Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Let the good times roll

Yesterday I was ready to throw in the towel on ODU.  I was so annoyed that classes started in a week and I still didn't know the decision on the TA position.  (I like to plan.)  I sent a one line email to the professor in charge of the TA decisions.  I kept it to one sentence for fear of sounding sarcastic or rude if I wrote anything more.  And at noon today I got a response letting me know I GOT IT! 

Boy am I a happy camper now!  There isn't enough money for a full position, but this one is a 2/3 position.  Meaning, I'll receive 2/3 of the stipend and work 2/3 of the hours.  However, I still get all of my tuition paid!  Yes, I am happy.  :)  It feel like it's a double win.  We get the financial help we need, but I don't have to give up quite as much time with my babies.

Of course, I told Justin not to get too excited - we will still be eating plenty of rice and beans for years to come.  (Side note, for our second bean-based meal of the week I made a FABULOUS lentil soup for dinner tonight.  It was a Loda family crowd pleaser!)  It's not oodles of money, but it's enough that I can stop making cakes during the semester (with the exception of wedding cakes) and focus on school and family.  This is a HUGE relief for me. 

In other happy news (because anything new my kids can do is happy to me)- Jackson completed a 24 piece puzzle completely by himself.  I really mean all by himself.  I was reading to Summerlin while he did it.  I did not help him one little bit.  Maybe that's typical for a 2 year old, but I was very impressed.  I am his mom, so of course I think he's the greatest little boy ever - and I'm not ashamed to admit that publicly.  In all seriousness, I think spatial perceptions and puzzles/mathematics are going to be his area of giftedness.  Language clearly is not, but he is finally starting to sound like a little parrot and he still LOVES books - so who knows, that could change.  He's starting to love to sing - which really means he loves it when I sing to him.  I've had fun remembering all the little songs of childhood and making up hand motions to go with them.  (Summerlin dances along while I sing which just adds to the overall cuteness factor she has going on.)

Summerlin can also identify her ears and hands now.  I think her showing me where her hands are is the most precious of them all.  When you ask her where her hands are she moves them around and holds them up in the sweetest little way.  I can't resist grabbing her and giving her big smooches when she does.  It's hilarious how much more verbal she is than Jackson.  She wanders around the house babbling all day long - "Da-de" this and "(ba)Na-na" that.  It seems like she adds a word to her vocabulary everyday.  And she gives out sweet slobbery kisses constantly.  She has a cold, so they are extra sloppy, but I'm a sucker for my babies kisses - boogers and all.  Don't judge. 

Here's the puzzle whizz and his usual scowl at the camera. 

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