Game Night

For my brother J's birthday, his wife N got him a new board game, 7 Wonders. I was staying over the night of his birthday, so we decided to try it out. It was a little complicated to figure out, but after the first game, which took about an hour, we were all 3 hooked.

We played Sunday night for the first time, and then again Monday afternoon. My niece K came home from school & wanted to join in, so we played a second game after dinner for our FHE activity. The three of us took turns helping her with her turn.

Ji, my nephew who is not quite two, was content for awhile to climb into his high chair with an issue of Baby Bug and look for pictures of dogs. While we played at the table. Then he climbed onto J's lap and played with the extra tokens for awhile. We knew that we had gotten too absorbed in the game, however, when we realized that Ji had wandered over to the clean, unfolded laundry, pulled out his blanket, and was ready to fall asleep.

Sleep Training

Two of my friends with babies have told me this week that they are sleep training. I myself have been walking up between 2:30 and 4:30 am and not being able to get back to sleep. I have ended up getting up and doing things for a few hours, then going back to bed around 6:30 am. (Which is not so much earlier than when I should be getting up.) Today I tried taking a long bath, and now I will try again to sleep. How can I sleep train myself? Any ideas?

Perhaps this is another example of my body being sympathetic to my nephew's. We've been having similar digestive issues as well.

Tag, you're it!

Some of you have probably seen this one going around:

Once you've been tagged, you have to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them.

The person who tagged me gave the reason that it will give me material for my blog, so here goes:

1. I like to ride my bike. In the winter, especially, for some reason.
2. I actually got up and rode my bike today before going to work.
3. I continue to believe that I can someday get up and do things in the morning regularly and cheerfully, or at least without really, really wanting to go back to
bed, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
4. I felt like a morning person over Thanksgiving, since I was getting up at 8am (which was 10 am according to my body clock) and most of the rest of the household was not up until 10 or 11am.
5. I'm not really a night owl either. I just like to sleep, mostly. Except when I have insomnia.
6. Today I saw The Tallest Man on Earth sing. He walked like a bird around the stage and didn't sound at all Swedish.
7. habit: sneakily poking, or "zotting" my siblings and those who remind me of them. (Sorry, M.D. & H.G.)
8. I've developed a love for dark chocolate, since living with my sister again after college.
9. I can't make my chocolate last nearly as long as my sister can hers.
10. I can keep my room tidier than my sister's, although I don't always.
11. Whoever designed the north exit to the bike path is sadistic. Yes, it's a great idea to end with a sharp curve around which there is a staircase! And just in case that didn't kill the cyclist, let's send them into oncoming traffic that's entering the freeway!
12. Goal: take calculus someday.
13. Goal: learn another language somewhat fluently. At least passably.
14. My French's not up to snuff.
15. Habit: staying up later than I mean to. (speaking of which, it's 1 am now...)
16. "I want to change the world, instead I sleep" borrowed from Ingrid Michaelson.

People (sorry, no names, just initials. You'll know who you are, and I'll email you):

JG: so he has an excuse not to grade papers.
JL: he'll come up with something hilarious. (no pressure. smile & wave)
JW: because she's my favorite sister ;)
FC: since we're always playing tag.
HG: so I can find out more about what she's up to.
ND: like you don't have enough assignments.
MW: because he thinks I have great style.
SW: his answers will be unexpected
HDMW: she now has 4 names.
DW: since he loves to be online
RO: she was my first blog follower.
MC: my most recent friend
MD: since I'm always poking her.
RD: I want to know what she'll write.
CW: I <3 pizza face.
KC: since we haven't met for lunch for awhile.