Harmony's olympic aspirations

(this is at least a week late, but better late than never...)

Harmony loved watching gymnastics during the Olympics, especially "the girl in the pink leotard" (Nastia Lukins in the individual all around ). Patrick watched rhythmic gymnastics with her, and she was just or more enthralled with that. Ever since then, she's been doing flips on any bar she can find, and wierd stretch poses all over the house.

But what she really wants to do in the Olympics? Be one of the girls who carries the flowers and medals to the champions.

She'd be too young for doing gymnastics in 2016, but maybe she could be a flower carrier if it's in Chicago...

Harmony's new friend

Since the "big kids" have gone to school, the dynamics at preschool have changed. Along with that, Harmony has become one of the "biggest" kids there. She now also has a new close friend, Emi. In fact, Harmony calls her "her twin"--and she's mostly right. She and Emi were born on the same day, at the same hospital.

They've started trading names-- other day there were two of the same craft, both labeled "Emi", and to get the correct child to come to the car, I had to ask "Emi" if she was ready to leave. And this morning, Harmony insisted on wearing a dress, because Emi always wears a dress.

I'm waiting for them to be old enough to watch "Parent Trap" and propose a trade...though it would be easy to tell if they switched, since Harmony is blonde with blue eyes, and Emi has brown hair and eyes.

I remember when Harmony was born, and knowing that another little girl was born that day. I had always wondered if they would ever meet, and if they'd be friends. I guess I know the answer to that now!

Thanks, God, for friends. Bless Harmony and Emi's friendship. Help us to be good enough friends with You that we take Your name as ours and start to look more like you.

Works for me Wednesday--bickering

My kids have hit squabbling--bickering about nothing, usually something silly, resulting in tattling.

What Works for Me is a Love and Logic strategy--give them jobs. So on Saturday, as I was trying to get dinner ready and they were arguing about who-knows-what, I had Henry move the laundry (take dry clothes out of dryer and into basket; move wet clothes from washer to dryer; turn on dryer) and Harmony unloaded the dishwasher (she stacked stuff on the counter).

It was a win-win-win situation--they had something productive to do instead of bickering, the argument was dropped, and two chores got done without me having to do it :)

For more ideas, visit Works for me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer!

Praise God for miracles!

Samuel David arrived safely around 12:15 pm today, weighing in at 6 lbs, 12 oz. Both he and Jen are doing well, though Samuel is in the NICU, receiving oxygen via a CPAP (?) and being monitored for blocked intestines. However, the first round of testing shows no obvious blockages, ruptures, or air bubbles! Praise God!

The next step is a dye test tomorrow, to confirm that there isn't a blockage. The real proof, however, is in the poop...if he poops, it's proof that everything is working the way it should! So pray for poop :)

Thanks God, for the wonderous way you work. We ask for complete healing for Samuel...and poop!

Melodic Monday--Work a Miracle in my Heart by Brian Houston

We're praying for a couple of miracles today, but the biggest miracle would be a mustard seed of faith in my heart...

VERSE(1):
We are called to be prophets to this nation
To be the Word of God in every situation
Change my heart, change my heart today
Who'll be the salt if the salt should lose its flavor
Who'll be the salt if the salt should lose its flavor
Change my heart, change my heart today

BRIDGE:
Lord, loose the chains of oppression
Lord, set the captives free
Lord, fill my heart with compassion
Shine your light, shine your light
Shine your light through me

CHORUS:
Work a miracle in my heart
Work a miracle in my heart
Work a miracle in my heart
Oh, Lord, today

VERSE(2):
Lord, take all my lies, take all of my greed
Let me be a sacrifice for those who are in need
Change my heart, change my heart today
Lord, without your power it's all just good intentions
Lord, without your grace who could find redemption
Change my heart, change my heart today

BRIDGE

CHORUS

CHORUS

The dots between the two

Henry dropped his clock, and this is what it looks like now:



Somehow, it seems appropriate for right now.

Mark Harris has a song entitled "The line between the two", which says what matters is how we live between our birth and our death.

In contrast, life seems to be at the dots between the numbers. It's this wierd suspension of time, the "already and not yet." Friends who are struggling with what's happening at our church, but haven't been called anywhere else. Others who are waiting on the arrival of babies, some not in the way we want. Others wondering if their pregnancy is going to even make it.

It's hard living in the waiting...Indigo Montoya was right, "I hate waiting." I WANT to know how everything is going to work out. Will Jen's baby get to spend time bonding with mom and dad, or need to be in the NICU right away? Will the other big things we're praying for work out in what seems to be the best way (healthy, live, full term babies)?

But you know, I'm not God. It's not my place to know. And considering the number of times we're told to wait for the Lord in the Bible, it's part of the life of faith.

The challenging part is that we're not supposed to just twiddle our thumbs. We're supposed to wait:
--with expectation (Psalm 5:3)
--with strength/taking heart (Psalm 27:14)
--with hope (Psalm 33:20)
--in stillness, not fretting (Psalm 37:7)
--while keeping his way (Psalm 37:34)
--knowing God will answer (Psalm 38:15)
--quietly (Lamentations 3:26)
--eagerly (1 Corinthians 1:7)
--in God's love (Jude 1:21)

God, give us the faith to do those things as we wait for You and your perfect plan to unfold. Give us that kernel of faith we need to ask for the big things...so we ask you for some miracles tomorrow, for Jen's baby and for others we know in our hearts.

The great reunion

Tonight my major professor from grad school hosted a reunion dinner for all the students who have ever worked in his lab-- a 30 year time span. It was fun to see friends I'd spent so much time with, and cool to meet people that I had only met on paper. Some names came back quickly, others took more work. Stories of past adventures and dramas came back, clear as day, which had been long forgotten. We wondered about people who weren't there--were they busy? Didn't get the invitation?

Makes me think about an even better reunion we'll enjoy someday--what stories and adventures will we be able to recall? I hope we'll have lots of great stories of how God worked in and through us, sometimes in unexpected ways.

It also made me wonder, what can I do to make sure the people I know and love get the invitation and make time to show up?

Henry school funnies

Papers have started coming home. Some are the typical "paint the fruit to match the color word" and writing letters and numbers, but some are more creative...especially Henry's.

The one that came home on Monday was "The Weekend Report", where Henry was to draw/write about what he did that weekend. It had a light saber, a gun sighter, and something else totally unrelated to what we did over the weekend--I guess it was what he wished we'd done.

Last night's doozy was "draw something that starts with this letter" for A, B, C, and D. For A, he drew an alligator (and started writing the word--he got as far as Alli). B was a bow (surprise, surprise, C was a crocodile, and D was just a big black scribbly circle. I asked him what it was, and he said...destruction!

He's definitely a boy...

Walgreens

I've been playing the Walgreens game a little longer than the CVS one, and I used two techniques today that really worked:
1) When something that's on sale for a good price is out, ask for a raincheck.
2) Watch the expiration date on Register Rewards--the ones I used today would have expired tonight!

So here's what I got:
2 bottles of Dawn dish detergent, 0.99 eachh (raincheck from last week)
1 jar of Jif peanut butter, 1.66 (Patrick's favorite)
2 boxes of Lucky Charms, 1.99 each (kid's favorite)
1 bottle of Pert shampoo + conditioner, 3.79

Subtotal: 11.41 plus tax
Minus:
$1 off of 2 GM cereal
2x0.50 off of Dawn
0.55 off of Jiff
2.00 off Pert

Total: 7.26
Minus: $5 register rewards from the Kellogg's deal
out of pocket: 2.26
Minus: 3.79 rebate on Pert

So I "made" $1.53! Of course I spent it when I earned the $5 register rewards, but it still feels good to fork over very little money for a bunch of stuff we use and like. If you want to see other people's deals (somehow I didn't get the Skippy coupons in this weeks paper--I'll be going back for the Bertolli deal!), please visit Moneysavingmom.com

Menu Planning Monday (well, Sunday night)

I've been hit early by no sleep nights--I still have three months of pregnancy before middle of the night feedings, and insomnia has hit hard. I've been waking up between 2 and 4 am, starving; I eat something (cereal or toast with something), but then I can't go back to sleep. That plus "back to school" stuff this week makes it imperative I actually plan what we eat this week--else we'll have a week like last week (hello Mexican restaurant, Pizza Hut and Steak & Shake!) The good news is we did a freezer food exchange, so the freezer is well stocked! I've also lost my daytimer (a very bad week for that), so I'll include what's up each day:

Monday (Harmony dance at 3:30; tea for women faculty, 3:30-5)
Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwiches, grapes, milk, monster cookies
Dinner: Salad, Bean and rice enchiladas (thanks Jen!), cucumbers from the garden

Tuesday (kids to dr at 3, reception for new faculty 5-7)
Lunch: Pancakes, yogurt, peaches
Dinner: Adults will eat at the reception, I don't know what we're doing with the kids yet!

Wednesday (lunch meeting, 2 pm meeting, opening picnic at the President's)
Lunch: Hot dog, mac & cheese, carrots, apple slices
Dinner: Kids at the Little Greenhouse; whatever they serve :)

Thursday (training all morning, grad school reunion dinner, Patrick out of town)
Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, veggies, juice
Dinner: Kids at picnic with church friends???

Friday (grad school reunion, may have friends down for dinner, prep for garage sale)
Lunch: Clean out the fridge :)
Dinner: New favorite Italian sausage dish (see below), bread, salad, Cherries Jubiliee

Saturday(garage sale, students moving into apt upstairs, meet my freshman advisees)
Lunch: sandwiches, fruit, chips
Dinner: OUT!

Sunday (teach Kid's church, 15 freshmen advisees over for dinner)
Lunch: Either pack a picnic or out with friends
Dinner: Cumin lime pork tenderloin, salad, corn, stuffing, brownie sundaes

OK, I just realized how RIDICULOUS this week is. But I don't know what can go--all the school events are required, and the garage sale is to get rid of the stuff from the last set of tenants (so it needs to go before this set moves in!). I don't like weeks like this, with multiple evening events where kids aren't welcome--luckily those are a rarity. Advice and prayers are welcome, especially for sleep!

Italian Sausage Bake (variation on last Sunday's USA today recipe)
1.5 lbs italian sausage (or turkey sausage), cut into 1 inch slices
3 cups cherry tomatoes (ours are going crazy!)
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 red pepper (from our garden!)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp thyme
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
2 cans white beans (I'm blanking on their names)

Toss all ingredients except beans in a roasting pan. Bake at 425 for 45 minutes. Stir and add beans and 1/4 c of the liquid from the beans. Roast 15 more minutes.

Thankful Thursday--Gifts

Ephesians 4:7, 11-16:
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

This week I'm thankful for gifts--both spiritual and practical.
I'm thankful that Christ has given us all jobs to do--but not all the same job.
I'm thankful that the purpose of these gifts is to build up the body of Christ.
I'm thankful that someday, we'll reach unity in faith and knowledge, as well as maturity.
I'm thankful for how God has provided--He has diffused most of the "bombs" from a few weeks ago. My parents sent a birthday check that covers the IRS bill (which was lower than the amount they listed), we have a lead on a sub for me, and a couple of possibilities for childcare.
I'm thankful for the gift of my children. Six years has sure gone fast, and I know it'll only accelerate as we hit the school years.

And I'm thankful that Iris hosts Thankful Thursday!

Henry's first day of school

It went great! He was up and out of bed (instead of the usual request to snuggle for a while) as soon as his alarm went off. He ate breakfast, got dressed, and brushed his teeth without any stalling--I think that's the fastest he's ever gotten ready in the morning! We all went to the bus stop to see him off--it was 15 minutes late, but better late than early.

School itself went well--he got a "good behavior" stamp on his hand, but all he could tell us about was the bus rides, lunch, and recess :) His teacher (and the principal) called to talk about moving him to the "readers" (A&E) class, and after talking with his originally assigned teacher, we're going to try it for the rest of the week. So it should all work out!

Summertime fun--my blue tongued skinks

5 Minutes for Mom is having a Summertime Fun Photo contest. Here is my entry--Sno cone aftermath!

Wordless Wednesday

Top Ten signs Henry is a boy to the core

10. He owns four light sabers...and likes to carry them all at once.
9. He is happiest doing anything physical outside.
8. He likes to go fast and do stunts on his his scooter.
7. Transformers decorate his walls, and regularly drive by our house.
6. His volume settings are loud, louder, and loudest.
5. Perpetual motion.
4. Give him a ball and he's happy for an hour.
3. Computer games are a great occupation too.
2. He's got a chocolate box full of cicada shells
1. He's learned how to make farting noises with his armpit.

(at least he doesn't pee on the trees outside, like one little boy did at school last week!)

Happy Birthday, Henry!

I cried at back to school night...

Ugh, even though I had an "extra" year, I don't think I'm ready! But now my qualms are about the school being ready for Henry, instead of Henry being ready for school.

Last Friday noon and Monday night we met all the other people I knew with kids going to that school (it's K-1 only) at the playground to play. Three of the Wabash parents had gotten post cards from the same teacher. There is one section of "A&E" (whatever that stands for) kindergarten, and I first thought they were in that section (since it tends to be populated with "faculty brats"), except the twins from Henry's preschool got the same teacher, and I know they aren't reading or as well behaved as Henry. I was ok with the idea that he wasn't in that section--I don't really want him labeled from the get go, or for school to be a pressure situation.

But tonight it really bugged me. We met his teacher--she was nice enough and had that "good kindergarten teacher" feel. But the room was decorated in stuff I know Henry can do (letters, numbers, colors) and the other kids couldn't write their names on their own, while Henry was reading the clues on his scavenger hunt on his own ("find your locker and practice opening it," "find the bathrooms across the hall; where is the nearest water fountain?" types of things). I knew in my head that 40% of the kids in our district come in not meeting basic expectations for entering K (knowing colors, shapes, numbers to 20, letters; being able to recognize and write your name), but it wasn't "real" until I saw the difference. How in the world can a teacher keep Henry occupied while working on those things with the rest of the class?? I know it's not a competition, but it just felt unfair that he was in this cass...and pregnancy hormones on an empty stomach are never useful(it was from 5-7 and we hadn't eaten dinner yet).

Patrick had a meeting at 7, so we dropped him off at home before going to Henry's choice of dinner (McD's). I didn't know it, but he went back and talked to the teacher and principal, so he might be switched. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but I want him to have a good school experience, and this wasn't feeling like it!

The good news is that his teacher is a Christian and has kids his age. So prayers for a good experience for Henry and peace for me are appreciated :)

Melodic Monday--Yellow Bus by Justin Roberts

In honor of Henry's first day of school on Wednesday...

Listen to it by clicking here

Chorus:
Yellow Bus, you're taking too long,
You're taking too long, my yellow bus
Yellow Bus, you're taking too long,
You're taking too long, my yellow bus

Well, it's only 7:30 and I know it's kinda early
But I drank my mama's coffee and I'm feeling kinda surly

CHORUS

Well it's 7:31 and I'm feeling kinda dumb
'Cause I waited this long for you to come

CHORUS

It's 7:33 and I drank a lot of tea
And I think I gotta take a little bitty ---

CHORUS

Well it's 8 o'clock, now it's 9 o'clock,
Now it's 10, 11, 12, and 1
And you still ain't come

CHORUS

It's 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock
Now it's 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Boy you sure ain't on time

CHORUS

Well, it's dark out now and the stars are out now
And the moon is shining yellow just like you would, bus
If you were here, bus, but you're not
And I'm kinda mad about that, But I'm getting over it
And I've just one thing to say to you and that is

CHORUS

The mama ran out she began to shout
She said, "hey boy, what you doing out there?"
I said "I'm waiting for that bus you see."
She said, "you're gonna be waiting a long time, it's saturday."

CHORUS

Henry's Birthday Party recap

We celebrated Henry's birthday on Saturday. My mom and I did our cake artistry on Friday night, creating Optimus Prime. We knew we had succeeded when the other little boys recognized who it was :)

We had ten kids at the party--six girls and four boys, ranging in age from almost 3 to 9. We divided them into two teams--red and blue. Looking back, this was a better idea than Autobots vs Decepticons--no one was the "bad guys". First we played "pop the other teams' all sparks (balloons tied to their ankles). Henry was the master of this game. In general, the boys loved it, and the girls cried when their balloons were popped.


We then had a scavenger hunt to find the All Spark (a cube pinata in our case). Each team had an adult reader and ten different clues to find. The teams tied, finding the All Spark in our car ("the Mazdatron"). Then we had a relay obstacle course, with the kids safely escorting the all spark (a much smaller cube than the pinata one). They had to crawl through a carboard house, under ropes tied between two chairs (the boys did some kind of football roll), between some 5 gallon buckets, across a balance beam (4x4 set on cement blocks). Not really a win or lose game, but they liked it, and we did it twice.

Then it was pinata time. After last year's adventure in paper mache, this one was a pull one. We had everyone grab a ribbon and pull at once, so there was no waiting.


Then it was inside for cake, ice cream, and gifts. Henry was THRILLED to get Transformers, Star Wars (especially a purple light saber--he now has four), and even beter, Star Wars Transformers. The girls ended up playing in the bedroom with Harmony, while the boys played transformers in the living room.

After the formal party was done, nine of the ten kids (and their parents, thankfully) headed to the indoor pool at the high school. I think by the end of the afternoon, there were lots of very tired but happy kids :)

1 Corinthians 13 for Moms

I needed to read this today...

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love,
I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love,
my children learn cleanliness, And ­not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction,
and fault them for every mess they make,
but have not love,
my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy,"
the taxi-driver to every childhood event,
the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

All the projections I had for my house and my children
have faded away into insignificance,
And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,
dishes with missing place settings,
and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,
But the greatest of all is the Love
that permeates my relationships with my children.

-Adapted by Jim Fowler

Thankful Thursday--Hope

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

This week, like Iris, I am thankful for HOPE.

I'm thankful that we don't have to see the solution to know that God has one. He knows this child, he knows my need for a sub at work, he knows my need for good childcare for the baby. He knows how everything will play out at church, work, and home.

I'm thankful that I can be CERTAIN of that, despite my circumstances.

I'm thankful that as much tumult there is around here, I can still have hope, because "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." It's not me or my doing, but God working in, around, and through me.

I'm thankful that Henry is learning to swim--both he and Harmony have made great strides this week in swimming lessons.

I'm thankful to have great, supportive, praying friends.

I'm thankful that faith gives us this certainty.

Wordless Wednesday

Yes, that is a tomato in a tree. One of our tomatoes in a tree, to be precise. Anyone want to guess how it got there?

Back to School give a way!

5 Minutes for Mom is having a Back to School Giveaway! If you'd like the opportunity to win camera accessories, a label maker, or books (and whatever else they add between now and next Tuesday) please visit the contest.

Bargain hunting---lots of groceries for $30!

This was not my normal grocery trip for the week--we needed milk, and a few things for meals this week. (I already went and stocked up on chicken breasts ($1.99/lb) and pork loin ($1.97/lb). So while I was there, I decided to partake of some great deals...


2 boxes of Miniwheats (Patrick and Henry's favorite) $4
2 boxes of Raisin Bran @ $2 each $4
4 boxes of Nutrigrain bars @ $2.50 each $10
2 Keebler Cookies @ $2 each $4
2 boxes of Rice Crispies treats (PB& chocolate ) $3
2 Betty Crocker cookie mixes $3
2 Betty crocker frosting $3
2 BC Fruit snacks $4
1 Betty Crocker Mini Bowls $2
1 Welch's juice $2
1 Kroger Instant oatmeal brown sugar 10 pk $1.50
1 Welchs Twist Juice* $2
1 Lactaid milk w/extra calcium* $3.99
2 Kroger milk* 1/2 gallon $2.67
1 Kroger instant oatmeal (canister)* $2.39
1 Cran-grape juice* $2.49
1 Margarine* $0.86
1 pkg of fresh mozzarella (a very good price!)* $1.79
1 baking soda* $0.73
1 baking powder* $1.23
2 lbs cherries (I love cherries, and good price!)* $1.50

Total before coupons: $60.88
Minus:
2 Buy 10 get $5 off (Kellogg and BC items) -$10
-$1/2 Raisin bran (this week's Sunday coupons)
-$1/2 Nutrigrain bars (ditto)
-$1/2 Keebler cookies (ditto)
-$1/2 Rice Crispies treats (ditto)
-$1/2 -2x0.50 BC cookie mix (www.coupons.com)
-2x0.50 BC frosting (www.coupons.com)
-0.55 BC Warm Bowls
-0.50 doubled to $1 BC Fruit snacks (a couple week's ago paper)

Total after coupons: $43.88

Minus Kellogg's $10 off of 10 rebate from this week's paper: $33.88

And I used a Kroger gift card that I got in July, when they had a "buy a GC with $300, get it credited with $330" deal, so it was more like $30 of "real" money :)

The total from the things on my actual list (starred above) was $17.45, so comparatively, I spent more than sticking to my list. But the cereal and nutrigrain bars are staples around here, so getting 4 boxes of cereal and 4 boxes of bars for $4 (after coupon and rebate) was too good of a deal to pass up. The cookie mixes ended up being $0.50, cheaper than a batch of homemade (at least for the double chocolate chunk I got :)), and we'll use the frosting ($0.50 after coupon and buy 10 deal) for Henry's birthday cake. The Rice Crispie Treats and Keebler cookies were free :)

So lots of treats I wouldn't usually buy, but when an entire package is cheaper than a candy bar, it's hard to pass up.

If you want to see other bargain hunting conquests, check out www.moneysavingmom.com

Top ten Tuesday--Prayer requests

The choices today for "Top Ten" were books we've worn out or prayer requests. In the name of transparency, I'll go for the latter.

10. Healing for Jen's baby.
9. For Baby Burke to stay put, grow fast, and survive without major problems--mommy's water broke several weeks ago, and she's only 24.5 weeks.
8. For his mommy to be able to grow closer to you in a very long haul of bedrest.
7. For Henry to have a great experience in school, with a wonderful Christian teacher, peers who are good influences, and opportunities to share Christ with others.
6. For Harmony to adjust to Henry not being at school with her, and her not being the "baby" anymore (there are lots of requests for me to do things she's been able to do for a long time, like clear her dishes, dress her...)
5. For a great childcare for our baby.
4. For a replacement for me at work, so at least I have a normal load instead of an overload.
3. For a more positive attitude for me about this baby--for some reason I feel like since all the details we need to fall into place (very soon) aren't, the pregnancy isn't going to actually result in a live baby (despite all the tap dancing on my bladder right now).
2. For healing and comfort for those who have been hurt by a recent decision by our church leadership.
1. Unity in our church--for us (personally and our church) to look like Christ and point people to Him, instead of pointing at each other or things that distract us from Jesus.

No wonder life has felt heavy lately. Some weeks it's hard to figure out what the eighth through tenth items should be (usually placed in the middle of the list), but I could have kept going--for my classes, for my advisees adjusting to college life, for me to have witnessing opportunities at school this year, for colleagues, for new babies and their families adjustment period...there is just a lot going on right now.

Lord, thanks that we can bring everything to you. The list is long--but You're big. Give us vision for how (and that) You will work everything out for good.

Wrong side of the tracks, er, street

I discovered at school registration today that we live on the wrong side of the street...the east side is on one bus route, the west on a different one. Henry literally has six friends from preschool who are on the route on the west side...and we live on the east side (with no one he knows). The kicker is that I know the other route picks up at our corner, just across the street! The head of transportation said that if there is room on the other route, we can switch, but we won't know that until a couple of days into school :(

100 days

There are 100 days until my due date! Scary. I think we're still in denial about the realities of having a newborn.

Option #5 for maternity leave said no today....after this the list is pretty thin. Please pray that the one remaining possibility will say yes, even if it's just to covering my labs in November and December. As it is, it looks like I'll be teaching a heavier than average load, both fall and spring semester, and we'll be scrambling to fill in while I'm gone. I feel guilty for putting this burden on my colleagues--with both of my other children I started either phasing back in (Henry) or being completely back in (Harmony) two weeks after childbirth. I'm older now, and I really don't think I could physically handle that again.

And while you're praying, pray for a good childcare option for this baby...we're not making any progress in that area either.

You know you're an adult when...

...you make your own birthday cake (and frosting)
...you do the dishes from the birthday cake
...no one busts you for sneaking some for breakfast :)