Weekly review: Week ending November 30, 2018

Posted: - Modified: | review, weekly

A- seems to be a bit more irritable. Maybe teething – her last set of molars? Anyway, lots of tantrums, so we've been prioritizing sleep and patience lately.

  • Kaizen
    • W- and I are making an effort to become more social, and it seems to be working out nicely.
    • We moved A-‘s table into the kitchen to see what that's like. It works well with her chairs and with the blue stool.
    • I worked on learning a new knot: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm
  • Us
    • I felt grumpy and frustrated because I couldn't make it out to a friend's mother's funeral, and because A- wanted me to talk to her instead of thinking out loud about friendship.
    • I reflected on my priorities, and decided I was okay with our choices.
    • W- let me have a much appreciated nap one morning.
  • Fine motor
    • A- now asks to play patty cake, and she alternates the motions pretty well.
    • We borrowed a pair of dressing practice shoes from the JFRC. A- easily buttoned and unbuttoned the shoe, and she did a decent job of tying a bow too.
  • Language
    • A- said, “It's raining.” I said, “That's okay.” She said, “It's part of life.”
    • “I want to be a baker.”
    • “But I'm still, like, two.”
    • More Twenty Questions: “I want something to chew on. Something with two ends. Something with two openings.” “Is it a straw?”
    • A- didn't want me to think out loud, so she said, “No mama talk to her heart. Talk to me.”
    • “Do you have your membership card?”
    • “I love love love dinosaurs.”
  • Self-care and independence
    • A- slept in the middle of the bed after asking me to give her more space. She's becoming more independent.
    • We went for a meet and greet with a family doctor taking new patients. A- was initially hesitant, but she warmed up after getting a not-entirely-necessary ear exam, a definitely unnecessary bandage, and a bunch of stickers. We'll check out a nearby doctor first before deciding on one and sending the records over.
    • There's a rough spot on one of A-‘s teeth where the bond seems to be peeling away. A- patiently let me look at her tooth.
    • A- can handle chewable acetaminophen.
    • A- announced, “I need to go to bed.” Then she went upstairs and got started on the bedtime routine.
  • Sleep
    • W- managed to insist on A- having a nap by being quiet and in a dark room. I think he sat in front of the door and patted her back. She fell asleep on the carpet.
  • Emotion
    • A- probably felt a bit overwhelmed and overtired after the party at Uncle Jason's. After we had settled in at home, she had a tantrum. She tried exercising too much control over play, so W- took a break, and then A- got super upset and didn't want to be touched or consoled. Eventually she wanted me to pick her up, and I snuggled her and helped her calm down. I told her my best guess of how she was feeling and why, and she said, “Yeah.” She also asked me to talk about the day, so I reviewed it with her, and we talked a little about the fun she had as well.
    • I forgot the carrier at a friend's place. A- had a big tantrum because she wanted to be carried in it.
    • To help A- with her emotions, we talked a little about breathing.
    • The daily review sometimes triggers tantrums. I wonder if I should avoid talking about the things that might upset her, or maybe move our review to when she has more energy…
    • A- tried tipping chairs over to express her frustration.
  • Social
    • Hala invited us for an impromptu get-together along with Ewan, E-, and S-. I was a little worried about A-‘s energy level because she hadn't napped, but she was just fine. We all had lots of fun. A- particularly liked playing with toys and watching the other kids. I brought the garlic mushroom and broccoli dish I'd made just that afternoon – good timing!
    • We shared some of the pizza we made with a friend who lives nearby.
    • A- was getting fixated on Facebook video effects, and I didn't like how it distracted from our conversations with Lola. I'm going to nudge us away from it.
    • We visited Joy and J-. It was good to spend time with them, especially as they've been avoiding drop-in centres in order to minimize the risk of getting sick.
    • A- is becoming more social. She often talks about friends, is excited about seeing people, and asks to invite people over or visit them.
  • Pretend
    • A- put some playdough in a cup and told me that she made halo halo for me.
  • Cognition
    • A- liked the bunny filter in Facebook video chat. The filter made a carrot fly in whenever A- opened her mouth, so A- asked for a real carrot and munched on that too.
    • A- looked at the clock and announced it was quarter to eight, which it was.
    • A- completed the ring puzzle in order of size, correcting herself along the way.
  • Other
    • A- found the baby hat I made her. She had fun wearing it again, and the sight was very amusing.

Blog posts

Time

Category The other week % Last week % Diff h/wk Diff h/wk
Discretionary – Family 0.3 7.7 7.4 12.9 12.4
Discretionary – Social 0.0 3.0 3.0 5.1 5.1
Sleep 29.2 29.4 0.3 49.4 0.4
Personal 6.8 6.5 -0.3 10.9 -0.6
Discretionary – Productive 3.9 3.0 -0.8 5.1 -1.4
Unpaid work 9.2 8.0 -1.2 13.5 -2.0
A- 43.0 40.8 -2.1 68.6 -3.6
Business 2.7 0.0 -2.7 0.0 -4.5
Discretionary – Play 5.0 1.5 -3.5 2.4 -5.9
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