Le Weekend

Bella got better just in time for school to be out for an MEA conference, but she was laid LOW by that illness, the poor dear. Everyone else in the house seems to have avoided it (knock wood!). She got a lot of good playing in over those two days, however.

Isaac had some extra synapses connect during the week: He's definitely in a "dramatic tantrum" phase, but is extra cuddly too. As you know he loves phones, and will use just about anything as a "phone" - from a diaper to a sock - and have a conversation with you by phone. Tonight Pamela had her legs stretched out on the kitchen booth bench, and he walked up, put his head up to her foot, and said "Hewwo? Oh hi!" We almost fell over.

Isaac has been bottle-free since Labor Day weekend, but only just this week could we say his appetite has taken off: He's eating pretty well now, if not with any particular discipline. He messed around all during dinner, but immediately before bed snarfed an apple and 6 spoonfuls of peanut butter. Whatever it takes.

This morning Isaac and Bella went to swimming class: I swim with Isaac, and Grandma watches Bella. As I jumped into the water, I dunked my head under and turned around just in time to see Isaac take a running jump right into the water: That kid is FEARLESS. His teacher said he's never had a set of kids who were as comfortable in the water as this group.

We're rearranging the basement: the feng shui was all wrong, with the couch against the cold wall, and the view of the TV conflicting with the view of the stairs. So everything's getting moved. We've clocked some serious time down there this week. Tonight I was assembling more of those ancient Crate and Barrel shelves.

Today Pamela and I took a CPR class at the Red Cross: I had to for my fitness instruction work, and Pamela thought it sounded like a good idea in general. It was great fun to be in the class together - we got to be partners for exercises and everything.

Another Time Out instructor was there, so we were chatting about the studio a bit. On the subject, Friday was a double whammy silly day: I went to the 6am to co-teach, only to find that nobody had a key to the place! So we and all the students had to leave. And I was going to teach at 5:15, with a camcorder in place so that I could finish my certification for BodyPump, but there wound up being a big issue with the machine, so I didn't tape... though I did teach. We'll have to try again later.

The 6am crowd is full of regulars who need (in general) very little coaching - they're pretty serious and experienced. Friday afternoon is a very very different crowd - a lot worse form, less attention span, and more brand new people. It is a fun challenge to bring those people along with the teaching.

Next week will be a strange travel week - Two trips, two nights away: Portland Tues-Wed, and Denver Thurs-Fri. I'll try to see the grandparents again when I'm in Denver, of course.

Two media things: First, I invite you all to experience Tarvu: www.tarvu.com This is a religion created by the "Look Around You" geniuses Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz. Secondly, I must say that Season Three of Heroes is like electricity applied directly to the pleasure centers of my brain: Every episode has rocked so hard that reality itself seems suspect. The direction they're going right now is simply amazing: through choice, cowardice, or inertia, the heroes are slowly becoming villains, and some villains are showing signs of becoming heroic. Truly amazing television happening here.

And that's the news for the moment...