What we've been up to!

Well, I finally got the MN Trip posted (a month after)! I guess our lives got busy. :)

A couple of weeks ago I told Danny that I felt we had everything into a rhythm and sort of under control. Maya was loving her new classroom, we figured out that she needed to go to bed about 45 minutes earlier and she was getting more and more used to being gentle with Finley. Finley was sleeping in 3-4 hour blocks and maintaining an easy going nature. I was keeping up with the laundry and putting the finishing touches on my prospectus. Danny was balancing work, home and a sound design gig famously! We were doing fab!

Well...I'm not going to say that we aren't doing fab anymore...things have just changed a bit. I started school last week so I am feeling a bit out of balance. Since I'm going to school that means that Fin is going to "school" too! And if I'm at school so are a bunch of other parents and thus Maya's classroom has gone from a low summery 12 to a fall size of 21. And poor Danny has 3 girls who are sort of spinning!

Really, that makes it sound a lot worse than it really is. It's just that the changes all happened at once! Maya is struggling right now at school. We think a lot of it is related to the volume/noise in the classroom. She has always been really sensitive to loud noises and we have worked to warn her or shield her from them but we can't in the new classroom. We have given her "tools" like: cover your ears, go find a quiet spot or ask a teacher for help if it gets to be too loud. If she doesn't get help right away or if the noise doesn't subside she has an emotional breakdown. In fact, starting at the end of last week and into this week she keeps telling us that she wants to go to a new school (aka a quiet school with all the same teachers and friends...just quiet).

We are thinking about getting her a some ear muffs to take to school to wear if she needs them. Can you just imagine...
Parent: "Which kid is yours?"
Us: "Um, the one wearing the ear muffs."
Parent: "Cool." (slides away without making eye contact)

Seriously though, we are working on solutions and thankfully the teachers and co-op supervisors are helping us well! I'll keep you updated.

Fin is doing well in the infant room. She only goes on Tuesday/Thursday when I teach. Last Thursday she took a bottle easily, this Tuesday she refused it. She is going for a longer day tomorrow...so we will see if being hungry enough will be enough of an incentive for her to take it! It's hard to leave her but I know that she is in good hands and I need to have some time and space to write. A big note from the last couple days is that Fin has discovered that she has HANDS!!! Yes, you heard it here first...babies have hands that they can periodically control! She is so cute in her confusion when she realizes that they are a part of her and that she can make them do things. Then she gets overwhelmed, snorts and goes back to coo'ing and ooh'ing!

Speaking of writing...I have an approved prospectus and I am off and writing a chapter. It is due on October 24th. There, I said it out loud on the blog...now you can all hold me accountable for getting it turned in! :) Teaching Acting 1, writing the diss and job searching...that's what I do during my non-family time. The academic job search is a little different. Typically, ABD'ers (all but dissertation PhDs like myself) don't apply during the fall but wait until the people who get the jobs that are posted now turn in their resignations in the late winter/early spring. By that time ABD'ers have more written and have a better idea on when we will be done. I am peaking in at the job postings just in case a perfect job is posted. Currently there are 2 of interest, both are at small liberal arts colleges much like Concordia. It will probably be a long-shot but since they are sort of my "ideal" positions I think I will get my application materials together.

Danny is trying to stay sane. He just finished his first sound design of the season, Doubt at Lord Leebrick. He is signed on for the next three productions...so no lack of work there! :) He's a rockstar...that's about all I have to say!

Well, here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few weeks. I will try and keep a little more up-to-date.

I just love the joy on Maya's face here. We were at Lone Pine (aka Pumpkin Patch) buying produce and burning energy on a Sunday morning with the Wiants.
Princess Pickle Face here! Wouldn't you just love to know what is going on in that head of hers?

The "lost" camera has been found! This was one of the pics that we thought we'd lost. Quite the poser, this one!

Seriously...need I say anything more!
A walk out at Mt. Pisgah this weekend with the Thomas Srs. Danny and Maya took to the log!