Melih O.

This week in review

What a week!

Micky was out of town. The nanny got sick. The babies just grew up before my eyes. And we finally got rain in the Bay Area.

The rain meant that today was a day to paint at the new house, and have a lazy Sunday morning. We really need a king-sized bed to pull that off with 4 of us, and we’ll get there.

Amelia is doing a lot better at swimming every week. Luka is still scared shitless. I don’t know what to do except stop his lessons for a semester, and let him forget it all. Then maybe he’ll be excited about it. He’s so damn funny though. He’s desperate to be with her; emulate her; and be her best friend.

At his 18-month checkup, Luka clocked in at a solid 35 1/4″ tall, and 30 lbs 12 oz. He’s huge for an 18-month old. I don’t think he knows it though because Amelia is still bigger, faster, further ahead.

I nailed my books for January, and now I need to find a book for February. I don’t think reading to the kids counts, but we’ve found some great new ones lately. My challenge is that I really want it to be an eBook, but the public library’s main provider makes eBooks that are iPad compatible difficult to get. So it goes. Everyone has to make their money.

Anyway, this was a really great week. Here’s to many more like this one.

Fatherhood, Uncategorized 0

Preschool update

I feel like I’m applying for colleges all over again…

Amelia went to her first preschool interview today. I’m sure it went as well as it could. But it’s a really unnerving experience. One school (who took a $90 application fee) didn’t even invite us to an interview. This school today spent an hour getting to know the kids (which I think is really awesome), but I don’t know how they compare Amelia (2.5 years old) with kids who are older (some who just missed the cut-off, and so are almost 3.5 years old). I know they know, but the fact that I don’t is unnerving.

There are a few other schools in the hopper as well. One of them is blind admission, and so it’s 100% based on the essay we wrote.

If my college admissions rate is an indicator there, then poor Amelia 🙁

It’s hard too because wherever she ends up, there’s almost a certainty that Luka is there as well. I don’t love that scenario because I do think he’d be better off at his own school, but the logistics of it are awful.

So fingers crossed today went well. I really like this school, and if it worked out, then we’d be ecstatic.

Fatherhood, Uncategorized 0

Look at that somersault!

Micky was out of town for business (I can’t say why because it’s still a secret), and so a lot of posts this week have been about the kids. It’s been an awesome week of being loved by them, and I’m ending the week in a place of real zen.

I’ll close the week out with the video below of Amelia doing a forward somersault. The pride in her face. The insanity of the fall. It’s a good moment from a good week of being in parent mode full time.

Fatherhood, Uncategorized 0

Babies at the office

The babies came to the office today since Genevieve was out sick. It’s usually a lost day when that happens, but this time around they were really fantastic. I got a bunch of help from Lauren and KFox which epically made the day better. Without them, it would have been a totally lost day, but they came to my rescue big time.

We got to the office a bit on the later side since organizing and getting them out the door is difficult.

First meeting was with Betsy, and the kids had a fat section of the whiteboard. There was a section that said “Do Not Erase”. Of course they both wanted to draw and erase there. Sorry Badri…

I pulled off two interviews, a partner meeting, and a 1:1 (thankfully Byrne was good with going to the park). The kids woke up from their nap in the middle of the partner meeting, and there was a mad dash to turn on Finding Nemo before we reached full meltdown.

We ended with grilled cheese sandwiches, a quick bath, and a really easy bed time. They were really heroes. One of those days where I realize how lucky I really am.

Amelia's self-built couch — Amelia built this couch out of pillows for her and Luka to climb on.

Fatherhood, Uncategorized 0

A back up needs a back up

The nanny got sick today. We don’t have a back up plan. Burned…

Parenthood teaches you very quickly to expect that your back up needs a back up. It’s not enough to expect the kid to get dirty. They’re going to get dirty, and then pee through their diaper. One set of back up clothes is never enough.

Same with snacks (you’ll get stuck in traffic, and need a back up plan). Same with diapers

The hard part is that when people are involved it gets harder and harder to have a back up plan. Without having some infinite cash flow to hold folks on retainer, how the hell do you build up a network of nannies and babysitters that make this problem go away?

The real answer is… live close to family. Especially family who are keen to help out with the kids.

But in that we’ve made a pretty big commitment that doesn’t make that easy… we need a back up plan.

The hard part of the back up plan is the kids. They have a routine. They have patterns, favorites, likes, and dislikes. Getting someone caught up on all of this part time feels impossible. Interviewing for nannies is hard. I just don’t know how we pull it off…

I guess we just get them into school 🙂

Life Updates, Uncategorized 0

Goal scoring extraordinaire!

Our 5v5 Futsal season ended last night with a 4-6 defeat in the first round of the playoffs.

For the first time in a long time, we went up 1-0. Christian laid a gorgeous ball across the mouth of the goal that JTsai(??) scored. They made it 1-1 on a bad decision in goal, but that’s okay. The folks who played goalie did a great job. It’s a hard gig, and the fact that we don’t have a full time goalie really did us in this game. Oh well…

Then they went up 1-2.

We tied it 2-2 on a goofy goal. They did a pass back where the goalie came forward and the guy passed it behind him. CBrew ran after the ball, and when it hit the post he nailed it into the back of the net.

2-2 at halftime.

In the second half, the jumped out quickly on us. It was 2-4 before we knew it. I helped us crawl back in with a pretty left foot shot on a quick turn around that surprised the goalie, and was really well placed. In another lifetime, I was clearly a forward 🙂

Then I completely screwed up, passed across the middle, and gave them an easy one. 3-5 🙁

We made it 4-5 on a great chip from Christian to my head. I didn’t hit it level (as the goalie’s arm was there), but instead pushed it up and into the top of the crossbar. 4-5 with just a little bit to go.

Then, they got a really fluky goal to make it 4-6.

Game. Set. Match.

TokSoccer is retiring for a season while we nurse injuries, and find a good location for everyone who plays. Until then, I’ll find my soccer fix somewhere else 🙂

Life Updates, Uncategorized 0

This week in review

What a week…

Monday was a holiday, and we got to do some work on the house. Mike bought us a bunch of parts, Micky and Mike went to IKEA to buy stuff, and then we pulled off a few new lights, a re-worked coat closet, and taking down the doors of the toy room closet.

Tuesday I learned a lot about personal goals, and life next steps.

The rest of the week the kids just weren’t sleeping, and the stress level at the house was too high.

It’s been a bad week. We saved it a bit with a nice weekend. We took Mike to Sonoma today, and that was really grand. But in general, I’m looking forward to hitting reset.

Home ownership, Uncategorized 2

Everyone gets in on the painting game

We’re getting ready to move in (T-2 weeks to go). We’ve put up new lights, removed the doors from the play room closet, and started to make a big dent against our credit card :-p

Micky is really excited about the DIY, and I’m really excited to make the house feel more like our own.

Today we got our new fridge & washer/dryer set. We also spent the day painting the play room. It’s a very bright yellow, and the whole crew got in on the action:

I think the house is really starting to look good 🙂

Fatherhood, Uncategorized 0

Long nights; little sleep :-(

I keep missing posts. Right when I’d like to write my post, Amelia wakes up. After getting her back to sleep, it’s 1am. Then I’m too tired to put it together.

Then she wakes up again at 5am, 6am (and if she makes it back to sleep at 7am again).

It’s been really brutal, and I have no idea how to beat it. Micky’s back is out, and so it’s been a very solo affair as well (which only makes it worse). It’s tough to get excited about waking up so many times in the night 🙁

Anyway, I’ll get back to daily posts this week, but I’ll continue to catch up tonight 🙂