Bryan and I started dating 16 years ago today. Some say you end up hating the things that initially attracted you to a person, but my fondness for bad jokes only seems to grow with each passing year.
10 Feb
In which David Sibley plays the role of hero
Bryan and I had the opportunity to see the film Ghost Bird at KU’s natural history museum last night. The film chronicles the reported sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the subsequent fallout from the announcement the bird had returned from extinction. It also does a brilliant job of showing the impact hope and human nature can have on science.
You can watch a trailer online, and if you have the chance, do see the full film. It’s fantastic.
7 Feb
Ava Fix
I think Ava’s eyes are starting to change a bit. They’ve always been very blue, but lately I’m noticing a bit of green. Bryan and I both have hazel/green eyes, but my dad and sister have very blue eyes. Against the green of the fabric behind her, they still look blue, but I wonder if they will stay that way. Her blond hair shows no signs of disappearing!
3 Feb
How soon we forget
While this week’s snowstorm is remarkable for Kansas, I was pretty shocked to see the photos from friends and family in Wisconsin and Iowa. Take a moment to check out The House on Hudson and Horsefarm Diaries.
I’m glad everyone is safe (and hopefully warm!).
2 Feb
The morning after
No official word on snowfall totals, but maybe somewhere between eight and 10 inches? The wind has died down, but it is COLD. Our neighbor has been out with his snowblower since very early this morning. I hope he doesn’t have any trouble thawing out.
1 Feb
Weather update
So far, we’ve had eight inches of snow, which officially makes this the largest snowstorm to hit our town in 20 years. Measuring the snowfall can’t be easy—some parts of our yard are bare, and some are covered in 24 inch drifts.
Schools and campuses—and again, the state government—are all closed tomorrow. Bryan’s company is closed until noon.
Hopefully, the snow will stop overnight, and crews will be begin clearing by morning. At that point, though, temperatures will fall to Wisconsin-like levels. That, coupled with very Kansas-like winds, could mean another couple days of very wintery weather.
Stay safe!
1 Feb
Wild winter weather
And so it begins…
After days of news coverage about the incredible weather we are supposed to have over the next few days, last night’s ice is now covered with a dusting of snow. By noon tomorrow, we may have 14 inches on top of that.
Its seems like the entire state is shutting down—schools, universities, businesses, government offices, etc. Small pharmaceutical companies are still open, so Bryan headed downtown for a few hours of work. He took the Pilot and promised to keep an eye on the weather. I hope to have him back before the blizzard picks up. (The blizzard warning took effect at 6 am today.)
I know this is not an isolated storm, so please let us know how it is where you are today.
Stay warm and safe, and if you have the luxury of a snow day, enjoy!
29 Jan
Parenting is hard, but also kind of awesome
A special edition of “Overheard,” as it pertains the previous post:
—
Olivia’s preschool teacher, Karina: “Your daughter is doing really well. She’s so sweet and well behaved, and she is very obedient.”
Me: “I’m Rebecca, Olivia’s mom.”
Karina: “I know….”
Me: “Oh! Right. Great, then.”
—
Me: “Ava, don’t you remember the conversation we had on the way to school yesterday? About no crying? No whining?”
Ava: “Mom, why don’t we just start with less crying and less whining, and we can see how that goes.”
27 Jan
Parenting is hard, part 312 of 1,290.
I think, honestly, I am good at a lot of things. Unfortunately, I am not sure parenting is one of them. Especially between the hours of 7-8 am and 5-6 pm. Not to mention bedtime…
Any tips from parents who found ways to make these parts of the day a bit easier to manage? How can I improve things for the whole household? I’d prefer to keep my job, if at all possible.
Do I say, “Nope, this the the bowl you’re using for cereal this morning, and I’m not washing the one you just had to use last night.” Or, do I sacrifice a bit of sleep and wash it up the night before? (That’s not foolproof, of course, because who really knows what bowl will be THE bowl for the day? And, obviously, this is one tiny example–the day is filled with similar scenarios.)
And really, the question is, do you work to prevent tantrums during these parts of the day, or do you just suffer through them and hope that they soon realize crying isn’t going to accomplish anything? (Anything other than causing their parents to quietly question their own sanity, I mean.)
I’ve always thought parenting was work, but it usually seems manageable. I am starting to question that, and I worry it will only get worse.
Help us, experienced parents. What can we do better?
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