Random Stuff
by Sariah S. Wilson
Here's some things that have been running through my mind lately and the blog seems like a great place to unload:
* Helping people in Haiti. I'm assuming the church will offer the ability to donate money to help people there. I did donate today to the Bush/Clinton organization (and if you'd told me a few years ago I'd ever donate to something with Clinton's name on it...) because they promise 100% of the funds will be passed along. I like the idea of all of the money going to help those that need it without a lot being spent for administrative costs. Do you have suggestions for organizations that will help do the most good there?
* Authors need to think sometimes. I started a book not too long ago that had the most perfect opening chapter of any book in that genre that I've ever read. It made me put the book down because I didn't want to keep reading. 1) Because I didn't want it to end and 2) I was pretty sure the author would find a way to foul things up. I was right. It was set in early 19th century England (Jane Austen type stuff) and back then, honor and being a gentleman mattered an exceedingly great deal to men. The hero in this book was practically perfect until one random summer day when he, um, wasn't. Toward the heroine, I mean. And any man in the hero's position in that time period would have immediately offered marriage. He didn't. It made me not like him and though the plot continued to be perfect and the characters were so interesting, it ruined the entire book for me. I didn't believe he would act that way and I didn't believe the heroine's modern attitude toward the entire thing (she just wanted to see what all the fuss was about). I understand the need authors sometimes have for doing a good costume drama instead of a historical, but you can't get so far out of the realm of possibility that it makes the reader stumble. (This can also work the opposite way - there are people who know your time period so well they'll call you out on some overlooked smaller details.)
* How best to transition a toddler into a toddler bed? We've had our 10-month-old in a portable crib and he's outgrown it both in weight and length and I've always figured it can't be too comfortable sleeping on what is essentially cardboard with foam on top of it. So we finally took the plunge and are in the midst of reorganizing all of the bedrooms and sleeping situations. The baby is now in the crib the toddler used to sleep in, sharing a room with his 7-year-old brother. The toddler has her room to herself again, and our oldest has his own room. We've been unbelievably lucky when it has come to transitioning our children in the past - they just started sleeping in their beds. We would put them there, they would stay and go to sleep. None of them ever even tried to climb out of their cribs. So you can imagine the 2 1/2-year-old's great delight at discovering she can get out of her new princess bed, open the door and stand at the top of the stairs to cry for us. We're doing the whole just put her back in her bed and leave thing, but it's not going so well. Last night she was up from 11:30 p.m. to 3:45 a.m. (the last time I returned her to her bed) and came in at 7:00 a.m. to be up for the day. I didn't allow her any naps today (no driving anywhere that she could fall asleep in the car) and she wanted to go to bed at 7:00. I sat with her for five minutes, she fell asleep and has been up there for the last three hours. Does anyone have any advice or tricks on helping a toddler to stay in her bed and sleep? Keep in mind that our bedrooms all open up to a central landing (no hallways) so if she is in her doorway or at the top of the stairs crying/screaming, this wakes everyone up (as we discovered when we put a gate on her door).
* "Avatar" was awesome. More swearing than I would have wanted, fairly predictable in most spots (although it did have one or two surprises for me), but that was, by far, the most amazing visual movie that I have ever seen. Typically when I see something with CGI it registers that it is CGI and while it may be pretty/neat/cool, I'm always aware that it's fake. This movie made me forget. I believed it. I believed the setting and the characters and it never felt false to me. I'm also pretty impressed with any storyteller that can make me root against my own species. If you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend it.
* My Christmas decorations are still up. I took the tree down right away (probably in record time for me), but I still have all the stockings and garlands and other room decorations up. I think the longest I've ever gone is the end of January. Are you someone who cleans those things up right away, or does it take you awhile to get it all put back?
Here's some things that have been running through my mind lately and the blog seems like a great place to unload:
* Helping people in Haiti. I'm assuming the church will offer the ability to donate money to help people there. I did donate today to the Bush/Clinton organization (and if you'd told me a few years ago I'd ever donate to something with Clinton's name on it...) because they promise 100% of the funds will be passed along. I like the idea of all of the money going to help those that need it without a lot being spent for administrative costs. Do you have suggestions for organizations that will help do the most good there?
* Authors need to think sometimes. I started a book not too long ago that had the most perfect opening chapter of any book in that genre that I've ever read. It made me put the book down because I didn't want to keep reading. 1) Because I didn't want it to end and 2) I was pretty sure the author would find a way to foul things up. I was right. It was set in early 19th century England (Jane Austen type stuff) and back then, honor and being a gentleman mattered an exceedingly great deal to men. The hero in this book was practically perfect until one random summer day when he, um, wasn't. Toward the heroine, I mean. And any man in the hero's position in that time period would have immediately offered marriage. He didn't. It made me not like him and though the plot continued to be perfect and the characters were so interesting, it ruined the entire book for me. I didn't believe he would act that way and I didn't believe the heroine's modern attitude toward the entire thing (she just wanted to see what all the fuss was about). I understand the need authors sometimes have for doing a good costume drama instead of a historical, but you can't get so far out of the realm of possibility that it makes the reader stumble. (This can also work the opposite way - there are people who know your time period so well they'll call you out on some overlooked smaller details.)
* How best to transition a toddler into a toddler bed? We've had our 10-month-old in a portable crib and he's outgrown it both in weight and length and I've always figured it can't be too comfortable sleeping on what is essentially cardboard with foam on top of it. So we finally took the plunge and are in the midst of reorganizing all of the bedrooms and sleeping situations. The baby is now in the crib the toddler used to sleep in, sharing a room with his 7-year-old brother. The toddler has her room to herself again, and our oldest has his own room. We've been unbelievably lucky when it has come to transitioning our children in the past - they just started sleeping in their beds. We would put them there, they would stay and go to sleep. None of them ever even tried to climb out of their cribs. So you can imagine the 2 1/2-year-old's great delight at discovering she can get out of her new princess bed, open the door and stand at the top of the stairs to cry for us. We're doing the whole just put her back in her bed and leave thing, but it's not going so well. Last night she was up from 11:30 p.m. to 3:45 a.m. (the last time I returned her to her bed) and came in at 7:00 a.m. to be up for the day. I didn't allow her any naps today (no driving anywhere that she could fall asleep in the car) and she wanted to go to bed at 7:00. I sat with her for five minutes, she fell asleep and has been up there for the last three hours. Does anyone have any advice or tricks on helping a toddler to stay in her bed and sleep? Keep in mind that our bedrooms all open up to a central landing (no hallways) so if she is in her doorway or at the top of the stairs crying/screaming, this wakes everyone up (as we discovered when we put a gate on her door).
* "Avatar" was awesome. More swearing than I would have wanted, fairly predictable in most spots (although it did have one or two surprises for me), but that was, by far, the most amazing visual movie that I have ever seen. Typically when I see something with CGI it registers that it is CGI and while it may be pretty/neat/cool, I'm always aware that it's fake. This movie made me forget. I believed it. I believed the setting and the characters and it never felt false to me. I'm also pretty impressed with any storyteller that can make me root against my own species. If you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend it.
* My Christmas decorations are still up. I took the tree down right away (probably in record time for me), but I still have all the stockings and garlands and other room decorations up. I think the longest I've ever gone is the end of January. Are you someone who cleans those things up right away, or does it take you awhile to get it all put back?
Sariah Wilson — 1/16/2010 08:54:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I'm so with you on historical time settings being authentic. I hate reading something and seeing a glaring error/misrepresentation like that.
As for toddlers and beds, we just had to endure several nights of screaming. Of course, we only had the two so I don't know how well this works with more children.
Avatar was a beautiful movie! The graphics were amazing and fun.
As for Christmas decor, my worst time for putting them away was Valentines day. Oh the shame!
She woke up again. I thought for sure she'd sleep well tonight after last night - but she's up right now and wanting me to "sit with her for a little bit."
My visiting teacher happened to call and mentioned that playing music softly in the background or listening to books on tape helped her daughter to sleep. My little girl got hysterical and I calmed her down, have her door open and the bathroom light on - and I told her I'll come in and check on her. So I waited five minutes, checked on her, right now I'm waiting ten minutes and then I'll keep increasing the time and we'll see how that works.
It's just frustrating because she was sleeping for at least nine or ten hours straight every night - I know she can do it and she needs the sleep - I just can't figure out how to get us back on track.
I told my (then) two-year old that Doggy (his toy dog) was really tired and couldn't sleep when he made such a fuss. I would have to take Doggy to bed with me if he didn't stop crying. He decided to be quiet so Doggy could sleep. Now he's 10 and sleeps with books. I can't imagine how that can be comfortable.
Christmas decorations quickly lose their charm after the new year. I usually take them down on New Years Day but this year it took me a few days. We clean up the decorations while we're trying to find room for all the new Christmas loot.
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