Having a terrible morning all round today. Overworked and undervalued, I was sitting in the clinic and I locked myself in the room for half an hour to clear my thoughts before seeing any patients.
After taking some time to mull things over, the door was opened and the good doctor was ready to heal the world once again. A little scrub of a kid, around 12 years of age, was the first in along with his personal driver/bodyguard. The family name on his medical records explained the situation to me, and so I sat him down to see how I could be of assistance.
Turns out he had a soft tissue injury, nothing more, and was quite pleased to get the rest of the day off because of attending our clinic this morning. I asked him where he studied and, of course, it turns out to be at my old stomping grounds of days past. I told him as much and he retorted with quite an interesting comment:
"Really? You graduated from there?"
"Yup. Class of 2000."
"Cool. So.. why are you here?"
"Well, how do you mean?"
"You know. Why are you working here as a doctor? Why not somewhere else as a businessman or something?"
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Myst, Stephen King
Hoy escribo sobre una peli que he visto porque he salido encantadísimo del cine, con muchas ganas de más y de contarlo.
He visto The Myst (La Niebla) basada en un relato de Stephen King.
Una adaptación de uno de sus muchos relatos cortos de terror. Con planos de cámara en mano para acercarte más a los personajes, uno de los puntos fuerte de Stephen, crear dramas humanos y poner a un grupo de personas en situaciones extremas para sacar lo peor y lo mejor de ellas.
Hacía mucho que no disfrutaba tanto con una película, me he metido en ella y he estado en tensión de principio a fin. Verdadero cine "Old School", una de las mejores que he visto de Stephen King.
Como todos, o la mayoría de sus relatos está ambientado en en estado de Maine, Nueva Inglaterra, USA, donde reside. Hace unos cuantos años tuve la suerte de poder ir allí con mi familia y me paré a hacer unas fotos de su mansión desde fuera. Recuerdo que tiene gárgolas en las verjas exteriores.
Estaba convaleciente porque le había atropellado un coche y se encontraba muy grave. Por suerte se recuperó...
He visto The Myst (La Niebla) basada en un relato de Stephen King.
Una adaptación de uno de sus muchos relatos cortos de terror. Con planos de cámara en mano para acercarte más a los personajes, uno de los puntos fuerte de Stephen, crear dramas humanos y poner a un grupo de personas en situaciones extremas para sacar lo peor y lo mejor de ellas.
Hacía mucho que no disfrutaba tanto con una película, me he metido en ella y he estado en tensión de principio a fin. Verdadero cine "Old School", una de las mejores que he visto de Stephen King.
Como todos, o la mayoría de sus relatos está ambientado en en estado de Maine, Nueva Inglaterra, USA, donde reside. Hace unos cuantos años tuve la suerte de poder ir allí con mi familia y me paré a hacer unas fotos de su mansión desde fuera. Recuerdo que tiene gárgolas en las verjas exteriores.
Estaba convaleciente porque le había atropellado un coche y se encontraba muy grave. Por suerte se recuperó...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Screaming Eagles
Happy birthday blog and whatnot. 4 years now since this all started, and this is my 101st post. Been a while since the last one but I guess work and life caught up with me and the interest in blogging had started to wane a bit.
Blogging.. so two years ago? I don't know, it's difficult to sustain a reasonable audience if you don't give them frequent reading material. And then you're back to square one, typing up stuff to post it where no one would read it. I'm sure there's a few of you still out there who log on here every once in a while. I just hope my recent hiatus hasn't scared the rest of you off.
Was going to rant on about a few things. Mainly about disrespect to red traffic lights as well as assorted misgivings about the current shape of Bahraini society. I'm stuck at work, however, and methinks that some sleep now in anticipation of a possibly busy night would aid me greatly in surviving the work week ahead.
Oh well, here's to passing the 100 mark. Will try to keep it up for as long as I can, I suppose.
Blogging.. so two years ago? I don't know, it's difficult to sustain a reasonable audience if you don't give them frequent reading material. And then you're back to square one, typing up stuff to post it where no one would read it. I'm sure there's a few of you still out there who log on here every once in a while. I just hope my recent hiatus hasn't scared the rest of you off.
Was going to rant on about a few things. Mainly about disrespect to red traffic lights as well as assorted misgivings about the current shape of Bahraini society. I'm stuck at work, however, and methinks that some sleep now in anticipation of a possibly busy night would aid me greatly in surviving the work week ahead.
Oh well, here's to passing the 100 mark. Will try to keep it up for as long as I can, I suppose.
Monday, May 19, 2008
funny kids' sayings
These days I'm often so busy I don't appreciate all the silly moments with the kids. Here are some I got a laugh out of lately:
Alex: It's a good thing Sam's in time out. Now I don't have to hit him.
Alex(eating dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets): "Mmmm...tastes like chicken!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
Sam: "Bock bock bock bock bock bock!"
This one is from C, a friend's little boy...friend, you know who you are!)
I noticed C was holding himself and dancing a little. I asked him, "C, do you need to go potty?"
C: "No."
Me: "What are you doing?"
C: "I'm just holding my penis so I won't get my pants wet."
We did visit the potty. Success! It just cracks me up sometimes how transparent 3-year-olds can be. I'll miss this stage when they learn to be more inhibited...
Alex: It's a good thing Sam's in time out. Now I don't have to hit him.
Alex(eating dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets): "Mmmm...tastes like chicken!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
Sam: "Bock bock bock bock bock bock!"
This one is from C, a friend's little boy...friend, you know who you are!)
I noticed C was holding himself and dancing a little. I asked him, "C, do you need to go potty?"
C: "No."
Me: "What are you doing?"
C: "I'm just holding my penis so I won't get my pants wet."
We did visit the potty. Success! It just cracks me up sometimes how transparent 3-year-olds can be. I'll miss this stage when they learn to be more inhibited...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Carta a un maltratador de un chaval de 2º de bachillerato
Esta mañana Invikto me ha enviado un mail con una carta de un chaval de 2º de Bachillerato dirigida a un maltratador:
Fuente: LA GACETA EXTREMEÑA DE LA EDUCACIÓN
Carta a un maltratador Fernando Orden Rueda 2º de Bachillerato, de Ciencias de la Salud. IES Bioclimático, de Badajoz. II Premio del II Concurso Nacional 'Carta a un maltratador', convocado por la Asociación 'Juntos contra la violencia doméstica'
Para ti, cabrón: Porque lo eres, porque la has humillado, porque la has menospreciado, porque la has golpeado, abofeteado, escupido, insultado... porque la has maltratado. ¿Por qué la maltratas? Dices que es su culpa, ¿verdad? Que es ella la que te saca de tus casillas, siempre contradiciendo y exigiendo dinero para cosas innecesarias o que detestas: detergente, bayetas, verduras... Es entonces, en medio de una discusión cuando tú, con tu 'método de disciplina' intentas educarla, para que aprenda. Encima lloriquea, si además vive de tu sueldo y tiene tanta suerte contigo, un hombre de ideas claras, respetable. ¿De qué se queja?
Te lo diré: Se queja porque no vive, porque vive, pero muerta. Haces que se sienta fea, bruta, inferior, torpe... La acobardas, la empujas, le das patadas…, patadas que yo también sufría.
Hasta aquel último día. Eran las once de la mañana y mamá estaba sentada en el sofá, la mirada dispersa, la cara pálida, con ojeras. No había dormido en toda la noche, como otras muchas, por miedo a que llegaras, por pánico a que aparecieses y te apeteciera follarla (hacer el amor dirías) o darle una paliza con la que solías esconder la impotencia de tu borrachera. Ella seguía guapa a pesar de todo y yo me había quedado tranquilo y confortable con mis piernecitas dobladas. Ya había hecho la casa, fregado el suelo y planchado tu ropa. De repente, suena la cerradura, su mirada se dirige hacia la puerta y apareces tú: la camisa por fuera, sin corbata y ebrio.. Como tantas veces. Mamá temblaba. Yo también. Ocurría casi cada día, pero no nos acostumbrábamos. En ocasiones ella se había preguntado: ¿y si hoy se le va la mano y me mata? La pobre creía que tenía que aguantar, en el fondo pensaba en parte era culpa suya, que tú eras bueno, le dabas un hogar y una vida y en cambio ella no conseguía hacer siempre bien lo que tú querías. Yo intentaba que ella viera cómo eres en realidad. Se lo explicaba porque quería huir de allí, irnos los dos…Mas, desafortunadamente, no conseguí hacerme entender.
Te acercaste y sudabas, todavía tenías ganas de fiesta. Mamá dijo que no era el momento ni la situación, suplicó que te acostases, estarías cansado. Pero tu realidad era otra. Crees que siempre puedes hacer lo que quieres. La forzaste, le agarraste las muñecas, la empujaste y la empotraste contra la pared. Como siempre, al final ella terminaba cediendo. Yo, a mi manera gritaba, decía: mamá no, no lo permitas. De repente me oyó. ¡Esta vez sí que no!–dijo para adentro-, sujetó tus manos, te propinó un buen codazo y logró escapar. Recuerdo cómo cambió tu cara en ese momento. Sorprendido, confuso, claro, porque ella jamás se había negado a nada.
Me puse contento antes de tiempo.
Porque tú no lo ibas a consentir. Era necesario el castigo para educarla. Cuando una mujer hace algo mal hay que enseñarla. Y lo que funciona mejor es la fuerza: puñetazo por la boca y patada por la barriga una y otra vez…
Y sucedió.
Mamá empezó a sangrar. Con cada golpe, yo tropezaba contra sus paredes. Agarraba su útero con mis manitas tan pequeñas todavía porque quería vivir. Salía la sangre y yo me debilitaba. Me dolía todo y me dolía también el cuerpo de mamá. Creo que sufrí alguna rotura mientras ella caía desmayada en un charco de sangre.
Por ti nunca llegué a nacer. Nunca pude pronunciar la palabra mamá. Maltrataste a mi madre y me asesinaste a mí.
Y ahora me dirijo a tí. Esta carta es para tí, cabrón: por ella, por la que debió ser mi madre y nunca tuvo un hijo. También por mí que sólo fui un feto a quien negaste el derecho a la vida.
Pero en el fondo, ¿sabes?, algo me alegra. Mamá se fue. Muy triste, pero serenamente, sin violencia, te denunció y dejó que la justicia decidiera tu destino. Y otra cosa: nunca tuve que llevar tu nombre ni llamarte papá. Ni saber que otros hijos felices de padres humanos señalaban al mío porque en el barrio todos sabían que tú eres un maltratador. Y como todos ellos, un hombre débil. Una alimaña. Un cabrón.
Cocina con lo que tengas
Esta web está genial para estudiantes, solter@s, dejadill@s, gente con pocas ganas de cocinar...
Haces clic en los ingredientes que tienes en la nevera y en la despensa y le das a buscar recipientes y te hace una recetilla con lo que tengas a mano...
CookingByNumbers
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
cool Mother's Day getaway
We went to a hotel for a night for Mother's Day. A friend of mine was planning to go with her family and we thought it sounded like a good idea, so we tagged along. We ended up being assigned to the room right next door to our friends, which was fun.
There was a nice heated pool and we had it all to ourselves most of the time. It was warm enough that we all stayed in the water for as long as we wanted, and the kids had a blast. Alex was jazzed about the fact that the lifejacket would keep her from sinking. We bought the kids $2 inflatable rings they could hang on to and Alex quickly learned to pilot her ship around the pool all by herself. It was a big milestone for her, and I think she will enjoy swimming pools on a whole new level this summer. She even asked Papa to dunk her all the way under and she closed her eyes, held her breath and did it! Sam wasn't so fond of the lifejacket idea at first, but eventually he got used to it and even floated on his back on his own for a few seconds at a time. He's funny - whenever the back of his head is in the water he closes his eyes. Mostly he liked being zoomed around the pool by papa.
We also bought a new toy, a set of 4 fishing nets and 32 colorful plastic fish, turtles, and seahorses. Most of them floated but a handful were sinkers, so the kids paddled around scooping up the floaters with their nets and the adults swam down to retrieve the ones on the bottom (I picked them up with my toes). I was a little nonplussed with the price tag when I bought it ($20) but it was worth it.
We were outside our room in the hallway waiting for our friends when an older lady walked by. Alex stood right in front of her and asked, "Are you my Nana?" She said, "Well, I have grandchildren, but I'm not YOUR Nana." Alex looked at her for a moment and asked, "Whose Nana are you?" She then named all her children and grandchildren for us. She didn't really look like either Bryan's mom or my mom, but I guess Alex thought maybe since we were in a hotel we might run into them!
I was looking forward to a nice relaxing Mother's Day breakfast (provided by the hotel), but it wasn't exactly what I had pictured. Alex and Papa were in the room so I had Sam by myself, and he was the proverbial bull in the china shop. He threw a plastic spoon, dumped food on the ground, smeared syrup on the table, and managed to turn his chair over twice on the tile floor. Finally he was so naughty I took him back to the room for time out in his crib, went back down and finished my (now cold) Belgian waffle by myself. Next time I will be more strategic and insist that we all eat together. Let papa handle the bull in the china shop on Mother's Day!
Anyway - it was such a good time I hope to do it again every year. :-)
There was a nice heated pool and we had it all to ourselves most of the time. It was warm enough that we all stayed in the water for as long as we wanted, and the kids had a blast. Alex was jazzed about the fact that the lifejacket would keep her from sinking. We bought the kids $2 inflatable rings they could hang on to and Alex quickly learned to pilot her ship around the pool all by herself. It was a big milestone for her, and I think she will enjoy swimming pools on a whole new level this summer. She even asked Papa to dunk her all the way under and she closed her eyes, held her breath and did it! Sam wasn't so fond of the lifejacket idea at first, but eventually he got used to it and even floated on his back on his own for a few seconds at a time. He's funny - whenever the back of his head is in the water he closes his eyes. Mostly he liked being zoomed around the pool by papa.
We also bought a new toy, a set of 4 fishing nets and 32 colorful plastic fish, turtles, and seahorses. Most of them floated but a handful were sinkers, so the kids paddled around scooping up the floaters with their nets and the adults swam down to retrieve the ones on the bottom (I picked them up with my toes). I was a little nonplussed with the price tag when I bought it ($20) but it was worth it.
We were outside our room in the hallway waiting for our friends when an older lady walked by. Alex stood right in front of her and asked, "Are you my Nana?" She said, "Well, I have grandchildren, but I'm not YOUR Nana." Alex looked at her for a moment and asked, "Whose Nana are you?" She then named all her children and grandchildren for us. She didn't really look like either Bryan's mom or my mom, but I guess Alex thought maybe since we were in a hotel we might run into them!
I was looking forward to a nice relaxing Mother's Day breakfast (provided by the hotel), but it wasn't exactly what I had pictured. Alex and Papa were in the room so I had Sam by myself, and he was the proverbial bull in the china shop. He threw a plastic spoon, dumped food on the ground, smeared syrup on the table, and managed to turn his chair over twice on the tile floor. Finally he was so naughty I took him back to the room for time out in his crib, went back down and finished my (now cold) Belgian waffle by myself. Next time I will be more strategic and insist that we all eat together. Let papa handle the bull in the china shop on Mother's Day!
Anyway - it was such a good time I hope to do it again every year. :-)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
book review: The Lucky Gourd Shop
This book, a novel by Joanna Catherine Scott, tells the story of "what really happened" to the parents of 3 Korean siblings who were adopted to the U.S. when the oldest was 6 or 7. I liked it a lot. I thought the author did a great job of making you feel like you were in Korea. A couple things stuck out to me as odd or not very realistic, but otherwise it was an enjoyable, if heartbreaking at times, read. It's one I won't soon forget. And yes, it did make me cry. :-)
I also started reading one called Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman. I saw that Helen Hunt is making a movie out of it and it was adoption-related so I thought I might like it. It's about a woman who is "found" (almost more like "stalked") by her biological mom 30+ years after she placed her for adoption. So far, I'm only 3 or 4 chapters in, but it's only so-so. The characters are pretty one-dimensional so far, and not particularly likable, at least not yet. There are a lot of references to the bio. mom as the "real" mom, which bugs me just a wee bit, as you might guess it would. :-) Not that she isn't "real," but you know what I mean. I wonder if the author has any personal connection to adoption or just thinks it's an interesting topic and makes a good story.
I also started reading one called Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman. I saw that Helen Hunt is making a movie out of it and it was adoption-related so I thought I might like it. It's about a woman who is "found" (almost more like "stalked") by her biological mom 30+ years after she placed her for adoption. So far, I'm only 3 or 4 chapters in, but it's only so-so. The characters are pretty one-dimensional so far, and not particularly likable, at least not yet. There are a lot of references to the bio. mom as the "real" mom, which bugs me just a wee bit, as you might guess it would. :-) Not that she isn't "real," but you know what I mean. I wonder if the author has any personal connection to adoption or just thinks it's an interesting topic and makes a good story.
Free HotSpot
Free Hotspots es una maravillosa web para localizar todos los comercios o lugares donde podemos acceder gratis a conexiones wireless.
Solo tienes que buscar en tu localidad y voilá, Internet por la cara.
Monday, April 28, 2008
book review: The Gods Grew Tired of Us, Movie: the Kite Runner
I picked this book randomly off a shelf in Barnes and Noble and started reading. Couldn't put it down! It's the memoir of a Sudanese man who was one of the "Lost Boys" - war refugees from southern Sudan. His village was attacked in 1987 (when he was 13) and he fled with other refugees, got separated from his family and spent the next several years fleeing, starving, and surviving in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. He eventually makes it to the US in 2001, courtesy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the US government, just before the number of immigrants was sharply decreased after 9/11.
Despite the grim subject matter, the story is really well told. For me, it made the whole desperate situation in Sudan and Darfur more personal, and gave me new insight into the lives of the Sudanese families we have encountered here in Utah. For a few years we were peripherally involved in helping recent immigrants from Sudan as they settled here in Salt Lake. The book filled me in on more of their cultural customs and what it must have been like to go from that society to this one. There are some quite funny stories actually, so don't make the mistake of thinking the book is all one long horror story. The author's attitude and spirit shine through.
I highly recommend this one if you get a chance to read it. The author is John Bul Dau.
This weekend we also saw The Kite Runner. I had read the book a couple of years ago. The movie was extremely well done, and as faithful to the book as any movie I've seen. I heard that the kid who played Hassan had to go into hiding with his parents as they feared Islamic (fundamentalist) backlash - I'm not sure if it was the subject matter, or the negative portrayal of Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan, or what. Oh well. Kudos to this movie - some sad/serious subject matter but the element of redemption in it came through.
Other random news: today is mom's birthday. Happy birthday MOM! I think she is in Italy on vacation. Hope she is having the time of her life.
Last weekend I took Alex to a birthday party where they had a magician who performed for the kids, mostly 3-5 years old. It was a riot. The magician was silly and knew just how to appeal to that age group's sense of humor. He had them rolling on the ground. At one point he had a little house with a Cookie Monster that moved around in it, then disappeared, only to re-appear later peeking out from his belt in back. Alex keeps talking about the man who had "Cookie Monster in his pants" and while I know what she is referring to, I'm sure it sounds very odd out of context!
cheers
Despite the grim subject matter, the story is really well told. For me, it made the whole desperate situation in Sudan and Darfur more personal, and gave me new insight into the lives of the Sudanese families we have encountered here in Utah. For a few years we were peripherally involved in helping recent immigrants from Sudan as they settled here in Salt Lake. The book filled me in on more of their cultural customs and what it must have been like to go from that society to this one. There are some quite funny stories actually, so don't make the mistake of thinking the book is all one long horror story. The author's attitude and spirit shine through.
I highly recommend this one if you get a chance to read it. The author is John Bul Dau.
This weekend we also saw The Kite Runner. I had read the book a couple of years ago. The movie was extremely well done, and as faithful to the book as any movie I've seen. I heard that the kid who played Hassan had to go into hiding with his parents as they feared Islamic (fundamentalist) backlash - I'm not sure if it was the subject matter, or the negative portrayal of Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan, or what. Oh well. Kudos to this movie - some sad/serious subject matter but the element of redemption in it came through.
Other random news: today is mom's birthday. Happy birthday MOM! I think she is in Italy on vacation. Hope she is having the time of her life.
Last weekend I took Alex to a birthday party where they had a magician who performed for the kids, mostly 3-5 years old. It was a riot. The magician was silly and knew just how to appeal to that age group's sense of humor. He had them rolling on the ground. At one point he had a little house with a Cookie Monster that moved around in it, then disappeared, only to re-appear later peeking out from his belt in back. Alex keeps talking about the man who had "Cookie Monster in his pants" and while I know what she is referring to, I'm sure it sounds very odd out of context!
cheers
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Malaria Awareness Day
Tomorrow is Malaria Awareness Day. Frankly, I have to admit that most of time I don't think about malaria at all. In my small corner of the world, it's not much of an issue. But worldwide, it's a big big deal. I copied this info from Malaria No More, which collects donations toward bed nets and otherwise promotes cost-effective ways to limit malaria. I think it's pretty cool that $10 can save a life.
"... Last year, for the first time, the United States officially commemorated Malaria Awareness Day, celebrating progress and highlighting opportunities in the fight against malaria. To underscore the U.S. commitment to ending malaria related deaths, President Bush embraced the urgency of the cause by designating April 25th, 2007 as Malaria Awareness Day.
... Here are five things you can do to stop malaria in its tracks:
Donate bed nets for families in Africa: Each long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net protects a child from malaria. When a child dies every thirty seconds from malaria, a moment of your time can save a life.
Plan your own malaria event: a great way to celebrate World Malaria Day is to celebrate with friends and family. We have everything you need to make your event a success.
Dance the night away: By joining our youth outreach program, Stayin' Alive, your school can take an active part in the fight against malaria.
Learn more about the disease: Take five minutes on World Malaria Day to learn about this disease.
Tell your friends and family to take a stand against malaria today: send an e-card and donate a bed net in honor of a friend or loved one.
Join us in the fight to end malaria deaths. World Malaria Day is your chance to make a difference on a global scale. So choose today to save a life and change the world—and remember that, together, we can make Malaria No More.
In the daily grind, sometimes we forget to see the bigger picture. Stuff like this helps put things in perspective for me.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sleep chronicles
Alex is a good sleeper - off and on. At 3, to our chagrin, she still has some intermittent nighttime sleep issues, which translates to interrupted sleep for us (usually me, as Bryan sleeps through noise better than I do). I've been up briefly with her 3 of the last 4 nights. Last night she woke me up twice, at 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. She will occasionally cry and then stop on her own, but more often now she will cry until someone comes to her. I have tried letting her cry for up to 15 minutes, but that means I lie awake the entire time and Sam wakes up too, so lately I've just been giving in.
Sometimes she loses her da-dosh (special washcloth she sleeps and cuddles with), and can't seem to even attempt to look for it on her own. Last night (the 5 a.m. awakening) she fell out of bed. She is fully capable of getting back in, but she cried until I came and put her back in. Other times she has some somatic complaint: her tummy hurts, or she says, "I can't breathe." Gotta love that one - I've never seen a hint of asthma or breathing difficulties, and she says this frequently, not just if she has congestion or a cold. Very often she can't describe any reason for her crying, but just says "Hold me." After a minute or so of holding and rocking, she's happy enough to be put back in her bed and goes back to sleep without protest.
She's also quite resistant to settling down to go to sleep in the evenings, especially if she's had a good afternoon nap. If we stay up talking in the kitchen or our bedroom after putting her to bed, she will get out of bed to come and tell us we're being "too loud." Or she will say she heard "a noise." The other day we asked if it could be her heater vent and she went back into her room, stuck her finger into the vent and said, "It was my heater! No wonder I couldn't sleep!" (The low-level blowing noise has never been noticed/commented on by her before.) :-) We've found her awake at midnight in the recent past, and it's not uncommon for her to play in her room until 10:30 at night. Bryan says this (difficulty getting to sleep/staying asleep) predicts anxiety in later life, and I wonder what we're in for. I don't see her sleep issues as being severe, at this point, but I do worry a little.
So...how can we as parents best respond to these sleep issues? Ignore her at night? Refuse to let her nap (and deal with the crankiness around 5 pm)? Reward her the next morning if she stays quiet all night? My instinct is to check initially when she cries, make sure there is truly nothing wrong, and then get out quickly to minimize the "reward" of having mom's company. I debate whether to hold her when she asks, especially when she seems to have no apparent reason for getting me out of bed. If these behaviors continue, I may tell her that holding and rocking can happen any time of day and always at bedtime, but nighttime is for sleeping. Wish me luck.
Sometimes she loses her da-dosh (special washcloth she sleeps and cuddles with), and can't seem to even attempt to look for it on her own. Last night (the 5 a.m. awakening) she fell out of bed. She is fully capable of getting back in, but she cried until I came and put her back in. Other times she has some somatic complaint: her tummy hurts, or she says, "I can't breathe." Gotta love that one - I've never seen a hint of asthma or breathing difficulties, and she says this frequently, not just if she has congestion or a cold. Very often she can't describe any reason for her crying, but just says "Hold me." After a minute or so of holding and rocking, she's happy enough to be put back in her bed and goes back to sleep without protest.
She's also quite resistant to settling down to go to sleep in the evenings, especially if she's had a good afternoon nap. If we stay up talking in the kitchen or our bedroom after putting her to bed, she will get out of bed to come and tell us we're being "too loud." Or she will say she heard "a noise." The other day we asked if it could be her heater vent and she went back into her room, stuck her finger into the vent and said, "It was my heater! No wonder I couldn't sleep!" (The low-level blowing noise has never been noticed/commented on by her before.) :-) We've found her awake at midnight in the recent past, and it's not uncommon for her to play in her room until 10:30 at night. Bryan says this (difficulty getting to sleep/staying asleep) predicts anxiety in later life, and I wonder what we're in for. I don't see her sleep issues as being severe, at this point, but I do worry a little.
So...how can we as parents best respond to these sleep issues? Ignore her at night? Refuse to let her nap (and deal with the crankiness around 5 pm)? Reward her the next morning if she stays quiet all night? My instinct is to check initially when she cries, make sure there is truly nothing wrong, and then get out quickly to minimize the "reward" of having mom's company. I debate whether to hold her when she asks, especially when she seems to have no apparent reason for getting me out of bed. If these behaviors continue, I may tell her that holding and rocking can happen any time of day and always at bedtime, but nighttime is for sleeping. Wish me luck.
Monday, April 21, 2008
book review: Saving Fish from Drowning
I have greatly enjoyed several books by Amy Tan, but this one really didn't do much for me.
I listened to it on audio, and it was read by the author, and she is a very good reader as well as writer. But...I'm not sure why...I just didn't get into this one.
It was told from the viewpoint of a dead person whose "ghost" (I guess) accompanies the tour group she had planned to lead through China and Burma before her untimely demise. The group goes missing and the reader gets to see what actually happens during their disappearance into the jungles of Burma. I had a hard time caring about any of the characters and there seemed to be a lot of gratuitous sexual stuff that IMHO didn't add any value to the story. The bigger issue was that in the end, it didn't seem there was any real movement or change or transformation that came out of the whole experience for any of the characters. Actually, the ending was kind of depressing, not in a "tragic" way that makes you think, but more in a mundane way that probably mimics the way life really is. I can get that from reading the newspaper. I want more profound take-aways from fiction. Maybe that is too much to ask, but I've gotten it from Amy Tan in the past.
I LOVED A Hundred Secret Senses and the Bone-Setter's Daughter, and the Joy Luck Club was pretty good, but this one was a disappointment.
I listened to it on audio, and it was read by the author, and she is a very good reader as well as writer. But...I'm not sure why...I just didn't get into this one.
It was told from the viewpoint of a dead person whose "ghost" (I guess) accompanies the tour group she had planned to lead through China and Burma before her untimely demise. The group goes missing and the reader gets to see what actually happens during their disappearance into the jungles of Burma. I had a hard time caring about any of the characters and there seemed to be a lot of gratuitous sexual stuff that IMHO didn't add any value to the story. The bigger issue was that in the end, it didn't seem there was any real movement or change or transformation that came out of the whole experience for any of the characters. Actually, the ending was kind of depressing, not in a "tragic" way that makes you think, but more in a mundane way that probably mimics the way life really is. I can get that from reading the newspaper. I want more profound take-aways from fiction. Maybe that is too much to ask, but I've gotten it from Amy Tan in the past.
I LOVED A Hundred Secret Senses and the Bone-Setter's Daughter, and the Joy Luck Club was pretty good, but this one was a disappointment.