Author Archives: kiesa

This Day on Twitter

Reading in 2024

Favorite 2024 Reads

I re-read A Deadly Education in January and The Golden Enclaves in October. Remember how I said I like cranky people who make the world a little bit better? That’s describes this series’ protagonist in a nutshell.
Book of Night – Holly Black is a very good writer and I thought the premise interesting.
Iris Kelly doesn’t Date – A delightful sapphic romance.
The Housekeepers – A fun historical heist.
Loki’s Ring – Space Opera!
Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House – This was a bit different than the normal interior design books I read but it was really interesting. There were all sorts of tidbits I learned such as that the oval office has three sofas in rotation because nervous visiting guests tend to leave sweat marks on the sofas and they have to be cleaned often. Also, this book definitely invoked a bit of nostalgia because I miss having a president who has a yearly recommended reading list.
Paladin’s Faith – The fourth in a the Saint of Steel fantasy series. I was particularly fascinated by how depictions of demons in this universe changed.
Pride and Prejudice – I got the 2021 edition illustrated by Marjolein Bastin and it’s beautiful. I read a little bit every night right before bed.
Soul Taken (February) and Winter Lost (September) – Patricia Briggs writes very engrossing stories. However, I think half the fun of these books is it being set in the Tri-Cities, close to Walla Walla. In fact, in this universe Walla Walla is a fey reservation.
Encore in Death (February) and Payback in Death (June) – These days I get a little cranky with the woman marries rich man trope (honestly, I’m a little cranky with rich men in general). Also, Roarke’s help in Eve’s cases is often illegal which bothers me. However, the relationships in this series are wonder to watch.
The Deep Sky – Another space opera. I particularly liked the scenes in the ship itself but the flashbacks were interesting.
Starling House – I love houses. I can spend hours browsing Zillow house listings so having mystery that revolved so much around the house was a great combination for me³.
The Tainted Cup – This had a definite Sherlock Holmes feel to me. It was a good mystery in a very unique world.
The Late Mrs. Willoughby (read in March) and The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (read in August). – Jane Austen inspired mysteries. Both of these I listened to the audiobook versions.
The Husbands – This book has a delightfully bizarre premise. The ending didn’t quite work for me but I really enjoyed everything else about the book.
Unraveller – This is a YA book but it manages to avoid some of the relationship drama a lot of YA can have. This was a really good story with a lot of depth.
The Bezzle – A short book with a lot to think about.
Some Desperate Glory – This book took me two tries to read. The first time I put it down after one chapter because I just couldn’t deal with the opening scenario. However, it was a Hugo nominee so I managed to push through and really enjoyed it by the end.
Diving the Deep – This series is a bit hit or miss for me. I enjoyed the first and couldn’t get through the third book. This is the second book and it is my favorite of the three I’ve read.
The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate & Live Well – I didn’t read as many interior design books this year as last which I suspect means I’m feeling a bit more emotionally stable. However, I read and enjoyed this one. It’s published in 2011, which is a bit old for an interior design book, but using drawings instead of photos made it feel fresher.
The Wings Upon Her Back – Somewhat similar to Some Desperate Glory, this is the story of a woman who discovers she’s helping the wrong people.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying – There’s been a spate of books recently about evil people who aren’t really evil, they’re just flawed people. This one worked better for me than several of the others I read⁴.
The Unwedding – A multi-layered mystery set in Big Sur. I was reading this in early November when it was still way too hot so the rain in the book was very theraputic.
The Luck Runs Out – This mystery series is about the same age as me and is sometimes a bit dated. However, I like Peter Shandy’s personality. I listened to the first book in the series but sadly it appears it’s the only one available as an audiobook so this one I read as an eBook.
We Solve Murders – A nice murder mystery.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins – Well written and an interesting fantasy universe.
Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me – Always great to hear someone talking about books.

I really wish I had word counts instead of page numbers, but that metadata isn’t as easy to get. ↩
Sometimes the rampage is metaphorical, sometimes it’s not. ↩
That said, I don’t like evil houses. There seem to be a lot of evil houses in stories and not nearly as many benign or kind ones. ↩
Yes, I probably would have liked Long Live Evil more if I had realized ahead of time it was the start of a series and I had been prepared for the cliff hanger. ↩

Vegetarian Holidays Meals

My Family’s Holiday Meals

Growing up Adventist vegetarian², we didn’t have a consistent main entree. I recall various options such as Baked Fri-Chik (one of my favorites) and Cottage Cheese Loaf. A couple of years my mom made a Roasted Vegetable Platter which I particularly liked³. I also remember at least once mom made some sort of soy loaf in the shape of a turkey. I don’t remember anything about how it tasted other than it was impressive looking and a lot of work.

While the entree wasn’t consistent, there were some sides that regularly showed up. We always had a relish tray that usually had carrots, red peppers, black olives, and pickles (dill and sweet). While mom generally preferred dill pickles, the one sweet pickles she would eat were the ones her mom made⁴. We also always had Potato Refrigerator Rolls. The other common sides were Candied Sweet Potatoes⁵, Five-cup Salad, and Cranberry Salad. We usually had mashed potatoes and gravy but I recall the gravy wasn’t considered particularly important. For desert we’d sometimes have apple pie but as we got older we often just had Christmas Candy instead.

Jaeger’s Family’s Holiday Meals

Jaeger also grew up vegetarian but I feel the meals tended to be a bit more standardized than my mom’s. One common entree was Christmas Pecan Loaf with cranberry sauce⁶. They also always had mashed potatoes with gravy as well as Apricot-Orange Gel⁷. Another common side was sweet potatoes with coconut and orange juice⁸. Pumpkin Pie was a common Thanksgiving dessert and Persimmon Pudding was for Christmas.

In addition to Christmas/Thanksgiving, there are two other traditional meals at this time of year. On Christmas Eve Jaeger’s family has Cheese Fondue and on New Year’s Eve they have Chocolate Fondue. This is a tradition that I have enthusiastically embraced.

Christmas This Year

This year we had Thanksgiving with Jaeger’s parents and he was able to eat most of their traditional holiday dishes. When deciding on dishes for Christmas this year, I tried to mix in a bit of my family’s traditional food with some experiments thrown in for fun. Per Jaeger’s family’s style, on Christmas day we only had two meals: brunch around 10am and dinner around 4pm.

Christmas Eve Supper

Sicilian Lentil Soup with Pasta – We actually had this as very late lunch/supper appetizer. We had eaten a late breakfast so I made up a pot of lentil soup as a meal between the late breakfast and fondue to try to add a little healthy food to the day.
Cheese Fondue

Christmas Brunch

Masala Chai
Freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice
Earl Grey Cardamom Buns – Most people I make my family’s Sweet Rolls/Sticky Buns for love them. However, it turns out that my own children do not. These Cardamom Buns are a nice compromise that the whole family enjoys. Though, next time I think I’ll use my mom’s dough and this recipe’s filling and syrup.
Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad – This is a beautiful seasonal fruit salad. Persimmons are in season here in Santa Cruz and I think pomegranates just ended. The lemon in the recipe came from our lemon tree and the apple came from our CSA. The mint was also local, I picked it from our pot. However, I didn’t particularly like the mint in the salad and will probably leave it out next time.
Cheese Souffle – I do not like the taste of egg. However, the rest of my family is less egg adverse so I made it for them. Jaeger definitely liked it and Julian didn’t hate it.
Potato Rosti – I used too much butter (didn’t measure properly) and it didn’t turn out as pretty as the picture in the recipe. However, this still tasted good. I did serve this with ketchup because I like ketchup with potatoes

Christmas Dinner

Veggie Lentil Wellington – This was an experiment and it turned out very well. Because we’re not vegan, I did substitute the flaxseed and water for an egg. I also left out the chestnuts, because I knew Julian wouldn’t like them, and pureed the vegetables to make them disappear more. To save time, I used Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils (in the produce section). My one gripe with this recipe is it doesn’t specify how much salt to use. I used 1/2 tsp which seemed about right. Also, this recipe must be served with gravy of some sort or it will be too dry.
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes – I didn’t pay enough attention to this recipe and didn’t end up with enough time to roast the garlic. However, the flavor was still good. That said, 2 lbs of potatoes made less mashed potato than I was expecting. There was enough for the four of us but we had to stick to a moderate serving size.
Gravy – Since I don’t like mushrooms, and neither do the kids, I left them out and sauteed onions instead. For Jaeger’s sake, I sauteed up some mushrooms on the side so he could add them back in.
Quick Glazed Carrots from How to Cook Everything – they were fine
Potato Refrigerator Rolls – Next time I need to remember to make the rolls larger. I think I was taking “walnut-sized” too literally, the balls definitely should be larger.
Broccoli – So there would be a vegetable I knew Julian would eat
Pigs in a Blanket – When I asked what people wanted for Christmas, Julian was the only person who spoke up and he said he wanted vegetarian hot dogs. I did not want to have hot dogs for Christmas dinner so I compromised on vegetarian Pigs in a Blanket. Julian enjoyed them.
Five-cup Salad – Since no one was expressing preferences, I decided I could bring back a nostalgia item from my family’s meals. I’m quite sure Julian has never had this and he was delightedly incredulous that this was considered a salad rather than a dessert. Jaeger was scandalized, associating this with a fair number of dubious 80s food inventions. However, I looked it up and it appears the first variations (Ambrosia salad) may have been created in the late 1800s. My mom always made this with Cool Whip but I used regular whipped cream and it turned out fine. The marshmallows were a trickier issue. I looked in five grocery stores for the vegan mini-marshmallows and several of the stories normally stocked them but were out. Eventually, I cut the larger marshhmallows into 6 pieces each and dusted them with powdered sugar to keep them from sticking together.
Raw Beet Salad – This was probably the least popular dish on the table. The main reason I added it was because we had CSA beets that needed to be used up. However, my family might have liked them better if I had roasted them instead of making them into a salad. The salad tasted fine, just not to my family’s taste.
Sparkling Apple-Grape – I feel like Martinelli’s is the official fancy Adventist drink. However, they’re also based less than 30 minutes away from us so it feels especially appropriate
Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream Pie – Calvin in particular is sad to no longer get snow in winter so I felt a cold dessert would be appropriate. Unfortunately, I could not find peppermint ice cream anywhere so ended up making the peppermint ice cream⁹ from scratch.

Footnotes

Ironically, the company CEO ended up giving him the entire week of Christmas off with pay but we didn’t know that was going to happen until December, after our plans had already been made. ↩
I feel Adventist vegetarian is mostly cultural with with a dash of health reasons thrown in on the side. As a result, growing up we ate Jello and regular marshmallows and didn’t think anything of it. However, as I got older, it was hard enough to explain to other people what vegetarian was without also explaining the weird exceptions that had been grandfathered in so I now also avoid those foods. ↩
It uses fresh herbs which was a revelation. ↩
This might be the sweet pickle recipe though I’ve never made them. ↩
Weirdly, it doesn’t look like I have a copy of this recipe from my mom so my best guess is she used the recipe in her Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. ↩
I believe the recipe comes from the back of the cranberry bag. ↩
These days most of the family cooks no longer use gelatin so we’ve come up with a modified vegan version. ↩
This is another sweet potato recipe I seem to be missing. ↩
This is a Philadelphia style ice cream which I feel lets the peppermint shine better than a custard-based ice cream. ↩

Flip Phone

It’s been two years since I bought my Unihertz Atom L phone. It was certainly an interesting experience but the lack of security updates meant I really needed to get off of it. My concerns around possible tarrifs pushed me into looking for something new sooner rather than later.

iPhone Options

I strongly considered going back to an iPhone SE or a refurbished 13 mini as they still seem to be the best small phones available. Like before, what stopped me was I could not find an audiobook app that has a sticky sleep button¹. I really tried to find an iOS app that would work. I tested fourteen of them and none of them had a persistent sleep feature.

Unfortunately, this meant an iPhone wasn’t a good choice for me unless I wanted to go back to having a dedicated phone for sleeping. This is fine when I’m home but not ideal when I’m trying to travel light.

Android Options

*sigh* Well, mainstream Android companies clearly don’t believe in small phones. I spent so much time trying to find anything reasonable that was truly small. Android Authority has an article about The best small Android phones you can still buy in 2024 and they include the Pixel 9 which is 6 inches high (152 mm). My tragically small pockets do not make that a reasonable size.

With reluctance, I started considering flip phones. I really didn’t like the idea of having to open up a flip phone every time I had to use it. However, once I started looking at the modern flip phones I realized they have a screen that can be used when folded. Currently, the best flip phone options I could find are the Motorola Razr Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. Exactly which one is better depends on which review you read and what exactly you want it to do. The Motorola phone is significantly cheaper and everyone agrees the front cover display is better. The Samsung has an overall better build and also offers 7 years of security updates.

While I felt I had a good feel for the actual specs, I wanted to touch them to see if I’d really be ok with a flip phone. The Sunday after Thanksgiving we flew back to California and after supper that night I ran to my local Best Buy to try out the phones. It was a little hard to compare them because the two phones were grouped apart from each other and the Motorola had a much clunkier security tether on it. This is particularly problematic when you’re trying to get a feel for if you like the size and weight. However, while the Motorola had a bigger screen, it wasn’t super noticeable when they weren’t side-by-side. The bigger difference is that Motorola automatically allows all apps to appear on the cover whereas with Samsung you have to install a special (Samsung created) app. However, I was able to play YouTube on both front covers to get a feel for how an app might work on a small screen.

Eventually, I decided to go with the Samsung. It felt marginally better in my hands and the security updates were a pretty big lure. I went home and did some last minute waffling before placing my order for the 256 GB version². This is officially the most expensive phone I’ve ever bought ($850 pre-tax). I really hope it lasts for many years.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: First Impressions

It’s a good phone. It has none of the weird quirks that the Unihertz phone had. My Do Not Disturb allowed my emergency contacts through flawlessly. The pre-installed apps also mostly seemed to Just Work. In addition, the battery is fine without me having to go do a lot of power optimization.

That said, I have more privacy concerns with this phone. For example, the default camera app will not open unless I allow it Nearby devices permission³. They say this is so it can capture sound from Bluetooth devices but I should be able to use the app even if I disallow that ability. To make things worse, Samsung doesn’t let me change the default camera app to something else that doesn’t require that setting. I really want my phone to have the option to lie to the apps installed and just send them fake data when they insist they need some specific permission. This is the most annoying, but not the only, example where I think the phone is trying to be too social with its environment. I spent multiple days going through every setting on this phone and revoking every permission I thought the app didn’t actually need. There were a lot.

This phone also comes with fancy AI which . . . well, I think AI is over-hyped at the moment⁴. It might have some potential in the future but I have both privacy and reliability concerns. The review I read about the AI made it sound more like a toy than anything actually useful. I’ve turned off all the AI features I can find.

With all that complaining out of the way, I still would buy this phone again. The flip form factor is working much better than I expected. As I mentioned above, Samsung requires an add-on to use most apps on the cover screen. However, once I had it setup, almost all apps work fine on the cover screen. The one exception is the web browser and that isn’t because of the browser, it’s because ads don’t resize to be small enough and end up taking the entire screen real estate ⁵. Here’s some examples of how they look (ironically, these images may appear bigger than the actual screen which is a 3.4-inch screen):

Screenshot of an audiobook player controls. All the basic audiobook controls are displayed including a play button, faster forward, position, and sleep timer. It also shows us that this is in the Willis-Connie folder and is in the middle of To Say Nothing of the Dog.

Here’s what Smart Audiobook Player looks like on the cover screen.

A screenshot of a social media post. It shows a cartoon figure of a white woman and says @kieas@sfba.social. We see there are 5 messages, 7 following, and 21 followers. The post is from December 1 and says Headed to the airport. Hopefully our trip home is smooth. Below are icons for reply, boost, favorite, bookmark, and more options. At the very bottom of the screen is a small square and a small back symbol.

How the screen looks when reading social media.

One other interesting aspect of the phone is it can work as its own stand.

I’m still getting use to having a flip phone but so far it’s working out better than I expected.

I want the sleep timer to automatically activate every time I hit play. This allows me to wake up in the middle of the night, tap my earbud to start the audiobook, and then have the audiobook automatically stop at 15 min all without me having to open my eyes ↩
I really wanted the 512 GB version but I couldn’t really justify the price difference since on my current phone I’m comfortably under 256 GB. ↩
In Android 11 this was bundled with the location permission, so it’s good this has been pulled out. ↩
I am particularly irritated when companies shift their developer time from creating useful features to creating AI “features” to make the stock sexy. ↩
This was a problem I also had on my Unihertz phone. The screen was a bit bigger so it mostly worked but some websites were mostly unusable on that phone, which I took as a sign I shouldn’t use those websites. ↩

Twitter: August 20

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2009 7:56 AM
I thik Calvin just ate a piece of blue fuzz from my robe.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2009 8:46 AM
It’s time to clean house but what I really what to do is go back to bed.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2009 11:25 AM
I always feel so much better after the house is cleaned.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2009 6:04 PM
As expected, administering Calvin’s eye drops by myself wasn’t fun. However, we both survived.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2009 7:57 PM
I’m a little worried. Calvin fell asleep at 6:30 tonight. I just put him to bed. Does this mean that he’s going to get up extra early?

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2009 7:58 PM
He barely stirred when I changed his diaper and put him in his crib.

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 12:25 PM
Something’s wrong. My library request list is empty. Obviously, I have to find more books to read.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 12:26 PM
Of course, I do have 42 books currently checked out.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 2:41 PM
They had BBQ day at daycare today.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 2:41 PM
Per request, Calvin was given a veggie burger instead of a regular burger and was apparently the only kid who would eat his lunch.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 2:42 PM
From daycare: “Calvin enjoyed splashing in puddles today!”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 4:27 PM
We’ve lost Calvin’s hat . . .

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 4:27 PM
I heard an ominous silence from Calvin just now.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2010 4:28 PM
Turns out he had grabbed a DVD from the table, taken it out of the case, open the AV cabinet and was trying to feed it to the DVD player.

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2011 6:51 PM
I lost my phone :( For now, call @calvinsdad.

2012

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2012 6:15 PM
Calvin is doing the teenager thing. He voluntarily went to his room because he’s unhappy at us.

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2013 4:27 PM
All programmers should be required to change their last name every other year and flout at least one naming convention.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2013 4:27 PM
In related news, I now have tickets, under a required misspelled name, for Thanksgiving.

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2014 10:55 AM
For the first time, in 5 years of care, I will be able to send Calvin to school with peanut butter!

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2016 8:46 AM
Given the state of SF electrical outlets, I wish I had gotten a laptop with an ungrounded plug.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2016 3:04 PM
At the beach again!

2020

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2020 11:36 AM
Been driving for about 3 1/2 hours and Willow has been meowing during most of it. She really, really hates moving.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2020 2:15 PM
Ugh, I had forgotten about Oregon gas.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 20, 2020 9:29 PM
We are in Redding. Willow is upset because the bed is designed so she can’t crawl under it and hide.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 21, 2020 7:31 AM
Willow decided to punish me by meowing a good portion of the night.

The End

This concludes my “This Day on Twitter” posts. Click here to go back to August 21.

Twitter: August 19

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2009 7:20 AM
Calvin didn’t wake up till 6:30 today :) It’s amazing how much an extra 1/2 hr of sleep helps.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2009 7:28 AM
I’m not entirely sure we’re managing to keep Calvin’s eye drops in his eyes.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2009 10:54 AM
Well, we’ve finished our morning walk and I’ve showered.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2009 10:54 AM
Normally I would be taking Calvin to daycare right now. However, because of the pinkeye, I’m not working till @calvinsdad gets home at 1.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2009 10:55 AM
Currently, I have Calvin in the Baby Bjorn. I’m going to attempt to pick up the house while carrying him around.

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2010 7:11 AM
I exercised and showered and Calvin is still sleeping!

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2010 1:53 PM
Have my Tdap vaccination scheduled.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2010 4:31 PM
I just got out a very expensive “toy” for Calvin to play with: my electronic piano.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2010 4:32 PM
Of course, now I have to teach him proper etiquette such as, “no, we do not bounce on the keyboard.”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2010 7:50 PM
I don’t understand why Calvin goes to bed so easily for @calvinsdad but screams every time I put him to sleep.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2010 8:01 PM
From daycare: “Calvin enjoyed knocking down block towers today!”

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2011 4:31 PM
I picked Calvin up in @calvinsdad’s car today. He took one look at the (spare) car seat and said, “Plane seat!”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2011 4:41 PM
We had a lovely time at the park. The weather was warm but overcast. Perfect :)

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2013 9:57 AM
I dropped Calvin off for 1st day of PreK. He seemed very excited to explore the new classroom.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2013 9:57 AM
I wonder if he starts getting more clingy if he’s getting bored of his routine. No clingyness today even though everything is new.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2013 9:58 AM
Also, now that he’s in PreK he’s suppose to sign himself in (though parents still sign in also).

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2013 8:57 PM
Calvin appears to have fallen asleep clutching one of his Lego instruction booklets.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2015 4:17 PM
Calvin lost another tooth.

2019

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2019 11:09 AM
I may not be awake this morning. I almost walked out of the apartment without my glasses.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2019 12:44 PM
We’re at Merrion Square Playground.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2019 2:34 PM
Calvin is now participating in an epic nerf battle.

2020

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2020 5:22 PM
The car is packed! I’m heading out first thing tomorrow.

Ted “Theodore” Logan @calvinsdad Aug 19, 2020 5:51 PM
Did everything fit?

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2020 5:51 PM
Yes!

Ted “Theodore” Logan @calvinsdad Aug 19, 2020 5:51 PM
Impressive!

Ted “Theodore” Logan @calvinsdad Aug 19, 2020 5:52 PM
BTW it’s a good thing I didn’t take another suitcase this weekend because this is what the trunk of my car looked like at the airport in San Jose.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 19, 2020 5:53 PM
Good to know.

Twitter: August 18

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2009 6:15 AM
Calvin seems to have a new wake up time of 6. Fortunately, I got to sleep a little earlier last night.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2009 4:13 PM
Sounds like Calvin might have pinkeye.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2009 5:15 PM
I just returned from picking Calvin up at daycare and getting his prescription of Vigamox.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2009 7:17 PM
I’m just now eating supper as Calvin had to be fed and then took a nap in my arms.

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2010 1:20 PM
Well, I suppose I’ve procrastinated long enough. Must go clean house now.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2010 2:34 PM
From daycare: “Calvin had fun painting today!”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2010 2:34 PM
Calvin is very cranky today with non-stop whining.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2010 5:49 PM
Calvin had fun frolicking in the mud this afternoon.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2010 5:49 PM
I just finished hosing him off.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2010 6:09 PM PM
I must have put too much salt in the Quinoa: Calvin loves it.

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2011 7:40 AM
Calvin just told me that “Cats don’t need Elmo.”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2011 4:08 PM
I feel so hypocritical. I won’t let Calvin eat cake batter but I eat it myself when his back is turned.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2011 5:26 PM
Not at the library. Desperately packing supper trying to get there in time.

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2013 3:07 PM
Oh bother. @Calvinsdad has all my resuable bags. It seemed to make sense to leave them in Motoko at the time . . .

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2013 3:13 PM
Would it be crazy to take plastic garbage bags in to the grocery store? It’d be cheaper than “buying” bags there.

2021

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 18, 2021 11:49 AM
Work does a really good job of returning me to equilibrium when the rest of life is stressing me out.

Twitter: August 17

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 8:14 AM
Calvin had a very restless night and is up already.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 9:38 AM
Poor Calvin is feeling very cranky today.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 10:42 AM
Calvin seems in a better mood after our walk during which he took a short nap.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 3:40 PM
As Calvin is playing with the activity link gym he’s lifting up his legs so they are also moving around the links.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 5:35 PM
I feel pretty good for having fallen asleep late, got woken up at 12 by Calvin followed by getting up at 6.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 5:36 PM
Apparently Calvin was happy all day in daycare. However, now he’s a little cranky.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 5:43 PM
I can’t tell if he’s sleepy or just wants to be held (he’s been wanting to be cuddled a lot recently).

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 5:55 PM
I think he just wanted to be held.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2009 5:55 PM
Well, maybe he’s tired. I’m so confused.

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2010 1:41 PM
I have submitted a bulletin announcement for a replacement PA person.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2010 1:42 PM
Hopefully someone is interested so I can stop abandoning Calvin at church so often.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2010 2:57 PM
From daycare: “Calvin enjoyed getting wet during splash day today :)”-

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2010 3:40 PM
Calvin is very whiny this afternoon :(

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2011 7:25 AM
Well, that wasn’t a good night. Calvin wouldn’t go to sleep till I slept next to him and was restless all night.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2011 4:32 PM
A grasshopper hitched a ride home on the outside of our side window from the park. Amazed it could stay on.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2011 4:53 PM
From daycare: “Calvin loved the magic show.”

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2013 6:25 AM
Argh! I should still be sleeping but apparently my body disagrees.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2013 10:43 AM
Hm, Cradle Roll is still too fun for Calvin. I’ll never get him to his new room at this rate.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2013 11:52 PM
I think I feel in the mood for Philadelphia-style ice cream today.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2015 11:54 AM
I’m pretty sure Calvin is failing his lego pickup deadline and there is going to be wailing and gnashing of teeth when I take toys away.

2019

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2019 2:48 PM
Calvin designed a mission patch.

Ted “Theodore” Logan @calvinsdad 2:02 PM
Looks like an Apollo-style moon landing?

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2019 3:09 PM
I believe so. Though I wasn’t close enough to hear when Valvin was explaining it.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2019 2:52 PM
Calvin’s part of the Children’s Mural.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2019 3:10 PM
I guess it wasn’t quite done.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 17, 2019 3:29 PM
Julian’s LEGO creation.

Twitter: August 16

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2009 8:56 AM
Calvin rolled over multiple times during tummy time today (though still front to back).

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2009 10:09 AM
Just got back from our morning walk. A little sunny but it wasn’t too hot.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2009 2:55 PM
We sat out under the tree for a bit then came in and Calvin took a very long nap.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2009 6:50 PM
It’s once again time for Calvin’s bath. I’ve been trying most of the week but he always falls asleep too soon.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2009 7:50 PM
After Calvin’s bath we had water play time in the big bath upstairs.

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2010 7:32 AM
Calvin successfully used his potty for the first time in weeks!

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2010 3:55 PM
From daycare: “Calvin enjoyed playing peek-a-boo through the windows of the house outside today! :)”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2010 3:56 PM
Bother, cut myself (minor) 1/2 way through dealing with kale and the bleeding won’t stop so I can get back to food.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2010 4:20 PM
I think real butter can make anything taste good.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2010 4:25 PM
I need something red for supper but nothing is coming to mind. Super market tomatoes would just be sad.

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2011 5:59 PM
I have succeeded in making kale unhealthy.

2012

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2012 10:41 AM
Calvin, “I want to make Grandma nervous.”

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2013 10:56 AM
I’m becoming more convinced that at this age getting Calvin a new Lego set can be a cost neutral alternative to a babysitter.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2013 3:53 PM
I think I need to start ordering light bulbs for our house in bulk. Something must be wrong with our wiring.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2013 3:56 PM
We visited Calvin’s new PreK classroom today so far he seems to like it.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2015 9:35 AM
I wonder if the floor shaking caused by the dryer could sooth Julian to sleep.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2015 9:37 AM
Also, I wonder if the bassinet in the office is sturdy enough to handle Julian’s pounding feet.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2015 1:15 PM
Julian just rolled from back to front for the first time!

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2015 5;07 PM
I need to get in the habit of buying yogurt again so I have ice cream containers.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2015 5:07 PM
I wonder if putting ice cream in a zip lock bag would work . . .

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2016 6:55 AM
Wow, I don’t remember the last time I saw an article reporting thoughtfully on a medical study. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/15/490069664/how-big-a-risk-is-acetaminophen-during-pregnancy

2017

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2017 3:28 PM
Calvin is failing basic pedestrian common sense :(

Twitter: August 15

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2009 7:55 AM
I just cut Calvin’s fingernails yesterday but somehow he managed to scratch his face last night.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2009 2:53 PM
We headed out to Sabbath School but Calvin was asleep when we got there.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2009 2:53 PM
I didn’t want to wake him, so I sat in the car reading till he woke up which was an hour later.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2009 2:53 PM
So, we missed everything but the parent socialization part of Sabbath School.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2009 2:54 PM
I didn’t want to force him back into the car seat so soon so we stayed for church and I entertained him in the mother’s room.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2009 5:02 PM
Calvin was batting so hard at one of the links on the activity link gym that he disconnected it from the base.

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2010 9:06 AM
Had an early skype call with Grandma and now off to work.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2010 3:34 PM
Calvin had a long nap so we’re going to have to hurry to get grocery shopping done before supper.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2010 5:15 PM
I like King Sooper’s pre-made pizza but labeling it “wholesome@home” may be going a bit far.

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2011 7:10 AM
Calvin had a lot of fun going camping. However, once again he slept very poorly at night.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2011 1:21 PM
It boggles my mind that 2 credit card transactions and 1 payment can take 4 double-sided legal sheets to explain.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2011 1:22 PM
Only 3 of the 8 sheets actually deal with my credit card. The rest try to sell me stuff.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2011 2:21 PM
It’s amazingly hard when given only a few choices to find a security question I’m going to remember the answer to.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2011 4:37 PM
From daycare: “Calvin liked kicking the balls around.”

2012

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2012 12:35 PM
Calvin just randomly started spouting quotes from _The Cat & the Hat_. It centered around whether one should shake hands with Things 1&2.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2012 12:45 PM
Calvin has discovered the revolving office chairs.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2012 5:00 PM
Calvin and Grandma are playing hide and seek with Calvin’s hat.

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2013 5:55 PM
Meal tonight: camping experiment.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2013 6:03 PM
Well, Calvin adores the experiment. I am not so thrilled but am working under the assumption it’ll taste better camping.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2015 1:54 PM
Julian went to sleep too easily. I’m betting he’s going to try to wake up in 1/2 hr.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2015 6:24 PM
Julian does not appear to be impressed by the concept of “solid” food.

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2016 6:48 PM
Calvin had a good 1st day of school :)

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2016 7:15 PM
Julian certainly has hangry down pat.

2019

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 15, 2019 3:21 PM
We have arrived! In other news, I guess I’m done carrying Julian as I left the carrier on the plane.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Aug 16, 2019 3:18 PM
I’m already trying to decide if I can/should track down a replacement carrier here. When he’s tired it’s far easier to carry him and really kills our arms.