UNC-Chapel Hill

It's official. I think. I hope!

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Josh won't be an official student until January, but we're hoping he'll be able to work as a research assistant and take classes starting this summer.

More details will come as soon as we know them!

TV-Free

We are now a television-free household.

I'm excited about the change. It will limit the conflict that's been constant between Guy and Leo every time the set is on. It will limit what Leo gets exposed to. It will encourage me to be a better and more involved mom, instead of zoning for four hours with a book--only to get up to refill sippy cups and hand out bread and cheese.

Guy will still be allowed to use the computer during Leo's naps some days, so he'll still get to see all his favorite characters, but I'm hoping that this will SIGNIFICANTLY limit his exposure to commercials. I caught him singing a jingle the other day. A week or two ago he was endlessly repeating, "Don't get mad. Get glad!"

So we'll see how it goes. The TV is gone. We're not going to get a replacement any time in the near future. And I'm excited about this!

My favorite quotes . . .

Yesterday, I was whispering a threatened punishment to Guy to get him to behave in sacrament meeting. He looks at me and yells, "COOKIES! I WANT COOKIES!"

"Guy, that's 1." "No, mama, that's 2, that's 3, you go to time out, mama!"

"Guy, remember you need to stay in your bed." "Or mama will say NO TV, NO COMPUTER!"

In popping out of bed one morning this week. "Mama, I did stay in my bed! Now I can watch TV, please."

Praying last night.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Danke for this day,
Thank you for TV,
Thank you for computer,
Thank you for blue's clues.
Jesus Christ, amen.

These kids . . .

Yesterday.

I was tired. (Quelle surprise!)

We drove to a park 15 minutes away to enjoy the swings with friends. Guy had an accident in his car seat on the way there.

Oh, well, that's why I keep a change of clothes in the car.

As soon as we arrived home, he hustled to the bathroom, and he had another accident on the rug.

Oh, well, I have to do laundry what with the carseat cover anyway.

While I was changing Leo's diaper, Guy stuffed his pants, underwear, and socks into the toilet and shut the lid.

Oh, well. I went into my room, shut the door, and cried.

Then I got up and did laundry.

That is the extent of my memory of yesterday.

Yum

This is a vegetarian dish I can get behind! Tonight we had company and I served this for dinner. It didn't disappoint!

Serves:4

Prepare 1 cup rice in 2 cups chicken broth.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Wash 2 decent-sized zucchini. Trim off the stem. Cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out inside flesh (save it for later). Place cut side down on a baking sheet and rub lightly with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes.

Saute 1 diced onion, a few mushrooms, and some minced garlic in oil for 10 minutes or until sufficiently cooked.

Mix some of the rice with the sauteed vegetables. Fill the zucchini. Top with diced tomatoes and cheese. Bake at whatever temperature is convenient until the cheese is melted to your satisfaction (375 for 20 minutes was what I did tonight).

AMAZING. So, so yummy.

I'm going to need a little help this week

So, Guy has lost all TV and computer privileges for the rest of the week.

Good thing I have the nicest neighbor ever (Natalie, you are a SAINT! or at the very least, really really nice to me), and the weather's good. Let's hope it holds, because I'm very used to having at least a couple of hours every day while Guy is occupied with a screen and Leo is asleep.

In other news, I'm tired. My house will never be clean and tidy while the dishes are done at the same time *sigh*.

I'll just stop now

I'm not going to talk about PhD stuff much anymore. It's too crazy right now.

Josh has been corresponding back and forth with a few BYU professors who are trying to help him find a spot somewhere.

The short version is that we do not as yet have a concrete offer at St. Louis.

The longer version is just ridiculous.

The midwife didn't seem too concerned that I declined the glucose test as long as I would take it at 28 weeks. I told her I'd think about it. She couldn't give me any compelling reasons to take the test, though.

I'm very hopeful that we're being guided to the right place, the path is simply not straightforward from our point of view right now.

I'm still tired. I don't get enough sleep because the kids get up between 6 and 6:30, and Josh and I don't go to bed until 11 at the earliest. The dishes were done yesterday, but then we had company for dinner and more company for dessert. I'm an awful housekeeper most days.

I'm still my same moody self--over-the-moon with joy and excitement one moment, little black cloud the next. We're working on "moderation" over here.

Not much to say . . .

Our options are down to Cornell (we're not at the top of the wait list) and St. Louis.

It's a cloudy day. I told my midwife that I think a 16-week glucose test is stupid, and I wasn't going to take it.

I go back and forth between great days and Eeyore days.

After the midwife appointment I took the kids to McDonald's for french fries and the grimy playplace. But I forgot my book. So I ordered a sundae instead.

My life is great, and generally I feel marvelous, but I HAVE GOT TO START GETTING MORE THAN SEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP. It's really not working for me.