Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. An old student stopped by the other day, one who I only had for a little while a few years ago, and she said that recently dropped a ton of cash at the bookstore on titles I had recommended. OHMYGOD SOMEONE HAS LISTENED.

2. Recently one of my friends and colleagues kindly bought Sawyer something and I mentioned to another one of my friends that I felt bad because I feel like I am never spontaneously thoughtful enough. She looked at me like I was crazy and listed some things to prove I was wrong. Her thoughtfulness about my underestimated thoughtfulness made my day. I am so lucky to surround myself with kind people. 

3. The other night I had a dream that I was going to IB training for work in Iran (but of course!) but got stuck in Turkey and was having trouble leaving because my tickets were wrong, but they weren't and I had no reason whatsoever to be in Istanbul- it didn't say it on any of my boarding passes. I think all my dreams can just be interpreted such that I have control issues.

4. Important reminder lesson based on extensive social media observations: parents embellish their children's developmental milestones like crazy ("so and so was potty trained at xx months" when you know it was more like xx, or "so and so could read by two and a half" when you know that would be really unrealistic based on, you know, cognitive development theories). It's fine, parents are proud, but using their posts for comparison purposes is stupid. *ahem, self, ahem*

Who am I kidding? Sawyer is two and a half, can read Tolstoy, knows how to drive a stick shift, and is fairly proficient at Mandarin (!). 

5. I know this is probably lame, but I have started using the guided breathing on my Fitbit at night and it has helped me go to sleep so much faster. Maybe because it's really effing boring laying there in the dark matching your breathing to circles. Nonetheless, I'll take it. 

6. Speaking of my beloved Fitbit, I have also started using it to count calories this week. I used to use something else sporadically, but I have found that since I have my Fitbit app open all the time to obsessively check data, this is easy. Pros: it allows you to set weight goals and sets up your calorie allowances based on this, it matches your burned calories to consumed calories, and the charts are handy. Cons: there isn't data for macro and micro nutrients, which is actually a huge disadvantage (200 calories of something nutrient-dense like quinoa and veggies is way different than a candy bar). 

7. How are there only two more weekends before Christmas? Augh! This weekend we are going to take Sawyer to Downtown Disney to check out the decorations and people ice skating and then Sunday is my husband's birthday so will probably go out to lunch or something along those lines. I'd also like to bake and eat my body weight in Christmas cookies and have to find time to grade a few hundred papers.

8. I need to start rereading Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Shadow of the Wind asap for book club. I have a hard time getting motivated to reread things, but I am also a diehard "you must finish/reread the book before book club" rule follower. I read it a really, really long time ago, but I do remember loving it so very much. I'm sure I'll be happy I had a second time around.

9. Scott took Sawyer's Christmas card pictures the other night and they turned out SO CUTE. He has a beard covering his face (spoiler alert, haha), so maybe I'll bend the rules and post one. They're that great.