Quick Takes Friday

1) The tot is sick with a mysterious illness. He has no symptoms other than some lethargy and a high fever last night. He seems better this morning but is still a bit sluggish. These are the days I wish he had the power of speech. I am trying to get him to rest by bribing him with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (which really is a double bonus - he gets to watch tv and I get to blog in peace).

2) I expected this summer to be peaceful. I think I actually said to the husband "I can't wait until everyone is on break from everything and we have nothing to do!" Except that hasn't actually happened. We go to the gym every day and the chiropractor and the store and everywhere else in town. And now we are signed up two days a week for summer swim lessons. So actually a big "NO" on the downtime and relaxation. However, because of the aforementioned mystery illness, today we are inside doing nothing. It bothers me to be house bound but it is also kind of nice to still be sitting here at 8:45 in the morning in my pajamas. This weekend was also packed full of visits, errands and the like. But now it may be full of time spent indoors caring for our quarantined tot. I am already brainstorming ways to entertain us (which, given that most of our daily activities are self-inflicted, makes me think that I must actually enjoy having lots to do every day).

3) This week I have read two new books. Both were excellent but very sorrowful. I read Anna Quindlen's "Every Last One" and "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman. Anna Quindlen is one of my favorite authors and I have read most everything she has written. I enjoyed both immensely but am not so sure that it was a great idea to read two books about loss back to back as it left me feeling very melancholy and introspective. I have now started Steig Larson's "The Girl Who Played With Fire" which I doubt will have the same effect.

3) I have the worst habit of buying more books than I even have time to read. I think I enjoy the process of shopping for books as much as if not more than reading them. I thought that this would change some with the kindle as there is no going to the bookstore and flipping the pages which is part of what I love (I still do it, I just end up downloading the titles rather than purchasing them) but it turns out that browsing Amazon is just as addictive because you are able to download samples of the books. And being able to have the book in hand without having to leave the couch only makes it worse! I'm trying to control my urge and not let myself buy more than two books at a time and not purchase more until those two are read. However, willpower and I are not friends, so I am doubtful of this strategy.

4) I am enjoying a summer with little to no tv. I had hoped to start this big experiment of not watching tv at all this summer, but realized my spouse would probably start sneaking off to hotels to watch the tube. So rather than making it a hard and fast rule, most nights when there is nothing on the DVR, we play games or do other "non-television" related stuff. It's been fun so far. My long term goal is to cut back on our tv watching overall, but we'll see how it goes given that I am missing "The Good Wife" and "Grey's" already and he has already started perusing the network websites to see what new stuff starts in the Fall.

5) I think part of my desire to cut back on our television habit stems from the fear that we are setting a bad example for our tot who may be turning in to a tiny couch potato. Or maybe a tater tot. Sorry, too good to pass up. Anyhow - he doesn't get to watch a lot of the tube unless we are getting ready to go somewhere and he needs to be distracted. Bu,t what used to be background noise while he played in his Pack n Play is now his primary focus. More days than not, when I get out of the shower, he is laying on his bear staring up at the screen transfixed. All of those parenting articles and research studies start repeating in my head and I envision myself in a doctor's office five years from now discussing his learning disability/attention issues/obesity etc. Yes, yes, I am sure that it probably doesn't happen exactly that way and the husband always says something nerdy like "Correlation doesn't prove causation" when I bring it up, but it doesn't stop me from worrying about it (much like everything else parent related). And yes, I have Googled this (of course) and the results were mixed. It seems like a lot of doctor types say "NO TV. Not before age 2 and even then only in small doses." But a lot of parent types say "Are you kidding me? If I don't turn the television on once in a while, I will end up in a padded cell!"

6) Because the tot is sick, I am bending the rules and pretending not to notice that he is drinking his sippy cup of milk in the living room. Does this make me a sucker?

7) I am so glad it's finally summer. We have been outside almost every day. The grandparents have gone to great lengths to turn the backyard in to a toddler fun land so now we have slides, a water table, a sand box, and a baby pool. The tot is both joyous and overwhelmed. I am glad he likes the pool but am quickly tiring of the swim diapers/swim trunks/hat/sunscreen routine that takes 20 minutes in order to venture out in to the yard for him to only play for 45 minutes and then come back in for the rinse off/change diaper/change clothes routine. I swear I am spending as much time getting him ready to go out and cleaned off when he comes back in as he actually spends out in the yard. Oh well - at least we are all still getting fresh air and sunshine and that's far better than the icky cold of the last six months!

Happy Friday, Everyone! Read more quick takes here.