I feel like I’ve been posting a lot about birthdays and all kinds of happy. Summer really is birthday season around here and I really love birthdays. What’s not to love? Cake! Presents! Love! Parties! And that’s where all the best pictures are from, I mean apart from the 5,000 or so we’ve taken of Simon over the past year. But there has been a LOT of other things going on this summer. So in no particular order, I give you my life.
I really thought I was going to take the summer “off”. I was planning on writing some, and studying, but it was going to be low-key. The actuality is that this summer has been kicking my but in a super-productive way. I finished my second year paper / master’s thesis in May (go me!) and submitted it for publication to a pretty big name journal. I’m waiting to hear back.
In the spring my adviser (P) was invited to submit a book chapter on my research topic so I took that on. We are collaborating with some other faculty and I get to be first author. This is exciting for me, but it’s been a ton of work. I’ve been meeting with P at least once a week either at her house or on campus (2 hour commute) and sometimes both. The upside is it’s a publication. And it’s almost done. And I’m excited about it! It’s kind of rare to be happy to read something you’ve written.
While that is with the other authors for editing etc… I’m working on my final paper for coursework. It’s an Independent Study for a certificate program that I’ve just been too busy to write up for another project where I’m still collecting data. As I’m in the midst of the outline / first draft, I think it might actually end up being two papers. When I meet with the program head we will discuss what I need to turn in and if the paper should be split. I think one half is publishable – the other half is necessary for the certificate, but I don’t know outside relevance.
And at some point this summer I need to build a reading list for my qualifying exam and get my readers on board. I’ve also started tabulating data for a project I started work on two years ago and has since been sorely neglected. And eventually the things I have sent out will boomerang back for revisions and editing. School is good, but I’m really glad we took a vacation early this summer.
Simon is officially a toddler, and we’ve entered the stage where he wants what he wants when he wants it and is throwing a fit when he doesn’t get it. It would be really easy to just give him the “whatever he wants” to stop the crying, but I know that isn’t a viable long term solution. He’s going through some major transitions, and I don’t think I’m dealing as well as I could be. My temper has been short lately, the super-hot weather isn’t helping. I’m praying a lot for grace.
In all that free-time I don’t have (see school related info above) I’m trying to read up on toddler discipline. I’m a Developmental Psychologist, but theory means nothing when it comes to your own kid. I picked up Mothering Your Nursing Toddler
I also got the The No-Cry Sleep Solution books. After reading the first chapters, I don’t know that they will really work for us as Simon does sleep 8 hours most nights – it’s just when that 8 hours starts at 8 or 9, we are in for early and cranky mornings.
We are also in a big “I want mama/daddy only” phase, and yesterday Simon threw a fit when Rob dropped him off in church. And this morning he cried when we got to daycare. He was happy with his breakfast before I left, so easily distracted. But still in over six months this is the first time we’ve dealt with this.
With all the school busy and toddler “battle of the wills” (I really hope I’m winning) I need to find time to focus on being a good wife and housewife. Rob and the apartment have been neglected much in recent days. There has been the goal of “not embarrassingly dirty” when we’ve had guests – that’s all I can muster. And my poor husband – I’m sure would really like his wife back, not the harried, exhausted, cranky woman I’ve become. I’m working on it. I really am.
That’s me. What’s going on with you dear internet friends?