There are things you can do while multitasking. And things you should not do.
For example, you can walk and talk at the same time. (Unless you are coordination challenged like I am!)
But you should not text and drive.
Read a book and nurse a baby? No sweat.
Drink and breathe? Not so much. (Hint: Your lungs don't appreciate it!)
Crochet and watch tv? Maybe. Depends on your experience level.
Play a video game & use a headset? Of course!
Read a book and take a bubble bath? No sweat!
But please, for the love of all that is holy, people, I beg you, please stop trying to talk on your cell phone, drink a pop, smoke a cigarette, and drive all at the same time!
(Also, if you are going 45 mph in the fast lane at rush hour, YOU are the problem! A school bus just passed you! Move to the slow lane! Or, better yet, get off the highway and take the side streets!)
Ok, sorry, traffic rant over.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Comparing Parenting Styles
It was suggested that I write a post about how my parenting compares to my parents since they keep my little Cookie all day, and Pookie, Mario, & Jalapeno when they get home from school.
But I really don't think that it's a fair comparison really.
We know so much more about some things now than they did then. And we have so many more gadgets to make our lives easier now.
For example, the little sling that fits in the baby bathtub to hold a newborn securely while you bath them. And we know not to put a baby to sleep on their stomach. (In their generations defense, the doctors of the time told them that was the safest way for babies to sleep. There has been so much more research done since then.)
They also did not have car seats like we do now. My parents had a car bed that I slept in. The bed fastened down, but the baby did not. Picture this without the wheels:
But I really don't think that it's a fair comparison really.
We know so much more about some things now than they did then. And we have so many more gadgets to make our lives easier now.
For example, the little sling that fits in the baby bathtub to hold a newborn securely while you bath them. And we know not to put a baby to sleep on their stomach. (In their generations defense, the doctors of the time told them that was the safest way for babies to sleep. There has been so much more research done since then.)
They also did not have car seats like we do now. My parents had a car bed that I slept in. The bed fastened down, but the baby did not. Picture this without the wheels:
Regardless, my mom is up to date on all the new baby safety measures. She knows not to lay the baby on her tummy to sleep but to give her tummy time so that she has practice keeping her head up.
She knows to always, always put Cookie in her car seat and not to take her out until the car is in park, no matter how much she screams. (She does NOT like the car seat. If you have any suggestions for that, let me know!)
And Banana knows not to give her cows milk, or honey, or even baby food yet. She trusts that I'm doing what's best for Cookie and I trust she'll listen to the "new-fangled" ideas that we "young whippersnappers" have now about how to raise kids. (And, no, she doesn't really talk like that!)
We both trust each other and that's important when we both love the kiddos so much.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
101 in 1000 Days/Bucket List
A long time ago I started a 101 Things in 1000 Days Project. And then, it evolved more into a bucket list because I ended up with WAY more than 101 Things.
And most of them were not achievable in 1000 days for me because of school, work, kids, etc. For example, traveling to India, isn't really practical for me right now, or in the next 3ish years.
So, in an effort to hold myself accountable, I have decided to share some with you guys.
One of my favorites, that I intend to start as soon as it gets warm enough (which I hope will be soon, but probably not before mid March) is to "Walk to Mordor." Being the geek that I am, I've been wanting to try it since I found the website but it was way too cold and icy to walk outside and I am not going to pay to use a gym. (Since I know I'd never go!) It just seems like more trouble than it's worth to drive to a gym, change clothes, work out, shower, change clothes again, and drive home when I could just go walk outside.
Anyway so here's a few:
1) Walk to Mordor!
2) Read Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
3) Clean and moisturize my skin once a day
4) Read 1 non-fiction book a month
5) Get a postcard from every state.
If you want to join me on these, please feel free to email me, or comment on your progress here!
You can also make your own 101 list here or you can just get ideas for things to put on your list, too!
(My first one was on paper... ok, still is, I have it in a notebook. I'm telling ya, it's huge! I love looking at other people's lists, too. Maybe that's why my list is so long, I keep seeing things on other people's lists that sound fun!)
And most of them were not achievable in 1000 days for me because of school, work, kids, etc. For example, traveling to India, isn't really practical for me right now, or in the next 3ish years.
So, in an effort to hold myself accountable, I have decided to share some with you guys.
One of my favorites, that I intend to start as soon as it gets warm enough (which I hope will be soon, but probably not before mid March) is to "Walk to Mordor." Being the geek that I am, I've been wanting to try it since I found the website but it was way too cold and icy to walk outside and I am not going to pay to use a gym. (Since I know I'd never go!) It just seems like more trouble than it's worth to drive to a gym, change clothes, work out, shower, change clothes again, and drive home when I could just go walk outside.
Anyway so here's a few:
1) Walk to Mordor!
2) Read Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
3) Clean and moisturize my skin once a day
4) Read 1 non-fiction book a month
5) Get a postcard from every state.
If you want to join me on these, please feel free to email me, or comment on your progress here!
You can also make your own 101 list here or you can just get ideas for things to put on your list, too!
(My first one was on paper... ok, still is, I have it in a notebook. I'm telling ya, it's huge! I love looking at other people's lists, too. Maybe that's why my list is so long, I keep seeing things on other people's lists that sound fun!)
Monday, February 24, 2014
Burps
Ok, so this post was originally going to be about difficult burpers because until a few days ago, Cookie was a very, VERY difficult burper.
My doctor showed me how to do something that I call "around the world" when Cookie was 2 weeks old. You basically sit the baby up, and rotate the babies upper body around in a circle gently. You do this a few times and then proceed to burp the baby. (Sorry for not describing it well!) Genius!
This is amazing! There were times where she would burp before I had finished two rotations! It was so amazing! (It doesn't work every time but it increased how often I was able to get her to burp by about three times!)
We haven't really needed to do this the last few days because she has suddenly decided that burping is a good thing and she does it readily.
My favorite burps are the ones that are so loud you would not believe that it came out of such a little person if you weren't the one burping her!
(My least favorite are the ones that involve massive amounts of spit up, like everyone else I expect!)
Anyway, if you have a difficult burper, give it a try! (And if you can't figure out what the heck I'm talking about, let me know & I'll try to explain it a little better or maybe post a video.)
My doctor showed me how to do something that I call "around the world" when Cookie was 2 weeks old. You basically sit the baby up, and rotate the babies upper body around in a circle gently. You do this a few times and then proceed to burp the baby. (Sorry for not describing it well!) Genius!
This is amazing! There were times where she would burp before I had finished two rotations! It was so amazing! (It doesn't work every time but it increased how often I was able to get her to burp by about three times!)
We haven't really needed to do this the last few days because she has suddenly decided that burping is a good thing and she does it readily.
My favorite burps are the ones that are so loud you would not believe that it came out of such a little person if you weren't the one burping her!
(My least favorite are the ones that involve massive amounts of spit up, like everyone else I expect!)
Anyway, if you have a difficult burper, give it a try! (And if you can't figure out what the heck I'm talking about, let me know & I'll try to explain it a little better or maybe post a video.)
Sunday, February 23, 2014
1st Week Back at Work
Well, it was my first week back at work.
And I hated it.
Don't get me wrong, I love my employers. I love my job. I just HATED being away from my little Cookie.
My employers are great. They are more than understanding when I need to leave early to be there for my kids' parties at school or take a day off because of Cookie's two month doctor appointment.
But being away from that tiny little angelic person is tough.
I realize that's mama hormones and how we humans are programmed so that we take good care of our little ones who would never survive without us.
But it's tough. And as is typical of me, I didn't know what I had until it was gone. I now miss what used to drive me bananas: sitting at home all day. Snuggling a little person all day.
I miss being a stay at home mom, and if we won the Power Ball or Mega Millions, I'd be back at home in a heart beat.
But I got this idea the other day, while I was at work. If I'm ever in a position to own a business, everyone who has children that aren't in school all day, will be welcome to bring their kids to work. We'll have on site day care (but more like nannies) and moms who are nursing will be called by the nannies to come nurse their babies whenever the babies are hungry. Meetings can wait. Another employee can help a customer. Oh, and there will be no additional cost for the parents to leave their babies with the nannies.
That sounds like a good business plan to me. Now, what kind of business should I run?
And I hated it.
Don't get me wrong, I love my employers. I love my job. I just HATED being away from my little Cookie.
My employers are great. They are more than understanding when I need to leave early to be there for my kids' parties at school or take a day off because of Cookie's two month doctor appointment.
But being away from that tiny little angelic person is tough.
I realize that's mama hormones and how we humans are programmed so that we take good care of our little ones who would never survive without us.
But it's tough. And as is typical of me, I didn't know what I had until it was gone. I now miss what used to drive me bananas: sitting at home all day. Snuggling a little person all day.
I miss being a stay at home mom, and if we won the Power Ball or Mega Millions, I'd be back at home in a heart beat.
But I got this idea the other day, while I was at work. If I'm ever in a position to own a business, everyone who has children that aren't in school all day, will be welcome to bring their kids to work. We'll have on site day care (but more like nannies) and moms who are nursing will be called by the nannies to come nurse their babies whenever the babies are hungry. Meetings can wait. Another employee can help a customer. Oh, and there will be no additional cost for the parents to leave their babies with the nannies.
That sounds like a good business plan to me. Now, what kind of business should I run?
Friday, February 21, 2014
Raising Geeks and Gamers Part 2
I wrote yesterday about the rules we have about the electronics in our house.
And I thought I should bring up another topic in regard to gaming. Harassment of women. There have been a lot of articles written lately about guy gamers harassing women gamers. Even NPR has done a piece on it. You can find that here.
You can even find a video response by a bunch of girl gamers known as "Geek Girls & the Doubleclicks" which I happen to love. (Look for Adam Savage & Wil Wheaton to make an appearance.)
My contribution to geek and gamer culture is this:
I am raising a houseful of male geeks and gamers who would never think about treating female geeks and gamers the way that I have been treated in some circles.
I am raising a houseful of male geeks and gamers who have stepped up to defend female geeks and gamers and will continue to do so in the future.
Because they see these females as someone to whom they can relate. They see them as their friends. And I've raised them to defend their friends.
They see these women as someone's sister. And they would defend their sisters in a heartbeat. Not to mention, they would be furious to see someone treat their sisters that way.
And perhaps, best of all, they see these women as (potentially) someone's mother. And they would never talk to me that way or treat me that way, so they will never talk to someone else's mother that way.
How do I know?
I've read them the articles. I've told them my stories. And I've seen the looks on their faces. From the 25 year old to the 8 year old, the looks of horror and disgust really don't change.
Of course, having a geek/gamer for a mother, as well as having me work in a predominantly male industry, they've heard me tell off guys for treating me in any way less than I expect. At this point, they're like, "Where's the popcorn?"
It also helps that people like Adam Savage & Wil Wheaton stand up and help make those videos like the one above. Please, go thank them! They both have Twitter accounts: @donttrythis and @wilw (+Wil Wheaton)
Have the discussion with your children. Don't hide the world from them. Present it honestly and truthfully. Let them know that the internet does not make them anonymous any more than it make the person on the other side less of a person. And, if necessary, explain why certain behaviors are not acceptable.
Your children will surprise you. I guarantee it.
And I thought I should bring up another topic in regard to gaming. Harassment of women. There have been a lot of articles written lately about guy gamers harassing women gamers. Even NPR has done a piece on it. You can find that here.
You can even find a video response by a bunch of girl gamers known as "Geek Girls & the Doubleclicks" which I happen to love. (Look for Adam Savage & Wil Wheaton to make an appearance.)
My contribution to geek and gamer culture is this:
I am raising a houseful of male geeks and gamers who would never think about treating female geeks and gamers the way that I have been treated in some circles.
I am raising a houseful of male geeks and gamers who have stepped up to defend female geeks and gamers and will continue to do so in the future.
Because they see these females as someone to whom they can relate. They see them as their friends. And I've raised them to defend their friends.
They see these women as someone's sister. And they would defend their sisters in a heartbeat. Not to mention, they would be furious to see someone treat their sisters that way.
And perhaps, best of all, they see these women as (potentially) someone's mother. And they would never talk to me that way or treat me that way, so they will never talk to someone else's mother that way.
How do I know?
I've read them the articles. I've told them my stories. And I've seen the looks on their faces. From the 25 year old to the 8 year old, the looks of horror and disgust really don't change.
Of course, having a geek/gamer for a mother, as well as having me work in a predominantly male industry, they've heard me tell off guys for treating me in any way less than I expect. At this point, they're like, "Where's the popcorn?"
It also helps that people like Adam Savage & Wil Wheaton stand up and help make those videos like the one above. Please, go thank them! They both have Twitter accounts: @donttrythis and @wilw (+Wil Wheaton)
Have the discussion with your children. Don't hide the world from them. Present it honestly and truthfully. Let them know that the internet does not make them anonymous any more than it make the person on the other side less of a person. And, if necessary, explain why certain behaviors are not acceptable.
Your children will surprise you. I guarantee it.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Raising Geeks and Gamers Part 1
Dad and I are self-proclaimed geeks as well as gamers. So I guess it should surprise no one that we are raising a household full of them.
We have the Minecraft players, the Cookie Clicker players, the Team Fortress 2 players, the Elder Scroll Online players, the Dungeon & Dragon players and we've already talked about all the games that Dad plays.
For those that think that video games are bad for you, I present this: 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You.
I also present these videos from TED Talks:
1) Daphne Bavelier: Your brain on video games2) Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world
And for those of you who think that all games whether video games or not are bad for you:Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life
Now, don't get me wrong, we don't let the kids spend unlimited hours on electronics. There are rules.
We have a sign up sheet. The kids may sign up for an hour at a time on a specific electronic.
The slots go from hour to hour, i.e. 1 pm - 2pm and turns are up on the hour.
They may not sign up for 3 hours in a row on one specific electronic. So if they are on Dad's computer for an hour they can move on to the XBox, but not stay on the computer.
And if there is school the next day, they get off electronics at 6 pm.
They have to start their homework at 6 pm, but if they need the computer to do their homework we will allow them to use the computer after 6 pm for homework only.
And the electronics are the first things that we take away if disciplinary measures become necessary.
We have the Minecraft players, the Cookie Clicker players, the Team Fortress 2 players, the Elder Scroll Online players, the Dungeon & Dragon players and we've already talked about all the games that Dad plays.
For those that think that video games are bad for you, I present this: 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You.
I also present these videos from TED Talks:
1) Daphne Bavelier: Your brain on video games2) Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world
And for those of you who think that all games whether video games or not are bad for you:Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life
Now, don't get me wrong, we don't let the kids spend unlimited hours on electronics. There are rules.
We have a sign up sheet. The kids may sign up for an hour at a time on a specific electronic.
The slots go from hour to hour, i.e. 1 pm - 2pm and turns are up on the hour.
They may not sign up for 3 hours in a row on one specific electronic. So if they are on Dad's computer for an hour they can move on to the XBox, but not stay on the computer.
And if there is school the next day, they get off electronics at 6 pm.
They have to start their homework at 6 pm, but if they need the computer to do their homework we will allow them to use the computer after 6 pm for homework only.
And the electronics are the first things that we take away if disciplinary measures become necessary.
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