My other life...

I made a vow to my husband that once we adopted, I would curb my workaholic tendencies. I never talk about my career on my blog, but I decided to give you a peek at my other life. I work as an instructional designer assisting faculty who are creating online courses at Grand Valley State University. Basically that means that I get to play and research new technology, consult with faculty from a variety of disciplines, as well as design and teach faculty development workshops that focus on technology integration.



It can be an extremely rewarding job and it can be a very overwhelming job. This week was one of those overwhelming weeks. Every March, our department puts together a Technology Symposium (usually the 3rd Wednesday of the month) highlighting faculty who are doing unique things with technology integration. My colleagues and I literally spend weeks working on this event. That means anything from printing off name tags, signage, publicity, handling the layout of the event with conference services, drumming up presenters and participants..etc. In other words, it’s a TON OF WORK and I always wake up in a cold sweat worrying whether anyone is going to show up at our event.



I’m happy to say that this year’s event was a success. It was well attended (the University President and Provost actually came this year) and most faculty walked away feeling a little inspired to try some new ways to integrate technology into their teaching and learning.



While I was on family leave last year with Josie’s heart surgery and recovery, I had bittersweet feelings about returning to work. It was kinda fun to not be in the working world. I got to focus on my family. I had dinner on the table when Chris got home from work. The laundry was always caught up and the house was a little less cluttered. But I was also starting to miss my professional life and using my professional brain. I kept thinking about all the years of graduate school and how long it had taken me to pay off all my undergraduate and graduate student loans and the reward of finally having a decent paycheck.

Once July rolled around, I was worried about how I’d balance everything once I had to return to full-time work status. It’s been ok. I’ve worked very hard at leaving work AT WORK. For the most part, I’ve been successful at separating my two lives. My house is definitely messier than I’d like. I’m always behind on laundry and it’s not uncommon to be eating dinner much later than I’d like. I guess it’s always going to be a juggling act trying to balance motherhood with a full-time career.

A year in the life of Josie...by Daddy Kenward

Before Josie, nighttime was predictable. We never much considered the idea of camping on a bedroom floor with nary a pillow or blanket in sight; not daring to leave the bedroom in search of either for fear of waking sleeping tiger. Oh, the neck pain. Now the tiger sleeps a solid ten hours without waking (most nights).



Before Josie, dinner was predictable. We never much gave much consideration to our cupboards, ceiling, the cat, or the safety of those sitting next to her during our meals. We do NOW.



Before Josie, we considered Emma to have pretty normal energy for a child. We still think Emma IS normal, but Josie? Wow. We feel pretty strongly that she is unable to sit still for more than 3 seconds at a time. She hardly ever stops moving. It’s as if she takes one deep breathe in the morning and doesn’t slow done until she passes out at bedtime.



Before Josie, the cat was safe. Emma pretty much gave the cat her space and the two of them had a nice semi-close relationship. Josie makes it her mission to invade the cat’s personal space whenever possible and necessary. She touches the cat’s belly and gets bit. She touches the cats face and gets bit. She touches the air around the cat and gets bit. You get the idea. But she keeps going back. She’s gonna get that cat to love her or else!



Before Josie, we visited the family doctor for annual check-ups and the occasional flu. With Josie, due to our repeat visit status, we have been added to most of her Doctor’s Christmas card lists! But since this last year, even her visits will begin to look something like normal.



The most important change before Josie, was that there was no Josie, and that hurt. It hurt to watch Emma wait for her little sister. “Be patient” we would say to her, “she will be here soon enough.” “Be patient”, I would say to Kim, “We’re doing all we can”. “In God’s perfect time”, someone once said on our blog. I can’t say that resonated with me at the time, but once upon a Josie, it became clear. The timing was perfect.



Before Josie, lots of things were different, good, very good, but different. We were a lovely family of three. But with four, you can fill a table at a restaurant, not have to rent a kid when you win a sweepstakes for an all expenses paid trip to Disneyworld for a family of four, occupy all four facing seats on an Amtrak ride to Chicago so you don’t end up with that creepy guy who smells weird, sleeping next you, and finally, so two sisters can play hide and seek while their parents have an uninterrupted adult conversation! Yeah, four sounds just about right. March 16th will always be the day that our family was forever changed. We love you Josie.



PS. Josie is bringing special treats to pass out at daycare to celebrate her special day. Just look at that face.



Josie's Gotcha Day Video shot March 16, 2008:

Weekend fun continued...

We spent the majority of the day yesterday at the water park. The girls just can't get enough of the water.



The hotel also features a MagiQuest. Once you purchase a special wand, there are interactive objects hidden throughout the hotel. If you point your wand at the object, it comes to life. As you find new objects, you earn points which helps you solve a mystery. We've had to remind Josie not to hit herself in the head with her wand.





We ate dinner again at the hotel restaurant and Emma enjoyed a special drink which is a combination of raspberries and lemonade. It comes in a shaker that you get to keep. I'm picturing all kinds of adult drinks that can be shaken at home (hee hee).



Check out is at 11am. It's been a great weekend and a wonderful way to celebrate our Josie/Family Anniversary. We hope to make this an annual tradition. Cheers!!

Having fun! Wishing you were HERE!!

We arrived to our destination at 3:45pm. No airplanes were involved. Just the minivan full of gas. We drove 2 hours up north to Traverse city (where they still have quite a bit of snow on the ground). I hinted earlier that we were going to a place that allows for bikini wear. It does. Really.



This is where we are staying. It's an indoor water park. If you've been following my blog, we were here last July when I came to Traverse city for work and we extended our stay with a mini vacation. It's fabulous and not too crowded this time of year. The lodge has a woodsy type theme and the girls have a wolf den bunk bed area in our suite. Pretty cool.





The best part of the accommodations is their water park. They've got something for everyone. Mini water slides for the toddlers and exciting water slides for the big kids.





Josie has absolutely NO FEAR of the water. She jumped right in and went up and down the stairs and slides with ease. The last time we came, she was barely doing stairs. The change is unbelievable.



We spent a couple of hours in the water before we ate dinner and then treated the girls to new stuffed animals.






We're staying until Sunday. Which means we get spend another day playing in the water, as well as exploring the arcade, doing a bit of shopping and just RELAXING away from home. Life is good. What a wonderful way to spend our Josie (Family-of-Four) anniversary. I hope to post additional pictures and video of our fun throughout the weekend. Cheers!!

We're Outta Here!!

I think the Mom has remembered to pack everything. It's always a chore packing for a toddler. Josie has been unzipping and unpacking her suitcase all morning and I've found a trail of clothes from one end of the house to the other.





We'll be posting later from the hotel. Be sure to check back later this weekend.