This-N-That

Wow, where to begin? First of all, I can breathe again. The summer heat was oppressive, but with the break in humidity, being outdoors is once again enjoyable.

Goodness of Fit
I really, really, really, really, really like the MSW program. I'm taking a History of Social Welfare class and an Individual and Family Development class. I like them both. The difference in undergraduate and graduate school is that as an undergrad, I figured out ways to skip out on my readings so I could have more time for going out; as a grad student, I'm trying to figure out how to find more time in every day so I can do all the reading. Because I want to do all the reading--it's interesting. I love that the field of social work is so interdisciplinary and that already we're incorporating history, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, etc. into class discussions. The Wilmington Massacre of 1898--fascinating! The resiliency of families for individual and group therapy--totally captivating. I entered the program feeling sure I'd go the "Macro-Broad-Based Human Services" route. It took me two weeks to realize that the path I want to take in this program is the "Direct Service-Children and Families" route. Yes I have an interest in macro social work practice and I could see myself as the director of a non-profit social service agency one day. But I'm already the top staff person at a private Foundation, so I know I could get a job in human service administration in the future. What I don't have is the clinical experience and that's what I'm going to take advantage of at Carolina. This program is a perfect fit for me.

Grace
David's observation on Grace and Kindergarten sums it up pretty well. Over the weekend he said to me, "When you were little you liked to play school. Grace is school." Her life revolves around it. She's consumed with it: her teachers, her friends, her activities, her homework, lunch, recess, art, music, PE, being a helping hand, getting a green at the end of the day. She assigns us all different school personnel, and so far I've gotten to be the lead teacher, the assistant, and the art teacher. David got to be the PE teacher and Johnny got to be the lunch lady. She's rockin the sight words and is excelling in Spanish class. (I hope she gets extra credit in Spanish!) She gets Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Resource assistance in and outside of the main class. In a recent IEP meeting, the EC coordinator asked whether Grace would feel awkward carrying around a special picture schedule just for her. Her teacher already has Grace figured out. She said, "Well, I don't think Grace would mind...it might be an issue for the other kids, but not for Grace."

In other exciting Grace news, she got her first paper cut last night and we all celebrated accordingly.

Johnny
Johnny (and Grace) got new shoes yesterday and he loves them so much that he asked me if he could sleep in them. I said he could. Flash forward to the difficult teen years--I can picture saying, "Don't talk to me like that, young man, I let you sleep in your new shoes when you were 4."

On the way to a kids' birthday party on Saturday, after a long traffic jam due to the football game, I announced that we were almost there. Johnny said, "I just got a feeling in my tummy like when we go over a tickle bump." I love that he could articulate that sensation. I get the same feeling in my tummy every time I think about the upcoming Van Halen concert.

David
David's the strong and steacy force behind our family that keeps it all together. In the name of recycling, on Sunday he spent a great deal of time disassembling on old futon frame and refurnishing the wood into a structure for the kids. Maybe it's a stage--maybe it's a table without legs, maybe it's a platform that will go in the Tee-Pee he's making. Our maybe it's a skateboard ramp--right in our own backyard.