time management

(Updated with Beckett's Guest Blathering)


Paul and I had lunch with Sam Sheth yesterday. Sam is a mutual friend...I met Sam years ago through another group of friends, while Paul met Sam at 3DO. Sam also used to work with my friend Parki back in Toronto. I still have pictures of Sam back at our old "Mac weekends" out in the country, when everyone would get together to play computer games, talk, and hiking out in the forest (ok, so the hiking part was minimal on Mac weekends, but I had to throw that in there to avoid giving you the impression that we sat on our butts the -entire- time).


Anyway, Sam usually brought at least two big cases of Coke Classic. He went through one himself, gradually accumulating an impressive display of empty Coke cans beside his computer monitor as hours progressed. Sam is still a techonerdboy, but he quit drinking Coke because he says it was making him fat (Sam still looked rail-thin to me). And instead of Coke, his desk at work was loaded with two cases of instant ramen noodles.





The only difference I noticed in Sam from when I last saw him years ago was that he now drives in a convertible with the top down (the kind of car where you start the engine by pushing a button...I told Sam it made me feel like I was in the middle of an arcade game) and that his hair shorter (it used to go down past his waist; now it's just past his shoulders). He's still soft-spoken, with a wicked sense of humour. He likes California better than Toronto, but misses his friends and family back East.


Went back home after lunch; Beckett had just put the twins down for a nap (ha! I'm using parent-talk now..."putting down" the twins). The area rug she had ordered online arrived, so we spread that out in their living room. When the twins woke, Paul and I babysat so that Beckett could work on formatting his FilkContinental report with photos captured from the videocamera. Casey and Riley have some pretty cool toys. My favourite is a plastic cube with pictures of orchestra instruments on each side; I think this was a gift from Alan Thiesen. Whenever you press the main "Orchestra" picture, you get a different song. Whenever you press a different instrument, you turn an instrument on and off. You can thus get to hear different instrumental lines for the song, and control the arrangement. Hey, I want one!


I've noticed that Paul and Beckett have grown to be experts in time management. You parents out there obviously have experience in this, taking advantage of any naps your infant child takes, or periods when they're playing happily by themselves to do housework or other chores. With twins, it's even more complicated since you can't count on both of them doing the same thing at the same time. I've already witnessed several times when, as one twin is just falling asleep for a nap, the other is just waking up and needing attention. Both still tend to wake up at least once or twice a night.


And then I think, geez, Beckett was taking care of the twins by herself during the week that Paul was in Germany! I'm amazed she's still sane. :-)





In the evening, Alisa and Luis phoned. Paul updated Alisa on the German convention (she was very sorry for having to miss it), and I had a chance to chat with her as well. It was great to hear her voice again. Hailey recently came out of the hospital, but is fine now.


Got more bonding time with the twins today. Casey expanded the boundaries of my diaper-changing experience by deciding to pee after I took off his old diaper. No, I didn't get it in the face (that was the first thing Beckett asked, too :-)).


Andrew's picking me up at 1 pm today; we're having dinner with our friends William and Mona tonight.


Hey, I heard from the guy at Weta Digital again! He's going to send me a Weta Lord of the Rings Eye of Sauron t-shirt, and I'm going to send him a Waiting For Frodo t-shirt. :-)





Guest Blathering from Beckett


So Debbie's playing with the boys as I sit here typing. I think she's mastered the art of appreciating the little moments that happen, and it's really good for me, since I've been trying to do that myself. Appreciating Riley starting to crawl (instead of viewing it with fear and despair at how little babyproofing we've gotten to!), watching Casey figuring out how to work a toy, stuff like that. Debbie takes it even further, though, she even appreciates chganging poopy diapers! Here, Deb, have another moment to appreciate! And another! Feel free!!


It's so easy to lose sight of how precious and fleeting it all is in the midst of all the sleep deprivation, hassles and chores and baby needs (or work stuff). Twins seem to be like a magnet for people; strangers come up to us all the time and tell us to enjoy it while it lasts. Sounds so cliche, but it's true; the twins change so fast and as Debbie said, it's the only time they'll be like this. Myself, I'm _really_ savoring Debbie's enjoyment- here Deb, this one needs changing! ;)


Today's Blatherpics


- Sam Sheth.


- Cats in the Kwinn/Gladney household.


- A beardless Paul!!


- Childhood photo of Beckett (Paul and Beckett let me snoop through their photo album).


Today's Poll: (Send your poll suggestion)


Did you ever earn money babysitting?