(this is) durkin.org

One of Reilly’s current favorites is “Tentacle” World¹ by Will and the Bushmen. “I wanna live in a tentacle wooorld…”

Dobbs is a huge fan of the Wiggles, and seriously loves both Big Red Car and one of their theme songs. He doesn’t quite get the whole word “Toot” out, though, so when he sings Big Red Car, it sounds something like “too-too bi re cah.” The theme song variant he sings (or sang, I think he’s stopped now) he got from me - if I don’t know the words, I make them up, or insert “something.” So for months Dobbs walked around singing “Da Weegles, Da Weegles, something-something-something.” Priceless.

They are both great phonetic singers², just like their dad.

1. Typical World, that is «
2. You know, when you don’t know what the words are, but you sing the sounds anyway and hope no one calls you on it? «

The other day our receptionist remarked that she was surprised I don’t run into things, as I am always staring at my BlackBerry while walking through the office. I said I had “BlackBerry Vision” and that I never ran into things, thankyouverymuch.

Until today. I wasn’t even looking at it, I just had it in my hand and was looking in a general downward direction when I bumped gently into a tree limb. In downtown Birmingham.

How the hell are you supposed to make up bunk beds? For the love!

In the old days¹, when we put the boys down for a nap or bedtime, they often fussed and whatnot, but they mostly complied and went to sleep. It wasn’t perfect, there were days or stretches of days with no nap, sure, but all-in-all we all managed.

Fast-forward to now: We continue to struggle with the boys’ sleep (or lack thereof) since we moved them into the same room². Cases in point:

• Monday night, I went in at 10:00 to make sure everyone was all snug in their beds, and found Dobbs asleep on the floor, clutching Lambie. He apparently passed out while making a run for it.
• Sometime last week, I walked into the kitchen at about 9:30³ and heard a noise from their bedroom; I looked down the hall, and saw Dobbs in the door way to their room, Lambie in hand, with his mother’s sunglasses on. He quickly ran back to bed.

I keep thinking that, at some point, they have got to get over the new-ness, and get back to taking naps, falling asleep at a reasonable time, etc, etc. Any day now, I am sure.

1. Read - Just a few months ago. «
2. Oye with the not-going-directly-to-sleep-or-not-sleeping-at-all-especially-during-naptime thing. «
3. The boys’ bedtime is @7:30. «

I don’t know if I buy into the theory that hot toddys combat colds, but that won’t stop me from indulging from time to time.

Every now and then, we all need a little humbling. Sometimes, it seems like I get more than my fair share.

For about five or six days now, MediaMonkey has not worked properly. The application starts, the EQ indicates that the track is playing, but I can’t hear anything. I’ve played with the volume controls, I’ve reinstalled drivers, I’ve unplugged and plugged different peripherals, I’ve run various diagnostics on the audio, I’ve searched and searched and searched and searched online for answers, all to no avail.

MediaMonkey was silenced. Dammit.

This evening, in one final, almost offhand attempt to fix the problem, I was randomly adjusting settings on the default media player and apparently turned MediaMonkey’s internal player volume back on¹.

Problem solved. Doofus.

1. I am totally blaming this one on the kids. «

Reilly: (yelling) I want it.
Dobbs: (yelling) I want it.
R: (yelling) I want it.
D: (yelling) I want it.
R: (louder) I want it.
D: (louder) I want it.
R: (really yelling) I want it.
D: (really yelling) I want it.
MR: You boys need to share it.
R: (really yelling) I want it.
D: (really yelling) I want it.
Me: What is it?

I think the asides should be working now. Long live the asides. Many thanks to Ajay for code help.

I’m LinkedIn. Are you?

A few weeks ago, MR and Reilly were talking about when the baby arrives:

MR: When it is time, Mama will go to the hospital to have the baby.
Reilly: And then you come home?
MR: No, Mama will stay with the baby at the hostipal for a few days, and then Mama and the baby will come home.
R: Will Daddy stay with us?
MR: No, he will be with Mama and the baby. Nona and Papa will be here with you and Dobbs. But you and brother can visit us anytime you want.
R: (pause) Dobbs and I can drive?

A week is too long, she said before she left. The boys and I completely agree.

MR made it back all in one peice and on time Friday afternoon. Her luggage, on the other hand, made a sidetrip up to PA before joining us after midnight on Saturday.

Oye.