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.