Feywriter

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Piano! potties... plus philosophy

I got a call from my mom earlier this week. She got me a piano! It's second hand, from an old church building that's going to be torn down. But it's mine. I spent a couple hours measuring and planning for a place to put it, and had it all figured out.... then shared the news with my mother-in-law who asked "How are you getting it in the apartment?" . . . You see, we are on the bottom floor, and after the steps down there's this sharp narrow corner, with really no room to maneuver a piano. Maintenance guys had a hard time getting in our washer and dryer. So, my mom is holding my piano at her house until we get a new place (Thanks Mom!). Hopefully that will happen later this year. Still working out if it will be possible. *crosses fingers*

Slow progress on the potty training, but progress none-the-less. He pooped in the toilet for the first time today. Was prompted though. Usually ends up sitting on the potty as a cleanup or pees on the way (don't know how many times I've asked "do you need to potty?" when I know he's dry, and he's wet by the time we get to the bathroom only a short hallway away. is there like a trigger or something??).

And, since it's been a while, and B is peeing less frequently, and P took a nap (alas, only an hour), I got some Q's answered.

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

317. What are your feelings about the death penalty? This is a toughie. Well, as is most any other controversial issue... You see, I can see both sides of an issue and am easily swayed. Very hard to take an actual stance. Also why I don't vote. The more informed I get about politics and issues, the less I know who/what to vote for. I would be horrible in debate...

318. If there was a god and you could ask him/her one question what would it be? What does He see in me that I don't?

319. Do you believe that life will be found on other planets? I believe there is life on other planets. Will we ever be advanced enough to find each other? I don't know.

320. What is something worth suffering for? Apparently getting a child potty trained... and being a mom in general. But I draw my line with one. Don't want to tip the balance between joy and suffering. Note that this is just me. I have nothing against my mom or siblings with their many children. I personally don't feel emotionally or physically capable of raising two or more. Stretched thin enough just babysitting a second... I'm sure there are other things worth suffering for, but ask me when B is done peeing his pants...

321. If you could put an extra eye on your body anywhere you wanted, where would you put it? Extra eye, eww... The back of my hand, maybe? Then I could aim it just about any direction I want. Much more versatility than the back of the head. Though still creepy.

322. Are you in touch with the earth and nature? Not to the extent I used to be. I miss my long, aimless walks.

323. Would you rather live simply or extravagantly? simply extravagant. seriously.

324. Have you ever been camping? Yes. I remember camping regularly growing up - Family Camp (reunions), Girls Camp (church group), Honeycomb Rock (back in southern Utah). Last time I went camping was Family Camp in August 2004. Me, five-month old B, and my family camping out with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. My husband doesn't like camping much, so didn't join us.

325. Is your heart open when you meet someone new? I think my heart was way too open. Since being married, not so much. At least not open to love. Open to friendship, yes.

326. Are you able to have conversations with and become friends with people who are not like you and are interested in different things than you are? I don't know. Initial friendships, sure. Long lasting, hasn't really happened yet. Not sure whose side was to blame, if any. Any relationship needs common ground. C.S. Lewis says it well:

Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, 'What? You too? I thought I was the only one.'

327. Are strangers more beautiful or frightening to you? Beautiful. It's the interacting part that is frightening, not the people themselves.

328. What stops you from doing everything you want to do? Money stops me from traveling. My own fears stop me from doing other things.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

This week's Highlights

There were some moments this week that really stood out (in a good way).

Tuesday, my husband stopped on his way home from work and bought me a gift. Just because. The bear is so soft! The flowers are a dozen roses: 6 red, 5 pink, and one lavender. My husband likes to pick out his own arrangements, and they are always lovely. :-)

Yesterday B and I went to the Eccle's Dinosaur Park with my mom and two of my siblings. It was a lot of fun. B liked dinosaur's before, but now he loves them! He is so cute. We heard a lot of "Dinosaur. Rawr." He was very worn out by the end of the day, and didn't even notice scratching up his knee until we got in the car (which since being pointed out, he is "crippled" when he thinks about it. silly boy). At the gift store we bought him a wooden stegosaurus play set, and we got a promotional DVD about the park that B has watched twice since coming home. My mom gave him some dinosaur books, clothes, and pjs before we left. B has spent a lot of time looking at those books today.

Here is B looking at the moving dinosaurs inside the museum. See the cute baby triceratops?

After getting home, we turned right around and left to eat out with my husband as an early Father's Day celebration. (B and I won't be going anywhere this weekend now that we're back into potty training.) It was a long day, but a good one. Hopefully we will all survive the potty training this next week.

An early Happy Father's Day to all dads out there.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tired Tuesday Tally

EotF Update

total words to date: 89,409

pages: 401

chapters revised: 1/27 (draft 5)

T.C. Status

word count: 1471

I have accomplished none of my goals for this past week. I'm just...tired. P has been cranky in the mornings, B sick, dealing with potty training (more emotionally hard than expected), and other stresses (including physical pain from some lingering 'monthly' cramps), and I'm worn out. I was exercising in the morning for a while, but now I stop after 10 minutes feeling more exhausted than when I started. I am really looking forward to Friday. My mom is taking me and B to the George Eccles Dinosaur Park. It will be a nice break.

Until potty training is over, I'm going to take a more laid back approach to goals and writing. I won't bother with Tuesday Tally's unless there's something to report, but I'll still pop into the blog for regular entries at least a couple times a week.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Training on Hold

First day potty training went as expected. Lots of laundry and scrubbing floors. He actually peed in the toilet once, so that was a minor success. But the next day B got a cold. :-( As I don't want to duel wield wipes, we are focusing on the nose wiping until he's feeling better.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Potty-Training Time

We've done a bit with potty training - got B familiar with the seat, taught him the terms, had him sit on it if we knew he needed to go (though still wouldn't till he was off..). Now we're going serious. School is out, he's four years old, can communicate well, and acting ready. We have bought the supplies - lots of little boy underwear (Disney Cars theme for added motivation), have flushable wipes, and bought a better seat for the toilet - padded instead of hard plastic so hopefully he'll sit longer and not get a red ring on his rear. He'll still use disposable training pants for night time, but tomorrow he's moving to underwear for daytime. I expect lots of laundry over the next few weeks. Wish me luck, and feel free to share your own advice/experience.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

QA: Mental Challenges

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

310. Do you like the mental challenge of chess or other games? No. I suck at chess and strategic games. Too much thinking ahead. Fun to play occasionally though, as long as it's against someone who's not an expert. I like riddles and mental puzzles more so than chess and checkers because I don't have to think fast and compete. Just me and the puzzle.

311. Do you ever think of where your atoms were before they were in you? No. But now that the question has been asked, I'm sure I will wonder.

312. Do you ever think about where your atoms will go after they have been in you? Also something I hadn't thought about.

313. If you didn't know that people couldn't fly do you think that you could? Yes. Mental expectations constrain us. And this just gave me an idea for a novel. Fly With Me.

314. Are you someone that others call when they're having a problem and want to talk about it? I only have one person that calls me with that in mind. Not enough to answer yes. I'm a good listener, but I'm rarely top of the list for people to call. Not that I mind terribly. I don't want to always be listening to everyone's problems.

315. When it comes to literature, do you see beyond the writing and into the meaning intended by the author? Sometimes I explore the author's intentions, and sometimes I allow myself to discover the writing's meaning for me. This is why I like reader feedback on my own writing (especially poetry). What an author intends is not always what the reader takes away. That isn't always a bad thing. I've had people find imagery and meaning in my poems that I had not seen for myself. Very enlightening.

316. Is there anything you can take apart completely, and then put back together, and have no left over parts? I don't dare take things apart for this very reason. Same as packing something back in the box it came in – how does it all fit together?

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Happy Birthday Husband! (plus TT)

Today is my husband's birthday. We'll be eating out tonight. Still don't know what he thinks of his gift as I'll be giving it to him later today. We had turtle pie over the weekend instead of cake. Mmm.

Quick Tuesday Tally before I tidy the house while my husband is still at work.