April Showers

It's been raining off and on all day. I didn't mind staying inside all day since we've been outside a lot lately. The rainy day made it easy to do schoolwork with Nadia and make chicken-bacon bowtie bake for dinner (a dish Paul really enjoys but is not one that is quickly whipped together). I made extra to put in the freezer while I was at it! I also made some more progress with packing our suitcase. The rest of the week is supposed to be lovely so I'm sure we'll get plenty of chances to be outside and get more exercise. I'm also looking forward to the big community yard sale in Milton on Friday and Saturday. I have my list prepared of what I am hoping to find for the kids, and Cheri is going to watch Nadia and Oliver on Friday morning while Ian and I go the yard sales. I am very glad it wasn't raining like this on Saturday, as we wouldn't have gone to Knoebels in weather like we've had today! Tonight I'm planning to work on application #52 for Paul. It's for a tenure track position at the University of Cincinnati. Enjoy a few more pics from our weekend!

Opening Day!

Yesterday we made our first trip of the year to Knoebels. The weather was gorgeous (low 70's), and the kids, Paul's parents, and I had a great time. The biggest frustration of the day was that we had to wait in line for 50 minutes to get our handstamp. Thankfully we didn't have to wait much more than about five minutes for most of the rides. I guess that one long line helped us get ready for our day at the Magic Kingdom in a couple of weeks. It really feels like summer is around the corner when we start going to Knoebels! Paul met us at the pizza place on his way home from work. Speaking of the summer, a couple of days ago I signed Ian (preschool) and Nadia (Level 1) up for two weeks of swimming lessons in July. It will be Ian's first time having swimming lessons, and Nadia didn't have any since 2011 due to my bedrest last summer. I also am planning to join the pool we joined last summer. They were very gracious and refunded our membership fee last summer since we never got to go. I also started packing our suitcases today for our trip to Florida so I would know what I need to buy over the next few days. Yahoo!!

 

Today was the first time that Oliver took a decent nap in the church nursery. I think that was due in part to the fact he only slept a total of 8.5 hours last night, and I don't mean 8.5 hours straight. He took a very short afternoon nap here at home today. Hopefully he'll get back on track tonight. He took a few short naps yesterday at Knoebels and in the van, which is what I think threw him off schedule. Oliver and Ian were both napping on Pop Pop at one point at Knoebels. Evidently Pop Pop is quite comfortable to sleep on!I took lots of pictures, and I even used my new lens (that I got at Christmas) for the first time for some of the pictures. I will post some pictures in this post and save some for later this week as I'm exhausted and ready to head to bed. In addition to the prayers for Paul's job search, I'd appreciate prayers as somehow I got ringworm. I honestly thought only cats and dogs got that, and I thought it actually involved a worm of some sort. Thankfully it's a fungus not a worm. I have NO idea how I got it since I haven't had any contact with any animals recently although the kids do sometimes pet other people's dogs. Anyhow my prayer is that it won't spread anywhere else on me and that I won't give it to anyone else in the family. My spot is near the top of my rib cage so it's covered by my shirt. Oliver is the one I have to be careful of him not coming in contact with it when I nurse him in the morning. I bought some cream at CVS today, and I was told (by a PA at church) that it might take four weeks for it to go away. Not fun, but in the grand scheme of life no big deal. Paul's job search is way more important!

What a difference!

I know I've said it probably too many times, but oh how I am enjoying the nicer weather. I don't enjoy being cooped up in the winter, but I really don't enjoy being out in the cold. Being out in the sunshine and fresh air is such a delight, and getting exercise also is a boost to my spirits. For example, today I did more weeding, spread three bags of mulch, and walked the kids to and from the playground. It feels great! Our new tradition is to stop at Cheri's house on the way to the playground. If she's home and has time to join us, then she comes with us to the playground. In the picture below of Ian on the swing, you can see she's sitting on a park bench holding Oliver. I think people assume that she's their grandmother. On the way back home we always stop and say hi to Queenie (dog pictured at left). The extra time outdoors makes it a little harder to do schoolwork, but we still fit it in most days (not today). She's only four years old, and there's no rule saying she must do schoolwork five days a week at this age.

Paul found out at his interview yesterday that 45 people applied for the post doctorate position at Colgage. It was encouraging to know he was ranked in the top 3 of those 45 applicants. They are interviewing their third candidate next week so we'll have to wait a bit to find out if he was picked or not. Now he's starting to prepare his lesson demonstration (they assigned him the topic of buffers) for next Friday. I was very encouraged to see a four-year school (in WV) posted a tenure track position today! They are looking for someone to teach general and physical chemistry, which is right up Paul's alley. We would love it if they would invite him to interview there. Time will tell. If he doesn't get a job offer in the next few weeks, we are going to start submitting applications for one year full-time adjunct positions just about anywhere in the United States (the first 51 applications went to schools within a 9 hour drive of Paul's parents). If we find out next week that Paul wasn't picked to interview at Bloomsburg, then we'll put our house on the market ASAP. If he is picked to interview there, we'll wait until we find out if they offer him a job or not.

I discovered when Nadia got her first tooth how hard it was to get a good picture that showed her pearly white. I knew it would be hard the second time around. Well it's been easy this time (can you see that pearly white in the pic at left?). What a difference having a better camera makes! Paul was amazed at how much Oliver improved in his scooting around the floor abilities while he was gone. If you blink your eyes, a baby changes in some way it seems! Our next door neighbors (they moved here in early December) also have three kids (ages 7, 5, and 16 months), and the mom and I were talking yesterday about how we were in NO hurry for the third child to learn to walk (compared to being so excited about that with the first child). Oliver hasn't made any attempts to pull himself up or take a first step or anything like that, and it's fine by me. As it is, it feels like he's growing up too fast anyhow! I did promote him from a breathable bumper to the bumper that matches his crib set. When I come in to get him, I see him "talking" with the teddy bears on his bumper. Adorable!

Thankful Thursday

1. I'm thankful that Paul is interviewing at Colgate today. A post doc is definitely not his preference, but I think it might be the best case scenario because it will open up many more job possibilities in two years. I'm also thankful he has another interview lined up for next Friday, and I'm thankful the university I was at is hiring two FT chemistry adjuncts. Hopefully next week he'll receive an invitation to interview there before we head to Florida. I'm grateful for his five invitations to interview on campus thus far, and praying for a job offer in the near future. If you think of Paul, I'd appreciate prayers on his behalf. He is very discouraged.

2. It was exciting to hear Oliver say "Dad" twice yesterday! It came out of the blue as he hadn't really sounded like he was close to saying a first word prior to that. He's also really taken off with scooting around on the floor. The last few days he's been traveling a distance of several feet in a very short period of time (mostly going backwards). It seems to me that he has caught up developmentally despite having been born 2 months prematurely. PTL! It also does my heart good to see him put EVERYTHING (clothes, toys, etc.) in his mouth and chew food. I am so grateful not to have to deal with a feeding disorder again!

3. I love Nadia's voracious appetite for audio books. This week she's listening to Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, and Ben and Me (about Benjamin Franklin).

4. We're wrapping up the final (8th) Ramona book this week. I checked out Fantastic Mr. Fox (Dahl) and Chocolate Touch for our next two chapter books. Nadia is really looking forward to the chocolate one!

5. The warmer weather that has returned to our area! Yahoo! If the weather cooperates, I'm planning to take the kids to Knoebels on Saturday because the handstamps will only be $8 that day! It's a surprise! I mowed the lawn this morning while Oliver napped and the other two played outside.

6. I enjoy the sweet converations we have throughout the day. I've been reading Kisses from Katie about an American woman who went over to Uganda at the age of 18 and in addition to teaching in an orphanage also has adopted thirteen girls. Nadia was asking me questions about the book, and several hours later Nadia told me that she wanted to have one baby in her belly and then adopt lots of other children. Who knows if this will actually happen or not, but I love that she has this desire at the moment. She asked if we could adopt lots of kids, but I said that we had tried to adopt before God gave her to us, but now with three kids of our own we weren't going to adopt.

7. I enjoy the humorous things the kids say throughout the day. For example Ian handed me one of Nadia's doll's pants and asked me to put them on his stuffed animal (Curious George). After I put them on, Ian thanked me and said how handsome Curious George looked. There you have it; we have a handsome monkey in our house. :)

8. I love Edy's double fudge brownie ice cream, and I haven't had any in a long time. It was on sale at CVS recently so Paul got some on Saturday night. Yummy! Nadia declared that it's her new favorite ice cream (cookies & cream had been her favorite for years).

9. I had such a lovely time celebrating my birthday - spending time with my parents, taking Nadia to a fancy restaurant, and taking all three kids to Perkins and Red Robin.

10. Two weeks from today we should be in Florida! YAY! I will enjoy the vacation even more if Oliver would sleep 10 hours straight at night again. The past week he's been sleeping 8-9 hours then is up (at 4am or 5am) for about 30 minutes and then sleeps another 1-2 hours. On a rare occasion he won't go back to sleep, which means his day starts at 5am (too early!).

11. I love the blossoms on the trees and beautiful flowers - tulips, daffodills, and hyacinth. Gorgeous!

First Word!

Today Paul is headed to Hamilton, NY for his fourth interview. This one is for a two-year teaching post doctorate at Colgate with Mike Shen. They have his schedule pretty jam packed staring with a tour at 4:30 this afternoon and ending with his seminar at about the same time tomorrow. They actually had made dinner arrangements for him tomorrow as well, but he said he'd like to leave right after his seminar on his dissertation because he'll have a four hour drive home. They understood completely. They are only interviewing three people. His fifth interview will be on May 3rd at a community college in upstate NY not too far from where he's headed today. He's hoping to get at least one more invitation to interview. He found out at yesterday's interview that the pay would be less than half of the lowest salary he's been quoted elsewhere. That definitely won't work. He found out today that the place he interviewed on Friday picked someone else. A happy thing for Paul today was that while I was holding Oliver, he looked at Paul and said "Dad". He did it twice!  "Hi" was Nadia's first word. Her second was "Dada." Ian's first word was "Mama," and his second word was "Dada." Now hopefully Oliver will be like Ian and say Mama a lot sooner than Nadia did. She said many, many words before she said my name.

Another project Paul has been working on over the past five days has been Nadia's car for the Grand Prix next week. Her car is due tonight. Nadia's contribution to the project last night was painting it purple (her choice). I did the varnish last night, and I'm going to help her decorate it today.

I had my final birthday meal yesterday. Yesterday we went from the library to ballet/tap (I took the boys outside during that time) to Red Robin for dinner. Nadia and Ian shared a kid's meal (cheese pizza, fries, and apple juice), and I had a cheeseburger and fries. I shared my (free) hotfudge sundae with Nadia. Including a generous tip, our bill came to $8.03. The kids got a kick out of the person walking around in the Red Robin costume, and Ian's jaw dropped when the waiters and waitresses came over and sang a happy birthday greeting to me. Nadia smiled from ear to ear, and Oliver was a bit overwhelmed by the song. The kids were well behaved. We've had fun celebrating my birthday!

His 3rd Interview

 

 

Paul had his first in-person interview in New Jersey last month. That interview only lasted about one hour including his chemistry teaching demonstration. Last Friday Paul had his second interview. That interview lasted about five hours and included a variety of meetings (such as with the Provost) and a physics teaching demonstration. Today he's having his third in-person interview at a school about 40 minutes from our house. His first two interviews were for tenure track jobs. Today's is just for a one year full-time adjunct position.  He'll be driving up to Colgate tomorrow to interview for a two-year teaching post doc. He received his fifth invitation to interview in-person today from a community college in upstate New York (a tenure track job). They will be interviewing in May. Paul will call her back after his interview this afternoon.

 

I mailed the 50th application today as the university where I taught is hiring two FT adjuncts for next year, and their application deadline is on Monday. Paul had taken some chemistry classes there to get ready to start his MS at Bucknell, and I wanted him to personalize the cover letter accordingly. He accomplished that task this morning. All but three of Paul's phone interviews resulted in an invitation to interview on campus. The ironic thing is that of all the places that contacted him, the two he was by far the most interested in (one in PA and one in NC), they were two of the three who didn't invite him to interview on campus following the phone interview. At this point his desire is to teach locally for 1-2 years and then start a tenure track job in 2014 or 2015. If that's what happens, we will be more selective as to where we submit applications and only apply to places where we actually would like to live for a few decades. Both Paul and I agree that we'd really love it if our next move was the last move for a very long time, but who knows, we might be moving to NY this August!

 

Up until March 22, we hadn't seen any jobs available for our area so prior to that I had started packing. I've only done a tiny bit of packing over the past month, but now I am definitely not going to pack any more until I know where Paul will be teaching next year. Some of the packing will end up having  been in vain if we stay here (ex. I took apart the Christmas tree and packed it up), but some of the boxes will stay as is (such as the clothes Ian recently outgrew that I'm saving for Oliver). Up until March 22, it seemed impossible we'd be staying in this home (unless we couldn't find a buyer). I was trying to find the bright spot for the packing I already did that might have been in vain, and it hit me that I did a much more thorough purging than I typically do in the spring, and that's a good thing. Nadia is hoping we won't move because she wants to go to Sparks at the same church where she currently goes to Cubbies. Several people in my church choir have said they're praying Paul gets a local job. If we stay in the area, I might teach a class now and then as an adjunct where I had taught the past 9 years - provided I could teach an online or evening class, as my priority is definitely my three sweet kids!

 

 

Four More Years

Three years ago I wrote a list of 45 goals that I hoped to achieve before I turned 45 years old. That's only four years from now! A few more of the goals were achieved over the past year or should be achieved in the near future such as: we took the kids to a Sight and Sound production (Jonah) last June (and plan to return this June to see Noah), we plan to go to the Magic Kingdom next month, we've been to Hershey Park and Knoebels and already bought tickets to go to Sesame Place for the first time in June, and we plan to pay off Paul's undergrad school loans next month. If we can possibly afford it, I'd like to go to Hawaii next year before Oliver turns two (and thus requires the purchase of another airline ticket). That's been a dream vacation for Paul and I for years! At first we were doing really well towards my goal of going on at least 40 dates over the seven year time span, but from May 6, 2012 to April 22, 2013 we only went on one date (on December 7, 2012). Hopefully we'll start going out more regularly again as we need to go on 22 more dates over the next 4 years to achieve that goal. I had achieved the weight loss goal after having Ian, but I haven't gotten back down there yet since having Oliver. I am determined to do so in the near future!

Since I haven't reviewed my goals for 2013 since early February, I thought it was also time to look at that list again as well. I've been working on feeding Oliver solid food (#3). He still needs to figure out what do to with his tongue. He does better if I really make the food thick (add a lot of rice or oatmeal cereal to it) or give him yogurt (which he loves). He does chew when I put something like a Cheerio in his mouth.  The kids are showing some improvement with enjoying a wider variety of foods (#5), although there's still a lot of room for growth! Ian is making more and more progress with feeding himself (#6). I don't break his bagel into pieces any more at breakfast, and now I only cut his sandwich (for lunch) into fourths rather than eighths.

 

We're already on our 16th chapter book so we should have no problems achieving the goal of reading at least 25 this year (#10). The next one Nadia wants me to read to her is The Wizard of Oz.  I'm still nursing Oliver, albeit only once a day at this point (#14); the best way for me to deal with feeling like an utter failure (#39) is to just try not to think about it. We shall see if he can continue that for at least 3.5 more months. Nadia's handwriting, coloring, and cutting skills have improved a LOT over the past four months, and I recently purchased a book on teaching children to draw that I am hoping Paul will use to help Nadia with her drawing skills. I've been working with Nadia on her patterning skills (#20) during the math portion of our "school time" most mornings. We've gotten in a good pattern with Nadia's school work (#30) although I haven't been writing lesson plans yet. I have been doing some Spanish with Nadia and Ian (#31). Nadia is doing soccer now (#38)! I have been doing better with showing patience toward the kids (#40).

As mentioned, I did buy our tickets to go to Sesame Place on June 8 (#12), and our trip to Florida (#13) is just around the corner! I've still been submitting applications for Paul (#21), and I'm hoping that will draw to a close in the VERY near future. Delhi said they will hopefully let him know this week whether or not they picked him. I'm trying very hard not to get worried about his job search (#34). At Nadia's initiative she has started attending the worship service with me already (#25). I've done a really great job of purging (#29). If we find we are moving this summer, I would like for Paul to do a little purging as well (I don't dare throw away any of his stuff without his permission). If we find out we're not moving, the first thing I want him to do is hang the letters that spell Oliver's name on his bedroom wall (that we've owned since early September!).

Reading the goals periodically is helpful because I forget some of them otherwise. I didn't record any videos of the kids in March - oops! On April 13 I recorded a 2 minute video of Nadia's very first soccer game, and yesterday I recorded two videos - one of Ian singing Happy Birthday and the other of Ian and Nadia singing together. I need to take a video of Oliver this week.

Nadia and Ian made me cards and bought me some Turtles (candy) at the Dollar Store with Paul yesterday afternoon, and last night Nadia and I went on a Mommy/Daughter dinner date at a fancy restaurant in our town that gives you a free meal (up to $19.99) if you go on your actual birthday. We very rarely take the kids out to eat, but I took them to Perkins last Tuesday, my parents took the kids and I to Cracker Barrel on Saturday, and I'm planning to redeem one more free meal coupon at Red Robin tomorrow! I think they are enjoying celebrating Mommy's birthday! I'm enjoying it also as I hadn't eaten out much over the past eleven months. I ordered a grilled ham steak last night, and since it was a one pound (!) portion I brought a doggie bag home (as did Nadia) which means we get to enjoy the food again today. I splurged a bought a piece of peanut butter pie for dessert. Yummy! Including a generous tip, I paid $15 for our meals. It was very special to take Nadia to a nice restaurant for the first time in her life. I also enjoyed receiving three birthday phone calls, skyping with my brother, and reading many birthday greetings on Facebook. It was a very nice birthday!

Forty-One!

As of today I'm 41 years old. I feel incredibly blessed. My 35th birthday was really a hard one emotionally. Now six years later my arms are filled with three adorable children. Thank you, Lord! I am also very grateful for my loving husband and for the fact that he recently completed his Ph.D. and encouraged me to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. My life is full of love. It must be in the DNA of children to pick dandelions and give them to their mothers. Nadia brings me a host of weeds every day because she loves me. Yesterday the bouquet included some hyacinths from my flower bed. OOPS! My parents showed their love for me by spending 7 hours on the road to spend 21 hours up here with us. They cheered Nadia on at her second soccer game yesterday morning at 9am. I would estimate that each team scored about the same number of goals this week. The most contact Nadia had with the ball was when she did a few throw-ins. She's by no means the strongest player on the team, but I also think she's the youngest child on the team. Unlike last week when we played a team from another town, this time we played another team from our town. Our town has six U6 teams so most of the games we will be playing one of those teams, which is why our kids were wearing green over their uniforms to help distinguish between the teams since everyone had the same color uniform. 

 

My parents also watched the kids for 35 minutes at the mall so I could buy three new blouses to go with the skirts I recently bought on eBay, and they took the kids and I out to Cracker Barrel for lunch yesterday. When I came home I tried them on with the skirts. I loved one of the combinations. Definitely a "winner." I am wearing it today, and it feels GREAT to be wearing something new (or at least new to me in the case of the skirt). Today I also wore one of my new pairs of sandals for the first time (even though it's rather chilly out today) as well as necklace and earrings that Nadia gave me for Christmas. I feel very pretty, which is a great feeling considering generally I'm afraid someone is going to nominate me for the show "What not to wear" because I wear a turtleneck almost every day in the winter. One of the blouses I am going to be taking back to Sears at some point because I didn't like it when I tried it on with the skirt I had in mind for it. Being able to shop for 35 minutes without any children was definitely a treat. It meant I actually was able to enter the fitting room and try on a bunch of blouses before I picked the ones I was going to buy! It had been more than a year since I had entered a fitting room. My parents also gave me some money to buy myself a birthday pie. I am going to do that on Tuesday while Nadia is at ballet/tap. Nadia and Ian could not wait until they arrived around 8pm on Friday night. They asked me about every 5 minutes the ENTIRE day if they'd be arriving soon. Maybe I should make it a surprise next time. My parents definitely had a very enthusiastic welcoming committee upon their arrival!

 

Last year on my birthday I was pregnant and in the middle of the feeding program at Hershey with Ian. How our life has changed in the past year! Ian can now chew and eat normal foods, Oliver has brought such joy to our family the past 8.5 months, and Paul finished his Ph.D. There might be a lot of changes in our lives over the next 12 months. If the FET is successful, I will have four children by my next birthday. Paul will most likely be a professor at this time next year, and we might be living in another state. Only the Lord knows!

 

Paul very graciously fed Oliver at 4:45 this morning so that I could sleep until 6:30am. That was MUCH appreciated! He also made me an omlette for breakfast this morning, which was another special treat. Last night I was so full from the big lunch at Cracker Barrel that I just had a yogurt for dinner so I was hungry for breakfast this morning! Nadia sat with me during church, and I was thrilled that we sang one of my top five most favorite hymns this morning (Heaven Came Down). Nadia and Ian had fun opening my presents this morning. I received a waffle maker from Paul's parents, three albums to store the 11x13 photos of the kids from Paul and my sister Wendy, and a basket for the stairs from Paul. Nadia really wanted to go shopping and buy me a gift (with some of her money) so Paul is going to take her to the Dollar store this afternoon. He's also going to help Nadia and Ian make me birthday cards (at my request). The kids and I had lunch at church today, and I was thrilled that Ian fed himself a fluffernutter sandwich and a piece of chocolate cake. That never would have happened last April!

 

In general I don't feel differently in my 40's than I did in my 30's. The one exception would be that I definitely got a lot more gray (actually white) hair over the past year. I have contemplated getting my hair highlighted or something like that, but I'm going to hold off for now. I didn't picture myself having babies in my 40's, but God's timing is perfect. I will say that my age is causing me to want to do the FET sooner than later.

Thankful Thursday

1. Although Oliver was awake from 2:15-4:00am this morning, I am grateful that it was the first time in a week that he had a feeding during the night.

2. Enjoying classic movies with Nadia and Ian from the library. Over the last few days we watched Mary Poppins (49 years old). The next ones will be The Wizard of Oz (74 years old) and then A Little Princess.

3. Nadia finished listening to The Wizard of Oz and A Little Princess. She's in the middle of The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis). The next will be Peter Pan. Each of these are unabridged. Her comprehension (I ask her questions) and memory amazes me. Once we were talking about Jesus' death and resurrection, and she said, "that's just like Aslan." I was blown away that she figured out at least some of the symbolism of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on her own!

4. I've been reading Pippi Longstocking at lunch. We're all enjoying it! Next up is Ramona's World. When I've been reading Pippi, Nadia often tells me what is going to happen next because she listened to the audio version.

5. For the goodies we bought at the yard sale yesterday and the skirts I bought on eBay this week.

6. For homemade chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.

7. For Paul's upcoming interviews (tomorrow and next Thursday). He also received a third invitation today! That interview would be for a local university (not where I taught) for a one year FT adjunct position. This was very encouraging because the chair sounded very interested in Paul! He wanted to meet with Paul next week, but Paul has pushed it off until the week of the 29th in light of his interview at Colgate next week.

8. For the sweet things Ian says from time to time like "You're the best, Nadia" or "You look so beautiful, Momma." That boy can melt my heart!

9. Oliver's smiles and laughter are often the highlights of my day.

10. For the moments when Nadia and Ian are being sweet to each other. All of these pictures were taken yesterday. The one I snapped while pushing the stroller home from the park when I noticed that Ian and Nadia were holding hands.

11. For the exercise I got today while mowing the lawn for the first time this year.

12. I'm looking forward to my parents coming up to our house tomorrow night!

13. For a lovely (and very cheap) dinner at Perkins with my three little sweethearts on Tuesday night.