I handed Abby a magazine of cute painting projects for kids rooms. She made several gasps at lavender, blue, and green rooms, then said:
A: Oh, momma, look at this pink room! When we move can I have my own room?!!?
G: That's what we're hoping for.
A: I have my room, Noah has his room, and it's up to you guys if you want to sleep together.
Yes, I think Matty and I will still share a room...however, we might graduate to a king-sized bed to accommodate the morning dog pile of kids.
November 23, 2008
November 22, 2008
"Enjoy the fun of Failure"
I read that quote recently in an article on happiness. Now, I think I am a pretty happy person--I love my husband, my kids, and my family and friends; I enjoy lots of worthwhile time with friends (both in person and via the trusty cell phone), and I have so much comfort to be thankful for. I am learning a lot lately about what makes me not just happy, but contented. This has been a long life lesson to learn, in great part due to my desire to please others and to avoid failure at any cost!! If I perceive that I wont be good at something, I just wont try it. Seriously, I remember dreading having to learn foreign languages and to do advanced music theory in college, so much so that those fears played in to my decision to leave an outstanding music program in which I was doing very well. I mean, I had A's in every subject, but I was worried that at some point it would become so hard that I might, GULP, get a B! Or, worse, I'd finally audition for a symphony and I'd be rejected. I feared disappointing my parents and my professors. I left a place and people I cared deeply for--out of fear. Well, fast forward ten years (or more, actually) and I now love speaking broken German, mixed with some french, while making morning coffee or asking Matthew a question I don't want Abby to understand ;) And, for what it is worth, I've made it to the dissertation writing phase of a PhD. But is that what makes me MOST happy? Really, the things that make me most happy are those things that come with a lot of failure! And failure I can't avoid, because I'm a human being who makes mistakes! I've begun to accept that I fail, but it never occurred to me to ENJOY the FUN of failure! Is failure EVER fun? Well, yes. I think it can be!
So what does enjoying the FUN of failure look like to me? I guess it looks like this:
Maybe this isn't "failure." It is the product of an attempt to do something special for a very special little girl, whom I love. I've never painted with watercolors before, and I've never done a portrait before. But the thought came to me that I wanted to TRY marking Teg's birthday with something more intentional than a toy. My dear friend, Bronwyn, is now the momma of a one year old. I was there minutes before and minutes after this delightful, gorgeous, most precious baby girl was born-- I left for the good part, but really the birth of one's first child is something to be enjoyed privately between a hubby and its "wif", right? Right. I didn't even stand by the door. I went down the hall and paced, watched some lame sitcom, called Matthew on the cell phone 3 times, paced , looked down the hall, smiled, teared up, picked my nails out of nervousness, then started creeping back toward the door, trying to not make eye contact with anyone who would shoo me back to the waiting room. And then Jeremy burst though the door and said I could come back!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness. What a sight to behold: a brand new TEGWYN ELLA!
So, thanks Teg. Because of you I've learned that I like to paint with watercolors, but much more, I love to study a face and enjoy the fun of knowing a person better and appreciating her more for having tried to faithfully render her on paper. It was fun to try. It was FUN to feel like if I botched it horribly, (and maybe some of you think I did--and that's OK with me!), it would be fine! And really, if Teg's parents don't put this up on their wall, that's fine too! I made it with love and with the intention of saying without words "how wonderful life is now you're in the world" sweet Teg. How COOL to learn life lessons from a one year old.
So what does enjoying the FUN of failure look like to me? I guess it looks like this:
Maybe this isn't "failure." It is the product of an attempt to do something special for a very special little girl, whom I love. I've never painted with watercolors before, and I've never done a portrait before. But the thought came to me that I wanted to TRY marking Teg's birthday with something more intentional than a toy. My dear friend, Bronwyn, is now the momma of a one year old. I was there minutes before and minutes after this delightful, gorgeous, most precious baby girl was born-- I left for the good part, but really the birth of one's first child is something to be enjoyed privately between a hubby and its "wif", right? Right. I didn't even stand by the door. I went down the hall and paced, watched some lame sitcom, called Matthew on the cell phone 3 times, paced , looked down the hall, smiled, teared up, picked my nails out of nervousness, then started creeping back toward the door, trying to not make eye contact with anyone who would shoo me back to the waiting room. And then Jeremy burst though the door and said I could come back!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness. What a sight to behold: a brand new TEGWYN ELLA!
So, thanks Teg. Because of you I've learned that I like to paint with watercolors, but much more, I love to study a face and enjoy the fun of knowing a person better and appreciating her more for having tried to faithfully render her on paper. It was fun to try. It was FUN to feel like if I botched it horribly, (and maybe some of you think I did--and that's OK with me!), it would be fine! And really, if Teg's parents don't put this up on their wall, that's fine too! I made it with love and with the intention of saying without words "how wonderful life is now you're in the world" sweet Teg. How COOL to learn life lessons from a one year old.
November 18, 2008
19 months old...and making us laugh harder than ever
Just a little snippet of Noah's zaniness. We laugh a ton around here. You'll see why. Seriously, nobody has to teach Noah these things--they come naturally.
November 14, 2008
we're doing much better
kids and I are all healed. Matty got an ear infection, but antibiotics are helping him fight that. We think he will back to 100% soon.
So, I'm better enough to answer some questions after being "tagged" by Emily in Knoxville on her blog...
7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die. .
this is a hard question. I mean, I've been so busy planning what's for dinner, I hardly know what to write.
1. love love love my family
2. travel out of the US
3. discover new hobbies (and get better at my current ones)
4. have grandkids!
5. maybe adopt a kid. (definitely adopt a cat, and a dog too--if Noah begs)
6. build or renovate or just decorate a very cool home!
7.grow old with Matty
7 Things I Do Now. . .
1. love love love my family
2. cook
3. clean (even if it doesn't seem like it!)
4. play with the kids
5. talk on the phone
6. talk with matty
7. teach and grade
7 Things I Can’t Do. . .
1. find time to sew
2. keep my floor clean
3. run a half-marathon
4. consistently wake up early enough in the morning to have personal time
5. always make it "all better"
6. run regressions
7. finish my dissertation tomorrow
7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex. . .
these are not all necessarily aspects of maleness, but when they are traits a man has, they are especially attractive. I should know, I am married to Matthew, after all.
1. faithfulness
2. patience
3. a sense of humor
4. tenderness toward children
5. calm in the midst of a storm (of any kind)
6. perspective! (in the midst of those storms)
7. humility and willingness to talk and listen
oh, and it doesn't hurt to be super handsome! :)
7 Things That I Say Most Often. . .
1. I love you
2. Oh, Bean!
3. Dude, why did you do that?
4. I'm tired (or, I need a nap)
5. I need a hug.
6. see a bus?
7. want some coffee?
7 Celebrities That I Most Admire. . .
I don't know. I defer to Matthew's pop culture knowledge--I just don't follow these things closely enough to know how to answer this question.
7 Favorite Foods. . .
these are not in order.
1. does coffee count? I love lattes and a properly brewed cup of coffee.
2. fruit: cherries, strawberries, nectarines
3 . beignets
4. tart frozen yogurt
5. delicious salad
6. BBQ
7. meatloaf! I just made an awesome meatloaf (from an America's Test Kitchen recipe). It's DELICIOUS.
close runners-up: salmon, ted drewes frozen custard, indian food, thai food, french food, pretty much anything Matthew makes!!, Melanie's crawfish pie.
Bloggers Who Need To Do This. . .
Melanie
Bronwyn
Lisa
So, I'm better enough to answer some questions after being "tagged" by Emily in Knoxville on her blog...
7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die. .
this is a hard question. I mean, I've been so busy planning what's for dinner, I hardly know what to write.
1. love love love my family
2. travel out of the US
3. discover new hobbies (and get better at my current ones)
4. have grandkids!
5. maybe adopt a kid. (definitely adopt a cat, and a dog too--if Noah begs)
6. build or renovate or just decorate a very cool home!
7.grow old with Matty
7 Things I Do Now. . .
1. love love love my family
2. cook
3. clean (even if it doesn't seem like it!)
4. play with the kids
5. talk on the phone
6. talk with matty
7. teach and grade
7 Things I Can’t Do. . .
1. find time to sew
2. keep my floor clean
3. run a half-marathon
4. consistently wake up early enough in the morning to have personal time
5. always make it "all better"
6. run regressions
7. finish my dissertation tomorrow
7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex. . .
these are not all necessarily aspects of maleness, but when they are traits a man has, they are especially attractive. I should know, I am married to Matthew, after all.
1. faithfulness
2. patience
3. a sense of humor
4. tenderness toward children
5. calm in the midst of a storm (of any kind)
6. perspective! (in the midst of those storms)
7. humility and willingness to talk and listen
oh, and it doesn't hurt to be super handsome! :)
7 Things That I Say Most Often. . .
1. I love you
2. Oh, Bean!
3. Dude, why did you do that?
4. I'm tired (or, I need a nap)
5. I need a hug.
6. see a bus?
7. want some coffee?
7 Celebrities That I Most Admire. . .
I don't know. I defer to Matthew's pop culture knowledge--I just don't follow these things closely enough to know how to answer this question.
7 Favorite Foods. . .
these are not in order.
1. does coffee count? I love lattes and a properly brewed cup of coffee.
2. fruit: cherries, strawberries, nectarines
3 . beignets
4. tart frozen yogurt
5. delicious salad
6. BBQ
7. meatloaf! I just made an awesome meatloaf (from an America's Test Kitchen recipe). It's DELICIOUS.
close runners-up: salmon, ted drewes frozen custard, indian food, thai food, french food, pretty much anything Matthew makes!!, Melanie's crawfish pie.
Bloggers Who Need To Do This. . .
Melanie
Bronwyn
Lisa
November 11, 2008
tummy bug
Poor little kiddos (and poor me and poor Matty) have been fighting a tummy bug. We're getting through it, but blogging hasn't been high on the list of things to do.
I'll check back in when we're feeling a bit better!
I'll check back in when we're feeling a bit better!
November 4, 2008
couldn't have been easier
We voted this morning at 7:15. After our less-than-two-minute walk to our polling place, we walked in, signed our names, and went straight to a polling booth--no wait. M had Noah and I had Abby. On our way across the street to Starbucks (for our free coffee), M said: "Voting couldn't have been easier unless they knocked on my door and offered to write in my vote for me."
It is fun to watch the news and be glad we're not in a 12-hour line right now.
Go vote! (easy for me to say, I know!)
It is fun to watch the news and be glad we're not in a 12-hour line right now.
Go vote! (easy for me to say, I know!)
November 2, 2008
Peter Pan, Tink, and Wendy
Hook was behind the camera...
We had a fun time loading up on candy. Abby raked in 40 pieces! When asked tonight how many she has eaten, she answered (truthfully) "one." She gave some away, and the rest are on top of the fridge. I must say, however, that she has had a handful of the Reeses pb cups we bought to give out. We only had 3 kids come by, so we have some leftovers.
The funniest part of trick-or-treating this year was the many foreign students we met who either had no idea what was going on--why are kids knocking on my door and looking at me expectantly? Some people looked afraid, and some looked out their windows with wide eyes and then ducked away from the blinds-- or they apologized profusely for "not being prepared" (that was my favorite response), or, best yet, ran back into their apartments to fetch food from their cupboards! Abby and her friends (Abbey and Katie) got bags of cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and even a diet coke! We tried hard to refuse these items, but the people insisted on giving the kids something to take with them. Abby and Abbey were asked for their picture, this year by a man from Africa (each year they get asked for pictures by families from China and Japan). They were filmed by asian guys (who were filming their friend give out candy), and they were sent off with sweet wishes from a group of lovely indian women in pretty clothes.
It really is a strange practice, running around and asking for candy while threatening to cause mischief if denied... Oh well. It's over for the year, and we are reminded of why our lines are never long at our polling place on election day: we live in a community with lots of folks from other countries! It is really cool.
We had a fun time loading up on candy. Abby raked in 40 pieces! When asked tonight how many she has eaten, she answered (truthfully) "one." She gave some away, and the rest are on top of the fridge. I must say, however, that she has had a handful of the Reeses pb cups we bought to give out. We only had 3 kids come by, so we have some leftovers.
The funniest part of trick-or-treating this year was the many foreign students we met who either had no idea what was going on--why are kids knocking on my door and looking at me expectantly? Some people looked afraid, and some looked out their windows with wide eyes and then ducked away from the blinds-- or they apologized profusely for "not being prepared" (that was my favorite response), or, best yet, ran back into their apartments to fetch food from their cupboards! Abby and her friends (Abbey and Katie) got bags of cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and even a diet coke! We tried hard to refuse these items, but the people insisted on giving the kids something to take with them. Abby and Abbey were asked for their picture, this year by a man from Africa (each year they get asked for pictures by families from China and Japan). They were filmed by asian guys (who were filming their friend give out candy), and they were sent off with sweet wishes from a group of lovely indian women in pretty clothes.
It really is a strange practice, running around and asking for candy while threatening to cause mischief if denied... Oh well. It's over for the year, and we are reminded of why our lines are never long at our polling place on election day: we live in a community with lots of folks from other countries! It is really cool.
October 24, 2008
Santa Cruz!
In the midst of putting together job applications, we accepted the offer from friends to go to Santa Cruz with them for the weekend. It was fun to get away from the intensity of things at home for a couple of days. We had a wonderful time!
Things are going really well at home; we're somehow getting work done despite the ramped up pressure. The kids are great. Abbs has a play date today with her school buddy, Benjamin. This has been the highlight of her week so far. Then Noah: he came up with two new words last night when we were all out on a walk! He now says "truck" and "chocolate" in addition to his standbys: bus, outs (outside), eggs, cheese, juice, book, mama, dada, and abba.
Things are going really well at home; we're somehow getting work done despite the ramped up pressure. The kids are great. Abbs has a play date today with her school buddy, Benjamin. This has been the highlight of her week so far. Then Noah: he came up with two new words last night when we were all out on a walk! He now says "truck" and "chocolate" in addition to his standbys: bus, outs (outside), eggs, cheese, juice, book, mama, dada, and abba.
October 14, 2008
serious bug-ness
Abby was transferring her dead black bumble bee, her dragonfly, and a newly found dead yellow bee into a bowl so that I could have the pleasure of washing the bug collection container. I overheard her trying to keep her brother away from the bees, and then this:
A: This is very serious bug-ness, Noah.
Abby is begging for a microscope so that she can look at the different types of wings more closely. I love this age of discovery! On our walk to the mailbox, just ten minutes ago, Abby gasped at a spider web she spied--but not for fear! Rather, she exclaimed: "It's an orb web! It must be an orb web. I see a fly caught in it, and maybe another insect!" She then told me that tarantulas found in California are not poisonous, at which the hairs on my head started raising and making my head itch.
A: This is very serious bug-ness, Noah.
Abby is begging for a microscope so that she can look at the different types of wings more closely. I love this age of discovery! On our walk to the mailbox, just ten minutes ago, Abby gasped at a spider web she spied--but not for fear! Rather, she exclaimed: "It's an orb web! It must be an orb web. I see a fly caught in it, and maybe another insect!" She then told me that tarantulas found in California are not poisonous, at which the hairs on my head started raising and making my head itch.
October 7, 2008
when does the 24-hour flu = a break?
I'll tell ya when! Yesterday I had a flu bug, much like the one M came home with last week. Flashback to Thursday: M looked awful and pitiful as he stumbled off his bike and into the house. Abby took Noah for a stroller ride so I could tend Matty and get him as comfortable as possible. We were glad to have "phenigren" (sp?), an anti-nausea medication, in the house. It helped him a ton, and ibuprofen, a hot rice pack and rest also helped. He recovered well and I am happy to say that despite that bout with the flu and a hard drive failure on his computer, he did finish his job market paper. Now he just has one more round of tidying up to do on that and he is ready to put job application packets together!
I was feeling very pleased with myself for holding down the fort with the kids, until yesterday morning when I woke up feeling very nauseated and dizzy. I managed to survive an 8:00 Noah drop off at his day care, an 8:15 appt. with the dermatologist (my first routine check up for little moles, etc. I figured I'm getting old enough to have a baseline check of that sort of thing), 11:00 office hours for my students, a TWO HOUR class period I taught on early modern poetry, and a 2:00 pick up of Noah. I almost didn't make it home. Matthew came home right away and took Noah for me. And here is where the flu gave me a break. I rested for the rest of the day. Matthew even got my favorite thai chicken soup (tom ka gai) for dinner. After sleeping through the night (I think) and resting during Noah's nap today, I think I'm on the mend. I still feel cruddy and super tired, but I can tell I'm better than I was yesterday. Phew. It' not the ideal way to get a break, but I am sure glad that Matty was able to take good care of me. How in the world people take care of kids without help when they are sick is beyond me.
I was feeling very pleased with myself for holding down the fort with the kids, until yesterday morning when I woke up feeling very nauseated and dizzy. I managed to survive an 8:00 Noah drop off at his day care, an 8:15 appt. with the dermatologist (my first routine check up for little moles, etc. I figured I'm getting old enough to have a baseline check of that sort of thing), 11:00 office hours for my students, a TWO HOUR class period I taught on early modern poetry, and a 2:00 pick up of Noah. I almost didn't make it home. Matthew came home right away and took Noah for me. And here is where the flu gave me a break. I rested for the rest of the day. Matthew even got my favorite thai chicken soup (tom ka gai) for dinner. After sleeping through the night (I think) and resting during Noah's nap today, I think I'm on the mend. I still feel cruddy and super tired, but I can tell I'm better than I was yesterday. Phew. It' not the ideal way to get a break, but I am sure glad that Matty was able to take good care of me. How in the world people take care of kids without help when they are sick is beyond me.
October 5, 2008
Sunday morning at the park
While Matthew gives it his best effort to finish a full draft of his paper by the end of the day today, the kiddos and I are doing our best to enjoy a gorgeous day! We biked to a terrific park nearby and played on the huge play structures. Having Abby with us is AWESOME. She runs after Noah, takes him down slides, chases him, entices him to follow her, stands guard at the perilous ladder entry points, and generally makes the whole experience delightful with her adorable giggles and smiles. I would have bruised knees and elbows from all of the crawling and climbing and sliding required to keep Noah safe in the tunnels, down the slides, and up the stairs; but Abby's limber, 6 year old body is meant to fit into these spaces!
We've had another fun weekend of Saturday night football gaming, then Sunday morning breakfasting and playing. We're all looking forward to getting this stage of paper writing and application sending over with so that Matty can be with us on the weekends again; we miss him. The waiting game part of the job market experience seems a little easier than this--but maybe that's just because we're in this moment and not that one. Who knows. We're proud of the efforts we're all making during a time that could easily turn into a grouch-fest if we weren't all doing our best to be mutually supportive. Sometimes the best times are not the "easiest" times; in fact, I think the best times may require a costly level of intentionality and sacrifice, which pays back more than you expect it to in the end.
OK. I need to get something done while Noah is asleep! Cheers.
We've had another fun weekend of Saturday night football gaming, then Sunday morning breakfasting and playing. We're all looking forward to getting this stage of paper writing and application sending over with so that Matty can be with us on the weekends again; we miss him. The waiting game part of the job market experience seems a little easier than this--but maybe that's just because we're in this moment and not that one. Who knows. We're proud of the efforts we're all making during a time that could easily turn into a grouch-fest if we weren't all doing our best to be mutually supportive. Sometimes the best times are not the "easiest" times; in fact, I think the best times may require a costly level of intentionality and sacrifice, which pays back more than you expect it to in the end.
OK. I need to get something done while Noah is asleep! Cheers.
October 2, 2008
who took the cookie from the cookie jar?
A sincere Matty confession regarding the rapid rate at which Noah's snacks and food seem to disappear:
"I ate all the baby food. I was hungry, he was just sitting in my lap and didn't want it, so I just ate it."
He's not kidding. Matthew LOVES YoBaby yogurt and little "holy" (whole wheat) bunnies and graham sticks.
"I ate all the baby food. I was hungry, he was just sitting in my lap and didn't want it, so I just ate it."
He's not kidding. Matthew LOVES YoBaby yogurt and little "holy" (whole wheat) bunnies and graham sticks.
September 30, 2008
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!
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?
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?
September 26, 2008
a sweet morning
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!
So, 31, here I come. Or, here I am, I guess. Wooohoooo!
September 19, 2008
my magical broom
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...
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...
September 15, 2008
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.
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!"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!"
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.
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.
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.
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.
September 12, 2008
rite of passage
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.
September 10, 2008
Drama
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
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.
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