Has anyone else's brain ever connected disparate continuities and decided they are, in fact, one? And not in the usual "this crossover is crack but it's so much FUN" way.

My favorite non-canon-linked film trilogy is (in internal chronological order) Pacific Rim, Avatar, and The Fifth Element. Somehow, for some reason, it makes sense to me as humanity's interaction with interstellar development. First we get invaded by interdimensional kaijuu, then we continue ruining the planet like they liked but take what tech we developed from that and go into space and be asshats to the natives, then eventually get enough of a clue that we're just another blip in the interstellar community.

Obviously the three films are separated by centuries. No crossovers to write here.

But it's fun scenery for the brainstem to gnaw upon.

Have been busy-ish poking around with things. I did get quilt pics taken! So I'll edit and post them here later today.

Meantime, Wonderful Husband and I raided CostCo on Friday to fill two bags with non-perishable goods for the USPS' "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive on Saturday. And then CostCo again on Saturday to get me a new desk chair for my Mother's Day present. As well as the neighboring Toys'R'Us for a bike helmet for Squiddle, because Wonderful Husband bought him a scooter. Which Squiddle is quite liking, despite the hard-and-fast rule of him having to wear the helmet while using it.

Yesterday, Squiddle got to show off the aforementioned scooter to my parents while Wonderful Husband and I finally saw Zootopia. Which was actually pretty good. And here I'd thought Disney had mastered city design in Big Hero 6!

I should probably be working on outfits for Costume College or SDCC. Or getting another quilt basted so I can quilt it. (I have... two finished tops to do at the moment. Plus a box of my grandmother's quilt tops that I should look at.) Instead, I'm piecing. At least I'm being good-ish and not starting another new project! I'm working on Bonnie Hunter's Allietare pattern, which I started last year when it was a mystery quilt. I did buy and download the pattern after the mystery was taken down, and printed it out the other day, spending an enjoyable half hour recoloring it to what my version will look like. Rather than Bonnie's red-and-gold color scheme, I'm doing mine in turquoise blue and purples. Wonderful Husband said it looks like hers is sunlight and mine is moonlight, so I'm going to call it "Allietare By Moonlight" or something like that.

So. Today being a slow day (no classes, no appointments, nowhere to be), I'm inching my current project along, and trying to rediscover the house, if not the surface of my desk. I'm trying "two things to tidy the house, then one thing for me" as a guideline. Onward! To lunch for the Squiddle and myself.

Everything came together in time, which is always nice and makes me feel like I'm winning at this "grownup" thing.

Last night was the family Christmas dinner at my aunt and uncle's, and exchanging gifts with them and my cousins while Skypeing with my sister, and then this morning was Christmas brunch with my parents, and opening the remaining bulk of gifts while Skypeing with my inlaws.

The Squiddle, being the baby of the family, of course made out like a bandit. But I think everyone got some things they liked. I certainly know I did! And this year I gave quilts to my dad, and Squiddle.

A couple days ago, Wonderful Husband and I went to see Star Wars. It was good, but I have feelings about some of the characters, old and new. Who knows, maybe fanfic will result?

But not tonight. Tonight, after Squiddle goes to bed, Wonderful Husband and I intend to try out the quilting-themed board game toothywiki gave us....

So, Saturday Wonderful Husband and I went to see Kingsman: The Secret Service. Which has Colin Firth as a gentleman spy. Can't go wrong with that! The movie was serious in some ways, cheesy in others, and bad in only a few. I recommend it.

Sunday, Wonderful Husband, Squiddle, and I all dressed up in our Steven Universe togs, and jotted down the street to the Anaheim Convention Center for Wondercon!



We got a lot of comments loving our family cosplay, and especially the "tiny Steven!"

Overall, a good time was had. We managed to get into both the panels I found interesting on the schedule, and walked the whole dealer's room. Our wallets came away lighter, our hands heavier, with a couple volumes from Studio Foglio, and a board game called Trekking the National Parks.

I've been keeping myself busy with Piece and Quilt's star block sewalong, writing class has just started again (as have Squiddle's classes), and I've mailed off the gift quilt, so when the recipient gets it, then I can post about that.

For now, to bed. Early morning music class for the Squiddle!

Movies I have watched recently: Maleficent (ooh, fem!fantasy movie - I liked bits, especially Diaval, but I think Wonderful Husband nailed it when he said this was Maleficent's version of what happened... and Sleeping Beauty is the three fairies' ^_^). Guardians of the Galaxy (pretty good, but not my favorite in the Marvel'verse... fourth place, maybe?). Lucy (the film needed a bit more time in the kitchen, as we were only really able to connect with one scene in it; Wonderful Husband and I were both sniggering at the science, but OTOH I LOVED the genderflip on The Creation of Adam). Chef (pretty good, though the fact that it didn't hit its story beats as hard as most films left it feeling without a sense of urgency. Still, foodporn movie that left me craving a grilled cheese sandwich).

Parenting is about finding your own personal balance. Initially I felt guilty that I didn't make all of Squiddle's baby food from scratch. I tried. I did! But he liked the stuff from a jar so much better, and it was so much easier. So I assuaged my conscience by buying the organic brand, and found the balance I could live with. We've deliberately taken it slow with his diet, knowing that as the child of someone with major food allergies, he has a higher chance of inheriting them. So far so good. *touches wood* But part of it is also choice. His agemate Connor has been introduced to cotton candy and ice cream, and had a iced cake at his birthday party. Squiddle has had none of these things. It's not that we plan to keep him from sugar forever, and heavens know it's not that we don't eat it, because we do, too much of it. But at his age he doesn't need that stuff yet.

Similarly, our TV has seen very very little use in the last year. We're making the decision to not expose him to television or vidgames much. But last night I settled Squiddle on the sofa beside me and proceeded to show him How To Train Your Dragon. He made it through the first hour before wanting bedtime. And I'm not sure how much of that he was actively watching, given that he was moving around the sofa quite a bit. He probably liked the colors and moving images, but this isn't going to be an everyday or even every week occurrence. TV, like cookies, is a sometimes food.

I finished the film up afterward. I find it stunning that, given how many times I've watched the film, I'm still finding new things. It's just that good. So, today, being in the mood, I went to rewatch the sequel at the cheapie theater. It improved on the second viewing. Not that it was bad on the first one. But two doesn't feel as tightly written as the first. Or, at least, there aren't as many repeated elements in it. No triumvirates of "Night Fury! Get down!" or Astrid punching Hiccup or "You just gestured to all of me" with the shades of meaning changing each time. The film also has Astrid for some unexplained reason develop a severe case of idiocy in the middle, and it's a bit iffy having the only person of color be the bad guy. Would've been better if Eret son of Eret was also of quote-unquote exotic origins. Also, as Wonderful Husband pointed out to me, where exactly does Drago's armada go between Valka's fortress and his arrival at Berk? Meh. Whatever. Currently devouring the artbook and debating on preordering the Blu-Ray or being good and putting it on my Christmas list.

All is quiet. Squiddle is napping in his high chair. Wonderful Husband is napping on the bed. And, judging by the faint tang of tar in the air, someone within a half-mile south of us is getting a new roof today.

Survived the rehearsal dinner for my cousin's wedding, despite Squiddle spending most of it melting down due to lots of people, lots of noise, and a vanishing pacifier. Survived the wedding and reception as well, despite two things that hurt me (one - family not coming to find me and Squiddle for the family photo, and two - my uncle going back on his promise to give me a certain book of my grandfather's) and Squiddle having slightly less of a meltdown due to us packing more pacifiers. Everything was lovely, otherwise. Just that a crying infant makes things less fun.

Saw How to Train Your Dragon 2, which I think I have mostly processed at this point. I was not expecting certain things that happened, and overall it was a lot darker/more serious a movie than the first. Possibly Dreamworks' most grown-up film to date? I don't think it was quite as good as the first one, but I do like it and I think I need to see it again, to untangle a few more things about it in my head.

I also day-tripped to Botcon, where I had a wonderful day de-stressing and hanging out with my geekish galpals. Thanks, okami_myrrhibis, tainry, and Jecca, whose LJ account name I forget! The day with you was just what I needed.

The day after Botcon, Wonderful Husband, Squiddle, myself, and Wonderful Husband's parents drove eight-ish hours north to Lake Tahoe! Which is a gorgeous, gorgeous place. I'd never been there before. And as a bonus, I got to meet up a couple of times with my childhood friend Cody, who lives/works in the area and had just returned from a trip to Brasil. Alas, though, his wife had to work late, so I still haven't met her.

After Tahoe, our intrepid party went west to Monterey, where we saw seals and sea otters at the Fisherman's Wharf and went to the Aquarium, which was lovely. Then, south to Solvang, stopping en route at the sea lion vista point, and at the Madonna Inn for dinner. We arrived home Saturday and are getting back into routine.

While in Solvang, I picked up a children's crochet book in a thrift shop and started a project last night. Except the jacket panel that was supposed to be 13" long is somehow 20" long, so I'm going to put it aside for now, and instead sew Squiddle a quick hoodie for the trip to Portland/SeaTac in a week, which is what the jacket was supposed to be for.

Anyhow, laundry to do, errands to run, sewing to finagle.

I restarted belly dance class this morning, after something like eight months away. Where did all my flexibility go?

Wonderful Husband and I went to see The Hobbit part 2. Our reaction was best summed up by Wonderful Husband: "For Tolkein fanfiction, that was pretty good." Because, really, about 80% of the movie wasn't from the book. It even had a redheaded Mary Sue!

And, I may be only four and a half months into this gig, but I'm remaining sure that being a parent is part of what I was meant to do. The Squiddle is starting to vocalize actual sounds now that will lead eventually to speech, and they're just the sweetest little things. This week he's been working on "boo" and "bwoo" and trying to do raspberries. Of course, he's also having "oh god, how did you even manage to poop that way??" moments of self-expression, as well as defending his superhero sidekick title of The Spit-Up Kid. But it remains hilarious when he pulls his pacifier out of his mouth, reinserts it, pulls it out again, then spends the next several minutes trying futilely to shove it back in again, hitting just about every spot on his face but his mouth.

Came home yesterday and it was 89 Fahrenheit inside the house. Opening the doors and windows made it drop to 87 by the time we went to bed, and it was a comfortable 82 when we got up this morning. Got home today and it was 90. Temperature has not dropped at all yet. :/ Wonderful Husband is making his annual noises about getting a portable aircon unit. :)

While I was doing a stop-and-shop on the way home today, I saw another heavily pregnant woman, and given that I'm at 39 weeks out of 40, I'm trying to figure out why I don't look as pregnant as her and a lot of other women I've seen. (As in, when we were having dinner with my uncle last week, he was surprised that I was as far along as I was.) I suspect part of it's to do with body proportions - I have never been a skinny little thing since I hit puberty. I've always been lushly figured; the rest of my body is not so dwarfed by my belly as a thinner woman's might be. Also, I haven't gained a whole lot of weight during my pregnancy, only about 14 pounds. And, finally, I don't dress in the clingy knit fabrics that every other pregnant woman seems to. (I did, once, a few weeks ago. One of my coworkers touched my belly without asking. Given that the clinginess of the fabric seems to highlight the condition, I have deliberately not worn that dress again. I do not like people seeming to think that my being pregnant makes my body public property. It is not.) In fact, slightly consternating my mother, I haven't bought any maternity clothes at all! I tend to wear loose, flowing garments anyway, so the only real change to my wardrobe was leaving off trousers several months ago.

Slightly frustrated at Man of Steel fandom writings. The Pit of Voles hasn't separated it out into its own continuity page, so searching for stories there is frustrating. AO3, however, has, and every story there seems to be either turning Lois into the minimizing role of The Girlfriend, or slashing Clark with Bruce Wayne. Or Jor-El with Zod. Which, okay, on an intellectual level I can understand the pairings. But seriously, all the things to play with in this new version of the mythos, and that's the best that fandom can do? As with Pacific Rim, the lack of exploration of the possibilities in the universe makes me sad, and makes me scurry back to RotG fandom. Where, at least, there is some seriously creative stuff going on.

Saw Pacific Rim. The Evangelion live-action movie has now been rendered completely superfluous. And, I would love to read this proposed HTTYD crossover. Which does not actually seem to exist yet, alas.

Also, Newton was totally not Teppei. Really.

Yesterday was sucky in multiple ways. Wonderful Husband's grandmother passed on Tuesday night, not unexpectedly, and then we found out that a friend we (okay, he; I still can't attend) were looking forward to seeing at ComicCon this weekend had passed on a few months ago, just before Fanime. (Some of you may know who I am talking about.) Apparently her passing was all over Facebook. Unfortunately, we don't do Facebook, and no one had bothered to tell us. So we each spent part of yesterday crying.

In the evening, though, we did go with our prearranged plans and finally saw Iron Man 3 in a cheapie theater. As advertised, it was better than 2 though not quite as good as 1. And we enjoyed the post-credits scene... particularly once we worked out who Tony was talking to. *coughchokesnickerchortle*