Cutest girl ever: Can we hang out over here in the Teen Center? We're, like, pre-teens.
Me: What grade will you be in next year?
Her: Sixth.
Me: Absolutely!
Her: AWESOME. This is the coolest library in the world.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
dummies
The fun with our house continues. The thing, as Mr. A. points out, is that we are both stupid AND conscientious. You can be one, or you can be the other, but both is pretty much a disaster. The possibility of us getting smarter seems remote, so I'm thinking we may have to reconcile ourselves to being horrible people. Something's gotta give.
In far better and more important news, Soren is walking all over the place, and he's got a few words down. All he wants to do is be outside. Outside, happy; inside, tears. When we must bring him inside (as we often must because IT NEVER STOPS RAINING HOLY CHRIST THIS WINTER IS KEELING ME), the only way to distract him is with a book. He likes his animal books the best, and seems to be able to identify dogs ("duh!") and owls ("ow!").
Just for the local NPR nerds: this kerfuffle makes me sooo happy. I hope it ends horribly for Steve Scher.
In far better and more important news, Soren is walking all over the place, and he's got a few words down. All he wants to do is be outside. Outside, happy; inside, tears. When we must bring him inside (as we often must because IT NEVER STOPS RAINING HOLY CHRIST THIS WINTER IS KEELING ME), the only way to distract him is with a book. He likes his animal books the best, and seems to be able to identify dogs ("duh!") and owls ("ow!").
Just for the local NPR nerds: this kerfuffle makes me sooo happy. I hope it ends horribly for Steve Scher.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Kids, man
Soren turned one last week. Can you believe it? No, you cannot. It is an impossible but true science fact.
He has developed some pretty awesome abilities over the last month or so. Most impressive to his librarian parents, he has developed a deep interest in books. I've been pushing them since day one, but he's only ever been interested in them as teethers. But now he'll pick one out, climb into your lap, and wait for you to begin. He likes to turn the pages for you. He also likes reading to himself, though. He'll flip carefully through Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb (his current favorite), studying each page and babbling to himself. (Reading!) And he laughs when gets to a page he thinks is funny. Kids, man!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Ten rounds
Well, we learned the answer to last week's question. Would daycare tell us if he started walking there? Yup. They would.
First, a little background. Soren has been trying to walk for a while, but he is not great at it. He's gotten pretty good at moving around the room holding onto the furniture and walls, but sometimes he gets overconfident and things go awry. When they do, he tends to fall on his face (literally). He's in the 15th percentile for weight, you see, but the 75th percentile for head size. So he's a bit top-heavy. And he's a pale man like his parents, so he bruises beautifully.
For several weeks our daycare has been none too subtly suggesting that we are horrible parents for letting him get these injuries. "Have you seen these?!" they would say with their lovely Spanish accents, pointing to his face. "So many! I think more than yesterday!"
We get all embarrassed. "Yes, well, we usually catch him but you know, he's pretty quick . . ."
One of them said to Mr. A., "This baby looks like he's gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson!" To which Mr. A thought but did not say, "I'm pretty sure Mike Tyson could kill this baby with just one punch."
ANYway. When Mr. A arrived to pick Soren up at daycare last week, the daycare providers were somewhat subdued. The good news, they said, was that Soren had taken his first steps!
The bad news was that those steps had ended in a giant goose egg over (and under) his right eye.
The other good news is that the daycare ladies don't say anything about the bruises anymore.
First, a little background. Soren has been trying to walk for a while, but he is not great at it. He's gotten pretty good at moving around the room holding onto the furniture and walls, but sometimes he gets overconfident and things go awry. When they do, he tends to fall on his face (literally). He's in the 15th percentile for weight, you see, but the 75th percentile for head size. So he's a bit top-heavy. And he's a pale man like his parents, so he bruises beautifully.
For several weeks our daycare has been none too subtly suggesting that we are horrible parents for letting him get these injuries. "Have you seen these?!" they would say with their lovely Spanish accents, pointing to his face. "So many! I think more than yesterday!"
We get all embarrassed. "Yes, well, we usually catch him but you know, he's pretty quick . . ."
One of them said to Mr. A., "This baby looks like he's gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson!" To which Mr. A thought but did not say, "I'm pretty sure Mike Tyson could kill this baby with just one punch."
ANYway. When Mr. A arrived to pick Soren up at daycare last week, the daycare providers were somewhat subdued. The good news, they said, was that Soren had taken his first steps!
The bad news was that those steps had ended in a giant goose egg over (and under) his right eye.
 |
| It doesn't look too bad in this picture, actually. |
Monday, March 28, 2011
From the technology news desk
Soren is so much fun to hang out with these days. There were days not too long ago when I would drop him off at daycare without much regret, grateful to have a ticket back to Grownup Land. But now! He's so interested in everything, and almost almost walking, and not quite talking. I'm missing so much. Also, he cries when I leave, which sucks.
What if his first step and first word both happen at daycare? I wonder if they will even tell us. I probably wouldn't, if I were them. Better to let the parents live in happy ignorance of everything they're missing.
**
**
From the technology news desk, my sloppy parenting in regard to my previous iPod was rewarded with a brand new iPod. It's my first touch screen device ever, and I feel so very modern. I was amazed that it has a pedometer that works, although I guess if you have a smart phone there's an app for that, right? Probably not very impressive.
Which brings me to our second major story from the technology desk: I am getting my very first smart phone. Can you even believe what an early adopter I am? We're getting fancy Droid phones that I guess would work in Paris, if we were to ever go to Paris.
We turned in Soren's passport paperwork this weekend, so who knows where we'll jet off to this summer. Someplace exotic, no doubt. Like Vancouver!
What if his first step and first word both happen at daycare? I wonder if they will even tell us. I probably wouldn't, if I were them. Better to let the parents live in happy ignorance of everything they're missing.
**
**
From the technology news desk, my sloppy parenting in regard to my previous iPod was rewarded with a brand new iPod. It's my first touch screen device ever, and I feel so very modern. I was amazed that it has a pedometer that works, although I guess if you have a smart phone there's an app for that, right? Probably not very impressive.
Which brings me to our second major story from the technology desk: I am getting my very first smart phone. Can you even believe what an early adopter I am? We're getting fancy Droid phones that I guess would work in Paris, if we were to ever go to Paris.
We turned in Soren's passport paperwork this weekend, so who knows where we'll jet off to this summer. Someplace exotic, no doubt. Like Vancouver!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My baby ate my iPod
Well, not so much "ate" as "slobbered into submission." The heartbreaking thing is that it still plays, but the screen display doesn't work, so I can't get where I want to go.
I hadn't realized quite how much I have come to treasure my forty minutes of podcast-listening on the bus, but dear god, now that it's gone I can barely stand to go on living. There's not a lot of alone time in my life right now, so "alone" with fifty commuting strangers and my imaginary radio friends who don't know me at all is as close as I get.
It's my own fault about the iPod, of course. One of my defining characteristics as a parent is my laziness, and in some ways I think that parental laziness is a good thing. I don't want to be one of those parents who feels they must intervene every other minute in an attempt to ensure that their child is developing at maximum velocity.
But. It's probably better to be paying close enough attention to make sure that one's child is not ingesting personal electronic devices. If not for the child, then certainly for me.
I hadn't realized quite how much I have come to treasure my forty minutes of podcast-listening on the bus, but dear god, now that it's gone I can barely stand to go on living. There's not a lot of alone time in my life right now, so "alone" with fifty commuting strangers and my imaginary radio friends who don't know me at all is as close as I get.
It's my own fault about the iPod, of course. One of my defining characteristics as a parent is my laziness, and in some ways I think that parental laziness is a good thing. I don't want to be one of those parents who feels they must intervene every other minute in an attempt to ensure that their child is developing at maximum velocity.
But. It's probably better to be paying close enough attention to make sure that one's child is not ingesting personal electronic devices. If not for the child, then certainly for me.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Endless cornholing
You know how I know I'm old? I like a lot of these dresses, but I look at every single one and think, too short! Waaaaaay too short. That is not a dress, sweetie, it is a shirt. (It's impossible to even read that sentence without hearing the granny voice in your head, isn't it?) I'm pretty sure I can see underpants. Also, are we really supposed to be sporting the fashions of Naomi from Mama's Family this season? I don't think I can get on board with that.
Luckily I can't afford any new clothes so these dilemmas are strictly hypothetical.
**
**
This weekend begins my new life of having every other weekend off. I was at the end of my rope with the working every single weekend thing, and I'm a little bit dizzy with the freedom of having two whole days off with the family. We have about a hundred things planned: brunch, zoo, karaoke, etc. (Well, Soren might skip the karaoke. He just can't ever remember how the songs go--it gets embarrassing.)
We're also having an open house this Sunday, so swing on by! It's not a great house, but the price is right. Plus it has, as our realtor pointed out in the listing, "Large lot perfect for endless games of croquet!" We have played croquet there, but in recent years our yard has mostly featured cornhole tournaments. I guess "perfect for endless cornholing" doesn't conjour up quite the same image of Edwardian aristocracy for prospective buyers.
Luckily I can't afford any new clothes so these dilemmas are strictly hypothetical.
**
**
This weekend begins my new life of having every other weekend off. I was at the end of my rope with the working every single weekend thing, and I'm a little bit dizzy with the freedom of having two whole days off with the family. We have about a hundred things planned: brunch, zoo, karaoke, etc. (Well, Soren might skip the karaoke. He just can't ever remember how the songs go--it gets embarrassing.)
We're also having an open house this Sunday, so swing on by! It's not a great house, but the price is right. Plus it has, as our realtor pointed out in the listing, "Large lot perfect for endless games of croquet!" We have played croquet there, but in recent years our yard has mostly featured cornhole tournaments. I guess "perfect for endless cornholing" doesn't conjour up quite the same image of Edwardian aristocracy for prospective buyers.
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