My, my. Two days in a row.

Of course I’m proctoring another exam. This is exams week for my classes. After this they are free and clear until finals week in December. They’ll all take a short break before cramming for finals and coasting into the end of the semester. For the professors, it is a different story. This is when our work gets increasingly difficult. It seems the end of the semester brings more meetings than any other time of the year, and more requests from Dean’s, department chairs, committee leaders, you name it. This is our version of cramming. If we didn’t get it done yet, it has to be done by December or we have to carry it into the next semester, and THAT would be awful. 

Then there are all those exams we gave this week that need to be graded, a final that we need to make, class projects to collect and presentations to grade, and then the fun part… rolling all of those grades up into one semester-end grade for each student. It sounds easier than it is. I usually spend an entire day or two trying to get my grades in. Maybe I”m just not efficient enough – or maybe there’s a better way to do it. 

Not much new to report on Jaden. I just can’t believe how he seems to change with each day. I looked at him this weekend and thought he looks like he got taller already. Grandma and I measured him and sure enough (if we were able to measure properly given the wiggly nature of a 10-month old) he is another half-inch to an inch taller. I’m looking forward to our next doctor’s appointment so we can have her check his height again. It is amazing to see him fill up on food, fill out, then grow taller and thin out – and now he’s back on his eating binges again. All of this in just a few short weeks. It is hard to believe.

We finally received the furniture that the grandparents bought us from USA Baby – so now we have to put together the new furniture and take apart the loaner crib to return it. I really can’t wait until Jaden’s room is finished. I even have some more decorating to do, but I’ve been putting it off since our furniture wasn’t in anyway. It will be nice to have a real changing table set up – right now we have all our changing supplies on the family room floor. We put Jaden on the changing pad on the floor to change him, which has been more difficult than I thought it would be. I’d like to be able to change him while standing up, for a change (pun intended). 

This weekend is a big weekend – we’re going to put Jaden’s furniture together, finish decorating, and make an attempt at cleaning the entire house. If we can manage it, then it’ll be the first time since we returned from Korea that every room is clean, all at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, most of you know that I’m a bit OCD about cleaning – so my house doesn’t really need much – it is just the fact that I can only clean one room on any given day that drives me crazy…. and that is only accomplished by either putting Jaden in a sling, or trying to run around while he’s napping. Of course, that makes vacuuming especially difficult, since I don’t want to do it while he’s sleeping, but vacuuming with a 23 pound wiggly worm in a sling isn’t exactly easy. It is going to take a monumental effort to get this done. Let’s see if it works.

Speaking of the wiggly worm. I believe I have sprained my thumb and index finger on my left hand, and I’m sure that my lower back is going to stop working soon. I guess I should have practiced lifting 23 pounds before we picked Jaden up (another pun!). 

I could probably bore you for another page or two, since I’m just sitting here waiting for everyone to finish, not to mention that I have the extraordinary ability to write pages and pages about absolutely nothing (just ask my PhD advisors), but I’ll let you go now so you can refill your coffee. Have a great day!!!!!!