The Best Laid Plans

So this is job market year for Matty. I thought some of you might like to know what the schedule looks like for us, so here it is:

Oct 1 (tomorrow!!): The big list of job openings is posted for all major economics departments in the US (and some abroad too). Matty will spend some time carefully looking through tons of listings to see where he might be a good fit. This is the fun part! We get to look at the university websites, departmental sites, housing markets, etc. We talk about lifestyles in different cities, with different climates and opportunities. Who lives close by? What would our life be like? That kind of stuff. It's a dreamy stage of the process, filled with lots of potential. Other than that, Matthew works to polish his paper and his presentation and interview stuff.

Nov.1-15: Job applications are due! We will send out 100-120 applications. This narrows the field a great deal, especially if Matthew "signals" to any schools--a process by which a candidate sends a STRONG signal (each candidate gets ONLY 2 signaling opportunities) to a school that if given the offer, he would almost certainly take the job!

November-December: Matthew will get calls from the schools that are interested in interviewing him at the annual "ASSA" meetings in Jan. This will narrow the field even more. Matty may get 12 interviews or so (we're guessing based on the experiences of similarly-qualified friends who have gone through this process).

Jan 3-5 (in San Francisco): ASSA meetings/ face to face interviews with the schools interested in Matthew. Talk about pressure! I think this is the stage at which Matthew will distinguish himself as an outstanding candidate. He is affable, interesting, attractive, quick on his feet, a good teacher, and he knows his stuff. After these interviews comes the waiting for phone calls for fly-outs...

Jan-Feb (maybe even March):"Fly-outs" The second major round of interviews happens at the hiring school's campus. They will fly Matthew out for 2-3 days so that they can see him present to professors and students, hold more interviews, do meet and greets with the department, etc. This is the major decision moment for most schools. It is possible that Matthew will leave a fly out with a strong sense of the department's intentions of hiring him or not. These will be important trips, especially because Matthew will likely be feeling out cities for all of us! We may move to a place that the rest of us have never seen, so Matty will have his feelers out for lots of elements: is it a good fit for all 4 of us? But really, we may not have a huge say in the matter. We will be happy to GET a job in such a competitive market. My friend, Paige, said that the job market begins with this wide open range of possibilities. You start out being picky, but then you end up just hoping that ANYBODY will hire you! She said it is a real "beggars can't be choosers" kind of experience. We're trying to keep that in mind!

March-April:Decision time. Matthew will hopefully have 1-3 offers on the table and can negotiate the best deal possible with the best fitting department for him and situation for us. We should know where we're going by April 15th, or so.

May-June 30th:Finishing the dissertation, Graduation (for Matty), Packing up, and Moving. We have to move out of our apartment by June 30th, 2009. I plan to keep working on my dissertation this year and next year (or until it is done), and can work from abroad at this point. Matthew will be done with his work here and will graduate :) It is possible that these months will include buying a home. That depends on lots of factors and isn't a top priority, necessarily. But it is something we hope to do when, or soon after, we move.

So, that is the plan. We're excited, a little intimidated, but mostly just taking it day by day and being glad that we are so well provided for. Who knows what kinds of monkey wrenches (good or bad) could get thrown in to these plans? All we know for sure is that "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). Planning is good. It is a prudent and exciting thing to do, and it is an adventure. But we're trying to do it with open minds to the unexpected.

I'll keep you posted!

morning comes early

We were all up at 6 am today. Sitting on Abby's floor, I yawned and said...

G: "Boy, I'm tired!"
A: How tired?
G: I don't know, really tired.
A: Tired as a newborn flea?

Now, how does one answer that?

a sweet morning

surprise cake!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

9:00 this morning, and Matty was packed for his economics conference, Abby was at school, and Noah was eating crayons on the floor. A knock on the door: Bronwyn was standing there with this lovely cake, candles lit! What a precious friend! Since my hubby has to miss my b-day, Bron has stepped in and planned an awesome thai dinner, and (I know now) a morning surprise. Thanks, friend!

So, 31, here I come. Or, here I am, I guess. Wooohoooo!

my magical broom

enchanted_l
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Well, you know it's bad when a visiting friend, after walking on your floor, puts her shoes back on, pauses thoughtfully, then runs home to fetch her own broom with the intention of doing you a big favor.

Well, all I have to say is THANK YOU, Bronwyn! I'm in love with the "swivel sweeper" (apparently an "as seen on TV" product). This battery operated gem does what its name suggests: brushes swivel and magically sweep the bits from the floor into a little cage. No more sweep, sweep, sweeping (aka moving dirt) and bending to sweep sweep into the dustpan. This thing picks up cheerios, edamame, corn, paper, and (as Abby discovered) shoe laces. It is LIGHT as a feather, skates across the floor as if it were on ice, and reaches all the way under couches and chairs.

So I told my friend Melanie about this thing, and she now has one too. (Mine is being delivered by Bronwyn, who went to the store with her 20% off coupon to get it for me today! I think I'm spoiled!!) If I were Oprah, this would be one of this year's "favorite things," but since we make in a year about what she makes in an hour, we can't afford to send one to everyone for Christmas. We would if we could, though--especially for the moms out there and those who find the vacuum too heavy to push.

So if you happen by my window and hear me singing the "happy little working song," look for my swivel sweeper; it's sure to be in hand.

Now if only I could buy the toilet cleaning rats...

enchanted_l
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

daily life and one awesome weekend!

The weeks have been very full around here: Matthew is working diligently on his job market paper, which keeps him away at school all day (until 5:30 or so). This is a departure from our usual trading-off during the day schedule, and it means that I am at the helm at home with Noah and Abby (when she isn't in school). We're experiencing what most people consider a normal schedule, but for us it is pretty different. I'm getting school work done during Noah's naps and will have a few more hours once he starts a 2-morning per week schedule in daycare. Other than that, Noah is my sidekick for lots of errands and tasks--like laundry at the laundry building (a serious feat, considering I'm hauling a wagon balanced with 3 loads at a time in one hand, and Noah in his stroller in the other. Then there's that awkward, heavy, swinging door (with NO STOPPER) to get the wagon and stroller through without dropping half our clothes on the concrete or locking Noah and the laundry key in the laundry room and me and the laundry out). But he seems to enjoy the action and the crazy faces I pull managing it. Dishes are not easily done with Bean awake, because he likes to climb into the dishwasher. Not safe, I know. And he has found the stove knobs, dishwasher knob and the doors to both appliances. He is also learning to open regular doors. Abby was never such a monkey as Noah is. Anyway, busy weeks make for delightful weekends of family time. Sleeping in a tiny bit, coffee together, more elaborate breakfasts and time with all four of us... This weekend was a blast, and most of it was spur of the minute:

We started out with Saturday morning at the Farmer's market. Noah took his first ride on the merry-go-round. I'll post a video soon, but it was lots of fun to watch him and Abby giggle and glide along.

first merry-go-round-ride
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Next we walked to the co-op grocery to sign Abby up for a 2pm cooking class--"Oodles of Noodles." On the way, we admired the Davis fire department's finest fire truck. Bean LOVED it. "Busssss! Busssss!"

fire truck!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Then we found a little garage sale, and Abby spied this crazy fish thing. The people gave it to Abby because she was so taken with it. It expands and contracts and makes a great hat. She played with this thing all day.

fish hat
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

fish face
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Right before Bean's bedtime, we were out swinging at the playground and we could hear the announcer at the first nighttime UC Davis football game in the brand new stadium. It is close to our apartment, so we decided to take a walk on over and check it out. We ended up going in, getting our free t-shirts (Abby got mine and I got Matty's). The kids LOVED it! Abby got a box of candy and we sat on the grass and watched people ram their heads together. It seems SO much more rough a sport in person! Noah clapped and stood and pointed, with his little cheerio mouth open to a tiny O. Abby cried when we had to leave; she wanted to stay for the whole game.

first live football game!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Sunday we had french toast, fresh strawberries and yummy coffee for breakfast before Abby and I went to a thrift store to try and find some Halloween costume items. We struck out, so mint chip ice-cream (before lunch!) was in order. Then it was time for Abby to wow us with her culinary arts. She made one of the dishes she learned on Saturday during her cooking class. We had spiral noodles with sweet peas, mozzarella, kalamata olives and carrots. She was proud of herself, and all of us loved having an Abby-prepared meal.

oodles of noodles
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

So now it is Monday. Abby is at school, Noah has just gone down for his nap, and I am getting to work. Life is really really sweet for us right now. I can't even express how much we are enjoying one another and the huge blessing of good health and lots of fun opportunities.

rite of passage

toilet paper is FUN
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Noah emptied a roll of TP today. I'm not sure if every kid does this, but I think the mischief makers certainly do. He shredded away, making a billowy pile of charmin and causing himself to sneeze from TP dust. At moments like these, I often say to Noah: "Oh, Bean." And then he makes adorable, "but-I'm-just-a-curious-little-guy" faces, and I go get the camera. He has my number.

Drama

his grumpy face
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Here is a winner of a Noah face. This is what you get when Bean is grumpy: scrunched nose, poor-me eye-brows, and top teeth showing. Oh yes, he can whine. But he is remarkably cute even when he makes ridiculous faces like this one.

learning chess

learning chess
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Matthew is teaching Abby to play chess. Apparently she is catching on quite well. I still don't know how to play, so perhaps Abby will teach me some day soon. Matty was a champion chess player in school. I think he is loving this new activity with Abbs.

visit from Grandpa and Claudia

visit from Grandpa and Claudia
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We got to hang out with Grandpa and Claudia for a day and a half, as they make their way to Europe via California. Most of our time was spent swinging in the livingroom, eating yummy food, waiting for Noah to wake up from naps, and playing, talking, and sleeping...

It was a short but sweet visit.

Have a great time across seas, guys!

GAME DAY

GAME DAY
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We celebrated the TN Volunteers' first game day of the season with a BBQ. Matthew made pulled pork and beans, and we had the usual: cole slaw (Abby's fave), buns, corky's and Rendevous sauce, etc. YUM. Bronwyn, from South Africa (for those of you who don't know that) and her daughter Tegwyn sported Tennessee Orange, as did Abby, Noah, and G. Way to show your spirit, friends!! We lost to UCLA in a nail-biter of an over time period. GRRRRRRRRR. But, we play UAB this Sat. and the the FLA Gators after that. It would be SWEET to beat the gators. Matthew said he's getting too old for the stress of close games. He isn't really, but he sure does get worked up on game day.

I love having BBQ and watching a good game--especially with friends. Oh yes, and Bronwyn's Brownies with ice cream, chocolate sauce and raspberries were delightful too! Why wait for another game day for that kind of indulgence?

tooth #2!

tooth #2!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby lost another tooth! She is tenacious when it comes to getting a wiggly tooth out; once it starts to wiggle, she cannot leave it alone. Then, as most of us have experienced, when the tooth is hanging in there, but very wiggly, she can't stand the frustration of trying to eat with the tooth wobbling around. Thus, the kid keeps wiggling the tooth and finally has daddy give it a yank.

There is no shortage of drama around here. We're all hoping the teeth stay put now for a while.

learning and teaching and learning

I'm working on my syllabus for a course I start teaching in a few weeks. The reading I've done for the contemporary poetry section has been interesting, sometimes. But I just came across an unexpectedly moving poem, though it can be read both as tender or as bleak and hopeless--depending on your worldview, I suppose. Part of my reaction must be due to my stage in life: mommy to a 17 month old and a 6 1/2 year old, wife to a 31 year old, and daughter, granddaughter, friend... I love people in every stage of life, and I can identify with more of the full learning spectrum of the human person than ever before. So, this poem speaks to me.

You Begin by Margaret Atwood (1978)

You begin this way:
this is your hand,
this is your eye,
that is a fish, blue and flat
on the paper, almost
the shape of an eye.
This is your mouth, this is an O
or a moon, whichever
you like. This is yellow.

Outside the window
is the rain, green
because it is summer, and beyond that
the trees and then the world,
which is round and has only
the colors of these nine crayons.

This is the world, which is fuller
and more difficult to learn than I have said.
You are right to smudge it that way
with the red and then
the orange: the world burns.

Once you have learned these words
you will learn that there are more
words than you can ever learn.
The word hand floats above your hand
like a small cloud over a lake.
The word hand anchors
your hand to this table,
your hand is a warm stone
I hold between two words.

This is your hand, these are my hands, this is the world,
which is round but not flat and has more colors
than we can see.

It begins, it has an end,
this is what you will
come back to, this is your hand.

payback

Anyone who saw the earlier post about the soap and the dishwasher might like this...

Last night a fly was buzzing around Matthew, landing on him, bugging him. After much swatting, Matthew said:

"I need to take a shower. This fly wont leave me alone."

anatomy

A couple of funny exchanges from the last two days:
Abby's friend gave her a horse statue the other day. Matthew was looking at the rearing stallion and commented to me (with Abby close enough to hear him...)

M: Clearly it's a boy horse.
A: How do you know that?
M: (chuckling to himself) Because it's anatomically correct.
A: (Looking at the horse) Where does it say that?

He just said, "It doesn't," and then Noah distracted Abby and Matthew dropped the topic.

Then, on a walk the other evening, we saw a squirrel running in front of us. The squirrel had ridiculously large parts, which were so prominent that we were laughing.
G:There goes a boy squirrel.
A: How do you know it's a boy?
G: uh, he has a very bushy tail; I think boy squirrels have extra bushy tails.
M: (stepping in and being more truthful) Momma knows because you can see the squirrel's privates and you can tell he's a boy.
A: Oh.

And that was it! No questions asked.

The hard way

mopping
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This is a guest-blog post from M.

Here's the scene, about 20 minutes ago.

A: (walking into the kitchen) What happened, mommy?

G: uh...

M: Mommy didn't listen to daddy.

G: Mommy put the wrong kind of soap in the dishwasher.

A: And daddy told you not to?

G: yes.

A: ...and you didn't listen to him?

G: no.

A: ...and he was right?

G: (reluctantly) yes.

Who needs to rub it in when you have little kids? (and the password to your wife's blog)