Saturday, July 30, 2011
Carrie and I are in a world of trouble!
Carrie and I are in a world of trouble! We're going to have to baby-proof EVERYTHING! Ha, ha!
My boy is crawling!
Wednesday night was the first time. I almost didn't believe what I saw. I don't think Shane believed it either because he only did it once or twice and then seemed to forget or lose interest in the whole experience. Thursday, he was at it again! Only this time, the lesson stuck! Carrie would put her phone on the floor and Shane would traverse the open expanses of carpet separating him from a Macintosh snack. She then used her phone to lure him into crawling under and through his jumper. Friday, Carrie emailed me this video while I was at work. I had been complaining that we didn't have enough photos/footage of the boy lately and she was obviously listening! Great video of a great boy!
Shane had been on the verge of crawling for at least a month and a half. Mostly, he'd just been rolling around like a pig in mud to get wherever he was going. I was able to safely set him down places and do chores as long as I made sure there were barriers he couldn't roll over. The little stinker can tackle straight lines now! It's baby-proofing time! Shane's always had a love for finding 'forbidden fruit' like paper, cardboard, and cell phones, but now he's been upgraded to a baby cruise missile of gnawing destruction. It'll be a miracle if the cats survive.
7 Months, 21 Days - Shane crawls.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Heat wave mostly cancelled, nightly walks resume!
The heat wave is finally subsiding! After a week of temperatures that sometimes topped 100 degrees F and heat indexes that hit as high as 115, summer is feeling a little more like summer and less like Death Valley. What a wonderful period of time to be driving a car without air conditioning, no?
The Jetta is dead. Long live the Prius!
...yes, I'm driving a Prius. It used to be Carrie's, but she's upgrading to a Tuscon that will hopefully be our version of a miniaturized mini-van. I do not need a new car, so I'm driving around the old car while my wife gets an upgrade. I was fine driving the Jetta around in the heat even without air conditioning, but with Shane around I don't want him cooking in the baby seat if I had to drive him somewhere. Plus, there was one night where Min kept burying her head in my armpits and trying to lick them. If that's not a sign that I need a car with air conditioning, then I don't know what is! Thank you for the advice, cat-who-loves-bad-smells.
Of course, as I pronounce the heat wave as 'subsiding' Weather.com tells me the rest of the week is going to still be in the mid-90s and there's another day topping out at 100 coming up. It almost makes me want to take Al Gore more seriously.
Thankfully, it was only in the mid-80s tonight. Shane and I have been going on nightly walks for the past couple of months. We had to put them on hold during the worst of the heat, and it's nice to be able to enjoy them again. Every night around 8:00, I strap Shane in to his stroller. We cruise around our neighborhood for anywhere between 15 and 40 minutes to try and tucker him out before bedtime. He really enjoys being outdoors and rarely fusses while underway. Shane doesn't really laugh or giggle through the walks either, though. I suspect it's because he's so busy looking at everything. I try to use the time to learn all the paths and streets in our neighborhood and learn the faces of some of our neighbors. It's funny how little I know of so many people who live so close to me, but seem so far away. I keep hoping I'll bump into a fellow nerd, but I know it's unlikely. Nerds fear the sun. The odds of bumping into an outdoor nerd are limited to the few seconds it takes them to park and then run into their domiciles to begin nerding. That's what I like to do the moment I get home from work.
Speaking of "nerding," I think I hear Shogun 2 beckoning me to feats of conquest again...
The Jetta is dead. Long live the Prius!
...yes, I'm driving a Prius. It used to be Carrie's, but she's upgrading to a Tuscon that will hopefully be our version of a miniaturized mini-van. I do not need a new car, so I'm driving around the old car while my wife gets an upgrade. I was fine driving the Jetta around in the heat even without air conditioning, but with Shane around I don't want him cooking in the baby seat if I had to drive him somewhere. Plus, there was one night where Min kept burying her head in my armpits and trying to lick them. If that's not a sign that I need a car with air conditioning, then I don't know what is! Thank you for the advice, cat-who-loves-bad-smells.
Of course, as I pronounce the heat wave as 'subsiding' Weather.com tells me the rest of the week is going to still be in the mid-90s and there's another day topping out at 100 coming up. It almost makes me want to take Al Gore more seriously.
Thankfully, it was only in the mid-80s tonight. Shane and I have been going on nightly walks for the past couple of months. We had to put them on hold during the worst of the heat, and it's nice to be able to enjoy them again. Every night around 8:00, I strap Shane in to his stroller. We cruise around our neighborhood for anywhere between 15 and 40 minutes to try and tucker him out before bedtime. He really enjoys being outdoors and rarely fusses while underway. Shane doesn't really laugh or giggle through the walks either, though. I suspect it's because he's so busy looking at everything. I try to use the time to learn all the paths and streets in our neighborhood and learn the faces of some of our neighbors. It's funny how little I know of so many people who live so close to me, but seem so far away. I keep hoping I'll bump into a fellow nerd, but I know it's unlikely. Nerds fear the sun. The odds of bumping into an outdoor nerd are limited to the few seconds it takes them to park and then run into their domiciles to begin nerding. That's what I like to do the moment I get home from work.
Speaking of "nerding," I think I hear Shogun 2 beckoning me to feats of conquest again...
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
A New Goal Every Year
As a teacher, I'm dedicated to the idea of creating life-long learning. I believe that you're never more alive when you're learning something new. It could be a new skill, or maybe something as simple as learning whether or not you like a new restaurant or discovering a new TV series. Learning rocks.
Also, if you're not growing, you're stagnating. Maybe even dying. Everyone needs rest periods, but trying to live in stasis is an unattainable goal in an ever-changing world.
Here's where I segue into my title about goals.
I try to come up with a new goal every school year. It's something to grow myself outside of the "go to work and then come home to rest so I can do it again" doldrums. I came up with this when I realized there's really no "career advancement" in the teaching field. Once you're a teacher, you're a teacher. Hopefully, you will become a better teacher as time passes, but unless you transfer into a different section of the schools: a teacher is always a teacher.
Previous goals:
Also, if you're not growing, you're stagnating. Maybe even dying. Everyone needs rest periods, but trying to live in stasis is an unattainable goal in an ever-changing world.
Here's where I segue into my title about goals.
I try to come up with a new goal every school year. It's something to grow myself outside of the "go to work and then come home to rest so I can do it again" doldrums. I came up with this when I realized there's really no "career advancement" in the teaching field. Once you're a teacher, you're a teacher. Hopefully, you will become a better teacher as time passes, but unless you transfer into a different section of the schools: a teacher is always a teacher.
Previous goals:
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Shane update - 7 months and keeping us busy
One day last week, Shane was being incredibly fussy for Carrie. He wouldn't take a bottle. He didn't want to sleep. His diaper was clean, and no toy was the right one. I figured Shane just wanted some outside air, so I scooped him up and we went to play in the garden.
Shane loves being outside. We looked at the sky and plants, and he tried picking up pea gravel between his toes. After a little bit, I laid down on the porch and laid Shane on my stomach so we could look up at the sky. We were laying there when I had a revelation: I knew what was bothering Shane. Right then and there, I thought up of a funny line for how to tell Carrie. I was wearing a big grin on my face when I realized my stomach was feeling wet.
Poo.
My son poo'd on me!
I quickly brought Shane inside. Carrie rushed over to help with the overflowing diaper. I took off my shirt with the Kansas sized wet spot and realized Shane's diaper must have also leaked from his leg holes, because my pants had poo splatters as well.
The irony of the situation was hilarious. I had been planning on walking in and telling my wife why Shane had been so fussy. "I would be fussy too if I hadn't had my poop of the day!" Instead, I came running in to the tune of "Help! Our son just crapped on my chest."
Shane just smiled, happy at last.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Shane stuff:
Monday, July 11, 2011
Time for an update! ESY begins
Well, I've been bad about updating again. I blame my busy chore/babysitting schedule! I am being way too productive!
....ok. If you bought that, I have some stock in Blockbuster I want to sell you. I have been busy busy busy with tutoring, starting ESY and taking care of my son and house. All of those things shouldn't have stopped me from writing an occasional sentence or three. The real culprit has been Shogun 2: Total War.
Turn-based games are the devil. I don't play any multiplayer games anymore because I need to be able to drop whatever I'm doing instantly if Shane needs me. Real time games with a pause function are doable, but hopping back and forth every couple of minutes can give you mental whiplash. With turn-based games, I just leave the game running and click around a little bit whenever Shane or my chores gives me a chance. Steam swears I've wracked up over a couple of days worth of play-time, but the reality is far less. Between home and son-ownership, I wonder what I used to do with that luxury called time. It seems like there's never enough of it to actually leave the house for outings.
Anyway, those "idyllic" days of doing laundry, diapers, and staying home all day with Shane are gone. ESY has begun. Carrie's mom is coming up today to spend the night and take care of Shane for a couple of days because both Carrie and I are working full time and my mom is in Beaumont taking care of Jama. The laundry/cat-room got a supreme make-over into a guest bedroom. I think it looks great, but we'll see if it passes the test soon enough!
I plan on doing a Shane update and an ESY post later this week. This update was to get myself back into the habit again.
And on a totally unrelated note: I can't believe Penny hasn't been kicked off Food Network Star yet. I think Vic would be a hilarious frontman for a show, because he looks like a friendly tattooed Vin Diesel.
....ok. If you bought that, I have some stock in Blockbuster I want to sell you. I have been busy busy busy with tutoring, starting ESY and taking care of my son and house. All of those things shouldn't have stopped me from writing an occasional sentence or three. The real culprit has been Shogun 2: Total War.
Turn-based games are the devil. I don't play any multiplayer games anymore because I need to be able to drop whatever I'm doing instantly if Shane needs me. Real time games with a pause function are doable, but hopping back and forth every couple of minutes can give you mental whiplash. With turn-based games, I just leave the game running and click around a little bit whenever Shane or my chores gives me a chance. Steam swears I've wracked up over a couple of days worth of play-time, but the reality is far less. Between home and son-ownership, I wonder what I used to do with that luxury called time. It seems like there's never enough of it to actually leave the house for outings.
Anyway, those "idyllic" days of doing laundry, diapers, and staying home all day with Shane are gone. ESY has begun. Carrie's mom is coming up today to spend the night and take care of Shane for a couple of days because both Carrie and I are working full time and my mom is in Beaumont taking care of Jama. The laundry/cat-room got a supreme make-over into a guest bedroom. I think it looks great, but we'll see if it passes the test soon enough!
I plan on doing a Shane update and an ESY post later this week. This update was to get myself back into the habit again.
And on a totally unrelated note: I can't believe Penny hasn't been kicked off Food Network Star yet. I think Vic would be a hilarious frontman for a show, because he looks like a friendly tattooed Vin Diesel.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Daddy Dumb-butt
Being a parent has made me dumber.
Or at least it feels that way sometimes. I've run into more walls, stubbed my toe frequently, and put on more clothes in a backwards rush than I ever did without a son. I was much stupider around when Shane was first born, but some of that could be attributed to sleep deprivation. Now most of my foibles can be attributed to focus deprivation.
Whenever Shane is anywhere within my vicinity, a portion of my brain seems to be devoted to baby status checks. Is my son breathing? Are there any munchies close to him that I wouldn't classify as munchies? How clean is the area around Shane? If I'm actively playing with Shane, another part of my brain shifts into parent paranoia and warns me of situations I want to avoid at all costs. Situations such as making sure I can easily put a hand behind Shane's back before he arches so far back he falls or making sure I don't bump him into something as I turn or walk around. As far as I can figure, the portion of my brain used for status checks and parental warnings is large enough to impair my already limited cognitive capacity. The amount of moronic and klutzy things I do when my son is around is a hundredfold when he is not. Thankfully, the stupidity that struck during my working hours was always my typical idiocy rather than the baby-enhanced variety.
I've definitely been less baby-impaired as Shane has aged, but I'm pretty sure the condition is going to be permanent. What do you think?
The whole situation brings a quote from one of the coolest American authors to mind: Mark Twain.
PS - Every time I find a severed cricket leg on the floor, I love my cats just a little more.
Or at least it feels that way sometimes. I've run into more walls, stubbed my toe frequently, and put on more clothes in a backwards rush than I ever did without a son. I was much stupider around when Shane was first born, but some of that could be attributed to sleep deprivation. Now most of my foibles can be attributed to focus deprivation.
Whenever Shane is anywhere within my vicinity, a portion of my brain seems to be devoted to baby status checks. Is my son breathing? Are there any munchies close to him that I wouldn't classify as munchies? How clean is the area around Shane? If I'm actively playing with Shane, another part of my brain shifts into parent paranoia and warns me of situations I want to avoid at all costs. Situations such as making sure I can easily put a hand behind Shane's back before he arches so far back he falls or making sure I don't bump him into something as I turn or walk around. As far as I can figure, the portion of my brain used for status checks and parental warnings is large enough to impair my already limited cognitive capacity. The amount of moronic and klutzy things I do when my son is around is a hundredfold when he is not. Thankfully, the stupidity that struck during my working hours was always my typical idiocy rather than the baby-enhanced variety.
I've definitely been less baby-impaired as Shane has aged, but I'm pretty sure the condition is going to be permanent. What do you think?
The whole situation brings a quote from one of the coolest American authors to mind: Mark Twain.
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in seven years.”
It's not the same context, but I'm sure once Shane hits fourteen it'll be a battle to convince him I'm not a babbling idiot.
PS - Every time I find a severed cricket leg on the floor, I love my cats just a little more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)