Pennies...

Way back when I started this blog I wrote about finding pennies and how when I found them I picked them up and said a prayer. At the time I took the amount of money I was finding to be a sign that we had done the right thing by uprooting our family so that I could work on my PhD full time and experience being a graduate assistant.

Maybe I am reading meaning in to finding pennies....but the last three times I have found pennies it has been directly after working or making some dissertation related decision. It is a bit heartening because I am hoping that things will go smoothly since I hear of so many people who run in to some sort of glitch along the way.

Crazy busy

Lots to do. The semester is ending soon. It is nice because classes that have nice deadlines and small assignments will be done. On the other hand large things like writing dissertation proposals could use more time....
I think I might be losing it a little. I have nice clean keys (hey, didn't you know that was important?) because I managed to send my key chain through the wash. I alternately tried this morning to leave something behind or to think I had (I "lost" my bag that was sitting right in front of me and then tried to walk half-way down the hallway without my coffee cup).

What is getting me through all this?

• Lots of caffeine (maybe not that much now that Jim has switched us to half-caf ...but I do have a least a cup of coffee every day and usually one Coke.)
• To-do lists (can't live without em! Can't always find them and don't always remember to look at them....but I can't live without 'em.)
• Reminding myself that some PhD friends of the family say that you don't earn a PhD....you take it. So with that in mind I keep plugging along.

Wish me luck! May my finger find the keys and the words flow from them...may important articles find my eyes....

The Classics!

I think one of the best things about being a parent is being able to share some classic movies with your children. I keep thinking of movies that the kids might enjoy. Some I have not been able to find for free or cheap way (as in I am trying to use Netflix, record it off TV, or get it from the library). I have not found Condor Man or Zorro....but I have had fun finding others. We have enjoyed Swiss Family Robinson, Snow White, and The Wizard of Oz. We watched The Great Race and Cinderella at least three times each.

I know that my favorite part about watching the movies with the kids is watching their faces and hearing them get into the movie as they watch it for the first time. The kids were chuckling out-loud at the antics of the dwarves; they were wide-eyed and cheering as the Robinsons' fought off the pirates, and they were very concerned about how Dorothy and her friends were going to get away from the witch.

I think it might be summer

Other then the prevalence of pollen around here it feels like summer. The temperatures are hitting the 80's, I had to turn on the air conditioning because I could not take the pollen coming in through the windows any more. Jim mowed the lawn for the second time this season. Doug and Andy both opted for the super short hair cuts (I wouldn't let Andy go all the way bald....). We planted some seeds we got for Christmas and some tomato plants (or if you talk to Josie she and Daddy bought "smashed potato" plants). I also got the long sleeve shirts out of the kids dressers. Now I just need to get my school work done so that my semester can truly end when the academic calendar says it should.

Group Pictures

Like duh!

I was driving along and saw a store that I thought was called WAHEDY. I thought that was a very interesting name
.
.
.
until I realized that it was a laundry mat called Wash & Dry and it was missing a few letters.....

Egg (and finger) dying

Of course I went to take pictures and the camera battery needed charging...so I used the webcam! Josie was really supposed to be in bed, but she had a nap today and ended up having trouble falling asleep.
Each child did 5 eggs a piece. Josie was very particular about her eggs and the colors she wanted. Her eggs of course came out the darkest because she was patient about waiting for them to sit in the dye for awhile. Doug went next and he breezed right through. All of his eggs are pastel colors and almost look white in the pictures because he basically put his eggs down in the dye and then pulled them out.
Andy, true to his desire for quantity and variety, wanted as many colors on each egg as possible. I also learned that my children apparently really favor the color green....

Mr. Andrew

He also looks so grown-up to me. I can hardly believe that Doug and Andy are going to kindergarten next year.

Mr. Douglas

My baby looks quite grown-up...

My little imp

We went to Portrait Innovations and despite the fact that it was a zoo on a Saturday we ended up with a good session. They did do the Spring background, but most of the pictures that we liked the best ended up being on just black or white backgrounds.
Josie, who if you ask her will tell you that mommy calls her an imp and her teacher calls her a hoot, was quite the little darling and really got in to the picture taking.