When you're in Microsoft Word and you're cutting and pasting from somewhere else and it decides to randomly autoformat your pasted selection and change the font. Drives me nuts!
I am preparing my IRB documents to submit for a deadline tomorrow, and I would really appreciate no more funny business from Word!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
My conclusions about guilt and parenting
Okay, despite the heading of this post, I am going to try and keep it fairly light and straightforward. Ben and I spent last weekend with his family in Portsmouth, VA, celebrating Nana's 90th birthday. It was a great time, and I think I have eaten enough cake to last me for a while. It was also great to chat with brothers- and sisters-in-law and let all the cousins play with each other (Ally is one of 5 Evans grandchildren and one of 6 Jackson great-grandchildren). After spending time with all the kids and watching them interact, I came to some conclusions.
As a mom, I have often fallen victim to "Mommy guilt." Over the past 2 years, my guilt has generally revolved around the issue of balancing the roles of working outside the home and being a mom. Is it okay that I don't want to be a full-time stay-at-home mom? Is it okay to want to attend a conference out of town for presenting research and networking? I have felt guilty for being required to teach an 8am class 3 days per week last semester and for being required to attend Doctoral Seminar in the fall which went until 5:45pm two days per week. I have wondered if being away from Ally from 8am-5pm during the week is a bad thing, and if we're going to pay for it somewhere down the road. But after this weekend, I came to some very important conclusions; some directly related to Ally and her cousins and most unrelated:
1. Guilt is self-inflicted. A person cannot "make" me feel guilty. Sure, a person can say something with the intention of inducing a guilt trip, but the decision to react with guilt is completely mine. If I have confidence in myself and my decisions, then I have no reason to feel guilty.
2. As far as I know, there is nothing in the Bible that says that a mom is absolutely never ever allowed to have a career outside the home. But rather, the choice to stay at home or work outside the home should be made prayerfully, with an open mind and heart, the willingness to be led in a direction I may have never considered, and the willingness to be flexible and understand that what I'm being called to do now may not necessarily be what I'm called to do in the future.
3. Kids' behavior is probably more related to their age, their personality, and how their parents handle them, and not because of whether one parent stays at home. We have friends and family who run the gamut here; some who stay at home full time, some who stay at home part time and some who work full time. One of my sisters-in-law stays at home full time; the other works part-time. I wouldn't say that their kids are necessarily better behaved than Ally or that Ally is necessarily better behaved than her cousins. We have friends with toddlers who are mellow and toddlers who throw temper tandrums at the drop of a hat, and their parents career/staying at home choices span both sides of the fence.
4. And when I'm feeling a moment of doubt, all I have to do is look at Ally. She is happy, sweet, laughs a lot, keeps up with her peers, easygoing, and one of the most agreeable toddlers that I know. That's my answer right there.
As a mom, I have often fallen victim to "Mommy guilt." Over the past 2 years, my guilt has generally revolved around the issue of balancing the roles of working outside the home and being a mom. Is it okay that I don't want to be a full-time stay-at-home mom? Is it okay to want to attend a conference out of town for presenting research and networking? I have felt guilty for being required to teach an 8am class 3 days per week last semester and for being required to attend Doctoral Seminar in the fall which went until 5:45pm two days per week. I have wondered if being away from Ally from 8am-5pm during the week is a bad thing, and if we're going to pay for it somewhere down the road. But after this weekend, I came to some very important conclusions; some directly related to Ally and her cousins and most unrelated:
1. Guilt is self-inflicted. A person cannot "make" me feel guilty. Sure, a person can say something with the intention of inducing a guilt trip, but the decision to react with guilt is completely mine. If I have confidence in myself and my decisions, then I have no reason to feel guilty.
2. As far as I know, there is nothing in the Bible that says that a mom is absolutely never ever allowed to have a career outside the home. But rather, the choice to stay at home or work outside the home should be made prayerfully, with an open mind and heart, the willingness to be led in a direction I may have never considered, and the willingness to be flexible and understand that what I'm being called to do now may not necessarily be what I'm called to do in the future.
3. Kids' behavior is probably more related to their age, their personality, and how their parents handle them, and not because of whether one parent stays at home. We have friends and family who run the gamut here; some who stay at home full time, some who stay at home part time and some who work full time. One of my sisters-in-law stays at home full time; the other works part-time. I wouldn't say that their kids are necessarily better behaved than Ally or that Ally is necessarily better behaved than her cousins. We have friends with toddlers who are mellow and toddlers who throw temper tandrums at the drop of a hat, and their parents career/staying at home choices span both sides of the fence.
4. And when I'm feeling a moment of doubt, all I have to do is look at Ally. She is happy, sweet, laughs a lot, keeps up with her peers, easygoing, and one of the most agreeable toddlers that I know. That's my answer right there.
Dingalings
A recent picture of us Chelsea Chimes handbell ringers, or as Fr. John calls us, the Dingalings
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Random lesson learned
Original flavor almond milk is very tasty on its own, but absolutely disgusting as a coffee creamer.
Monday, May 9, 2011
She's two!
Some pics from Ally's 2nd birthday weekend, which we celebrated with my parents and some friends from church.
Enjoying our new deck, which Ben built entirely by himself.
Ben grilling on the new deck.
Victoria with Elaina and Ally.
Ally and Elaina, with Rebecca and Kate in the background.
I made birthday cake cones, which were enjoyed by all.
Ally, Grandma, and Grandpa.
Ally, Ben, and me.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dissertation proposal-APPROVED
This morning, I successfully presented the proposal of my dissertation project. My committee made a few suggestions but no major revisions. They have now signed off on it, and now the real fun begins!
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