It's amazing what can happen in a few hours.
I worked like a crazy person on teaching stuff yesterday, then Ben cleaned up the house and finished folding the laundry (I like Valerie's "one basket per kid and off they go to their rooms" approach more and more now that I NEVER get it all done and put away).
I weeded the garden early this morning, fed the kids and tidied up then took them to T's.
No excuses or distractions and alone in the house!
I've been writing for all of an hour, and have 4 pages of outline that's solid.
It makes me think that if I had the luxury of a stay-at-home spouse who did all the housework and childcare, I'd have finished this sucker in like 3 months.
Oh well. I'm progressing finally, and that's all that matters.
Maybe I'll get this job after all.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Flying
I haven't traveled by plane alone with my kids for some time. We've done mostly driving for the last several years. This summer we'll be going to see Mom in Texas (poor Ben has to stay home and work - hooray for my teaching job!!), and I'm pretty excited about it.
I don't know if it's because my kids are pretty self-contained or some other reason, but I've never dreaded flying or felt the need to tell horror stories about how awful a traveling day was. I like the fact that we can travel quickly and easily and in relative comfort over long distances.
This guy's perspective makes me smile, and I largely agree with it.
So I was really surprised by the reaction to United Airlines' decision to end pre-boarding. People are all up-in-arms about the fact that families with small children won't get extra time to board. Like "Oh, well, we won't be flying with THEM, then" kind of upset.
Personally, I've never "taken advantage of" (read: allowed myself to be corralled into) getting on the plane before everyone else. When I've traveled with my kids, we've brought one bag that I've carried and one bag that Bee carried (this upcoming trip the kids will each have their own bag since J is big enough to not topple over from carrying his). We don't bring carseats and strollers and all of the paraphernalia, or if we do we pay to check them. Just the kids, me, one bag of stuff to keep them busy (Bee's bag) and snacks/diapers/one change of clothes necessities in the other (mine). They get settled quickly, we don't hold people up.
I've never seen the sense in making small children, the most likely to get antsy from being cooped up over the duration of a flight, sit on the plane FOR LONGER THAN EVERYONE ELSE! It seems to me like a recipe for disaster.
So I'm glad that now there's no "hey, you incapable folks with children, get on the plane first so that your kids can get restless and start fidgeting and making everyone else dread the rest of the flight" announcement that will make everyone around me say "You know, they said you can get on with your kids" and me need to reply "No thanks, we're going to board with our zone" and have them look at me like I'm an idiot.
I know there's a big rush to be the first one on the plane, the first one settled, the first one off the plane....I've just never understood it or felt the need to be part of it.
I don't know if it's because my kids are pretty self-contained or some other reason, but I've never dreaded flying or felt the need to tell horror stories about how awful a traveling day was. I like the fact that we can travel quickly and easily and in relative comfort over long distances.
This guy's perspective makes me smile, and I largely agree with it.
So I was really surprised by the reaction to United Airlines' decision to end pre-boarding. People are all up-in-arms about the fact that families with small children won't get extra time to board. Like "Oh, well, we won't be flying with THEM, then" kind of upset.
Personally, I've never "taken advantage of" (read: allowed myself to be corralled into) getting on the plane before everyone else. When I've traveled with my kids, we've brought one bag that I've carried and one bag that Bee carried (this upcoming trip the kids will each have their own bag since J is big enough to not topple over from carrying his). We don't bring carseats and strollers and all of the paraphernalia, or if we do we pay to check them. Just the kids, me, one bag of stuff to keep them busy (Bee's bag) and snacks/diapers/one change of clothes necessities in the other (mine). They get settled quickly, we don't hold people up.
I've never seen the sense in making small children, the most likely to get antsy from being cooped up over the duration of a flight, sit on the plane FOR LONGER THAN EVERYONE ELSE! It seems to me like a recipe for disaster.
So I'm glad that now there's no "hey, you incapable folks with children, get on the plane first so that your kids can get restless and start fidgeting and making everyone else dread the rest of the flight" announcement that will make everyone around me say "You know, they said you can get on with your kids" and me need to reply "No thanks, we're going to board with our zone" and have them look at me like I'm an idiot.
I know there's a big rush to be the first one on the plane, the first one settled, the first one off the plane....I've just never understood it or felt the need to be part of it.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Watermelon
Every time I cover a cut watermelon with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to use later, I apologize to Papaw.
Papaw died while I was on my mission - he's been gone a long time. But I can't help but think of what the look would be on his face if he saw me doing it. And I shake my head and say "I'm sorry, but I'm too poor to waste half a melon!!"
When I was little we would go to the farm (where he and Mamaw lived til I was 9 or so) or the lake (where they lived the rest of their lives) to visit. Most of my memories are of summertime, though I know we went during the rest of the year too. Memorial Day and Fourth of July and Labor Day specifically I remember big family picnics and trips to the lake's swimming beach. When we left in the afternoon to swim, Papaw would always say "Now don't get wet!" Which confused us all thoroughly, which confusion made Mamaw smile and say something along the lines of "Honey, you have fun and get wet if you want to!"
We always did. And when we came back dripping wet and wrapped in over-sized towels, our little bare feet slapping the hot black driveway, we knew there would be watermelon. Because there always was. At some point while we were swimming Papaw would go out to the cooler in the garage and pull out watermelons that had gotten cold enough to make your teeth ache when you bit into a slice of them. He'd cut through the rind with a huge knife and hand slices around and we'd take them out into the yard and spit the seeds at each other. We all knew that Papaw's belly was because of a watermelon that grew there after he swallowed a seed! The table always had a collection of salt shakers on it because, as everyone knows, watermelon tastes better with salt on it.
Anything that didn't get eaten within a few hours got tossed in the compost heap. I still don't know, despite having asked all of my "grown-up" relatives, why Papaw insisted that watermelon won't keep. But he wouldn't hear of us eating it in the evening, let alone the next day!
Every time I bite into a slice of watermelon, I think of Papaw. And then by extension Mamaw. And I hear the sound of the bullfrogs' low groan floating in through the window of the room where Hannah and I would sleep when we stayed with Mamaw and Papaw for a week in the summer.
And it makes me happy.
Papaw died while I was on my mission - he's been gone a long time. But I can't help but think of what the look would be on his face if he saw me doing it. And I shake my head and say "I'm sorry, but I'm too poor to waste half a melon!!"
When I was little we would go to the farm (where he and Mamaw lived til I was 9 or so) or the lake (where they lived the rest of their lives) to visit. Most of my memories are of summertime, though I know we went during the rest of the year too. Memorial Day and Fourth of July and Labor Day specifically I remember big family picnics and trips to the lake's swimming beach. When we left in the afternoon to swim, Papaw would always say "Now don't get wet!" Which confused us all thoroughly, which confusion made Mamaw smile and say something along the lines of "Honey, you have fun and get wet if you want to!"
We always did. And when we came back dripping wet and wrapped in over-sized towels, our little bare feet slapping the hot black driveway, we knew there would be watermelon. Because there always was. At some point while we were swimming Papaw would go out to the cooler in the garage and pull out watermelons that had gotten cold enough to make your teeth ache when you bit into a slice of them. He'd cut through the rind with a huge knife and hand slices around and we'd take them out into the yard and spit the seeds at each other. We all knew that Papaw's belly was because of a watermelon that grew there after he swallowed a seed! The table always had a collection of salt shakers on it because, as everyone knows, watermelon tastes better with salt on it.
Anything that didn't get eaten within a few hours got tossed in the compost heap. I still don't know, despite having asked all of my "grown-up" relatives, why Papaw insisted that watermelon won't keep. But he wouldn't hear of us eating it in the evening, let alone the next day!
Every time I bite into a slice of watermelon, I think of Papaw. And then by extension Mamaw. And I hear the sound of the bullfrogs' low groan floating in through the window of the room where Hannah and I would sleep when we stayed with Mamaw and Papaw for a week in the summer.
And it makes me happy.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
*phew*
Finished up loose ends just now.
Course sites set, syllabi in place, first-day plans made, and 1st chapter of assignments laid out. After the marathon technology workshop and finally receiving course materials on Friday, I am READY for summer term.
At least I think I am.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Excited!
HA! I just bought my iPad.
Let me preface this by saying that despite Ben's techie-ness, we've not bought any portable devices (laptops, smartphones, iPads, etc) since before Bee was born. That was a laptop Ben needed for the business school at BYU.
Needless to say, we've been lagging behind the trend of having the next latest-and-greatest gadgets.
I submitted a proposal for integrating technology in my classes - that proposal allowed me to participate in a workshop where we talked a lot about what technology is out there, how some people integrate it into university class settings, and what the implications are for balancing traditional education with new technology trends. And they showed us A LOT of Real Cool Stuff (tm). Completing the workshop qualified me for a (very small) grant.
Which allowed me to buy my very own iPad.
I'm excited!
Let me preface this by saying that despite Ben's techie-ness, we've not bought any portable devices (laptops, smartphones, iPads, etc) since before Bee was born. That was a laptop Ben needed for the business school at BYU.
Needless to say, we've been lagging behind the trend of having the next latest-and-greatest gadgets.
I submitted a proposal for integrating technology in my classes - that proposal allowed me to participate in a workshop where we talked a lot about what technology is out there, how some people integrate it into university class settings, and what the implications are for balancing traditional education with new technology trends. And they showed us A LOT of Real Cool Stuff (tm). Completing the workshop qualified me for a (very small) grant.
Which allowed me to buy my very own iPad.
I'm excited!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
And I thought my day was bad...
Overheard at UDF (where I was buying my very yummy swiss chocolate almond ice cream):
Man: Yeah, my mom's gonna come visit for a month.
Woman: Really? What's she...
Man: Well, she's watchin' my house. I'm goin' on vacation.
Woman: Where ya goin'?
Man: The ________ county jail.
Woman: Are you for rill?
Man: Yeah, I gotta do 10 days.
Woman: Well that's not bad...
Seriously?? What's life coming to?
Man: Yeah, my mom's gonna come visit for a month.
Woman: Really? What's she...
Man: Well, she's watchin' my house. I'm goin' on vacation.
Woman: Where ya goin'?
Man: The ________ county jail.
Woman: Are you for rill?
Man: Yeah, I gotta do 10 days.
Woman: Well that's not bad...
Seriously?? What's life coming to?
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