Sonnets and Spring

From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him,
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odor and in hue,
Could make me any summer's story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
     Yet seemed it winter still, and, you away,
     As with your shadow I with these did play.

For me, I only know Spring is truly here when my freshman start reading Romeo and Juliet.  This is the changing of the seasons; this is the sign that the trees will soon start budding and the weather will turn.  I love it, too; the play never gets old.  Well… I mean, it is OLD, like 400 years old, but I never tire of it.  Perhaps I love it so because it means summer is right around the corner.  Ah, yes.  I will Shakespeare myself right into June.

Speaking of June, have you registered for classes yet?  This girl is a little stuck.  There are only a few courses offered this summer, and I have already taken all of them.  I could potentially take an extra literature class for 2 credit hours, but I could also get those two credit hours by attending a conference next fall.  A semester or a weekend?  That doesn’t seem like a tough call.  Yet, yet, yet… I don’t want to take a summer off.  I want to get this thing done.  Well, I will keep you posted.

I hear this weekend will be gorgeous!  Get outside; breathe in the springtime!  Read a little, Shakespeare, too.  It’s good for you, I promise.

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Gushing, Gushing, Gushing

Parents, I know you’ll understand if I use this post to gush, brag, and boast just a little.  Non-parents, you’ll probably want to get out while you can, because this page is dedicated to my little girl who is getting so big.  Go ahead.  Don’t feel bad about ditching me.  Go do whatever it is that you people do: exercising, napping, reading, wearing skinny jeans, discussing current events over sushi.  I don’t blame you a bit.  No worries.

Ho hummm… la la la…. Are they gone?  Good.

When did it happen?  When did my daughter stop being a baby and turn into a little girl?  I’m sure it evolved gradually – the losing of all baby qualities, but last night it hit me hard: Audrey is a full-fledged GIRL.  She does things like saying, “No, Mama!” and then putting her own shoes on (the wrong feet).  Last night she went pee-pee in the potty for the first time and then told Nana and Papa all about it on the phone.  We finger-paint, play dress-up, put dollies to bed.  It’s absolutely the most fun I’ve ever ever had.  So why am I kind of sad?  It’s not that I want her to be a baby again.  Honestly, she was a rough newborn and infant; there were hundreds of sleepless nights and crying jags (for both of us) where the only thing that kept me alive was knowing it wouldn’t last forever.  I don’t want her to stay a baby; I don’t want her to grow up; I want her to stay exactly where she is until I’m ready for her to move on.  Wouldn’t that be fabulous?  I think I’m terrified that I will blink my eyes again, and she’ll be in braces and having me drop her off three blocks from her school so as not to be seen with me.  Boooohoooo!  Boooohoooo!  Ok, [sniffle] I’m cool.  I probably have plenty of time before she asks for tattooed eyeliner and her nipples pierced.  Let’s get to pre-school first.  I just can’t believe what a funny, smart, brave little person she is becoming, and I want to hold on to each moment, each discovery, and gobble it up.

This is the part of the blog where I force you to watch endless videos of my beautiful daughter.  Here they are.  Watch them all or die.

watch?v=cbYRgoD7fes

watch?v=ba6Na89T-xc

watch?v=yx4krHRaCVU

I must say to all the parents out there who are either enrolled or thinking about enrolling in online courses: good for you, do it.  It’s the best thing that I ever could have done.  It’s hard enough to leave the kids at a daycare while you go to work, let alone enrolling in night classes, too.  I do all my coursework online after Audrey goes to bed leaving every possible waking minute with her.  I don’t miss a thing.  There isn’t an educational option that is easier or more conducive for your family.

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Hello, 2010

Wow.  2010.  Unbelievable!  The last thing I remember is being an undergrad,  stocking up on bottled water in case Y2K took us all out and ”Livin’ Da Vida Loca” with Ricky Martin.  I started the 2000’s a bright-eyed 20 year old, tending bar, up all night partying… and finished them a puffy-eyed new mom, tending to bills and high school freshman, up all night with a wide awake toddler.  What a wonderful, strange trip it’s been.  Considering just how quickly the last decade zipped by is really wild – so wild, in fact, that I am thinking about how I want to spend the next ten.  No, Friends, this isn’t yo’ momma’s New Year’s Resolution.  They never really stick, do they?  Rather, I pledge not to “resolve” or fix but instead refocus and reclaim.  Let’s see what the twenty-teens will bring.  I’m putting some pretty big things out on the table; I’ll need witnesses.  

1) Master’s Degree: Sure, this is an easy goal because I’m already half through, I know.  However, I hope to use it sooner than later.  My original plan was to get the degree in Library Science and put it behind emergency glass, only breaking it out if I ever find myself desperate to get out of teaching and try something else.  That’s kind of cowardly now that I think about it.  Am I so afraid of trying something new that I wait for misery?  Nope, it’s time to grow some bells and apply for a new gig. 

2) Bikini: Let’s not mince words here; I have gotten a little chubby.  We all know it’s hard to fit in working out with a full time job, kids, and graduate school.  Sometimes I actually skip brushing my teeth just so I can get under the covers two minutes earlier.  Still, I want a hot bod, and I feel that this is my time.  I want to be strong, lithe, and lean and in a bikini by this summer.  In order to make it not just a fleeting resolution but an actual goal, I am prepared to do something crazy… something my coworkers have begged me not to do… something that will actually make me work out.  I am posting a picture of myself in a bikini on this very blog on June 1st.  Please, follow the journey and hold me to it.  Tell me to put down the oreos and red wine (my favorite night time snack) and get moving!  The picture will be up June 1st; the only question is will your eyes bleed or not? 

3) Homesteading: I have this kind of creepy fascination with homesteading.  Although I haven’t yet planted flowers in my own yard, I subscribe to Mother Earth News and clip articles on digging an outhouse and keeping goats for milk and cheese.  I don’t think the city of Arvada will zone me for goats, but there is no reason I can’t start small if this is something I’m really interested in.  Composting, growing my own veggies, baking my own bread – I can do some or all of these things.  Why not? 

There it is kids.  A new post full of new goals for a new semester, a new year and a new decade.  Please come back to see how it is all panning out.  People like inspiring stories… they also like trainwrecks… your odds of both are good!  

Peace,
Sarah

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