Not much is new here... just daily life which is this interesting blend of chaos and calm. I want to post about our UT vacation and our Shenandoah camping vacation for memory sake but I'll get to that on a weekend or when Marc is on call. For now, some random updates (which have taken me about a week to write!).
For inquiring minds, my "unicorn hair" has now expanded to an unholy fringe, 2 inches tall (yes, tall, as in vertical, as in straight up in the air, as in... freakish!!!) from the top of my forehead extending to about 3 inches of the left side of my hairline. At least it's growing. I still have hopes that once it gets long it will then be weighted down and merge with the rest of my hair. Until then I have lazily refrained from doing anything to it - no gel, no bobby pins... au naturel baby. It's ridiculous. I see myself in the mirror and I wonder how no one throughout the day has commented or outright laughed at me. Perhaps public civility IS back?
Pinterest.com puts facebook (and, so I would assume by hearsay, cocaine and marijuana) to shame as far as addictions go. Don't go there. Just stay far, far away I exhort you. I realized today that if I stopped pinning things (oh how quickly the English language picks up on terminology like this! "pinned it!" is now common lingo) I would actually have time to make or do the things I have pinned. You know, evolution from intent to action. I can see how this would be a good thing. Bah.
As a prelude to posting about Shenandoah I will share that we had a fantastic time. Madeleine, with the help of Marc, found and held all sorts of creatures: caterpillars, butterflies, salamanders. And we saw many deer. And we were camping in clouds - yes, clouds. And it rained. And our awesome new tent kept us dry. And we went on 3 hikes. And had french toast, pasta salad, hot dogs, delicious sandwiches, and corn on the cob. And the girls loved playing in the tent, just rolling around and "wrestling." I was surprised at how much I loved the trip. Mostly because I didn't grow up as a tent camper - more the motorhome type. And because I was worried about how the girls would sleep in the tent. They did great!!!
Did I mention that Sophie can now walk a few steps with a walker? It's awesome. And her smile is so gleaming and full of pride when she does it. She just looks up at everyone as if she knows she's hit a milestone. Her two little teeth grinning at me will make for a great Halloween look. And it melts my heart. I should also mention here that her increase of solid foods has not correlated with better sleeping through the night. Sigh. I should also mention here that I am in a rage over the pediatrician's continual concern about M and S's lack of weight gain. It's a subject I won't elaborate because it makes me so upset, but basically the girls aren't gaining weight. And who is worried about it? Not Marc. Not me. Just the pediatrician. This is going to result in one more doctor visit, after which we are cutting ties with the pediatrician - which I am really not looking forward to. She happens to be a good colleague of Marc's and brilliant. I don't know how to go about this gracefully. But I think her professional opinions and my parenting aren't meshing, so we have to split ways. Oy. In the meantime, we have put Madeleine on Pediasure and I'm keeping (er... somewhat faithfully) a dietary journal, recording everything Madeleine eats. Icecream has shown up quite a few times. I can't help it.
Madeleine says some pretty amusing things. One of the latest imaginative playtimes included the following conversation:
M: Look, Mom! A bridge! I made a bridge. {the piano bench covered in blankets} To heaven!
Me: That’s awesome. So is that where you are going?
M: Yes, I’m walking my bridge to heaven. Jesus is there. He’s waiting for me.
Me: I’m sure He is.
M: Yes, he’s praying for me. He prays for allllll the people and he’s praying for me today! He asked me to come to His heaven! ...Hi heaven! Hi Jesus! I came to you! Yes, thank you for the prayer! Look! I am happy! He prayed for me! Oh...mama, He’ll pray for you. You’re not sick anymore! See? You feel better! Bye, heaven! C’mon Jesus! Come play with me! Mom, He’s coming to play with me.
Me: That’s very nice that He is with you.
M: Look! He’s dancing! Good job, Jesus! Hold the pose... and He prays. He walks on my bridge too! ...Bye, heaven! Wait! Where’s my heaven? Oh! There she is! She is soooo beautiful!
Me: Heaven is a place, not a person, my dear. Although...
M: Sophie! My heaven! I found you!
Me: Yes, that’s right, heaven wouldn’t really be heaven without people we love.
M: Okay, go back to heaven now, Sophie {pats Sophie's butt}...
Also as a prelude to posts about my studies. I am working on a Ph.D. in public health. I have my Master's degree in public health already. Reason tells me that I should have stopped there. But since I'm on the path, let there be no regrets. I started working on my doctorate 3 months after Madeleine was born. I took classes for two years and am not at the dissertation phase. This phase seems endless. Eternity is usually a word I associate with family, temples, and joy. I do not want to associate my Ph.D. with eternity. The good news is that I have a clear schedule, a recent motivating phone call with my advisor, and supportive family and friends. With Madeleine in daycare 2 full days a week, and a swap with another friend for babysitting both my kids one afternoon a week, I feel prepared to be on a more diligent, steadfast path to DONE. And then, I will teach, for this is the ultimate goal and aspiration. Right now I am currently compiling a short policy history for the 1981 Farm Bill. I have already completed policy histories for the 1977 and 1985 Farm Bill. I'll be going all the way up through the 2008 Farm Bill. I know this is remarkably thrilling to all (none?) who read this blog, but for posterity/journaling sake I will give more details about my dissertation later.
And lastly, a quote that has inspired me to reduce my posting and pinning and fbing... "Inevitably time does "slip away." For some it simply disappears and leaves nothing. For others, when time is gone, monuments remain." It's a little daunting, but good motivation. In the same vein but even more inspiring: Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28
26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
Au revoir!
Jesus dancing? That's my favorite part of this whole post.
ReplyDeleteCute cute girls! Um, has your pediatrician seen you? It's in their genes to be tiny! Joel is the same with solids - it has not correlated with better sleeping through the night. These babies of ours... :)
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