Butter Me Up

So, I'm multi-tasking, talking on the phone to my BFF, letting Animal have some yogurt as her snack before bed, trying to clean up the table from dinner. I have to use the bathroom, as the baby has decided to plant himself directly on my bladder 24/7 now, so I run to use it while talking on the phone. Classy, I know. But it's Jessica. She doesn't care. (Do you?) I left Animal with my husband's back to her. I made blueberry pancakes for dinner-what better on a cold snowy night than a breakfast dinner, right? Well, I hadn't cleaned Animal's tray from dinner, so I pulled her up to the table for her snack. Risky on its own because she likes to push off with her feet and try to tip herself backwards. My kid, alright. But this was a whole other risk she took that I found upon returning to the dining room. She had pulled the butter dish up to her place at the table, with the now-soft butter stick in it, stuck both hands in it and now grinned at me looking all sorts of guilty with eight of her ten fingers in her mouth. The butter is now sculpted with deep finger holes in it and she proceeds to wipe the butter she hasn't consumed all over her face. Smiling. My kid, alright. Sorry, Jessica, for having to go so quickly. I feared the hair-smearing was next.

Come Downstairs and Say Hello

That last post about Millie sleeping. Complete anomoly. She's been back to her old ways. Someday I will be strong enough to break her. Not tonight, I can tell you that.

Exam #3 down. The question was fantastic and thought-provoking, but couldn't be answered by the readings I chose. I had to dig through my dusty brain and revive stuff I haven't thought about in 15 years. Not a bad thing, but not the point. It was nonetheless a great exercise.

I heard about the job. Can't give details at the moment, but with all the rigamarole I am going through, you'd think I was being considered for National Security Advisor. And, trust me, I'm not. Especially not for the horrifying, insulting salary they are considering offering me. The stress of it all is killing me.

The spell check is not working on my blogger tool box. I apologize for the many mistakes that are inevitable in my posts. For someone who was reading at age 3, I mystify my mother with my complete lack of spelling ability. Between my woefully pathetic inadequacy and my painful shyness, I'd throw my first word during school spelling bees just so I could sit down and my stomach could stop hurting from the stress of it all. Sad.

Must go cram for my next exam. I had about 5 things I wanted to blog about and they are all gone from my head.

Night Moves (or lack thereof)

Animal gave me the best give ever on her 17 month birthday last night. She slept for 8 1/2 hours without so much as a peep. That's a first, I'm sad to admit. It's the first time I have had 7 hours on virtually uninterrupted sleep in over 17 months. I feel like a new woman. Thank you, God. Thank you, Animal. Man, I needed that.

Animal loves her aquarium:

Another One Bites the Dust

Exam #2 over. It was another good question, albeit complicated. Damned them for making me think! I fear the last two topics-method and theory based. What do you mean I have to APPLY my knowledge??? Come on!!! Next week's is written by an old prof of mine who made it his life's work to trigger panic and crying in his students. Once I graduated, he was like a different person to me. But, he's still a giant ball buster, so I'm a wee bit nervous about what he will come up with to torture me. Plus, he's retired and basking in the Puerto Rican sun with time on his way-too-smart hands to craft a killer question. I say: Bring IT. Right. Ask me again next Wednesday morning after I am in the fetal position in the corner of the living room clutching Animal's Elmo blanket.

I finished my exam last night at 1:00 despite American Idol. Our downstairs neighbors, who are living under some pretty cramped, stressed and unfortunate circumstances, apparently tape American Idol on Tuesday nights and spend the ENTIRE next day replaying it at a volume that would stiffle a steam train. Last week was bad enough. Yesterday (oh, and last night for hours), it was freaking Bryan Adams' Everything I Do OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I love my Canadian boys, but he's the exception to that rule. And that song. It makes me want to slit a vein wide open just to have an excuse to get away. Oh, and then there's the lounge singer version of Light My Fire. Good God, are there no limits to decency? Apparently not. I almost put in the Elmo Start Moving DVD to drown it out. THAT'S desperation.

On the phenomenal side, Animal stayed in her crib with minimal outbursts until 4:45 this morning! Our alarm goes off at 5:00, so that's about the time she usually starts stirring anyway. Thank the good Lord. I pray it's a trend. I always say that and it never comes to fruition, but a girl can hope.

On another upside, Lost is on tonight. We are obsessed with it. It's a sickness, really. I MUST know who the other three Oceanic Six are. There's no rest until I know. And was it Sawyer in the coffin?

Well, I should go prep to teach today. Religion and Magic. Something that should be taught over the course of an entire semester, not in one 1-hour lecture. Enjoy the day.

Wordless Wednesday 2 13 08

My grandpa (the tow headed one standing behind his parents and little sister Aili) would have been 90 years old tomorrow. For him, a picture on today's not-so-wordless Wednesday.

A Change is Coming

It's a great day in American politics. Go Obama.

Exam #2 starts in an hour and a half. Must prepare. Or spaz. Or both.

Happy birthday to Jessica (http://jessica213.blogspot.com/) today. She's looking mighty fine for 24. Shout out to you, my friend. Here's to a great year.

Open All Night

PhD exam #1 down. Four to go. Good God, I'm old. And a mom. And old. Did I mention old? I can't imagine how people do five in a row, like most do. One multi-part question, 24-hours to write a 15 to 20 page paper based on a million readings you choose. Email it in, get the next question, do it all over again. For five days. I can barely type at the moment. I couldn't do it all over again today and then again for three days after this. No freaking way. Once a week will do, thank you very much. I am stoked to get them done. Man, oh man, they have been hanging over my head for way too long.

I have to teach in a few hours. Ironically, for someone who can't form a sentence, today's lecture is on communication and language in anthropology. Ha. Those poor students.

I got a request from the interviewer for past salary information. Does that mean what I hope it might? Or do they just want a good laugh?

I had about 5 things I wanted to blog about and now they are gone from my head. Maybe if I shut my eyes, they'll come back to me. Or I'll sleep through my class.

Cuts Like a Knife

Ah, bullet lists. I love them. Allow me to outline my life at the risk of boring my last few readers to a slow death.

• Animal's surgery went smashingly. I'm not sure what kid I brought with me to the hospital. She was charming and pleasant beforehand, which is totally like her. I was warned by people with very docile children that coming out of anesthesia, sweet, quiet children can be angrier than a wet hornet. I was prepared for screaming, calling in of the special team with the multiple-strap jackets, spirit possession. She woke up with the recovery nurse, stuck her fingers in her own mouth and her hand down the angelic nurse's shirt, like she does with me. God bless this woman who moved her ID and jewelry out of the way and let Animal have at it. She came to me with no tears and within 10 minutes looked for her sippy cup. Within 45 minutes we were out the door. Shout out to Connecticut Children's Medical Center. The whole thing was seamless. Absolutely seamless. Sitting in the waiting room before we went in, looking around at very sick kids, kids that were obviously comfortable there because of frequent visits made me thank God that Animal is as healthy as she is. It broke my heart.


• Okay, that huge paragraph was not bullet-worthy. It looks like my power point slides my students bitch about.


• My husband and Animal both managed to avoid the puke flu I had. I, however, have continued to get sick for over a week now. I just ate lunch. We'll see how that goes.


• I start my PhD exams this Wednesday. Think of me and my pregnancy brain. And child who doesn't sleep. And husband who has to deal with it all.


• The man I interviewed with for the last open position I applied for is checking my references. He was on the phone with my advisor/boss for over 45 minutes. I have been hyperventilating ever since I found out.


• My girl is getting so big. She was watching a cat out the window this morning with my husband and said "meow, come here." Brilliant, if I do say so myself. And, pretty to boot:

Back to work. So much to do, so little time. Please send me good organizational and compositional thoughts about 4:00 a.m. Wednesday night/Thursday morning as I'm scrambling to finish exam #1.