Up, up and away!

It’s a whole new world over here. A new record has been set. My house has been clean – really clean and organized – for three days. In a row. What is my secret, you ask? Amelia learned a new concept: away. Prior to this week, “away” referred specifically to the spot by the door where her shoes belong, but on Tuesday as she watched me unload the dishwasher (narrating my every move, as always. After eighteen months I do it in my head even when she’s not around) she kept saying “away.” Eager to reinforce this concept, I took her to her play kitchen and we organized it a bit before she took her bath, after which we revisited the idea of “away” by picking up her bath toys while the water drained.

To be fair, if I wanted her to learn to put things away I had to first make sure everything had a designated resting place, a task I hadn’t yet faced since the Christmas inventory turnover. We moved into this townhouse last May, and Amelia started walking at about the same time we finished unpacking. Consequently, I don’t think there has ever been a time when both floors have been simultaneously organized. Cleaning usually means “hurry up and shove everything in a closet, the in-laws are coming!” Just kidding, my in-laws live 900 miles away and have six kids; I doubt they are impressed at my ability to clean up after my one tiny toddler. But you get the point. Regardless, I am unreasonably ecstatic to report that the concept stuck, and now before we change activities we put things away. It’s almost as much an adjustment for me as it is for her, but I am very pleased with the results. Now if I can only get my husband on board…

Ready to order, or need another minute?

After nearly four years, my last day of serving tables is almost here. For months I have followed every shift with complaints about my back and my ever-diminishing faith in humanity, and I never saw it as a career, so I was caught off guard by mixed feelings when I gave my notice. I really am going to miss my little restaurant.

The decision to leave has been an arduous debate, almost exclusively with myself. My husband’s salary covers our expenses and my earnings go toward our student loans, some of which aren’t even due yet. The knowledge that we could pay them off before Amelia incurs her own is a source of unnatural glee. I am also a worrier. My husband's philosophy is that things will work out because they've always worked out. His circular logic gives my ulcer a heart attack. What if my car engine dies? What if our landlord clues into the fact that we are grossly underpaying and jacks up the rent? What if our society collapses and my husband loses his job because there is no need for algebra under martial rule?

Clarity came at our kitchen table one morning during winter break. My husband made pancakes, eggs and bacon and I realized we hadn’t eaten breakfast as a family in five months. That is nearly a third of Amelia's existence.  For her it might as well have been the first time, since her frame of reference most closely resembles that of a hamster. We later went to the park and I thought about how our routine had become a game of “pass the baby.”

Here she is, I have to go to class.

Good, you’re back; I have papers to grade.

There, she’s down, now how was your day?

In my efforts to maximize my time with my husband and child, I had somehow created a schedule where only two of us were ever truly present at any given moment. It was disappointing, and not exactly how I pictured my daughter’s childhood.

So maybe the car will fall apart, the rent will double, or any of a million other things. Things will work out because we'll make them work out. We’re a family.

Housekeeping note

I apologize for the radio silence. Amelia was battling a ruthless virus and it completely threw off her (our) sleep schedule. Also, sick toddlers are fairly uninspiring. I do plan to post two to three times a week, so check back often!

Juggle!

Here it is, the video I spent yesterday morning recovering. Amelia in her natural habitat. Enjoy.

Lost in Cyberspace: How I Recovered a Deleted iPhone Video

The adaptability and acceptance of new concepts demonstrated by toddlers is absolutely fascinating, and even a bit unsettling when applied to modern technology. Before she turned one, Amelia could swipe through photos on my iPhone, and now that her fine motor skills have improved, she can even play videos. Amelia 2, Grandma 0.
We normally limit her screen usage, but when you’re lying on the couch and your head feels like your skull shrunk two sizes but your brain stayed the same, the no-tv-until-she’s-two rule loses out to thank-God-she’s-not-shoving-Hop-on-Pop-into-the-bridge-of-my-nose-again. She wants to watch the video of herself throwing juggling balls. I play the minute-long video. When it ends, she brings the phone back and asks to see it again. So be it. While she is frantically waving her arms and each “Juggle!?” escalates to a higher pitch, I scroll through my Camera Roll over and over while the reality slowly sets in. She hit delete. Juggle is gone.

First: Don’t panic. Logically consider where your backups might be. And check them, the tantrum erupting beside you is not conducive to remembering dates.

1.     Pictures are automatically backed up in iPhoto when you plug your phone into your computer, as long as you consent to this. Check there.

2.    Check iTunes to see when your last physical backup was. In my case, I recently replaced my hard drive, so the answer was never.

3.    Do you back up to iCloud? Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup and scroll to the bottom. That will show you when your last backup was.

Second: Your phone is set to back up when your phone meets this magic trinity of criteria:

a.     Locked

b.    Plugged in, and

c.     Connected to wi-fi

While it is possible to select an earlier backup to revert to, that makes me nervous, because you can only go back to the last three backups. You are better off just turning automatic backups off as soon as the file is deleted. That option is on the same screen where you checked the time of your last backup.

Third: Assuming your pictures and videos are not backed up on iPhoto, your best bet is to wipe your phone and reload a backup. Stay with me, because that part was scary for me, too. If you want, back up your remaining photos and videos to iPhoto first. I did, because I simply don’t trust myself when it comes to technology.

Make sure your automatic backup is turned off before you connect your phone to your computer, because in doing so you complete the aforementioned magic trinity. I did not and ended up accidentally backing up my Juggle-less phone. It was not a problem because the previous backup did contain the video, but as I mentioned, you can only go back to the last three.

When you are sure everything you could possibly want is saved on your computer, it is time to start the backup.

1.     Go to Settings > General > Reset and press “Erase All Content and Settings.” It may seem like pulling a Band-Aid, but don’t shut your eyes yet. It asks for your passcode and if you’re sure you want to delete everything. You are.

2.    Breath. Cross your fingers. Pray. Wait.

3.    Choose your language, country, set up your wifi network, wait for it to activate, enable location services, blah blah blah.

4.    When you get to “Set up iPhone” choose whether you are restoring from iTunes or iCloud. I chose iCloud.

5.    Sign in, agree to terms and conditions, and select the most recent backup that you are SURE contains your lost photo or video. Wait a nerve-wracking five minutes.

6.    You will get a message about loading your purchased apps. Don’t worry, this includes the free ones.

7.    Reset your passcode.

8.    Check your camera roll. Panic, cry, and assume you have lost everything.

9.    Glance back at the phone and realize the photos and videos are loading. You are at 2 out of 138. Feel very silly.

And there you have it, crisis averted. Moral of the story? Keep the phone away from the toddler, you say? No, the moral is to back up frequently and in multiple places. Don’t be that judgmental parent. It doesn’t look good on anyone.
There are dozens of ways I absolutely knew were best in theory before Amelia was born that I have had to revise, compromise or simply abandon when put into practice; homemade baby food, early potty training and breastfeeding for a full year fell straight into that category, despite our best efforts. Fortunately, Amelia is fairly interested in independent play and likes to do puzzles and take care of her baby doll, so keeping her from watching television has thus far been possible. I am in no way judging parents who use half an hour of the Wiggles in order to cross a few chores off their never-ending to-do lists. Parenting is all about finding what works for your child specifically.

**Disclaimer: I am not a technology expert. Actually, I am quite the opposite, which is why I wanted to write this “for dummies” version in my own words. Think of it as advice from a friend. If it helps you, great. If not, ask a different friend next time.

Language Barrier

Watching Amelia develop her language skills gives me a newfound sympathy for those who learn English as a second language. I have only studied Romantic languages, but I am sure everything else makes infinitely more sense than English -- except for Greenlandic. Google it, it looks like what happens when Amelia opens the e-mail on my iPhone and starts typing.

Amelia was working on a puzzle yesterday and the piece she wanted had the nerve to be on the opposite side of the coffee table. Determining the path of least resistance is, to my constant amusement, a bit ahead of her cognitive development, so she attempted to climb onto the table to reach it. 

I always take an active role in supporting my daughter and helping her achieve her goals, so I glanced over from my seat on the couch and said, "Go around so you can reach it."

She stopped, took a step away from the table and spun “around” 360 degrees.

Upon completing the turn, she looked at me, her head cocked to the side, and shot me a look that said very clearly, “Well that didn’t help.”

I reached over and handed her the puzzle piece. I am not a Gilmore Girl. Chances are we will never understand each other any better.