Tomorrow night I will be in HAWAII!
(Assuming we all survive the six-hour flight.)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Pennies from Heaven
I was in a bad mood this morning. S-Boogie and I were at the hospital until nearly 10:30 last night, and I didn't end up in bed until nearly midnight. Then Little Dude woke up early with a nasty poop and a flaming red diaper rash. Even after changing his diaper it still bothered him and he spent a lot of time this morning wandering around crying. S-Boogie was starting to feel better, but still kind of whiny since she got up early too. And I'm stressed about our upcoming trip, finding some sort of job for the next semester, and S-Boogie's recurring illnesses.
Finally at around 11:30, after Little Dude woke up from a short nap, I decided that S-Boogie was well enough to go outside for a bit. We wandered over to check our mail and I noticed a nice couch and love seat set in the "giveaway" area by the housing office. I was able to round up two able-bodied and willing men from my ward (an advantage to living in our little Mormon-dominated student enclave) and they hauled the new furniture to my house as well as removed my old, nasty couch. Now we just need to figure out how to get the slipcover to fit on it.
While I was out, I got a call on my cell phone. I was expecting a call from a technical college that had emailed me about a resume I submitted. It turns out that they were calling to inform me that I was teaching an evening class on Mondays and Wednesdays starting September 19 and they wanted to make arrangements for me to come in and get my materials. Wow. I'm totally excited and totally scared at the same time. I'd honestly given up thinking stuff like this could happen to me, but I guess someone finally believed me when I said my resume qualified me for a job. I just hope my teaching doesn't prove them wrong. This also helps me feel so much better, because even though the apartment manager gig might have been good, I wasn't feeling very enthused about doing it and moving away from our nice little community here. Plus teaching will look so much better on my resume. I think I might order some Thai food tonight to celebrate.
Finally at around 11:30, after Little Dude woke up from a short nap, I decided that S-Boogie was well enough to go outside for a bit. We wandered over to check our mail and I noticed a nice couch and love seat set in the "giveaway" area by the housing office. I was able to round up two able-bodied and willing men from my ward (an advantage to living in our little Mormon-dominated student enclave) and they hauled the new furniture to my house as well as removed my old, nasty couch. Now we just need to figure out how to get the slipcover to fit on it.
While I was out, I got a call on my cell phone. I was expecting a call from a technical college that had emailed me about a resume I submitted. It turns out that they were calling to inform me that I was teaching an evening class on Mondays and Wednesdays starting September 19 and they wanted to make arrangements for me to come in and get my materials. Wow. I'm totally excited and totally scared at the same time. I'd honestly given up thinking stuff like this could happen to me, but I guess someone finally believed me when I said my resume qualified me for a job. I just hope my teaching doesn't prove them wrong. This also helps me feel so much better, because even though the apartment manager gig might have been good, I wasn't feeling very enthused about doing it and moving away from our nice little community here. Plus teaching will look so much better on my resume. I think I might order some Thai food tonight to celebrate.
Eating My Words
During the last few months I've often found myself explaining to other people--and to myself--that I think S-Boogie doesn't really have asthma, just some reactive airway trouble that's clearing itself up as she gets older. We haven't even had to break out the nebulizer for nearly a year and she's gone through several colds without a problem. She did still have a bit of night time cough, but when I asked her doctor about it last Thursday at her annual checkup I was told not to worry about it.
Then she got a cold on Saturday. She's been coughing since then, but up until this morning it was just a tickly, back of the throat cough. This morning we went to her very first dentist appointment (no cavities--yay!) and she seemed fine. Then she came home and didn't eat any lunch. Then she actually fell asleep while watching Dora and stayed asleep for two hours. When she got up from her nap, I noticed that her eyes were beginning to get dark circles under them and her chest was heaving. I waited a few more hours, but then around dinner time decided to call the after-hours nurse. I should have waited until after eating, because when I described S-Boogie's symptoms the nurse said "I'll let the hospital know you're on your way". Thanks.
During the ride to Children's I started to worry that I had overreacted, but once I got there the doctors and nurses reassured me that they were glad I brought her in because she would have only gotten worse in the night. (By the way, part of the reason why we often end up at the ER is because we live next door to Children's hospital and they take all urgent/semi-urgent cases after hours). So after a few hours of monitoring, one round of albuterol, and two-and-a-half Disney movies we were free to go. Tomorrow we get to try a new device: an inhaler with a spacer. That should be quicker and easier than a nebulizer, and it's a lot more portable for vacations.
The doctor gave me mini-lecture about accepting the fact that S-Boogie has asthma and that we should always be prepared for that. He really was nice about it and reassured me that I handled things well today. Her case is tricky because she's only really triggered by getting sick. No allergies, no other triggers. This is good, but it means that most of the time we end up with crisis care like today because we aren't very prepared. I guess I need to read up on how to prevent my child from catching colds. Like that's possible.
Then she got a cold on Saturday. She's been coughing since then, but up until this morning it was just a tickly, back of the throat cough. This morning we went to her very first dentist appointment (no cavities--yay!) and she seemed fine. Then she came home and didn't eat any lunch. Then she actually fell asleep while watching Dora and stayed asleep for two hours. When she got up from her nap, I noticed that her eyes were beginning to get dark circles under them and her chest was heaving. I waited a few more hours, but then around dinner time decided to call the after-hours nurse. I should have waited until after eating, because when I described S-Boogie's symptoms the nurse said "I'll let the hospital know you're on your way". Thanks.
During the ride to Children's I started to worry that I had overreacted, but once I got there the doctors and nurses reassured me that they were glad I brought her in because she would have only gotten worse in the night. (By the way, part of the reason why we often end up at the ER is because we live next door to Children's hospital and they take all urgent/semi-urgent cases after hours). So after a few hours of monitoring, one round of albuterol, and two-and-a-half Disney movies we were free to go. Tomorrow we get to try a new device: an inhaler with a spacer. That should be quicker and easier than a nebulizer, and it's a lot more portable for vacations.
The doctor gave me mini-lecture about accepting the fact that S-Boogie has asthma and that we should always be prepared for that. He really was nice about it and reassured me that I handled things well today. Her case is tricky because she's only really triggered by getting sick. No allergies, no other triggers. This is good, but it means that most of the time we end up with crisis care like today because we aren't very prepared. I guess I need to read up on how to prevent my child from catching colds. Like that's possible.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Shame
While driving through Idaho Mr. Fob slipped a CD by The Supremes into the player. One of my favorite songs came on and I started singing along:
This love we're contemplating
Is worth the pain of waiting
We'll only end up hating
The child we maybe creating
Love child, never meant to be
Love child, scorned by society
Love child, always second best
Love child, different from the rest
When I was younger I totally loved this song. The lyrics and the music go together so well, and as a righteous young woman I thought it would be the perfect sort of thing to bust out on any young man who tried to take advantage of me (none ever did, but I had delusions of grandeur). As I was singing along this time, I realized that during the forty years since that song was written, the concept of a "love child" has completely disappeared.
On the one hand, I think this is a good thing. No child should have to feel different or ashamed because of the choices made by her parents. I think our current cultural climate of acceptance is a very positive thing. I also always feel a little weird when commentators lament the "horrible state of the world these days", as if evils like fornication or murder were invented sometime around 1959. I've read enough pornographic seventeenth-century literature to know they're wrong. People have always been imperfect, so it's good to acknowledge and make room for those who don't fall into the conventions of society.
On the other hand, I do find it interesting that public shame has largely disappeared from our culture. I imagine that part of it is due to the fact that most of us don't live in a close-knit community anymore. A few weeks ago the New York Times magazine had an article about group therapy for marriages. One of the benefits pointed out by those who lead couples' groups was the "Puritan village effect", wherein social pressure helps mold behavior. I immediately thought of Mormon culture, where both wards and close-knit families put pressure on couples (and others) to behave. Like I said earlier, I'm not sure that reviving shame or guilt is a good thing, but I'm not sure that it's a bad thing either.
I'm not really sure this post has much of a point. It's sort of a combination of a bunch of things rolling around in my head, including the lesson we had today based on the recent talk on divorce. We live in a world that is fallen and imperfect. We don't always make good choices. Should we condemn ourselves for our imperfections or shun those who are imperfect? Should we decide the better thing to do is celebrate every choice, no matter our convictions? Do I have an answer? No. I am, as always, painfully aware of both sides of the issue and continually stuck on the fence. But I will teach my children to sing this to all their dates:
Don't think that I don't need you
Don't think I don't wanna please you
No child of mine 'll be bearing
The name of shame I've been wearing
Just in case.
This love we're contemplating
Is worth the pain of waiting
We'll only end up hating
The child we maybe creating
Love child, never meant to be
Love child, scorned by society
Love child, always second best
Love child, different from the rest
When I was younger I totally loved this song. The lyrics and the music go together so well, and as a righteous young woman I thought it would be the perfect sort of thing to bust out on any young man who tried to take advantage of me (none ever did, but I had delusions of grandeur). As I was singing along this time, I realized that during the forty years since that song was written, the concept of a "love child" has completely disappeared.
On the one hand, I think this is a good thing. No child should have to feel different or ashamed because of the choices made by her parents. I think our current cultural climate of acceptance is a very positive thing. I also always feel a little weird when commentators lament the "horrible state of the world these days", as if evils like fornication or murder were invented sometime around 1959. I've read enough pornographic seventeenth-century literature to know they're wrong. People have always been imperfect, so it's good to acknowledge and make room for those who don't fall into the conventions of society.
On the other hand, I do find it interesting that public shame has largely disappeared from our culture. I imagine that part of it is due to the fact that most of us don't live in a close-knit community anymore. A few weeks ago the New York Times magazine had an article about group therapy for marriages. One of the benefits pointed out by those who lead couples' groups was the "Puritan village effect", wherein social pressure helps mold behavior. I immediately thought of Mormon culture, where both wards and close-knit families put pressure on couples (and others) to behave. Like I said earlier, I'm not sure that reviving shame or guilt is a good thing, but I'm not sure that it's a bad thing either.
I'm not really sure this post has much of a point. It's sort of a combination of a bunch of things rolling around in my head, including the lesson we had today based on the recent talk on divorce. We live in a world that is fallen and imperfect. We don't always make good choices. Should we condemn ourselves for our imperfections or shun those who are imperfect? Should we decide the better thing to do is celebrate every choice, no matter our convictions? Do I have an answer? No. I am, as always, painfully aware of both sides of the issue and continually stuck on the fence. But I will teach my children to sing this to all their dates:
Don't think that I don't need you
Don't think I don't wanna please you
No child of mine 'll be bearing
The name of shame I've been wearing
Just in case.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sudden Opportunity
Last year when we were moving to Seattle I applied for a position as an apartment manager. I interviewed over the phone, but the timing didn't work out well and we didn't get the job. Then a month or so ago I was looking at jobs in craigslist and noticed the same company looking for a manager. I submitted my resume and got a phone call a few weeks ago. That opportunity didn't work out either, but I just got a phone call from the guy wondering if we're available for another complex. We're meeting with him tomorrow to take a look at the apartment and to do a in-person interview. I have mixed feelings about this:
First of all, our location here in student housing is fabulous. Mr. Fob can quickly walk to school, we can walk to the grocery store and other places, and we are right next to the bike trail for exercising. Plus I love our little community and the playground right outside our door. Our rent really isn't very high for Seattle and especially not for our location. I've also finally started feeling comfortable in this ward and there are a lot of people I would miss here.
On the other hand, free rent is not a bad thing. The other apartment has more square feet (it is still two bedrooms) and includes covered parking. We drove over there tonight and took a look. I don't like the fact that there is no balcony or private outdoor space, but there is a teeny bit of yard in the front of the complex. The building is also newer so we have a high chance of getting a dishwasher and carpet that isn't brown and thirty years old. Those would be novelties for us. We would actually have a bit more privacy than we do here, though I think I would be paranoid about the windows and small children. Also, Mr. Fob would have to ride the bus to school and that would probably take nearly an hour. But he wouldn't have to get a job so he'd only need to go two or three days a week.
It's so hard to make decisions. The actual work of managing apartments is not my idea of a dream job. I'm not usually very outgoing and I'm not sure I feel like cleaning up other people's messes. On the other hand, my last four months of job searching have been frustrating and fruitless. We only have a year of school left, so if it's horrible we have an end date in mind. Depending on the scheduling, I could probably still work in a teaching gig if something ever works out. We're meeting with the guy tomorrow afternoon, so I'm already praying to know if this is a good thing for us or not. Oh, and I didn't tell the guy we're leaving next Thursday for ten days in Hawaii. I hope that he needs someone so badly that he'll work around that. If not than it's back to more submitting my resume in the vain hope that someone out there cares.
First of all, our location here in student housing is fabulous. Mr. Fob can quickly walk to school, we can walk to the grocery store and other places, and we are right next to the bike trail for exercising. Plus I love our little community and the playground right outside our door. Our rent really isn't very high for Seattle and especially not for our location. I've also finally started feeling comfortable in this ward and there are a lot of people I would miss here.
On the other hand, free rent is not a bad thing. The other apartment has more square feet (it is still two bedrooms) and includes covered parking. We drove over there tonight and took a look. I don't like the fact that there is no balcony or private outdoor space, but there is a teeny bit of yard in the front of the complex. The building is also newer so we have a high chance of getting a dishwasher and carpet that isn't brown and thirty years old. Those would be novelties for us. We would actually have a bit more privacy than we do here, though I think I would be paranoid about the windows and small children. Also, Mr. Fob would have to ride the bus to school and that would probably take nearly an hour. But he wouldn't have to get a job so he'd only need to go two or three days a week.
It's so hard to make decisions. The actual work of managing apartments is not my idea of a dream job. I'm not usually very outgoing and I'm not sure I feel like cleaning up other people's messes. On the other hand, my last four months of job searching have been frustrating and fruitless. We only have a year of school left, so if it's horrible we have an end date in mind. Depending on the scheduling, I could probably still work in a teaching gig if something ever works out. We're meeting with the guy tomorrow afternoon, so I'm already praying to know if this is a good thing for us or not. Oh, and I didn't tell the guy we're leaving next Thursday for ten days in Hawaii. I hope that he needs someone so badly that he'll work around that. If not than it's back to more submitting my resume in the vain hope that someone out there cares.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Notes from the Trip
1. Fifteen hours in the car is a really, really long time.
2. Jerome, Idaho smells like cow poop.
3. Jerome, Idaho also had one of the nicest McDonald's cashiers I've ever met.
4. S-Boogie only wants to eat at McDonalds because they have a playground. I'm willing to let her since she spent eleven hours in the car before getting there.
5. You really shouldn't say "what the hell" during the solemn procession at BYU graduation. Especially not when you're standing in the front row just a short distance away from the dean and all the faculty. Thankfully they didn't hear me and the Marriott Center didn't fall down around me.
6. We really shouldn't have ordered the medium-sized guava cake.
7. Blog parties are fun and it's cool to meet so many people in person.
8. Even though I'm morally opposed to video game systems, I think I want a Wii.
9. I'm getting too old to stay up until 2:30. My body is programed to wake up at 7:30 no matter what. So are my children.
10. The children's museum at the Gateway is a lot of fun. It's nice to have kids that are getting big enough to play on their own, and it's extra nice when they have cousins to play with.
11. The one time you don't bring extra clothes is the one time your child will have an accident. Of course it will also happen in the upscale mall and you'll be forced to pay for overpriced Gap panties. At least we got a cute skirt on sale.
12. Scot and his husband have adorable children, and it was very nice to meet them in person and share dinner. I know it can be somewhat scary to meet people for the first time after only having cyber interaction so I appreciate their willingness to meet us.
13. S-Boogie needs an older sibling. She and her cousin M played for hours.
14. One week is not long enough to visit family.
15. I felt a little homesick when we left Utah. I think it was partially because we didn't eat at Burgers Supreme or at Thai Chili Garden. But it was mostly because we know so many cool people there.
16. Utah is hot and brown. So is Idaho, eastern Oregon, and southeastern Washington.
17. Little Dude really hates being in the car. He vents his anger by shrieking and destroying board books.
18. Dairy Queen is much tastier for dinner than McDonalds.
19. I'm glad to be home.
2. Jerome, Idaho smells like cow poop.
3. Jerome, Idaho also had one of the nicest McDonald's cashiers I've ever met.
4. S-Boogie only wants to eat at McDonalds because they have a playground. I'm willing to let her since she spent eleven hours in the car before getting there.
5. You really shouldn't say "what the hell" during the solemn procession at BYU graduation. Especially not when you're standing in the front row just a short distance away from the dean and all the faculty. Thankfully they didn't hear me and the Marriott Center didn't fall down around me.
6. We really shouldn't have ordered the medium-sized guava cake.
7. Blog parties are fun and it's cool to meet so many people in person.
8. Even though I'm morally opposed to video game systems, I think I want a Wii.
9. I'm getting too old to stay up until 2:30. My body is programed to wake up at 7:30 no matter what. So are my children.
10. The children's museum at the Gateway is a lot of fun. It's nice to have kids that are getting big enough to play on their own, and it's extra nice when they have cousins to play with.
11. The one time you don't bring extra clothes is the one time your child will have an accident. Of course it will also happen in the upscale mall and you'll be forced to pay for overpriced Gap panties. At least we got a cute skirt on sale.
12. Scot and his husband have adorable children, and it was very nice to meet them in person and share dinner. I know it can be somewhat scary to meet people for the first time after only having cyber interaction so I appreciate their willingness to meet us.
13. S-Boogie needs an older sibling. She and her cousin M played for hours.
14. One week is not long enough to visit family.
15. I felt a little homesick when we left Utah. I think it was partially because we didn't eat at Burgers Supreme or at Thai Chili Garden. But it was mostly because we know so many cool people there.
16. Utah is hot and brown. So is Idaho, eastern Oregon, and southeastern Washington.
17. Little Dude really hates being in the car. He vents his anger by shrieking and destroying board books.
18. Dairy Queen is much tastier for dinner than McDonalds.
19. I'm glad to be home.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Cougar Club
Yesterday afternoon Mr. Fob and I left the kids with their aunties and cousins and escaped by ourselves to Provo. As we were driving down to campus to retrieve my cap and gown, Mr. Fob turned to me and asked "Do you want to join the Cougar Club?" Apparently he had seen some sort of advertisement, but for some reason the first thing that popped into my mind was something along the lines of the "Mile High Club". And, no, I really don't feel like joining the Cougar Club. Especially since I'd rather stay out of Police Beat.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
On our way
Even though it's eleven o'clock and my sleeping pill is starting to kick in, I thought I'd write a quick little post to say goodbye before we head to Utah. I'll probably do a little blogging from the road, but I'm trying to use this trip as a chance to hang out with family and friends in person (you're still welcome to come to the party on Saturday, just email for directions).
I had a lot of blog posts in my head over the last few days but never got around to them. I fed my children chocolate chip muffins and felt guilty about it; I accidentally crashed a birthday party with S-Boogie; I went to my bookgroup for the first time tonight. I guess I've just been busy. Like Mr. Fob said on his blog, if you're having a bad day tomorrow just remember this: at least you aren't spending fourteen hours in a car with small children.
I had a lot of blog posts in my head over the last few days but never got around to them. I fed my children chocolate chip muffins and felt guilty about it; I accidentally crashed a birthday party with S-Boogie; I went to my bookgroup for the first time tonight. I guess I've just been busy. Like Mr. Fob said on his blog, if you're having a bad day tomorrow just remember this: at least you aren't spending fourteen hours in a car with small children.
Monday, August 13, 2007
S-Boogie shares in the excitement
S-Boogie has suddenly discovered the world of drawing and has been producing some pretty cool artwork lately. Today she created a nice picture of mountains and cars driving in front of them "on the way to cousin Balinga's house". If you look closely you can even see "the mountain with a Y on it". (sorry it didn't scan very well)
Friday, August 10, 2007
Countdown to Insanity
So the weather here has remained a cool, cloudy 70 degrees for the last few weeks. That should make one wonder why I am looking forward to strapping my family in a car and driving for 15 hours straight to a place in the desert where the average temperature lately is more like 95 degrees. I am actually very excited about this trip. I will probably remain excited until somewhere between Kennewick and Boise. Then I will probably want to strap the kids to the roof. The thing is, I'm vain. I'm looking forward to dancing across the stage in the Marriott Center chanting "I am so smart. S-M-R-T". Well, not really. Because the dean would promptly withdraw his endorsement of my thesis.
So, I will be in Utah for a few days next week. We are officially having a party for anyone who feels like they want to meet us and our children. The only requirement is that you bring something to eat. The party will take place in Provo on Saturday afternoon around five o'clock. I will not tell you where it is unless you email me. If you're smart enough to find my email address, you're smart enough to come to the party. However, if you're not smart enough to avoid defacing library books that means that you're not invited.
So, I will be in Utah for a few days next week. We are officially having a party for anyone who feels like they want to meet us and our children. The only requirement is that you bring something to eat. The party will take place in Provo on Saturday afternoon around five o'clock. I will not tell you where it is unless you email me. If you're smart enough to find my email address, you're smart enough to come to the party. However, if you're not smart enough to avoid defacing library books that means that you're not invited.
Where to go, what to study
I have decided to apply for PhD programs for next year; now I just need to decide where. (I'm going to keep the ESL certification in mind in case I don't get any offers. I had thought of doing it during the next year, but it's too late to get in for fall quarter.) I am also still unsure if I want to keep doing Spanish or do Comparative Literature. At this point it's probably too late to do Comp Lit because I don't have the background preparation I need, but some places include film in their comparative literature programs. However, once you get to PhD level you usually have a bit of flexibility in what you take and what you study so Spanish is probably a good fit. We've also decided that we'd like to stay somewhere in the West, so here are some of the options I'm considering:
University of Washington: Not the strongest or most prestigious program, but it has the bonus of being the most convenient. We could even keep living in student housing.
University of Oregon: The PhD is in Romance Languages, which could be interesting. Eugene also has the bonus of being more affordable than some of the other options.
UC Berkeley: Very good, very prestigious program. Probably hard to get into. However, we have good friends living there. Of course the cost of living stinks, but I love the area.
UC Davis: A strong program and I probably have a good chance of getting in. It is, however, in Davis. Not my top choice for places to live. A few points for being somewhat more affordable.
UC Santa Barbara: They have a PhD in Film and Media Studies which sounds cool. And I love Santa Barbara. Unfortunately it also has the distinction of being one of the most expensive places to live in the entire country. Blah. And I'm not totally sure I want to do film instead of Spanish.
I'm thinking I want to apply for 3 or 4 programs, so I might just end up applying for most of these. We also have to consider the fact that Mr. Fob will need to be able to get a job. This will be more difficult in Berkeley and Seattle, since they both have library schools and therefore a high concentration of librarians. Davis and Eugene, however, might not have so many job options. Decisions, decisions.
University of Washington: Not the strongest or most prestigious program, but it has the bonus of being the most convenient. We could even keep living in student housing.
University of Oregon: The PhD is in Romance Languages, which could be interesting. Eugene also has the bonus of being more affordable than some of the other options.
UC Berkeley: Very good, very prestigious program. Probably hard to get into. However, we have good friends living there. Of course the cost of living stinks, but I love the area.
UC Davis: A strong program and I probably have a good chance of getting in. It is, however, in Davis. Not my top choice for places to live. A few points for being somewhat more affordable.
UC Santa Barbara: They have a PhD in Film and Media Studies which sounds cool. And I love Santa Barbara. Unfortunately it also has the distinction of being one of the most expensive places to live in the entire country. Blah. And I'm not totally sure I want to do film instead of Spanish.
I'm thinking I want to apply for 3 or 4 programs, so I might just end up applying for most of these. We also have to consider the fact that Mr. Fob will need to be able to get a job. This will be more difficult in Berkeley and Seattle, since they both have library schools and therefore a high concentration of librarians. Davis and Eugene, however, might not have so many job options. Decisions, decisions.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Librus Interruptus
As I mentioned, I have a tendency to be stubborn. I also don't like to leave things unfinished. One of the hardest adjustments I've made to being a parent is learning how to leave tasks unfinished, because I constantly get interrupted. I also only recently figured out that it's all right to leave a book without reading all of it. I used to read every book I picked up, even if I didn't like it. For example, at age thirteen I decided that I wanted to read every book written by Judy Blume. I'm not exactly sure why I picked her; I think it was because I had read a few of her books and liked them, and I didn't know about many other YA authors. Eventually I got to Forever, which is her controversially sexually explicit book about teenage romance. I read the whole thing, even though I didn't like it. If I stop and think about it, I can still remember some details of the story. Eww.
Now I am older and wiser and have learned that it's OK to sometimes stop reading a book. Earlier this year I read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I loved it so much that I decided to read her first novel, Housekeeping. The style was very different and I just didn't feel very connected to the characters. I stopped after a few chapters. Maybe some day I'll pick it up and try again. I also tried reading Little Children a few months ago, but it just wasn't the right time. That book is fairly sexually explicit as well, and at that point in my life it really wasn't a good thing for me to be reading. So I put it down and probably won't pick it up again any time soon. Maybe I'll watch the movie, but probably not.
So for the last few days I've been trying to read The Corrections. I'm actually enjoying it a little, but I'm realizing that I'm not in the mood for a post-modern cynical take on American family life. Especially not for six hundred pages. I have other, more interesting books on my shelf. So I'm going to put down that book and try another for a few days. Maybe I'll be back, maybe I won't.
Now I am older and wiser and have learned that it's OK to sometimes stop reading a book. Earlier this year I read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I loved it so much that I decided to read her first novel, Housekeeping. The style was very different and I just didn't feel very connected to the characters. I stopped after a few chapters. Maybe some day I'll pick it up and try again. I also tried reading Little Children a few months ago, but it just wasn't the right time. That book is fairly sexually explicit as well, and at that point in my life it really wasn't a good thing for me to be reading. So I put it down and probably won't pick it up again any time soon. Maybe I'll watch the movie, but probably not.
So for the last few days I've been trying to read The Corrections. I'm actually enjoying it a little, but I'm realizing that I'm not in the mood for a post-modern cynical take on American family life. Especially not for six hundred pages. I have other, more interesting books on my shelf. So I'm going to put down that book and try another for a few days. Maybe I'll be back, maybe I won't.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Common Sense 101
Every now and then I peruse BYU's news website, mainly for laughs. Today I noticed an article about a guy who is upset that the library is fining him $700 for highlighting in five books he checked out. First of all, I'm astounded that someone could reach the age of twenty-seven and not understand that you don't get to write in library books. Heck, S-Boogie just turned four and she knows that library books are special. Second of all, I think it's funny that the article mentions that the guy's wife told him not to do it, but he ignored her. The third thing that I found ridiculous was that they guy was complaining because he can't afford the fines since he's a "married student". OK, so my husband and I were married students for a very long time (and still are). What really bugs me at BYU though is how so many people use the fact that they are married as some sort of cop out. Like they didn't make a conscious choice to get married and to be poor during school. Um, did no one tell you that you won't be special because you're going to a university where nearly half the students are married? If you want to get married when you're 22 and still in school, fine. Just don't whine about it all the time. And if you're mature enough to get married, you're certainly mature enough to know that it is bad to write in library books.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Personality Tests
| Your Five Factor Personality Profile |
 You have low extroversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have high conscientiousness.Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life.Most things in your life are organized and planned well.But you borderline on being a total perfectionist. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness.You're generally a friendly and trusting person.But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism.You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have high neuroticism.It's easy for you to feel shaken, worried, or depressed.You often worry, and your worries prevent you from living life fully.You tend to be emotionally reactive and moody. Your either flying very high or feeling very low. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium.You are generally broad minded when it come to new things.But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it.You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue. |
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| 'What" will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
Take the Quiz here!
Who's stubborn now?
A little while ago I remarked to a friend that I considered myself to be stubborn. He expressed surprise, because my public persona is fairly self-effacing and easygoing. But inside I really am stubborn. This morning I proved my point at breakfast. We were having leftover pancakes and hash browns from last night's dinner. Little Dude expressed a desire to have some of my hash browns by pointing to my plate and shrieking. I have a low tolerance for shrieking babies and am determined to teach my children not to shriek. It worked the first time, but I'm now confronted with a non-verbal child who doesn't feel like he has other options. So I looked at him, signed "more" and asked "do you want more?". He shrieked some more. I signed "more" and so did Mr. Fob and S-Boogie. We had a battle of wills for quite a while. Every now and then he would sign "more" politely and be rewarded with a few more bites of hash browns (and lots of praise). I was pretty surprised by how long he would keep trying the shrieking route before giving up and signing. But I was more stubborn and held out for politeness. At lunch he did a great job asking politely for "more" ravioli, so I think it might be working.
PS--I've been reading a book on "gentle discipline" and they state that you shouldn't look at discipline as a chance for parents to "win" and get control of their children. So I will say that I didn't "win", but I did persuade Little Dude that politeness was in his best interest. I don't think his need to eat should win out over our family's need to retain our hearing intact. Signing is a good compromise for that, I think.
PS--I've been reading a book on "gentle discipline" and they state that you shouldn't look at discipline as a chance for parents to "win" and get control of their children. So I will say that I didn't "win", but I did persuade Little Dude that politeness was in his best interest. I don't think his need to eat should win out over our family's need to retain our hearing intact. Signing is a good compromise for that, I think.
Friday, August 03, 2007
For ladies only
My male readers should go find something else to read right now. Believe me, you will not be interested in the contents of this post. Fortunately I can get sympathy from all the ladies, because they know exactly what I'm talking about.
So last month I decided to start taking birth control pills again. Normally you should start taking them on the Sunday after starting your period, just to be in sync with your cycle. I was impatient and decided to start taking them the week before my period. I was somewhat hopeful that this would mean I could skip for a month. The first week was fine and I started to get excited that maybe I was just going to reset my body. Then during the middle of the second week my period started. As if that wasn't bad enough, my body decided to punish me by making it extra yucky. And it lasted ten days. Ten days! Things finally calmed down this last Sunday, which also marked the start of the "off week" in which I was supposed to be having a period. I was once again hopeful that my body would just skip it. But alas, I woke up yesterday to discover that my hopes were in vain. Perhaps the strategy of these pills is to make you completely undesirable for the entire month. It seems to be working.
So last month I decided to start taking birth control pills again. Normally you should start taking them on the Sunday after starting your period, just to be in sync with your cycle. I was impatient and decided to start taking them the week before my period. I was somewhat hopeful that this would mean I could skip for a month. The first week was fine and I started to get excited that maybe I was just going to reset my body. Then during the middle of the second week my period started. As if that wasn't bad enough, my body decided to punish me by making it extra yucky. And it lasted ten days. Ten days! Things finally calmed down this last Sunday, which also marked the start of the "off week" in which I was supposed to be having a period. I was once again hopeful that my body would just skip it. But alas, I woke up yesterday to discover that my hopes were in vain. Perhaps the strategy of these pills is to make you completely undesirable for the entire month. It seems to be working.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Another Option
Today my mom emailed me an article about a missionaries in Salt Lake who teach a special Sunday School class that combines ESL and basic gospel concepts for new members who are recent immigrants. I thought it sounded like a cool idea, and it tickled a thought that's been hiding in the back of my brain for a while: what about teaching ESL? I have thought of this from time to time, but never really done anything about it. I'm not sure why. I have enjoyed all my linguistics classes as well as my pedagogy ones, so I'm sure I would enjoy the curriculum to get my certification. And I would always be able to get a job, anywhere. I could even go work overseas if I wanted to. It also fulfills my inner need to "do something good". Not that teaching Spanish doesn't do that, but for some reason I feel a stronger desire to be more directly involved with those who really are struggling. I like academia, but for some reason the eliteness and esotericness of it has never sat well with me. Then again, I know at least two people who have grappled with some of the more difficult aspects of intercultural communication and have suffered emotional wounds from it.
So, Seattle U has a post-master's certification program in TESOL that would take me about a year or so to complete. The classes are geared towards working professionals and are held in the evenings. They also admit students every quarter, so I could start this January. I think I might look into this option a little more and then decide. If any of my readers have experience with ESL teaching, please let me know all about it (good, bad, whatever).
So, Seattle U has a post-master's certification program in TESOL that would take me about a year or so to complete. The classes are geared towards working professionals and are held in the evenings. They also admit students every quarter, so I could start this January. I think I might look into this option a little more and then decide. If any of my readers have experience with ESL teaching, please let me know all about it (good, bad, whatever).
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Put the blog down and walk away
Yesterday evening I totally screamed at my daughter. This may horrify those of you who don't have children, but anyone who has children will probably understand. We've been having some issues with her bothering her little brother, and I lost it after hearing him start crying for the third time in five minutes. However, my reaction really was inappropriate in proportion to her actions. Most of the anger I directed at her was really precipitated by my feelings about a thread on a blog I had been reading. I think I need to cut back on my internet activity a little.
A similar thing happened about two years ago and preceded my entry into the blogging world. When S-Boogie was about four months old I stumbled onto a bulletin board for LDS moms on a popular parenting site. I enjoyed reading and participating in the board for about a year or so. Then I started to get overwhelmed with school stuff and other things in my life. I also started to realize that my participation in the board was leaking into my life in unhealthy ways. I would start a thread or comment on a thread and then spend the rest of the day checking obsessively for responses. Usually people would ignore my comments or threads and I would end up feeling somewhat slighted at being ignored. I also found myself getting really emotionally invested in some issues and spending entire days mad at someone for their wrong thinking. It was hard to abandon the board, but I decided that it was best for me if I just walked away. I tend to get obsessed about things so it was hard to just leave it alone. But after a few months I realized that I rarely thought about the board at all and that I had truly left it behind.
Around that time I decided to start a blog because some of my friends had done it. I liked being in control of the content and I liked the fact that most of my readers stuck around because they liked me. I also have enjoyed my little blogging community that I have found with friends and friends of friends. I have no intention of giving up blogging or reading most of the blogs that I frequent. I usually use Google reader so I don't have to spend all day checking blogs for updates. Supposedly that should save me some time.
Over the last few months I have started spending too much time on the internet again. There are a number of good blogs out there that discuss issues that I find interesting. I have enjoyed reading them and the ideas have been quite intellectually stimulating. At the same time, I'm finding myself too absorbed in them to the point that it's getting unhealthy. I spend too much time stepping into my bedroom to read blogs and comments. I get too upset about things some people say or the fact that many of my comments get ignored. I think it's best for me to step out of the discussion and focus on other things right now. I have a lot on my plate as it is.
I'm also trying to improve two areas in my life that I feel are affected negatively by my use of the internet: listening and mindfulness. They are actually related--it's hard to listen to others if you are not practicing mindfulness. I have a problem with listening. I'm the person in the back of the class who always has her hand raised to say something. I think I comment every week in Relief Society. I feel self-conscious about this and I'm trying harder to focus on truly listening to and understanding others. I probably won't stop commenting in class, but I am going to try and stop spending the whole class focusing on finding a spot to interject my brilliant wisdom. That goes along with the idea of mindfulness. Part of the reason why I started spending so much time on the internet was the hours I spent feeding Little Dude or helping him go to sleep. In the first place, he's gotten too wiggly to want to sit quietly with me. The fact that he ripped the Control key off my laptop is a good sign that multitasking isn't working for us anymore. Tonight I tried sitting in the living room looking at books with him while he was winding down for bed. I think we both enjoyed the experience and I was able to really focus on him. I'm trying to improve my focus and spend more time slowing down and savoring the present. I think reducing my internet use will help with that goal as well.
So, this does not mean that I'll stop blogging here at all. I will probably keep contributing occasional posts to Northern Lights; I feel like I have a positive contribution to make there and do not feel like it is distracting to me right now. My readers won't notice a change in my behavior. Hopefully my children and my husband will.
A similar thing happened about two years ago and preceded my entry into the blogging world. When S-Boogie was about four months old I stumbled onto a bulletin board for LDS moms on a popular parenting site. I enjoyed reading and participating in the board for about a year or so. Then I started to get overwhelmed with school stuff and other things in my life. I also started to realize that my participation in the board was leaking into my life in unhealthy ways. I would start a thread or comment on a thread and then spend the rest of the day checking obsessively for responses. Usually people would ignore my comments or threads and I would end up feeling somewhat slighted at being ignored. I also found myself getting really emotionally invested in some issues and spending entire days mad at someone for their wrong thinking. It was hard to abandon the board, but I decided that it was best for me if I just walked away. I tend to get obsessed about things so it was hard to just leave it alone. But after a few months I realized that I rarely thought about the board at all and that I had truly left it behind.
Around that time I decided to start a blog because some of my friends had done it. I liked being in control of the content and I liked the fact that most of my readers stuck around because they liked me. I also have enjoyed my little blogging community that I have found with friends and friends of friends. I have no intention of giving up blogging or reading most of the blogs that I frequent. I usually use Google reader so I don't have to spend all day checking blogs for updates. Supposedly that should save me some time.
Over the last few months I have started spending too much time on the internet again. There are a number of good blogs out there that discuss issues that I find interesting. I have enjoyed reading them and the ideas have been quite intellectually stimulating. At the same time, I'm finding myself too absorbed in them to the point that it's getting unhealthy. I spend too much time stepping into my bedroom to read blogs and comments. I get too upset about things some people say or the fact that many of my comments get ignored. I think it's best for me to step out of the discussion and focus on other things right now. I have a lot on my plate as it is.
I'm also trying to improve two areas in my life that I feel are affected negatively by my use of the internet: listening and mindfulness. They are actually related--it's hard to listen to others if you are not practicing mindfulness. I have a problem with listening. I'm the person in the back of the class who always has her hand raised to say something. I think I comment every week in Relief Society. I feel self-conscious about this and I'm trying harder to focus on truly listening to and understanding others. I probably won't stop commenting in class, but I am going to try and stop spending the whole class focusing on finding a spot to interject my brilliant wisdom. That goes along with the idea of mindfulness. Part of the reason why I started spending so much time on the internet was the hours I spent feeding Little Dude or helping him go to sleep. In the first place, he's gotten too wiggly to want to sit quietly with me. The fact that he ripped the Control key off my laptop is a good sign that multitasking isn't working for us anymore. Tonight I tried sitting in the living room looking at books with him while he was winding down for bed. I think we both enjoyed the experience and I was able to really focus on him. I'm trying to improve my focus and spend more time slowing down and savoring the present. I think reducing my internet use will help with that goal as well.
So, this does not mean that I'll stop blogging here at all. I will probably keep contributing occasional posts to Northern Lights; I feel like I have a positive contribution to make there and do not feel like it is distracting to me right now. My readers won't notice a change in my behavior. Hopefully my children and my husband will.
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