-=> Quoting Damon A. Getsman to Nancy Backus on 12-Jun-2015 22:13 <=-
 DAG> Re: Re: camping  was: bbsing

I'm seeing a few different topics in this message, so, in the interests
of breaking it into more manageable size messages, I'm going to try to
pull like into like... ;)

 NB>> Shinies etc can be quite distracting at any age... ;)  And birthdays
 NB>> (and other special occasions) can be a good time to scratch the itch, as
 NB>> long as one doesn't go overboard...  :)  Happy Birthday to the kid.. :)
 DAG> Oh for sure.  I'm finding that I'm getting better at dealing with
 DAG> these things as I get older, but I also note (and I'm in a perfect
 DAG> situation for noting this right now, as I wait for someone much more
 DAG> prone to distractions to come and sit down so that we can do some
 DAG> paired coding together) that it certainly does still seem to be a big
 DAG> issue for a lot of other people of all ages.

True, some people are more easily distracted than others... and some
manage to learn how to minimize it eventually... and then there do seem
to be some that don't seem to be distracted at all (but I bet they're
faking it... )

 DAG> I've passed your well wishes on to my son.  He appreciates it,
 DAG> belated though as it may be.  It's good for him to get a little
 DAG> reminder of some of the good things that have been going on recently
 DAG> right now...  

So what did you get him special for his birthday...?

 DAG> Just last night he ended up coming down with either some
 DAG> nasty food poisoning or else some really wicked short illness.  He
 DAG> ended up throwing up at least three times last night (projectile, and
 DAG> with a whole lot of stomach contents to get rid of-- poor guy), and has
 DAG> been suffering a pretty wicked sore throat and [I believe, though
 DAG> currently unverified by thermometer] a bit of a fever today. 

Sounds to me like some sort of bug, rather than food poisoning...
especially since I note in later messages that stuff's been going around
again... ;)  But the sore throat and the fever tend to clinch the bug
theory... :)

 DAG> Poor kid just hasn't been getting much of a break lately.  At least it
 DAG> happened once school got out for him (yesterday was his last day).  I
 DAG> mean, I'm pretty sure that he'd see things in the opposite light, but
 DAG> after all of the time that he missed with crap as of the last school
 DAG> year I'm glad that there wasn't any more added to that...

I understand...  :)  And I also understand the kid point of view of not
wanting to waste SUMMER being sick... ;)

 DAG>> those situations.  I suppose being on the road for so long when he
 DAG>> was still 2-2.5 years old really helped prep him for it a bit,
 NB>> Some things you do because you have to... some because you enjoy them...
 NB>> and it's nice when it's some of both...  ;)   I'm sure though that the
 NB>> no other alternative sorts of things can get old real fast, as the sense
 NB>> of adventure wears off...  ;)
 DAG> Definitely.  We've had some interesting times, and no doubt it has
 DAG> changed the recreational aspect of some of the activities that we've
 DAG> had...  I don't know, I'm kind of going through a phase right now
 DAG> where, despite our limitations and the lack of kids in the area, I'm
 DAG> trying to figure out what kind of a routine we're going to have for
 DAG> things this summer.  

Keeping everything in balance may be a bit of a trick...  ;)

 DAG> I'll write more about it later, I'm actually trying to get this out
 DAG> before I do some work in a little bit here, but I could probably use
 DAG> some input on some of the different things that I'm considering.  The
 DAG> limitations of the situation that I'm in is going to make it
 DAG> interesting, to say the least, and I'm definitely at the phase where I'm
 DAG> scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit.  But yeah, more on that later.

I'll be watching for it.  ;)

 NB>> A good lesson in why consistency is so important... One doesn't have to
 NB>> be a martinet and deny the kid everything, but it still is important to
 NB>> have the boundaries and keep to them pretty much, so the kid is secure
 NB>> in knowing where they are...  Saves a lot of trouble in the long run...
 NB>> The kids that have learned that a tantrum will get them what they (think
 NB>> they) want generally aren't actually happy with the results, either...
 NB>> not that you could get them to admit it, though...
 DAG> Oh I know how important it is.  That being said, I definitely need
 DAG> to work on it in my parenting methods.  Especially when I've been
 DAG> getting tips from other people who lack in consistency a lot that are
 DAG> telling me that I need to be more consistent with things.  Heh.

Somehow it's always easier to see in someone else's situation... ;) 
They probably have a reasonably good idea what they ought to be doing,
whether or not they manage to follow through on it with their own
kids...  :)

 DAG> It's been really tough in the setting that we're in right now, but the
 DAG> summer drive is on now.  Hopefully things can be set up by the end of
 DAG> the summer well enough so that we'll be in a setting where we have a
 DAG> new primary location with enough space for all of us; I think more
 DAG> than anything else it's the fatigue at the whole situational aspect
 DAG> that's kept me from being a little better than I would like with the
 DAG> consistency of it all.

And the niggling thoughts that one should maybe be trying to make it up
to the kid for things not being as one would have hoped... but that sort
of thing can get you in trouble, too...  :)   Hopefully a better setting
will indeed help things...  :)

 DAG> But yeah, I can always tell when my consistency hasn't been what it
 DAG> should. That's when the 'big stick' has to come out.  Then it's used,
 DAG> and then things are better for a time.  He's really good at responding
 DAG> very quickly to it, and doesn't push things too far, at least at the
 DAG> age that he's at right now, when such is the case.  When I'm doing
 DAG> better with it he's really great about doing the things that he's
 DAG> supposed to right away and not pushing the limits. 

Even when they protest loudly against the limits, kids actually are
happier knowing what the limits are and having them be securely
enforced... it gives a more secure feeling...  If one can enforse them
simply by words and actions, and not have to resort to consequences, so
much the better for all...  :)

 NB>> I can certainly relate on the bronchitis issue... I get that
 NB>> periodically... Nice that your body could just fight it off on its
 NB>> own this time..... ;)
 DAG> Yeah my health has been doing a lot better than it has for a very
 DAG> long time, actually...  at least since I've gotten over the various
 DAG> plagues that had a pigpile on me after first getting here.  I can tell
 DAG> that I've been taking care of myself really well, fitness-wise, also,
 DAG> because I don't think that I've ever had a resting heart rate that is
 DAG> often below 64, and mine pretty much sits and hovers right around 60
 DAG> now.  It's nice to see the fruits of my hard work, even if they're in
 DAG> statistics that really don't mean much beyond the medical journals.  ;)

Indeed.  :)   Being in pretty good shape can also help you fight off the
bugs that come piling in...  :)
 
ttyl      neb

... I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it and besides, it was an accident.

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