Today was a whole different story. I spent the day hanging out with Oliver, and we even shared an hour-long nap together. He’s such a clever little guy. While he isn’t crawling yet (he’s only 7 ½ months old), he’s getting closer every day. He scootchies across the floor pretty fast and spends a little time up on his knees. This afternoon he discovered Sylvie’s crate and made a beeline for it. For five solid minutes he opened and closed the door (don’t worry—Sylvie wasn’t inside). I took a video and sent it to Joe, who replied exactly as I expected: “Cute. I can’t wait to show him machining.”
There will always be a need for machinists. Not everything can be done by Artificial Intelligence (AI). We need to make sure our children and grandchildren grow up with skills that matter. Interestingly, I read an article in The Atlantic today about how AI is not delivering the profits companies expected. Both those developing AI and those using it are struggling. One big selling point has been that AI coding would be cost-effective—but so far, not true. The code it generates is only about 50% accurate, which means senior programmers are spending extra time checking it. One compared the process to “reviewing the work of a junior coder.”
Even more concerning is how AI research has inflated stock prices for the companies behind it. If those expectations don’t pan out, the market crash could be huge. Buyer beware.
But back to how clever my grandson is … Oliver and I played a lot today. Grandma built towers with plastic blocks, and Oliver sent them tumbling down. What struck me was how gently he knocked them over. He didn’t laugh when they fell—he studied them, almost like he was learning how the blocks moved.
What does excite him, though, is vacuuming. When the iRobot is busy cleaning the floor, or Megan is vacuuming with the upright, Oliver kicks his legs, waves his arms, and beams the biggest smile.
Nap time with him is usually a small battle of wills. He cries a bit before laying his little head on my chest and drifting off. Around 4:00 today we went upstairs to his room, where the blackout curtains make it nice and dark. After a few small cries, he cuddled up and went to sleep. The rocking chair was so comfortable that I drifted off, too. We both got almost an hour of rest. When he woke up, he lifted his head, looked right at me, and gave the sweetest smile. I treasure these little moments more than words can say.
This week I’m looking forward to a visit from our friends Kacey and Liz. Megan will pick them up at the airport tomorrow, and they’ll stop by on Tuesday to see Joe and me before Joe heads to work. And on Friday, Joe and I are planning to attend an Amish Benefit Haystack Supper. The proceeds go toward medical and school expenses for the local Amish community, which makes it even more meaningful.
What are you looking forward to this week?
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