Galactic Discrepancies

My children LOVE all the Star Wars movies. My son specifically is absolutely smitten with the whole franchise, to the extent that every time we are trying to explain something to him, he finds a way to equate each element of the conversation to an event in one of the 6 Star Wars movies. “So you mean like the time the Chancellor was trying to convince Anakin to turn to the Dark Side and he became uglier and sicker, that’s what happens to us when we hold on to angry feelings?”

I remember the “orginial movies” with fond memories and have throroughly enjoyed sharing the Ewoks, Chewbacca, a handsome Harrison Ford and R2D2 with my kids. Unfortunately, for me, the family bonding has been somewhat marred by the blatant inconsistencies in the sequence of the 6 episodes. I realize that The Phantom Menace (TPM), The Clone Wars (TCW) and The Revenge of the Sith (ROTS) were made 30 years after the older A New Hope (ANH), The Empire Strikes Back(TESB) and The Return of the Jedi (ROTJ); which of course means that they will be considerably more impressive technically and in the area of special effects. But in watching all 6 I have come to the realization that there was little attempt made to even try avoiding the inconsistencies.

Although I am sure that there have been hundreds of notes and article written about this very topic in the world of fantasy and galactic novelty, it’s on my mind right now and since I have a minute, I thought I would share the things that I find most irritating about the “New vs. Old” Star Wars movies.

1. Princess Leia tells Luke that she remembers her Mother as being beautiful…but at the end of The Revenge of the Sith (ROTS), Queen Amidala dies giving birth.

2. Luke Skywalker was born at the end of ROTS and at the beginning of ANH he is merely a teenager; yet Obiwan has aged several decades. Anakin was very young when he turned to Darth Vader but at the end of the ROTS, yet Luke sees his father without a mask while he is dying and he is clearly more than 20 years older than he was when he put the mask on.

3. IN TPM little Anakin is friends with Padme, maidservant to Queen Amidala. Later in the next movie we find him meeting Queen Amidala again and she is referred to as Padme, with no explanation as to why she was pretending to be a servant in the first movie, even when he tried to say goodbye to his “friend Padme” and Queen Amidala said she would pass on the message when Padme returned…weird.

4. In TPM, Anakin leaves his droid C3PO with his mother when he leaves with Qui Gon for Jedi training. And yet, somehow C3PO ends up in the care of Princess Leia at the beginning of ANH.

5. At the end of ROTS, ObiWan and Yoda decide to hide the children from Darth Vader and the Emperor, and yet they choose to keep his last name as “Skywalker”, doesn’t really seems like a very good idea.

6. How do Yoda  and the Jedi council know everything about everyone; and yet have no idea that Anakin is slipping to the dark side, that Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith, Anakin is married to Padme and she is super-sized pregnant>>>?

7. In TPM, Darth Maul and Darth Sidious are discussing that they will “At last have (their) revenge”, but their is no explanation as to why they are seekign revenge against the Jedi Council.  Also if the Sith come in pairs, why does Darth Sidious have Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus and Anakin as his apprentices all within the space of one movie?

8. Why did ObiWan and Luke Skywalker both “have to face Darth Vader”? Why was that necessary? I don’t understand.

9. When Luke and ObiWan received the SOS message from Princess Leia through R2D2 and decided to go to Alderaan, why didn’t ObiWan mention that Luke had a sister and that this was her? According to the final scenes in ROTS, ObiWan was part of the decision to split Padme and Anakin’s twins and he would presumably have knowledge of the family she was placed with…and yet he didn’t seem to make the connection in ANH. 

10. Why does Chewbacca have such a connected friendship with Yoda in the ROTS and heavily involved with the resistance movement and yet in movies 4, 5, 6 he appears to have no knowledge of the Jedi or personal interest in anything but making money with Han Solo?

I am positive that there have been other inconsistancies and issues throughout the 6 movies and specifically occuring in the gap between Revenge of the Sith (ROTS) and A New Hope (ANH). If I have missed things that have irritated or confused you also, please feel free to leave them here in a comment, as I’m sure somthing you catch will spark my memory! Thanks for bearing with me through my little rant….may the force be with you! 😉

10 Reasons I am NOT a Super-Mom!

1. I would much rather my daughter NOT play with our Barbies…I mean her Barbies. The problem is, she messes up their hair and they inevitably end up looking like Bob Marley!

2. I haven’t taken barely any video footage of my second child since her first couple months of life. Lots of photos thanks to the invention of the digital camera, but she will undoubtedly feel slightly less loved when she grows up and realizes that we have hours and hours of her brother on video but not her. Oops.

3. I have to force myself to let the kids help bake cookies. I know how it sounds, but I really love to bake cookies, muffins and cakes galore for my family, I just prefer to get it done. I can’t really loosen up when it comes to letting the kidlets help mix, scoop or stir. I would much rather just do it myself. But they love to help, and I love them, so I usually let them spoon out a few cookies each batch. Not too much, just until I find something that will distract them.

4. I’m not very good at following through on the threat to take away the t.v. I mean I try it sometimes, it’s one of those few consequences that really affects them. Unfortunately, it is too painful for Mommy. There are just some times when I need the Telenanny to keep them occupied so I don’t burn dinner. There I said it.

5. I prefer my hubby to put the kids to bed. I know it’s supposed to be the nicest part of the day, and such a wonderful time to spend with the children I love so much. But to tell the truth by the time bedtime rolls around, I’m pretty much ready for them to go to bed and I am desperately in need of a few minutes of just Mommy-time. Besides I get them up in the morning, have breakfast (and lunch depending on the day), drop off and pick up at school, do homework with them, play in the afternoon, have dinner, read books with them and usually bath them. It’s good to share the “bonding” with my hubby, plus honestly, I need a break.

6. Sometimes I hear my kids arguing and I just pretend I don’t hear it. I mean let’s face it if they are bickering with each other, they are not bickering with me. I feel I need to pick my battles.

6. I don’t correct my 5 year olds speech. My BFF is an english teacher and periodically chastises me for this, reminding me that I love the english language (especially when spoken correctly) but my daughter is someone for whom I will make an exception. I will miss all the cute words she says wrong when she is a “big girl” and I want to savour her being the baby just a little longer. So I tant mate her stop talting wif funny words betause I just wuv how it sounds!!!

7. I sometimes use the promise of staying home from school as a reward for good behaviour. Ok so don’t tell the school board, but sometimes when my oldest has been having a rough time, I will promise an afternoon of swimming at my gym and playing Wii with mommy at home, if he has a good week.  Hey, I said I am not a super mom and I am not above blatant bribery.

8. I have never been very good at making my own bed, and have found it difficult to consistently teach the children this life skill. So I found a way to cheat. I took the top sheets of two favourite bedsheet designs and sewed them into a duvet cover to put over the comforter, creating sort of a reversible duvet. Now the children only have to choose straighten the duvet over their bed. No more sheet tucking and folding. I know, no coins getting bounced off the bed in this house but, whatever.

9. I have been a little lax at teaching my youngest the besic kindergarten skills. My older son entered JK already writing his name, reciting nursery rhymes, colours and numbers. Now with two kids, tae kwon do, gymnastics, volunteering in their school, and the general busyness of life I haven’t been as diligent as I could have been. Oh well hopefully the school will do a better job.

10. I really don’t enjoy the game “I Spy”…I mean REALLY don’t like playing it. I will choose just about any other activity to avoid playing this game. I know I’m so mean.

My “Bucket List”…

Ok so I am not posting Part II of Supermarket Society because it’s not done, but I thought I would combat my writer’s block with a little written “sorbet” just to clear my mind.

I have seen several sights regarding all the things that people want to do before they are too old to do them 🙂  So although the idea is not orginal (especially since the recent movie the “Bucket List“) I am going to write out some of the things that I would like to do before the Lord returns. When I complete them, I will highlight them (some were on my list before and have been done, but I will leave them there to provide myself with a sense of accomplishment!)

The Bucket List – Things to Do in my Lifetime

1. Travel to Italy
2. Visit the Pyramids in Egypt
3. Finish writing my book
4. Have my book published
5. Learn how to salsa dance
6. Get an article published in a magazine 
7. Watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
8. Keep up with writing a Blog (sorta….)
9. Visit New York City with my Hubby
10. Learn how to use Sign Language
11. Travel to Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
12. Own our own home
13. Watch the sunset and then rise the following morning 
14. Swim with dolphins (Cuba ’09)
15. Learn to speak Italian (in time for #1)
16. Spend Christmas with my In-Laws in Chile
17. Meet someone famous and get autograph (Pete Sampras)
18. Attend a costume ball
19. Go on a foreign missions trip with the whole family
20. All inclusive Tropical Vacation with my hubby (Cuba ’09)
21. Read all the books in my house
22. Finish my scrapbook
23. Spend a whole day eating junk food
24. Learn to make scalloped potatoes like my Mom
25. Organize my boxes of photos
26. Fall deeply in love
27. Shower in a waterfall
28. Write my will
29. Have a deep jacuzzi tub
30. Sleep under the stars (with my son in ’08)
31. Take the kids to Disney World
32. Go up in a hot-air balloon
33. Make a ice skating rink in the back yard
34. Go on a cruise
35. See a celebrity in Toronto just on the street
36. Become debt free
37. Read the entire Bible
38. Fly first class
39. Have my picture in a newspaper (In Focus ’09)
40. Make it through a whole day without getting irritated with the kids
41. Get my diabetes under control regularly
42. Live abroad (Does South America count ’98?)
43. Lose weight and keep it off
44. See a Broadway play
45. Attend the Toronto International Film Festival
46. Host my Sister-In-Law for a visit
47. Start a business
48. See the Toronto Maple Leafs play
49. Go on ALL the rides at Wonderland
50. Support a sponsor child
51. Have my In-laws to Canada for a visit
52. Start and finish reading a novel in one sitting (like the good old days!)
53. Learn to “Let it go”
54. Make home made Funnel Cake

Of course this list is in no way comprehensive or in any particular order. Just some random things I’ve had on the back burner of my life. I will try to update it when I complete things. Feel free to share some of your unique ideas or comment on mine. Happy Living!

Memory Loss

I recently lost my Mother suddenly, and although I’m told the grief process is long and involved, comes in fits and starts and is unique to each person depending on the nature of their loss, the suppost system, circumstances etc…I am often surprised by the specific things that often shake me to the core.

I realize that aside from the obvious loss of someone I loved dearly, losing my Mother has actually meant losing a little bit of my childhood, there are things that only my Mother knows or can appreciate, certainly things that only she would remember. And pondering these things  often brings me intense sadness.  

No one else remembers every little detail of my childhood like my Mother. First tooth, first step, favourite pureed food, dates of all childhood illnesses, and which bad word I used (and which potty mouth taught it to me!)

No one can remember the name of every single schoolyard bully that picked on me. And exactly what she said to him and his mother to put a stop to it.

No one else in the whole world thinks that my children are as cute as I do, especially when they are naughty and cheeky, only my Mother would tell the world they were absolutely perfect.

No one else will ever want me to sit on their lap and brush my hair.

No one else will ever reminisce about stealing the “Board-Man’s” plank or remember why yelling “CASH!!!” is so funny.

No one else would collect every copy of my first published article she could get her hands on, and send one to everyone she knows, whether they cared or not.

No one else thinks to buy pyjamas and easter basket treats for my kids, b/c that’s what Nannie did.

No one else can remember the trips to Mexico and Cuba, because it was just the two of us.

No one else makes scalloped potatoes like her, no matter how many times I attempt it, they never come out that good.

No one else can pull off the giant white fake fur coat that looks like it was made from 50 pure white teddy bears.

No one else can appreciate how much my daughter loves the dog and can possibly be as pleased by that fact.

No one else can make a huge turkey dinner as perfectly and with all the elements hot and ready at the same time.

No one else knows that my children really DO get their rebellious streak from their father, b/c she KNOWS that I was NEVER like that!

No one else knows why my father was wearing a blue denim leaisure suit and bow tie to their wedding.

No one  else can remember what is depicted in the solid black painting I created in pre-school. A family? Flowers? Nuclear Fallout? Who knows?

No one else remembers how sorry I was the morning after I decided alcohol was a good idea, or remembers how hard it was to clean the carpet. No one else can confidently say, “Doesn’t your Mother know best?”

No one else wants to hear about every ache and pain I have, or bug me about why I went to the Doctor.

No one else will ever call me Gingersnap or say she “Loves me more than life itself”….no one else will love me like she did.