Snow between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day tends to be a gentle and pleasant way to wind down the year. A falling asleep after a long toil. A blanket of white.
January, just barely, keeps this going for a couple of weeks… before it turns into February, the longest month of the year.
It goes from how nice it is to put on fuzzy clothing and fuzzy slippers and slip under a fuzzy blanket with your fuzzy pets on your fuzzy couch with your equally fuzzy main squeeze and watch fuzzy shows while you drink something that will make you fuzzy into something where if you get in the door, untie one boot, then remember that you didn’t check the mailbox and you seriously debate whether the benefit of tying your boot again and opening that door will have anything near the payoff of letting it pile up for two days and just getting it tomorrow.
In January, it makes sense to get the mail. In February, it makes sense to get it tomorrow.
Well, until the middle of January, anyway.
As such, this weekend will probably be the last one where “fuzzy” is a celebration of winter rather than a defense mechanism. As such, I hope to be fuzzy this weekend between errands, chores, and studying.
So… what’s on your docket?
(Photo is “Footrace finish line, 1925” from the Seattle Municipal Archives, used under a creative commons license.)
Well, at the moment we’re licking our wounds from a report by child development authorities on how we’re raising our daughter (and another likely on the way). Long story. It wasn’t all bad, but it’s hard to read a report that outlines everything you’re doing wrong (and the vague worry it’s going to be in a file somewhere in the state capital archives). Long story.
Clancy starts with a physical trainer tomorrow. She’s struggling and it’s going to be a while before she can walk again. She can drive, at least. Starts work on Monday.
Mother-in-law comes to town next week. Looking forward to some relief.Report
Wait what?Report
Wow…good luck with all that Will. Sounds like a full plate. Another child?Report
Wait a minute… so how/why did CPS get involved in your lives in the first place? (Apologies if you’ve already explained and I missed it.)
When our oldest was a toddler we were living in a not-great apartment complex. We had upstairs neighbors that had too many/too large dogs. Somebody turned them in to the landlord and they assumed it was us. In retaliation they called a bogus report in to CPS. They came out to investigate, as they should, and they had the unfortunate timing to do so when I was out to sea (Navy days) and my wife was… indisposed… temporarily in the bathroom. Said toddler toddles to the front door and opens it.
“Is your mommy here?”
Toddler looks behind her, not seeing Mommy because she’s in a different room, and answers, “No,” and shuts the door in the lady’s face.
Ah, Jesus. Thus began six months of semi-intensive scrutiny by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Not the most fun we’ve ever had I must say.Report
Not the CPS, thankfully. Our pediatrician sent a referral to the Department of Education and Childhood Development (or somesuch) because Lain isn’t meeting some of her benchmarks. As part of the process, they send two assessment specialists to our house, who then file a report to the state regarding our eligibility for a program to help her close the gap (if there is a gap). Child environment is a part of that assessment.
It’s all supposed to be positive in the end (either they say everything is fine or they help us), but this is the part that hurts. We’re two or three of four reports in, but the gist of the second report is that the kid is fine and the problem is environmental. The first actually was pretty cursory (and not very optimistic) while we were told that the third will paint a more negative picture than the person actually believes exists but the score is the score.Report
Stay calm and be patient. There are no perfect parents. Parenting is a skill like any other that often benefits from coaching and learning. Doesn’t feel fun but that is how skills are learned.
Without , obviously, knowing any of the details saying something is an environmental issue with a baby doesn’t imply bad parenting. Some kids need different environments which is hard to figure unless you have some special training. I tell some parents that it is a parents job to see their kids threw rose colored glasses. You’re supposed to think everything they do is cute and wonderful. But that sometimes means you don’t see when they need something different or some modification. Outside people aren’t blinded by love which is good for an assessment and suggestions.
Love is the key part though. If parent’s love their kid they will learn what they need and deal with their own and the kids eccentricities. If you got the love everything else can be worked out. In the end what kids need is only a Good Enough parent; love, play, safety , nurturing and occasionally some help and the kids will be alright.Report
Wow, that sounds un-fun in the extreme! I’m glad to hear the potential outcomes are all eventually positive.Report
Oh, WIll, I’m so sorry the two of you have to go through that (I say two because I’m pretty sure Lain will be blissfully unaffected in later life.) Hang in there.Report
I completely co-sign this.Report
Wow, Will. That sounds awful. We went through a (very) short ordeal with child services once, and it sucked. (They were unbelievably nice, actually, but it still sucked.)Report
Jeez, first-time parents who actually care about their kids are already their own worst critics, without having strangers in positions of vague authority pass judgment on them too. Get better soon, Clancy, and no more beating yourselves up, mom and dad!Report
Sympathy extended. Our daughter was born just enough too early that the State of New Jersey counted here as a preemie. So six months of periodic developmental checks that had to be filed with the proper state agency. If the birth had been two days later, we would have skipped all of that.Report
I am having an odd weekend in that I am working today 3-5, tomorrow 11:30-5, not on Sunday. So today sort of feels like weekend? except I really should be getting ready for work soon… and tomorrow will feel like a weekend except for working for 5 hours… but working on Saturday is usually different/easier… mostly I am tired and would like a couple weeks off, even though we just came back from break. The cold fluffiness of January is lulling, and I want to give in to its lull.
I’ve been dealing with some really rough stuff in therapy – new, bad, memories and such – which is probably a large pat of the reason I feel the urge to hibernate. Hoping that eases up some in the next week or two.Report
(Obviously when I say “new” memories I don’t mean new memories. The new part is not dissociating the fuck away from there whenever I get within fifty yards of them.)Report
Oy. Sorry to hear about the tough therapy sessions. Hope you get through them to a better place, M’bou.Report
Thank you.Report
It’ll get better! I hope. Nothing wrong with curling up with a glass of grape juice and a good movie, but be social too: friends help.Report
Oh yeah, I haven’t *been* hibernating; I just feel a strong urge to do so.Report
I will be watching the NFL conference championship games this Sunday.
I also have a three-day weekend. The Greaseman once opined a way we could have this entire week off…Report
Do you like both the home teams? As you might imagine, I’m very much hoping for an upset against Tod’s SeaChickens, but quite concerned about a hobbled QB.Report
Unlikely QBs scare me right now, after the Championship game on Monday. I’m worried it’s going to be a trend for me this week.Report
Care to have a small wager on the outcome? Say, the cost of the first round of Scotland’s finest next time we get together?Report
Done!Report
I like both home teams, but can easily see either or both losing. I would recommend taking both dogs to cover.
How’s that for decisive?
Anyway, I find it ironic that even though New England is the team furthest east in the entire NFL and Seattle is team furthest west in the entire NFL, the NFC game is the early game (12:05 kickoff) and the AFC game is the late game (6:40 kickoff).
In regards to your bet with @tod-kelly I would have asked for some points.Report
Well I got the first one right. Congrats to @tod-kellyReport
Well, I was going to try to fix my hot tub, but what I thought was a simple repair that I had received the parts for, turns out to perhaps be a more complicated repair, for which I do not currently have the part. Dangit.
(I used stronger words upon this discovery. I am partial to Bob Odenkirk’s favorite swear word):
All the kids are at grandma and grandpa’s tonight, so me and the wife are going to get dinner and see a band; the first show we have attended together in several years.Report
Tonight, it’ll be finalizing the coffee table that Natasha and I built over last weekend and have been painting and coating since. Thank Dog for spray poly!
Tomorrow will be some prep in the yard to adjust for turning off the water for the winter, followed by visiting with a friend who is recovering from surgery. Also, using a new-to-me freestanding rotisserie appliance to turn a bird into dinner.
Sunday will be dedicated to worship at the Temple of Football. Hoping for a better outcome the second time in a week I’ll have worn all green and gold.Report
Any pics of the table?Report
We had another round of sanding to do last night when the glass we ordered was a quarter of an inch larger than the trim we’d put around the topper. Lo, much profanity was heard that night in the Likko household, I can tell you! So out came the orbital sander and then again with the paint and the poly and we shall try again tonight. When we successfully top the table, I shall photographically tout our triumph for my Reader to marvel upon!Report
Can’t wait to see it, Burt.Report
I’ve uploaded some pictures of the table in Jaybird’s Saturday post. Two pictures as we got it put into place, two after we loaded it up for its use as entertainment media storage — board games, video games, music CD’s, and DVD’s are all kept in various cubby-holes below the glass-topped map surface.Report
Quiet weekend for me. Dad and his wife visiting for lunch tomorrow, Seahawks on Sunday. Keep working on the bike I am restoring inbetween.Report
Four day weekend… ahhhhhhhh.
Gonna replace the garbage disposal. Anxiety.Report
OOOH! OOOH! I JUST DID THAT!!!!!!Report
You need to talk to Aaron David about this, barring that, the youtubes have tons of “how tos” and they’re surprisingly helpful.Report
I wish I had a garbage disposal.
I have a sieve. Every two weeks or so I need to clean it. Have you ever seen two weeks of accumulated drain…whatever?
Trust me on this. Never move to a home with no garbage disposal.Report
After a series of overly-full plates, I think I am going into this weekend without one single plan. It feels really, really good.
I’ll be watching the NFL conference champions, obviously, as I try to think up excuses to save face if Burt wins our bet. And I am actually way behind on several large projects here, so I think I might work on those.Report
Going to see the Haring exhibit at the De Young on Sunday. Eagerly awaiting Tuesday which bring new albums from Sleater-Kinney, Belle and Sebastian, and the Decemberists.Report
You just killed dhex.Report
He should be made of stronger stuff.Report
Ethiopian food for dinner one night with friend.
Some other food with another friend.
“tandorizing” some chicken for the gap dinner :0Report