warriorsavant

Holiday weekend. Happy Easter / Joyous Passover to all my Gentle Readers. Statutory Holiday here in that things are closed either the Friday or the Monday. Since I don't work Friday's anyhow, closed the office Monday to give my vast staff (both of them - they make up in presence what they lack in numbers) a paid holiday. I'm on call, but since Residents take first call, usually don't have to go in, just back them up by phone (handy to be able to text pictures). Already got one call today, but didn't have to go in.

Nom took the kids out shopping. It was a zoo, but they like it. I did some reading, some studying, some cleaning, but somehow not very much of either. So in the spirit of finally digging in and doing work… I'm posting this.

We've been in this house for a year-and-a-half. The vast majority of organizing and putting away got done fairly promptly, the small percent that remains will likely take another 10 years. Mostly not really that important, but my tidy (eg neurotically organized) mind likes things neatly put away. I am working on organizing all the toys, etc in the basement play (which previously looked like a cross between an explosion at a toy factory and a refugee camp), putting different things in different boxes (eg “Legos all go in the box marked ‘Legos’ when you are finished playing with them.”) They get the concept of “tidy up” at school (eg daycare), and I’m slowly working on extending the concept to home. Key word is "slowly."

If they are motivated, they do help clean up. Some weeks back, they got into it, because it was Hedgefund’s birthday party. Her actual Bday was during the week, but more-or-less got the concept of “we’re having the party on a weekend, b/c that’s when people can come.” (And liked the idea of cake on two days: at the party, and her actual Bday.) Miss Manners somewhere said the that number of invitees should be equal to the child’s age in years, which more-or-less happened. This was the first year she wanted to have her friends or for her Bday; I don’t think at a younger age they really have a concept of “friends” and “my friends.” She invited 2 kids from her class, plus another friend, plus 2 daughters of a friend of Nom’s (which is to say Nom invited the mom & her daughters) plus immediate family. It went well. She had fun decorating the house (eg telling me to put up decorations), a little big each night for a week. Nothing fancy, crepe paper streamers and balloons, but she has definite ideas about what she wanted where.

Dunno if I mentioned, but the other day she told Nom, “when I grow up, I want to be bossy like you.” Actually, HF has managed “bossy” since quite an early age, much more so than Nom. I think I told her she was bossy when she was 2 or 3 (HF, not Nom), to which she solemnly replied, “yes.”

Anyhow, party was a success all around. I thing everyone actually had fun, even Nom & I. We had a piñata, but one of those degenerate modern ones where you pull ribbons that eventually open a trap door, instead of whacking it with a stick, or as we did at Army Family Days, shooting at it with an M16. (Joking!)

Winter is definitely over, which is to say that all the snow and ice has finally melted in the backyard. There is likely to be one more sprinkling of snow, but we are now in "post-winter," sometimes known as "mud." It's a gray, rainy day. Not depressingly so, what with my being indoors, but don't really have much energy. On the other hand, that could also be because I've had a long week. Doing more reading, both professionally and recreationally. Will post on the latter soon.

Speaking of family traditions, we did the "camp out at home" last night. That's where we push 2 mattresses together on the floor, and all sleep together. Frankly it's a bit of a pain, but makes the kids so very happy, and soon enough they won't want to even be on the same planet as us, let alone same bed(s). I'm quite sick, and doubly didn't want to (having barely slept the night before), but with better living through chemistry, I managed just fine (imovane, not cannabis, thank you).

Hedgefund went to a birthday party yesterday, someone in her class. They had it at trampoline place not too far from here (think "bounce castle" writ large, like 100 sq meters/1000 sq ft or so). I think the parents invited the whole class. (Lots of fun, don't have to clean up, but I suspect costly.) Anyhow, HF had a blast. The last time she was invited to a Bday party for a classmate, which was at their home, she insisted that I stay the entire time, and really didn't play with anybody. This time, she had initially asked me to stay at least for a little while, but in fact, once we got there, she basically told me to go away. (I indulged in some Canadiana: went to the local Tim Hortons for a bad donut and worse coffee, and did my studying.) She played with several friends, had a blast, and I'm so happy about that. She was very, very shy when she was younger, and I was afraid she'd turn out unsociable and miserable. She's blossomed. I think daycare, even part-time like we are doing, was very good for her.

Nom is upstairs giving the kids a bath right now. They'd made brownies. At least half the ingredients ended up in the brownies, the other half divided between the kitchen and Wallstreet. He was most proud of what a mess he'd made.

This morning, while I was getting ready to head out the door, Hedgefund said, "I want to go to work with you and be a doctor." Yessssss!!!!  *Pumps fist* My work here is done. I did gently point out that she would have to get through medical school first, but that's a detail. (Oh yeah, and before that there's kindergarten, primary school….) A few months back, she had announced that when she was big, she was going to be either a doctor or a hospital, so I'm glad she's refined her career plans. Now I just have to stay around long enough to hand to practice over to her.

Nom sometimes does "science projects" with the kids. We were going to build a nuclear reactor in the basement, but apparently "yellow cake" is not a type of snack food (yeah, stole that one from "Big Bang Theory"). Anyhow, projects age appropriate, like "if you add one drop of red food coloring, and one drop of blue food coloring, what color do you get?" (Spoiler alert: purple.)

Today it was "how can you tell which of two eggs was cooked by spinning them?" (Spoiler alert: the cooked one spins longer than the raw one). Hedgefund tested them, then announced correctly which one had been cooked.
"How did you know?"
"It's warm and the other one is cold."

I always give full marks for correct answers, even if not the one I was looking for.

Hedgefund sees me put letters (and more often bills) into envelopes to mail. She drew a picture (with all the artistic talent a 4-year old can muster), and wanted to mail it to her mother. I gave her a (used) envelope, stuck a sticker in the upper right corner (where the stamp goes), and she carefully addressed it to MOMMY.

I had some letters to mail, so we all went to the post office. I went first, handed the clerk a note (felt like a bank robber from a 1920's movie), that said, "The little girl wants to mail a letter to Mommy. Please take it, put it aside, and I'll come back for it later." He didn't quite get it at first, then caught on and played along nicely. As we were walking off, I "remembered" that I had another letter to mail, went back, gave the clerk my letter and took Hedgefund's back.

Two days later, I slipped it in with the real mail that was delivered to our house. Hedgefund was most proud to get the mail, then hand her letter, that had been "delivered" to Mommy.

Wallstreet is upset because we won't let him draw on the walls. Hedgefund is upset because she can't just have chocolate for breakfast. We wanted to have kids, right?

Meanwhile, the expertly designed heating system for our new(ly renovated) house heats very, very unevenly. Some rooms are so cold need a sweater, some are so hot can scarcely breathe. It's a forced hot air system, and it either isn't zoned properly, or there aren't enough dampers to properly regulate the flow of air, or both. Either way, right after the holidays I'm going to have a little sit down with all the parties involved and "suggest" they fix it. I have the bad feeling that means more holes in the walls, and more plaster dust, which will very much not make us happy. Along the same note, there seems to be a frozen pipe in one part of the house (out to the extension). Only the hot water pipe is frozen. The plumber has been unsuccesfully working on it for 2 hours. Add this to our little post-holiday sit down.

We're still in the midst of the cold snap you might have read about. I've always had cold hands and feet ("but a warm heart"), but I can't take my gloves off outside for more than 10 seconds without my fingers aching with the cold. We wanted to live in this country, right?

Nom & ba ngaoi took the kids out for a couple of hours (a bit of grocery shopping and a bit of running around the mall driving other people crazy, but at least they get out of the house for a bit). I can post this, have a peaceful cup of coffee… then dig into the piles of home fixing-up, and paperwork that I promised to do over the holidays.

Tonight is New Years Eve. The start of the new year is defined by when the ball drops in Times Square in NYC (no matter where in the world you happen to be). Or in our case, when we get up the next day and watch the recording of it.

Happy New Year to all my Gentle Readers. May it be full of happiness, health, and good things.

1. Silly people. I frequently tell the young'uns that they are silly children. Tonight, I spilled a glass of water, and muttered something like, "silly Papa." Hedgefund responded that "we're all silly in this house." Uh, yeah kid. Astute of you to notice.

2. That makes sense. I noticed that my office phone bill was 20$ higher than usual (for base charges). I called them, and they said it was because I was no longer on contract, I was month-to-month. Say what? I've been with them for 20? 25? years, and as far as I knew, there was no lapse of contract (not even sure I was aware there was a contract, as opposed to standard charges). They found a note that I, being an old and valued customer (not quite how they phrased it) was eligible for a promotional (which they hadn't bothered to tell me about up until that very point). If I put in a 3^rd phone line, my base chargers would be 35% cheaper/month, plus have more free long distance than I actually use. I wouldn't have to actually use that third line, or even connect it. Uh, okay, that makes complete sense (not), but I'm all for saving money.

3. Illness in the household. WS has been very cranky lately. Part is the "terrible twos," if such a thing actually exists. But really, really cranky past few days. Clearly sick yesterday. Took to Peds today, who found he had strep throat. Ah, the joys of kids in day care.d

4. Slowing down a bit. Things are always a bit slower mid-winter and mid-summer. More mid-winter, as the snow birds are away. Now is when it hits the slow down. (Not actually "slow," mind you, just not-constantly-frantic at work.) Snow birds are starting to leave town, and people are gearing up for the overly-busy, overly-stressed, depressing time known as "the holidays." There will be a sudden rush of people calling me just before said holidays, when they realize they've been neglecting whatever in the rush of preparations, and now-it's-urgent-and-what-do-you-mean-you're-too-busy-to-see-me. My last week is usually fille with follow-ups that I wanted to check on before I'm closed for 2 weeks, and if you were silly enough to prioritize parties and shopping over your medical problems, then said problems weren't really very urgent. (Or, as we say in the Army, "p*** poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.")

5. Speech. HF is displaying same. He's had a few scattered words for a while, but now is starting to fairly consistently string 2-5 words together. Sometimes intelligibly.

6. Renos². Final bit of reno finished at the house. Well, never really finished, there's always something, but have installed the cabinets and connected the sink in the extension. The office renos are moving swiftly, expecting to move mid-January, reopen for business Feb 1.

7. Renos (addendum). Had to have the HVAC (Heat Ventilation Air Conditioning) system rebalanced in the house. It's been installed and running, but some rooms were way too hot, and some too cold. It's really a matter of adjusting various control valves on the system to route the heat where it is more needed. The tricky part is that opening the flow to one part of the house decreases it everywhere else, so it is literally a balancing act. Couldn't really be done until the heat went on to really know where the flow had to be re-directed. Likely will have to do it again in summer when A/C comes on, but at least I now know how to do it.

Hedgefund had a medical appointment today (routine stuff, nothing scary). Nom & Ba Ngiao were taking her, and I was staying home to get stuff done. As I was helping her get dressed to go out, she announced to me that she was going to the hospital. To work. Just like Papa works at the hospital. Further that Papa is a doctor, and she is going to be a doctor when she's big, just like Papa. *Beams* (I think Nom recorded it, then transcribed and notarized a copy of the recording.) I am, as we say in Vietnamese, kvelling.

Cars: Drove the new car today. I do really like it, but don't quite have the seat adjusted right for me. 'Sokay, it's Nom's car, so has to be adjusted for her, as she'll mostly be the driver. Couple of points come to mind.
1. Who ever described that new car smell as wonderful? It's putrid. HF thinks so also. Drove with the windows wide open to try to rid us of the smell.
2. On the list of "gadgets I thought were ridiculous but now can't live without" (includes fax machines and email). There is a camera for backing up. Needed because can't otherwise see where the car ends. I've somehow lost my mad skills at parallel parking (I once got a car into a space only 4" longer than the car). I think I was good at it because I learned on boxy, old American cars. Newer cars, even cheap ones, have "sleek" styling, and you can't see where they end. On the Subaru, I can see the bottom of the rear window, and have no idea what is beyond that, so unless I park by the sound method (i.e. back up until something goes "crunch"), the read camera is great.
3. On the list of "gadgets (or settings) that I thought were ridiculous and now am convinced are ridiculous and annoying" the radio comes on as soon as you start the car. I absolutely loath and despise settings on things "to make my life easier and faster," all of which are not how I function and only annoy and slow me down to shut them off each time.

Kids:
1. WS is still sick, so I took HF to daycare while Nom stayed home.
2. HF is adapting rapidly, to our pleased surprise. It's only been a week. Today there were no tears, only a little apprehensive when I took her in. I told her I'd stay for a "little bit." Sat down while she played with blocks for 5 minutes, then she told me she had to pipi. I asked one of the educators to take her to the toilet, and when she came back, she headed straight to play where the other kids were. I told her I was leaving, and she basically said, "yeah, whatever, later pops" (slight paraphrasing). When I picked her up, they told me she sat and ate with the other kids. Didn't eat much, but this is the first time she did at all. She's never been good about eating, so this is great.
3. Later we took them both to the dentist. Just a checkup (if you care to know, the Medicare system pays for 1 visit/year for kids, but would have done it anyhow). Okay, there were tears here, but it got done, and no one (kids, parents, or dentist) permanently traumatized. (I seem to recall that first time I went to the dentist, I had gotten the impression that it would be traumatic, and was sitting in the waiting room crying/screaming/fussing. My Mother looked at me and sensibly pointed out that nothing had happened yet, so why was I screaming. Even then I was logical (or perhaps more logical than now), because I stopped crying, had the appointment, and realized there was nothing traumatic about it. In my adult years, I even had a cavity filled without anesthesia… well, once.)

Castles: Which is to say the house. Did a walk-thru with the contractor. Lots of little things need touching up, but basically on track to finish. Yippee.

Hedgefund is often slow to warm up to doing things. When she does do finally do something, we encourage and applaud her, "Bravo, Hedgefund, bravo!" I think it initially took me 15 minutes to teach/get her to go down a slide. Now she adores it. She also adores playing with rocks. Today she was on a kiddie slide, which like many such, had two slides next to each other. She was going down one while 'teaching' her rock to go down the other. When it 'successfully' reached the bottom, she praise it, "Bravo, rock, bravo!" She does have a strong nurturing side.