Reinvention. 12-20-13

I had to take another sick day yesterday to take care of an ailing Boop. She had had peas for dinner the night before; so the bed looked like a scene from a Linda Blair movie. I’ve been washing my hands so much that they feel like scrub brushes.

Mom has always said that there are givers and takers. I don’t exactly believe that. I’m not sure that gives appropriate credit to the enablers. Well, I just try not to be a taker, but it’s very tempting sometimes. For me at work, the issue is more barriers and facilitators. So with the end of the year, and my various failures at work weighing heavy, I seek reinvention.

I have a couple of guy friends who are out on big adventures, P in Antarctica and J in India. P has the distinction of being the only guy to ever stand me up; I doubt he knows that. He did eventually show up, though. Anyway. I hope they find what they are looking for. A change of context helps, but I doubt I’ll need to freeze my rear off to accomplish change.

I hooked up my old Wii last week, which Boop likes. I hadn’t been on Wii Fit since before I had Boop, probably very early in my pregnancy. Fortunately, I’m about where I was then; I just need to try to get back to the weight I was about 6 months before I got pregnant. My teeth are straightening out. Superficial. I know I need bigger change. Hopefully change for the better. 

What's wrong with my camera? 12-27-13

It looks like Boop has done something to my camera.
Or as Boop would say, "I fick it! I fick it!" <translation: I fixed it! I fixed it!>

Water Table. 12-25-13

Christmas Day. 12-25-13

Merry Christmas!

Little Boop is still tucked safely in her bed. I don't think she knows what sugar plums are, but hopefully, she's having sweet dreams! 

I've had a heck of a run these last few weeks. Grants not funded, tenure further out of reach; Boop with a couple of stomach bugs in the last month; me with a stomach bug while visiting family, landing me in the ER; missed a family Christmas; will have a $1000 ER bill for going to the ER out of state and needing to meet my deductible; just found out my student's mother was put in Hospice; and wait, did I just get dumped by my Internet crush on Christmas Eve? So, we may be poor and destitute next Christmas, but for today, I'm going to drug up on Zofran--my old pregnancy buddy, enjoy being back to an easy size 4, and try to hold Boop's attention long enough to get through all of these packages! 

"There is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse." CHRIS HADFIELD, Canadian Astronaut

More. 12-22-13

Here are a few more that have come to my attention: Christmas Share and Christmas Star.

Had a great time with the family today. It's like putting on a nice warm sweater on a cold day. And cold winds have been blowing. They could care less about my work--never heard a word about it, only that I'm too far away :)

Taking Stock at Month 23. 12-18-13

Here’s what’s happening at 23 months:

• One more month and Boop will be 2 years old. It’s pretty amazing to think of. She’s a head full of curls with a definite mind of her own. We made a quick run to the grocery last night to pick up a few things. Of course, she was not content to sit in the cart, even the one made for little kids. She maneuvered her way out, and totally had the shopping thing down. Unfortunately, she didn’t always want to look at the things that I did. We went down the baking isle to get stuff for cookies. I turned around, and she had 3 different kinds of candy sprinkles and was putting them in the cart. Did she know they were for cookies? Probably just a fluke. I reassured her that we already had some at home. I had showed them to her a few days ago.
• Boop sings her ABC’s a lot. She fumbles a bit after G, but if you sing along, she picks back up at O and can just about knock out the rest. She has started to say her numbers and can count to ten, sometimes even “fweven” or “twove”, but she sometimes skips a number in the middle. You know, most kids do these things, but when you’re with one a lot and are just going along, it almost blind-sides you to see that intellectual leap. We’re still a ways from colors. She knows the words and repeats them, but she doesn’t have the concept.
• It cracks me up (and wow a few minutes reprieve!) to see her sit and read. She’ll look at one of her books, I’ll hear some mumbling, and then all of the sudden, a word I can understand. She sits in her little bath and talks to her rubber duckies, ‘no, no duckie,’ she admonishes them. It won’t be long before she’s more independent. A mixed blessing, I guess.
• She’s getting too heavy for me to carry everywhere, and she screams the minute I try to put her down. Her attachment anxiety is so strange, and it was hard for me to understand. She does fine when I get her to daycare, but boy, she does NOT want to get dressed in the morning. Then, she is not anxious to get home, does not want to get in the car seat for the 1.5 minute ride home. Once at home, she will not let me out of her site. The timing is so strange, but I think it is just separation anxiety.
• Winnie did NOT have a UTI, yes, she did NOT have a UTI at our last vet visit. Hurray! Unfortunately, she is going blind—probably already there, poor thing. She’s not a young pup; although she acts like it. Fortunately the constant picking (scratching, biting, licking) is most likely the result of allergies. Annoying, but not serious.

Even My Toys Were Rejected. 12-17-13

Tomorrow, Boop will be 23 months old. I guess I should feel some accomplishment in that, handful that she is. It won’t be any easier with the turmoil of the holidays. I have that chaos to look forward to, but I need to focus on positive things.

Today has been such a downer. I woke up and was reminded by FB that it is my cousin’s birthday. That’s good. Then, I remember that my dad would have been 64. I don’t let myself think about it. I got to work, sent a proposal for a class I’m teaching next year, but then found out that I need to re-do. Next, I found out that neither of my grants will be funded. Just typing it is painful. Such great news right before the holidays, groan. And yesterday, I submitted another smaller one, which I know has no chance. It was down to the wire, and one of the folks didn’t come through. It’s sunk, too. And over the last 3 weeks or so, I’ve gotten 3 manuscripts with revisions needed; some I don’t know if I can manage. One of the manuscripts is on its FOURTH revision. Honestly, just publish it already. We had about 5 people working on the last revision, and I just don’t understand it.

Okay, and so here is the crown jewel. I took some of Boop’s old toys to the firehouse to give to the less fortunate, and they wouldn’t take them. Apparently, this firehouse does not take toy donations. So, it wasn’t exactly as if they were rejecting the toys, but it could have so thrown me over the edge. Very awkward. They at least suggested some other places that might be interested. I want this stuff out of my way. Coming home to my toy-packed house is even more overwhelming. Every time I think about moving, I look at all of this stuff, and it seems insurmountable.

And so tonight, I’m meeting some friends, with little Boop in tow, to have a bit of dinner and hopefully a glass of wine. Then, tomorrow, I get to try to regroup and then be apologetic to those who were optimistic, to those who had also put some effort into this. Maybe I’ll devote a little more time than usual to finding a new career.   

Telephone Call. 12-10-13

"MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA!"
"I'm sorry, Dr. H.<physician who I have never met before, from whom I'm asking a favor>."
"MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA!"
"Boop, you ate all the banana. You cannot have anymore. Would you like a cracker?"
"MY CRACKER! MY CRACKER! MY CRACKER!" She takes the cracker and puts it back down. I try to resume my conversation.
"MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA!"
Grr! Boop is home with pink eye today, and I'm trying to work on a grant. Fortunately, Dr. H. also has a toddler.
I hung up the phone, turned to Boop and began shouting at her, "MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA! MY BANANA!" Boop clearly thought that was fan-tast-ic and started cracking up. Lordamercy.

Christmas Vomited. 12-8-13

What do these all have in common?

Christmas Spirit, Christmas Shoe, Christmas Dance, Christmas Ornament, Christmas Gift, Christmas Song, Christmas Wish, Christmas Choir, Christmas Heart, Christmas Cottage

There’s probably some way to write the answer upside-down at the bottom of the page, but I can’t be bothered. The answer is probably obvious to many of you. Hallmark Channel’s December programming. The Christmas Carol? Not on their programming, that I’ve heard <oops, they do play the 2004 version>. Too obvious, and clearly not to the caliber of, say, the Christmas Shoe. In my mind, I was wondering how a channel with such over-the-top programming managed to air a movie about John Wayne Gacy. But then I remembered that was the last movie I ever watched on Lifetime, EVER! Somewhere I missed the memo about who John Wayne Gacy was. And so I was expecting some inoffensive chick flick on Lifetime, kept waiting for it get better, and waiting, and watching. It didn’t get any better. Two words: crawl space. Not Christmas Space; definitely not Hallmark programming.

And so it is this morning. Christmas was in full swing until my Christmas Tree holder sprung a leak somewhere. This I noticed after the tree was nearly decorated. I have no idea where the leak is from, but I guess I’ll try to get out and get a pan tomorrow as the roads are too snowy today. And then I had to contend with Boop putting on ornaments—which was good—until she remembered how to take them off. I also had fun cleaning up when Boop got sick again. So, I didn’t get much accomplished. Today's title? Christmas Vomited. Also not Hallmark programming.

Strange and Vomit. 12-7-13

Trying to backtrack through my emails to find a membership number, I came across an email. Strange. Some guy I met online before I was pregnant. Not exactly sure why I quit writing him. Okay, so that’s not the strange part. So, I got this friend request on Facebook several years ago, still hanging in limbo. And I’m thinking, “Who is this guy?” I thought it was some sort of advertisement, or something, because the person in the FB photo was holding a cardboard sign that said, “Your ad here.” Now that my email has changed to Outlook, the email showed the same photo as the FB one. The strange part: They had different names. 

This is only a passing blip in the midst of my crazy life. Boop got sick the night before last. Bless her heart, we were up most of the night. I tried to aim her and keep her from getting choked, but she’s her own little person, determined to do it her way. That translates into vomit everywhere. It’s a special kind of love when your daughter spews bile and curdled milk all over you and the bed. Then, she rolls around in it just to be sure she does the deed to its fullest effect. We both had a couple of showers, changed beds twice and the sheets 3 times, and then the last time, I just covered it with a blanket and lived with it, even when she got pee in the bed. Too exhausted. She seemed to feel great the next morning, of course, and my rump was draggin’. 

You'll Poke Your Eye Out. 12-6-13

I can't really see what I'm typing. I just wait for those red squiggles to pop up to give me a hint that I haven't typed something properly. I was so focused on getting everything in order for my 8am eye appointment that I didn't even think about the procedure. I really hate getting my eyes tested, and I had been putting it off. This is the time of life when things start going bad, and with all of the other health issues I've got, I figured it was time for my vision. I've had a lot of blurring; so I figured they would tell me I need glasses.

I do not like things to touch my eyes, and as the tech starting getting all of her little tools together for the eye pressure test, I explained that I would rather have a pap smear than have a glaucoma screen. Seriously. I flinch at even the thought of something going in my eye. And so, as the resident was doing his exam, he hopped up to get something. Behind the door in the hall, I could hear him talking about a sterile q-tip, which gave me pause. He rushed back in and started at me. Er no, Slim, no q-tips to my eye. He explained that he wanted to get an eyelash out of my eye. I asked him if he absolutely had to do it, and with that he tossed it, to my relief.


20/20 vision. No arthritis. Everything fine. If I wanted something for reading, I could pick up some cheap-o reading glasses, but not really needed. He said that I had some blocked tear ducts and had a few suggestions for that. One of them: eye drops. Urgh. So now I just wait for my dilated eyes to return to normal.

Comes to Mind. 11-24-13

Why am I thinking of this right now?

Watch for it-- Watch for it-- 2:38

Taking Stock at Month 22. 11-18-13

Here’s what’s happening at 22 months old:

• Boop’s favorite words are “No Way, Go Away!” Usually, this happens as I try to put a diaper on her, or any sort of clothes, really. We’ve been trying to potty train. She loves the potty, but she hasn’t made the connection. She knows she needs to wipe with toilet paper, flush the commode, and wash her hands, but she hasn’t gotten the idea of doing the deed, yet.  I thought I had it, yesterday. She hadn’t gone to the bathroom for a really long time, and I was pumping her with fluids. She proceeded to get off the toilet, and I asked her if she wanted a diaper. She said, “Diaper.” After I put one on her, she immediately went. And so, there you go!
• Boop really hasn’t gotten into her baby dolls that much. I guess she has a Winnie; so dolls are not as important. Lately, I’ve been noticing her throwing her blankets at Winnie, and this weekend, she finally figured out how to tuck Winnie into her blanket. Cute, yes. But Sunday morning, she had managed to find a tube of sunscreen. She had apparently decided that Winnie needed some lotion and was dabbing it on her. Winnie was unphased, thank goodness. 
• Winnie and her UTIs. She got this last one while on antibiotics; though I admit I missed some doses. She’s eating this prescription food, which she doesn’t like and which doesn’t help. I think the cranberry supplements must be doing the most good. Such a shame. Bless her heart, she’s also going blind.
• Hopefully, my Invisalign will be finished on my bottom teeth before Christmas, still many months on the top ones. I’m finally making some progress at work. Maybe I’ll wrap up some projects by the end of the year. At my last visit to the MD, I found that I had gained 9 lbs since the summer! Not exactly sure how that happened. Thankfully, in the last 2 weeks, I’ve lost about 4 lbs.  

Push and Pull. 11-15-13

photo by SF

Boop and I at the park before Halloween

The Poppy. 11-12-13

This is the way Boop is using the 'poppy'...

Did I mention that she's into Ev*ry* thing?!?

Mr. Right? 11-11-13

Dating is a bit of a minefield. I didn't mean to sound like Pat Benatar.  There is a little social network group of local single moms I keep up with. Their demographics are a bit different than me, as most are in their 20's, not settled into their career, and have an unfortunate history with their baby daddy. These ladies and their dating fiascoes. I've been there, but fortunately, I was never really dependent on having a man around. I wouldn't mind dating again (my interest has been piqued: admitted), but I don't want Boop to be harmed by a bad relationship. 

I've learned to do many things by myself, and I hope to do that for Boop. In fact, the person doing developmental testing last weekend asked me if she could see Boop climb down stairs. I put Boop at the top of our flight of stairs, and she began making her way down by herself. The evaluator was a bit confused, "Well, we only needed her to climb down 2 or 3."  


A little bird this morning was warning me to be careful: not sure where that came from? I had always told myself that I could have Boop and re-evaluate the dating situation and more possible children later. Fortunately, I don't have to make any of these decisions right this minute; no one wants to date me! I guess I should make some trite reference to my ticking biological clock, though. If I am able to meet the right person, great! But I always think of that episode with Dr. Phil, "Someone would have to throw themselves on the hood of your car to even be on your radar!" That about sums it up. I'm not the most observant person, nor do I put myself out there much. Maybe I'll meet him eventually.

Taken by SF

Care. 11-8-13

I've kind of gelled with a few doctors that I'm comfortable with. My family medicine doctor and my rheumatologist are pretty good. My dermatologist is fine, too. I haven't seen a cardiologist since I've been here. I really don't have the time or energy to deal with them all. It's enough to try to keep Boop and Winnie well. 

I like the vets that Winnie has now. It's a clinic; so there are a number of vets there that we have seen. I'd say that I liked about 5 out of the 6 we've had there. Even with the one that I wasn't crazy about, I still felt like I was getting good care. She's on longer-term antibiotics, and she seems to be doing well. We still don't know what is causing the UTI's, but we seem to have found something that makes her feel better. <EDIT 11-8-13: Another UTI, urgh!!>


With Boop I'm still struggling a bit. Bless her heart, I rarely feel like we have any solid answers for anything. As I wrote before, I was the one that suggested the UTI. Now we are struggling with some skin condition. I'm debating about trying a new doctor, but darn it, they just can't be available every hour and every minute I fret over every little hiccup. I would feel better if we had a solid generalist who was good at diagnostics. I've had a couple of really good rheumatologist who have been able to zero on in a few problems I've had, and I've felt much better as a result. Wish I could get Boop on the right track.

Boop at the university demonstration farm a few weeks ago

Jeepers, Creepers. 11-5-13

My helper is coming over this afternoon. She emailed to say that she only had an hour tonight as she had forgotten she had Bible study. I’m hoping that we’ll get the peeping nil planted because I don’t think it could stand another night out in the cold just sitting on my doorstep. I would bring it in the house, but I think that would only confuse it more.  I think I’ll plant it in my front yard a ways from the house so it won’t wreck my foundation like the silver maple was trying to. 

It will no doubt be some work in a short amount of time. I’ll have to run home, change into my dad's old sweats, get Boop some dinner, and then it will be a fight to find a root-free spot to plant it. There’s also some sort of creepers, and I don’t know if those two should be planted close together. Mom keeps telling me that I should put them in a pot, but I don’t think some pot is a good long-term strategy. Meanwhile, Boop and I are fighting a cold, and I just hope that I don’t wind up with a sinus infection.

Breyer's Chocolate Ice Cream

2, 3, 4, Tell the People What She Wore. 11-3-13

I’m a bit drained after a day work trip away, while her grandma had a little one-on-one time with Boop. Bless her heart, Mom tried to save munchkin from herself, but there was a bit of collateral damage that I was trying to set aright upon my return. A friend also needed some information for some research he was doing, and I’m trying to pull that together <ahem>. Mom’s departure today reminded me a bit of the 1^st time she had to take Winnie to the groomer. Let’s just say it was fraught with anxiety and tears. The groomer finally just had to tell my mom to leave. And so it was today. After her 10^th vacillation back and forth between the den and the door, and Boop getting increasingly upset, I convinced her that she just needed to go. Boop had already quit crying by the time Mom made it to her car.

And so I’m trying to prepare myself for the coming week, many dealings with people (students) who want feedback, like my friend's research. Sometimes people say things that I don't expect. One reaction is to want to tell them what's wrong with what they are saying. My second reaction is confusion: how did they reach their conclusion? Did they really think this through? My third reaction is to search my own experience and admit that I’ve probably done this, too, and probably still do. Maybe they get this better than me. And my fourth reaction is to wonder if they are putting in enough effort (and creating more challenges for me)? I can only try to keep plugging away. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to hold on to a little bit of sanity and keep a roof over our head. Boop seems to be doing okay, so far, and she does get to spend a little time with family. It’s hard to be away, though.

These are some photos of Boop's Last Swim of the Summer a few weeks ago.

The water was COLD, but Boop loved it. 

I had tried to heat the water with pots from the stove to no avail.

"So we have to say good-bye to the summer!"

Parade. 11-5-13

I finally figured out how to get the photos off the phone.

She just saw me.

TrickorTreat. 11-3-13

Our candy bowl is full. We have done Halloween. First, we went to a local dormitory in the Lady Bug costume. That was a pretty good haul. Next was Malloween. Meh. A lot of just standing around and waiting. Then, we went around the block with a friend. My neighbors give good candy—except for the people next door, the not-so-pleasant ones, who give none. We had a nearly full basket just from that trip. 

Plus, I bought candy for the trick or treaters coming to my house, but most came during the brief time while we were out. It was dark and rainy, meaning less trick or treaters than usual and more candy left. As if that wasn’t enough, we went to the trunk or treat when Mom came in, which was huge. We got cold and tired about half way through, but still got a lot of candy.

Not a happy camper. The best snap I could get.

Boop is all about her punk-on (her plastic pumpkin candy holder), and hearing the word “candy” really gets her moving. At 21 months, the recommendations still stand at no peanuts; so that eliminates some candy. Plus, there is the fear of her choking on other candy. So, she’s a bit limited on the candy she can eat—we’ve discovered her love of Twix and Kit-Kats. Mom took the remaining chocolate, especially the Snickers. I took the chewy, chokeable, non-lactose candy that I liked (one pack of Dots left). The rest, we will share, most likely with the students.  

Fall Is In the Air. 11-3-13.

“There’s a change coming in with the Autumn air. The crisp wind makes me quite aware.” I don’t know why that came to mind. Seems like that was a poem I wrote in elementary or middle school. There was more, but you will be glad I’ve forgotten. At least it rhymes. We did a few things in the spirit of Halloween, but that weren’t officially Halloween events. 

Daycare had a parade. The little ones in each of the classes dressed alike. There were a lot of crayons. The little ones in Boop’s class were explorers in paper bag vests and paper towel roll binoculars. I was happy that the food this time was specifically for the kids. Just wish I had known ahead of time. Forgot my camera and tried to take a few with my geriatric cell phone. Still can't figure out how to download those onto my computer.

Then, we went to S’s farm last weekend, which was a nice day. I’ve already posted a photo of Boop on H’s slide. It was good to see them again. It seems like every other time we’ve tried to see them, Boop has been sick.

Taking Stock at Boops Month 21. 11-3-13

Here’s what happened when Boop turned 21 months a few weeks ago:

The girl loves her sweet tea. This led to one very long night. Caffeine is OUT!

A pumpkin from my cousin's farm

• ·         Boop loves to sing and dance. She looks a bit like she’s doing the merengue when she’s dancing around. One of the daycare workers said that Boop would be happy to have the music playing all day so she could dance. We are able to recognize more and more of her songs. She’s started to sing the ABC’s. She would watch the ‘Wiggus’ (Wiggles) all the time if she could. She also will say 'kaykoo' (thank you) pretty regularly.

• ·         Winnie has been on antibiotics, and she looks like she’s feeling so much better. She still scratches and picks a lot. In the back of my mind, I worry about her kidneys, but she seems to be feeling pretty good. Her eyesight is definitely getting worse.

• ·         My Invisalign leaves me in a fair bit of pain. I have about 2 more months for my bottom teeth. The top teeth are another story.

• ·         I seem to be picking up a lot of the ailments that Boop has been getting. This month has kept me busy with trying to get Boop well. I was out for a week with her high fevers. No UTI, thank goodness. She had her 1^st febrile seizure, which didn’t freak me out too much, I guess. I used to have them as a baby; so I knew exactly what was happening with Boop. I was relieved that the ER folks didn’t feel any neurological work-up was needed. Thank goodness my friend G was there to sit was there for a while.

You've Got a Fast Slide. 10-27-13

Boop was trying out her friend's (from Baby Yoga) slide. 

The only thing that got her to stop was the tractor coming around for the hayride.

Summer, Revisted. 10-25-13

Boop is so used to seeing butterflies on our buddleia, 

that she calls butterflies "fowfers" (flowers). 

I'm not if she knows the difference or has confused one for the other.

These were done by SF.

Another Beau. 10-22-13

I took this photo of Boop in the park while at the family reunion.

She met a little boy at the playground. It doesn't take her long.

Cute now, but when she's a teenager, I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk!

Happy 4th of July--a little late.

Stinker #1 and Stinker #2 at Grandma's:
All dressed up with nowhere to go.

Up and Down the Stairs. 10-20-13

 She loves to play on the steps...

I've Found a Hiding Place, Part II. 10-3-13

Once at work, I talked to my friend, G. She offered her car to me if I wanted to run home at lunch. I called my mom who had left to go back home on Sunday morning. "Did you happen to find my keys in your stuff?" I asked. When she said, 'no.' I was a little relieved and a little disappointed: relieved that I didn't have to try to get my keys from 7 hrs away, disappointed that I still didn't know where they were. She gave me a few ideas. "Did you look inside of each of your shoes? Are you sure you didn't leave them in x, y, z? I bet they just fell somewhere." So I borrowed G's car to look through the places Mom and I had reviewed. After exhausting those, I was more worried that Boop had stuck them in one of Mom's bags, which Mom dismissed as not possible. 

The more I looked, the more exasperated and desperate I got. I started working at Boop's level, started crawling around a bit. I pulled out furniture--where I found our pool pass and a few credit cards I had been missing--after I had already gotten a replacement, of course. After giving the living room and den a good look, I ran upstairs, then back downstairs. On to the laundry room and the kitchen. The kitchen. And Boop's little kitchen. I went through her toy bins, pulling out the shelves of her little kitchen, opening the door to the cab... inet. The little cabinet. And there they lay. The long blue ribbon loop and the clump of janitor's keys. Boop no doubt put them there for safe keeping. I couldn't help but smile a shake my head, an expression I saw my dad make a little too often as I was growing up. And all of those hours I wondered if Boop would have some awful genetic disease where she wouldn't be aware of the world around her. And then she has the where-with-all to know that my keys are important and should be kept in a special place. Soon, she'll get much more enjoyment of giving her mother so much grief! 

I've Found a Hiding Place. 10-1-13

A special hiding place. Anyway. I'm trying to get caught up. Always trying to get caught up.

I got up last Monday, got Boop and I ready and started out the door. Reached up to grab my keys off the etagere. Reached up to grab my keys off the etagere. Reached up, felt around. Wait. Looked at the etagere. Moved stuff around on the etagere. Where are my keys? Walked over to my shoe bin. Looked around. Felt around. Hm. Looked at the fireplace. Squatted down. Walked through the passageway. Surveyed the kitchen. Paced back and forth. Hm. Went to my sort pile of recycling and shredding. Lifted papers, flopped them down. Gave them a good frisking. Looked at Boop, "Honey, where are my keys?" "Keys! Keys!" she responded. She walked in circles like her mommy. I gave up on my memory long ago and try, try, try to keep my keys in the same place. I even put them on a long ribbon necklace; so I wouldn't be tempted to drop them just anywhere.

I called daycare. "We're going to be a few minutes late; can you save some breakfast for Boop? I've lost my keys." So, I grabbed a week's worth of stuff for daycare, slung it over one shoulder, and threw 30+ lbs. of Boop on my hip. I guess I was sort of balanced. Then, we walked down the street and over the hill to daycare. I got Boop sorted, and then I walked back to the house. Winnie was very interested in my pacing, and it was much safer to follow me around with Boop out of the house. I moved the etagere. I moved the shoe bins. I frisked lots of papers. I checked Boop's basket of books. Hm. I'm going to have to walk to work; so I started out. 

Summer's Gone (and 75 Cents). 9-26-13

Where did summer go? In spite of getting a pool pass for the summer, we only used it 5-6 times for about a half hour each. We just about broke even. I figure it was some combination of crazy grant deadlines and bad weather (too hot, too cold, too rainy--any excuse I could use for venturing out of the house at that moment) that kept us away. And then, all of the sudden, the local schools opened in mid-August and the pool was drained. It was a bit of a shock to drive by one morning on my way to daycare and see the pool empty. 'Well, I guess we definitely won't go to the pool this weekend,' I thought. Bummer. I just found our pool pass... more on that later.

So, I felt a little redeemed when I found a blow-up pool at Homegoods. 'Ah, we can get in one last time in the pool.' This as the temp was in the mid-60's. 'We WILL have one last hurrah, even if I have to boil water!' Last Friday, it was supposed to be warm, almost 80. Mom had my air pump and came in for a visit on Friday, but I didn't catch her in time to tell her to bring it. So, I devised a plan to take the pool over to the local gas station and pay 75 cents to blow up the thing at the tire air machine. I was feeling pretty clever--I love to beat the system, but you know, it didn't work. 

It's supposed to be warm tomorrow, but I'm not feeling like I have enough hot air (I'll refrain from some bad pun this time). The store didn't have the kind of air pump I wanted; so I'm feeling much less confident. And so it goes with getting older. Time is gone before you know it. 1 day becomes 20 months; 30 years becomes 40. The unfortunate limitations you've noticed in others become less and less amusing and more and more real. And so it is with summers and birthdays. Hope you had a good one. 

If this guy does nothing else in his life... 9-19-13

he got it right this time.

http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/09/15/dear-parents-you-need-to-control-your-kids-sincerely-non-parents/

Harvest Moon? 9-19-13

I got a little more sleep last night. Of course, Tuesday night was no fun. That was the night before I had to teach. Winnie was up a lot: pacing, pacing. My friend stayed over that night (her boyfriend lives out of town, and she stays here when she can’t manage the trip back and forth).  We were already in bed; so Winnie had to announce her arrival. The diaper fairy also visited early that morning to bring clean diapers. And then my friend had to leave early for a trip. So, Winnie was making sure Boop and I knew everyone who was coming near the house—in or out. Then, she added on a few extra up-and-abouts to make sure I got no rest. Turns out, my friend at work said it was the full moon. Her dog goes a little nutty then, too. She took something herbal to help her sleep. Yep, I’m still nursing; so not an option for me.  

So, I guess I had always heard about things being nutty around the time of the full moon. For a while in school, I worked at a nursing home associated with an inner-city ER in Indy. Oh boy, could you tell when there was a full moon! However, a friend from China says this moon is a time for celebration. Perhaps this is Harvest Moon. She brought in some moon cakes for the holiday, and she brought in a special one for Boop. Boop had to sit her high seat because she did NOT want to share with Winnie.

Taking Stock at Month 20. 9-17-13‏

Here's what's happening with Boop at 20 months old:

Doesn't quite fit into these yet...

• This morning she informed me, "Boop Winnie's Dog." I quickly followed up with "Winnie is Boop's dog;" however there is probably more truth to the former. Winnie still doesn't put up with much from Boop, and Winnie has Boop trained pretty well when it comes to dinner time. Boop is starting to catch on though. When it's something that Boop likes to eat, she tells Winnie in no uncertain terms, "NO," and "Go AWAY!"
• It's a case of 'be careful what you wish for.' Boop isn't saying "NO" to everything these days. It's turned into an emphatic, "NO WAY!!" and is accompanied by a swinging arm to get rid of the offense. Trying to get her dressed in the morning is challenging. She doesn't want to wear clothes. It's pretty inconvenient as the cold weather is moving in. I get the swinging arms a lot. And she's pretty forceful when she throws her little body around.
• When am I going to get time to take Winnie to the vet? She had another accident yesterday after a while of no messes in the house. I'm just starting to get caught up after a week of some flu-like virus, and now I need to get Winnie sorted. I wish I were back to 100% to manage it, but I still have this funky cough that picks up whenever I have a little activity.
• The decks still aren't finished. I was hoping that I could get the back deck finished; so that we could set up Boop's inflatable pool. Now that the main area is finished, the temperature has taken a wee nose-dive, not getting above 70. Friday looked like it might hit 80, but now that has been revised downward. 

Come Out, Winnie! 9-15-13

Ailin'. 9-10-13

I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick. I will not watch home improvement shows while I am sick.

Budding Artist. 9-3-13‏

Groan. Painting the decks has been a big job for me, especially trying to manage Boop at the same time. I had helpers come to work the weekend before last, but they didn't get things finished as quickly as I had hoped. Part of the challenge is painting the railing and spindles in white and the base in gray, requiring a lot of cutting in. Another challenge is that people don't take me as seriously as they probably should. Sometimes I know what I'm talking about ;)
I've been trying to do a little this past week as time permitted. Of course, I've had my trusty sidekick along as I worked on the railing. She was determined to help. Have a look at some of her artistry. 

It was supposed to rain last weekend, and when I realized the weather would be fine for painting, I couldn't reach my helpers. So, Mom watched Boop as I painted. I got a fair bit accomplished--one deck is almost finished. I'm hoping that the guys will be able to come by one night this week to help me finish up. The boards are in such bad shape, that if I don't get it finished soon, I may not have a deck to bother about. 

No Lie. 8-27-13

I said she was a big girl, and that's no lie. We had our 18 month appointment, even though she is 19 months. I stripped her down, put her on the scale and got all of her measurements. The pediatrician came in. "What's the verdict;" I asked, "Is she a big girl?" Yes, she replied. Then, I asked for the details, "Is she staying on her curve, at about the 85th/90th percentile?" She looked at her paper, "Well, for length, she's at about the 85th %ile." "And weight?" She laughed, "For weight... she's above the 99th." 

This morning, when her medical records update came to me, I entered her details into the WHO charts, and her head circumference is above the 90th. These are all measurements for a 19 month old; so yes, these are all accurate (I was kinda hoping that there had been a bit of a mistake with charting her as an 18 month old with those measurements). If there's a place I want her to be a little larger, it's in the cranium. If her head is a little smaller, my genetics training tells me that spells trouble. Of course, having a really large head is not great, either, but she's just a tad bit bigger there, proportional.

I was going back through her records, and she's only gained a pound in 2 months, which means she's really slowing down. In fact, she's stayed the same weight since the beginning of the month. I feel a little strange, if not hypocritical, mentioning her weight. Boop is not that heavy.

Taking Stock at Month 19. 8-18-13

Big things have been happening with Boop since my last update:

Look on the floor!
Boop's favorite thing is to find my dental floss and pull*it*all*out.

• Boop is apparently bilingual. We’ve been working with her on her “Pays” (Please) and “Tays” (Thank you).  She says it spontaneously and in the right context. So, we’re getting through on that count. Well, she was watching Dora, and she heard the word Gracias, which she says as “Grath.” Well, she knows a greater proportion of Spanish words than most folks!
• I was informed a few weeks ago that Boop has a boyfriend. She’s doing better than me. Another daycare teacher was telling me this as I picked Boop up one afternoon. He said that they were watching Boop and a little boy in his class as they held hands for about 10 minutes. They couldn’t believe it. So, it sounds like I’m already in trouble! The things she comes up with.
• Winnie has been taking a supplement to prevent UTI’s, with mixed success. I believe she has another one; so I need to make another trip to the vet.
• I started Invisalign. I’m trying to remember if braces hurt this bad. Maybe I’m just becoming a wimp in my old age. I’ve been resisting Ibuprofen. Boop must be teething, too. She is nursing all night long.
• And on the topic of nursing, folks have told me that there is a time as a toddler (usually around 16 months) that they lose interest nursing and that’s a good time to wean. I definitely have not seen this in Boop, and I’m afraid that window has come and gone.

Mental Glitch. 8-22-13

Wow, am I having trouble. I can't figure out how old my daughter is. I just called the pediatrician telling them I'm late for Boop's 18 month appointment and shots. But is that right? Did I celebrate her 18 month birthday in the wrong month?
 
The person that answered the telephone at the pediatrician's office kept asking me over and over about scheduling her 18 month well-child visit, counting months, and I was beginning to doubt myself. She was 12 months in January. Add 6 months to each, and you get 18 months in July. That's right. And she just turned 19 months. I was going back through my blogs trying to convince myself that I wasn't a complete dimwit! Thankfully, I have at least convinced myself that I wasn't a complete dimwit where my daughter's birthday is concerned. 


I'm wondering where Miss Boop will be this time. I'm guessing around the 85th%ile. If she continues at this rate, your average New Zealand ball player will have to stand on someone's shoulders to keep up with her. She has all the feistiness to take them all on! I guess summer vacation is over.

Mommy's little helper. This is looking good to me. She's getting there!