Kiesa's Mutterings

Downs

• Calvin had a very restless night last night. This wouldn't have been nearly as bad if I hadn't gone to bed at 12:30am.

Ups

• Yesterday, I decided I needed a break from Cast in Chaos so I picked up Ruthless by Anne Stuart. I wasn't really expecting to like it. The only reason I even knew about it was it was mentioned several times on RRA-L, one of my favorite places to find good romance books. Anyway, I didn't think I'd like it because the Publishers Weekly review said in part, "Stuart's writing is crisp and quick, and her characters are finely and memorably drawn, but Rohan's often violent and predatory treatment of Elinor goes well beyond what most readers will find acceptable in an ostensible hero . . ." I will admit that Stuart skirted a very fine line but somehow she pulled it off for me. Reading this book felt like consuming a whole box of chocolate at once. I knew I should stop but I couldn't.


• In a similar vein, I just finished listening to Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Cruise. I didn't think I'd like it as I had started trying to read the book a while back and given up. However, excluding Agnes and the Hitman, I often like listening to Cruise better than reading her. This surprises me a little as usually I don't like listening to romances and prefer to read them.


• Because I was only 1/2 hr away from the end of Welcome to Temptation, I went ahead and did ab exercises so I could do something useful while listening.

Calvin Moment

• Jaeger gave Calvin his bath tonight and then brought him downstairs. I was in the kitchen making supper for tomorrow night and Calvin rushed over to me and begged me to pick him up. I did so and he sat there in my arms chirping happily while playing with my headphone cord. He can make the cutest little noises when he gets his way . . .

Simplification

• I emptied the shredder and shredded yet more paper. Does it ever stop?

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with berries and soy milk


• Lunch - Toasted Cheese Sandwich and 4 chocolate pieces


• Supper - Thai Stir-Fry with Brown Rice and a Kiwi


• Evening treat - 2 Chocolate Pieces

Just got back from our anniversary trip. It was a good break.

Friday
Jaeger's mom arrived Thursday night to take care of Calvin while we were gone. Friday, we hung around in the morning so Calvin could get use to Nana again. We left around 11 and drove to Boulder to look for 2-person board games. We ended up getting Ingenious. We decided to grab lunch before heading up to the Breckenridge area. We originally intended to eat at Noodles but got sidetracked by Modmarket. It was good food and I was impressed by the calorie counts on the menu.

We headed out of Boulder and made it to the Galena Street Mountain Inn Bed & Breakfast in Frisco right around 3. We checked in and went to our room which was nice and tastefully decorated. After relaxing for a bit we headed out and walked down the main street in Frisco. Naturally, we had to pop in to the local book store and got seduced into buying a copy of Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids.

For supper, we went to the Dillon Dam Brewery. In general, I'm dubious about "American" food but Jaeger seems to like it. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I got the Naked Pasta which was really good. Since it was our anniversary trip, I also convinced Jaeger to split an ice-cream topped brownie with me. It was HUGE but very good also.

After supper, we went back to the inn and played one round of Ingenious. It's an amusing game. Not quite as captivating as Catan or some of the other multi-player games but for a two person game I think it's pretty good.

Saturday
I woke up too early Saturday morning. I think I've become too use to getting up with Calvin. Also, we had a king sized bed which always seems too big to me. It's hard to snuggle up against Jaeger and still be able to stick my feet out of the covers at the same time with a bed this big. The good thing about waking up early is we had plenty of time to get down for breakfast. The breakfast options included granola, fruit, French Toast, and bacon. We passed on the bacon but the French Toast came with real whipped cream and was delicious. Thus fortified, we headed off to hike up to Mohawk lake.

The Mohawk Lake hike was good and just about right for my fitness level. It was a little wimpy for Jaeger but he seemed to survive anyway. I especially liked the beginning of the trail that started in forest. I'm not as fond of the rocks and bare landscapes that appear after tree line, from both an aesthetic and hiking perspective. We got up to Mohawk Lake and Jaeger wanted to explore the ridgeline. I headed back down to the lower Mohawk lake and waited for him while listening to Welcome to Temptation.

After we arrived back at the car we headed into Breckenridge to eat lunch. Lunch was good but I was especially impressed by the German Chocolate Cake Hot Chocolate. It was a little warm for hot chocolate but I had to order it anyway because it's so rare to see something other than just boring hot chocolate on the menu. It was quite tasty and I didn't regret my choice. We spent the remainder of the day wandering around Breckenridge. For supper, we at at Shangri-la. The food was very good but unfortunately they were short staffed that evening which resulted in very slow service. This caused some altercations with other restaurant patrons but we weren't starving, didn't have children, and had plenty of time so still managed to enjoy ourselves.

We went back to the hotel and played two more games of Ingenious, so far I've managed to lose every round, before heading to bed.

Sunday
Today, I still woke up pretty early. Jaeger was still sleeping and it was too dark to read in the room so I just listened to my audio book some more until he woke up. We ended up being too late for breakfast so grabbed donuts from Daylight Donuts in Breckenridge. After breakfast, we took the free gondola ride up to the Peak 8 base area and wandered around. During the summer area they reconfigure everything to offer activities aimed at families. Once Calvin gets a little older we'll have to take him up there, I think there's a lot of stuff he would have fun doing. We took the gondola back down and decided to take a tour of a mine. It was pretty interesting and we learned several interesting tidbits about mining in Breckenridge. For instance, the mine we toured used rats instead of canaries to warn of impending cave-ins or oxygen problems.

After our tour finished we ate lunch and then just relaxed for a bit. I read Caste in Chaos. It's the 6th book in the series. I really like the series but this one isn't inspiring me as much as the others. However, it's still a good read. After reading for a while, we decided we were done with Breckenridge and were ready to start heading back home. However, Jaeger wanted to see Boreas Pass so we took a slight detour on the way home.

By the time we were nearing Denver, it was 5:30. If we had continued home, we would have gotten there right before Calvin should go to bed. I was worried that seeing us would make it harder for him to go to bed on time so we decided to go eat supper in Boulder. We ate at Black Pepper Pho because we thought it was time to start eating a little healthier. I really enjoyed all the eating during our trip but I'm afraid I'll be paying for it later. We headed back home and arrived just as Calvin was going to sleep. Jaeger's mom reported that Calvin was in a good mood all weekend which is always good to hear. Whenever I leave him, I always have this slight fear that he'll spend the entire time crying, even though I know he won't.

It was really nice to get away for the weekend. I was giddy with the feeling of freedom for the first day. However, now I'm ready to see Calvin again.

Downs

• Calvin had a restless night last night. Jaeger's magic has also worn off and Calvin now screams whenever either of us try to put him to bed. Our current theory is we might be trying to put Calvin to bed too late. His bedtime has gradually snuck up to 8. Tomorrow we're going to try 7:30 and see how that works out.

Ups

• I did both weights and abs today.


• I got a Tdap vaccination today. This year pertussis, whooping cough, is especially bad. In California it's officially at epidemic levels. I subscribe to the Boulder County Public Health Twitter feed and saw that they were offering free vaccination for caregivers of children under 2. I assume this is because they are trying to boost the herd immunity of the community since the DTaP doesn't have the best effectiveness rate for the pertussis component. Up till this point, it hadn't occurred to me that I should get vaccinated. However, I obligingly called BCPH to get an appointment. I showed up today and the nurse exhibited surprise that I hadn't received the vaccination postpartum in the hospital. I racked my brains but I couldn't remember signing any such consent form so I assume I must not have. I had lots of needles sticking into me but I don't remember anything at all described as a vaccination. (Upon asking Jaeger, he doesn't remember me getting anything either.) She shrugged and gave me the shot and then asked where I had heard about their program. I replied I had seen it via twitter and she stared at me for a moment in what appeared to be shock and then delight. I wonder if they thought they were just tweeting into a black hole.

Calvin Moment

• Today as I was in the kitchen finishing supper Calvin found a kitchen dish rag on the floor and was playing with it. I looked down and suggested that he should wipe the floor with it. He looked at me for a moment and then did. I'm increasingly impressed with how much of what I say he understands. It's exciting for us to finally be able to convey ideas to each other. However, I think he still understands me better than I understand him.


• We may be making some slight success with potty training. Today Calvin was on the porch in training pants and a plastic cover. He pointed to the plastic cover emphatically and I thought he just wanted it off as he was no longer in the highchair. I took it off him and seconds later, he went to the bathroom. I'm now wondering if he was trying to tell me he was going to go. That's probably too optimistic but I'd like to believe it.

Simplification

• Threw a mini-spatula away that was warped beyond repair.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins and soy milk


• Lunch - Peanut butter and jam sandwich, a bowl of cherries, and 1 chocolate piece


• Snack - 2 chocolate pieces


• Supper - Tomato & Bean soup and 1/2 a Reuben sandwich (it was a very large sandwich)


• Evening treat - A bowl of peach sorbet

Downs

• I think Calvin is getting sick. When I went to pick him up from daycare he rushed over and clung to me immediately which is unusual. Once I got him home, he just wanted to cuddle instead of running around like normal. Usually, this means he's getting sick. I really hope that he manages to fight it off. However, before I picked him up, I was feeling a sore throat starting. I'll be really annoyed if I got sick just in time for Jaeger's and my anniversary trip.

Ups

• I got up early enough to lift weights this morning. In addition, since Calvin was feeling so sluggish, I took him out for a long stroller walk. Normally, I don't do this in the afternoon for fear he'll fall asleep, which he did, but I figure a little extra sleep is good if he's fighting off a cold.


• Today was my day off. I managed to finish baking both 9-grain and rye bread. Also, I got supper made before Calvin arrived home which ended up being really good since I think he would have been crying all afternoon if I couldn't just sit on the couch and hold him.


• I'm looking forward to Jaeger and my anniversary trip. Jaeger's mom is flying in Thursday evening to take care of Calvin and we're taking off Friday afternoon and will be gone until Sunday evening. I'm looking forward to both of us being able to sleep in at the same time!

Calvin Moment

• Calvin really didn't do much today other than cuddle. However, it was kind of nice to be able to cuddle with him. He's usually so active I rarely get the chance to just hold him.

Simplification

• Didn't do anything. However, Jaeger got registered for Freecycle yesterday in hopes that we'll finally be able to get rid of some stuff like our microwave and old TV.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins and soy milk


• Lunch - Snacked on food for supper as I made it. I ended lunch with 1/2 cup of chocolate gorp.


• Supper - Garbanzo Pot Pie, Beets, and 9-grain Bread


• Evening drink - Tea steeped in orange juice

Downs

• Since Jaeger was gone last night, I tried to put Calvin to bed myself. It failed horribly. After I put him in his crib, he cried for more than 20 minutes before eventually falling asleep. I don't know why but when Jaeger puts him in his crib he just talks to Dog or bats at the mirror and then calmly falls asleep.

Ups

• I did both Pilates and abs today. Both sections are about 15 min long so it's only 30 total minutes of exercise but definitely better than nothing!


• We had leftovers for supper tonight so I didn't have to worry about holding Calvin in one arm while chopping onions with the other. Yesterday was also pretty calm as I usually eat leftovers when Jaeger goes to hacking society or BLUG. I'm trying to come up with some sort of framework where I can do less cooking while Calvin is home. Not sure what the best solution is yet though.


• It was a pleasant day outside. Overall, it's still a little warm for my tastes but the shade was nice and Calvin had fun running in circles on the deck.

Calvin Moment

• As I mentioned on my twitter feed, Calvin tried to play a DVD today. I heard quiet coming from the dining room (I know it sounds strange but you really can "hear" when your toddler is quiet). I went to investigate and found the Netflix case for one of the Midsomer Murders lying on the floor. Puzzled, I continued to the living room where I discovered Calvin standing in front of the media cabinet trying to shove the DVD into the closed player. He got almost everything correct except knowing that he had to first hit the button to open the player.


• Calvin occasionally tries to pickup after himself. Yesterday, I was fairly successful in prompting him to pick up his toys before bed. Today, we were out of the porch and he was trying to drink from a large Nalgene. He spilled some water which left a good size puddle. He looked at the puddle for a moment or two and then trotted off to find his burp cloth. Once he got back, he tried to mop up the puddle with his burp cloth.

Simplification

• Got rid of some old pens and pencils.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins and soy milk


• Lunch - Energy bar, Toasted cheese sandwich, and 2 chocolate pieces.


• Snack - 2 chocolate piece


• Supper - Veggie burrito, 1 chocolate piece and some pineapple coconut ice cream

Downs

• I went to bed late because I was trying unsuccessfully to balance a bank statement so of course Calvin had a restless night. Around 3 I gave him another dose of Ibuprofen and he seemed to do better the rest of the night. However, I don't think any of us felt well-rested in the morning.


• I'm in a bit of a reading slump at the moment. I don't have any new books that are so engaging I stay up to obscene hours of the night trying to finish them. Of course, there's an upside to this also


• Calvin was really cranky this afternoon while I was trying to make supper. Eventually, I stuck him in front of the computer and put on a baby game for him to play. AAP doesn't recommend any screen time for kids before 2 but I thought it was better than the alternatives.

Neither Up nor Down but Weird

• Today I got a letter from the federal student loan program. I opened it expecting it to say something like "congratulations, you have paid off your loan." Instead, it said, "Electronic debiting of your Direct Loan payment is being halted temporarily because we granted a deferment, forbearance, or other type of suspension of payment on your Direct Loan(s). We will send you a Notice when electronic debiting is to resume for your monthly payment." !? They didn't grant anything. I paid off my loan. There's a difference.

Ups

• Today wasn't a horrible day but neither was it a great day. It was just a day.

Calvin Moment

• It was pretty hot today so I decided to rig our water hose so it would dribble down on the porch and Calvin could play in it. He had a lot of fun sticking his hand in and out of the water as well as filling up a large bucket and splashing the water with his hand. Eventually, he decided he wanted to wander around the yard so I turned the water off. Near the water faucet on the side of the house is a dirt area where Jaeger had to dig out a dead bush. While the water was on, a good quantity leaked and so the dirt area became a mud area. Calvin discovered the mud and gleefully stomped in the mud, sat down in it and made sure to cover all parts of himself with it. He had a lot of fun and it was amusing to watch. It was handy that I already had the hose hooked up because before I could let him back in the house I had to strip him and literally hose him off.

Simplification

• Threw out the lid to a pan that broke a couple of years ago.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins and soy milk


• Lunch - Toasted cheese sandwich, a plum and 2 chocolate pieces.


• Snack - 2 chocolate piece


• Supper - Stacked Vegetable Enchiladas with Quinoa and 2 chocolate pieces

Downs

• For the past few days, Calvin has been resisting eating supper. I can't figure out why. He just throws everything on the floor, even stuff he normally likes. I have two theories: 1) his teeth are bothering him and 2) he wants to eat at the table instead of his high chair. Until today, I thought he might not be hungry but he ate almost no lunch at daycare and I only gave him a banana and milk for snack (usually he would get cheese and crackers as well) and he still threw a fit at dinner time. I gave him some ibuprofen and Jaeger fed him the rest of supper on his lap. It's not apparent which calmed him down. Tomorrow night I'm going to try giving him some ibuprofen about a half hour before supper and see if that helps.

Ups

• I managed to lift weights and do my ab exercises today.


• Today was my "day off" and while I did a great many useful things, I did have a couple minutes to relax in.

Calvin Moment

• Today I wore my blue Tux t-shirt which always causes a stir in daycare. As soon as I got in the classroom one of the little girls toddled over and clearly indicated I should kneel down so she could touch the penguin. I obliged and soon had a group of around 5 kids all trying to touch the penguin at once. I'm not entirely sure why they like Tux so much but it's pretty funny to watch the stampede.

Simplification

• I got a lot done this weekend. Yesterday, I sorted through all my Christmas boxes and threw out the stuff I'll never use. Today, I continued cleaning off the shelves and finally shipped 3 boxes of canning jars back to mom. (Mom brought us home-canned fruit several years ago which we eagerly consumed but kept forgetting to give her the jars back).

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with berries and soy milk


• Snack - a plum


• Lunch - Triscuits and cheese, an apple pastry and 1 chocolate piece


• Snack - 1 chocolate piece


• Supper - Tempeh over wild rice, kale, acorn squash, and 2 chocolate pieces

Downs

• Calvin continues to be cranky and throw tantrums at odd moments. For instance, he has a sore on his foot that isn't healing. I thought putting a band aid on it might offer more protection because he has a tendency to scratch it. However, he went hysterical when I got the band aid near his foot. I did get it on him but he frantically clawed at it until I relented and took it off again. Instead, I decided to put a sock on the foot which he didn't seem to mind.

Ups

• I forgot to mention this in my last post but I finally paid off my student loan last week. Up to this point, I hadn't bothered paying it off early because my interest rate was 2.875%. However, for the last couple of years it's been hard to get even that in a savings account or CD. Normally, we would have used our 3rd paychecks of the month to open another CD to replace the savings we lost back when Jaeger ended up with 3 jobs in one year. However, after thinking about it, we decided it made more sense to pay off our debt. We choose my student loan instead of the mortgage for two reasons: First, worst case scenario, it's my understand that it is easier to discharge a mortgage in bankruptcy than a student loan (I don't imagine worst case is likely but it never hurts to be prepared). Second, if we reduced our mortgage principle, it still wouldn't have changed our monthly payments. Getting completely rid of one loan means our fixed expenses are less in case of an emergency and meanwhile we have extra each month to save.


• I've found time to do my ab exercises two days in a row! At the moment, it looks like Calvin is mesmerized enough by the abs instructor in the TV that he doesn't insist that I pay attention to him every moment. However, he did increase the intensity of my exercise when he decided to sit on my stomach and bounce during one crunch set.

Calvin Moment

• Calvin really likes the Sun Sugar tomatoes. As soon as he sees me pick a ripe tomato, he eagerly opens his mouth so I can pop it in his mouth.

Simplification

• Finally found a box that will work for my Christmas wreaths. Also got rid of a basket that I'll probably never use.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with dried fruit and soy milk


• Lunch - Triscuits and cheese, an energy bar and chocolate chips


• Supper - Cornmeal Waffles (made for Sunday but I didn't want to fix two meals) drizzled with Honey, a tomato, strawberries, and 2 chocolate pieces

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted anything. Life has been very busy for the last week.

Downs

• Calvin is teething again. This means that he sleeps fitfully through the night and sometimes is unbearably cranky during the afternoon. Ibuprofen helps but it never lasts through the entire night so sometimes I have to give him a booster in the middle of the night and hope that he falls back asleep again.

Ups

• Jaeger and I have now been married for 8 years. To celebrate, we got a babysitter and went out to eat at Leaf. Jaeger doesn't particularly like it but he humored me. I got the Jamaican Jerk Tempeh. I've never liked tempeh. However, I decided before giving up on it completely, I should try it out after a professional worked with it. In was very good. They crumbled it up instead of trying to serve it like a slab. It was spicy and had kind of a meaty texture.


• My kitchen computer is working again! Dell sent a tech out on Thursday to replace the motherboard and it magically started working again. However, I haven't had a chance to resync my iPod since (though I was able to plug it in without crashing the whole system).


• Jaeger's family came to visit. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work also. I picked Bethany up at the airport and we went out to eat lunch at Noodles. Afterwards, we picked Calvin up and played in the park while waiting for the rest of the family to show up. Sabbath was good but Calvin unfortunately had a lot of stranger anxiety so for him to be happy I had to be within arms reach. Sunday the Logan women and Calvin went on a hike to Lost Lake. Calvin did well except for the very last part. When we got back, we discovered the very large truck next to us couldn't get out unless we moved so the occupants had been waiting 2 hrs for our return. Monday, daddy Logan left for the airport in the morning. I dropped Calvin off at daycare and spent the morning in Boulder and then picked Calvin up in the afternoon. The rest of the family returned for supper after dropping Bethany off at the airport. Today, mommy Logan and Willy headed out to drop Willy off at Auburn University in Alabama.


• I discovered Boulder has a decent chocolate shop. The last time I went looking for chocolate all I could find was the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory which was a severe disappointment. This is much better. I particularly liked the coconut chocolate.

Calvin Moment

• Yesterday I was talking to Calvin and mentioned something about my nose. He immediately looked at me and then pointed to his nose. Curious if this was coincidence, I asked him where his ears were and he pulled on both of his ears. He also knows what his mouth is but I think he's a little fuzzy on exactly where his eyes are. I'm assuming this is something that daycare is teaching him but I suppose he might have also picked it up from Eyes, Nose, Fingers and Toes.

Simplification

• I'm sure I must have done something during this last week but nothing is coming to mind.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Peanut Butter Cherry Fruit Toast


• Lunch - Triscuits and cheese, 2 peaches, 1 chocolate piece and 1 small cookie


• Afternoon Snack - 1 small cookie


• Supper - Macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and part of a white nectarine.


• Evening treat - Maybe hot chocolate

Downs

I had a very bad technology day.

It started when I got to Carbon Valley and discovered that my computer wouldn't connect to the wireless so I couldn't print out my handouts for my science fiction discussion. Fortunately, I had saved it to my work share so I co-opted another computer and finished folding the brochures as I was introducing my topic.

For the last couple of days my new kitchen computer has been crashing every time I plug in my iPod. Basically, I plug it in and suddenly can't move the mouse, use the keyboard, or anything else. However, no error message appears. My iPod always seems fine after the experience but I have to turn the computer off via the power butter.

I really like having my iPod to listen to when I drive in to Boulder for church so I decided to sit down and figure out the problem. Previously, I had tried a Windows restore point to back when I knew I had successfully sync. That hadn't worked. So, I started today with disabling everything but the essential start-up items in case there was some application conflict. That didn't fix the problem but I rebooted my computer while I still had the iPod plugged in and discovered that the computer would come up but immediately crash as it was trying to load the BIOS. I mentioned this to Jaeger who seemed as surprised as me and he suggested I try just a random USB storage device. I popped that in instead of the iPod and discovered it had the same problem. Without the USB storage device or the iPod, the computer boots and works fine. Note: both the mouse and the keyboard connect via wireless USB so it can't just be a general USB problem.

One of my thoughts was to update the BIOS since Dell had a slightly newer version on their website. However, since this computer is still completely under warranty, and I hadn't made any fundamental changes such as installing Linux, I decided that maybe I should let Dell's tech support tell me to try that so if it failed horribly, it was their fault, not mine.

I found Dell's tech support chat easily enough and launched into my problem trying to give enough detail that I wouldn't get the "reinstall Windows" answer. However, it appeared I jumped the gun as the support person couldn't verify that my computer really belong to me. She was able to see my order for the computer but the actual service tag had someone else's name on it (I had bought it refurbished through the Dell Outlet). She told me that I needed to call customer care and they would be able to "transfer ownership" and then I could come back and get tech support for it. I reluctantly agreed to this plan and made the phone call. Unfortunately, it turned out that Customer Care could request that the service tag be updated but there is allegedly a dedicated service tag department that had already closed for the weekend (at 2:30 MDT). The rep reluctantly informed me that it was unlikely I would get any help before Monday. Having actually worked in tech support and dealt with annoyed people before, I tried to keep my conversation polite but I believe I was a little shorter in my standard responses than normal.

So, that's the current situation. I'm still debating whether I want to just go ahead and update the BIOS myself and see if that fixes anything (assuming I can find a way to update it other than USB . . . ) or just resync my iPod with Adara, my laptop.

Ups

• My science fiction discussion went well today. I had fun whether or not anyone learned anything However, I'm glad it's over as I worked a lot of extra hours getting ready for it. Since readers advisory isn't really in my job description, I didn't feel I could take much normal work time to prepare for the discussion.


• Normally, I would have been cleaning the house during the time I wasted trying to talk to Dell. However, Calvin pleasantly surprised me and allowed me to vacuum while he was home. He played out on the porch, which has a child gate, and popped in every so often to check if I was finished.


• Calvin is on a roll when it comes to going to bed. The last three nights he barely touched his bottle before he indicates he wants to lay down in the crib. I lay him down and he quickly falls asleep. I credit "dog" for this miraculous state of affairs. Tonight, I didn't even bother giving him watered down milk, I just gave him a bottle of water. I think I'll stick to the bottle another night or two and then try eliminating even that transition item.

Calvin Moment

• After I finished vacuuming we went for a walk outside. There were thunderstorms in the distance but our area was only cloudy which was a welcome change from the oppressive sun we have had earlier. As we were walking, Calvin kept saying, "daddy, daddy" which really confused me. Finally I realized that the thunder in the distance sounded a lot like the garage door going up as Jaeger returned from work.

Simplification

• Didn't get around to anything. In fact, I was suppose to put a box out for a charity to pick up and I completely forgot. *sigh*

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with berries and soy milk


• Lunch - Lentil Soup and 2 chocolate pieces


• Supper - Asparagus Stir-Fry over Brown Rice


• Evening treat - 3 chocolate pieces

Downs

• N/A

Ups

• Calvin went to bed around 8 last night and didn't wake up till 6:30.


• I got my monthly massage today! I specifically schedule them after I play piano for church because my inconsistent practicing means that some part of me is going to hurt afterwards. Today it was most of my left upper body. The massage therapist I had today did a very good job of working the aches out.


• While Calvin is still going to bed later than I would prefer, he did go to sleep pretty easily tonight.

Calvin Moment

• When I was young my mother bought my brother and I stuffed German Shepherd dogs. TJ's stood up and mine sat down. Mom must have given them to us when I wasn't too young as it survived in pretty good shape except for one paw being painted pink. For some reason, I still have the dog and she settled into living on top of one of our bookcases in the bedroom. A couple of days ago Calvin saw the dog and said, "ditty" which is currently his word for most non-human mammals. I obligingly brought her down from the shelf and introduced her to Calvin as "dog." Calvin promptly became attached and now sleeps with her every night. It's not uncommon for him to drag her around the house either by the ear or the tail. I'm a little worried he will think it's ok to drag real animals by their ears/tails but the dog is about half his size and he can't realistically carry it around any other way.


• Today I introduced Calvin to the concepts of edible plants. I have a cherry tomato growing in a pot in our backyard. A couple of tomatoes had matured so I popped one off the vine and bit it in half so I could give Calvin a piece to try (whole it would have been a perfect choking hazard). Calvin really liked it so I harvested the remaining 2 ripe tomatoes and he helped eat those also. He then pointed to some of the green tomatoes and I tried to explain the concept of "ripe" to him. We then moved on to basil and I grabbed a leaf from my columnar basil plant for him to try. He didn't like this nearly as much as the tomato. A while later, Calvin decided to pick some grass and try eating that. It belatedly occurred to me that teaching him to pick and eat random things perhaps wasn't the best idea. On the other hand, I certainly never taught him to eat sand and he's been trying to do that for months.

Simplification

• I spent two hours filing documents. How can we have that much stuff to file?

Food Diary

• Breakfast - 2 pieces of Peanut Butter and Berry Fruit Toast


• Snack - A plum


• Lunch - Triscuits and cheese and cherries


• Snack - 3 chocolate pieces


• Supper - Polenta Casserole and cherries


• Evening treat - Hot Chocolate

Downs

• Calvin is starting to go to bed later. A couple of months ago, his bedtime was usually between 7-7:30. Now it's closer to 7:30-8:00. It sounds like a minor difference but somehow it's cutting into my free time at night. Jaeger and I were thinking about playing Carcassonne last night but by the time Calvin was in bed and we had finished our nightly chores, it was too late.

Ups

• This was a pretty good weekend. I played for church which is often stressful. "Grandma" J usually takes care of Calvin during church but I like to split up church and Sabbath School to avoid overburdening anyone. I called four people Friday night trying to find someone to watch him during Sabbath School without any success (which is really hard for me since I hate using the phone). Eventually, I decided to show up and hope for the best. Someone was available to watch him and, from what I hear, he was even pretty happy after the first couple minutes of abandonment distress. Music also went fairly well. After church I fed Calvin lunch and then we went to the library and didn't get back home till around 4. I always pack lunch and snack on Sabbath so I can feed Calvin in a timely manner without having to rush home.


• Miss S, our Sunday childcare provider, continues to work out well. I'm really enjoying getting back to my Sunday morning work routine.

Calvin Moment

• I got a potty training DVD at the library yesterday. I've been having trouble getting Calvin to sit down on the potty chair long enough to accomplish anything. Normally, I don't approve of videos for children under 2. However, I thought that letting him watch a video might keep him on the chair longer. It mostly works. The only drawback is it has very upbeat music and Calvin gets so excited that he bounces up and down in his chair. It's really funny to watch but at the same time I'm nervous for the mess implications . . .


• We bought a tricycle for Calvin a couple of weeks ago and Jaeger and I finally put it together this afternoon. Calvin is very excited by the new toy. He doesn't understand the concept of peddling yet but can scoot himself along with his feet or by us pushing him in back. We have decided to store in on the front porch so it's out of sight and doesn't distract him when we don't have time to push him around.

Simplification

• UPDATE: Organized more financial documents . . .

Food Diary

• Breakfast - A cherry pastry and 3 Morningstar breakfast patties


• Lunch - Toasted cheese sandwich and 2 chocolate pieces


• Snack - Grapes, blueberries, and a plum


• Supper - Veggie burrito


• Evening treat - 2 chocolate pieces

Downs

• I was sick for the last couple of days which is particularly painful with a toddler. It started Wednesday right as I was going to pick Calvin up. However, I convinced myself that I was imagining things so I didn't call and ask if daycare could keep him longer. That was a mistake. I spent the hours until Jaeger got home laying on either the floor, the couch, the porch, or the bed while trying to watch Calvin. I had made a lasagna dish a couple of weeks ago and stuck it in the freezer so I didn't have to worry about dinner. However, apparently the smell was a bit much for my stomach. Once Jaeger got home, he took care of Calvin for the rest of the evening which was wonderful. I took a hot bath, I was also cold and achy, and then went to bed. Jaeger got Calvin ready in the morning and sent him to daycare for the entire day. I spent most of the day resting before picking Calvin up around 5. Fortunately, I was feeling better by then so Jaeger was still able to go to Boulder like usual on Thursday nights. Today I am almost completely recovered though for some reason I didn't feel up to finishing my oatmeal this morning.


• Calvin is refusing to go to bed tonight. He is currently screaming at the top of his lungs. I'm not sure what else to do. I tried rocking him to sleep and had him asleep but he woke up the moment I put him down. UPDATE: Jaeger went up and gave him a dose of ibuprofen and he immediately stopped screaming. He's been quiet for at least the last 5 min. I'm sure ibuprofen can't work that fast but maybe the sugar in it released some happy endorphins or something.

Ups

• I'm no longer sick!

Calvin Moment

• When I went to the park today, I saw a women who looked familiar but I couldn't tell for sure because of her large sunglasses. I eyed her on and off for about 1/2 hr while Calvin rambled around the park. Eventually, we ended up swinging our children together. At that point, she looked over at me and asked, "Did I deliver your baby?" Yes, I had run into Dr. B who had come to this park because of the water play area.


• Today I read Baby Talk to Calvin. The book ends with, "this little baby is sleepy" at which point you lift the flap and say "night night." This afternoon, I got to that part and Calvin said "ni ni" all by himself. He asked me to read it a couple of more times and he started saying the words for some of the other flaps too such as "boo hoo" for the sad baby and "hehe" for the happy baby.

Simplification

• Didn't do anything.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with blueberries and soy milk


• Lunch - Lentil Soup


• Snack - 2 Chocolate Pieces


• Supper - Vegetable curry with chapati and 1 piece of chocolate


• Evening treat - I'm thinking ice cream. Calvin has me feeling wrung out . . .

Downs

• Calvin really didn't want to go to sleep tonight. He was a little groggy when I put him in the crib but as soon as I closed the door, he started screaming. I let him scream for a couple of minutes but decided that maybe he had throw his burp cloth over the side so I went up to check. He hadn't but I tried to relax him but massaging him a bit before leaving again. He started screaming immediately but I decided I probably wasn't helping by being in his room. He screamed for about 15 min before falling asleep. It's really hard to listen to your baby scream because he wants you to hold him

Ups

• This is the second day in a row that Calvin has slept in past 6:30 in his own crib!


• This was my "free" day. I picked out my piano songs for church this week, worked about an hour, worked for a couple of hours on money, and then had about an hour to read before picking up Calvin from daycare. I'd like a little more free time on my "free" day but it's also nice to get useful things done.


• I finished reading Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas. I think it's probably my second or third favorite in the series with my favorite being Tempt my at Twilight.

Calvin Moment

• Calvin is starting to have very definite preferences on which books I read him. Today, he wanted nothing to do with Sheep in a Jeep but instead insisted on Moo, baa, la la la, One Duck Stuck, and Quack! several times. In addition to "moo" he is also starting to be able to say "la la la."

Simplification

• Didn't really do anything. Recently, I've been focusing on getting our finances better organized and trying to finalize our wills.

Food Diary

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with blueberries and soy milk


• Lunch - Triscuits and Cheese and Blueberries


• Snack - 3 Chocolate Pieces


• Supper - 2 Veggie Burritos, Blueberries, and 1 Chocolate Piece

Downs
Calvin woke up again at 4:30am. However, instead of immediately bringing him into our bed, like I have been doing the past week or so, I decided to see if he'd go back to sleep if I just left him alone. He spent the next half hour crying intermittently. Eventually, I gave up because I wanted to go back to sleep. However, by the time I went to get him, I guess he was completely awake and wanted to play. I spent the next hour trying to convince him to go back to sleep. Finally, at 6:00am I gave up and put him on my shoulder in order to go downstairs and start our day. Almost the moment I put him on my shoulder he was asleep. I gingerly laid him back down on the bed and he slept until I woke him up at 7:30. I'm really not sure what my best course of action is at this point. For the most part, I don't mind him sleeping in our bed, at least in the morning. However, it absolutely kills my morning routine as I can't leave him sleeping by himself. I haven't exercised in more than a week


Ups
Because of the morning excitement with Calvin, I debated calling in sick and sleeping. However, I decided I wasn't really that tired and so just started work a little later than usual. To my surprise, I still managed to get all the "must do" things crossed off my mental list. (Though this is so unprecedented for my past few weeks that I'm sure I have forgotten something major.) One of the things I'm especially excited about is that we are working to implement a "spell checker" in our patron catalog.

Our vendor hasn't felt the need to add spell-checking to our catalog which I think is ridiculous. A while back I collected about 800 real-life patron searches and was amazed to see that over 10% of the searches returned no results because of misspellings. It boggles my mind how our vendor couldn't see this as being a problem. Our library doesn't have the budget for a programmer and I have neither the time nor my managers blessing to do any coding myself. There are "discovery layers" that one can install on top of most patron catalogs. However, these are very spendy and, personally, I haven't been very impressed with the spelling corrections.

A couple of months ago, it occurred to me that what I really wanted was Google's "did you mean" suggestions instead of a real spell-checker. Regular spelling dictionaries often don't contain proper names which would be included in a reasonable number of catalog searches, either for information on famous people or searching for specific authors. However, since Google's "did you mean" is more flexible, it seemed like a better fit. I did some digging to see if an API existed for Google's "did you mean" and stumbled across this entry which discussed a site called Jaunter offering a "did you mean" service to libraries.

I contacted a representative from Jaunter but they had never worked with a HIP catalog before. Since we were going to be upgrading to a new version of our catalog soon, I decided it would be better to wait to try to implement it in case there were any major stylesheet changes. A couple of months ago we got our new server and in the process, installed the newest version of our catalog software so we could test it out before upgrading in the fall. This gave Jaunter an excellent opportunity to see if we could get their script working on our test system.

We still have several bugs that need to be dealt with. However, it's looking very promising. Today I started testing out the suggestions with the real-life misspellings I had collected previously. I'm not finished yet so I haven't started analyzing my results but I can say that it usually comes up with good suggestions.

While testing the "did you mean" suggestions, I was amused to come up with a real-life example of Google's "did you mean" failing. As you probably know, "did you mean" is based on the most common spellings people use, not necessarily the right one. Several years ago someone searched our catalog for "orgasum." When you type this word into Google, it doesn't suggest any alternatives but instead provides thousands of results with the word spelled this way. My conclusion is that enough people must consistently spell the word this way that Google doesn't realize it's incorrect. Sadly, this probably isn't an appropriate example for my search class at the library


Calvin Moment
Calvin is starting to interact when I read him books! This afternoon he requested I read him Moo, Baa, La La La! several times in a row. The second time I started, I decided too see if he could make any of the sounds. I said, "the cow says . . . " and Calvin supplied something that sounded similar to "moo." He repeated this several times so I don't think it was a fluke.


Simplification
I'm still working on our financial docs. I let them get into an appalling state during Calvin's first year.


Food Diary

• Breakfast - 2 pieces of Peanut Butter Applesauce Cherry Toast


• Lunch - Triscuits and cheese, cherries, and 2 chocolate piece


• Dinner - Garbanzo Pot Pie, Glazed Carrots, and Bread


• Evening Treat - 3 chocolate pieces