[*cross with self for moping* This is ridiculous! It's not like I didn't know how to amuse myself before I met 'lestrel... *eyes lemon tree* Hmm, lights are on. I could pay them a little visit. Better than sitting around here feeling sorry for myself...]

Welcome back, Talon!
Home schooling? *eyes wide* Jeez, you're brave - or something. Much as I love my boys and have conniptions sometimes about them being out of my care, my relationship with them would suffer enormously if I had them with me 24/7. As for the head to head clashes that are occuring now when I make them do their homework - not to mention the heart-rendingly melodramatic tantrums - I'd hate to think how that would escalate if I was actually trying to get them to work full-time. No thanks. I like and trust their teachers. I like the school they're going to. I love my cubs even more when I have time away from them... *g*

I took myself off to see Two Towers again today.
Hee hee hee - I saw the elf stumble - hee hee hee.
Fair enough, it was after a 3 day forced march with no food and rest but still, mr graceful-nancy-boy stumbled and the human didn't. I really don't like elves - have I told you that? - and while I didn't exactly cheer each time one of them copped it at the siege, I did smirk a little. Actually, the company of elvish archers who turned up to save the day (well, more like delay the losing of the day so the actual heroes could save it later) reminded me of Vulcans, in their grey, hooded cloaks and pointy helms. Not that keen on Vulcans either... maybe it's the ears?
I do like the riders of Rohan, though; I like their clothes, I'm remarkably at ease with their society, I love where they live - brilliant flying country, that - bare, snowy mountains and wind-streaked, grassed plains *happy sigh*, I could live there.
Still prefer the burly horselords to the poncy elves. Bathe Ehomah and bring him to my tent!
Heh, on second thoughts, just bring him to my tent, I'll bathe him myself... *eg*

Months and months ago Vegemite (a black, visciously uber-salty spread we're blessed with in Aus) had a promotional offer where you could get a 'free thing' if you sent in x number of tokens. The 'free thing' in this case was a play mat/place mat sort of... thing that had a very simple maze around which you could shove a picture of some vegemited toast. The toast was stuck onto a magnet and the idea was to use your cutlery to move the toast around. Anyway, the cubs hounded me to get them these placemats. I said no, it wasn't worth considering, I would've had to spend $15 on vegemite to get two 'free' placemats. I'm the only one who eats the stuff and even I couldn't get through $15 worth by the time their use-by date went past. Soon enough, the commercials stopped running and the cubs forgot all about it.
I found 2 of the placemats today in an op-shop for 50c each. :) I'm not sure about the message they're putting out, though.
There's a cartoony picture of a girl - with a book, and a boy - with a skateboard. Hmm. OK, at least the girl isn't carrying a doll. But it gets worse. The playmat is littered with little phrases about what good things vegemite can do for you. Around the boy is 'fast reflexes', 'bright and alert', 'lots of energy'. Around the girl is 'puts a rose in every cheek', 'soft skin', 'shiny hair'.
What? Reflexes and alertness have no relevance to girls? 'Shiny hair' is something that boys needn't bother with as long as they can run fast and kick a football?
Grrrr... gender stereotyping starts early.

I must've been an awkward child, I refused to do as expected. I stopped getting dolls as presents very early on when it was noted that I didn't so much play with them as tie them up and torture them. I can still remember the sorts of things I used to do - quite perverse really, but very satisfying. (Incidentally, I'm sure if I did some of those things to a real-life (consenting adult) doll, there'd still be an element of satisfaction.)
And some moron gave me a toy ironing board for my... must've been fourth birthday. 'Just like Mummy's' was emblazoned coaxingly on the front of the box (it's amazing what you remember, isn't it?) and a picture of prissy little girl in a poofy party dress with an unfeasibly large bow in her hair, ironing her dollies clothes. How adorable *gag retch* Yes, give it to me, I do so want to be just like mummy.
That ironing board became 'the plank' of my pirate ship/bed, and the drawbridge over the moat of my castle/bed. I was quite sad to have to leave it behind when we emigrated to Aus...
Of course, I'm all grown up now.
I still don't like dolls all that much, still want to torture and debase them (*smirk* but that's what fictional characters are there for though, isn't it?) and I'd still much rather play pirates and knights than do the ironing...