It seems like I'm always almost somewhere. Almost done with a bike ride, a term paper, a quiz, a tutoring job, cleaning up after the kids for the 37th time in a day, etc. Sometimes I think there is a real danger in never arriving and when I think about it much, I want to drop out of school and get a job already... seriously, this is ridiculous. At the same time I see people around me finishing and getting jobs. It is possible. But even when (if) I "finish" school and get a job (hopefully) I won't be finished. Whether I stick with the PhD program or not, there will always be something else that needs to be done, dishes will need washing, my body will need to be exercised, I will have to grade more papers, prepare another class, get milk, wash the toilet, Death Stars will need to be exploded, etc. It seems we are perpetually in a state of "almost there". I just hope that whenever finishing time comes, whatever that may be, I'm not still "almost there."
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
"Sudden Light" Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882)
In the prologue to this book...
...Borges cites this poem. I rather like it. Sudden Light
I have been here before,
But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.
But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.
You have been mine before –
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow’s soar
Your neck turned so,
Some veil did fall, – I knew it all of yore.
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow’s soar
Your neck turned so,
Some veil did fall, – I knew it all of yore.
Has this been thus before?
And shall not thus time’s eddying flight
Still with our lives our love restore
In death’s despite,
And day and night yield one delight once more?
And shall not thus time’s eddying flight
Still with our lives our love restore
In death’s despite,
And day and night yield one delight once more?
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Bed Time
Recently because some changes in our schedule, I've had the opportunity to put the kids to bed all by my lonesome a couple nights each week. In the process I've been reminded just how much I love bed time. When we just had the girls, each of us was in charge of getting a little girl in her jammies after a visit to the potty and some tooth brushing, it was pretty easy. Then the boy came along and bedtime has been pretty chaotic ever since. He's just old enough now that he's starting to calm down at bed time.
The first step in our routine is to finish dinner, clear the plates and table. Then the kids go upstairs and take a potty break and get their jammies on. They come downstairs with a story they want to read and when that's done we read scriptures and pray. Of course there are variations and sometimes for the sake of time and/or sanity we have to call an audible and skip one ore more steps (except potty, potty is of paramount importance).
Our oldest is less than a week away from finishing kindergarten and she's reading like a pro. She enjoys poetry and tonight she read me three of her favorite poems from this E.E. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh collection:
They are just about right for her level but they also provide some challenging vocabulary. Sometimes she wants to read so much at bedtime that we let her read us a scripture story from the illustrated scripture books in place of reading right from the scriptures.
The middle child, our youngest girl, loves to draw. She's usually content with one story as long as she can draw for a bit afterward. Some nights, however, she wants two or three stories, which isn't a problem as long as they are short.
Then there is monkey boy. While I am tucking in the girls he often hangs from my body in various awkward manners. It's a miracle he doesn't have more bruises and bumps. They are all very sweet children and they love to give hugs and kisses. They also will often include a "bones" (fist bump), a "high-five", and a "heads" (a gentle bump on the forehead with their forehead) with their hugs and kisses, and they have to do the same routine to each family member.
When the lights go out we sing two or three songs. Since they were babies I've always sang either "Silent Night" or "What a Wonderful World". There's always some primary songs from church thrown in as well. Once they are tucked in, the girls usually will ask us questions regarding the nature of the universe or related to something else they learned:
Girl 2: Dad, how far is California?
Me: We're in California. We live in California.
Girl 2: Is Costco in California too?
Me: Yes. California is a state and it's a big part of our country.
Girl 1: I know what our country is, it's the Unites States of America.
Me: You're right.
Girl 2: But when we go to see our Uncle Dan is thaaaat California?
Me: Yep, California is a big place.
Girl 2: When we went camping was that California?
Me: Yep, even the beach is in California.
Girl 2: Whaaaaaaaaat!?
The little boy usually asks for one more song. Lately our oldest has continued singing to him after we shut the door. I love my kids and bed time is a great time to show them how much I love them, I think they get it.
The first step in our routine is to finish dinner, clear the plates and table. Then the kids go upstairs and take a potty break and get their jammies on. They come downstairs with a story they want to read and when that's done we read scriptures and pray. Of course there are variations and sometimes for the sake of time and/or sanity we have to call an audible and skip one ore more steps (except potty, potty is of paramount importance).
Our oldest is less than a week away from finishing kindergarten and she's reading like a pro. She enjoys poetry and tonight she read me three of her favorite poems from this E.E. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh collection:
The middle child, our youngest girl, loves to draw. She's usually content with one story as long as she can draw for a bit afterward. Some nights, however, she wants two or three stories, which isn't a problem as long as they are short.
Then there is monkey boy. While I am tucking in the girls he often hangs from my body in various awkward manners. It's a miracle he doesn't have more bruises and bumps. They are all very sweet children and they love to give hugs and kisses. They also will often include a "bones" (fist bump), a "high-five", and a "heads" (a gentle bump on the forehead with their forehead) with their hugs and kisses, and they have to do the same routine to each family member.
When the lights go out we sing two or three songs. Since they were babies I've always sang either "Silent Night" or "What a Wonderful World". There's always some primary songs from church thrown in as well. Once they are tucked in, the girls usually will ask us questions regarding the nature of the universe or related to something else they learned:
Girl 2: Dad, how far is California?
Me: We're in California. We live in California.
Girl 2: Is Costco in California too?
Me: Yes. California is a state and it's a big part of our country.
Girl 1: I know what our country is, it's the Unites States of America.
Me: You're right.
Girl 2: But when we go to see our Uncle Dan is thaaaat California?
Me: Yep, California is a big place.
Girl 2: When we went camping was that California?
Me: Yep, even the beach is in California.
Girl 2: Whaaaaaaaaat!?
The little boy usually asks for one more song. Lately our oldest has continued singing to him after we shut the door. I love my kids and bed time is a great time to show them how much I love them, I think they get it.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
"Is there anything I can do to improve my grade?"
If you're a teacher, you've heard this question before. Here is a little video that I will show to my students every quarter/semester for the rest of my life. I will tell them that if they ever engage me in a conversation that resembles this one at any point, I will never talk to them again.
Signs and Murmurs
Two ravens in the old oak tree, one for you and one for me
Bluebells in the late December, I see signs now all the time
The last time we slept together, there was something that was not there
You never wanted to alarm me but I’m the one that’s drowning now
I could sleep forever these days because in my dreams I see you again
But this time fleshed out fuller face in your confirmation dress
It was so like you to visit me to let me know you were ok
It was so like you visit me, always worrying about someone else
But this time fleshed out fuller face in your confirmation dress
It was so like you to visit me to let me know you were ok
It was so like you visit me, always worrying about someone else
At your funeral I was so upset, so upset,
in your life you were larger than this
statuesque
in your life you were larger than this
statuesque
I see signs now all the time that your not dead your sleeping
I believe in anything that brings you back home to me
I believe in anything that brings you back home to me
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