Moving Sucks!

So, as most of you know, we are moving in less than a month to Eagle Heights to a two bedroom apartment that is significantly smaller than where we live know. I hate moving and packing. So does David. I've tried to stay ahead of the game by starting to pack things up a little bit at a time. We are going to have to move some things into storage and others to the apartment. Nice thing about it is that I get to purge stuff and reorganize our life! I've already gotten rid of tons of clothes and we are making a big pile for a super moving sale next weekend. Anything that doesn't sell is going to charity! That should help bunches. The challenging thing is to do it with two small children, while working 28 hours a week and work on my thesis. It never ends!! Wish us luck.

Technology!

So anyone who knows me, knows that i love gadgets. I love technology. If I didn't suck at math I would be a good engineer. My computer has been having issues lately all of them related to the new Internet Explorer 7. I guess it has some vulnerabilities that aren't being picked up by Windows Update. Since I always have to be on top of things and I like tabbed browsing I downloaded IE 7 last month and have had nothing but problems since. At one point I couldn't even access the internet. I downloaded Firefox (an alternative tabbed browser) and love it. I use this at work all the time. Way less vulnerable than Microsoft stuff. I would just delete IE 7 except for the fact that I need it to check out Southwest's low fares on DING (if you don't have this installed, do it!) and submit my timesheets. Other than that I am done with it.

Ok, so how many of you knew I was this much of a techie? LOL I have been on my computer for two days looking at sites that would help me fix it and I think I finally did. We'll see though.

Juggling

So, you all know that I have been in Madison going to school forever. Alright, not forever, but it has been a long time. I have been on a roll with my research right now, but I have been having a really hard time juggling school, work and family. Here is what a typical day is like when David works, ideally...

6:00 am Wake up , take a shower
6:30 am Find something to wear, I have nothing because I am in between sizes from gaining and now losing weight post baby!
6:45 Wake up David so he can go and get Isabel warm coffee milk and wake her up. She doesn't like it when I do it.
7:00 Feed Abby, turn on Mike & Mike on ESPN 2
7:20 Realize I have been laying down listening to M&M too long and jump up to finish getting myself ready and prod Isabel to finish breakfast so I can fix her hair
7:45 Leave to take Isabel to school and get to work
8:00 Drop Isabel off at school
8:15 David drops off Abby and me at work (3 days a week)
8:15-1:30 pm Juggle Abby and my work at the Graduate School
1:30 pm David comes to pick us up and we head home so he can leave for work
1:45 Get home and lay down to feed Abby and chill out
2:15pm David leaves for work and I try not to fall asleep
2:45 Leave to go and pick up Isabe;
3:00 Pick Isabel up from school
3:15 Get home and get Isabel a snack and feed Abby
3:30-5:30 Play with Isabel, Feed Abby, convince Isabel she has to get in the bath
6:00 Talk to David on phone, update on day from Isabel
6:30 Bath for Isabel
7-8 Quiet play time, Feed Abby, put her to sleep for the night
8:00 Isabel's bedtime
8:15 Try to do a little housework, lay out Isabel's clothes
9 ish David calls again to chat and have grown up talk
10ish Try to do some school work, but realize I am exhausted and instead lay down when Abby gets up to eat and pass out
11:30 David gets home, kisses my forehead, smiles at Abby, peeks in at Isabel and does Sodoku(I usually don't wake up when he gets home)

Now, when I am supposed to do schoolwork? And anyone who says that stay at home moms don't work, are full of it! Happy Mother's Day to you all. I'll post the real day tomorrow. The one where everything goes wrong.

This is what a grown up night out and a liberal education will get ya!

So, David and I had a grown up date night that didn't include Chuck E Cheese or Mc Donalds last Saturday. One of the 408 folk is getting her Master's Degree in Library Science and we all decided to go to Karaoke Kid. Yes, I said Karaoke. It was fun. My friend Paula brought her kids and stayed with Isabel and Abigail for about four hours. And no, David did not get up and sing, but he was a singing fool at the table. It was nice to get out and have good fun and conversation with intellectual people.

Some kid asked David if I was Hawaiin. No, really, he did! At first, I laughed, but the more I think about it the more I realize that what he was really saying was that he liked me because he thought I looked exotic. Think about what that says about this "liberal" education we are providing these midwestern kids. And more importantly what that says about racial and ethnic relations and ideals of sexuality for women of color.

Marion McCammond Award

Hi everyone! Tonight I attended a Recognition Banquet for the Wisconsin Union (the student union at UW). I received an award that is presented annually to a UW Madison Student of Color for service to the University community. From what they tell me it is a very prestigous award and very stiff competition every year. This year, it was so competitive that they gave it to me and an undergraduate student. I was the only graduate student recognized at the reception!! I wore a killer black dress; felt good to be out of "mommy" mode for a few hours.

This award is also good to get at the culmination of my diversity work at the UW. I think I will be going to work at one job by mid July. Yes, I said one job. For the first time since I have been here at UW I will be working less than 20 hours a week at one job, at Blue Bus Clinic. I love diversity work so much that is has become a distraction to my progress in my research. To remedy that, I have chosen this path and I am happy with it. We will be moving into Eagle Heights (student housing) in July. We are very excited about that! David says now we can walk or take the bus to the Union Terrace and drink beer. HA.

Oh, by the way, my award included a Lifetime Wisconsin Union Membership and a cash award! AWESOME!!!

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Today is Isabel's little friend, Andrew's birthday. His mom invited us to go celebrate with them at Wisconsin Dells, Great Wolf Lodge. Now, for those of you who have never been to the Dells, it is a place about an hour north of Madison in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin that's sole purpose is to entice your kids to take them there and then when you get there charge you an arm and a leg, over a $100 dollars a night, to stay at a hotel. It has all of these waterparks at the different hotels, a new outlet mall and totally pointless attractions like Tommy Bartlett's Thrill show. I'm not even sure what that is! Anyway, it's kind of growing on me.

The first time we ventured up here was right after we moved here and didn't know about the water parks. Mom, Dad, Jolene and I drove up here and went right into the Dells. Now, downtown actually has a really nice expansive river running through it and some awesome cliffs, from what we could see. They actually have every inch of the river bought up as either commerical space or really expensive houses/condos or you have to pay to ride these things called ducks to go up and down the river. Of course, we didn't figure this out until we drove all over town and kept running into private property signs and businesses trying to take our money. By the time we found a spot where we could see the river, it was small and we were all more than a little disgusted by the commercialism.

And now look, here were are at the Great Wolf. I guess when you live in Wisconsin where 5 months of the year it is pretty cold out and you want to get away, this is a good idea. For rich people! The only times we have been able to come is when we were on someone else's dime. My godfather was up here doing some work and we came and stayed a couple times. It was awesome, the room we were in cost over a $100 a night and now this time we are in a pretty cool family suite that costs $189!! At least that price includes bracelets for the waterpark and there are fridges in the rooms with microwaves and the kids have a pretty cool space with bunk beds and a tv and they have cool activities for them. I'm thinking maybe we should come here over Thanksgiving when my parents come. Uh-oh, does that mean I'm turning into a Wisconsinite? AAHH!!

My First Blog

As many of you know, I am so horrible at sitting down and writing to everyone individually. I have a friend who does this so I started thinking maybe this is a good idea. I chuckle every time I read it and I learn so much about her. Now, everyone can see what we are up to over here in Dairyland and maybe get a little kick out of this new technology.

I named my page Bare Essentials because I am totally obsesessed with the makeup Bare Escentuals. I'll probably get sued. HA! David laughs at me because I become a QVC junkie when it is on every couple months or so and Jolene actually told me that I should work at the store because I know so much about the products and can sell it to anyone. Sad to say that I actually signed up for email reminders for when they are on QVC!! Tell you what though, it really is the best makeup I have ever tried.

Lots going on over here in Wisconsin. We will be moving from the house we have been renting for four years out to Eagle Heights. That is the student community housing on campus. We decided we needed to start saving more money and we can accomplish this by moving. David and I hate moving, but this time it is going to be great. I plan on purging as much as I can. I am tired of the clutter. We will initially be in a two bedroom apartment, but we are going to request a three bedroom as soon as we move in. It is right by the lake, minutes from school/work and in heart of the community by the community center. David is really excited too, as is Isabel. It is very ethnically diverse and people actually talk to each other. Is it just me, or do we not talk to our neighbors anymore. This is one of those places that you can't help but talk to your neighbor and look out for one another. I grew up in a small town like that, so I am looking forward to it.

Can't think of anything else to say now, guess this is good for my first blog though. More later... Tell me what you think, leave a comment.