Now is the time for turkey

Butterflied High Roast Turkey
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

The other day M brought home a turkey that the grocery was practically giving away after the holiday, along with all of the trimmings. We decided to cook the turkey and just save it for weeknight dinners. Also, since we wern't interested in a big presentation, we tried a new cooking method from our favorite cookbook The New Best Recipe (p. 377).

What follows is Matthew's explanation of why we'd go to the trouble of cooking a bird right after the holidays: This recipe, called "Crisp-skin butterflied high-roast turkey" is an attempt to solve the problem that plagues most roasted birds: by the time the thigh is cooked, the breast is so dry it needs to be thoroughly doused in gravy to be edible. This problem can be solved with chicken by roasting it at a high temperature for a shorter amount of time, but a turkey is too big to be thoroughly cooked using this method, unless you flatten it out by butterflying it. As you can see in the picture (sorry, we tasted it before taking the pic), a butterflied turkey is one with the backbone and ribs cut out, and then the breastbone is flattened using a rolling pin (or sledgehammer, whatever you have lying around). This way, the legs shield the thinner part of the breast when they are arranged as shown, and this 12-pound bird was only about 2-3 inches thick all the way around. (Note from G: The process of de-backboning and sledge-hammering the bird is gruesome--I'll never look at my marble rolling pin the same way again--I suggest you attempt this only if you've got brawn and a stomach to match it! Even the sound grossed me out; I went and took a nap--no joke.)

Second, the problem of the drippings causing a lot of smoke (because you're cooking the bird now at 450 degrees) is solved by putting your dressing (sans butter, because the drippings season it) in the roasting pan under the turkey, which is then placed on top of the pan on a broiler grate and brushed with butter. The roasting only takes about 90 minutes, at which time the thigh is up to 175 by the time the breast is at 165, leaving both parts fully cooked and still very moist, not to mention that crispy skin. The other secret is to brine the turkey in about 1/2 cups each of salt and sugar in a large stockpot with about a gallon of water. This step allows the turkey to absorb the seasoning throughout the meat and causes it to retain more moisture during cooking. We left ours to brine overnight in the fridge and it was just right.

Finally, we took the backbone and giblets and roasted them in a pan with some celery, onion and garlic to make a base for the gravy, because, of course, you sacrifice the turkey drippings for the stuffing, which, by the way, turns out at least as good as any in-the-bird stuffing.

So there you have it folks, delicious turkey, stuffing, and gravy in under 2 hours, with the only sacrifice being the presentation (though we think this butterflied bird looks nice). So now that all of these items are on a fire sale at the grocery, it's time to give it a try!

home again

We are back in Davis, safe and sound. Settling back in to our apartment has been fun; we've moved Abby and BBQ's things to our big room and Matty and I are cozy in Abby's old room. I'm sipping on decaf coffee and feeling like I'm going to fall asleep, Abby is watching a show on her new portable DVD player (great for long car or plane trips--thanks Mia!), and M is putting a turkey in the oven. It feels great to be home. No big New Year plans tonight.

I'll be posting pics of the new rooms soon, but for now here are some funnies from the past couple of weeks:

A: Momma, why did daddy have to go to Broccoli?
G: What do you mean?
A: Remember when daddy went to Broccoli?
G; I don't understand your question; broccoli is a vegetable.
A: No, he had to take the train and I was sad when he had to go.
G: Oh, BERKELEY?
A: Yeah, broccoli.


(Another city naming funny)
On our way to San Diego we were naming off cities to Abby in anticipation of arriving at our destination. Note: the city before Vista is "Oceanside."
A: Where are we now? Are we to Lotion-side yet?

(Now a sibling-naming funny from last night)
A: Why do we call the baby barbeque?
G: It's a nickname.
A: But why barbeque? I think we should call the baby "Ranch."
(Peals of laughter from M and I)...

Ultrasound of BBQ

BBQ and I Passed our tests!

I passed the prelim exam, and we had our 20 week ultrasound: BBQ is a real baby! We told the doc that we wanted the gender to be a surprise, so she avoided dwelling on the bottom half of the baby... This kiddo was dancing and wiggling the whole time! I'm going to try to post a digital video of BBQ's dance moves sometime soon. We saw hands and feet, mouth opening and closing, and several of BBQ's famous double-foot kick moves (I could feel them but had no idea just what the kiddo was doing; NOW I know.) M and I were so excited to see our baby. We will show Abby the tape when she gets home from school. Our due date is still May 5th.

Unofficial, but "very good"

No official announcement yet on prelim results-- the department promises to let people know by the 21st of December if they have passed or not. BUT, my study partner, Kyle, (the only other person to take the Renaissance prelim with me this year) ran in to one of our profs. who said: "This is unofficial, but ALL Renaissance prelims look VERY GOOD." Kyle and I are taking this as a wink and a "you passed" nod. Things have to be unofficial since lots of the other prelim takers are up in arms over not knowing their results yet. Kyle and I are much more relaxed and passive than our fellow test-takers, but I think that may be because we know our profs. so well and figure that they wouldn't leave us hanging over Christmas. I'll be sure to pass on the official results as soon an I get them.

"Kafka"

This entry is from Bronwyn's blog (pasted shamelessly here, with proper citation credit...). She kept Abby during our tests on Friday and brought home some giggles with this story:

Yesterday I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with my 4-year old neighbour Abby while her Mom was taking a grueling 8 hours English literature exam. We went from pre-school to grab a bite to eat for lunch: I had salad, she had chicken strips.

As we were leaving and getting her settled into her car seat, she asked "What's Kafka?"

I thought: "Kafka? Wow - I don't know anything about Kafka except that he was a great writer. Bohemian. Haven't read any, and couldn't name anything he had written. But why is she asking about Kafka? This is amazing English literature insight from this 4 year old! Maybe she is just really 'in tune' with her Mom who's writing this exam... but why is she asking this now?

I said: "Why do you ask?"

"There," she said, pointing. "What's Kafka?"

I followed her finger to the big red and white sign saying "K-F-C", which for little girls just learning how to sound out letters says "kuh-f-kuh" :-)

Drum roll please....

Matthew has PASSED his oral exams! He never has to take another academic test again! Bedraggled and beat up, M came home after a 2.5 hour grilling by 5 econ profs. They do not pull punches, and they do not let you get through this hurdle without really working hard. After their deliberations, the first thing Matthew was told was: Congratulations, you have passed. So, he is officially a "PhD Candidate" also known as "ABD"-- All-But-Dissertation. This means he still has to work on his diss. and get it signed, but the powers that be think he's ready to proceed. I am SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (times infinity!)

I am WAITING for my results, which should be announced in about a week or two at the most. (Since my test was written, the professors need more time to grade it). I feel good about my performance on the test; I knew the material cold and did all I could to evidence that knowledge. After over 5 months of studying, eight hours to show them what I've got seemed like the blink of an eye. Later that night though, I realized that I had indeed sat for 8.5 hours, with only brief potty breaks; my whole body ached when I got in bed. I was shivering and emotional and achy all over--it took me till this morning (Sunday) to feel the real relief of having gotten through the hardest studying and examination I've ever faced.

BBQ decided to kick harder than ever at about hour 5 of the test. I was sitting cross-legged (to give my lower back a break) and had my laptop on my lap. BBQ kicked the computer over and over until I moved to a different position. The kicking was distracting, but I assured baby that I wished I could kick the computer too.

Abby was a very good girl for our dear friend Bronwyn, who generously kept her all afternoon! After my test ended at 5:15 p.m. Abbs came home with energy to spare, Matthew was laid out face down on the bed, and I stood in my messy house in a complete daze. We're getting it together now, though. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us, brought us meals, kept Abby, brought us (me) lattes, manned the phones for frantic calls, bought us (Matthew) celebratory beers, and reminded us of what is so much more important than these tests. We are truly thankful to God for providing such a network of family and friends to lean on.

kick kick

M and I have just three days until we face down our big tests. We both feel good about our preparation and we are mopping up the bits of reading, typing, and studying as we look to Friday. Abby has been in San Diego (she goes to Disneyland on Wednesday for the first time!) and we will get her back Thursday morning. We are all longing for Saturday morning--to wake up and NOT have to study will be amazing.

"Barbeque" has been kikcking me daily. We're 17.5 weeks along now, so BBQ is about 5 inches long (according to the books). We will have our big ultrasound on Dec. 15th (the half-way mark!!), but don't expect to know if BBQ is a girl or a boy; we are leaving that surprise until we see our baby in person! We fondly remember waiting outside the delivery room when our dear friends Pete and Melanie announced that there was a new baby girl in the world...well, Pete announced it; Melanie was a little busy. Anyway, that was a great moment and we look forward to our own big announcement in a little over 5 months from now. Keep us in prayer on Friday! I'll check back in after Dec. 1st!

prayer for Dustin

Friends and Family,

I ask your prayer for someone I don't know. He's a father of three, a husband, and he's the campus minister at Furman University with the same ministry Matthew and I worked for when we met. Here is what was sent by email: "Last wednesday Dustin was giving his new mountain bike a test ride with his two sons in their neighborhood when he somehow fell and received a massive brain injury. He was airlifted to the hospital, underwent surgury and is now in a coma. It doesn't look like this will be lethal, but there will most likely be serious brain damage. Brain activity is measured on a scale from 3 to 15--Dustin is at about 4 right now,while you and I are at 15. He has a wife and three children. The kids don't really understand that daddy "will probably not wake up"."

I know if it were Matthew in Dustin's place, I would want the whole world praying for his recovery.

If you want to pray and keep up with his progress, see our friend Grant Beechy's blog: http://www.redeemerchurch.net/dustin/

Barbeque

Matthew told me this morning at 4:40 am that he had just dreamt that we had a baby boy and that we named him: _John Barbeque Pearson (the underscore was part of the dream). I laughted for a long time; infact, neither of us could really go back to sleep after that. Seriously, those southern roots run deep! We don't plan to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl until his or her birthday, but we will let you know how little "Barbeque" is doing as we progress.

double whammy

We've just learned that Matthew is set to take his oral exam (to defend his dissertation prospectus) on Dec. 1-- the SAME DAY as my prelim! He is also presenting his research in South Carolina (Nov 17-21). Given the new twist, we realized that we would both be pressed very hard with our studies this month, so we called for help... My sister is flying up Nov.15th to pick Abby up and fly her to San Diego for a 15-day vacation with Aunt Andi, Alec, Mia, Mimi, and the cousins... I hear that a Disneyland trip is in the works!

So, this will give M and I study time and will make the time MUCH more fun for Abby. Yay for having help from a village! This also may be the last time M and I are together by ourselves for a LONG time (with baby coming in early May...). We will try to to take study breaks once or twice to go see a movie and have a dinner out.

the sound of childhood

I never had legos as a kid, but Matthew sure did. He and Abby went to Wal Mart tonight to hunt for legos. I never knew these things were so tiny (and, yes, I'm thinking that it will be interesting keeping baby Pearson away from them). One other detail about legos that I never knew: they are LOUD. Abby and Matthew have been digging around the bin, finding just the right pieces for their house, and I'm getting a little headachy. In fact, I think I am going to hide out and take a bath. I mentioned how loud the legos were and Matthew simply replied: "This is the sound of childhood." If we have a boy this time around, or a louder girl than Abby, I'll be needing ear plugs, aromatherapy, and maybe even quarterly massages.

I may be very slow to blog until after December 1--my PhD preliminary exam is on that date, and all of my time and energy is going to studying, managing nausea and fatigue, and trying to snuggle and love my family before I fall asleep at 8:15 p.m. So PLEASE pray for me and for us. Especially pray that I'll not be anxious and that I will somehow get the rest and peace that I need in order to manage this very stressful time.

props to Matthew

I mentioned that M has been a champ, but this deserves special mention. This past Saturday I got a serious headache--I'm not sure what sort it was, but it was awful. Tylenol wouldn't touch it and the doc said (over the phone) that I could take Vicodine. One vicodine and two hours later I was still in just as much pain. One more vicodine and thirty minutes later and my body decided to revolt. All night long. Dear Matthew held my hair and fetched washcloths as I threw everything and then nothing up over and over. Around 4 a.m. we quit trying to sleep and decided to watch a DVD. I took some anti-nausea medication, put the hot rice pack on my neck (THANK YOU, Bronwyn and Jeremy!) and prayed for relief. We both fell asleep at 5:30 and Abbs was up Sunday morning at 7:30, so we took shifts. If one must be sick all through the night, it sure helps to have a loving hubby to just be there and be willing to forego sleep if it makes things even a little more bearable. He earned some stripes this weekend, for sure.

I'll try to remember this the next time I'm frustrated with Matthew for declaring "spider amnesty day" when I beg him to kill a spider in our house.

a "miracle"

I came home tired after teaching from 4-6 tonight. Abby was pouting and grumpy because M wouldn't let her play a game on the computer. She started complaining about her leg, her hand, and her neck hurting; oh yes, and her eye was very itchy too. She was angry about her food (she wanted mommy's chicken tetrazini after she ate her own portion) and angry at not getting her way about the computer, so she decided to milk the owie card.

WAY too tired to put up with this, I calmly told her that the best course of action for someone feeling so blue and owie is to have a bath and go straight to bed. I walked out of the room a minute to take a deep breath and give her time to consider what I had said. When I walked back into the room, she sheepishly said to me:

A: Mommy, I know something great is happening, but I don't want you to think I'm lying.
G: What is it?
A: My owies are all better. My leg doesn't hurt anymore; my hand and my neck are better too. I'm not lying.
G: How did they get better so fast?
A: I don't know; they just did. (Pause) Momma, since I am feeling better, do I still need to go bed early? I'll stop whining, I promise.

we're still here

An update on our fam...
Matty: M is working on paper #1 of 3 papers that will comprise his dissertation. He has been the champ of champs at home during a long six weeks of G's nausea. He is a TA this quarter and is preparing for presenting his research at a conference in November.
Genna: I still feel cruddy in the evening and at night in particular, but we're officially at 11 weeks now, so hopefully after another week or so I'll be in the clear! I haven't gained any baby weight yet, but clothes are fitting differently for sure! I'm getting a little pot belly, which Abby LOVES to talk to. She thinks she can feel kicks (it is still early for that though). I'm teaching a writing class and trying to study for my prelim exam.

You can pray for encouragement for both M and I; we are tired and discouraged at times as we face mountains of work.

Abby: She is being a real trooper. Abby is especially excited about trying out the church (K-6) choir (starts Friday!). She has had the sniffles for a while but nothing major. A likes to look at ("read") books in bed at night (just like her daddy). Last night we found her asleep with sixteen large books; no doubt it took her several trips to get those into bed. She had school pictures taken the other morning. I saw something stuck on her face so I licked my pinky and tried to rub it off. She said to me: "Now rub your germs off too." Ha!

celebrate naked romantic fire

As I opened the fridge to get milk for my cereal, I saw that Abby's art work was being held up by four of the fridge magnets that Matthew gave me some time ago--they are part of a set of "romantic words" which presumably one can make sentences out of. Abby had made her own sentence: "celebrate naked romantic fire." Matthew thought this was hillarious.

how'd you know that?

Abby and I were watching Jeopardy yesterday. Trebeck yammers something about "this country" while the screen shows a grey continent with a large red section indicating the country. I looked at and thought, hmmmm, don't know. Abby yells out: "That's Russia! It's Russia! I know it!" Then the buzzers go off and the contestant says: "What is Russia?" Trebeck replies: "Correct."
I just looked at Abby in amazement while she grinned.

This morning Matthew was still wondering how in the world she knew that answer:
M: Abby, how did you know it was Russia?
A: Because on Elmo visits the doctor they showed pictures of continents and countries, and I knew it was Russia.

So there. Rock on, Elmo.

slow-mo

I feel like life is moving very slowly these days--not necessarily a bad thing at all; infact, we are usually moving way too quickly. My frequent naps (seriously, I took two naps today! The first one was more of a rest, but the second one was an hour and a half sleep!) seem to make the days surreal. I get drowsy every time I eat :) I think staying in one's pj's all day does that too--or perhaps it is the solitude (and the nausea) which makes one think that the world is moving in slow- motion? I teach Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 4-6 p.m., which makes the day/evening shift really odd for me. Anyway, I think I need to bust out more comfy daytime clothes to wear so that the jammies don't seem so enticing. My tummy just doesn't want to be pressed by jeans these days!

One interesting thing from the past week--I went to a "Women of Faith" conference in Sacramento. There are lots of great things I could say about it, but one surprise was that Robyn McGraw (American TV's "Dr. Phil's" wife) spoke compellingly about women and choices in how we live. Dr. Phil was there to walk her off the stage (as she has done for him so many times). They are both Christians--something I suspected, but not something they advertise from their national platform. All in all, I was encouraged and I've been pensively trying to process much of what I heard.

chicken pops

Abby does NOT have chicken pox, but her friend Abbey O. does. Abbs was supposed to have a play date yesterday; it was cancelled and we had to explain to Abby about her friend. Abby burst into tears about "chicken pops" and about how people would laugh at her if she had polka dots. Abby misunderstood Matthew when he said that Jess was not bringing Abbey O. over; Abigail thought that meant Jess was only bringing the chicken pops over! She then blubbered some questions about eating chicken pops??? I don't know what she was imagining these things to be (chickien nuggests?), but she had the impression that you got them by eating some chicken something or other. A little web MD sleuth work and discussion and she's a bit more clear on the issue now.

pac mom

While M was at a conference the past three days, I tried to keep up with Abby. Last night she was especially chatty and as I walked past a mirror, I caught a glimpse of us. I was walking and she was trailing right behind me, talk, talk, talking up a storm. The scene struck me at first as very duckling-like, but then I thought it was a little more like pac man, where pac man tries to outrun the ever-speeding ghosty-things. With Matthew away, there are no cherries for this pac mom to munch (making Abby momentarily unable to capture me). I'm thankful for her cleverness, her inquisitiveness and her loving spirit, but it is official--the kid can totally outrun, outlast, and out-talk me.

Birthdays

On the eve of my 29th birthday, I thought I'd share some special news... Many times in the last weeks I've thought to blog something, but (as some of you already know) I have a great reason for not having the energy: The Pearsons Three will be The Pearsons FOUR in about seven months! We are expecting baby #2. My pregnancy with Abby was perfect--very little morning sickness, no complications, perfect birth. This time around I have been socked with nearly 24-hour nausea. Thankfully, there are now safe medications to help with this sort of thing. So if I am not as quick to blog, be patient. There will be lots to write about as the months pass. Hopefully I'll be feeling terrific in about 3 and a half weeks (week 12). The due date is May 5 (though they say any time within the month surrounding that date would be considered "on time").

Abby is absolutely thrilled to be a big sister. She talks to the baby (puts her face right on my belly and has a chat). She talks about what the baby will and will not be able to do, eat, say, have... She is very practical about things, and she seems like a little momma herself! In fact, I think she's feeling much more "motherly" than I am at the moment. Now if that would only translate into her letting me take an uninterrupted nap...

moms don't do their hair.

Abby and Meemo are playing with Abby's dollhouse. Matthew and I overheard the following conversation...
(Meemo is the kid and Abby is the mom)

Meemo: "Mommmy, it is time to wake up."
Abby: "I'm getting up, but first I have to do my homework."
Meemo: "Homework? You mean you have to do your HAIR?"
Abby: "Why would I do my hair?"

This is so true to Abby's experience of a mom-- ponytails, no curling irons, homework instead of "homemaking." I try for a balance, but it is hilarious to hear Abby be the "mom."

abby and friends

abby and friends
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby loves to snuggle. If mom and dad aren't available, she'll take the next best thing. Tonight she has Pooh bear, angel bear, purple pony and blue (from blue's clues). Cozy.

Back in the Saddle

My computer came home today. The best news is this: my hard drive was not wiped out!!! This means all of my prelim exam study notes are intact (3 months worth of notes for my December 1 exam). I'm very thankful. So, I'll be blogging again. Stay tuned. Hmmm, an Abby tid bit. She had a nightmare last night that her daddy put her in the pool with two sharks. She was mad at him. They made up and had a nice walk to school.

computer probs

Dear all,
My computer is being sent to Apple for repair (of some mysterious problem). I may be a bit slow with the blogging for a bit.
Be back soon.

Allez Allez!

Century Matty
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This pic of Matthew was taken at mile 97 of 100. He completed his first century ride in Napa valley on Sunday! Way to go!

girl meets road

I was riding my daily-rider bike (not my road bike) on campus yesterday. A left turn over a slick man-hole cover took my bike from its upright position and laid it, and me, out on the street. My first crash. So I've got scrapes and bruises on my left knee and ankle and a couple of deeper cuts and a small puncture wound on my right ankle. Thankfully the x-rays were clear: nothinkg looks broken. To top it all off I got a Tetanus (Tdap) shot. I'm limping along and will soon be better, but I may have a little souvenier from Davis...there is a thin black line of bike grease still under the deeper parts of the cuts on my right ankle. I couldn't take any more scrubbing out by the doc; I decided to take the impromptu tattoo instead. Matty is so proud.

Abby's New do

Abby got her first "real" hair cut today. So far I've been trimming her hair (and having fun playing beauty shop), but it was time for the real deal. Abbs was terrific at the shop. She chose the style, sat very still, and even asked for a few curls at the end. What a big girl!

parties in appropriate places

I've spent a couple of days deciding whether to blog this or not, but the hilarity has won out...

Abby was drawing on her doodle board and explaining her creation to Matthew:
A: I'm drawing a fairy!
M: Oh, that's a good fairy, Abby.
A: It's a fairy. She's in momma's undies! (Peals of Laughter from Abby) Here's a cake too...there's a party in momma's undies!

OK, I walked down the hall to hear this last comment and, wide eyed, walked over to see what in the world my kid was talking about. Matthew and I stifled back our laughter and tried to redirect the festivities. In cat-in-the-hat fashion, we moved the fairy party and cake to our shoes, hats, pockets and suchlike. Anywhere but in anyone's undies. This technique worked, and I think she's starting to get the point about good places for parties.

Floor d'oeuvre

At about 6 p.m. last night, Abby came up to me and breathed a big huff of breath in my face...
A: What does my "breff" smell like, momma? (said with a big grin)
G: Um, garlic?
A: Nope. Chicken Nugget.
G: Oh. Did you have chicken nuggets for lunch?
A: Nope.
G: Did you have them at Abbey O's? (Abby had a play date)
A: no. I ate the chicken nugget after 4 o'clock.
G: Where did you get this nugget?
A: Off of the floor.

OH NO! I looked over to the dining room and sure enough, the nugget she had dropped the night before was GONE. After laughing for a few seconds, I had visions of a vomiting kid and tests for mysterious bacteria. I can write this now (18 hours later) with a sigh of relief--the nugget hasn't made even the slightest difference in her very good health. I don't know what in the world is in the nuggets (and I now wonder if the ingredients even include chicken), but I'm glad that she is fine and that I'll be more motivated to sweep in the future.

Her first Dentist visit

I WISH I had brought my digital camera to capture this one, but who brings a camera to the dentist's office? Anyway, Abby had her first dental check-up at Dr. Mandelaris' office. The office is amazing in every way--the staff can make even the sheepish kiddo feel at home. They have a dedicated playroom (Abby played Pac Man for the first time!), and they have flat screen TVs secured to the ceiling above each dental chair with headphones for the kids AND sunglasses so that the dentist's light isn't too bright. The decor is great--model planes hanging from the ceiling and an open floor plan. Abby laughed, giggled, and zoned out to "Madagascar" during her teeth cleaning. When she got up from the chair, she said: "That was FUN!" This dentist is doing it right!! I was somewhat reminded of the vision for a "fun" children's hospital in the film "Patch Adams."

Abby didn't catch this, but I sure did...the doc is willing to BET that she will need braces. She did not get my chompers after all; she has daddy's jaw, but then again he hasn't ever had a cavity, so the trade off may be worth it? I guess that's partly why we keep studying and working each day: to afford braces one day.

Blessed Assurance

Abby and I were singing about wishes, and I asked her what her wishes would be. She replied:
1. To fly over a rainbow.
2. To fly over the world,
3. I wish I could jump 100 million high
4. I wish I could blow a rainbow through a cloud
5. I wish that the world was different.
6. I wish to go to Europe.
7. I wish I could be a grown-up, to be a princess with a really pretty dress that was gold with jewels on it and a top with light blue.

She asked me what I wished. When I said I wished for God to protect our family, Abby replied:
A: Momma, he already does. You need to wish for things that aren't true yet.

I smiled with tears in my eyes. It is in moments like these that I feel and witness God's grace to me.

the good life

I know it might seem strange to get a hot stone massage in the midst of a heat wave, but I'm so glad I did it! I was given a gift certificate to a spa in town for said massage and thought I'd cash it in after a long week without Matthew (he was in So. California for an economics conference). Abby and I fared fine, and apparently, so did Matthew! He said to me today (speaking of his stay in a college dorm, complete with cafeteria): "I forgot how great it is to have someone cook for you and do your dishes!" I swatted his arm and we both laughed a real belly laugh. I knew what he meant--I too would like to wake up to eggs, bacon, muffins, pancakes, fresh o.j. and a latte (ones we didn't make for ourselves, that is!).

sizzlin' hot

112 F, and rising? Is this for real? Well, yes--Davis is roasting hot right now and we are hiding out in our apartment. Thank goodness our landlords FINALLY replaced our AC unit (one window unit for the whole place and it didn't work for 2 years!). M. is in southern California for the week, and Abbs and I are trying to keep ourselves entertained in doors. Now, I know that we have family members who live in parts of the world that reach 120 F, but 112 feels like a real limit to me! I feel tired just walking to get the mail. I'm wondering how the rest of you (fam and friends reading this) are faring at this point in the summer. Write in with your best wild weather stories. Can anyone beat 112 degrees?

names

Abby likes to talk about having a sibling. The other night as I was putting her to bed, she asked:
A:Momma, can we talk?
G: Sure, what do you want to talk about?
A: Lets talk about when I have a sister or a brudder.
G: What about it?
A: Lets talk about names.

The naming chat ensued. Here are some of Abby's suggestions (some of them jokes, some of them real suggestions)...

Her top picks for a girl: Sparkle Pearson, Twinkle Twirl Pearson (I'm thinking this may indicate a "My Little Pony" influence??)
Some other ideas (delivered with giggles): Elmo, Bed, Edmund, Sunshine, Sally

An Ice Cream Saturday

Abby is on the mend (or maybe all mended). She's been on antibiotics for 2 days, and she is her old self again! On Saturday evening we decided to take her for ice cream.

M: Abby, do you want to go get an ice cream sundae?
A: No. I just want to go get ice cream now.
G: Do you know what an ice cream sundae is?
A: ice cream.
M: It is ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate and a cherry on top.
A: YES, I want to have that. But why can't we have that today?
G: We will have it today.
A: Well, why is it on Sunday?

We explained the difference between Sunday and sundae and decided that we would have ice cream Saturdays afterall.

bummer of a day

Today has been cruddy, not as bad as it could have been, but cruddy. Abbs was up from just after 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. with a fever and headache. We just took her to the doc. One no-fun strep test later and we still don't know for certain what she's got. We do know that her tummy did NOT want the ibuprofen we gave her in the doc's office--she vomited all over the place. I am glad that she did that there and not in our livingroom. She pitched a fit when we made her leave the office in a paper gown with dinosaurs on it: "This is for boys. I don't want to go outside in this; I don't look pretty in it!" I told her that it was better than wearing barf, but I don't think she was convinced! We're home, she's clean, and we're hoping that this too shall pass (quickly). So pray for the Pearsons. Pray especially for Abby's head to not ache and for her to get well. Oh yes, pray that mom and dad avoid getting this bug.

spring cleaning

We've spent the last week "cleaning" our apartment. I think maybe "clearing" is a better word for it. We've gone through every box, every drawer and every corner of our closets in a massive purging expedition. Folks, it has been a long week! Were it possible to weigh the whole lot of our possessions before and after this feat of domestic pruning, the difference would be more than a HALF TON. I'm not joking. Granted, we need to procure more seating for guests, but in the meantime, we are really enjoying the space, the simplicity and the relief.

things that go BUZZZZ in the night

Since returning home from our road trip, Matthew and I have been on a strange schedule. We've ended up staying up to watch the discovery channel until 1 a.m. a couple of nights in a row now, as we've been sucked in to the worlds of killer jellyfish, squid and bees. Little did I know that my hubby has long had a fear of africanized killer bees! We watched part of a program on the tenacious and rather scary buggers then went to bed. Several hours later I awoke to M swatting all around and brushing his arms off. I asked him what in the world he was doing and he said something about bees coming in the window. There were no bees, but that didn't stop the flailing. Once I got him to wake up, things were fine and we fell back to sleep, but I think he had a few more nightmares about bees, judging from the twitchy, wiggly sleep he got.

I've had my fair share of bad bug dreams. I think I've had about 7 or 8 spider nightmares in the last six years. I once dragged M out of bed by his leg in order to rescue him from the monster spider on the bed! I've screamed out, jumped out, swatted, and even yelled out and explative (with guests in our house at the time, no less)! Now I know I'm not the only one who has bug nightmares from time to time. Ususally Matthew laughs in his sleep, or talks, but this was really entertaining.

Banff

Matty and Abby overlooking Banff
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We rode a gondola up, up, up this huge mountain. Abby loved it! The view from the top was breathtaking (literally and figuratively). We hiked a bunch of stairs to see the view from the very top, which meant M gave A a piggy-back ride and muscled through stairs enough for a whole day's workout. Pictures never seem to capture everything you want them to, but this one gives you an idea of how marvelous a sight these mountains were. Just imagine them continuing in every direction you look!
***
We're back in Davis, exhausted and ready to sleep, so I'll have to post more later. Check back tomorrow!

toward Vancouver

We visited five Cnadian national parks yesterday (most of the day was spent in Banff, Alberta, Canada). We will have pics up soon. I think Banff is my new favorite city! We made it to Kamloops, British Columbia last night and we're about three hours out from Vancouver now. Our plan at the moment is to stay either in Victoria or in Port Townsend, WA tonight. We're in search of an aquarium or a whale watching trip.

Our Banff adventure was stunning. Keep checking in...pictures and updates are on the way. Think GONDOLA over Canadian Rockies. Yes, the pics are awesome.

A Message from Abby

rapids in Glacier
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Hi everybody,
I love you. Yesterday I went to a place that's really pretty and has lots of water. We drove there. And I threw lots of rocks in the water, and I saw it rushing. I balanced all the way to that rock by walking on a tree log. It was like gymnastics, but it was way deeper under the tree log than the balance beam at my gymnastics place. I love you everybody. Love, abby. Now it's time for blueberry pancakes. I gotta go.

G and Abby, Glacier Nat'l Park (USA)

G and Abby, Glacier Nat'l Park (USA)
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We made it all the way up to Glacier on Saturday. We made lots of stops so that we could take in the beautiful scenery.

cousins in Montana

cousins in Montana
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby and Alec enjoying the swing which overlooks a huge valley (complete with trains running every 90 minutes or so!). Columbus, Montana.

road trip

The Pearsons-three are on a mountain top in Montana. We will upload pics when we have a faster connection. We will take off on Saturday morning for Glacier National Park, then we will end up on the Washington coast (by way of the Canadian Rockies, we hope) and head south through Oregon to California. We return to Davis in early July and will post lots of pics of our adventures. We may not have an internet connection for a while! Cheers, friends and family!

bug babies

Abby and her cousin have been playing together and imagining all kinds of scenarios. Here is just one of them:

Alec: I'm the daddy and you can be the mommy.
Abby: Yeah! And the rollie polies are our babies!

I think several rollie polies have sacrificed their little bug lives to the too-loving care of two four-year olds. A few ants and spiders have also experienced the same fate, but those were big bad scary bugs, not adopted kid-bugs.

The Grad

The Grad
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I did it! I finished writing my last seminar paper Thursday morning--thank you Melanie M. for prayers and lattes. Both worked. I'm proud of the paper I turned in. The ceremony went well; I made it across the stage without a hitch. Thanks so much to everyone who has been supportive of me through this. Keep it up! I'll be heading straight into the prelim exam and dissertation research for the PhD.

going the distance

This was (and is) a big week for us: Matthew rode his first metric Century ride last Saturday (100 kilometers/60-something miles). He's hoping to ride a century in miles, and possibly a double century. 200 miles sounds fine to me --if I'm in a CAR. I think 40-50 miles by bike will be my max for this year!

We're awaiting family and friends this week. Gen will get her MA on Thursday! After that we will take a road trip to Montana. We're driving with the bikes IN the car, but we might let Matthew ride his bike part of the way :)

We will keep you posted on our Montana Mileage. M is hoping for 100-200 miles per week!

he drives a hard bargain

I am swamped with my last paper of the school year (it is due in a little over the week). So, I'm staying home from church while Matthew takes Abby to church to give me a couple of quiet hours. A few minutes ago he asked Abby if she wanted to stop by Starbucks on the way to church (they're still an hour early at this point). I chimed in that I would just LOVE a latte, and this is what I got:

M: Nope, Starbucks is a reward to God's people who go to church. That's from 2nd Opinions 3:16. "Go to church and your cup will runneth over with latte."

WHY did I ever agree to marry a seminarian? WORSE yet, an economist. :)

Mark Twain and Mojitos

I handed in my revised thesis today. Matthew took me to a movie to celebrate, and now we are winding down with some reading and yummy drinks. We're trying to expand our library a bit--the modern part of it, that is-- as we seem to own a ton of pre-modern literature, economics texts, theology books, and literary criticism but very little else. On the search for some light reading, Matthew ended up with Puddin' Head Wilson (a wonderful piece by Twain; I recommend it). I have required reading to do: Aphra Behn's "The Widow Ranter." Funny enough, I might have actually picked something like that up anyway. I'm in a book club (I know, WHY would I be in a club that makes me read MORE than I do already?!?), and we've read Wiesel's "Night" and Alexander McCall Smith's "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." Next up is "The Mermaid's Chair," which I have yet to start.

What are your favorite books? Write in with your picks and a quick blurb about why you'd recommend them!

Just call me Lance...

G's first road bike!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Matthew's gift to me for Mother's Day and for my MA graduation is this wonderful bike! We tried out lots of bikes, and this one was the winner (by a long shot). This morning Matthew and I went for an 11 mile ride. For cyclists, this might seem like a paltry distance, but I feel like I should win a jersey for making it home in one piece! I really enjoy the smoothness and the speed, and I realize now why cyclists (NOT "bikers") like Davis so much-- no hills. Our ride today averaged about 13 miles per hour, though the other day I was riding 19 mph with the help of a tail wind!

The best part of the ride was the trip back, when I felt more comfortable and solid on the bike (and I knew lunch was right around the corner). The worst part of the ride was getting sprayed by Matthew as he blew his nose into the wind. Gross. It was a light mist, but still. I think I'm going to like riding. I'll keep you posted. My goal for the summer is to be able to ride from Davis to Winters (have coffee and breakfast at Putah Creek Cafe) and ride home-- a 30 mile loop.

quick update

*M gave a "brown bag" talk for his department. This means he presented his research ideas to a bunch of professors and fellow grad students. It went well! He is hoping to take his qualifying exam before the end of summer. After that, he is "ABD": All But Dissertation.
*Matthew will have surgery on his right foot on Friday morning (9:45 pacific time). He's had plantar fasciitis for over a year now. He will get the left foot worked on in about a month if all goes well with the right foot.
*M leaves on Wednesday for "FATR" (Fellowship at the River), the yearly gathering of college buddies from M's UT Knoxville days. There will be fly fishing, poker, gourmet cooking, and the like. OK, I don't know about the cooking-- I'm guessing that they make do and are glad to go home to their wives after the trip. (In my case, I'll be glad M is coming home; he's the real chef in the family).
*A loves gymnastics and is looking forward to swimming classes.
*G will give a paper at the Northern California Renaissance Conference this Saturday afternoon.
*G will graduate with her MA in English on June 15th.

Picnic Day in Davis

DSCN1993.JPG
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Before biking to campus for the festivities, we snapped a few pics on the back patio. We had fun watching the Doxie dogs race, eating bananas and ice cream, and cheering as the parade went by. We're LOVING Springtime in Davis!

From the mouths of babes

Abby had some excellent questions for us tonight:

(At the dinner table):
A: Does God have eyes?
M: Well, God is a spirit, remember? He doesn't have a body. But Jesus has a body and eyes, and he is also God.
A: Well, how can he see everything if he doesn't have eyes?
M: He's a spirit, and he is everywhere.
(pause)
A: Um, is there only one God?
M: yes.
A: Well, it sounds like if God can see everything then there's lots of Gods.
(M and G smile, chuckle, and keep trying to explain...)

We're still trying to understand these mysteries ourselves, but the kiddo is asking awesome questions (in both the "cool" and "staggering" senses of the word).

(Tonight Abby had lots of prayers for the orphans of the world. She was especially concerned about the orphans having to sleep on the ground, in the sand, with the "pokey" ground hurting them. She prayed for them to have jammies, toys, mommies and daddies. Oh yes, and she prayed for them to have lots of money so they could have food and clothes. Then, we said "AMEN," after which Abby asked...)
A: Why is there A MAN at the end?

We both laughed.

An Easter Story

Matthew and I both believed in the easter bunny when we were kids, but we haven't made much of it (him?) with Abby. Saturday night Abby got a phone call from her Meemo, and the easter bunny came up. Matthew and I were laughing as he told Meemo: "You just cost me a trip to Wal Mart." We were planning on setting out a basket anyway. The idea of the easter bunny was sinking in with Abby, and she began to ask her 101 questions. Well, the result was a freaked out Abby (our answers probably sounded odd because we were trying to phrase things so as not to seem like the easter bunny was actually real). She did NOT want that rabbit coming in the house, but she was worried that she wouldn't get a basket. Tears were calmed, and we came up with a great idea: Leave the bunny a note on the front door!

(Abby's note): Dear Easter Bunny, Please give Abby a treat, but don't come in the house because Abby is scared of your shadows. Put the treat on my carpet in front of my door. Thank you for the treat. Love, Abby P. I (heart) U

She slept in our room and made sure that the front door was double locked. She then asked how high up the note was taped, how the bunny could read, how I KNEW the bunny wouldn't get in, etc. She's a smart girl. She liked her treats, and so far, no more talk of bunny fears!

Sucker-punch

Matthew and I were laughingly scuffling over the espresso machine this morning. I was threatening to pour a shot into my coffee cup, rendering his almost-finished americano undrinkable until the next shot was drawn. I pulled out a technique I learned from my first college roommate, Jenny; I like to call this move "the butt." Basically I tried to ward off Matthew's attempts at getting to the machine by physically distancing him from it. Well, his arms are too long, and he easily reached his cup past me and under the espresso spout. I told him I was going to sucker punch him, so he offered me his arm. I KNEW I shouldn't take the shot, but I did.

I'm the sucker, to be sure. My wrist hurts like the dickens and his arm hardly knows it was struck. I don't think anything is broken, but we both heard a pop. Might have been a knuckle. Anyway, we were reconciled over coffee on the back porch; my pride is, I must admit, still suffering with my wrist.

Friends

Friends
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby and Lillian had their faces painted, rode the carousel, and ate bites of everything being sold at the Davis Farmer's Market! I think their personalities show up in the pics they chose for their cheeks: Lillian has a bold, bright, happy ladybug, and Abby has a fancy, whimsical, artsy pony. If I could say ponies are sensitive, that would apply to Abby too. We took Abby to her weekly gymnastics class yesterday (a day after the Maynors went home) and she was so bummed about her friend being gone that we had to reschedule her class! She just couldn't bring herself to jump around.

Maynors in San Fran

Maynors in San Fran
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

The Pearsons are all a bit down after an amazing week with Peter, Melanie, Lillian and Grayson; we miss them so much already. We had tons of fun having them out from St. Louis! Our day trip to San Francisco (with all three of our kids) was a blast, and it almost didn't end at a day-trip! We walked up to a locked building where we had left our car. We got in as someone walked out but quickly learned that the parking garage CLOSED at 6 p.m. It was 6:45. We really thought we were going to spend the night in that garage (or in a creepy hotel-- all 7 of us in one room). An attendant did show up eventually, and we got home to Davis.

on marriage

We were watching Princess Bride and Abby asked why Dread Pirate Roberts wanted to find Princess Buttercup:

M: Because he loves her and wants to find her.
A: Why does he want her though?
M: Because he wants her to be his wife, like G is my wife.
A: Well who can be my husband?
M: I don't know. Miles (Cunningham)?
A: Yes, Miles would be a good husband.
M: Grayson (Maynor)?
A: No, because he's not in the family. He lives too far away.

I'm not sure how to explain that it is a good thing to marry someone that is not in the family (yet). For a while she wanted to marry her daddy. Abby did mention later that Grayson might be a good husband because Abby would like to be called "Abby Maynor."

LOL

I'm in the middle of grading student papers. Here is a funny quote from one paper on male body image:

"Today, some men are as vain as women."

Wow. I've toyed with the idea of starting a running list of some of the nuttiest quotes I've gotten, but I might get in trouble for that. Some of them are hard to resist sharing though.

Delightful Derrida?

Amidst the craziness of researching and writing, I have come upon a strangely beautiful moment-- strange because it is from Jacques Derrida, beautiful because it smacks of Truth:

"...forgiveness granted to the other is the supreme gift and therefore hospitality par excellence" (on Hospitality, from "Acts of Religion" p.380).

ear confession

We're down to the wire for this Winter quarter, so I wont be blogging much until the storm clears. I did, however, want to share a funny moment:

G: Abby, it is time for school; let's go.
A: Momma, I can't go to school today; I have an ear confession.
G: A what?
A: An ear confection?
G: What's that?
A: an ear in-fession?
G: If you have an ear INFECTION, then you'll have to take purple medicine from Dr. O.
A: No, I don't think I have an ear infection.

I thought so. Nice try.

leapin' lizard!

Matthew took Abby to her first gymnastics class this afternoon while Gen was in class...
After M put Abby's leotard on her, he tried to put her regular clothes back on and she protested; she complied but only wanted to wear her gymnastics duds.
During a quick stop at a bicycle shop, Abby asked Matthew if the bike shop man knew that she was going to gymnastics after they left. M replied: "No" and Abby asked: "Will you tell him?"
After the gymnastics class, Abby exclaimed: "I want to stay at gymnastics forever!"
Finally, this evening Abby told Matthew: "I want to go back to Jooster Gemstones." (She meant Junior Gemstones, her class level at the gym). She's looking forward to next Thursday's class in which she will get to do "the koala" (hanging tricks), "scissors" (on a trampoline), and a bunch of other cute moves.

Olympic skiis

We were watching the Olympics (men's downhill) and I noticed that the underside of one man's Rosignol skiis had a black silhouette of a woman set against a fire-orange pattern.

G: (to Matthew) The bottom of that guy's skiis are trashy!
M: Man, I think so too.
A: Yeah, me too.
M: Abby, what do you think is trashy about his skiis?
A: The fire.

I'm glad she still has no idea what we were talking about.

olympic hopeful

olympic hopeful
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby starts her gymnastics classes this week. We're not sure if it will inspire MORE jumping on (and off) of furniture or if it will tire her out.

they have no idea

I got an email today from one of my undergrad students. It began:

Hey Mrs.Pearson,

I hope your weekend is going well and that you are able to enjoy the sun
while I have to sit here and write this paper inside. hahah.

What in the world do they think graduate students DO? This isn't the first comment of its kind, and I only wish they had half a clue. I'd like to switch places with them for, say, 48 hours and see how they fare. This guy is writing a 4 page paper for me, while I have two seminar papers (20+ pages each) AND a Master's thesis (35 pgs) to hand in over the next month-- not to mention a 4 year old, a husband, an awful flu bug (yes, I caught it from Abby), stacks of papers to grade, classes to teach, research to do-- I could go on! I wonder if my students actually think I'll feel sorry for them for having to stay in on a weekend to write a short paper. Crazy thing is I realize there are people whose lives are even more challenging than mine (and much less full of happiness).

OK, done ranting. Back to work.

home is where the heart is

A: I want to move.
M: Where do you want to move to?
A: San Diego.
M: What do you like about San Diego?
A: Mia.

(Mia is her grandmother)

honesty

G: Abby, why are you having such a hard time listening to mommy and daddy?
A: I'm guilty.

all better

Abby is feeling MUCH better after taking antibiotics. She's actually driving us pretty crazy. Last night was the first time in a week that she was fever-free, so getting her to slow down and go to bed was nearly impossible (we felt bad for her since she had slept all day and had been so sick for so long!). At 12:30 a.m. Matthew heard her call out: "I need help." The monkey was upside-down, hands on the ground and feet hanging on to our bed frame. We told her she could read a book until she got tired. Finally around 1:30 a.m. when we finished the laundry, we peeked in her room to find her asleep on the floor-- no blanket, surrounded by books, light on-- she must have just run out of steam and fallen asleep while reading. Tonight she has been a handful for Matthew and I. It is like someone gave her an espresso and let her loose. We're glad she's getting better, but she is bored and we are wiped out. Phew.

fevers and such

Abby has had a fever since last Friday (that's 5 full days now, going on 6 this evening). The poor girl has tried to keep her chin up, but this is a long time to feel so awful. We're taking her back to the doc today to see if perhaps her flu has inspired an ear infection. Anyway, keep her in your prayers (and Matty and I too-- we haven't fallen ill yet, but it will be a real struggle to make it through the rest of the quarter if we do!). On the bright side, once this bout of sickness is over, we should be done with flu season BEFORE spring break. I'm glad for that!

Update: Abby does have an ear infection and should be getting better soon, now that she's taking antibiotics.

cupboard doors

Matthew has this habit of leaving cupboard doors open. He says it's because they are too loud when they close. Well, he has knocked his head into the doors AT LEAST four times this week alone. We laugh about it, but seriously, you'd think he would have an incentive to close the doors. I'm too short to bump into them, but I feel sorry for the guy when he does it. Sort of.

G: the MA candidate

I've officially filed for candidacy for my Master's Degree in English! (We in the English dept. here call it the "MA on the way"--on the way to the PhD, that is). I'll hand in a draft of my thesis in a couple of weeks and will await my committee's response. Then I'll revise, polish and submit my thesis to my committee next quarter, and if all goes well, I'll submit it to the graduate studies folks with a bunch of signatures saying it passes muster. Then I get to graduate in June! Now, before we all get overly excited about this, I must say that I reserve the right to postpone until September if I simply can't get the thesis done on top of my regular class and teaching load. I'm also trying to not let this accomplishment take my attention too much away from the fact that as soon as Spring quarter ends, I will be turning my attention to studying for my preliminary exam (coming in December 2006), which is the gateway to officially being in dissertation writing mode. The PhD is a ways off yet but is looking more like a distant reality than a mirage as I finally get through the arduous years of coursework.

4th year check-up

An update on Abby's 4th year physical:

As you know, Abby had some questions for the doc. She got them answered today. So that we all know, our bodies make blood in our bones, our spleen gets rid of the old blood, and our bones grow at the growth plates (isn't that so cool? ). There was more detail than that, but that is about what I can remember at the moment.

Last night Abby had a rough time going to sleep; she was afraid of getting a shot from Dr. O. Matthew said that Dr. O wouldn't give her the shot-- the "mean, nasty nurse" would do it. There was a slight rebuke for putting it quite that way, and apparently Abby noticed:

(Later tonight while I was away at class)
A: Daddy, did you say that nurses are mean and nasty?
M: Yes.
A: What means nasty?
M: Well, it's kind of like "mean."
A: That's not very nice.
M: Yeah, I know, I was joking; I said it to be funny.
A: Momma didn't think it was funny. (pause) I didn't think it was funny.
M: I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.

So anyway, Abby had one shot and was fine. She's 3' 4.75" (71st percentile!) and 38lb. (72nd percentile). She's gloating over Dr.O's prediction that she will be taller than her momma...I know, BIG surprise. Her vision is 20/40 in both eyes (normal for her age) and she hears very well. Just like her mom.

Later Aligator, uh, I mean, fish

Funny and Rain are alive and well-- and back at Wal Mart. It turns out (after several trips to Pet Co.) that Abby thinks fish are stinky and not very exciting. I think she's right. That was a very quick, remarkably painless, first pet experience. We're not going to try pets again until Abby is older.

Warmness

This morning as Abby snuggled next to me (her usual routine after waking up in her room), she put her sweet little hands on my face and said quietly, "Momma, I love your warmness." She warms my heart more than she'll ever know.

Questions for the doc.

This morning as Abby got ready for school, she and I talked about how her daddy was going to his check-up at the doctor. She always wonders about getting shots, but I explained that daddy wouldn't be getting a shot; he would be having a little blood drawn for routine tests. The following conversation ensued:

A: Will they put the blood back?
G: No, daddy's body will make more.
A: How?
G: I don't know exactly how. I bet Dr. O would know. (Dr. O is her pediatric doc.)
A: When I get my four year old check-up, I'm gonna ask Dr. O how you make more blood. And how do my bones grow?
G: Those are great questions.

I walked down the hall and about 10 seconds later Abby calls out to me:

A: Momma, I'm gonna forget my questions. Will you tell me them when we get to Dr. O's? Tell me in the elevator when we're going up. DON'T tell me when we're already in the door.

I think Abby wants to make sure SHE asks the questions and that Dr. O KNOWS they are not her momma's questions.

Funny and Rain

Abby came home with two lovely goldfish last night-- her first pets! She named them Funny and Rain. She has decided that Funny (all orange) is a boy, and Rain (white with orange dots, including "lipstick" markings) is a girl. I'd include a picture, but I've exceeded my uploading limit for the month on Flickr. Abby wanted to bring a drawing of her fish to school today, so I drew a picture. It did not meet her approval:

A: Mom, those look like mad fish.
G: Look, they have smiles.
A: But they look like angry smiles. That fish is angry following the other one.

Seriously, I don't know what she was talking about. They seemed like happy looking fish, poorly drawn, yes, but happy. Matthew gave it a try and was successful. He is a fine artist-- even with discriminating, picky, (dare I say it) fickle judges.

Abby sailing!

Abby sailing!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby's first sailing adventure was eventful. The winds were up-- 25-35 mph-- and that made for some hefty waves. I felt fairly comfortable, but Matthew and Abby were turning green. Finally, Abby looked up at me and said: "Momma, I'm going to frow up." She meant it. I told her to hold it until we found her a bowl. Looking back, I see how ridiculous a request this was; holding it is not something most adults could have done in this situation. Well, my obedient girl held it until the precise moment we procured a bowl. Dad's cereal bowl. Sorry Pop.

Our second sailing trip was much more calm, and Abby had no seasickness at all.

To Hawaii and Back Again

Abby in Kailua
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I hardly know how to catch up on our adventures after three weeks or so. We went to Honolulu for 6 wonderful, WARM days! I presented my first conference paper, which went swimmingly. Actually, Abby did swim while I gave my talk, but the talk was well received and I had fun giving it. Matthew and my dad were there to cheer me on (along with a friend of mine, Tiffany, from Davis). While in Hawaii we visited Kailua Beach, Pearl Harbor (and the "Mighty MO", a.k.a. the U.S.S. Missouri), the North Shore, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We went sailing twice, walked around downtown, saw lots of fish and other lovely creatures, and ate the most amazing food. Our tour guides/hosts, dad and Claudia, spoiled us rotten. We had mai tais at the Chart House, scallops, ahi, steak, shrimp, calamari, and more at several wonderful restaurants (and on board dad and Claudia's boat, "Maluhia"). Abby stayed the night on the boat one night and LOVED it; however, I'm afraid Claudia didn't get a wink of sleep. You see, Abby kicks and sleeps stretched out like a starfish.We flew home to California on Abby's 4th birthday (Jan 16th). We are buried in work again, but we have very fond memories and some delicious Kona coffee to keep us going in the dreary Davis rainy season.

a hallmark moment?

While visiting at my mom's house over Christmas, Abby got it into her head to lick me-- a fairly normal thing for a kid to do, I guess.

A: I licked mommy!
Mia (Gen's mom): Really, what does she taste like?

Abby looks at me, licks my arm to find out the answer and exclaims:

A: FUR!

mental haze

It is Friday night, 11:07 to be exact. My eyes are so tired from reading for hours, but moreover, from trying to wade through and decode pages and pages of literary criticism. Abby is having a hard time sleeping tonight. She's singing cheerfully: "You better not cry, you better not pout...Santa Claus is watching..oh for goodness, goodness sake" (to the tune of S.Claus is coming to town). Now, you try hearing that over and over on a loop while attempting to absorb phrases like this one: "I suggest that tropological language clothes, and therefore makes physical, a body that does not signify outside the realm of rhetorical interpellation" (Madhavi Menon, from "Wanton Words: Rhetoric and Sexuality on English Renaissance Drama" p.23). Whatever happened to going to the movies on a Friday night? Why am I doing this grad school thing again? Catch me in the morning after 5 hours of sleep and some coffee, and I'll be able to answer that question for you. I think.

jobs

Great news: Matthew was offered a research assistantship for this Winter! He will be working for renowned economic historian, Peter Lindert. Funny enough, Matthew will be able to use some of his German language skills as some of the data is in German. I can report that he will be running regressions and analyzing data. Don't ask me how that is done; I have no idea. Anyway, the job offer is a welcome and encouraging one. I'm so proud! Meanwhile, I am teaching Expository Writing (again). I'll pretty much be teaching the same class for the rest of the year (and probably next year too). This quarter's bunch of students seems very enthusiastic.

A New Year

I can't say that I am sorry to see 2005 end. There were many wonderful joys, but this year also brought stunningly painful times. We said goodbye to Genna's Grandma Mildred (dad's mom) and Uncle Steve (dad's brother), and we prayed with our dear friends the Maynors as Brian fought cancer and finally went home to be with the Lord. I still lose my breath and cry when I read updates on the boys and Brian's wife, Susan. Within a small circle of close friends and family there have been weddings and divorces, births and miscarriages. After such a starkly ambivalent year, we are longing for peace, for tender quiet moments in which to wipe away tears and be reassured of our firm foundation.

Welcome, 2006. I know the numbers mean nothing, but it still feels nice to be reminded of renewal and fresh starts. I'm realizing more and more how strangely present the past feels, or perhaps, how we are such works in progress (as Rev. Scott Bridges reminded Matthew and I moments before prouncing us man and wife). I feel hopeful that no matter how "happy" this new year is (or isn't), we will learn, grow, change, and live each day knowing that we are loved and provided for.