Night night

 It's hard because I wanted to write more frequently, but I also wanted to write better posts, and so far, I just have the frequency thing going for me.

Gah,

In news no one asked about, I am suddenly OBSESSED with my French press, and it is the only thing I use to make coffee first thing in the morning. But! It takes FOREVER. Like, I kind of need a Keurig cup to have my shit together enough to make coffee. You know? Also, Ben's parents got us this coffee pot for Christmas, and it is amazing. Automated pour-over. WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

I get to Zoom with Isabel Wilkerson tomorrow at work and am pretty excited about it. If you haven't read Caste you really should.

Min Min had carrots and really like them-- fave food so far. Green beans are up for tomorrow. Or maybe Tuesday. I will make them tomorrow, though.

That's all I got past bedtime on Sunday...

So big

She sits! 

And today? SHE ROLLED FROM BACK TO TUMMY, meaning she can roll both ways.

She's had sweet potatoes, bananas, and carrots, and how is she getting so big so fast?

Read Madison Mom-- just pics here

 Here are some pictures, and here is my latest Madison Mom post.

Crush the Patriarchy

 TODAY! A woman Vice President TODAY! I mean don't get me wrong, it would be terrific if the last four years happened a totally different way and we were like too jaded to appreciate a woman Veep, but I AM SO EXCITED.

A friend shared these awesome coloring pages for kids, and we are set to watch. Harry has no school all week because he has no grades to work on between now and report cards, and the end of the quarter means that everyone else's asynchronous day is more ow key. My class doesn't meet until next week, so I am also feeling less frantic than usual. In other words, we are ready to snuggle up and watch a peaceful transition of power. I mean I hope this part is peaceful since I guess you can't argue that the whole thing has been peaceful.

I heard Cooper on a Zoom explaining white privilege to his third grade class, which was pretty awesome. He said he is white and that means he doesn't have to worry about traveling. He could go anywhere in the country whenever he wanted to and would never have to worry about his safety. It was a pretty spot-ion observation spurred by neighbors of our canceling as trip south because they didn't want to be traveling through the south right now. His teacher called it white privilege after he gave the example and then the class talked together about other areas of life that might be always affected by race. It was fantastic.

Crushing patriarchy and her sweet potatoes

Minnie is not impressed

 After a year of keeping the Instant Pot in the basement in its box because I am scared of it, we are USING IT and starting to love it. I am still working on timing because it takes forever to heat up and then to release steam, and sometimes the meal prep is a pain, but so far YES. 

We have made butter chicken, mac and cheese, and tomato soup and loved them all. Right now it is slow-cooking some chicken for tacos tonight.

Can I just tell you that my NYR to eat seven servings of fruits and veggies has changed the way I eat? Like, I must eat 2 fruits with breakfast, which crowds out other bullshit, and I aim for 3 at lunch, which means I do salads or veggies and hummus, not sandwiches. I usually have 2 at dinner, which, again, crowds out other bullshit. I still eat a TON and much of it is carbs, but, also now so many veggies.

I am having a hormone-related milk drop this week, so I made a batch of these perfect cookies, and I am covered up in milk again. Magic!

Also, read about our thousand hours outside challenge right here.

She is never impressed, and I love that about her.

I WILL DRINK ALL OF THE WATERS.

See? NOT IMPRESSED with her librarian outfit. But I was.

Quick pics

S'mores:

Minnie's best angle:

Such a big girl:

Cankles

 

5 months old and first food encounter!

 Our pediatrician told us the recommendations have changed re: food introduction. When H and J were babies, it was 4 months, rice cereal first. ForkDorothy and Cooper, it was 6 months, veggies and fruit. Now it's 4-6 months fruit and veggies. 

So, we picked the middle of the road-- 5 months, sweet potatoes. Minnie is cautiously interested and a little judgmental.

Of course we took a bunch of pictures with her stickers, and even though I posted 5 on FB and IG, here is a huge dump of all my faves:

The picture with the doll is my favorite because her sweet little smile! Oh my gosh this baby. We love her so much.

We got an email from the chancellor telling us we should all be vaccinated by the end of the summer and to plan fall like a normal semester. I have... feelings about this. I planned to offer my large lecture online in the fall because I am worried about Harry's heart inflammation virus reaction and really want him to be vaccinated before our family ventures out into the world. But! Standing on a stage in real clothes talking about the things I love? YES PLEASE. I am teaching my feminist movements class in spring 2022 and I am already excited about that. Two mornings and an afternoon working on campus? SOUNDS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE if I am being honest.

I am listening to Parenting Without Power Struggles on audiobook right now, and I hate the lame nautical metaphor the author uses (parents are CAPTAINS OF THE SHIP). She also says some disturbingly clueless things about children in Africa growing up joyful without being bogged down by the weight of the Western world. AND she credentials herself constantly as a mother of one kid, which makes me sort of not trust her sibling rivalry advice when she says it was forged in the fire of experience. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I really like it and recommend it if you have a Cooper in your life. 

I usually listen to podcasts on my walk, and I will still tune into my favorite daily ones, plus the first half of Pod Save America twice a week and both Happier and Happier in Hollywood. Other than Girl Next Door, which is twice a month, I don't have any that I love every day, so I end up scrolling IG WHILE I WALK which is dumb. I am hoping that an audiobook for walks and for cleaning the kitchen will help my book total for the year and be engaging enough for me to resist the scroll. My only issue is that I want to spend zero dollars on these books, so I use the library's Libby app (the new Overdrive-- it's way better), and there is quite the wait for new books.  Since I only like to read 2021 books in 2021, this is a challenge. And a fascinating one ** eye roll** Sorry.

Oh! Minnie had a diaper blowout so extreme yesterday that I needed a shower afterward, so don't think having a baby is all sunshine and rainbows. Even though it pretty much is.