1. The Universe of Things. A got me a set of Philips Hue bulbs for Christmas. It’s the first step in automating our house, so it turns on lights when we walk into a room and turns down the heat when we’re not home. There are a bunch of controllers out there you can buy, but the best one we’ve found is OpenHab. It’s an open-source platform, meaning that it doesn’t rely on any proprietary technology — it will let us make things talk to other things, even if the manufacturers decide to stop making them compatible. Of course, it’s also about the most user-unfriendly interface ever. And yes, I eagerly await the day when our robot overlords rule the earth. Continue reading “The Monday Review”
Tag: parenting
Monday Roundup
1. If you see something, say something. Last week, A came home from work and told me he thought he heard someone locked in the trunk in the car next to him, maybe like some teenagers were fooling around, and should he call 911? I hesitated a moment, then told him if it was my kid, I’d want him to call. This week, as I was driving home from dropping Z at school, I saw a brush fire off the highway. Again, I hesitated, figuring someone else would make the call, but did it. In both cases, we were the first report.
2. Sometimes, when my toddler is making me absolutely crazy, I sing the soft kitty song to myself. Don’t judge, it helps.
3. Zanna’s current obsession is boats. I took her down to the marina this week to see the boats go to bed. She had a blast running around.
4. Bar exam results came out this Friday, at 6 pm. As an afternoon distraction, Z and I went on a sunset toddler hike with Hike It Baby. The kids walked almost the whole way up, stopping frequently, of course, to pick up sticks and rocks, run backwards, and look at the poop on the trail. They were really, really into the poop. (I passed, and am thrilled to have that done and over with.)
5. I’ve become an unexpected Six Flags convert. My parents didn’t take us to amusement parks much, probably because they’re so flipping expensive. So even though there’s a Six Flags in the town we live in, I didn’t contemplate going. Until the 2016 tickets went on crazy sale. I am now a full-on believer in amusement parks for the toddler set. They’ve got a ton of kid rides, lines so far have been completely reasonable, and I’ve never had problems bringing in toddler snacks. If you’re in the area, you should do it.
Closing Tabs
I’ve been trying to come up with a better name for these than Monday Roundup, but “Monday Funday” is a lie and “Monday Blues” is to depressing. Feel free to put suggestions in the comments.
Vegetables are totally underrated, kids. You can do really fantastic things with them. Like this pineapple bourbon sweet potato casserole or this savory roasted vegetable crumble. We’re in charge of vegetables for Thanksgiving this year, so you might see one or both of these. On a side note, I’m on the lookout for good recipe blogs. If you have one you follow, let me know.
Mental illness has a tendency to be invisible, especially when someone appears put together externally. Esme Weijung Wang talks about Fashioning Normal.
While I won’t deny that there’s a small part of me hoping Z will be a prodigy kid, like this 14 year old rock climber, mostly I just want her to be happy and have a real childhood.
My views on tipping servers changed after I started dating a chef and learned how little they make. I think Danny Meyer is making the right move by abolishing tipping, and would love to see this spread.
I’m pretty sure the family that got the shout out from Patrick Rothfuss here is ours. Presents have definitely gotten less important to me as I’ve gotten older. 8, 16, and 24 year old me would all be shocked by that statement, but it’s true. Spending time with my family and friends is pretty much all I need to keep me happy these days.
That’s it from me. What interesting bits of the internet have you come across this week? What are you looking forward to making for Thanksgiving?
Monday Roundup
In an effort to help myself get out of bed early to write, I’m going to try doing a weekly round-up post Monday. This will be a post for quick blurbs about what’s going on with me, various articles I’ve read over the past week, and such.
1. I’m going to be in DC and NY this week for a colleague’s funeral. It’s going to be a super quick trip (DC Tuesday night and Wednesday am; NY Wednesday night and leaving Thursday), but if you’re around and want to meet up, let me know. On a related note, thanks to everyone for all the love and support over the past few days. I never cease to be amazed by how awesome all my friends are.
2. This month is NaNo, but I’m not doing it. I think I would probably go crazy trying to fit in 2,000 words a day, on top of everything else that’s going on. Instead, I’m going to work on actually getting out of bed at 6 am when my alarm goes off instead of rolling over and catching another 30 minutes of sleep. I’m going easy on myself and defining writing loosely – blog posts, short stories, Railroad – anything that involves my ass in a chair and my fingers writing.
3. Speaking of writing, I think I finally know how to finish a story I’ve been working on since high school. I have high hopes for this one, but it is going to involve a ton of work and a complete rewrite. My goal is to finish the rough draft this week, and have it submission ready by the end of the month.
4. We are about 75% moved into the new house. I can’t say often enough how nice it is to finally live somewhere that feels like home. Even the ugly wallpaper doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it ought to. I’m also glad that we haven’t bought much furniture yet, because nearly nothing we own matches with the house. I know, I know, first world problems. But it’s been fun to start looking on Craigslist and at estate sales for pieces that will work. We’re hoping to furnish it mainly with used pieces, things that were built to last (and with any luck built around the same time as the house). And it’s definitely going to be a slow, paycheck to paycheck process.
5. Z turned 2 on Saturday. She’s such a real kid now. Almost overnight, she started using two and three word sentences. She has her own language, which I will miss when she grows out of it. “Ah” is want, “kecks” is socks, and “home” is hand, like give me a hand. When she says “my home” she means “help me out here.” It’s exciting to watch her figure things out, even if she does throw a tantrum approximately every 2.75 minutes.
Closing Tabs
Not much this week, as I do most of my web reading through Facebook and it doesn’t have a good history feature. I’ll open more in browser next week, so I can save them for you. In the meantime, here’s a few from the week.
The Real Reason Germs Spread in Winter: Hint: it’s not because you didn’t blow dry your hair before you went out. Also, after reading this I’m seriously considering donating a humidifier to Z’s daycare.
Brown Butter Banana Bread: This is a super forgiving recipe. I had no measuring cups or spoons, so I winged it using the measuring cup for the rice and one of Z’s baby spoons. It still rose beautifully and smelled great. I can’t tell you how it tasted, though, since I realized after baking that the buttermilk I used expired about 3 weeks ago and threw the whole thing out.
Why Food Allergy Fakers Need to Stop: This was a long read, but worth it. When I was waiting tables, I definitely had customers who would tell me they were allergic to something, then look at the substitute, and say they wanted the original after all. Also, none of the restaurants I worked in had allergy procedures like this (or if they did, the servers weren’t told).
I’m looking forward reading Wake of Vultures. A few of my favorite book reviewers and authors have already put it on the must-read list. Also, if you haven’t yet read Chuck Wendig’s Miriam Black books, you should get on that.
#mommyfail
We started Z on formula today. Part of me is relieved about this. It means that pumping will no longer be a nightmare measured in ounces. It means that I can stop desperately trying to stockpile three days worth of milk in the freezer for when I have to travel. It means that if a late afternoon meeting runs over, I don’t have to choose between getting home in time to bathe her and put her to sleep or staying at work to pump so that I have enough milk to feed her the next day.
Mostly, I feel like a failure.
I couldn’t make enough milk for my daughter. I wasn’t willing to work hard enough. To pump longer, or more often. I cared more about my own convenience than about her health. I’m worried that writing this down will make people think less of me.
My friends who post stories on Facebook about how breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your baby. My friends and family who’ve had kids and breastfed all the through.
I could justify it. I could tell you how long I struggled with this decision. I could tell you I asked my husband to buy the formula, because I couldn’t do it myself. I could tell you I pump five times a day, starting at six and ending at midnight, and I still can’t always get enough milk. I could tell you I’m trying not to cry while I type this. I could tell you that we’re just supplementing, not switching over to all formula.
But none of that matters, because I still feel like I’ve failed.
The women of my mother’s generation fought so that their daughters could have it all. A career. A family.
The women of my generation need to fight so that our daughters have it right. Parental leave for both parents that’s long enough to get back to human. A culture that views parenting as work which is just as hard and important as any other job – and compensates parents for the time they spend raising their children. An understanding that if one partner in a relationship wants it “all”, the other will need to make sacrifices in equal proportion. A culture free of judgement, free of the mommy wars, focused instead on what works for each family.
#haveitright
Things That Happen When You Become A Parent
1. You find yourself rocking back and forth, even when you’re not holding the baby.
2. Going to bed at 8 pm is the best thing ever.
3. You sing, everywhere, all the time. On the street, in the subway, in stores. Carrying the tune and knowing the lyrics are optional.
4. You realize around dinner time that you haven’t showered or brushed your teeth all day.
5. Everything gets a cute name. Her toys. Her outfits. The dishes.
6. Random things like shower drains and lawnmowers sound like a crying baby.
7. You turn into a human jungle gym. Hair, glasses, ears all become handles.
8. Going to the bathroom becomes a family activity.
9. Posting to your blog becomes one of those things you did before you had children.
10. The best part of your day is coming home and seeing her smile.