Becoming a Little Boy

Yesterday Gallant ran for the first time, across the sitting room carpet to mommy.

Earlier this week he started being able to remain standing steadily while putting one foot on something.  (He did this at first to mimic my using my foot roller massage thing.  Then he did it on other days with some of his toys.)

His balance is certainly improving!

Today is also trash day and for the first time he is fascinated by the yard waste and trash trucks.  He hustles to the window to watch them when he hears their noise.

His face is changing too, to look more like a little boy and less like an infant.  Those huge cheeks are slowly losing prominence.

New Math Website

I have done very little blogging lately because I was working on fixing up my math website with online lecture notes.

In Winter 2007 I spent a huge amount of time creating PowerPoint lecture notes for my Math 20 classes.  They have served me well for years, getting small revisions as appropriate.

But times have changed.  Now many (perhaps most) of my students carry phones that can read websites but not PowerPoint.  Also, the PowerPoint lectures were a bit too soothing and easy to "nod along to" that yes, all makes sense and is well.  Slideshows do that.

So I transferred everything to web pages, elaborated where I noticed a topic's discussion or example problems seemed skimpy, and then included lots of links to step-by-step video example problems.

The result is still "online lecture notes" that are only a complete experience along with class time.  But they should be much more useful for students studying at home while doing homework and before the tests.

Perhaps some day I will have time and energy to make the math website a more complete "random strangers can learn math here without my LCC classes" experience.  But I expect there will soon be no need.  Quite a few places are already working on that.

Please check it out!  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Smiley's Observations Today

As we arrive at a pretty busy u-pick strawberry patch:

Me: Do you see your friends?  Are they here yet?

Smiley: We should listen for noise.  If it is quiet we know they are not here yet.

At bedtime:

Me: Time to brush teeth and go pee.  Your marble run will wait for you until tomorrow.

Smiley: My marble run will get lots of rest.  Then it will be harder to knock down in the morning.

Updated-Again Toddler Log

I have written twice about our toddler weekly nutrition record page.

Today we started using it for Gallant.  So I changed it from an Excel Spreadsheet to a .svg image file it and gave it its own web page.

Naming a Casino

Last month had many adventures, including attending a wedding in Joshua Tree, California.

Driving there we passed a billboard for Spa Resort Casino of Palm Springs.  "That should not be a valid proper name for a business," I quipped.  "It's just a string of three types of buildings."

My wife and I joked about casino names a bit.  Eventually we competed to rename Spa Resort Casino with an equally descriptive but less generic and more attractive name.

My suggestion was "Relaxing Wet Pile of Money".  I think that sounds like a great name for a casino/spa.

Conservatism and Judaism

An interesting article by The Lid on Conservatism and Judaism.

I do not agree with all his arguments, and his case against Liberalism involves several Straw Men.  But it was an interesting read.

Self-Publishing

Shortly after I finished writing my novels I looked into publishing them.  But not very much.  I joined a relative on a visit to the Book Expo America 2002.  I talked to many publishers and discovered that only a few big ones were interested in publishing children's fantasy and those all required an agent.  Not willing yet to work with an agent, I stopped my effort towards publishing.

(I made one small effort a few years later.  I'm still amazed that children's fantasy is a specialty genre despite the popularity of certain a series and its many spin-offs.)

Since then I have been too busy to pursue publishing again.  A few days ago I came across an article promoting self-publishing.  Is it really only a few mouse clicks away?

Some day I'll have time to find out...

OEC Recommendations for Dry Cleaning

I had never heard of the Oregon Environmental Council before this week.  But looking for a dry cleaners that did not use Perchloroethelene, I found their web site and their recommendations.

Sherwood Showdown Art for Sale

Heather is selling extra artwork to "clean house" as her family prepares to move.

I like the card game Sherwood Showdown that she illustrated.  Her art website tantalizingly says:

Other art from the game also available upon request-- all art is available except for the game cover. You can see more illustrations from the game here.

I'm wondering which illustrations to buy as presents for myself or friends...

Wings of Wonder is Closing

Hm.  Oregon never ceases to amaze me.

Something I had never heard about until this morning is Wings of Wonder, the dream project of a couple to create the state's largest butterfly exhibit.

They are retiring.  The place will close on Father's Day (June 17th).

It is closed Mondays, open the first Tuesday of each month for adults only, and open Wednesdays through Sundays for families.

It would be nice to visit before it closes.  But it is an hour-and-a-half drive to halfway between Albany and Salem.  Not sure if we can make it.