February 2021

[CoachTsWife]

So long January!  It is always such a hard month, IMO.

[CoachTsWife]

Well, as expected, DS2's STTN trend ended after 2 nights.

I had taken off yesterday because it was my birthday. I didn't have plans, per se. But I was going to be lazy, get caught up on some of my shows, and not have anyone need anything from me. But of course DS2's babysitter was sick and asked if I could keep him home, so my day off did not go as planned.

[curmudgeon]

CoachTsWife sorry your day didn’t turn out like you hoped. Did you have cake at least?

[curmudgeon]

DS2 does not care about stickers any longer. I think he got 3 on his chart and now it’s back to running amuck at bedtime. Also tried to potty train since he’s home with us for 2 weeks. This kid will go on the toilet and then pee in his diaper (or underwear when we tried those) 10 min later. He also thinks that we all wear diapers. I give up.

[Taitai]

CoachTsWife Oh man, I’m sorry that your birthday plans didn’t work out. I hope you were still able to celebrate a bit, and fingers crossed that your DS2 will start sleeping again!!

curmudgeon Sorry about the sticker chart. We found that stickers and praise worked for potty training, but as the boys have gotten older, stickers just aren’t their thing. Hopefully you can find something that works - bedtime shenanigans is definitely not fun for anyone!

[Taitai]

School has been back in session here since Monday, and I’m like 🙌🙌 praise the Lord. COVID cases have been consistently in the single digits in our city for the past few weeks, and the rest of the country has hardly reported any cases for the past month (except for the neighboring province, which is still on lockdown). Life is back to normal again, and it really goes to show what can happen when everyone works together to take this thing seriously, follow rules, and practice good social distancing/hygiene.

There is a school break in a few weeks, and we’re thinking of a beach trip. The kids would like that, and it would be nice to get out of the city. We also visited an urban-type farm over the weekend, which was lots of fun for the boys - chicken feeding, duck/fish feeding, berry picking, and tomato picking. The bananas should be ripe in a few weeks, so we’ll probably go back to grab a bunch soon.

The only bummer is the air quality has been red (150+) all week, with hours here and there in the yellow zone. Can’t wait until the pollution season is over.

[CoachTsWife]

Feb 3, 2021 20:24:05 GMT -6 curmudgeon said:

CoachTsWife sorry your day didn’t turn out like you hoped. Did you have cake at least?

I did not get cake, lol.  I never do because I have dietary restrictions and I'm the only one who could make a cake that I could eat.  Well, my mom probably could - but she made me some cookies so it's all good.

[curmudgeon]

Feb 4, 2021 8:48:28 GMT -6 CoachTsWife said:

Feb 3, 2021 20:24:05 GMT -6 curmudgeon said:

CoachTsWife sorry your day didn’t turn out like you hoped. Did you have cake at least?

I did not get cake, lol.  I never do because I have dietary restrictions and I'm the only one who could make a cake that I could eat.  Well, my mom probably could - but she made me some cookies so it's all good.

aww well I hope you were able to treat yourself somehow! Or maybe over the weekend 😁

[danvers]

Taitai yay for school and possible beach trips! We are currently getting snow. Somewhere between 3-6 inches. A beach sounds wonderful.

curmudgeon DD2 does not care for stickers either. We are completely day trained but nights can be hit or miss. She is such a heavy sleep and I’m a bit at a loss because DD1 magically trained herself day and night and I guess I was hoping DD2 would too 😂

CoachTsWife maybe some time will emerge in the near future where you can treat yourself sans children. Cookies are great too (and more easily hidden from spouses and children!)

[danvers]

A student of mine broke their arm and since I have a student teacher doing my lessons I have been a scribe for the kid so they can keep up with our lessons. We both wear masks but we are definitely within 6ft of each other and now.... we both are sick.

It just a common cold (without giving too much info away I’m 99% it isn’t Covid just because of exposures and who’s been positive and previous quarantines and whatnot with all my students) but kid totally got me sick sneezing and coughing right through the mask this week). It wouldn’t matter if it was Covid because nobody had to quarantine anymore due to school exposure.

Today we both just sat at the table miserable and sniffling.

Ugh.

I’m hoping we get a snow day tomorrow so I can sleep.

[CoachTsWife]

danvers....so you guys don't quarantine if exposed to covid at school? That is wild. Sorry you're sick, I hope you feel better enough so that you can enjoy the weekend.

DS1 attends a preschool at a local church. They have full-time daycare for ages 2-4 (several classrooms), pre-k (3 classrooms), and part-time preschool for ages 2-4 (several classrooms). DS1's pre-k classroom is the ONLY classroom that has not been shut down this year due to covid. It is coming, I'm sure.

We got about an inch of snow yesterday morning - it was so pretty coming down and then the sun popped out and melted it all before the end of the day. I didn't even get my car dirty! That's the ideal way to get snow IMO. lol

[August Blooms]

Taitai & coachtswife I bought a few shares nothing I could afford to lose. I didn’t sell when I should. Got too much caught up in the hype but still made an ok profit.

I’ve been spending my downtime at work trying to figure out how to make more money and manage the money we already have better.Studying stuff for promotions, learning more about investing, which is how I stumbled upon the Wall Street Bets subreddit. So I’ve known about GameStop for a few months before all this happened. The subreddit is now embroiled in drama, all the other really great personal finance and investing subreddits have been taken over by bots and spam. Then WSB’s has been taken over by all these people that bought at the peak. It’s really sad. We shall see the changes it brings about, apps like Robinhood that gamefy investing shouldn’t exist. They don’t here. Anyways I could talk about this a lot more since it’s got so many layers to it.

CoachTsWife Happy birthday! Sorry it didn’t turn out to be the best.

duskymonkey 😂 OMG hopefully your kid leaves it alone. My kids have been known to ‘forget’ things like that and then bring them up at the most in opportune times.

[August Blooms]

School is back in person on Monday! Everything else is still in lockdown for now. Cases are trending way down but they predict the UK strain will become the dominant strain by mid March, I’m not sure if that factors in back to school or not. The government has seriously bungled the vaccine roll out, we still haven’t even made it through all the long term care homes or remote indigenous communities yet.

We are looking at potentially moving again but the market is insane with low inventory and low interest rates. I would 100% do it, but my mom is our only support and with her Parkinson’s diagnosis I’m not sure how things would go if we moved 45 minutes away. We basically be on our own and if her health deteriorated we’d be really far to help her out. On the plus side we would be cutting our commutes in half and have better work life balance but with no help.

[Taitai]

August Blooms Yay for in person school, and I’m glad you made a bit of a profit on GameStop. I love reading about personal finance, and you know I’m all about Mr. Money Mustache. Index funds all the way. Kill debt. Stash the cash. Good luck as you figure out whether to move or not. I hate commuting, but I know you have a lot of things to consider.

danvers Ah man - sorry about you getting sick from the kid with a broken arm! Hoping they you feel better soon. No fun.

[danvers]

CoachTsWife yeah so my great state decides risk of transmission at schools is low and nobody needs to quarantine anymore if they are a close contact of someone at school or on the bus. Only athletes at the high school level have to quarantine if exposed at an event.

The assumption is that everyone is wearing masks when they can’t socially distance (students have never had to wear masks as long as they are seated and facing forward!!!) and staying 6ft apart and.... that is not happening in schools. Maybe some schools but certainly not our school.

So it’s going well.... 😳😬🤦‍♀️

I’m so worried about these variants coming out and no vaccine in sight for teachers in my state. The mental stress of it all is certainly taking a toll on H and I (and we can see it getting to DD1 a bit too despite us trying not to concern or worry her)

[danvers]

On a better note I feel so much better after some medicine and lots of sleep! The joy of taking OTC since I’m not pregnant or nursing or ttc! 😂

H is going to see his grandfathers farm one more time today before it’s auctioned off. I’m working on taxes while the girls play. TurboTax has made it way to easy for me and I’m sure I could do it cheaper somewhere else but it’s easy and fast and they just magically do everything with all my info they have from the last 10 years 🤷‍♀️

[curmudgeon]

danvers it’s crazy how schools are handling this so differently. DS1’s school has students masked all day, socially distanced as much as possible. Even eating in the hallways to separate more. They called me to pick him up once because he was (fake) coughing and they wanted him monitored. We get weekly emails about cases in school and if they are truly being transparent there have been 2 cases in the school (grades K-5). Anyway, I hope your cold goes away soon!

[curmudgeon]

H took DS2 to tball and I’m with DS1 at his ninja warrior class, which looks like a class for kids just as uncoordinated as my son. 😆 I am glad I’m masked so no one sees me giggling at him.

I ordered a piece of furniture from target that I’m going to paint black. Hoping the rain holds off today so I can do that outside.

[Taitai]

curmudgeon Ninja warrior class sounds so cool! I would totally sign my DS1 up for that, and he would be equally uncoordinated and hilarious looking 🤣😂.

danvers Yikes - that is something about how your schools are operating. I’m hoping with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine coming online (along with moderna and Pfizer ramping up production) that you will be able to get a vaccine soon. They should absolutely be looking to vaccinate teachers as one of the next priority groups!

[curmudgeon]

We made an IKEA trip today, which is around 45 min one way. I got a bunch of shelving/bookcases to start organizing the kids’ play room. It is much needed.
DS1 stayed at MIL’s house while we were gone, a total of 5 hours, and she didn’t feed him. We got back well after lunch and she seemed confused that he would need to eat. And she wonders why we don’t leave the 3 year old with her ever.

[Taitai]

curmudgeon If my DS2 went 5 hours without eating anything, he would be a total monster! The kid needs to eat once every 2.5 - 3 hours, or else is hangry city! Like that you were able to get to IKEA though - I love that place for organization stuff (and basically everything actually).

[curmudgeon]

Feb 8, 2021 7:05:49 GMT -6 Taitai said:

curmudgeon If my DS2 went 5 hours without eating anything, he would be a total monster! The kid needs to eat once every 2.5 - 3 hours, or else is hangry city! Like that you were able to get to IKEA though - I love that place for organization stuff (and basically everything actually).

usually he’s the same! Asking for snacks every hour or so. I’m surprised he didn’t complain there, but I also think they let him play video games the entire time so he was probably too engrossed in that. But still. You’re an adult. Feed the kid! I’m sure they ate lunch themselves. H said something to her about it and that’s all we can do I guess.

[curmudgeon]

DS2 has started sneaking treats. He goes in the pantry, shuts the door and shoves it in his mouth in the dark. I think I remember DS1 doing this, too, only we found wrappers between his bed and the wall. So I guess I’m chalking it up to older toddler behavior? I dunno. We put a childproof cover on the doorknob.

[duskymonkey]

CoachTsWife happy super belated birthday! western desserts and treats aren't kind to allergy people...bummer. I con't recall if you are both gluten and dairy or just dairy? I have a few non dairy cake recipes but they aren't gluten free though. I do have a fab flourless chocolate cake recipe everyone would love. Bummer about your day off too especially since you deserve it. How is your H doing? So glad to hear about your mom getting the vax too and that she's feeling good enough for the drive. That in itself was probably the best birthday present you got I am sure.

[duskymonkey]

Taitai YASSS! I am like dancing for joy for you. I explicitly agree with you that it can be controlled with people doing the right thing. I am also feeling less hopeless with a functioning government which was non existent the last 4 years. Bummer about the AQI but glad you all are able to go have some R&R and a change of scenery. I am sorry your fellow American's are asshats and can't the right thing so you can return for a visit. I know how difficult it can be to live abroad away from family for so long. Cases have been rising back home and I am worried for my folks. The country isn't receiving vax until the end of this month and will be inoculating essential and frontline people first then I am hoping my folks will be next.

[duskymonkey]

curmudgeon  I'll come sit with you on the bench. We're still in diapers too. Stickers only worked for a very short time for us and this was over a year ago. The complicit refusal to just sit on the potty is nuts. The boy is stubborn beyond anything I've experienced with DS. I actually wanted to post and seek out some advice a week ago about it but of course, we have since been able to incentivize him by asking him what reward he would prefer. For a while we lured him to poop on the potty with chocolate chips, then that magic waned and we moved onto marshmallows but that didn't last either. So for Christmas Santa got him a pack of gummy bears ( his first ) and he's been asking for it ever since and we told him it was a special Santa gift but he could get one overtime he pooped in the potty. So far a week into it we've had success. Oh also...we would let him play games or watch only certain shows on the iPad to lure him to go.
Re: raiding the pantry, DS never raided it nor cared much for eating so it's new territory for us too. Lill fella would run and fling the door open so he gives himself away. We've moved all the snacks and treats to the upper cabinet shelf and he can't get on the countertop even using a step stool yet. Until then....I did tell hubs we might want to put a latch or something on the pantry...

[duskymonkey]

danvers I hope you're feeling much much better and that your small community doesn't travel much outside. My jaw is on the floor that your superintendent doesn't have any plans whatsoever. It's crazy. Our school here is I think doing ok but I don't have confidence with the community with the way they are behaving and acting.

[danvers]

It’s a snow day here from school!

H had caught my cold and he is handling it like the stereotypical grown man handles a cold. 😑

I feel great but that also means I’ll be the one shoveling and taking the girls sledding later. We have an inflatable sled so I need to start blowing that up if we are ever going to make it outside today.

[CoachTsWife]

duskymonkey, I cannot have starch. I'm not allergic but it causes my autoimmune arthritis to flare, so I avoid it. I limit dairy because it can cross-react and cause pain as well. If I'm feeling ok I don't limit butter and eat cheese in moderation, but never drink cow's milk. I only bake with almond flour and coconut flour - all the gluten free flours contain starch so I cannot do those. I'm very used to it and have lots of recipes but I don't bake that much. I eat a lot of dark chocolate. lol

[curmudgeon]

I had a meeting this afternoon so H put DS2 down for his nap. When I came out of my office this is what I found