February 4

Today I was working on my grad school stuff and Aaron INSISTED on getting in my chair with me. He was so snuggly and adorable. He played his leapster all wedged into the chair next to me. I texted Chris to come up and take some pictures for us.


Then later…we fell asleep. Aaron first, and then me too.

January 3

Well, today was the end of a break in more ways than one! We went back to work after the Christmas holiday, and let’s just say…it wasn’t the smoothest day ever! Chris was moved from a trailer class to a brand new renovated classroom over the break with no time to unpack and get settled before class started today, and you can imagine how challenging it would be to teach effectively in such a situation. Not to mention many teachers had things taken to the wrong rooms, etc…and that was just a MESS! I am still feeling a bit sick as well. My back felt MUCH better today, but my cough was killing me the second half of the day and I didn’t have the ability to get water. (I am still in a trailer, you see, and will be until…the end of January or maybe Spring Break.) While I was walking from the car to my room this morning, my coffee mug spilled into my box of packets and projects belonging to my students. giant sigh. Chris and I USED to be adjoining, and now that he is back in the building, I have an empty room on side of me, so I used that to spread out all my student’s coffee soaked work. I was very fortunate to have such a spot!
Also, it was back to school for me personally as well. After an incredibly stress-free two months over the holidays, I have started a new grad school class today, HIS588, History of Religion. I am VERY much looking forward to this course content, it is just about my favorite thing to study in the world (besides Persia) and I logged in today to find that my campus (which is online) has adopted a whole new platform that seems MUCH more intuitive and user friendly. Check it out!

We are tired…going back to school is always hard, and Chris had to stay up and watch the Rams game last night (which didn’t end well) and Aaron must still be on CA time because he didn’t fall asleep until 11:30! He just kept getting out of bed over and over…and was NOT sleepy!
Well, I have a busy evening ahead. Time to get our Costco rotisserie chicken heated for dinner, chop up a Greek salad, put my roomba to work and get some grading/grad school/scrapping time in!

March 27

Spring Break Day 1

Aaron is feeling crummy again, thankfully no real fever, just LOTS of runny nose, sneezy, coughing kind of stuff. In the past day he has done a hundred times better at covering his sneezes and coughs. Here he is watching some Thomas on Sprout.

And then he snuggled with Daddy…

while I got started on my discussion board posts for the week.

While we were eating lunch, a package came for Aaron, a birthday gift from Malinda, Rick and Mady. It was the fire chief that goes with his Lego/Duplo fire station and he was really excited!

Then while I was looking out the window, I noticed Ashley left something behind while she was packing her car for her trip to Alabama…

…poor little velcro roller.

It was in the 30s this morning when we got up, and a bit windy, not exactly what you picture for Spring Break. Aaron did not take a nap, so after 1 1/2 hours of listening to him babble and call for us while I was trying to do grad school reading, I gave up and we went to play outside. It had warmed up to about 50, still windy, not exactly pleasant, but I thought I could wear him out so he would go to bed early. That never works. We had A LOT of fun outside though! We made his little climber into a fort and had snacks and read books inside.

The other highlight of the day relates to potty training. We decided to go full out underwear during this week since we aren’t traveling, or really going anywhere out of the house for extended periods. He did a great job today, even filling up his buggie potty chart for a little surprise. He did not pee in his underwear all day, but he did poop in it twice. We are really proud of him for his progress so far.

 

 

March 12

gah…I have SO much work to do this weekend…

January 27

I got an A in my class...I'm so relieved. It kicked my butt. The class I just finished, Ancient Warfare, is my third class I have taken so far towards my master's. I can only manage one at a time, and the classes are all online. My first two classes, 500 levels, were Research Methods and Historiography. I had the same professor for both, and that individual was not at all involved in the weekly discussion board posts and during my second class I realized that my professor used literally the same word for word comments on assignments from class to class. I got 100 on every single assignment in both of those classes, and I knew that was not an accurate reflection of what I was doing, because I had not been in school for 8 years and had never done work of the rigor required in a graduate level history course. I needed help, feedback, and didn't get it, and knew it was only a matter of time until I had a class with a different, more involved professor and faced a majorly painful reality check. That kind of happened in this class, Ancient Warfare, my first 600 level. The workload was MUCH more intense than my first two classes and I had a really hard time keeping up with the weekly work while still working on large research projects. My current professor provided a great deal of feedback and was very interactive during the class, so I gained a great deal from this experience and am so glad I was successful. New class, Seminar in World History, begins Monday! 3 classes down, a lot to go!

January 22

Tonight I worked on my final and got it turned in by midnight. I am very relieved to be done with this current course. I have REALLY enjoyed the content SO much, but the workload has been my hardest yet, and as I said in an earlier post, it has been really hard for me to manage everything. I went to Panera and worked there for 3 hours, which Chris suggested. It really helps for me to leave the house, because there are a million things at home I could get distracted by. I just wish Panera was open later than 9 on a Friday night! Now I get one week off of grad school before I will be starting my new class.

January 14

I am so tired, but SO relieved that paper is done, and my class, which has been really challenging, will be done on 1/24. Aaron has some new Christmas toys out on his city rug, new Duploville Fire Station and Hanny Manny's truck (which is a genius toy...get it!!!).

January 13

My Cyrus the Great paper was due at midnight, I did NOT make the deadline and turned it in at 3:30 in the morning. I have NO business seeing what 3:30 in the morning looks like...

One of Chris' students brought in some Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse temporary tattoos...Something in me didn't even want to teach Aaron the word tattoo, so Ashley and I called them "stickers for your body". He chose Squeeze and Felipe. So cute!

January 12

Chicken pesto paninis for dinner...looks good, huh? Paper due tomorrow at midnight, not even watching the premiere of Idol!!!!

January 9

PAPER ALL DAY. Here I am working on Cyrus the Great research. Yes, it's a Snuggie. Don't try to mask your jealousy. Neecers came over for a spa treatment from Cristo and we went out for girl's night sushi dinner. Then...it was back to the paper.

January 3

Working on some reading and discussion board posts for my Ancient Warfare class...MAJOR research paper coming up due next week, but for now, just a little reading on the Battle of Cannae. Double envelopment...Hannibal was a genius.