We've been working on teaching Claire cause and effect for awhile now. If you do this then you'll get this. When you (yadda yadda) then (something something).
I also find myself taking it to a new level by introducing hyperbole. More than just "If ... Then", it's become "If ... Then ... AND"! So "If you eat that rubber band, then you might choke" becomes "and we'll have to cut it out with scissors". Or "If you don't brush your teetch, then your teeth might turn brown" ... "and ants might come eat your teeth while you sleep at night!". Okay, okay, not exactly parent of the year material, but it gets her to do it!
I have not, however, introduced her to the fear of monsters and the dark, but it seems as though she's discovering the potential there all by herself. The other day, she said she was afraid of the monster in the dark, and I asked her who taught her about monsters in the dark (after telling her that we scared away any monsters that might be there) and she said, "Franklin". Yes, Franklin the turtle ... the one that's afraid of the dark but learned that he could take a flashlight into his dark shell so that he's not as afraid. Yeah, thanks, Franklin.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Spontaneous!
We did something pretty wild and kooky this weekend ... we went down to Austin. Well, okay, that wasn't the wild and kooky thing. What made it so crazy is that we did it so spontaneously. As in no planning. As in "hmm, we're leaving Evan's birthday party; want to go do now? Go to Austin? Sure!". Seriously.
All we had with us was a diaper bag (with three clean diapers apiece, thank goodness), Gavin's lunch, and ... well, I guess that's really it. We were already over in Watauga, so we simply jumped on 377, 820, and found ourselves on I-35W headed to Austin.
Claire was pooped from the party and immediately fell asleep. Gavin wasn't too happy the first few miles, but we stopped at a Starbucks parking lot to feed and change him, then I squished myself into the back between the kiddos and fed him his jar food before practically draping myself over him in the car seat to put him to sleep. Blissful silence. And even though both kids woke up before we made it to Austin, we didn't have to make any stops before getting to the Pees'!
Luckily, both the Pees (George, Christina, and James) and the Law/Lius (Dwo, Crystal, and Kirby) were in town and free to hang out.
Of course, not having actually packed anything, we needed to get our victuals once we got to Austin. After Claire and James played for a little while, we headed out for a group trip to Target. James and I were very pleasantly surprised with the very reasonable prices for clothing, although, $350 later, we wondered how in the world we spent so much! It wasn't just 2 days worth of clothes though: diapers, jar food, sippy cup, cereal, pjs, phone charger, phone cover (mine broke on the way down), makeup, toiletries ... just think about everything you normally pack for a weekend away and imagine having to buy it all.
I won't bother going into the details of the actual trip; I'll let the kids tell that part. :) I just wanted to make sure I made note of the pretty cool thing that we did.
Claire's account
Gavin' account
All we had with us was a diaper bag (with three clean diapers apiece, thank goodness), Gavin's lunch, and ... well, I guess that's really it. We were already over in Watauga, so we simply jumped on 377, 820, and found ourselves on I-35W headed to Austin.
Claire was pooped from the party and immediately fell asleep. Gavin wasn't too happy the first few miles, but we stopped at a Starbucks parking lot to feed and change him, then I squished myself into the back between the kiddos and fed him his jar food before practically draping myself over him in the car seat to put him to sleep. Blissful silence. And even though both kids woke up before we made it to Austin, we didn't have to make any stops before getting to the Pees'!
Luckily, both the Pees (George, Christina, and James) and the Law/Lius (Dwo, Crystal, and Kirby) were in town and free to hang out.
Of course, not having actually packed anything, we needed to get our victuals once we got to Austin. After Claire and James played for a little while, we headed out for a group trip to Target. James and I were very pleasantly surprised with the very reasonable prices for clothing, although, $350 later, we wondered how in the world we spent so much! It wasn't just 2 days worth of clothes though: diapers, jar food, sippy cup, cereal, pjs, phone charger, phone cover (mine broke on the way down), makeup, toiletries ... just think about everything you normally pack for a weekend away and imagine having to buy it all.
I won't bother going into the details of the actual trip; I'll let the kids tell that part. :) I just wanted to make sure I made note of the pretty cool thing that we did.
Claire's account
Gavin' account
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Officially Part-Timer
Well, as of today, I am officially a part-timer. No, not a short-timer (keep breathing, James!), but I won't be working a full 5-day / 40-hour work week anymore.
This is probably expected news to a lot of folks given my last blog posting before I went back to work. I actually approached Jeff back at the end of April, one month after I got back to work. In that month, I realized that I do still like my job, I do still like having some spending money, and the kids -- at least Claire -- do enjoy going to school. Just not 5 days a week worth. I felt as though my weekends were just a preparation to go back to work and that my already scarce time to spend with Claire had effectively been cut in half in order to also spend time with Gavin.
I think Claire feels it too; ever since I got back to work, she's been a lot more clingy and needing of my attention. I don't know if it's her (st)age, the fact that she's realizing Gavin's not going anywhere, or just the fact that I spend a lot less time with her now that I did before Gavin was born or while I was out on maternity. Maybe if I'm with her more, she'll be tired of me and want to be with Daddy again more.
I worked out my proposal -- 3 days a week with 2 in the office and 1 from home -- and presented it to Jeff who worked with HR to make it happen. As of yesterday, I am no longer a "regular employee" of Horizon Lines and am serving in a consultant/contractor role. My contract is through next year with the option to extend if this arrangement turns out to be beneficial to both sides.
I feel very blessed to have a husband and a boss that both support my decision. I know there is some trepidition from everyone involved, but the best thing we can do is try. And if it doesn't work out? Well, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.
So look for me and the kids as we traverse the great city of Dallas (and beyond!). I can't wait to get into our next set of adventures ... and to start updating our blogs again!
P.S. No, I did not bill the time it took to write this. ;)
This is probably expected news to a lot of folks given my last blog posting before I went back to work. I actually approached Jeff back at the end of April, one month after I got back to work. In that month, I realized that I do still like my job, I do still like having some spending money, and the kids -- at least Claire -- do enjoy going to school. Just not 5 days a week worth. I felt as though my weekends were just a preparation to go back to work and that my already scarce time to spend with Claire had effectively been cut in half in order to also spend time with Gavin.
I think Claire feels it too; ever since I got back to work, she's been a lot more clingy and needing of my attention. I don't know if it's her (st)age, the fact that she's realizing Gavin's not going anywhere, or just the fact that I spend a lot less time with her now that I did before Gavin was born or while I was out on maternity. Maybe if I'm with her more, she'll be tired of me and want to be with Daddy again more.
I worked out my proposal -- 3 days a week with 2 in the office and 1 from home -- and presented it to Jeff who worked with HR to make it happen. As of yesterday, I am no longer a "regular employee" of Horizon Lines and am serving in a consultant/contractor role. My contract is through next year with the option to extend if this arrangement turns out to be beneficial to both sides.
I feel very blessed to have a husband and a boss that both support my decision. I know there is some trepidition from everyone involved, but the best thing we can do is try. And if it doesn't work out? Well, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.
So look for me and the kids as we traverse the great city of Dallas (and beyond!). I can't wait to get into our next set of adventures ... and to start updating our blogs again!
P.S. No, I did not bill the time it took to write this. ;)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Letter from a CEO
Now THIS is a letter from a CEO (regarding Woot being bought by Amazon) -- congrats to Woot, btw. Interesting how culture is such a strong driving force within an organization … and how it really does come from the top. Plus, it made me laugh.
Amazon, Woot, and You: But Mostly Woot
News by Woot! on June 30, 2010 at 3:30 PM
To be uncharacteristically serious for half a nanosecond, yes, Woot has signed an agreement to be acquired by Amazon. It shouldn't change anything much for us or you after the deal closes, we just figured you’d like to know a few details. You see, when two companies meet over drinks and some light jazz and decide they'd like to get to know each other better… You know what? Our CEO said it best in his letter to us employees...
Date: Weds, 30 June 2010
From: Matt Rutledge (CEO – Woot.com)
To: All Woot Employees
Subject: Woot and Amazon
I know I say this every time I find a picture of an adorable kitten, but please set aside 20 minutes to carefully read this entire email. Today is a big day in Woot history. This morning, I woke up to find Jeff Bezos the Mighty had seized our magic sword. Using the Arthurian model as a corporate structure was something our CFO had warned against from the very beginning, but now that’s water under the bridge. What is important is that our company is on the verge of becoming a part of the Amazon.com dynasty. And our plans for Grail.Woot are on indefinite hold.
Over the next few days, you will probably read headlines that say “Matt Rutledge revealed to be monstrous pseudo-human creation of Jeff Bezos.” You might even see this photo making the rounds. Rest assured that these rumors have nothing to do with our final decision. We think now is the right time to join with Amazon because, quite simply, every company that becomes a subsidiary gets two free downloads until the end of July, and we very much need that new thing with Trent Reznor’s wife on our iPods.
Other than that, we plan to continue to run Woot the way we have always run Woot – with a wall of ideas and a dartboard. From a practical point of view, it will be as if we are simply adding one person to the organizational hierarchy, except that one person will just happen to be a billion-dollar company that could buy and sell each and every one of you like you were office furniture. Nevertheless, don’t worry that our culture will suddenly take a leap forward and become cutting-edge. We’re still going to be the same old bottom-feeders our customers and readers have come to know and love, and each and every one of their pre-written insult macros will still be just as valid in a week, two weeks, or even next year. For Woot, our vision remains the same: somehow earning a living on snarky commentary and junk.
We are excited about doing this for all sorts of reasons. One, our business model is so vague that there’s no way Amazon can possibly change what it is we’re truly doing: preparing the way for the rise of the Lava Men in 2012. Also, our deal means that Jason Toon will finally be released from that Mexican jail owned by Zappos honcho Tony Hsieh. No, don’t lie, Tony, we’ve seen the paperwork. And we need a powerful ally in case Steve Jobs finally breaks down and comes after us for all our Apple jokes over the years. Don’t think of it as a buyout; think of it as NATO!
I will go through each of the above points in more detail later, but first, let me get to the top 5 burning questions that I’m guessing many of you will have.
TOP 5 BURNING QUESTIONS:
Q: F1RST!!!!
A: Okay, that’s not a question, but it is a good place to mention that our forums will still be policed by a team of moderators, as before. And also, Woot’s previous and always-in-effect privacy policy will still be just as always-in-effect, so don’t worry, there are no plans to suddenly give up or merge your forum data.
Q: Is Snapster leaving?
A: Are you kidding? He’s out the door about ten seconds after that check clea- that is to say, Snapster will continue as Woot.com CEO, just like before, and the rest of our staff’s not going anywhere either. Woot and all our various sites will continue to be an independently operated company full of horrible, useless products and an untalented jerkface writing staff, same as it ever was.
Q: Will the Woot culture change?
A: Amazon is interested in us because they recognize the value of our people, our brand, and our unique style of deep-tissue, toxin-releasing massage. And they don't want to start changing things now. Amazon's hoping our nutty Woot steez continues to grow and develop (and perhaps even rubs off on them a little). They’re not looking to have their folks come in and run Woot unless we ask them to, which incidentally you can do by turning off the bathroom lights and saying the word “Kindle” three times; a helpful Amazon employee will appear in the mirror. That said, Amazon clearly knows what they're doing in a lot of areas, so we’re geeked about the opportunities to tap into that knowledge and those resources, especially on the technology side. This is about making the Woot brand, culture, and business even stronger than it is today, and we expect that any changes will be for the better or we wouldn't bother with this endless paperwork.
Q: Where can I get one of those vuvuzelas?
A: Are you even paying attention?
Several months ago, when we were all sitting on Jeff Bezos’s bumper drinking orange Mad Dog and trying not to be noticed, we heard a voice in the distance yelling “You kids better not scratch my Mercedes or I’m calling the cops!” We ran. It was later that night when Amazon came by the house and said they liked our style and also wanted to get that money we owed them for messing up the chrome. We like to think that our relationship with Amazon will continue at this level for many, many, many years to come.
But we here at Woot are still a thoughtful company, so, at the end of the day, I watched the sunset, and its golden-hued glory made me think about two questions:
1) Is there really a universal deity?
2) Does such a thing preclude free will or are we humans in control of our own destiny?
After spending a lot of time falling asleep at the library while facing the philosophy books, I determined that the concept of destiny is a construct that allows man a gentle release from facing the terror of his existence, and that a Hyundai full of twenties would pretty much offer the same benefits. And so, I ultimately said YES!
This is definitely an emotional day for me. The feelings I’m experiencing are similar to what I felt in college on graduation day: excitement about getting a check from my folks combined with nausea from a hellacious bender the night before. I remember fondly that time when an RA turned on the lights and yelled “WHO OWNS THESE PANTS?” Except this time, the pants are a company, and the RA is you, and the sixty five hours of community service is a deal that will ensure the Woot.com experience can continue to grow for years and years and years, like a black mold behind the Gold Box. Join us, because together, we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Also, there will be six muffins waiting in the company break room, courtesy of the nice folks at Amazon.com. Welcome to the family!
Matt Rutledge
CEO, Woot
Direct press/media inquiries to media@woot.com.
http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=13390
Amazon, Woot, and You: But Mostly Woot
News by Woot! on June 30, 2010 at 3:30 PM
To be uncharacteristically serious for half a nanosecond, yes, Woot has signed an agreement to be acquired by Amazon. It shouldn't change anything much for us or you after the deal closes, we just figured you’d like to know a few details. You see, when two companies meet over drinks and some light jazz and decide they'd like to get to know each other better… You know what? Our CEO said it best in his letter to us employees...
Date: Weds, 30 June 2010
From: Matt Rutledge (CEO – Woot.com)
To: All Woot Employees
Subject: Woot and Amazon
I know I say this every time I find a picture of an adorable kitten, but please set aside 20 minutes to carefully read this entire email. Today is a big day in Woot history. This morning, I woke up to find Jeff Bezos the Mighty had seized our magic sword. Using the Arthurian model as a corporate structure was something our CFO had warned against from the very beginning, but now that’s water under the bridge. What is important is that our company is on the verge of becoming a part of the Amazon.com dynasty. And our plans for Grail.Woot are on indefinite hold.
Over the next few days, you will probably read headlines that say “Matt Rutledge revealed to be monstrous pseudo-human creation of Jeff Bezos.” You might even see this photo making the rounds. Rest assured that these rumors have nothing to do with our final decision. We think now is the right time to join with Amazon because, quite simply, every company that becomes a subsidiary gets two free downloads until the end of July, and we very much need that new thing with Trent Reznor’s wife on our iPods.
Other than that, we plan to continue to run Woot the way we have always run Woot – with a wall of ideas and a dartboard. From a practical point of view, it will be as if we are simply adding one person to the organizational hierarchy, except that one person will just happen to be a billion-dollar company that could buy and sell each and every one of you like you were office furniture. Nevertheless, don’t worry that our culture will suddenly take a leap forward and become cutting-edge. We’re still going to be the same old bottom-feeders our customers and readers have come to know and love, and each and every one of their pre-written insult macros will still be just as valid in a week, two weeks, or even next year. For Woot, our vision remains the same: somehow earning a living on snarky commentary and junk.
We are excited about doing this for all sorts of reasons. One, our business model is so vague that there’s no way Amazon can possibly change what it is we’re truly doing: preparing the way for the rise of the Lava Men in 2012. Also, our deal means that Jason Toon will finally be released from that Mexican jail owned by Zappos honcho Tony Hsieh. No, don’t lie, Tony, we’ve seen the paperwork. And we need a powerful ally in case Steve Jobs finally breaks down and comes after us for all our Apple jokes over the years. Don’t think of it as a buyout; think of it as NATO!
I will go through each of the above points in more detail later, but first, let me get to the top 5 burning questions that I’m guessing many of you will have.
TOP 5 BURNING QUESTIONS:
Q: F1RST!!!!
A: Okay, that’s not a question, but it is a good place to mention that our forums will still be policed by a team of moderators, as before. And also, Woot’s previous and always-in-effect privacy policy will still be just as always-in-effect, so don’t worry, there are no plans to suddenly give up or merge your forum data.
Q: Is Snapster leaving?
A: Are you kidding? He’s out the door about ten seconds after that check clea- that is to say, Snapster will continue as Woot.com CEO, just like before, and the rest of our staff’s not going anywhere either. Woot and all our various sites will continue to be an independently operated company full of horrible, useless products and an untalented jerkface writing staff, same as it ever was.
Q: Will the Woot culture change?
A: Amazon is interested in us because they recognize the value of our people, our brand, and our unique style of deep-tissue, toxin-releasing massage. And they don't want to start changing things now. Amazon's hoping our nutty Woot steez continues to grow and develop (and perhaps even rubs off on them a little). They’re not looking to have their folks come in and run Woot unless we ask them to, which incidentally you can do by turning off the bathroom lights and saying the word “Kindle” three times; a helpful Amazon employee will appear in the mirror. That said, Amazon clearly knows what they're doing in a lot of areas, so we’re geeked about the opportunities to tap into that knowledge and those resources, especially on the technology side. This is about making the Woot brand, culture, and business even stronger than it is today, and we expect that any changes will be for the better or we wouldn't bother with this endless paperwork.
Q: Where can I get one of those vuvuzelas?
A: Are you even paying attention?
Several months ago, when we were all sitting on Jeff Bezos’s bumper drinking orange Mad Dog and trying not to be noticed, we heard a voice in the distance yelling “You kids better not scratch my Mercedes or I’m calling the cops!” We ran. It was later that night when Amazon came by the house and said they liked our style and also wanted to get that money we owed them for messing up the chrome. We like to think that our relationship with Amazon will continue at this level for many, many, many years to come.
But we here at Woot are still a thoughtful company, so, at the end of the day, I watched the sunset, and its golden-hued glory made me think about two questions:
1) Is there really a universal deity?
2) Does such a thing preclude free will or are we humans in control of our own destiny?
After spending a lot of time falling asleep at the library while facing the philosophy books, I determined that the concept of destiny is a construct that allows man a gentle release from facing the terror of his existence, and that a Hyundai full of twenties would pretty much offer the same benefits. And so, I ultimately said YES!
This is definitely an emotional day for me. The feelings I’m experiencing are similar to what I felt in college on graduation day: excitement about getting a check from my folks combined with nausea from a hellacious bender the night before. I remember fondly that time when an RA turned on the lights and yelled “WHO OWNS THESE PANTS?” Except this time, the pants are a company, and the RA is you, and the sixty five hours of community service is a deal that will ensure the Woot.com experience can continue to grow for years and years and years, like a black mold behind the Gold Box. Join us, because together, we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Also, there will be six muffins waiting in the company break room, courtesy of the nice folks at Amazon.com. Welcome to the family!
Matt Rutledge
CEO, Woot
Direct press/media inquiries to media@woot.com.
http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=13390
Monday, June 28, 2010
Reward: Missing Baby
Short story: I lost Claire at the mall. The longer story is that Claire is not really a runner and does a good job staying close to me ... except when she's with Kaylie. With Kaylie, she becomes this shrieking mass of excited fun.
What happened was we walked in the Gap at Stonebriar Mall which is more of a mega-Gap of 4 stores combined: Gap, Gap Body, Gap Kids, and Baby Gap. Claire and Kaylie ran to the back of the store, and I figured she'd just be trapped there and I would make my way to her.
Instead, I discovered that the Gaps were all connected by dressing rooms. One loooooong hallway that connected all of the Gaps together meaning Claire ran into the dressing room area and out .. well, one of the other three. Yikes.
Corrie and I called for Claire (trying not to freak out), and I let a store employee know that my daughter had run away. This is where I became incredibly impressed by the Gap staff. She immediately got on her headset and said something about "missing child". From the place I was at, I saw employees from each of the Gap stores immediately head to the front entrances of each store to make sure nobody left any of the establishments until we got it resolved.
While this was happening, Corrie found Claire who was hiding near the back of one of the stores (and not the one that we started in). She didn't respond to our calls because she had been pooping in her diaper. In fact, she had been looking for a bathroom because of the potty-training we'd been attempting.
I have to say ... whew! What a scary moment. Huge kudos to everyone at Gap for acting so quickly and proactively!
What happened was we walked in the Gap at Stonebriar Mall which is more of a mega-Gap of 4 stores combined: Gap, Gap Body, Gap Kids, and Baby Gap. Claire and Kaylie ran to the back of the store, and I figured she'd just be trapped there and I would make my way to her.
Instead, I discovered that the Gaps were all connected by dressing rooms. One loooooong hallway that connected all of the Gaps together meaning Claire ran into the dressing room area and out .. well, one of the other three. Yikes.
Corrie and I called for Claire (trying not to freak out), and I let a store employee know that my daughter had run away. This is where I became incredibly impressed by the Gap staff. She immediately got on her headset and said something about "missing child". From the place I was at, I saw employees from each of the Gap stores immediately head to the front entrances of each store to make sure nobody left any of the establishments until we got it resolved.
While this was happening, Corrie found Claire who was hiding near the back of one of the stores (and not the one that we started in). She didn't respond to our calls because she had been pooping in her diaper. In fact, she had been looking for a bathroom because of the potty-training we'd been attempting.
I have to say ... whew! What a scary moment. Huge kudos to everyone at Gap for acting so quickly and proactively!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
"Reel" Cool
I'm constantly bragging about my little brothers to anyone who will listen for various things -- Zong's crazy smart, a med student at Wash U, and working for the CDC; Dwo's incredibly talented behind the camera ... apparently ALL cameras. :) They're also a testament to doing what you love and not settling for less.
Well, now you can see proof of Dwo's greatness (honestly, you probably don't want to see Zong's greatness because it will mean you have an infectious disease or are some kind of sick). If you get a chance, check out Dwo's reel! I got goosebumps when I saw it knowing that my baby brother actually created something that's a real movie!
Oh, and since I posted the other picture of Dwo being caught in the background, here's another one from a recent Austin American Statesman. You should actually watch the video that I stole this screenshot from and read the whole article, but here's a pic:
Well, now you can see proof of Dwo's greatness (honestly, you probably don't want to see Zong's greatness because it will mean you have an infectious disease or are some kind of sick). If you get a chance, check out Dwo's reel! I got goosebumps when I saw it knowing that my baby brother actually created something that's a real movie!
Oh, and since I posted the other picture of Dwo being caught in the background, here's another one from a recent Austin American Statesman. You should actually watch the video that I stole this screenshot from and read the whole article, but here's a pic:
Sunday, March 21, 2010
"Go back, go back, go back ..."
"... Go back to where you were."I was singing this song to myself the other day and asked James what song it was from. He said, "um, Blues Clues." Sigh, now I actually hum kid show songs to myself. Better than than, "there's a party in my tummy! so yummy, so yummy!" ... which has also happened before, and it's not pretty, I tell you.
Well, tomorrow I go back, go back, go back ... to work. I can hardly believe it's been 12 weeks already since Gavin was born on Christmas day. I had a little "moment" today while I was cleaning out the closet. Poor James walked in on me while I was wallowing, and I'm sure immediately regretted it. If I were him, I would have been looking for the nearest exit to get away as quickly as possible without being noticed. It was just a little overwhelming that, all on the same day, Gavin outgrew his 0-3 month clothes, I packed up my maternity clothes with the realization that I'm probably not having any more kids, I found I still don't fit in all of my pre-maternity clothes and have nothing to wear to work, and I have to go back to work with the guilt that I'm not home with my babies.
This time around, though, I'm definitely more laid back about leaving Gavin with my in-laws (and my parents in a couple of weeks). I left one scratch page of notes (ie "eats every 3-4 hours; here are my phone numbers; don't forget tummy time!"), and that's about it. In fact, I feel a little bit guilty because we haven't bothered acclimating Gavin to the bottle or anything yet, so tomorrow should be pretty interesting.
Three months home, three months back ... that's what I'm shooting for. I'm determined not to make a wholly emotional decision and to evaluate my situation again in three months. Deciding whether to stay at home full-time is a BIG decision, and it's not one I think I'm ready to make today. So, if you work with me, don't go telling my boss that I'm quitting or start scheming to steal my stapler yet!
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