Changing up comment method

FYI: I'm allowing anyone to comment on the blog now but I'll have to review them before they post. I did this because now that my parents are in France, my mom is having a hard time posting comments.
Let's see if this works!

A different kid of keeping up with the Joneses

This week was meant to be an incredibly productive week for me. So far it has been quite productive but hardly incredibly. Given that I'm at the mercy of other people's time table for some things, it has left me with time during the day to just wait and waste.
And this has left me with some guilt about the boys. After my student teaching ended, I took a week off. My first week off in YEARS. Then I had the unfortunate job and now I'm working on my thesis. As long as I'm working either outside of the home or on my thesis, I don't feel badly about the boys being at preschool/daycare. But on days like today when I took two naps (b/c clearly I needed them--insert sarcasm here) I feel guilty that since I have the time to parent, I should be. Because I tow the line of being both a stay at home mom and a working mom, I feel like I fail my sisters in both categories. I feel like a bit of a sell out to both groups.
Then I think about some of the other mommies I know who have children the same age as mine. Many of their preschool age children are also in preschool and I feel a little less guilty. But then I remind myself that many of them have had to deal with their husbands being deployed for years and I haven't. Once again I am back to thinking that I haven't earned this time to myself.
I also think about those moms who have more than one kid and have put their older into preschool. I managed nine months of having two at home (without killing, maiming, or even hurting anyone) and I think that if it's okay for them then it should be okay for me to do the same. But there is still that tinge of guilt that I should be parenting my own children rather than letting other people do it if not absolutely necessary. I try to compensate and make myself feel better by my wearing my badge of courage that I've never had a day away from my kids--I do not count inconsolable pain from having my torso ripped open and a child sent to a separate hospital aka the toddler's delivery--as a time off.
I do fully believe that a lot of the skills both of my children have are a result of being around other children who are older and more advanced. That I wouldn't have been able to offer them single-handedly. My preschool might still have a serious (rather than mild) speech delay if he weren't in school. The toddler certainly wouldn't be the chatterbox he is now.
One way or another, I seem to be able to justify why I should have it the other way. I don't know why I even feel the need to justify--what works for my little family should be my own privilege not my issue but maybe it's the California lifestyle or a lack of self-security but I feel the need to keep up with the Joneses.

The mind of a child

As the preschooler and I sit watching one of his very favorite shows, I am reminded of a couple of thoughts I had as a child. The cartoon just showed the two main characters in a hot air balloon drifting through space and they go through a cloud.
As a child, I was a very frequent flyer. I often had enough miles to earn my own free tickets. At about age 5 or 6, I clearly remember wondering two things--if heaven is in the sky and we were flying in the sky, why couldn't I see dead people--or at least angels (no Sixth Sense stuff here). My poor mom had to explain that one to me. I remember something along the lines of heaven being higher and a belief in people's heart. However she explained it, it did placate me.
My other thought was, if clouds break apart and make rain, would it rain where ever we were flying? In my mind it stood to reason that the plane would disturb and break up the clouds so that should make it rain. Again my mom had to explain that one- something along the lines of the clouds just moved over to make room for us.
These memories make me wonder what ingenious and incorrigible questions my children will come up with to entertain me and more importantly stump me! I can already tell there will be some doosies.

If I don't toot my own horn, who will?!

I know it's totally gauche of me to be so self-congratulatory...but who cares!!!
Today has been a total red letter day!
My advisor and I had a teleconference and it looks like my Capstone committee is ready to be formed! I'm officially in the final stages of my Masters!!! She's looked at the rough draft of my prospectus and says it looks good. So I'll offically submit it by the end of the week! She's given me the go ahead to move on with the next phase of my research!
Also, based on my literature review (research of primary and secondary sources on the subject) I may be doing "ground breaking" work. If that's the case, I hope to get published which will be quite the feather in my cap when I start applying for doctoral programs in Dec! Cross your fingers for me that all my research, writing, and oral defense are done by Nov. As a full time stay at home mom, I will have completed my degree in two years if I finish by Nov 1!!!
And to boot, I just received my teaching license in the mail!!! Finally, thanks to all the hoops in the state of CA, it is official! I am a fully licensed Social Studies teacher!
So YEAH FOR ME!!!!!

One person's recalcitrance...

One of my gal pal's described her 3 year old as recalcitrant, which incidently is a word I haven't heard in ages but is absolutely terrific, and I can only say that one person's recalcitrance is another's obstinance. Everyone always talks about the terrible twos and my mother has mentioned the trusting threes but really I think it's the trying threes.
The preschooler's vocabulary has come such a long way and I can actually hold a conversation with him. However, it also means now he won't SHUT. UP. Don't get me wrong there are times when it's adorable and so funny but when it is the umpteenth time about the tracks and trains or what happened to the cars when we're at a stop light, I want to beat my heads against the windshield! But the obstinance is unreal! Yesterday, the preschooler and the DH and I all had a battle of wills.
The preschooler went into the den and touched the laptop which he knows he's not allowed to.
DH told him not to and of course he did it again. He then refused to apologize or give Daddy a hug. I backed up my DH and took the preschooler to the living room where I told him he could apologize or give up his toys and TV. Needless to say, he sat on the sofa with me for the better part of 20 mins. I kept explaining to him why what he had done wrong and that sweet little well behaved boys listen the first time they're told something and apologize when naughty. I could get him to say sorry to me and to say he loved me and the toddler. But every time I asked him if he wanted to apologize to Daddy and give him a hug, he said no! I told him the longer he refused, the longer he would go without toys and TV. After 20 mins, I got him apologizing to Daddy but out of earshot. It took a lot of prompting but finally he apologized and hugged my DH. Dear lord! This stubbornness now....oh eff! I'm really in for it. And I could have sworn that the toddler was the stubborn one. Apparently, it's both.
But what should I have expected. Anyone who knows me, or my DH for that matter, knows that stubbornness existed in this house long before either kid came along. He and I both have a stubborn streak. My mother has been described as stubborn as a mule and my dad as stubborn as a camel. They got together and got me---some crazy cousin to a dronkey (a camule or mulmel).
The tween and teen years are going to be oh so fun! Thank heavens for sports--they can go run themselves ragged, come home to do homework, and go to bed for 5 years!

Best quote I've heard in a while

My bestest gal pal said this one on the phone last night and I loved it!!!

"Who am I to judge? We all have issues, no one's lucky enough not to."

That sums it up!

I can breathe--almost

Just a quick note to let you all know, for those who already did or didn't know, that I'm well.
My surgery was successfull yesterday. I had friends drive me down and pick me up which made life much easier. The boys were wonderful; they came home and had dinner and promptly went to bed. They were even kind enough to sleep in till 6:20 this morning so I got them ready and dropped them off at school which is where they will remain until 6pm and hopefully they will be as obliging as last night.
My nose, cheeks, and teeth hurt quite a bit but my sinuses are CLEAN! No I didn't have a nose job! I had a FESS--Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery. My little deviated septum feels to be the same, so no septoplasty. I have a very stylish gause nose-drainage-catcher-thingy that I have to wear all the time and some percoset to ease the pain. I spent the night in the recliner which is where I intend to spend most of the next few days.
DH has been calling to check on me as much as possible from Stumps. He'll be home tomorrow to hopefully take care of me--I mean the kids--oh hell, I really do mean me!
Feel free to call as I am housebound for a while and rapidly getting over the Today show!