Having nothing at all to do with Valentine's Day.
There is a fairly strict bedtime routine at the SuperM house. Little boys must be ready for bed by 8, but they can read until 8:30. Yes, we're very strict. Little girls go to bed even earlier.
A while back, when we were trying to convince him to become a full-fledged independent reader, Mr. Personality started taking his reading time in our bed. Mostly, this was because he and Universe Man were arguing over who got to sit in the blue chair in their room otherwise, but then again, Mr. Personality never wants to be alone, and sometimes your brother doesn't count as another person.
So Mr. Personality mostly reads before bed in our room, and lately he's been going through one of those "downs" in his reading. Last weekend he was reading Harry Potter, and this week he's been reading picture books. I suspect it might be the kid equivalent of reading a trashy romance novel or a thriller. Because I am a neurotic mother, this drives me nuts, and tonight he wanted to read the picture book I had just read to his baby sister, she of the short attention span at bedtime. Lo and behold, on the floor in his bedroom (which is not where it belongs) was a book I remembered fondly from my own childhood. An easier read than Harry Potter, but definitely an appropriate book for Mr. Personality.
I gave him the book. He told me he didn't want to read it. He finished the picture book and wanted something else to read. I handed him the book. Evidently, it met with his approval, because the next time I looked at him, he was deep in the book.
And the next time. And 10 minutes after that. By this point, it's 8:25 or so and I ask him to find a "stop spot" (family lingo for finding a place to put down whatever it is you're doing, usually referring to books, computer games, or knitting).
He ignores me (also SOP in this family where books are concerned). I get distracted. By now it's 8:40, and I ask him what happened to his stop spot. He continues to read. I remind him that it's a big day at school tomorrow, which it is. He keeps reading.
Finally, I see that he's turned the page to start a new chapter. I remove the book from his hands, sparking a vehement (but tired) protest.
He. Can't. Stop. Reading. The. Book.
He's my child all right.
Mine. All mine.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Mess
In preparation for (or perhaps in honor of) my new job, we've embarked upon a new organizational adventure. In particular, the part of the guest room/office space that has become the repository for all of those boxes needs to be cleaned out. I need that space to put my brand new desk for the work at home part of my gig.
The problem with organizational adventures is that while they usually turn out well, or at least you hope they do, in the short term they generate mess. Sometimes a lot of mess. Or, in the case of the current adventure, a truly gigantic amount of mess.
On the plus side, many of the kids' games are now playable for the first time in who knows who long. This makes them very happy, and makes me even happier because when they start whining about there being nothing to do besides play the computer (having used up their computer time), it's much easier to come up with multiple concrete examples of things there are to do that are not the computer. With so many games (and there are many, many games), I can usually find something they're willing to play.
On the minus side, we clearly have multiples of several games. How many Memory games does anyone need? I suspect that it's something less than the either 3 or 4 that have surfaced.
On the great big minus side is the mess. We made huge inroads into the mess during Relly Girl's afternoon nap yesterday, but then had to gate a room off from everyone because she woke up mid-mess. Most of that mess is gone now (organized even), but the guest room/office space is very, very much a work in progress. Lots of progress has been made, in no small part because LSH decided to take his day off to work on the house, but it's still spread over most of the floor. Usually that would mean that the floor would be covered for a while, LSH having an incredible tolerance for disorder, but I think my Dad is coming this week and see above re guest room. He's got to have room to walk.
And then there's the every day mess generated by 3 kids, 4 dogs, and a very messy husband, but right now, that kind of mess doesn't even rate.
The problem with organizational adventures is that while they usually turn out well, or at least you hope they do, in the short term they generate mess. Sometimes a lot of mess. Or, in the case of the current adventure, a truly gigantic amount of mess.
On the plus side, many of the kids' games are now playable for the first time in who knows who long. This makes them very happy, and makes me even happier because when they start whining about there being nothing to do besides play the computer (having used up their computer time), it's much easier to come up with multiple concrete examples of things there are to do that are not the computer. With so many games (and there are many, many games), I can usually find something they're willing to play.
On the minus side, we clearly have multiples of several games. How many Memory games does anyone need? I suspect that it's something less than the either 3 or 4 that have surfaced.
On the great big minus side is the mess. We made huge inroads into the mess during Relly Girl's afternoon nap yesterday, but then had to gate a room off from everyone because she woke up mid-mess. Most of that mess is gone now (organized even), but the guest room/office space is very, very much a work in progress. Lots of progress has been made, in no small part because LSH decided to take his day off to work on the house, but it's still spread over most of the floor. Usually that would mean that the floor would be covered for a while, LSH having an incredible tolerance for disorder, but I think my Dad is coming this week and see above re guest room. He's got to have room to walk.
And then there's the every day mess generated by 3 kids, 4 dogs, and a very messy husband, but right now, that kind of mess doesn't even rate.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Random Things
Random #1
If you're going to give notice, there are better and worse ways to do it. I have no ideas about worse (though I can imagine), but I now have experience in better. The people I work with are (and remain) wonderful people who do great work. So far at least, they seem to be able to accept the reasons behind my choice and to genuinely wish me well. Even the person who hired me (going out on a limb to do so) and trained me. I guess the training took too well.
I also suspect that some others at the company won't fully appreciate me until I'm gone. Just by virtue of the way my brain works and the length of time I've spent at the company, I hold an awful lot of things in my head and know where to find all kinds of things in the archives. Not that I won't answer questions after I've gone, but it's not the same at all.
Change is nervous-making, and I'm definitely nervous. I think that the new position will be better for me professionally and better for my family and the juggling act we call work/family balance. That's what I'm aiming for.
Random #2
Apparently Relly Girl absorbs what's going on at Tot Shabbat even when she isn't obviously paying attention. Tonight she found the small stuffed Torah and started dancing around and singing the appropriate song for the occasion. Most of the words were even Hebrew too. She's had a favorite song for weeks that she sings on many occasions and starts up with whenever we go to the building, Shabbat or not.
Random #3
Keeping kids in books is hard work. Mr. Personality has decided to eat (devour) the Spiderwick Chronicles. He and Universe Man saw a preview for the movie and they know the rule that you can't see a movie until you've read the book (not that they'll necessarily see the movie), so I took the first book out. Today I picked books 2-4 up from the library, and Mr. Personality has already finished eating book 2. Don't even get me started on trying to keep Universe Man in books. At least they like to re-read things or I don't know what I'd do.
Random #4
I think I've decided on my next sweater for me. Or possibly my next two sweaters. And yarn for each. Coincidentally, I bought the yarn at the same time. I'm going to cannibalize my Titled Duster (AKA Tilted Duster) to make Arwen and use some wool tweed I picked up at Webs to make the pullover version of Eris. Never mind the other things that are started or the sweater I've promised Mr. Personality (which will require much swatching and designing, which is my only excuse for not jumping into it) or the felted clogs I should make so that I don't ruin all my handknit socks this winter or the sweater I'm test-knitting that will be for Relly Girl. And I really should get some pictures of knitting things up here.
If you're going to give notice, there are better and worse ways to do it. I have no ideas about worse (though I can imagine), but I now have experience in better. The people I work with are (and remain) wonderful people who do great work. So far at least, they seem to be able to accept the reasons behind my choice and to genuinely wish me well. Even the person who hired me (going out on a limb to do so) and trained me. I guess the training took too well.
I also suspect that some others at the company won't fully appreciate me until I'm gone. Just by virtue of the way my brain works and the length of time I've spent at the company, I hold an awful lot of things in my head and know where to find all kinds of things in the archives. Not that I won't answer questions after I've gone, but it's not the same at all.
Change is nervous-making, and I'm definitely nervous. I think that the new position will be better for me professionally and better for my family and the juggling act we call work/family balance. That's what I'm aiming for.
Random #2
Apparently Relly Girl absorbs what's going on at Tot Shabbat even when she isn't obviously paying attention. Tonight she found the small stuffed Torah and started dancing around and singing the appropriate song for the occasion. Most of the words were even Hebrew too. She's had a favorite song for weeks that she sings on many occasions and starts up with whenever we go to the building, Shabbat or not.
Random #3
Keeping kids in books is hard work. Mr. Personality has decided to eat (devour) the Spiderwick Chronicles. He and Universe Man saw a preview for the movie and they know the rule that you can't see a movie until you've read the book (not that they'll necessarily see the movie), so I took the first book out. Today I picked books 2-4 up from the library, and Mr. Personality has already finished eating book 2. Don't even get me started on trying to keep Universe Man in books. At least they like to re-read things or I don't know what I'd do.
Random #4
I think I've decided on my next sweater for me. Or possibly my next two sweaters. And yarn for each. Coincidentally, I bought the yarn at the same time. I'm going to cannibalize my Titled Duster (AKA Tilted Duster) to make Arwen and use some wool tweed I picked up at Webs to make the pullover version of Eris. Never mind the other things that are started or the sweater I've promised Mr. Personality (which will require much swatching and designing, which is my only excuse for not jumping into it) or the felted clogs I should make so that I don't ruin all my handknit socks this winter or the sweater I'm test-knitting that will be for Relly Girl. And I really should get some pictures of knitting things up here.
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