Mom as Student

In the past, I have been observed in some absurd conflations of my life as student and my life as Mom. Seen here:


(My favorite part is the stuffed monkey I am employing as a head rest)

Today, I found myself with another strange study position: the pregnant belly as book prop. I tried to use Photobooth to document the method:




If you can see from the picture, I am currently using my belly to balance my books on, and as leverage for writing and taking notes in margins (I'm a big believer in marginalia, which means Coleman and I rarely, rarely share books!). The funniest part about it, though, is that I hadn't really noticed I was doing it until I was trying to write a margin note and Smalls kicked so hard that the book jumped and I smeared what I was writing.

The picture may look a little odd, but it's an odd I like. I like that my life is filled (to the brim!) with work both for my mind and my body. I don't always remember it, but I am truly lucky to have both of these things. I have a life that is filled with awe and wonder at the truths I get to spend my time reading and thinking and writing and praying about. And I have a life filled with awe and wonder both at the amazing child I get to watch growing daily in front of me and the miraculous child I get to feel growing daily inside me.

God is so very, very good.

Things that have come out of my daughter's mouth lately that make me think I'm getting my money's worth at her school...and that's saying a lot!

Around the new year:
Me: "Yes, Ms. Susan (one of her teachers) is going to be gone for awhile. She is visiting her family. You don't have to go very far to visit your family, but Ms. Susan has to go a loong, loong way. She's very far away right now. Very far."
Cora: "Yes, in the Vellapeens." (aka, the Philippines)

A few weeks ago:
"Look at that stop sign. It's an octagon."
and
"Soon we will go to Salado and we will look for the blue heron and we will throw rocks in Salado creek. The big rocks make a big sound - splash! - and the baby rocks make a tiny sound - bloop. And there's river hair." (aka, moss...that's my dad's fault there)

Two weeks ago in the tub:
Me: "And where does honey come from?"
Cora: "From the bees. And the nec-tar."
The child is two and a half and knows what nectar is. Love it!

Last week:
"Look Mommy, there is no more paint [nail polish] on my index fingers."
and
"I can spell red. R-E-D. I can spell green. G-R-E-E-N."

Last night in the tub:
Me: "Look at those capsules. Something is happening to them!"
Cora: (looks up incredulously) "They're dissolving, Mommy."

Duh.

Today:
"I choose that one [the sunflower sticker]. It's a sunflower. I think it's pretty because it looks like the sun. That one is a rose, but I like the sunflower."

Good grief. I think I will forbid her from growing up any faster. That should work.

I'm back...???

Yes, I know I've been on a VERY LONG hiatus. And I probably won't be posting much or often here, but I'm trying.

I'm in no way going to attempt to play catch up over the last, oh, two years, but I'll just jump in midstream and try to do what I can.

And that's about all I can manage. I'm sure you all understand.