Tuesday, December 15, 2015

A lovely weekend, by the numbers


  • I took, perhaps TWO photos this weekend. I am lazy, I guess
  • We took a walk on Saturday to the post office. D rode his 3 wheel bike.
  • We ran some errands on Saturday that included stopping at three places: Home Depot, Luckys and work.
  • D fell asleep in the car and I didn't want to move him out of it. So we sat in our driveway, in the car for about one hour. The things you do when you're a mama. 
  • On Sunday, we woke to a crazy rainstorm. We lost power for over two hours. The storm included thunder & lightening and hail! We mostly just hung around the house.
  • D and Alex went out for a walk in between rainstorms, leaving me alone in the kitchen, and I was super happy about it. I made 2 things for dinner: mushroom, beef, barley soup and fresh bread. I also had a glass of wine and had Love Actually on in the kitchen to keep me company. It's the little things, folks. I also made fudge, but don't tell anyone. I may eat it all myself!
  • We watched several things on TV, including some Thomas the Train Christmas episodes, the movie Cars (of course), the movie Toy Story 2, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I tried to watch some sophisticated murder mystery British program but I couldn't handle it. So I just watched things that made me and my kid happy. 
  • On Friday, I got a phone call confirming D's doctor appointment for Monday morning, 9:40am. We got there early, checked in, gave them our insurance and filled out some forms. We sat there for over 15 minutes when the receptionist finally said, "Oh, that doctor's not here today, you're gonna have to reschedule." I'm sorry, what?
  • Last night (Monday night), D woke up at 2AM - I am pretty sure he was having a nightmare as he woke up sobbing. I brought him into bed with us and I tossed and turned for another hour. At 3AM, I got up, did the dished, cleaned the kitchen and dining area and did a crossword puzzle. I went back to bed at 5AM. WHY?????

Friday, December 11, 2015

Random pictures Haiku Friday

Here we are in front
Of the tree ornaments are
Rearranged daily
Then we have the slugs
They come out when it's damp
And eat some fungus
We also build stick
Piles on campus instead of
Napping for mama

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Some things I like today


  • It rained this morning. How lovely is the sound of rain?
  • D brushed his teeth this morning and spit into his fake kitchen sink. 
  • Last night, D sang from Q-Z in the ABCs! He sang along with his little choo-choo train that sings the alphabet song.
  • My Christmas tree is up, but I am losing the "organized" battle. Oh well, one thing at a time.
  • I finally ordered my Christmas cards.
  • My friend Elisa is having a boy!
  • I got to hang out with a 6-week old the other day. He was super sweet and only cried a couple times.
  • Hot coffee
  • Christmas lights
  • Amazon.com

Monday, November 23, 2015

Wknd pics

Dinner at CPK in the mall Friday night
Bouncy house to celebrate the return of a friend from school
Playing in the house
Drinking warm milk out of a real mug - getting ready for hot cocoa in CO at Christmas 
Swimming with Dada
Getting good at floating
So tired, fell asleep with my mouth open

38!

You guys, I'm 38 today! How crazy is that?
This past year is the year that I just came into myself, if that means anything. I've become a lot more confident with myself and my career. I went to three different meetings, and the last two were really phenomenal. The last one was a last minute one where my PI couldn't attend and I went instead. I decided, "Fuck it" and I talked to everyone at that meeting. I talked to the big folks, and I talked to the little folks. I gave a talk and I felt relaxed and excited, not nervous and intimidated. I went to workshops and asked questions. I met people for coffee. I just felt so much more comfortable in my own skin. I got a ton of community support and it makes me feel like I can actually pull off this whole academic job pursuit thing.
I guest lectured in a Dev Bio class at SFSU. It was awesome. I loved every minute of it. And I made a great friend/colleague in the process.
I submitted my first paper as a postdoc. It's currently under review.
Professionally, I feel good. Positive.
Personally, we got to visit CO and see my in laws, which was awesome. I've been able to go see my parents and they've come up here to help with D's birthday party. I had a 2 year old birthday party at my house! D keeps growing and being the most amazing kid. And I wish Alex would sometimes calm down and be less worried about our future, but I have to love how concerned he is about taking care of us. I do wish we had more date nights, but I think it's par for the course with a 2 year old. Altogether, I have to say I'm incredibly content. I'm happy with where I am. There are a number of things I still want to work on, but that's OK. That's what life is all about. And I can't wait to see where I go!
Happy Birthday to me!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Random Schnippets


  • D counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 6
  • D says, "Shall we?" a lot. As in., "Shall we play with toys, mama"
  • D wakes up about 5:30am or 6am every morning and he calls for me. I get him, bring him into our bed, and we snuggle. Sometimes he goes back to sleep (like this morning) for another 2 hours. 
  • It has been very cold lately. As in, we wake up and it's about 50 degrees in our house. IN THE HOUSE. CA clearly has no idea how to build homes that actually hold in the heat. 
  • My birthday is on Monday. 

Monday, October 19, 2015

My baby is 2 wknd pics

Me and my bud on his birthday morning
Having cupcakes at school
Opening presents
New vacuum is the best!
Rainbow spaghetti 
Birthday cupcakes
The aftermath 
Tuckered out
Goofin with grandpa 
Showing grandma the house at swimming lessons
Swimming with Dada
Riding Dada's big bike
Walking the wow wow

Friday, September 11, 2015

I hope you dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, 
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. 

Dance....I hope you dance. 
I hope you dance....I hope you dance. 
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.. 
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along 
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)



Monday, August 24, 2015

Want to see some pictures?

Because that's all I got - I'm home with tonsillitis- awesome!
This is my baby playing with flour & water - now how to remove it is another question...
This is me & my kid sick - yuck
Turns out, D likes French fries with ketchup, just like his mama
Big tractor!
Early morning bed head
Hammock swings are the best
Feeding the chickens
Asleep on the couch at Grandma's
Too big for a doll buggy
Hanging out with Grandma
Doing important work with friends
Busy working kids

Monday, August 10, 2015

Wknd pics

Helping Dada open presents
Beach baby
Climber
Licking the bowl
With a hoe
In the tent with Dada

Country Livin' Weekend Update


  • Friday was Alex's birthday. We got pizza and beer and let D climb all over the pizza place table. Also, go in and out of the door. He loved it.
  • On Saturday, we went to the beach. It was warm and sunny and really nice. We left while we were still having fun and stopped for Mexican food on the way home. Alex had to work, so D and I made a cake. D loved the frosting. We also played outside for a long time. We cleaned up the garage, did some laundry, cut down some bushes, washed the car. 
  • On Saturday night, we had a bat in our house. I have no idea how he got in. But there he was, flying around the house. We slept with the sliding glass doors open, hoping he would find his way out. It seems that he did.
  • On Sunday, D and Alex went for a bike ride. D got a much needed 3hr nap. I cleaned up the house some. Then we did yardwork, and D got to use a rake and a hoe. D got covered in dirt and stickers. I got Poison Oak. Alex grilled some fish. D and I watched a few minutes of Toy Story. 
  • All in all a good weekend.
  • One other thing: conversation between Alex and D at bath time. D:"Dada, bum-bum hurt". Alex, "Sorry bud". D, standing up and turning around,"Kiss it!". :)

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Another conversation

D, in the bath:
"Penis!" (actually, he pronounces it more like 'mee-nus')
"Yes, D, you have a penis."
"D penis!"
"Yes, D, you have a penis."
"Dada penis!"
"Yes, D, Dada has a penis."
"Mama penis!"
"No, D, Mama doesn't have a penis."
-blank look-
"Mama penis all gone!"
<cracking up>
"Yes, D, mama penis all gone."

kids say the darndest things!

The Overwhelm.

I've recently been "reading" audiobooks. I don't really know how to talk about "reading" them, since I actually listen to them, but let's just pretend that I actually read Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte. I listened to an interview with Schulte on NPR and I must admit, I was intrigued. I feel completely overwhelmed most of the time and I just assumed that that was what life was like as a working scientist with a toddler. This book was stressful to read. I must admit, the first couple chapters had me on edge because I could see and hear myself in the overwhelmed people profiled by Schulte. I could feel my stress level go up and up and up as I listened to each person's never-ending to-do list. And to hear about some of the research that shows that our time is scattered, like confetti. That we never really get to finish tasks because more important ones come up. That we are in a constant state of "never getting enough done" and we will never be able to catch up. All of those things resonated with me. This book was so much more than I thought it would be. It is a study on how we spend our time. It's also about the people who study how we spend our time and how their studies cannot completely capture how we use our time. It's about motherhood, and political policies that promote healthy time use and also healthy play. It's about play - that you should play, all the time. Every day. It's about that to-do list and what you should do with it. It's also about human nature. That, as humans, we existed as communities that helped raise our children together. That this "nuclear family" idea is one that's so recent, we don't know what to do with it. It's about that working mom, feeling guilty for leaving her kids at daycare. It's also about how to deal with the overwhelm. What's her best advice? Chunk up your time. Dedicate a chunk of your time to one task, then take a break and change tasks. But, honestly, this book is full of good advice and good ways to remind yourself that life is more than a to-do list. I highly recommend it. And the audiobook was really good. Although I do wish I had the written book so I could refer to it again and again. But, honestly, would I really have read the book?

Monday, August 3, 2015

Random Schnippets


  • Conversation in the car the other day: "Mama, boogies" "Yes, D, you have boogies" "Mama, boogies NOSE!" "Yes, D you have boogies in your nose" "Mama, eat boogies" "No, D, don't eat boogies" "Mmmmm....Mama, boogies YUMMY!"
  • D can go down the big, twisty enclosed slide at the park because he comes to a stop before he flies off the end of the slide and then he waits for one of us to get him. The other slide has no such brake. So, he just slid down the other big slide and he fell flat on his face. Now he's got a nice big cut on his chin, got a bloody mouth and has a red cheek. Whoops. 
  • Sometimes, I think that dressing a toddler should be an Olympic event. Pants on a kid can be a serious wrestling match.
  • The other night I was putting D to bed and he wanted to say "Night-night" to everything. Including the baby deer and the trees.
  • D is getting more and more challenging. This past weekend was full of biting, hitting and kicking. He doesn't yet understand "no" and he giggles when I say it. He also repeats words, but I don't think he understands "No biting mama!" Then he bites. Ah, toddlerhood....

Friday, July 31, 2015

Haiku Friday

computer running
refrigerator humming
the a/c blowing

***

these are the things I
can hear at work early, no
one here yet, alone.

***

should be writing a 
paper, scripting in r or
making figures - nope!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Two for Thursday: Book Review

I know you won't believe it, but I've recently read two (yes, two!) books. The first book I borrowed from my mother in law and it was Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I've seen this book here and there but I had never picked it up to read. When I saw two copies at my in laws' house, I knew it was one I needed to borrow. The book it almost entirely true (save for a few musing by the author) and it covers the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the coincident emergence of a horrific serial killer in Chicago. The story of the World Fair is fascinating and it's amazing how many things were accomplished in such a short time leading up the the Exposition. It was also the first place a Ferris Wheel was shown, the first time Shredded Wheat (and other processed American foods) were coming on the market and it was the first time Chicago emerged as a Major American City to contend with. The author makes the fair sound amazing and beautiful and I was happy to know that some of Daniel Burnham's work still persisted in Chicago (namely, the Field Museum where Alex and I have been twice now). The parallel story of the serial killer was quite awful (but at the same time, fascinating) to read. He was the penultimate con artist, buying insurance policies on people he didn't know, buying things on credit under an assumed name and swindling contractors out of their trade. He was apparently charming as well, as he lured a number of women into his life and into his home and then killed them when they became inconvenient. The entire story was riveting, but also disturbing. It was comforting to know they caught him, but his last crime was almost too much for me to handle. This book took me a while to get through. It was incredibly well written and gives the reader a glimpse into what the world was like over 100 years ago. It was a fascinating read and I would highly recommend it.

The second book I read was called The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. You know what? I actually liked this book. First of all, it was free (Alex found it on the lunch table on his floor with a sticky note on it saying "free, enjoy!"). Second of all, it was a super easy read (and I really liked that after finishing Devil). Apparently it's now a movie (of course), but I gotta say that the movie doesn't look too good. The novel follows two couples, separated by a number of years. First, there's Ira and Ruth and a love story that starts before WWII. Ira is in a car wreck and he's reflecting on his time with Ruth, which was really sweet and lovely. It's nice to see a marriage reflected on after years and years of marriage. Then there's Sophia and Luke who meet at the beginning of the book and the reader follows their love story as it emerges. In the end, Ira and Ruth's story and Luke and Sophia's story overlap and the ending is sweet and tidy. Normally, I am not a real romance novel enthusiast, but this book had enough interesting tidbits in it about art and cowboying that I found it enjoyable. This book was a great summer read - super easy, somewhat delightful, well written and entertaining. If you are looking for a beach read, this is it.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Country Living and Toddler-isms


  • Last night, in the car: "D eating boogie. Mmmmm...boogie yummmy."
  • I watched a squirrel barf on our front deck
  • D always looks for banana slugs (he calls them ma-nannies).
  • I can hear coyotes howl in the distance as I'm waking up in the morning
  • Some wild pigs walked through our yard the other night
  • A doe and her fawn regularly visit our yard
  • D loves to visit the "quack-quacks" at the pond
  • Swallows swoop overhead while we walk
  • The pond has lots of frogs. At one point, there were lots of tadpoles and you could hear them sucking at the water. 
  • Yesterday, there was a stork at the pond
  • The other day, there was a heron.
  • We have a tree full of ripening plums
  • Bushes full of tart blackberries not yet ripe
  • Thorns and thistles aplenty, making real shoes a necessity
  • It was 100 yesterday when we left work. When we got home, it was 75. So pleasant
  • Crickets
  • Moon and stars
  • Come visit!

Monday, July 6, 2015

More pics to make you happy

Inside the zebra tent with cousin K
Riding the horsie
Outside! Outside!
Playing around with a sculpture downtown
Sleeping in a toddler bed
Watching Pop-pop leave in the morning
Tigger love
Ahoy, matey!
Cool CO clouds
Boing! Boing!
So pretty there
Water play
Water is fun!
Boing!
Driving an RC car is the coolest thing!
Checking out the old Jeep
❤️❤️❤️