My Newest Gig: Working from Home

We "shook hands" and settled my contract yesterday. I'll be working 20 hours/week from home for the local school district. Specifically, I will be freelance writing - producing content for the district website, electronic newsletter, and print newsletter. I will also be writing press releases and stories for local and national newspapers.

I'm excited about this new partnership.

If I Had Money and Time to Spare and Spend...

I'd enroll in a graduate program in Journalism. Hopefully, I'd find an innovative, technology-based program wherein I could learn the latest practices in print and online journalism with courses in media, film, digital photography, web design, public relations, and communication.

Now, that sounds fun.

Milestones

Yesterday, Kayla pulled herself up and stood in her crib. There she was. Grinning. Breathless. Eyes Sparkling. Hanging on to the edge. Little legs supporting her weight.

Wow.

Fun in the Sun in California

We took a quick weekend trip to CA from May 18-20 for Tim's graduation.

Tim now officially has his Masters degree and my heart swelled with pride when I watched him walk across the stage in cap & gown.

After the banquets and ceremonies, we went to Knott's Berry Farm for the day w/ Tim's parents and some friends of Tim's parents from CA. It was a fun day - Kayla loved all of the action. And I loved the Bigfoot Rapids.

The car ride there and back was a bit exhausting because Kayla experienced bouts of boredom and corresponding tears. Thank goodness for Green Eggs & Ham and the other two books I brought along. Toys provided temporary entertainment, but the books saved the day. Needless to say, I have all three books completely memorized. :)

What I'd Wear to Tim's Graduation

Tim is graduating with his Masters degree on Saturday and I'm trying to decide what to wear. Here's what I'd wear if I could pick anything:

Dress - Nordstrom - $98.00
Slides - Nordstrom - $39.90
Earrings - Dillards - $35.00

Whenever one door closes, another opens.

We've been thinking and praying about my Ph.D. The result? I think that dream will have to wait.

I can't bear to leave little Kayla - even if the thought of intellectual and social growth is somewhat enticing. Motherhood is my full-time mission at the moment.

Thus, that door closes (for now).

But another door has opened. I will be working from home for the local school district wherein I currently work. More details to come...

TV Show Idea: The One-Armed Cook

Meredith Books published a book in 2005 entitled The One-Armed Cook: Quick and Easy Recipes, Smart Meal Plans, and Savvy Advice for New (and Not-so-New) Moms. Written by Cynthia Graubart and Catherine Fliegil, this cleverly titled cookbook quickly caught my attention after the birth of my daughter.

My daughter is now eight months old - and I often cook, stir, and prepare meals one-handed. Thus, I am always on-the-lookout for easy and fast recipes...and I don't mean Martha Stewart's version of fast and easy. I really, truly need recipes that I can make in 10 minutes or less with one hand.

So, here's my idea for a wonderful mid-day tv show. Take your cue from the aforementioned book and start a show by the same name. The host should be a real mom who cooks the meals while holding a baby or entertaining a toddler. Moms could watch the show and then log on to a corresponding website to print out the recipe.

Best Places to Live

If you log on to www.findyourspot.com, you can take a fun survey about geographic and cultural preferences. The site will then provide you with the top 25 cities for you to live.

I took the survey about two years ago and ended up with quite a few WA cities. This time around, the following cities made my top eight:

1. Greenville, South Carolina
2. Clarksville, Tennessee
3. Chattanooga, Tennessee
4. Tulsa, Oklahoma
5. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
6. Olympia, Washington
7. Johnson City-Kingsport, Tennessee
8. Lynchburg, Virginia

Take the quiz and post your results here!

Graduate School from a distance, Part II

Excuse me, Dr. Benton (President of Pepperdine University). Ahem, can I ask you a question, Dr. Bok (President of Harvard University)? I have a comment to share with you, Dr. Gutmann (President of the University of Pennsylvania).

Please be innovative. Think forward. Roll into the next generation ahead of the pack. Appeal to the millennials. --

Start a rigorous, reputable online graduate program. Yes, feel free to incorporate several weekend or weeklong residential experiences throughout the program...in fact, I recommend it. Go against the grain of the stodgy, traditional brotherhood. Do something different in a completely excellent way.

For families. For the future. For...me?

Graduate School from a distance

It's just after 10:00 p.m. and I'm thinking about my Ph.D. again. I just went in and was looking at my sweet little baby girl sleeping. Her long lashes, her serious but angelic expression, her soft skin. I know that her babyhood will be over in the blink of any eye and I don't want to miss a thing - not for work, not for school, not for anything.

A Ph.D. in a traditional setting would require hours away and I don't know if it's sensible to pursue that mission.

But I don't want to give up my dream of earning my doctorate and being a professor. I want to open up doors for the future.

It's about time that a reputable university (Think: Princeton, Brown, Rice, Stanford, U of Penn, MIT, etc.) unveiled a distance program with a solid academic curriculum.

More on this tomorrow...