New year update
Jan. 10th, 2015 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
julietMy investigation in November into "taking more time off" was positive in that I felt better for it, and have tentatively concluded I should do more of that. (Where "that" is "having at least some time where I am not staring down a to-do list".) Actually doing it, as ever, proves harder. I'm experimenting now with ways to fit more work achieved into work days and thus have more time off. As Leon gets bigger (and so doesn't demand me as often) in theory this should be easier as I can be less interrupted and therefore more efficient. I am also hoping that lovely new noise-cancelling headphones will help a bit with focus (rather than, say, listening to everything else that's happening in the house at the same time.)
The main experiment this month is limiting my daily to-do list to 5 things. This is something of a challenge. The theory (again with the theory) is that if I can't get something done under that arrangement, maybe the thing is not important enough to be done at all. We'll see...
Currently however it is all a bit to pot because Leon's sleep has been appalling and I am absolutely shattered. Taking steps to deal with that too but it conflicts with everything else I'd like to do. Gah.
Apart from still not sleeping through, Leon is great fun. He can now read in the sense that he can decipher written words with reasonable accuracy and at a reasonable speed. What's interesting is that this makes it very clear how much else is involved in actually reading. He's not yet 3, and being able to read hasn't suddenly made his overall language comprehension significantly better. So he can read something but not necessarily, depending on what it is, understand what he's reading. He's getting the hang of grammar and stories and sentences but it all takes time. Reading is also still clearly something he has to work hard at (so a lot of time time he prefers to be read to). But he is at the stage I remember myself of reading aloud all and any written matter he encounters and being delighted by the experience -- tomato ketchup bottles, road signs, labels on boxes, all that stuff. And he will sit down with one of his books and read it through to himself which is lovely to watch.
He's also getting steadily better at a bunch of other things -- fine motor skills, building more complicated things with Lego and Magnatiles and Playdoh, general comprehension of the world, all that stuff. Watching someone grow is fascinating. He's started to be more interested in other children, and attempts to strike up conversations, with variable success (the 18 month old he accosted in the library just looked a bit terrified). He can even, when the stars align, play alongside someone else with a similar toy without dispute. For about 5 minutes, anyway.
Leon anddoop are getting very into their Minecraft ("More lava, Daddy! Now more TNT!"). Listening to their discussions has tempted me into having a go for myself. We now have a house server and I am starting to build things as well.
Other than that I have one story commissioned, sent a pitch for another off today, and there's another one I want to write on spec. And I continue to write history/tech articles for Linux Voice, should any of you be interested in that sort of thing. (It's a good magazine.)
The main experiment this month is limiting my daily to-do list to 5 things. This is something of a challenge. The theory (again with the theory) is that if I can't get something done under that arrangement, maybe the thing is not important enough to be done at all. We'll see...
Currently however it is all a bit to pot because Leon's sleep has been appalling and I am absolutely shattered. Taking steps to deal with that too but it conflicts with everything else I'd like to do. Gah.
Apart from still not sleeping through, Leon is great fun. He can now read in the sense that he can decipher written words with reasonable accuracy and at a reasonable speed. What's interesting is that this makes it very clear how much else is involved in actually reading. He's not yet 3, and being able to read hasn't suddenly made his overall language comprehension significantly better. So he can read something but not necessarily, depending on what it is, understand what he's reading. He's getting the hang of grammar and stories and sentences but it all takes time. Reading is also still clearly something he has to work hard at (so a lot of time time he prefers to be read to). But he is at the stage I remember myself of reading aloud all and any written matter he encounters and being delighted by the experience -- tomato ketchup bottles, road signs, labels on boxes, all that stuff. And he will sit down with one of his books and read it through to himself which is lovely to watch.
He's also getting steadily better at a bunch of other things -- fine motor skills, building more complicated things with Lego and Magnatiles and Playdoh, general comprehension of the world, all that stuff. Watching someone grow is fascinating. He's started to be more interested in other children, and attempts to strike up conversations, with variable success (the 18 month old he accosted in the library just looked a bit terrified). He can even, when the stars align, play alongside someone else with a similar toy without dispute. For about 5 minutes, anyway.
Leon and
doop are getting very into their Minecraft ("More lava, Daddy! Now more TNT!"). Listening to their discussions has tempted me into having a go for myself. We now have a house server and I am starting to build things as well. Other than that I have one story commissioned, sent a pitch for another off today, and there's another one I want to write on spec. And I continue to write history/tech articles for Linux Voice, should any of you be interested in that sort of thing. (It's a good magazine.)
no subject
Date: 2015-01-10 09:37 pm (UTC)I love reading this stuff about a little person growing and changing - thanks for writing it.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-13 03:08 pm (UTC)I have Further Thoughts about the time off, and other ways in which I would like to make life feel better, which I should write about.