Author Archives: kiesa

Twitter: January 3

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2010 8:28 AM
Calvin woke up at 5:00 PST today. I’m hoping this means he’ll transition back to MST easily though the timing is suspicious.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2010 8:45 AM
Calvin wore out himself and Grandma so both are now down for a nap.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2010 10:10 AM
I’m starting the herculean task of trying to fit all of Calvin’s presents in our luggage.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2010 12:36 PM
*Finally* finished packing. The large suitcase is 49 lbs so I hope my scale is the same as Southwest.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2010 4:03 PM
Got through security ok.

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2011 7:29 PM
Calvin slept well last night and is still sleeping I think I have to wake him up soon . . .

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2011 12:32 PM
I have an appointment to see a doctor!

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2011 1:00 PM
Time to start slogging through the massive amount of receipts that have piled up over vacation.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2011 8:16 PM
Calvin has graduate to his high chair being at the family dinner table instead of exiled in the kitchen.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2011 8:17 PM
From daycare: “Calvin had lots of fun exploring the room and playing in the kitchen area.”

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2011 8:18 PM
After daycare, we went to the library and then did some grocery shopping before coming home.

2012

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2012 5:56 PM
From daycare, “Calvin had fun making a gingerbread man.”

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2014 4:05 PM
Calvin is playing Mr. Potato Head on a real computer! (I’m slightly worried the iPad is too easy :) )

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2016 10:15 AM
I’m now shopping at the bookshop of mom. This could be dangerous.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2016 11:20 AM
I’m bringing home 17 lbs of books because what we need right before moving is more books.

2017

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2017 7:13 PM
I’m multitasking: watching Julian take a bath, listening to Calvin read, and packing up the bathroom.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2017 8:05 PM
I just found a pacifier inside a couch cushion. I sat down and the cushion was oddly lumpy.

2022

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2022 9:43 AM
Calvin is proselytizing goggle wearing and gave Julian a pair for Christmas. (He’s wearing a mask because we’re getting a furnace today (!!!) and have people in the house.)

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2022 3:02 PM
Hm, finally took the time to try to put my treadmill back together after the move. I thought I was just missing screws. It turns out that part of the panel was torn off instead of unscrewed. I think I can get it stable enough to use . . .

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2022 3:02 PM
Our furnace installers are here right now which makes me particularly reluctant to spend the money more a new treadmill.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2022 3:02 PM
(Craigslist often has oodles of treadmills but we don’t have a truck for transport and renting a uhaul always feels overkill.)

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 3, 2022 3:06 PM
Um, there’s only one screw that wasn’t ripped out so I think this is a write off :( Too basic didn’t figure that out before it spent 5 months cluttering the living room.

[This problem was later solved with zip ties so, as of 2024, we still have the original treadmill.]

Twitter: January 2

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2010 9:31 AM
I have Calvin in his new astronaut outfit today. He’s very cute though the pants are a little long.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2010 9:32 AM
Calvin looks very baby bird-like when he has his eyes closed and his mouth open searching for a bottle.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2010 1:51 PM
I can finally see Calvin’s elusive 4th upper tooth that daycare kept telling us about.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2010 5:28 PM
Took a drive to get Calvin to sleep and stopped by the Winchell’s house for a couple of minutes.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2010 9:38 PM
Last night in WA. I’ll miss all the sleeping in I’ve been able to do this vacation. Grandmas are wonderful :)

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2011 8:24 AM
Last day in Lincoln. Calvin did reasonably well the entire time. We even figured out how to feed him without a high chair.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2011 6:17 PM
Calvin and I have arrived home after 3 weeks of traveling!

2017

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2017 4:49 PM
I have two heads of cabbage in the fridge and feel like I should be using it but I don’t want to :(

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 2, 2017 5:21 PM
My curry leaves are gone. I guess I’m limited to North Indian till I can get down to Sunnyvale.

Twitter: January 1

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2011 2:38 PM
Calvin is finally down for his nap.

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2016 3:51 PM
We went to Powells and I bought a lot of books. Mostly for Calvin.

2017

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2017 11:32 AM
It seems like Julian is trying to drop his last nap :(

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2017 11:34 AM
It was so novel having a child that actually napped during the day. I will miss that.

2018

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2018 8:21 AM
It’s been a really, really, long time since I stayed up that week. I have a bad feeling I knocked my schedule off and I’m going to be fuzzy for the next week.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2018 10:10 AM
I normally adore fog but given how late I was up last night I was kind of hoping for bright sunlight to help me stay awake.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2018 11:22 AM
Made it out of the house to the playground! Had to run to catch the bus but we made it.

2020

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2020 12:49 PM
Ok, this is weird. It was raining cats and dogs prior to around 8am here but has been sunny since. I just came outside for my lunch walk and it’s downright balmy.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2020 12:51 PM
See, I’m not making this up.

2021

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Jan 1, 2021 10:20 AM
I’ve spent most days this week thinking it’s Sunday and today is no exception. Less than one week before I start working for pay again though!!

Reading in 2023

Since 2016 I’ve made three interstate moves, have worked at three different jobs, had some extremely fraught years in my marriage, and lived through a pandemic. Now I’m objectively in a good place but emotionally I’m still pretty fragile and I think that’s reflected in my reading this past year.

In 2023 I read more books than in 2022 but fewer pages. About 15% of my reading this year was rereading old favorites and the new books I read were often relatively short. While I don’t keep track of my Did Not Finish stats, I know there were many books this year that I started but did not finish. In most cases, this was not a reflection of the quality of the book but rather it wasn’t the right book for me when I was trying to read it.

If you’re curious, you can see my StoryGraph stats for 2023 here.

This blog post got a little out of hand so a quick table of contents to the sections below:
My Favorite Books in 2023
Hugo Award Nominees
Reading Holiday
Interior Design Books

My Favorite Books in 2023

Below are not necessarily the “best” books I read in 2023 but they are the ones I enjoyed the most. (I linked to the author’s website if they have a good landing page for the book, otherwise it’s a StoryGraph link.)

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow (read A Spindle Splintered first) – Another Sleeping Beauty retelling. Both books in the series are novellas and are nice quick reads.
The Bald Mermaid: A Memoir by Sheila Bridges – I continue my obsession with reading interior design books. While look for new books, I stumbled across this memoir by interior designer Sheila Bridges.
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (this is the second in the series, Legendborn is the first) – Legendborn is one of those books where I immediately bought it after reading it from the library. It’s a King Arthur reborn story and I loved how it centers the story around a Black woman. Bloodmarked took me a little longer to get into but once I did it was also fantastic.
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher – I think working for a university made me appreciate this book more than I would have otherwise. However, it’s a fun book regardless if you like cranky people trying to do the right thing in spite of themselves.
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl – I’m fairly certain I found this via Modern Mrs. Darcy but I can’t remember what made me pick it up. Regardless, I found this memoir both interesting and delightful. It’s the story of a food critic going undercover in order to provide real reviews.
Good Neighbors: The Full Collection by Stephanie Burgis – This is a delightful fantasy romance. The heroine is technically savvy and very suspicious of people. It’s a quick fun read.
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison (it would be best to read The Witness for the Dead first)
How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis – I wrote a whole blog post about this book but I think I managed to miss the essence of why I like it. This book gives you permission to not be perfect. It’s ok to try for “good enough” and if that bar is still too high, to just concentrate on staying alive.
Love Poems for People with Children by John Kenney (re-read) – This is a short collection of snarky poetry. As I recall, I didn’t mean to re-read it but had wanted to refer to one of the poems in it and the next thing I knew I had read the whole thing. Love Poems for Married People is also fun. The New Yorker has a couple of the poems here.
The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Jen Gunter – I haven’t reached menopause yet but it’s probably only a couple of years away at this point so I decided to get a head start on reading about it. This was a good book and one I expect I’ll read again in a couple of years.
The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray – This was a delightful murder mystery. I’m impressed by how Claudia Gray brought together so many of Jane Austen’s main characters under one roof. However, I particularly liked her descriptions of the two young people who work together to solve the mystery.
One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good by Regina Leeds – Still one of my favorite organizing books. Mind you, I haven’t followed any of her suggestions, I just like imagining a perfectly organized life. That said, I’m thinking about trying a light version of her approach this next year. We’ll see.
Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow – Most of Doctorow’s books are not for me. However, Jaeger notified me about a kickstarter he was doing for his newest book at the time, Red Team Blues. I took a look and the premise sounded interesting. In addition, I am very anti-DRM (I want to own my books, not lease them, and be able to use them on all of my devices) so it seemed like a good fit. I got the audio version, which is how I usually listen to mysteries, but Jaeger bought the hardcover. It’s a quick fun story and I’ll probably listen to it again.
Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod – This was a recent holiday listen and I really enjoyed the dour and moderately cranky professor. After years of being harassed for not decorating his house for Christmas the professor snaps and commissions an excessively gaudy display to be installed and then leaves for the weekend. When he returns, he finds a dead body in his house. Everyone wants to believe it’s just an accident but the professor thinks something else is going on and starts investigating.
Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke – Slack is my work’s primary communication method so a story about someone somehow getting uploaded to an internal Slack channel was quite fun.
The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa – This is the type of Science Fiction novel I particularly enjoy. One person starts out with a hopeless situation and manages to both survive and win in the end (at least for some definitions of “win”).
System Collapse by Martha Wells (if you have never read a Murderbot book, start with All Systems Red) – Murderbot is loved by many and I’m no exception. I love Murderbot’s annoyance with having to deal with people.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – As I get older I appreciate books with older protagonists. I love the idea of a group of retired people getting together and solving crimes. Plus, they all have their own backstories that we start learning.
Translation State by Ann Leckie – Another book in the Ancillary Justice universe. It would be best to read that series first. I’m always impressed by how Leckie can write very different perspectives.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto – Another older woman who decides to solve a murder. This was such a nice cozy book.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – This was a really fun story. I love the idea of a real witch pretending to be a fake witch on social media.
Where Peace is Lost by Valerie Valdes – This was probably my favorite space opera of the year. It’s an interesting story and the ending gets delightfully operatic.

Hugo Award Nominees

I did not set a reading goal for last year but reading the Hugo Award nominees is often an unofficial goal and I did fairly well this year. I read:

Best Novel – all 6 nominees
Best Novella – I also read all 6
Best Novelette – 5 of the nominees. There’s one author I have given myself permission to not even try because, while objectively a good writer, they never work for me
Short Stories – all six short stories though a couple I had to read via computer translation
Series – This is always a hard one for me. Usually I try to read at least one book in each series. This year I had read books in 5 of the series but have never read any in this year’s winner, the Children of Time Series
Best Graphic Novel or Comic – none
Best Related Work – none, though Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road still intrigues me
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form – I watched two of these: Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won, and Turning Red which I also liked
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form – none
Best Editor, Short Form – probably none – short stories are hard for me
Best Editor, Long Form – I did reasonably well, for me, in this category and ended up reading works edited by three of the nominees. That’s only 50% of the nominees but it’s 75% of the nominees with English works (as far as I could tell, two nominees only edited works available in Chinese).
Best Professional Artist – none
Best Semiprozine – none
Best Fanzine – only one
Best Fancast – I’ve listened to episodes from four of the six nominees
Best Fan Writer – I think this is where I may have inadvertently read some of the nominees’ works but I didn’t vote in this category
Best Fan Artist – none
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book – I read four of these nominees and started a fifth which I was unable to finish (but may try again later)
Astounding Award for Best New Writer – I read works from three of the six

Reading Holiday

I’m once again reluctant to make a reading goal for next year. However, I have decided to start the year with a reading holiday. I’m taking three days of vacation from work, around a weekend for a total of five days. This is before the kids go back to school so I don’t have to worry about waking up early or making school lunches for them (they’re perfectly capable of getting their own breakfasts/lunches at home). In addition, this gives me extra time to relax and recover from the chaos around Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. I’ve been mulling this idea for about a month and it took a while but I have a general idea of what I want the reading vacation to look like.

I’ve decided to try to read one book a day during the reading holiday. I’m not entirely sure if I can realistically do this or not. I’ve definitely read entire books in one day but I don’t know that I’ve ever done it multiple days in a row before. Each day will be a different genre and I’m going to try to stick to authors I haven’t read before. I’ve identified both a first choice and backup book (in case I start the first book and hate it, or I can’t get it in time). Most of these books look like they should be quick reads.

Thursday – Young Adult or Juvenile

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Backup: Damned If You Do by Alex Brown

2nd Backup: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Friday – Romance

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Backup: Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa

Saturday – Mystery

The House Keepers by Alex Hay

Backup: The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims

2nd Backup: Death on the Down Beat: An Orchestral Fantasy of Detection by Sebastian Farr

Sunday – Memoir or Non-fiction

Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge: Intimate Confessions from a Happy Marriage by Helen Ellis

Backup: Now What?: How to Move Forward When We’re Divided About Basically Everything by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers

Monday – Science Fiction or Fantasy

This one I’m a bit stumped. I was originally planning to read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin but belatedly realized it wasn’t SFF (I’m not sure why I thought it was).

My backup is The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie. I’ll probably make that one my primary and come up with another backup. On the other hand, I have quite a few SFF books checked out so maybe I’ll just grab one from my existing TBR stack.

Interior Design Books

I’m still reading a lot of interior design books. It’s slightly obsessive and there’s something going on there but I’m not exactly sure what. It’s probably related to moving so much the past couple of years and being determined to take root this time. In any case, this is a bit tricky because while the library generally will buy books I request, they have been reluctant to buy more interior design books. After my most recent request was denied I asked and was told that it was due to shelf space and that they don’t circulate well enough to justify the cost. Clearly, I could straight-up buy more interior design books but we spend a lot of money on books already and I’m reluctant to buy interior design books because I rarely reread them. If I don’t think I’m going to reread a book, I usually weed it which seems overall like a waste. After some thought, I’ve decided to try buying used copies. I don’t love this approach because, unlike the library or buying directly, the author doesn’t get any cut of my purchase. However, if I end up really loving the book I can always repurchase it new.

Twitter: December 31

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 10:27 AM
Calvin had apricots for breakfast. Now he is down for his first nap of the morning.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 1:30 PM
Just got internet back. It’s weird how dependent I’ve become. When it’s out, it’s like sense has stopped working.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 3:51 PM
Trying to convince Calvin to go down for his 2nd nap of the day but so far he isn’t enthusiastic about this idea.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 4:32 PM
Calvin never managed to go down for an afternoon nap. I guess he’ll just be cranky until bedtime.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 4:59 PM
Calvin was walking with assistance from Grandma.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 8:18 PM
Calvin has gone to bed for the night. He didn’t fight it at all as he never got an afternoon nap.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2009 8:29 PM
Well, maybe I spoke too soon. Calvin woke up and is now complaining loudly. I’m hoping he goes back to sleep on his own.

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2014 11:12 AM
In a bid to match @calvinsdad’s expenses, I have a prenatal massage scheduled for today.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2015 7:02 AM
Heard a strange sound on my work computer. It’s the fan again. Take a look and realize the bottom of my computer fell off.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2015 2:35 PM
Julian visits the Kelso Public Library!

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2016 8:50 PM
I put Julian to bed around 7:40 but he and Calvin are now singing to each other.

2017

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2017 9:01 AM
I ran away from home and ended up here.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2017
I must be the last person to hear about this but it certainly explains a lot: https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-20-ios-11-control-center-doesnt-fully-turn-off-wifi-or-bluetooth.html

2020

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 31, 2020
This is definitely the correct policy for online classes and meetings.

Twitter: December 30

2009

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2009 5:23 pm
Went to Portland today to drop @calvinsdad off at the airport and then did a bit of shopping. Calvin was remarkably happy the entire time.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2009 5:24 PM
Went to Ya Hala for lunch and Calvin *loved* the hummus and baba ganoush.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2009 7:33 PM
After more complaining than normal, Calvin is finally asleep.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2009 7:41 PM
@calvinsdad Good luck.

2011

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2011 10:56 AM
Up in the Space Needle for 1st time. Lived in WA for 20+ years and don’t go till I move away.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2011 7:59 PM
Little disappointed in Elliott Bay Book Company: no romance. Though the SF section was decent and the cafe had Catan and Carcassonne.

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2014 6:58 AM
Calvin is still asleep but Calvin’s ipod apparently decided it was storytime and randomly turned on at the charging station.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2014 7:28 AM
The Universal Packing List is pretty decent but doesn’t include all the weird things pregnant women need to pack.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2014 7:38 AM
Calvin couldn’t decide which slippers to use so he came down with one Lightening McQueen slipper and one shark slipper.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2014 8:50 AM
I’m feeling pretty good this morning. Am crossing my fingers I’m over the worse.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2015 7:32 AM
Julian woke up ready to go back to bed. However, he’s signaling dissent by flinging pacifiers.

2016

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 30, 2016 3:24 PM
Current house stage: it has to get messier before it gets cleaner.

Twitter: December 29

2012

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2012 5:30 PM
Calvin and I have arrived back at the hotel. We are looking forward to eating.

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2013 1:05 PM
Our frantic search for a bathroom did not end in disaster. Much to my surprise.

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2014 11:14 AM
Calvin wrote out instructions on how to build his latest Lego race car.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2015 10:40 AM
I like this reading goal framework: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/2016-reading-challenge/ I might give it a try. Not sure yet.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2015 12:33 PM
I think I just confuse our au pair more whenever I try to explain how the US government works.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2015 4:43 PM
There’s so many books I want to read that I know I won’t have the time for. Someday Julian won’t require as much attention . . .

2021

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 29, 2021 8:44 PM
I’d probably prefer the train stay on time but it’s really, really fun to be lying in bed on a train.

(I have given Julian the bottom bunk and have retreated to the top until it’s my bedtime.)

Twitter: December 28

2010

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2010 9:54 AM
Frontier web check-in attempt: “Your reservation requires special handling.” This doesn’t sound like the beginning of a happy story.

2013

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2013 8:48 AM
Somehow our entire family managed to sleep till 8:40 this morning.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2013 9:24 PM
Calvin visits another park: https://kiesa.festing.org/wordpress/2013/12/28/st-marys-square-playground-san-francisco-ca/

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2014 10:34 AM
I still have a runny nose but feel ok otherwise. Suspect I’ll be worse by evening but at least morning is ok.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2014 4:56 PM
Still under the weather but feel a bit better than last night. I’m crossing my fingers it gets better from here (don’t laugh).

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2015 7:08 PM
We went to the thrift store and found Duplos so if course we (Grandma) had to buy for future Julian/Caleb visits.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2015 8:13 PM
We have magic suction cup bowls!

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2015 8:14 PM
We’re about to go treasure hunting in the garage. Send in a search party of we don’t report back in an hour or two.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2015 8:23 PM
@spreadsheetmom um, we’re back. That was too eady, it must have used a year’s worth of karma.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2015 8:52 PM
Legos as an investment option: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/investing/stocks-shares/lego-a-better-investment-than-shares-and-gold/

2019

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2019 3:42 PM
We are back. Willow is upset we left and I can foresee a night full of her meowing.

2020

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2020 9:13 AM
It’s amazing how much socializing Calvin will voluntarily do while avoiding chores.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2020 4:30 PM
I got back from a hike with @calvinsdad and Calvin was just leaving the house with Julian to hunt zombies. So, the procrastination is still happening. At least he’s getting a bit of exercise out of it.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2020 6:57 PM
I have explained to Calvin that tomorrow he will still be on the hook for cleaning but will get to do so without the benefit of audiobooks. This finally seems to have made an impression.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2020 6:58 PM
(All other computer/phone entertainment had already been turned off since Saturday night. I thought that would be enough encouragement by itself but apparently not.)

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 28, 2020 8:22 PM
The checklist works! Half-bath is clean with only a minimal number of questions from Calvin.

Twitter: December 27

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 27, 2015 5:49 AM
Julian and I both seem to doing better after sleeping 5pm-5am PST (other than a 45 min period around 12:30).

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 27, 2015 9:42 AM
Julian and I just woke up from a nap. I’m starting to feel human again.

2018

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 27, 2018 7:37 AM
What I really hate about living in a city is how often I’m tempted to walk past people who it turns out just need directions or a door held open for them.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 27, 2018 7:42 AM
One probably can make a good argument for stopping for everyone but I don’t and that’s not great either.

Twitter: December 26

2014

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 26, 2014 4:04 PM
I caught the cold :( No more candy and miso soup for supper.

2015

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 26, 2015 6:09 PM
Putting Julian to bed and then I’m following. Last night was terrible and he napped a total of 1 hr today.

2020

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 26, 2020 8:58 AM
I’m pretty sure I’m going to spend all of today thinking it’s Sunday.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 26, 2020 2:34 AM
Julian and Calvin climb tres.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 26, 2020 3:27 PM
Julian is taking winter seriously.

Kiesa @spreadsheetmom Dec 26, 2020 9:01 PM
I really want to go shopping in a physical thrift store again.