jonathanhickman.com

Two random things that drive me nuts

• People putting stuff in the sink. It drive me nuts. Yes, if it needs to soak, put it in the sink. But if it’s just dirty, leave it on the counter. Yes, I know lots of families don’t do it this way, but I do, and I do the dishes (and I don’t want to have to start by cleaning out the sink).
• Kids when they’re “starving” before supper, so starving that they *must* have a small snack, but not so starving that they’re still hungry enough for supper after the small snack … yet - and I bet you saw this one coming - hungry enough that they’re starving again right around bed time.

I have problems with baby gear names

Boppies and bumbos, and exersaucers, oh my!

Because I’m a dork

I find it exciting when candidates drop their bids for the White House; it’s like watching history in the making. We now know that Giuliani wasn’t going to be president (I knew it anyway - if the country couldn’t spell his name, they weren’t going to vote for him). We now know John Edwards won’t be president. And the race is focusing.

I can’t wait until Tuesday.

Dear Knoxville drivers:

I know you think you can drive while talking on the phone, but you’re very, very wrong. I know you’ve seen other drivers swerving about and driving slowly in the left lane, and you think you don’t do that when you drive. You’re wrong. Very wrong. That phone is making you a terrible driver, and everyone is mad at you, especially that guy you never noticed almost hitting. Please just hang up and drive.

Jon

PS driving slowly in the right lane doesn’t really help, either, because it still slows other drivers and you’re still swerving. Just hang up or put it in park!

A glance at the fence

I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the fence last night, but I did snap this one this morning before getting in my car. This is a picture of the front yard facing the street taken from the driveway.

She no longer sleeps alone

At work, she falls asleep in my lap. She seems nice and cozy. I let her get into a good, deep sleep and move her to her bed or the swing. I tuck her in, breathe a sigh of relief, and go back to my desk.

Her eyes pop open. She is awake.

My daughter no longer sleeps during the day unless she is actually in your lap - fine if you’re up for watching television all day, not so great if you want to do anything that’s not baby-related.

My mother suggested warming her blanket before putting her down. Something tells me a heating pad would be a no no, but it’s definitely crossed my mind.

Pictures tomorrow?

Maybe tonight I’ll get a chance to take some pictures. The fence looks just awesome, and I am thrilled beyond belief.

Next I need to get a few locks so we can keep it secured. And I need to work a bit on the deck. Last night I got the pleasure of running around the yard and making sure the dirt was spread out well from the post hole diggers. And this weekend I’ve got even more brush to clean up.

But I’m as pleased as I can be. I just wish I were at home right now to enjoy the new fence and get started on the work. Last night, Katie and I kept running to the windows to look outside. It’s like Christmas in January.

Jealousy

I am *so* jealous of my wife at this moment. She’s at home with the fence crew - I guess they want to triple check that they’re at the right place before they put a fence in the ground! I’m sure that Katie will only be there for a few more minutes, but I am just dying to see the fence and see the progress.

Let’s see … I have an hour long lunch break, and the drive is about thirty minutes … nah. But I definitely won’t be staying late today!

I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!

The fencers should be at our house any minute, and I can’t believe I’ll have to wait until after work to see it! I can’t express how much I wanted to take off work today just so I could watch.

Since the moment we bought the house, Katie and I have wanted to put in a fence. The fence is going to make life with dogs ten times easier, and it’s going to give shape to our overgrown back yard. Maybe we’ll even spend some time out there now! And on top of that, it’s just going to feel better making it harder for our homeless neighbors to use our back yard, which borders a creek. Oh, and then there’s keeping the baby out of the creek when she gets old enough to walk; ultimately, that was the clincher.

I almost can’t stand it having to wait all day. And when I get home, I want to walk the perimeter and look at every inch. Then I’ve got to get some locks for the back gate and start thinking about how to stain the silly thing. Any suggestions?

Currently listening to

Baby in the ball pit

We’ve got this ball pit in the nursery at our office. Really, it’s a pack n play filled with balls, but to my 2 1/2 year old niece, it’s heaven. Lately, though, C has been jealous of her cousin having so much fun in the ball pit, so we thought she might enjoy some ball pit time herself: