• Kaizen
  • I wrote some code to help me categorize journal entries by regular expressions.
  • I learned how to use this.props to pass data to React components, a Chrome extension to save the rendered HTML, and pandoc with a template to make it a two-column file that I could edit a little more in a word processor. This allowed me to experiment with grouping journal entries by month or by category, making PDFs and HTML files that I can flip through on the tablet. My journal entries since July 2017 fill about 120 pages in two-column mode with 9pt font. I wonder what format might be worth printing it in as an extra backup, and how I can make it easier to map things to the ELECT framework or my own outline. So many moments! Oh, I should totally make something that shows the same week in different years, and something that shows me random entries…
  • My new glasses arrived!
  • I figured out how to add thumbnails of the day's images to my LaTeX export of journal entries.
  • I wrote a script to download this year's non-archived photos from Google Photos.
• Us
  • I finished the bicycle print skirt for A-.
  • I fleshed out a few more journal entries for this year.
  • I made a jersey dress for A-, using a fabric marker to draw purple hearts on it as she requested. I still have a lot to learn about making dresses, but it's a good start.
• Field trip
  • We went to the science centre. It was pretty quiet, so A- got to play with all of her favourites easily.
• Fine motor
  • After dinner, A- asked for a worksheet on the letter B and a worksheet on the number 10. She did all of the first and half of the second, and she also experimented with different ways of holding her pencil.
• Sensory
  • A- used the water gun to in the bathtub. She also wanted to be shot with the water gun.
  • A- wanted to put some paint on my nose, so I smudged it on her via my nose.
• Language
  • While carrying A-, W- said, “Wait, how did you get to be so heavy?” A- said, “Weight,” and then proceeded to laugh uproariously.
  • A- tried on the sunglasses that Joy put into the loot bags for J2's party. I tried them on too, and they fit me. A- said, “Looking good, everyone!” (She picked it up from the Eraser book.)
  • “I sneezed and farted at the same time.”
  • A- liked the idea of a book tree from Yoko Learns to Read, so we made one for her.
• Music
  • After the teacher led the class in singing the alphabet song, A- sang the Latin alphabet song (it skips J and W) and then told everyone what it was. Later that afternoon, she sang Here Comes the Magistra too.
• Art
  • “Look at what the sunshine drew!” A- liked how the yellow pastel looked on a black background. She drew a rectangular frame and lots of lines passing through the center.
  • “Look, I put dustings on the table. I'm making a lot of dust.” A- wanted to play with the pastels again.
  • “Look at what I'm making, but don't help me.” A- made up her own origami, folding and refolding paper.
  • A- and I talked about the art in Eraser. She was curious about why Eraser looked bigger in some drawings and smaller in others, why Eraser was drawn with glasses and ponytails, and so on.
• Self-care and independence
  • A- wanted me to stay in the classroom during music class. She was still able to follow the teacher's instructions, checking in with me only two times during the class. It was nice hearing her sing.
  • A- had a 38.3C fever, so she snuggled up and got plenty of rest.
  • A- talked to me about how she doesn't want to go to school because of teachers, and how she wants to be left alone to do her own thing.
• Eating
  • A- really liked the fish.
• Sleep
  • A- was a little out of control at bedtime, trying to climb up my shoulders even though I said no. She just needed help going to sleep. She quickly fell asleep when I snuggled her with rain sounds.
  • It took a long time to put A- to sleep tonight, probably due to a combination of birthday party sugar and an afternoon nap. I resorted to insisting on doing my own things while in the same room, so I updated my journal and selected posts for Emacs News.
  • A- woke up quickly but missed W-.
  • A- and I had a serious problem-solving discussion about our cosleeping arrangement, since I've been getting grumpy about stuff. She said, “We have two problems. One is I don't want you to leave.” I dutifully wrote it down and prompted her about the second problem. “I keep touching Mama.” We fleshed out the considerations. Sshe doesn't want to feel all alone, and I don't want my sleep interrupted by fighting her hands. We sketched out some ideas. She suggested that I sit up all through the night. I wrote that down. She suggested having a mesh divider between our beds, so that she could still see me but wouldn't just sleepily crawl over. We dragged a laundry basket over to try it out. I asked what I should do if she came over anyway, and we talked about whether I should keep putting her back in her bed even if she cried. I suggested my being in a different room but coming back when she needed me, since she was actually able to deal with that last night.
  • I'm trying the laundry basket idea so that I can show A- that I take her suggestions seriously.
• Emotion
  • A- was a little grumpy about not wanting to be on her feet.
  • A- had a huge tantrum about not wanting to go to school because teachers tell her what to do, which morphed into a tantrum about not wanting to be on her feet. However, she was still able to let go of me when I pointed out that if I didn't pack lunch, we would have to come home after school instead of going to her favourite drop-in.
  • A- had a tantrum about wanting to pay at the grocery store because I tapped my credit card on the terminal instead of letting her go it. After she calmed down, she picked a package of chewy ginger candy and paid for it with her allowance. I had warned her that it would be a little spicy, but she said she liked a little spice. She found it too chewy, though, so maybe W- will have it instead.
• Household
  • A- wanted to make up a recipe involving two eggs and a large splash of oat milk. We ended up turning it into blueberry-apple pancakes. She was so proud of her creation.
• Social
  • I spent most of the day coding on the couch while A- played nearby with the babysitter. A- periodically checked in with me for snuggles or attention. I was still able to concentrate enough to put together a prototype for my consulting client, so it worked out.
  • A- and I went to J2's birthday party. Joy had made so many crafty decorations. I kept the kids occupied with songs and hide-and-seek until the meal started, and then there was an entertainer who did party games, balloon animals, and facepaint. A- hesitated a little, but she joined the group when she saw J-. She had so much fun that we ended up leaving only after an oops and a meltdown, and she napped on the way back.
  • It's wonderful seeing A- so keen on interacting with J-. She's always happy to see J- and has many things to say to her.
  • One of the greeters at the science centre drew A- into a conversation by asking her name and introducing himself. After the usual pleasantries, the greeter waved her in and wished her a good day. A- paused and asked, “Why do you only do kids' names?” She noticed that I hadn't introduced myself.
• Pretend
  • A- pretended to be a sandwich.
  • “Look at all these vegetables I harvested.”
• Cognition
  • We attended a session of the Esso family math program at Scadding Court. It was pretty similar to the one we attended at the centre on Dufferin, so we emailed the teachers to let them know we will just go to drop-in centres instead of completing the workshop series. I really liked picking up math tips from the workshop series we went to, so I'll review my notes while A- plays.
• Other
  • The babysitter finished her large bottle of water, so A- repurposed it. W- drilled a hole in the cap.
  • We tried looking for fabric for a dress for A-, but she didn't like any of the choices. She wanted something with pink and purple stripes (and no other colours). I guess this will either be a good opportunity to learn how to use fabric paint or Spoonflower, or to learn how to choose from what's available!
  • We bought a pair of toddler size 7 winter boots and a dress from Once Upon a Child.
• Oops
  • W-‘s door came off its hinge, probably because of A-‘s tantrum this morning. Oops!

Blog posts

• 2019-12-09 Emacs news
• Weekly review: Week ending December 6, 2019

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