Two things that have made me happy recently

[nanila]

This is a photograph of two children's Stage 2-3 car seats. This may not look exciting to you, but believe me, I was thrilled, because Keiki is no longer in one of those five-point harness jobs (Stage 0/1). It has never been a joy getting him into that seat, especially once he was big enough to figure out that he could make it really difficult to get the harness fastened just by leaning forward/leaning backward/sitting on his foot/trying to lick your face/insert any annoying activity, he's guaranteed to have tried it.

I will clean up and donate his old seat. I was, however, sorely tempted to stage an "Office Space printer" execution [link goes to YouTube video, 01:38] for it. It should be grateful I don't own a baseball bat.


When this photo was taken, we were on Package #10 of 12 of the Lego Saturn V. As usual, I am Assembly Engineer and the bloke is Integration Engineer. We are drinking tea out of what are possibly the world's nerdiest mugs: The Grand Challenge Equations (courtesy of the San Diego Supercomputing Centre some 15 years ago) and the Cassini Grand Finale commemorative cup. Telstar is helping us.

We now have only Package 12 left, with the lunar module and nose cone.

Comments

[antisoppist]

I once told Daughter that the car wouldn't go if I didn't fasten her car seat and then sat in the driver's seat reading a book in the swimming pool car park until she got bored and told me I could do it up now mummy. But that sort of thing only works with the first one when you have nowhere else you urgently need to be.

I did once sit down on a grass verge and start reading a book when a toddler was refusing to either walk a step further or get into the pushchair as well. Fortunately I had the stubborn and immobile sort rather than the running away sort. And I always had a book.

[nanila]

Haha, I like your strategic thinking. I am sure your children have taken those lessons fully on board. And probably applied them to their peers.

[angrboda]

Oh, I meant to tell you, there was a big article about the end of the Cassini project in Husband's Physics World a little while ago. I admit, I didn't try to read it because it was Physics World and that's scary when you never really understood much of physics to begin with. Also, you can tell it's difficult stuff when they print it with tiiiiiny little letters. Husband found it interesting though. :)

[nanila]

Yay, that's excellent! Thanks for letting me know. I'll tell my dad. He'll enjoy reading it too.

[azurelunatic]

Congratulations on the new and less frustrating seat!

Telstar looks comfortable and a little smug. Cat supervision.

[nanila]

Thank you! It's removed one of those small daily stressors and I can already feel the difference.

Telstar is a great supervisor. Paws-off style, yet still effective.

[alatefeline]

Hooray for reduced stress!

[shirou]

I am jealous of your car seats. The US has adopted crazy strict requirements for car seats. My 5-year-old is still in a 5-point harness, and my kids will probably be in car seats of some kind until age 10.

[word_geek]

Officially, the UK says that kids need to be in a car seat until they are 135cm tall, or 12 years, whichever comes first. My 8 year old is 2 cm off the end of the car seat era, and I am So Grateful.

H

[nanila]

Sympathies. As hsb says the car seat is mandatory for quite a long time in the UK but the seat style choices are more flexible after age 2. For now. It may change.

[hilarita]

<3 for Telstar as Quality Assurance Engineer :)

[nanila]

Telstar is the best QA. :)

[submarine_bells]

Of course your cat is named Telstar.

Lololol! I love those little white blip-blips down his nose. I'm sure he's a huge help. :-)

[nanila]

He used to have a brother named Sputnik.

Later, he went to sleep on my leg. My foot fell asleep but I couldn't bear to wake him.

[marymac]

One of my cousin's actually did take a ceremonial chainsaw to the Stage 1 seat when the youngest was finally out of it. Much like Keikei, she had figured out every possible sabotage available and when she started escaping her grandfather went straight out and bought the Stage 2 on the grounds she was safer in a slightly too big seat than climbing through the sunroof on the M1.

I'm not sure they test with actual kids. Or the kids they test with are too well-behaved.

[nanila]

I have total sympathy for your cousin and grandfather. We almost always had to have Keiki's harness on slightly too tight or he would take his arms out.

[alatefeline]

Also, there is a cat! Hi kitty!

[nanila]

CAT. He is so lovely.

[silveradept]

Huzzah for better car seats and for having a near-complete Up-Goer Five.

[nanila]

Yes! Thank you. :)

[mysterysquid]

I just got my Saturn V yesterday. :)

[nanila]

HUZZAH! I hope you are enjoying the construction process.

[ayebydan]

CAR SEATS ARE THE WORST. When my brothers were small~ (Minding the age differences are 10, 12 and 13) my dad always waited until I was there to go his weekly shop because it meant him and J could shop and I was left with all the children. so half my day when I was meant to be spending time with my father was...anyway. They had a 7 seater and oh my fuck. So many buckles, so many straps, so many feet in your face and usually hands pressed against you that were covered in what used to be food. Did they ever get to the point where they tried to free each other from their seats? Sob.

It didn't help that I had huge boobs they were fascinated with and tried to grabs screaming 'boobies!' as I wrestled them into place and then fell into the back of the car with a child and groceries pressed against me while hating everything :P

[nanila]

*fist-bump of car-seat-loathing solidarity*

I am so fortunate that the idea of freeing one another from their seats has yet to occur to either Humuhumu or Keiki.

Auuugh, the boob obsession! Also, bras appear to be weirdly fascinating? I'm like, "no you may not stretch that one round your head, it was expensive!"

[ayebydan]

I guess there is still time. I mean they are in those things until about 12 years old now. Unless you are raising some giants.

I never had that but Ewan was one for grabbing a strap if he noticed one and pulling it to declare what colour it was and then I said 'no, let go!' so he did. Ouch.