I’m sorry

How old should a child be when they learn, “I’m sorry”?  I’ve told Levi sorry when I’ve made mistakes or blamed him for something he didn’t do or didn’t mean to do.  I’ve tried to tell him whenever it was appropriate, whenever I was sorry.  Levi is now 2 years and almost 9 months old… 33 months, almost 3 years.  Shouldn’t now be a good time for him to learn to say, “I’m sorry.”

Well, it better be.  He has a bowling ball for a head, or rather it’s that hard.  He tripped and fell today, and while I was consoling him on my lap, he whacked his head back and smacked my nose.  This was the hardest he’s ever smacked it before.  Instantly I cried, it hurt that bad.

I made him stay in his room until he said he’s sorry. He came out every so often, which we allow, but wouldn’t apologize, so I sent him back.  By the third time, we had a short (as in low to the ground) eye-to-eye chat and he mostly said sorry.  By mostly, I mean he said it and had some eye contact.

Is this the right time?  It seemed effective 2 days ago.  He’s got to learn, sooner rather than later, how his actions affect others.  So, now seems like a good time to me.

Sleeping & Camping

Image via Wikipedia

In a previous post I mentioned that my Grave’s Disease has come back.  The hormone levels didn’t even take long to get out of range.  I am already feeling the difference: my handwriting isn’t as controlled, I’m not napping as well, I’m not sleeping as well, and I feel more jazzed up.  So, my doctor prescribed another Beta Blocker for me.  Last night was the first night with this new Beta Blocker and I slept.  Sure, I had to read a bit to calm my mind; but I slept.

Choices

My thyroid uptake was 98%. Image via Wikipedia

Apparently, methimazole is only designed to be used very short term.  Results will show at about 18 months.  If they don’t show up by 18 months, chances are you aren’t going to see promising results.  The success rate is less than 50%, with some sources citing only a 20% or 30% success rate.  I was on it for 22 months.  My thyroid hormone finally got to normal.  I got off the drug, and my thyroid has started to increase its hormones.  My Grave’s Disease is back.

Vocabular Maturity

Image by avlxyz via Flickr

I just stumbled upon a blog that asked if maturity levels could be defined by use of grammar and vocabulary.  I found 3 word misuses, misspellings and/or typos in this short post.  I wonder what the answer would be?  Lose 10 years for every mistake?  Or understand that in this rushed world of blogging, we often fail to use the simple grammar and spell checks available with the click of a button?

Open Source

Image via Wikipedia

Many of the things I write about detail sustainability and sustainable living.  I’d like to take this post to discuss sustainability on a technological level.  Previous posts have described my frustration with computers and the next new thing.  Clearly, constantly eliminating technology in replace of newer hardware where the old hardware is simply thrown out isn’t sustainable.  But, what would an alternative be?  Open Source software that works with hardware of many ages is one such option.  Open Source software also speaks to a philosophy of shared knowledge, which in many circles is an underlying aspect to sustainability.

Ubuntu 9.04, Jaunty Jackelope, Day 15

Image via Wikipedia

Every year I have thought about it.  Every year, when the virus scanner/protection subscription comes due, I think about it.  Every time a new MS Office program comes out promising to organize my life better, just for a quick $350, I think about it.  Finally, we took the plunge.  I say we because this is a joint effort of mine and my husbands.  Me convincing him that Linux is the way to go.

NASA Moon Bomb

Amy Ephron: Help Save the Moon.

Maybe I live on the dark side of the moon because I hadn’t heard about this until perusing my facebook page and noticed some Michigan friends commenting on a local News 8 story (www.woodtv.com). Regardless, does this sound like the dumbest, most irresponsible thing to anyone else?

Choices & Competition in Health Care

My favorite time to write is in the morning after I’ve read the paper.  Usually, I’ve read something that spurs me to write… getting my creative juices flowing, so to speak.  I write, in these moments, to react against or to something I’ve just read in my morning Oregonian.  Today, I”m writing about the health care debate, or lack thereof.

I’ve been wanting to write about health care for a while.  But, I haven’t really looked at the issue itself, only a few cursory glances towards some things  that have come my way.  In the end, I think health care for all is better than nothing.  I hope that the system will correct itself after the initial several SNAFUs.  I hope that citizens will write to their elected officials and tell them what they need.

Links for your own research:

• Contact your legislators and tell them what you think about the health care debate and what’s important to you.
• Portland march for a public option, click here.
• www.healthcarereform.gov
• Kaiser Family Foundation comparison tool

Safety in Libraries

Our obsession with safety has been a theme lately.  My actions towards my son and my husband’s actions towards our son, for example.  We do certain things to keep him safe.  We are so concerned, as parents, as a society, in protecting childhood innocence, I am beginning to wonder if we squander away learning experiences by being the overprotective parents we would have hated.