The Timed Approach

Dear Friends and Family,

I've realized the flexibility of Weight Watchers is more than I can handle. Sometimes, too much choice is not a good thing. It forces you to evaluate and make decisions and life is too complicated right now to do that. Plus, I just don't have time to enter all the stuff in.

So. I've been following a different plan for the past two weeks. One that doesn't require me to make many choices.

5AM. I measure out two cups of milk in the morning. I drink some with my first cup of coffee. I drink the rest with my second cup of coffee. Then, I must make it to 11AM. Add water as needed.

11AM. Time for lunch. Pack it in advance. I packed a week's worth on Sunday. Don't think about it, pack it. Then, don't think about it, eat it. This week? 5 oz rice, 2 oz random chicken from the refrigerator, 3 oz random vegetables from the refrigerator/freezer. Reset the water clock by refilling the water bottle.

2PM. Time for snack. 15 oz fruit, 1 oz almonds. Chug whatever water is left from lunch and refill. Then, I must make it until 4:30 PM. Add water as needed.

4:3PM. It's open season on food.

Once I feel like I'm ready, I'll add a 4:30 snack and then tackle dinner and post dinner. But, for now, my brain can handle this. No thinking, just doing. Maybe Nike was onto something when they were on their Just Do It kick.


Cheers!
mouse

Fun Night

Dear Friends and Family,

As promised, P had her fun night. Now, it's back to the mix of fun and games that is our life. Tonight, our friend from the Winter Cabin is visiting and we have mail and dinner. Tomorrow night, I have a board meeting. So, it's odds and ends until Friday for P.

I know life happens. But, why does it seem to happen all at once?


Cheers!
mouse

Ctrl-Alt-Del, Shut Down

Dear Friends and Family,

P's been on a bender since Saturday and needs a reboot.

Ever since we had haircut, we've been bombarding her with new people and adult activities and modified hours and girlfriend just wants to play a little bit.

Today, I think I'll let P have her equivalent of a perfect evening.

• We'll stay for group time at school
• We'll stop at Panda Restaurant for some noodles and chicken
• We'll have three songs when we get home
• We'll play security and read books with Surprise
• We'll have milk and stories in bouncy chair
• We'll have stories in bed

Hopefully, that'll make up for all of stuff we put her through the past couple of days.


Cheers!
mouse

09.26.11: The Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Turns out you sometimes can't predict what your toddler is going to do.

Things P is afraid of:

1. haircuts
2. the dark
3. new people sitting next to her in the car

Things we thought P would be afraid of, but is completely fine with:

1. a new park
2. a play date
3. going over a new friends house for dinner

So, we're 1 for 6 this weekend. (We knew she wouldn't like the haircut.)

And, now, it's time to get ready for work. Sigh.


Cheers!
mouse

09.21.11: Weekend?

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend? It's Wednesday and I'm writing about the weekend? That's not a good sign.

Okay. Weekend.

Highlight of our Saturday? a trip to the bookstore

Sunday? a last minute purchase of School House Rock tickets

The rest of the weekend? Saturday was a typical start with a trip to the bakery, followed by breakfast, a trip to the library and a trip to the park.

Saturday night, we took P to the bookstore and she fell in love with the train set. And, she didn't want to leave. And, she saw another mother cave and spend an additional 30 minutes with her son at the store letting him play with the train.

I wasn't going to set a precedent. I picked her up and gave her a couple of seconds to calm down. Then, I gave her two options. Option A: we can leave now. Option B: we can put down the train, go over to the benches, read some books, see which books we like, and buy the books we like - three books. She thought about it for a moment and picked the latter option. I put her down. She put down the train. We walked away. I was bursting with pride!

Sunday, we went to see School House Rock. P has been watching some of the old videos. She's allowed up to three a day for nine minutes of screen time. Yes, we meter screen time by the minute. She's been learning the preamble, conjunctions, adverbs, nouns and the legislative process - although if you ask her, she'll say preamble, freight train song, lolly, grandma song and Mr. Bill. The show was a huge success. P loved it. She wants to go back, but it was a one-time showing. Sigh.

And, last but not least, a "friend" had a post on Facebook that I read about. Her 18 month son finished his nap, took off his pants, took off his diaper and the proceeded to pee onto the floor. Her thoughts? Time for toilet training. Mine? Definitely time for training - parent training and toddler training come to mind.


Cheers!
mouse

40 Minutes Later

Dear Friends and Family,

I was curious so I looked. And, then because I found something I kept looking. And, forty minutes, four gift cards later, I placed my order.

En route, if we're lucky, is one Missoni for Target sweater for P, one Missoni for Target set of gloves for me, and two boxes of diapers.

I refuse to pay anything near the prices being asked for on eBay, but $10 for a pair of gloves for me doesn't seem too unpalatable. And, the diapers P will work through. And, the sweater, well, that was the original impetus for looking for $50 of merchandise to qualify for free shipping.


Cheers!
mouse

Anti-Medication Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

It's slowly dawning on me (or it's something I've known forever, but just don't write about) that I dislike medication. I'm concerned that as a whole we're an over-medicated society. And it may be how the risk-reward incentive system is set up.

I went to the hospital yesterday and the doctor looked at my hand and recommended Benadryl or Claritin to ease the swelling if it was bothering me and he wrote a prescription for antibiotics because he thought I might have an infection.

I filled the prescription, but I have yet to take it. I did cave last night and took a Claritin for the swelling.

My thoughts? What's the risk associated with prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if the FDA is doing it's job, the short term risk should be minimal. Reward? Patient goes away feeling like they have a solution to their problem. What's the risk of not prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if there's no infection, at worst the patient might feel like going to see a doctor is a waste of money. If there is an infection, then that's where all heck can break loose. Therefore, the system is set up to prescribe the antibiotics.

On to the Claritin and Benadryl. Somehow, those don't seem as malignant as the antibiotics. The perception might be because I've taken it before. It might be because it's over the counter. It might be because the list of short term and long term side effects seems to be more clear cut - I'm not creating super-allergens, at least not to my knowledge. It might be because he left it up to me to manage my care - take as needed. Risk to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Risk to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Therefore, it feels less motivated since there's nothing either way for him in giving the advice.

To be clear, this is different, in my mind, than my friends parents who tried to pray away her Type I diabetes. There's medication and there's over-medication and everyone draws that line at a different point. My line is drawn well before skipping on the insulin shots, but well after taking a pill just in case.

I think that's one of the most important life skills I can impart upon P - to think through how motivations can incent certain behaviors in people and to think through what that means for how they are interacting with her.


Cheers!
mouse

Turning into a Country Song

Dear Friends and Family,

I one or two calamities away from having the lyrics to a country song. A couple of weeks ago it was the concussion. And, now, it's the bee/wasp sting. I got stung on the hand while waving goodbye to P on Tuesday.

Tuesday, it was a little red dot that stung for a couple of minutes.

Wednesday, it was an angry red blob that itched and was beginning to swell.

Today, it's a hand that looks like it's made of sausage stuffed into casing - swollen to the point where it's impossible to make a fist.

One more calamity and I'm going to put it to verse and publish it on YouTube.


Cheers!
mouse

D-O-L-L Spells Doll

Dear Friends and Family,

We have three toy rules in the house...

1. no battery operated toys
2. no licensed characters
3. nothing gender specific

So, you might be wondering why we gave P an early Christmas gift last night, specifically, a battery operated licensed doll - a true triumvirate of breaking all three rules in one fell swoop. It's like salted caramel, fatty, sweet and salty all at once, but that's another blog post altogether.

Well. It came down to this. She likes playing with dolls at school. While we enjoy Lego and other toys at home it seemed silly to deny her any dolls at home just because they're dolls. Back to the first two rules. Yes, it can sing if you put in batteries, which surprisingly we did not. And, yes, it's licensed, but she doesn't know the brand because it's not a US brand. I had to let Dora and Elmo into the house to a degree - they're on her diapers. And, her friends at school taught her Mickey Mouse.

She was giddy when I gave her the doll. She wrapped her in a blanket and played with her all night. She gave her a pretend bath and she took her upstairs to read books. Hopefully, she doesn't play with the doll to the exclusion of all of her other toys. We'll have some plush friends with hurt feelings if she does.

This will stymie any guilt at vetoing any dolls she does get for Christmas. I hate to be that parent, but I almost wish I could put out a list of idea generators for the grandparents. I hate that they spend money on stuff that I then prefer for P not to have. My parents fare better than Mr. mouse's since my sister keeps them in check. I'm staring around the living room to see if I can figure out what they got her, but I'm drawing a blank. Mr. mouse's folks got P a purple dollhouse. Time for that puppy to go back down into the basement, I think. Done.

Oh, and if you're wondering what our deprived child got for non-battery operated, non-licensed, non-gender-specific birthday... well, she got several puzzles, several board games, a large yellow ball, a duck puppet, a zoo set and lots of books. It is possible, it just takes a little more imagination.


Cheers!
mouse

09.12.11: More Time at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

Asked what we did this weekend, and I couldn't remember. It must be the concussion.

Even with my foursquare crutch, I needed help from Mr. mouse. Saturday, we went for bagels in the morning. Then, we took turns showering before heading out for a walk. We took P to the library and then a neighborhood market where she fell in love with the shopping cart and then to the park. We blew bubbles, kicked a ball, and ran in the playground. Then, we came home for lunch and afternoon nap.

Dinner? We tried a new pizza joint and then walked over for ice cream.

Sunday... We took our sweet time getting out of the house. Then, more bagels followed by art fair followed by macaroons at the bakery. P fell asleep at the art fair, so we had the afternoon to clean and then we capped off the evening with a supermarket run.

And, delight of delights, our kitchen island is clear again. Now, to regain the rest of the kitchen... We'll see, my to do list is beginning to grow again. It always seems like I get ahead only to fall behind. One day I will figure this out.

Oh, and football started. So, while I don't watch any games, I do watch my fantasy football stats. Looks like Ravens DST and Drew Brees will pull me through in one piece this week. Unlike other leagues, our league eliminates the lowest team each week. Then, the remaining team pick apart the spoils. It's quite vicious.

And, I have a hypothesis going. There's the theory of outliers and a magical 10,000 hour point beyond which your expertise grows non-linearly. Well, I think it applies to much of child development. And, because P has such a long commute and such helicopter parents and such good teachers at school, I think she's hitting that 10,000 hour point in verbal development and that's why we're seeing such an explosion in her verbal skills.

Well, we all hit that point sometime in our life. With her, by hitting it earlier, it gives her a chance to "move on" to other things. My job? Keeping the white lab coats away and keeping Mr. mouse from filling her head with uselessness.


Cheers!
mouse

Doctor's Appointment

Dear Friends and Family,

After going in for my concussion, I realized I was woefully out of date on my regular check-ups. So, I'm going in today for a check-up.

I know my health won't be as good as it was the last time I went in 2006. For one thing, I'm five years older and close to 25 pounds heavier. But, more important than that, I haven't been sleeping as much or exercising as much. So, it's bound to be worse than last time.

But, still, it'll be good to check. Perhaps this is the wake-up call I need to be more mindful.


Cheers!
mouse

Four Day Work Week

Dear Friends and Family,

I like short work weeks. It's already Thursday!

Our toddler is quickly becoming a pre-K. P's feet had a growth spurt. And, she's looking taller as well. A lot of her clothes from last year fit from a width perspective, but some are simply too short. Mr. mouse tried to convince her that one piece was a "cropped hoodie," but she simply said, "I don't like cropped hoodie. P want sweater."

Then there's the more amazing growth spurt. She's beginning to recognize sounds like words that begin with or have the letter S in them. She's got two or three sight words down. And, she can get the concept of reading a sentence, like last night when I wrote P sleeps on cot on Mr. mouse's white board and she pointed to words as she recited the sentence.

She's got a good handle on her puzzle which is marked for ages four plus. And, she's got a good handle on her mix and match cards - you flip 20 cards face down and flip them over two at a time matching them. And, her memory is oddly good. She remembers that our friend has two guitars - a red one and a green one - even if she only saw the guitars for a couple of moments. And, she remembers that Mr. mouse has sushi pieces on a grey cabinet even if it's been over a month since she was there.

Like I keep telling Mr. mouse, my job is to keep the freaks in the white coats away.


Cheers!
mouse

When McDonald's Is a Good Idea

Dear Friends and Family,

I was leaving work yesterday, tired, hungry, frazzled. And, I made a brilliant decision with the few working neurons I had left in my head. An afternoon snack. Yes, a snack, so that I don't get home and find myself famished and eat half of the refrigerator before realizing that that was a bad idea. Brilliant. An afternoon snack.

Since I was already walking to my car, I reached into my bag for one of two granola bars I keep in there for just such an emergency. And, I pulled it out and realized a rodent had gotten to it.

Now, I realize my journal is called mouse journal. Ironically, I HATE mice. And, to have evidence of one in my bag is more than my mind can take. I think I need a new bag and a new house and a new everything. It's all mouse infested as far as I'm concerned.

Fortunately for my Weight Watchers plan, P was hungry on the way home, and after getting gas we stopped by a McDonald's. I got a hamburger for 7 points and P got a small fries. Afternoon snack problem solved.

Too bad we have a much larger rodent problem to deal with.


Cheers (or not)!
mouse

09.06.11: Quiet Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Long weekend. No travel. No major plans. Not a bad idea.

Saturday, P and I did our usual routine while the house was being cleaned. We went for breakfast, P ordered her usual ham, pancakes, syrup and dip. Then, we bought bread. And, last but definitely not least, we went to the library to return some books and get some new ones.

Then, we came home and ate lunch and played until it was time to get ready for our play date. Mr. mouse walked P until she fell asleep. Then, he loaded her in the car and I drove while he showered. Yes, it's that complicated sometimes.

We drove to the edge of the earth to go to an amusement park/petting zoo/arcade/paintball/water park coming soon/go kart coming soon place that is clearly trying to define its reason for being. No surprise, P hated all of the animals. She was interested in all of the rides, but only enjoyed the ones she could ride with Mr. mouse. But, in the end, she was glad she went. We went for dinner afterwards and then hit the grocery store for milk.

Sunday? We went to the park and surreptitiously fed the ducks and not so surreptitiously blew bubbles. Mr. mouse snapped some pictures. We ate some plate lunch. Nap in car and in crib.

And, Monday? Brunch with Auntie Janet!

The highlight of the weekend? Mr. mouse built P a simple Lego plane. While he was playing with her, I built a simple security station with a belt, two benches and the TSA agent played by P's bus driver. Next came a gate. And, that was the weekend. The Lego people went through security and went to the gate and got on the plane all weekend long. P even let a giraffe through security, once.



Cheers!
mouse

Hard Brain

Dear Friends and Family,

I don't know if it's the concussion or if I'm getting old or it's my analyst, but his way of doing Excel is impossible for me to follow.

I consider myself an above average Excel user. But, I also try to make my work easy for someone else to pick up, probably because I've picked up a file or two in the past that were bears to wrap your arms around.

But, his Excel sheets are IMPOSSIBLE to follow. He uses one formula over and over again to do a multiple row, multiple column combo vlookup hlookup which really is kind of nifty but is impossible to easily audit.

I just can't bring myself to begin writing formulas that way. Like I said, I'm not sure if it's the concussion or I'm getting old or I just refuse to pick up something that the next person can't follow.

Perhaps I should change my name from mouse to dinosaur.


Cheers!
tyrannosaurus mouse

I Need an Attorney

Dear Friends and Family,

Normally, no good comes of those words.

But, we do need an attorney and it is something we are excited about. My partner is setting up time with the two of us and an attorney to discuss setting up a limited liability company (LLC) for our new company.

And, for me, that makes it real for a very simple reason. An attorney costs money. And, until you fork over the first dollar, it's just an idea, a mental exercise. Once money's involved, it's for real.

Next on the list, setting up the entity and then opening a bank account. There's so much stuff that has to be done before we get to the fun stuff of actually opening our business. Huh.


Cheers!
mouse