update on the computer – I lost the internal hard drive as well as the external drive containing my most recent backups (the last two years of data). I’m just glad I didn’t have a book or dissertation in process on either of those drives! 🙂 My kids’ pictures have all, except for the last two weeks of October, been uploaded to either my phone, Facebook, this blog, or my parents’ computer, so I haven’t lost any of those memories, and that’s what was most important to me. I was able to restore the internal hard drive but I haven’t started rebuilding it yet because my dad got me a new SSD internal drive for my birthday! Much gratitude there – and good timing too, for the drives to fail just in time for my birthday. So when that arrives and I get it installed, I’ll reinstall all my software and start rebuilding my photo library and taking care of the new pictures from my camera. And my husband got me a wireless external drive that I’ll be able to use for automatic backups so hopefully this will never happen again!
I am so blessed to have people in my life who help me out with these things… 🙂 Common sense and practicality are not my strengths!
update on the family – Limerick is starting to talk all the time! He has so many words and his favorites are apple and bubble (he gets so excited when he sees an apple or a bubble and I think it’s partly because he can say the words). When I left for work yesterday morning, I heard him say “bye!” after I shut the door, which was really sweet. Rondel didn’t get the concept of saying goodbye until he was over 18 months, which just goes to show how different every baby is, I suppose.
Rondel has been telling me stories about cars, developing opinions about everything, and melting down when he doesn’t get to do something he was hoping to do (like play with cars at the store, or look at cars on the phone, or watch a truck video…). I’m trying to take advantage of those moments to validate his feelings and reconnect with him, and we usually end up playing and laughing together, but it’s hard if Limerick is also falling apart, which he sometimes does just because he hears his brother being so upset. On a lighter note, he’s also been pretending to be sad or upset to get attention, see how we’ll respond, or make Limerick laugh. He can hardly keep a straight face and it cracks me up!
They still love being together and Rondel is becoming a sweet and protective older brother. Limerick hasn’t been feeling well the past few days and Rondel will come over to him and give him a big hug and say, “hug Limerick make him feel better!” He’s navigating the transition from babyhood to boyhood with considerable poise, and sometimes he’ll say to me that he’s a big boy and a little baby, or ask to be held like a little baby, and after a few minutes of snuggling he’ll announce that he’s a big boy again and run off. Limerick just follows him around wherever he goes – that boy adores his brother.
My husband and I are waiting to hear back on something big that could usher in a lot of changes in our lives but that’s all I’ll say until we find out more. I’m thinking about education and the future and trying not to let myself worry about things that are years away – that worry is the best way I’ve found to lose my focus in the present and fail to connect with my family here and now, so it’s something I’d rather avoid.
update on miscellany – the heat finally broke down here in the hot dry desert and we’re enjoying the most beautiful weather: highs in the low 70s and cool nights in the 50s. The windows are open all the time and the AC is off and when I turn the oven on to bake it feels cozy and warm, not stifling and oppressive. Christmas goodies are going to be made and frozen starting this week, people! I’ll try to get some pictures (hard, since I usually cook at night) to taunt you all with holiday goodness 😉
I hope you all are doing well! The blog should be getting back up to speed before too long.
little thoughts 