Easter Vacation

My little family went to Arizona over the weekend. We went to go visit my brother and his cute little brand new twin daughters. Cooper had his first easter egg hunt. He also found a new word, "Egg!"

A few random thoughts from this weekend:

1. There should be a word for the feeling you get when you're in your hotel room, and are wondering what in the world is causing that frequent but randomly spaced honking sound from outside and then you realize it is your kid playing with the locking button on your rental car keys.

2. All jelly beans should be either jelly bellies or Starburst jelly beans. All other kinds are gross.

3. Apparently "world famous" means something different in Arizona than it does here, because there were lots of world famous attractions we drove by that I have never heard of.

4. Going back to somewhere you lived a decade ago is a good way to make yourself sad when you realize how few of your memories are still there. Wow, the Mesa area has changed!

5. The Bahama Rama Mama from Bahama Buck's is still amazing though. I'm glad that memory is intact.

6. The TSA will confiscate the jars of homemade jelly your mom made you if you leave them in your carryon bag.

7. Even though it's snowing outside right now, Cooper got to run around in shorts and a t-shirt all weekend. I actually had to bring him inside at one point because he was so flushed and warm. We're sitting here in the snow, and two days ago I was worrying about heat exhaustion. Some days I do not like Idaho.

8. Arizona water still tastes nasty.

I got a phone call

Yesterday I got a phone call from the university that I applied to back in December for a one year visiting professor position. The funding has finally come through for the position, after a temporary freeze, and they want me to come to campus for an interview. I'm simultaneously excited and nauseated.

I'm wondering what all I should take with me for the interviews. They had a very limited list of what they accepted with the initial packet, so they haven't seen sample syllabi or teaching evals yet, and this is a teaching intensive university. Are they going to want to see those documents? I'm still waiting to hear back about what they want me to teach while I'm there.

And sometime in the next few weeks I need to go find an interview suit.

All in all, a good day

I went out with a friend this morning, both of us with our little boys in tow, into the four inches and counting of snow, to run errands and get both of us some much needed adult interactions. We went to lunch at my favorite restaurant, and then I came home and worked on my dissertation.

I've been wrestling with one section for about two months off and on, trying to get it to say on the paper what I think about it in my head, and I finally got it to match. Such an incredible relief. One more section of that chapter to finish, and then it's off to my committee for evaluation.

And I got word that I will have a teaching job this fall. The funding for the section I teach was up in the air due to the state budget cutbacks, but it got approved, so I will continue to have an income. Yay! Because I started pricing toddler beds, and anything that isn't made out of MDF is not cheap, and Cooper is about a week and a half from figuring out he can hook his leg over the edge of the crib and get out on his own.

Happy birthday, little man

Cooper turns two today. Two years ago right now, they were about to have an emergency intervention in the labor room. It's amazing how fast things happen when something goes wrong. Cooper's heartrate started crashing, and all of a sudden it was like a swarm of nurses and doctors magically appeared in my room. Terbuteline shot, oxygen mask, intensive monitoring for the next few hours. Everything turned out okay, though, and after 10 minutes of pushing, out popped the most beautiful little creature I had ever seen. My first words: "Hello, baby."

It's hard to believe two years have gone by. He's no longer a baby. He's a little kid. Complete with "No!" and kisses for momma and pulling a couch cushion onto the floor, laying down on it, fake snoring, and then laughing and getting up and running off to do something else.

In the last week, I've seen a glimpse of his future, some combination of



and




For today, though, I can't help but think of him like this:



Happy birthday, little man. You're going to be all grown up before I even know it.

Cooper's newest trick

Jumping off of things. Steps, couches, he doesn't care. It's amazing more kids don't end up with brain damage.

It's like he is inside my head

I have this dream on a regular basis.

Student e-mails are a source of joy.

I just had a student email me saying, "I missed class on Monday. Can you tell me what I missed? Also, what is this "Reading for Wednesday" on the class website?"

Ummm, it's the reading you need to do for Wednesday. I thought the title was self-explanatory, but no.