Stereotyped

I am off to the ancestral* Gloomy** homeland tomorrow for a two-week stint with the parents. Dr. S is staying behind to tile our kitchen.

Why, you ask?
Because he's a man.

...HA HA HA. No, actually because a) someone had to take the munchkin away from the site of destruction; b) he is employed; c) I am not; d) he tiled the front entryway while the munchkin was napping on Mama, and e) still, MOOOO.

Anyhow, I shall be dining on my father's excellent coconut-milk rice pudding whilst he is slaving away in the kitchen. Wish him luck!


*Not so ancestral.
**Quite sunny and pleasant, really.

If Only (Or: Least Helpful Ever)

Parenthood and bench science both seem to inspire people to the notion that you, the person dealing with the problem, must be a total idiot.

"Did you switch your tubes?"
"He must need a shorter nap."
"Maybe your primers are bad."
"He must need a longer nap."
"Have you tried adding more enzyme?"
"Maybe he should get outside more!"

OH! If only I had tried that! No, wait, I already did. And these comments are even more irritating when about children. Experiments should, at least, be reproducible; however, I do not possess that mythical creature, the "Control Toddler" -- much less the "Responds Consistently To Variables Toddler".

I hope I don't do this too much (though I'm sure I do sometimes) and I hope I didn't do it when I worked in a lab. I tried to say things like, "I found this paper very helpful in troubleshooting" or "I can give you a protocol that works for me if you would like." I try to say things like "Bug likes pureed tofu and corn in his pancakes; maybe C. would like it too" or "It's okay, he does the same thing."

However, I will smack the next person who tells me to wean my kid. Are they your boobs? No. When one of us is damn well ready.

So Many Thoughts, So Little Time

I keep writing clever blog posts in my head. Then my child wakes up at 12:30 (and at 2, and at 4, and at 6, if I'm very lucky) and they all evaporate.

But hey! VOTE!!