Start out with a guided tour of an Amish Farm House. Finish by exploring the rest of Amish Village on your own. Visit the one room school house, smokehouse market and blacksmith shop among other places. See live animals in the barn. If you are interested in authentic Amish crafts such as quilts and dolls or authentic Amish foods, such as, whoopie pie, bring plenty of cash because there are  a wide variety of crafts and foods available for sale and the quilts in particular can be a bit pricey. Please note that while Amish Village is for everyone, children under 5 may get bored especially with the guided tour. Please also note, that Amish Village is not that big, only about 12 acres so it does not take very long to explore the entire place so if you are coming from far away you might want to combine a trip here with other attractions in the area. From March through December, Amish Village is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In January and February it is open only on weekends. I would recommend going in the warmer weather, however, since you will be doing a lot of walking around outside. Hours of operation are Monday - Saturday 9 -5 and Sundays 10-5. Check out the web-site for discount coupons. For more information, go to theamishvillage.net.

And that's our view. For more about Amish Village, see tomorrow's Talking Topic.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tips for Tuesday - Movies: Silver Linings Playbook

Me - Today I am recommending Silver Linings Playbook. It was a great movie. I loved it. I loved Jennifer Lawrence. I think she is so pretty, and she was so good in this movie. Bradley Cooper was pretty good too. All of the acting was pretty good, but especially Jennifer Lawrence. You should see this movie as soon as you can because that is how good this movie is.

Mom - Today I am also  recommending Silver Linings Playbook. If you ever saw the commercials for this movie, it looks like a light little comedy. It is not that at all. It is a romantic comedy, but it is so much more than that. It is about mental illness. It is about people who can both be considered a little bit different finding each other. It is an excellent movie with an excellent cast led by the Oscar winning Jennifer Lawrence. Jennifer Lawrence may have won an Oscar, but three other actors from the film were nominated for Oscars as well as was director, David O. Russell. It's that good. I would highly recommend it.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Gigi

Me - This past weekend our family suffered a tragedy. My Dad and I came home from shopping. It was our cat's birthday. She was 17 and as a surprise we had bought her tuna and an ice cream cake for the rest of us. I went to check on her. She was lying on the bathroom floor, and she wasn't breathing. It was so sad to see her like that, but I knew she was in a peaceful place. I know I will never forget Gigi as she was with me since I was born. She never hissed at me even though she hissed at other people so I know she loved me. I still remember being in first grade waiting to go to school, sitting and petting Gigi. She nudged me all over. Mom said she had marked me as her territory. I belonged to her. I always sang "You Are my Sunshine" to her. I would sit with her and pet her and sing to her. I love Gigi more than I have ever loved any other pet. Gigi was very special to all of us, and we will always have memories of fun times we've had with her. I remember one time, we were playing with her cat teaser, she grabbed it out of my hands and ran off with it. That was the only toy she played with. She only liked the kind of toys where you could play with her. Gigi was by far the best cat in the world. She was sweet, furry, cute and pretty. She was completely amazing. I know Gigi was very loved by our whole family, and we were all loved back by her. She was special to each of us for different reasons. Without Gigi, my heart is half empty, but at least I know she's not in pain anymore. She may have been a cat, but she was my big sister. My last words to her were "Gigi, I love you, I'll pet you again later," But I never got a chance. Even if Gigi isn't physically with us anymore, she will always be us in our hearts.

Mom - This past weekend our cat Gigi died. She was  17. She actually turned 17  just that day. We had her since she was six weeks old. Actually, I had her since she was six weeks old because I had her before my husband and I were married or even dating and before our girls were even thoughts in our heads. I got her from the ASPCA, and I picked her because she was the only kitten that interacted with me when I went up to the cage. She chewed on my fingers.  My father had gone with me to pick her out and paid for her adoption. We brought her back to my Mom and Dad's house. We put her in the extra bedroom in the back of their house. Gigi was so excited to be out a cage and out a box that she ran around and ran around. The last pet I'd had prior to that had been a rabbit who was so scared she was probably scared of her own shadow. She spent most of her time hiding. So when Gigi just kept running around the room and running around the room, I thought 'Oh great, another pet that isn't going to pay attention to me.' But then, Gigi tired herself out, she came over to me, she curled up in my lap and from that moment on she was my baby. I loved Gigi, and she loved me. However, she was by no means a pet who loved everyone. She interacted with who she wanted, how she wanted and for how long she wanted. She definitely knew who her family was and she loved her family. It did take her a little while to get used to her two human sisters though, especially Melia who came first. I'll never forget her sitting on the steps and glaring at us if to say "what have you brought in to our house now?" when we first brought Melia home from the hospital. Eventually she warmed up to  Melia and grew to love her and Aurella after her. She loved them because she knew they were part of us.She loved them so much that even though she didn't like loud noises whenever one of the girls was crying, she would go right to them and she would keep looking at me as if to say "Mommy, please help my sister!" I know I it will get easier to think about Gigi and remember all the good things about our life with her instead of just feeling so sad. Even though I will always  love her and miss her, my heart won't hurt so much when I think of her. Eventually, we will probably get another pet, but it won't replace Gigi. No pet can ever replace another. They are all different. However, I can talk about getting another pet and even think of getting another pet not because I didn't love Gigi or because I am being disrespectful to her memory talking or thinking about it so soon. It is precisely because I loved her so much that I can. I know what it is like to really love a pet and to care for a pet and there are plenty of pets out there that need that love and care. The most fitting tribute I can give to Gigi is to find another pet to save and love and care for and make a member of our family the way I did her. I will never forget Gigi, there will never be another one of her, she will always be a part of my heart, but as hard as it is especially right now, my life will go on because it has to.

And that's our view. What pets were or are special in your life?

Tune in tomorrow for another Tips for Tuesday.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Funny Friday - Hands and Fingers

Me -

When I was young, I pointed to my Mom's rings and said "When I grow up I want to have fingers like mommy."

Mom -  

 When Aurella was young and she didn't want to put on her shoes, she would tell us she couldn't put them on because her hands were broken.


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.



Thursday, April 11, 2013

Things We Don't Like To Do

Me - Things I don't like to do, wow! I don't like to clean my room. I don't like to go to school. I don't like to do homework. I don't like to do math. I hate doing social studies and science. I don't like to go to the dentist or orthodontist. I don't like to go to any kind of doctor. I really don't like any kind of doctors. I don't like to fight or hear other people fighting. I don't like to sit with my sister while she does her homework or cleans her room. I don't like to read most of the books that I have to read for school because usually I don't like them. I don't like to be bossed around. I don't like to be forced to do things. I don't like to get sick. I don't like to be yelled at. I really don't like being yelled at. I don't like to get angry at people or have people angry at me. I can't sleep when people are angry at me. I don't like to read sad books or watch sad movies. I don't like to be told what to do. I don't like to do projects in school. There are so many things I don't like to do but that doesn't mean that I don't do all of them. Unfortunately, there are some things I just have to do whether I want to or not.

Mom - I don't like to clean the house as my husband would surely tell you. I don't like to fold the laundry and put it away. I don't mind cooking, but I don't like to spend time doing it. I don't like to fight with people physically or with words. I don't like to yell at or have to nag at my kids, but that doesn't mean I never have to. I don't like to have my time wasted. I don't like to not get everything done that I need to do or want to do. I don't like to go to the doctor. I don't like to have to take medication. I don't like to go on long car rides. I don't like to fly on airplanes. I used to like to fly when I was little, but now I don't, but luckily I don't really have to fly much if at all anymore although I would like to have the time and money to travel more. I don't like to pack whether it is for a one night trip, a long vacation or to move. I don't like to have to give anybody bad news. I don't like to take the time to exercise although I feel better after I've done it. I don't like to get off the computer which is another thing my husband will surely tell you. I don't like to watch TV live so that I can't fast forward the commericials. I don't like to listen to the radio because I keep having  to change the stations to find a song I like. I don't like to run out of ideas of what to write about. Of course, just because I don't like to do something doesn't always mean that I don't have to do it, but it would be nice if we only had to do things we wanted, wouldn't it?

And that's our view. What don't you like to do?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Chelsea Piers

What: Chelsea Piers
         

Where: 23rd Street and Hudson River Park
           New York, New York

Who: Everyone

Our view: If you are looking for sports in New York City, this is the place to go. You can find just about every sport you can think of here including baseball, basketball, figure skating, soccer, rock climbing, gymnastics, and even sand volleyball. There are also things like dance, pilates and yoga.There are sports leagues for adults. There are classes and sports leagues for kids. Classes start as young as 6 months old. However, you don't have to be taking a class or be in a league to participate in an activity here. There are drop-in activities for kids including soccer, basketball, and rock climbing. There are even some drop-in activities for adults such as gymnastics and rock climbing. Private lessons and birthday parties are also available.  The only bad thing about Chelsea Piers is that it is so big, it can be a bit overwhelming especially if you are unfamiliar with it. However, there is nowhere else you can find so many sports in one place except for the Olympics. For more information go to chelseapiers.com,

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Tips for Tuesday - Books: Charlotte's Web and Night Road

Me - Today I am recommending Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I never wanted to read it before. Then, I finally did. Now, it is my favorite book. I like this book because it is sad and also touching. It is definitely a classic book for a reason.

Mom - Today I am recommending Night Road by Kristen Hannah. It is the story of a mother and her twin son and daughter and the girl who comes in between them. It is a real touching and beautiful story that stayed with me long after I put the book down.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Disney Animals

Me - Hi. I love Disney animals. I love the dog buddy movies! I have seen Space Buddies, The Search for Santa Paws, and Snow Buddies. I like the Beverly Hills Chihuahua movies. I have seen 1 and 2. I haven't seen 3 yet, but I want to. I liked Bambi, but I didn't like when Bambi's mother got shot. The mice in Cinderella are so cute. I like Sebastian and Flounder from The Little Mermaid. I even have a stuffed toy Flounder. I love all the forest animals in Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.  I love Rajah in Aladdin. I love Pascal in Tangled.  I love all the cats in The Aristocats especially Marie. I even have a little figurine toy of Marie. I don't remember much about the movie though because I saw it when I was really young. I would like to see it again. I have whole set of Disney animal toys that my cousin got me for my birthday. I also have a set of Disney princess toys that came with some of their animals. I would like to see the movies 101 Dalamations, The Lion King and Dumbo. I really love Disney animals. Bye.*

*The above is guest post by little sister, Aurella as dictated to Mom.

Mom - I love animals, and I love movies about animals. Of course, some of the best loved films about animals have been Disney movies. I love Lady and The Tramp. I love Dumbo. I love The Aristocats. When I was young I had a stuffed Lady and a stuffed Dumbo from Disney. I also had a stuffed Duchess from The Aristocats. A cousin of my dad's sent me the latter. At a family party, he promised to send me a stuffed animal from the company he worked for. I expected it to be just any old stuffed animal, but I was surprised and pleased when it turned out to be Duchess. Of course, Disney has also had live action animal movies. When I was younger I remember seeing That Darn Cat, The Ugly Daschund, and The Monkey's Uncle and liking them. My younger daughter Aurella loves the dog Buddie movies and the Beverly Hills Chihuahua movies. She has only seen a couple of the Buddies movies but she would like to see more. In many other Disney movies that are not specifically about animals, animals are important characters, such as, Cinderella, Pocahantas, and Mary Poppins I haven't seen any of the recent nature films. I am not sure if I would like them or not. I usually like a movie with more of a plot and dialogue. Otherwise, even with looking at cute animals for a whole movie it can get boring.

And that's our view. What is your favorite Disney animal movie?

Friday, April 5, 2013

Funny Friday - They're Related?

Me -

My Mom and I were talking about my great grandmother. "She had two children." said my mom.

"She had children?" I said.

"Yes." said my mother, "One of them was your grandfather."

"Oh yeah." I said.


Mom -

Aurella and I were listening to the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow. "This is Grandma and PopPop's wedding song." I said.

"Grandma and PopPop are married?" said Aurella.


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Lakewood Blueclaws

Me - Lakewood Blueclaws, wow! I love the Blueclaws. They are my favorite minor league baseball team. We go to see them play a lot. Last year, almost every game we went to they lost. One game they started out losing, and were losing most of the game. However, because of Ryan Howard and Chris Duffy they were able to turn it around and win. At that game, I was really lucky because we were sitting behind the visiting teams bullpen. The other team's starting pitcher gave me the ball after he finished warming up. Also, one of the people working there gave me a t-shirt when they did the t-shirt toss. My sister got really jealous when I got a ball even though she has lots of them. When she was little, a visiting player gave her a ball too, and she thought he was her boyfriend. We eventually found her a ball the day I got one though, and then she was only jealous about the t-shirt. My sister and I love Buster the Blueclaws mascot. In fact, we love all sports mascots. My sister gets scared when they get too close to her. She likes them better far away. I love going to Blueclaws games.

Mom -  We love baseball, and we go to a lot of baseball games. These days, the team we see more than any other is the Lakewood Blueclaws. Last year we went to three or four games. Once, we went and Mark Ballas from Dancing With the Stars was there. The girls and I stood in line to get his autograph. My husband could care less. Another game, I won the tickets for. The third game we got tickets through the alumni association of my college. Unfortunately, every game, we went to the Blueclaws lost except the last one. That one was one of the most exciting games I have ever been to. The Blueclaws were losing the whole game, but won it 7-6 in the ninth inning. It was also exiting because Ryan Howard, the only player to ever have his number retired by the Lakewood Blueclaws was playing for the Blueclaws again that night. He was making a rehab appearance from the Philadelphia Phillies. He played really well, and had a couple of hits and drove in a few runs for the Blueclaws. I am not sure if I ever saw him play when he was originally with the Blueclaws. We didn't go to as many games then so I don't remember.Two seasons ago, my kids got to go on the field at the Blueclaws and throw out a ceremonial first pitch and have their picture taken with the mascot, Buster. That was fun, but it wasn't as special as it sounds. At the Blueclaws they have a lot of people throw out ceremonial first pitches at every game, and I believe that you can even buy a ticket packages that includes the option of throwing out a ceremonial first pitch. My girls go to do it because they submitted a question to the mascot in the Blueclaws kids newslettter, and it was chosen to be answered. My girls favorite part of baseball is the mascots. They especially love Buster the Blueclaws mascot, and we love our Blueclaws!


And that is our view. What is your favorite sports team?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Lakewood Blueclaws

What:  Lakewood Blueclaws
           First Energy Park
         
Where: 2 Stadium Way
           Lakewood, NJ

Who: Everyone

Our view:  First Energy Park, home of the Lakewood Blueclaws,single A affilate of the Philadelphia Phillies is a great place for everyone. If you are a sports fan, it is a nice little stadium with a good view of the action from every seat. It is a small enough stadium that you don't ever feel too far away from the action, but big enough not to feel claustrophobic. If you are not a sports fan, you can still come enjoy a picnic in the park in one of two picnic areas. Kids will love the Meridian Health Kids Zone featuring several bounce houses. Unfortunately, however, admittance to the Kids Zone is not included with admittance to the park. It is not too expensive and coupons for reduced prices can usually be found in the New Jersey edition of the Entertainment book among other places. Older kids may like Busters Arcade. Kids will also love the general admission sod seats where they have the freedom to play in the grass throughout the game instead of being confined to seats. Adults, however, may prefer actual seats although they are typical stadium seats and are not necessarily the most comfortable. There are a variety of foods offered throughout the stadium. It is mostly tasty but it is also mostly pretty typical stadium fare. There are lots of special events and giveaways throughout the season which runs from April through September. One of the nicest things about the Blueclaws is that because of its close proximity to its major league affilate, the Philadelphia Phillies, you can often find players from major league players on  rehab assignments playing for the Blueclaws.  Another nice thing is that tickets prices are reasonable.  While the stadium itself may not be particularly distinguishable from many other ballparks, it is still a really nice fun place to go. The Blue Claws home season opens tomorrow, Thursday April 4, to purchase tickets or for further information go to lakewoodblueclaws.com.

Tune in tomorrow for more about the Lakewood Blueclaws.


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tips for Tuesday Apps. and Web-Sites: Instagram

Me - Today I am recommending Instagram which is a web-site and an app where you can post pictures and follow other people's pictures. You can also re-post other people's pictures. It is really fun and really popular in my school. You can even follow famous people and sometimes they will follow you back. You  should definitely try Instagram.

Mom - Today I am also recommending Instagram. I like it because it is like having a photo album on-line. It is even easier than having a photo album on-line because it is easier to upload pictures to Instagram then it is to upload them to an actual on-line photo album. Instagram makes it easier to share pictures than ever before.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Birds

Me - Birds, wow! I had a parakeet named Frances. She was not very friendly. She kept biting me. I didn't have her too long because she died. I got another parakeet. That one was also named Frances. She was not any friendlier. I had her for a month or two. My brother had a parakeet too. His was named Dr. Schweitzer. He named it after a bird our Dad used to have also named Dr. Schweitzer. My brother's bird was not any friendlier. The birds were noisy, messy and rude. Frances was always biting me. My Dad had to feed her because I was afraid to. Sometimes, even my sister, Aurella fed her. My parents hated the birds because they were noisy and messy. We gave them away. A few years later, I got another bird. I named her Emerald. She was a cockatiel. She was a really pretty bird. She bit me too. Birds don't like me. Eventually, we got rid of her too. We got fish. The good thing about fish is that they don't bite. So that's my history with birds.

Mom - When I was young I had a parakeet. It's name was Mr. B. It lived at my grandmother's house. One day, the cleaning lady let it out, and it flew away. My grandmother kept the cage. She put fake birds in it. I used to like to take them out and play with them. Years later, Melia and her brother had parakeets. I love almost all living creatures except most bugs and maybe a few other of nature's creatures. Over the years, I have had various dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and fish. I have loved them all except the fish which I was kind of indifferent too. I hated those birds though. They were noisy. They were messy. They were annoying. Over the course of about a year, we had four different birds although no more than two at a time. I always pictured friendly trained parakeets sitting happily on their owners finger. However, it was not that way with any of the birds we ever had.  I don't remember about Mr. B.  I was too young then and didn't have him so long. I am sure he was never on my finger anyway. I know that not one of the birds Melia and her brother had was ever friendly. Not one of them ever warmed up to anyone in our family. A few years later, Melia had another bird. I think it was a cockatiel or something like that. It was beautiful and had this big beautiful cage that it came with. It was kind of noisy and messy too. That one never warmed up to Melia either. Maybe, we're just not bird people. I mean I can admire a beautifully colored bird just as much as the next person. I just don't want one living in my house again.

And that's our view. What is your favorite kind of bird?