My Entry for the Spring Fling Writing Contest 2020

I'm participating this year (and for the first time) in the Spring Fling Writing Contest that Ciara and Kaitlyn host for the KidLit community.  It's really fun, a perfect distraction from COVID19, and you can read more at the contest's website. I hope everyone is hanging in there this spring! Stay safe and healthy!

Title: Welcome Spring!

Gif: 


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Ba, ba, ba,

La, la, la,

I’m a little lamb,

Here to bring you spring jam. 

Cheep, cheep, cheep,

Peep, peep, peep,

I’m a little chick,

Here to bring you spring picnic.

Hippity hop,

Flippity flop,

I’m a little bunny,

Here to bring you spring sunny.

Let’s all sing,

And welcome spring!

3/4/20- Parent Confession 6

Well it sure has been a long time since I wrote anything on this blog, and I'm sure it will be a long time until the next post, ha.  To catch up, we moved into a new house and everything is going pretty well for us.  Except for cold and flu season.  Although I think everyone is having a tough cold and flu season right now.

In the new house (August)

Right around Halloween time, I got the weirdest eye infection.  It lasted 2 weeks and required antibiotic eye drops, steroid eye drops and oral antibiotics.  And unfortunately poor Jack and Bobby ended up with the same eye infection that never seemed to end.  Jack had to go to the children's hospital and receive an IV antibiotic, but he kept calling his hospital room his hotel room and the staff gave him two different sets of Lego.  He was a trooper, and Bobby and I were a wreck.

After that, I was like surely it's going to be smooth sailing through the rest of cold and flu season.  Then I got bronchitis around New Year's. Bobby and Jack seemed to escape unscathed though, and we headed to a family vacation in late January to Legoland California.  We had a great time.  But last week, Jack had some wheezing.

Bobby and I took him to urgent care, and the doctor thought allergy induced bronchitis/asthma.  The kid got an inhaler, oral steroid, and oral allergy med.  He took the inhaler no problem, but he refused the oral medications.  And I don't blamed him.  Both oral medications tasted gross.  Yes I tasted them, and they were gross.


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Jack kept spitting them out.  So what's a parent to do? Bribery of course.  I told him he could have Kool-Aid before and after taking the oral medications.  That seemed to do the trick.  But of course now he wants Kool-Aid just cause.  And when he got his IV at the hospital (in November), he was bribed by a Lego set.

That's my parent confession.  We bribe with toys and sweets to get Jack to take medicine.  And honestly, I don't care who judges because a spoonful of sugar really does make the medicine go down.  I much rather he take his medications and get better than him continuing to spit it out, and if a bribe is what it takes, then it's worth it to me.  Any other parents relate?  And of course stay healthy this cold and flu season and don't forget to wash your hands constantly.  Take care friends!

8/7/19-- New House

It's been such a long time since I've written a post on here.  Part of the reason is we bought a new house! Another part of the reason is I've had a flare up of my Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I've been working to get the RA in check with rest and new medication, but there are some days where I still feel completely fatigued and not up for doing anything.

But as a family, we've been enjoying our new house.  We have lots of space, and we're across the street from friends.  Jack loves that the new pool has a diving board and that he has a Lego room (yes, we have so Lego that they get their own room, haha)!  Bobby and I are having fun planning a new backyard and picking paint colors and furniture for the inside. Every weekend, I'm like this is the weekend we're done unpacking and painting and can just enjoy the house, but dang, we keep coming up with new projects (which really is a good problem to have 😁).

Sidebar-- I've also learned that when it comes to redoing the back yard, no such thing as a residential landscape designer/architect exists in the Phoenix area (commercial yes, residential no), so fingers crossed, Bobby and I picked nice plants and layout for said plants.

The other semi-big change in our life is that Jack has started Junior Kindergarten at the same place he went to preschool.  So Junior Kindergarten is in between the Pre-K and Kindergarten at Jack's school, and so far he is loving it.  He packs a book everyday, and his teacher sends so many pictures of all their classroom activities (a typical day has them doing 10 different activities)-- so Jack is plenty busy learning new things!

So that's just how life is for me in this moment of time.  One day is bad; the next day is good.  I'm trying to not let house remodel, work and bad health days stress me out, but sometimes that's easier said and done.  Walking the dog everyday, munching on dark chocolate, and getting a massage is my stress relief plan of attack, and hopefully the good days will be more than the bad days. That's the RA lifestyle-- I try to focus on the good and take plenty of naps on both bad days and good days.  Take care friends and family! xoxo!

Cutest Jr. Kindergartner Ever!

3/29/19- Pug

Last Friday our sweet, old pug Chap's crossed the rainbow bridge.  Passing of a pet is never easy, and this time felt extra hard having to explain it to Jack.  We knew it was coming. Chaps was 15 and had been struggling with his arthritis and getting up off the floor since November.  We weren't even sure he'd make it to Christmas, but thankfully he celebrated another Christmas with us.

The past few months have been hard for me; I've been very sad, in a funk, depressed watching Chaps rapidly age.  Thankfully Jack was blissfully unaware of Chaps' health issues and treated Chaps with the same love and gusto as he did for younger Chaps.  Margaret Renkl wrote a beautiful essay on "The Pain of Loving Old Dogs," and Chaps, like her Clark, keep exceeding his life expectancy that you get this crazy idea in your head that your pet is going to out live you. Jack, and Bobby and I too, thought Chaps would be around for many more years.

But then the inevitable happens, the dog starts to lose all bladder and bowel control, and you know it's time to say goodbye.  Saying goodbye to your beloved pet is hard, but then having to explain to your four old that the dog is dying, well that was one of the worst talks of my life (worse than when my mom tried to talk to me about birth control).  And you have to be direct with a four year old.  You can't say the dog is sick and the dog is going to sleep, because then the four year old might think that if they get sick or go to sleep that they're going to die. 

After we explained death and Chaps dying to Jack, he did seem to grasp that it meant Chaps won't be living in our house anymore.  And just when you think your child is at peace, Jack will ask where Chaps is or cry that he wants to pugs (our other dog isn't a pug, but I guess we use the term pug so much that he must think all dogs are pugs).  We have a nice framed photo of Chaps at age 6, with his goofy tongue hanging out, and now it's in Jack's room so that Jack knows Chaps is always with him (us) in memory.

For Bobby and I, it's the memories of having a pug stand between you and the cabinets as you cook or prepare food, knowing that if you drop food, you'll actually have to clean it up since there's no longer a pug to immediately in hale it (the other dog doesn't really care if bacon is frying up in the pan; she's odd, but love her anyway).  It's not have a pug stick his nose into the bathroom while you brush your teeth and then again wedge himself in between you and a cabinet.  In hopes of toothpaste falling, I guess?  Or laying on your foot while you watch a baking show, and the foot starts to numb, but for some silly reason you don't want to move it, because distributing the pug seems rude. 

No more pug to scatter Legos everywhere as he defiantly charges through the toys.  No more pug to push the sneeze button.  No more pug to embarrass you in front of friends and family as he's getting too friendly with someone's leg. No more pug to wonder into the garage and get stuck out there cause you didn't notice that he followed you.  No more pug to trip you as you stumble down the hallway to feed him.  No more pug to make your pillow, to hug and hold when your sad or happy. 

I miss him terribly, and I know Bobby and Jack do too. I've owned a quite a few pets now in my life, but I think Chaps was the kindest, sweetest pet I've ever had.  We love you so much Chaps, and you leave us so many funny and happy memories. We hope after crossing the rainbow bridge, that you're getting all the treats and cuddles you desire.  Peace be with you sweet pug.

2/16/19- Parent Confession 5

Yesterday I took a two hour nap.  Actually maybe it was 2.5 hours.  I didn't set out to nap that long, but I forgot to set an alarm.  Actually I didn't think I'd need an alarm.  But that's kind of been the story for the past month.  I've been really tired.  One might even say fatigued.

Being fatigued isn't something new for me.  It kind of comes with the autoimmune disease territory.  But the fatigue makes me feel super guilty.  See when I take a 2.5 hour nap late on a Friday afternoon that means Bobby will be picking up Jack from daycare.  And Bobby already does drop off because me and mornings do not get along.

So for the past month (probably even longer), Bobby's been dropping off and picking up.  He's also made dinner and played with Jack every night.  Bobby is the primary parent.  And it makes me feel guilty.  I'm the mom, so I'm supposed to be the primary parent.  Isn't that what society tells us?  So by society standards I'm a horrible mom because I'm not the primary parents.

But mostly I don't care what society thinks.  Society can go nag other people (cough, cough, may I suggest the current president? I think he could use a little more nagging).  I don't judge my parenting abilities by an outdated patriarch; in fact, I stopped judging myself by the patriarch some time ago.

However, the guilt I feel comes from Jack asking me to play with him or help him with something, and I have to tell him I'm too tired to do so.  It also comes from guilt when I don't communicate with Bobby how I'm really feeling, and he stresses out about picking up Jack because he hasn't heard from me (either cause I'm napping or I'm sleeping  with my eyes open, watching TV and not hearing my phone).

It's Jack and Bobby's opinions and feelings that matter most to me, and I know I've disappointment them both a little recently.  Jack thankfully recovers quickly, meaning he's moved on to the next toy or activity, forgetting I've told him I can't play, and Bobby is really good at communicating his needs (that he needs me to call him!) and of being supportive of what my body needs (a two hour nap!). I'm a lucky mom.

So my resolution to feeling less guilty about my fatigue, which limits my abilities and what I can do as a parent, is to communicate better with Bobby about how I'm feeling.  To be honest, and call him or text him at 3pm or 4pm that I am tired and probably going to take a 2 hour nap, can he get Jack please?  And then to find ways to interact with Jack that are low key and on the couch: watching a movie together, reading books, coloring, playing quite games, and so on.

Being a parent can be tough at times (perhaps even many times), but having an autoimmune disease on top of parenting can add an extra layer to difficulties of parenthood.  That's something we don't often talk about, the difficulties of parenthood.  We talk about the joys, but there's often difficulties too.  But maybe that's why we talk about the joys more often.  Because when we come out of the difficult times, the joys and triumphs of parenthood are so much sweeter that bitters pale in comparison.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I know soon enough I'll have more energy (been working with my doctor on plan to have more energy), and that this guilt I have of not being the primary parent, of feeling inadequate, will all be forgotten.  Well, I wrote it down, so I guess I'll have a reminder somewhere, haha.  But I know the difficult time will pass and mostly be a faint memory, and I'll be having too much fun and joy to dwell on the guilt.  May we all have selective memories of joy when we look back on the journey of parenthood.  All the best.  Now please excuse me, I need to go take a nap.

1/22/19- Happy 2019!

2019 has been off to a great and yucky start for me.  Bobby, Jack and I went to Legoland the first week of 2019, and while we had a very fun time, Bobby and I both fought off of colds.  Then this past Sunday, I went to bed by 8:30 am and woke up Monday morning with aches, a minor sore throat and some congestion.  So I have another yet another cold (maybe the first cold never fully went away?).  But there's been lots of good time too-- launching rockets, building Lego sets, hanging with friends and family, and judging Future City regional competition.  Maybe I have a reoccurring cold because I'm having such non-stop fun.

And as much as I enjoy all the fun, I've felt pulled into many directions.  Like trying to keep up writing new posts for both blogs, making sure I don't fall behind at my day job, writing new books, trying to volunteer for STEM outreach events and answering every school request that comes my way and of course being mom and wife.  It just feels like too much.  I need naps.  So here's my 2019 New Year's Resolution-- do less.

Yep, I know it just sounds like I'm becoming a slacker, and you're right I am.  I just don't care if you think I'm a slacker.  I've very comfortable with being a slacker. For me, tt's nice to do less.  It makes one less stressed and worried. Leaves rooms for more naps.  And it means I'll actually be enjoying the moments with Jack instead thinking about all these work or volunteering I have to do. One of my favorite quotes is from the wise Ferris Buller, "life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."  So if you invite me to something this year, and I politely decline, it's not because I don't like you, but it's because I'm trying to achieve my New Year's Resolution of do less; I don't want to miss life.

What's your New Year's Resolution?  Whatever it is, I wish you a very happy 2019!



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12/28/18- Lucky Thirteen

December marks 13 years of dating for Bobby and I.  And November marked 12 years with our pug Chaps.  When Bobby and I were planning our wedding in 2007 (2008?), we made a wedding website, and on it we talked about our fur babies.  Hope you enjoy the pug's origin story (and haha, if we had only known what having human kids and fur kids at the same time would be like, and of course we love our "mixed" family very much)!  Here's to another 13 years!

*Bobby's Side*
Ok, let's get this straight right off the bat - Suzanna and I don't have any kids. We're not even close to ready for them.

However, we do have three amazing and wonderful dogs, but it wasn't always that way. There hasn't always been three and they haven't always been amazing or wonderful.

When Suzanna and I started dating, she had a dog. His name is Bear. Now Bear is a bear of a pomeranian. Yep, that's right one big little dog. He's nearly 30 lbs and at the top of his head he's knee high (check the photo).

After we bought the house, we started talking seriously about getting another dog. In fact, a few months before we bought the house, we had found a great "little" Bernese Mountain Dog. I grew so attached, I named her Charlie. But we never took Charlie home, and it turns out this may have been a good thing.

For nearly the entire time that we had been dating, Suzanna had been talking of a trip to Atlanta to visit her aunt and then roll up to the Carolina's to visit one of her best friends. She has always spoken very highly of all of her aunts, but she was excited to go and visit her Aunt Kay because Kay always wanted her to visit and she thought Kay would love me.

As life sometimes goes, we never managed to make that trip. Much to our extreme regrets, Kay passed away shortly before Thanksgiving of 2006. But she left behind two very special guys just for us. I'll never forget going to the airport and fetching these two scared little dogs - a pug and a shih-tzu - who had just taken a flight across country at a time that was also very hectic to them.

At first Gomez (the shih-tzu with surprisingly a very fitting name) and Chaps (the pug) struggled to adjust. They lost any house training they had gained and seemed depressed and standoffish, much as you would expect foster children to be. But after awhile, they began to accept their surroundings. They took almost instantly to Suzanna (probably because she looked so much like Kay) and eventually took to me too.

Now, despite every family's moments of frustration, the five of us have formed a wonderful tight-knit family. I would like to think that if Kay were looking in on us from time to time she'd be so happy to see how well her boys have adjusted to life here in Arizona.

*Suzanna's Side*
Haha, I think most people that know us, know that the dogs are our kids. We're not at that place in our life to have human kids.

I was totally nervous to have Bobby meet Bear because Bear doesn't like strangers. He barks and barks and barks at them, which isn't neccessarily a bad thing when you're a single girl living by yourself. Bobby wanted to see/meet Bear the first date, but I waited to do that introduction. The time came, and even though Bear barked and barked and barked, a few hours later, Bear was licking Bobby. I think after I had Bobby feed and walk Bear one day when I had to work late, that Bear was forever Bobby's dog too. I'm sure Bear enjoyed his one on one time that he had with Bobby and I, but I think Bear likes having someone to boss around (he totally tries to wrangle Chaps, kinda funny if you ask me) and be with him while we're at work.

Bobby already shared the heart breaking and heart warming story of how we got our other two dogs, but I will also never forget going to cargo wing of delta to pick up one pug and one shih-tzu, shaking, whinning, and scared in their crates. My heart melted in that one single moment. Chaps and Gomez have two distinct personalities, and we are so happy to have them as part of our family. I think Kay would be happy too. We love all 3 of our dogs very much.

12/19/18- It's a Wonderful Life (Mostly)

I was watching the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" the other day (which made me realize that I can't choose just one favorite Christmas movie, so don't ask), and that movie reminded me of everything I have to be grateful for this year and well all of my life. So without much ado, here's my list of things I'm grateful for in 2018:

1) Jack and Bobby
2) The rest of my family and my friends-- so many of you supported me and my book this year, thank you, thank you, thank you!
3) My second book, Annie Aardvark: Adding Ants, came out this year!
4) A successful Kickstarter for Annie Aardvark: Adding Ants!
5) Attended the Beth McDonald's Woman of the Year Awards (I was a nominee)!
6) Launched a new blog, STEM Spark (born out of consultation with the Crafty Chica)
7) Went to Legoland-- friends let us tag along on their vacation and our kids had a good time together (and even though I needed lots of rest and sleep and Jack was sick to his tummy, our friends were understanding about the naps required)
8) Bobby and I did a stay-cation for our anniversary, the hotel stay was part of my prize for Beth McDonald's Woman of the Year Awards
9) My mom went through some health problems, but is doing a little bit better and my dad is turning 90 in a week (and doing pretty darn good)!
10) Attended 2 great STEM conferences this year
11) Jack's 4th birthday party; so many 4 year olds, but he enjoyed it and so happy we celebrated another year of him driving us nuts!
12) Got another year with our pug
13) Won some books
14) Rode the Polar Express Train
15) Jack's 1st Dance Recital
16) Started a steroid a couple of weeks ago to help with energy, and I think it's helping some. Also started a new med that should hopefully reduce my CRP levels.
17) Having a paying job that makes a positive contribution to the world.
18) Highlights Magazine bought a story from me!
19) A happy Thanksgiving with my in-laws
20) The sunny weather in Phoenix right now
21) Reese's Peanut Butter cups (and if I'm honest, tons of other sweets too) and Tea
22) Science/math jokes and puns
23) Graphic tees and funny coffee mugs
24) Fun purchases from Target
25) USPS Click and Ship, as well as online ordering and shipping right to my door

Happy Holidays to everyone, and may your 2019 bring you many things to be grateful for!  As for me, it's a pretty decent to mildly great to wonderful (depends on my mood for the day, haha) life!  Cheers!

12/6/18- Family's Heart (For the 8th Annual Holiday Contest)

So I've always wanted to write picture book involving US Coast Guard search and rescue, since I work at a company that designed, built, and now maintains the search and rescue system, as well as a holiday/Christmas story.  Well, Susannah Hill's Eighth Annual Holiday Contest has provided me the opportunity to put both ideas into one story. The story was also inspired by true events I heard on the radio a while ago.  While listening to the sad story (it thankfully ended well), I couldn't help but feel pride for the system I work on.  People get saved by this system, ya know?  Sharking tears after hearing stories about boaters being rescued by the Coast Guard...

So, the story for this contest has to be 250 words or less, so I had to cut some boat and search and rescue details out of it. Therefore, apologies to all the sailors in the world for botching some the technicalities of sailing; I hope you at least find the story entertaining despite technical issues. 😊  There's also a theme with the contest-- it has to be about a holiday hero!  So because of my work, real life heros that come to mind are Coast Guard rescuers, and I sincerely thank them for all that they do.  Thank you! But for this contest, I wanted to add another layer of who the holiday hero, and now that I'm done explaining and rambling (I'm probably just taking you away from the story this point, d'oh), I present the actual story.  I hope you enjoy Family's Heart.

Family's Heart

“Merry Christmas! Did Santa come?” Sara asked.  Cracking a smile, Dad said, “Christmas is tomorrow.” “Oh!… Merry Christmas Eve!” Sara grinned.  “Go check on your brother for me.  I have to assist Mom with the engine,” Dad said.  Sara scampered down below.

“Nate, wake up!” Sara declared.  Nate didn’t stir.  Sara scooted closer. Jabbing him, she said, “lazy, get up!”  Nothing.  Sara bit her lip.  She poked his cheek and was met with hotness.  “Mom, Dad!  Something’s wrong with Nate!” Sara shouted.

She heard scurrying above, and in a flash her parents appeared. “Tom, he’s burning up.  And with the loss of power, we should radio for help,” Mom stressed.

Dad sprinted to the radio; Sara trailing behind.  “Mayday! It’s Family’s Heart! We need medical support!”  But Sara cut him off.  “Dad, is that water?” Sara pointed.  Dad’s face fell.  “Mayday, we’re taking on water!”  Dad said, simultaneously pushing the DSC button.

After long crackles, a voice answered, “This is the Coast Guard. We have your coordinates.”

“Sara, go tell Mom we have to abandon ship,” Dad stated, tears welling up.   Sara flew like a reindeer, grabbing all that was important.

From the deck of USS Vandergrift, the Jones watched as their home was swallowed up. “We’ve lost everything,” Dad lamented, squeezing an alert Nate (thanks to antibiotics administrated by the rescuers).  “Not everything,” Sara whispered.  She pulled out a photo. It was the Jones on Family’s Heart. Dad gasped, and Mom pulled everyone tight.  “Merry Christmas,” Sara said. 

11/29/18- Parent Confession 4

Alright this one is a parent confession that I feel a little conflicted about-- we use Santa to encourage good choices and behavior from our son.  On the one hand, our son has always been reward centered, so encouraging him to make good choices for a visit from Santa is more effective than a time out for making a bad choice.  But on the other hand, I don't want him to think he's a bad kid when he makes a bad choice. All kids are good even when they don't make the best choices.  I believe that truly.  So I worry that my son will think he's bad when we tell him Santa won't come. Of course, we'd never not have Santa visit our house, but I still worry about Jack receiving a confusing message about Santa. 

I know some parents see Santa as lying to their kids, and I respect that. However, for me personally, I've always been a sucker for magic and hope, which is what I think Santa embodies.  Thus, I have no qualms about telling Jack about Santa-- I want him to believe in magic and hope and miracles and all the good stuff in the world.  Even when he discovers the truth about Santa, I hope (there's that word again) that he'll still believe.  I still believe in Santa and the magic Santa brings this time of year, and so I think it's important to share in the tradition of Santa that I was taught (as a kid) with my own kid. 

One tradition I didn't have with Santa and Christmas when I was a kid is the Elf on the Shelf.  Here's part 2 of the confession: I really dislike the Elf on the Shelf.  Yep, I said it out loud.  I could do without the Elf.  Although I love what Jack has named his Elf, Pizza!, the Elf is there to basically tattle tale on my kid.  I mean again, Pizza's presence is encouraging good behavior and choices, so I guess that the tattle taling isn't what I'm really annoyed with.  The part I'm most annoyed with is the tradition of having to move that sharking Elf every night.  Like I barely remember to shower some days, how am I supposed to remember to move that sharking Elf every night?!  So my solution is that Pizza just loves candy so much that he (she?) can't take themselves away from the candy bowl.  Yeah, that's it.

So there. That's my parent confession(s).  I harbor ill feelings towards the Elf on the Shelf (my husband wanted to do it, and sometimes you make compromises in relationships, haha), and well I definitely believe in sharing the tradition of Santa and the magic Santa creates this time of year, I do worry a little that our kid may get mixed messages about being a good kid vs. making good choices (there's a difference).  I try very hard to never say you're a bad kid, but you're making a bad choice/bad behavior, so we'll see how this all turns out in 20 something years.  Can't wait to see if Jack talks about Santa and how he tried to be a good kid and self worth and all that with his therapist.  Ha!

Alright, tell me in the comments your thoughts on the Elf on the Shelf and Santa and parenting in the comments below, and I hope everyone has a Merry Happy Christmas Holidays!

11/14/18- Life Has Happened

I kept telling myself I'd do a post on here for the past 3 weeks on how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign because yay me, my illustrators and my friends and family, we had a successful Kickstarter campaign for the second Annie Aardvark book "Adding Ants!"  Congrats to me and to everyone who helped out with the campaign by pledging, sharing, and giving me marketing ideas (for the Kickstarter).  I truly couldn't have do it alone.

But alas this post isn't going to be how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign because I'm wiped.  I literally don't have the energy.  I had my routine blood test back in September, which for RA patients is like every other month sometimes, and I got the results from my doctor a week ago, and it shows my thyroid levels hover right on the borderline, my cortisol levels low, and also good old CRP is high again.  Basically these results indicate that my fatigue isn't just from shouting and dancing with joy that the "Adding Ants" Kickstarter was fully funded (although that added to it a little haha).

So instead of a list of what and what not to do with a Kickstarter campaign, I'm just going to tell you what is happening in my life.  I'm obviously got some health issues going on, but I'm confident my doctor and I will get me back somewhat healthy, but there's good things happening too.  Jack knows how to count to 30 all by himself, and he can write his name all by himself!  He's growing everyday, and that couldn't make me more happy! 

We've also have had a lot fun lately, going to various classmates birthday parties.  Jack loves seeing his preschool chums there, and I feel blessed that Bobby and I have made friends with their parents.  Like we have those parents' phone numbers-- like this is a big milestone in the parent timeline (making friends with the other kids parents).  Haha. :) 

Then as I patiently wait for the "Adding Ants" books to arrive at my house so I can ship them to all the Kickstarter backers, we've been holiday crafting and decorating, and Bobby and I will have a date night this week to go see the second "Fantastic Beasts" movie.  And I've got lots of fun planned over STEM Spark for the holidays-- a lot of STEM toy giveaways and some STEM crafts (I hope!). 

Hmm, as I write this all out, I guess it sounds like I'm not resting, but rest assured (haha), I've also been taking lots of naps on the weekends and going to bed before my kid.  I'm so grateful that Bobby has been doing both school pick up and drop off so that I can get my rest.  I'd really like to not sleep though Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We do have exciting plans to take Jack on the Polar Express train again this year, so hopefully the new meds I'm taking to address my energy issues will kick in soon and my body will be bouncing off the walls like my mind does!

Oh, I will note one thing about a do not for a Kickstarter Campaign, and that is DO NOT accidentally launch it before you've meant to.  ;-)

Let me know what's been happening for you, or holiday plans you look forward to, or whatever, in the comments!  Take care!  Happy napping!  And all that good stuff! 

10/29/18- Mason's Howl (For the 8th Annual Halloweensie Contest)

“I’m so hungry!” Mason shouted.  “I’m prepping the cauldron now,” replied daddy.  Snap, crackle, pop went the fire as water began to boil.  “How about frog’s breath?” daddy asked. “Yuck!” growled Mason.  “Slimy snail shells?” said daddy.  Mason shook his head side to side and declared, “no!”    

“Okay.  How about pickled rat?” asked daddy.  Mason shivered at the thought: “gross!”  “Hmm…” daddy thought, “I think I’ve got it…” Mason’s fang curled into a snare and with the word ‘no’ forming on his lips, daddy exclaimed “Candied spider legs!”  Mason’s snare changed into smile and licking his lips, Mason howled, “yuummmm!”

10/22/18- Halloween in Phoenix

I love Halloween, and all the associated activities that come with it!  And it seems like in the  year 2018 there more activities that we do with our children than I did as a child-- pumpkin patch, fall festivals/carnivals, trunk or treats, Halloween parades, Halloween decorating/large lawn displays, and making Halloween specific food, beverages and crafts, and straight up trick or treating. I only remember doing just trick or treating as a kid! And I remember how hot it'd get some Halloweens here in Phoenix, that you wanted to ask your parents if you could just wear your bathing suit to trick or treat in.

And when it's hot outside, sometimes it's hard to get in the mood for all things Halloween.  I love how great the winters are in Phoenix, but seriously, sweating (and possible dehydration) to death in your costume when it's 100 something out on Halloween night is just no bueno. It kind of kills your Halloween spirit: last year we hardly put out any decorations and just barely made it to the pumpkin patch.  It was 95 degrees last year when we visited the pumpkin patch!  At night!  Good thing the pumpkin patch served snow cones. 😅

However, this October for the PHX has been blessed by some rain storms that have lowered the temperatures, and we've been in the 80s as far as the weather goes!  So even though I just got back from Minneapolis, where the leaves turn color and there is frost nipping in the air (a real proper fall for Halloween festivities for sure!), I've definitely been more into Halloween this year.  Bobby and I have put up 3 blow up Halloween characters, flickering lights, gravestones, chains, and six pumpkins so far!  The last part, six pumpkins, is because every time we see a pumpkin somewhere, Jack insists we get one.  And since Bobby and I are both more in the spirit this year, I'm like, well you are right Jack, we do need more pumpkins! 

We've also been crafting the shark out of Halloween.  I may have a small habit with buying the Target dollar bin Halloween crafts, but there are some really cool crafts, like a mini wood pumpkin puzzle that you paint yourself or a string a shoelace through a black cat, that are perfect for young kids. We've also been doing some fun Halloween STEM experiments, like glow in the dark slime, mad pumpkin, and glow stick in a jar (coming soon to STEM Spark).  We're also reading lots of Halloween books, including Five Little Pumpkins.  And Jack is so into all of it!

It is so wonderful and special to be making all these memories together, but what I'm secretly pleased about is that he is back into costumes.  Last year he didn't want to wear a costume at all, and that was weirdly hard for me-- I think because I loved playing dress up so much as a kid, so I couldn't comprehend how he didn't have that exact same love for dress up?  But as I came to acceptance on this matter, he has decided this year that costumes are great!  He's most likely going as a super hero this year: most likely The Incredibles' Dash, Batman or Superman. He was Superman as baby, so *tear* if he dresses up as Superman this year.  I will be going as Margret Hamilton, STEM person extraordinaire, and if you also are thinking about a STEM costume this year, you can check out my post on STEM inspired costumes here.

In summary, I love Halloween and am so thankful that the weather in Phoenix is adding to the enjoyment of the holiday. Also pretty excited that my little one is really into it and wanting to dress up!  Tell me what is one of your favorite things about Halloween in the comments below, and Happy Halloween everybody!  May you have Spook-tactular one!
 

10/2/18- My Baby is Four (where the shark did time go?!)

Almost a month ago Jack turned four!  I have no idea where the time went, and I don't just mean these past four year, I mean this past month!  I was going to finally write up Jack's birth story (because it was kind of like one you'd see in a Hollywood movie), but time has just slipped away from me and now you just get this post-- the cliche where does time go; life is so busy?!

My current time management issues are my fault though because I've bitten off a lot; however, I think I can chew it all.  How did I get so busy?  Well for one, I finished the second Annie Aardvark book!  Yay!  Then I decided on top of family and my engineering day job that I'd also start a new blog, called STEM Spark.  Then I also decided it would be a good idea to launch the second Annie Aardvark book through a Kickstarter campaign right after launching the new blog!   

I took on all these things not because I'm crazy, but because I am just super excited and optimist about these projects.  I have been forced this month to be more efficient in the work I do, aka not spending so much time watching cute animal videos on the Internet! I also have the support of Bobby, which helps all lot in "balancing" it all.  Plus, now at age four, Jack is able to entertain/play by himself for short durations while I work (like 20 minutes is all you need to write up a Kickstarter thank you).  Watching him grow from a baby to toddler to pre-K child has been amazing!

I'm so blessed to see him grow-- he's spatial reasoning skills are something to be envied; his vocabulary and letter/number reading is expanding more and more; and he's able to dress himself, which as an adult you think isn't that hard, but watching Jack learning to put a shirt on, while you realize just how much practice and learning a simple skill like dressing yourself takes!  Of course in his quest for independence (again, yay for dressing yourself), he's pushing hard on the boundaries we have set for him, and the tantrum seem even worse/longer at age four than at age three.  But I know it's all apart of the growing process, and I hold onto hope that soon-ish we'll find the happy medium of Jack's independence and parents' boundaries/rules (she said naively).

I just have to also add that Bobby and I threw a pretty shark fin b-day party for Jack (if I do say so myself) in the middle of all these new projects... which is probably why we all had colds last week (kicking shark fin takes it out of you!). That and the"weather change" in Phoenix. We're no longer in the 100's!, although there's always a chance we'll have another 100 degree day in October, haha.  Anyway, we're all better now, so upwards and onwards!

No sleep till Brooklynn...well in this case, no sleep till the Kickstarter is done and the book is released!  I hope everyone has had a great start to their fall! Oh, and one day I'll write Jack's birth story cause it's pretty amazing (of course I'm biased, but for those who do know the story, it is not much exaggeration to say it's something out of a movie).  Happy fall!

9/1/18- Parent Confession 3

McDonald's.  Say what you will about the double arches, but for me McDonald's has been a parental lifesaver. I take Jack here about once a week , usually after work. And usually after feeling fatigued from the rheumatoid arthritis.

When you feel so fatigued, cooking and playing with your child can feel next to impossible. What's a RA, working parent to do? For me  the solution comes in the form of McNuggets, Apple slices and yogurt or fries (and now organic juice). The McDonald's of my yester years has worked to improve the healthy options, and sometimes their Apple slices are the only fruit Jack will eat (on his difficult toddler days).

Suplerging!

Jack also loves the playground at our local McD, and I love that he is running around and getting out all of his toddler energy. All while I can sit and watch from a bench. I can get the much needed rest I need, and Jack can get the exercise and play he needs.

Another thing that I thank McDonald's for is you can find one on any road trip. They're usually open early and late, with a restroom and much needed caffinated beverage. It's a good place to take a break and stretch your joints on a long road trip.

So in this day of age of homemade, organic baby food (which we have totally made our own organic baby food, so I'm understand that choose as a parent, I promise), I don't feel ashamed to admit I take the kid to McDonald's once a week. It's a good option for us and for our needs. So that's my 3rd parent confession, I am not ashamed to take my kid to McDonald's.

Plus the toys in Happy Meals are kind of fun (Sorry Jack I took your mini Hungry Hippo game)!  So if you also visit the double arches with your kids, your secret (or maybe not secret) is safe with me because ba da ba ba ba, I'm loving It! Leave a comment on what places or restaurants have helped you out!

8/16/18- Breastfeeding

A week ago I had the privileged to write about what it's like to be a parent with Rheumatoid Arthritis  (RA) on the site Fiery Bones, and while I covered a lot in that article, there was one subject I specifically wanted to talk about while being an RA mom: breastfeeding.  First I want to caveat this post with this-- when it comes to breastfeeding in the US, it feels damned if you do (cover up in public! you can't do that here!) and damned if you don't (I don't care your situation, you should be exclusively breastfeeding baby from the nipple for the next 20 years!).  So now with that caveat, I'll dive into my breastfeeding story.

From the start I was a low producer, meaning that on a good day, I made 5 ounces of breast milk for baby Jack.  Jack consumed at least twice that in the earlier days, and I think 5 times that by the time I hung up my breastfeeding hat.  So I supplemented with formula, and no way do I feel guilty about my baby being feed formula because he was being feed. Period.  That is what is important.  But for the first 3 month (aka maternity leave), I did feed him what breast milk I had mostly by boob.

And I remember how stiff and locked up my hand and elbow joints would get.  Since I didn't produce much milk, feeding sessions would be close to an hour.  And it was painful.  So I'd switch sides every 10-15 minutes or sit him down and pick him back up.  I had suspicions within a month or two that my RA was flaring again.  It was confirmed when I had a check up with my primary care doctor four months after Jack was born.

My primary care doctor recommend a couple of different things, and I did a follow up with my rheumatologist.  The rheumatologist recommended that I go back on Plaquenil for the RA. I had stopped taking the medicine during pregnancy with guidance from my rheumatologist. She didn't want to risk any side effects during pregnancy, as well as all my RA numbers were looking good. I was most likely in remission during pregnancy, which does not always happen to pregnant RA patients.  But now that I was having a flare, it was time to go back on Plaquenil.

Again, with guidance from my rheumatologist and Jack's pediatrician, I started the medication.  It was middle of the road safe for breastfeeding mothers.  At the same time, I was back at work, so I (and Bobby) had switched full time to bottles with Jack (he had them off/on previous).  I remember one week into being back at work (and Jack receiving bottles full time at daycare) that I might try breastfeeding Jack for nostalgia purposes.  Jack was not having it, and I ended up giving him a bottle.

But I was pumping at work, which is it's own beast. Again, the breast milk I pumped wasn't much, but I was still proud of the fact that I was providing a little breast milk among the formula that Jack was receiving.  I'd also wake up in the middle of the night, even though Jack now mostly slept through the night, to pump. Those 3 ounces counted towards the total, no way would I miss that!  However, the lack of sleep was definitely not helping the RA nor was it making me a happy mom.  I was not the best version of myself on the little sleep I was getting (it was hard to fall back asleep after pumping a half hour at 3 am, and since I couldn't fall back asleep, I'd stay up reading or checking emails/social media).

I don't even remember much between months 3 and 9 of Jack's life, since I was a walking, breast milk pumping zombie whose joints ached so much.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time with Jack (and figuring out parenthood with Bobby), but I can't really remember what I did at work or conversations I'd have with Bobby.  I was in desperate need of Ibfropen and rest/sleep, but I wasn't ready to admit to myself that it was time to retire from breastfeeding.  According to society, I'd be a horrible mother and fail Jack if I didn't make it a whole year breastfeeding.

Then Jack got his first stomach virus at nine months, which is really scary when they're ity bity babies, but of course it all turned out fine (virus went away and Jack started eating again).  But since Jack didn't seem to be keeping any milk or pureed foods down, Bobby and I were in full on parent worry, red alert mood.  So much so, that while Jack was sick, I forgot to pump.  Once Jack was doing a little better, I put the pump supplies on and started the device up.  Nothing came out.  I waited a full 10 minutes before quitting.   I was like, no big deal I'll try again later, and I did try again yith the same results; nothing came out. So that was that.  At nine months, I was done providing breast milk to my baby.

Yet, it was a blessing in disguise.  I started sleeping 8 hours straight through the night (no waking up at 3 am) , and I started taking NSAIDs again (bless you Ibfropen).  I also felt relief that Jack wasn't getting diluted Plaqunil anymore (although the doctors gave their blessing for me to use that medication).  Yes, at first I was very conflicted-- I'm supposed to provide nutrients for a whole year to my baby. However, because of the extra rest/sleep and more free time (now that I wasn't pumping), I felt so much better and happier.  I hadn't realized how awful I had felt. But now I had a little more spring in my steps, and I was able to fully enjoy family time.  I was enjoying life more.

In summary, I feel like I got this unique experience of both sides-- the breastfeeding mom and the formula feeding parent.  I can empathize with both sides, and that I personally don't see breastfeeding as only one sided.  Before judging anyone on whether they choose to breastfeed or not, remember that they could be a RA mom who doesn't produce much and struggles to hold baby for a long time due to joint stiffness.  So let's support the parents who don't breastfeed, as well as the moms who nipple feed until 5+ years, and everything in between. Because damn it, parenting is hard enough without judgement, so let's support each in our breastfeeding decisions. Fed is fed! To breastfeeding and to formula feeding!

7/28/18-- Book Review of "Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing"

I feel so lucky to be a part of the Kid Lit (aka Children's Literature) community because I get to [virtually] meet really cool authors.  One such author is Nancy Churnin.  I met Nancy through a picture book writers group we are both in, and I noticed that her book Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing was recently released.  I made a mental note to keep an eye out for it  hoping to check it out from the Tempe Library.

A few weeks ago, I took Jack to play at the Tempe Library.  I saw Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing sitting front and center on the new non-fiction book display-- so cool, and I was very happy for Nancy that her book was so prominently displayed on my library's shelf!  I was going to check it out, but confession time, I had 3 books over due and I hadn't brought them with me!  No big deal I thought because I could totally get the Irving Berlin picture book next time.

So a week or so later, I was ready to return my other overdue books and pay my fine.  Off I trekked to the Tempe Library.  I took care of the overdue book situation, and then went to retrieve Nancy's book off the new non-fiction book display.  But it wasn't there anymore.  Okay, I'll look it up in the library's computer system-- now the book is sitting in the children's biography section.  I'm old enough to know the Dewey decimal system, and so I know how to find 782.4216 BERLIN.  But the book wasn't there.  The computer system says it should be, but it wasn't.  Alright, time to grab the librarian.  She couldn't find it either.  We walked together all over the children's floor, looking for the book.  Finally, we surrendered, and the librarian marked the book missing.

Determined to get a hard copy of this book, I headed over to the nearest library in the neighboring community of Mesa. However, this library didn't even own a copy!  So they submitted a request to order one, which is great for Nancy (that means a sale - yay!), but not so great if you are as excited as I am to get my hands on a genuine physical copy of this book.  Now, I get to wait for either Mesa's copy to come in or for Tempe to find their missing copy (fingers crossed).  While I wound up patiently (sort of) waiting for a physical copy, Nancy was kind enough to send me an electronic copy (thank you Nancy)!

Few children's books pique my interest enough for me to spend this much effort getting my hands on them (let's face it, free time for a working mom can be shorter than a toddler's attention span), and the big question is: was it worth the quest?  (spoiler alert: yes!)

Disclaimer: I've been given the e-book free in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.

A Little About The Book

Irving Berlin was one of America's most famous composers, song writers, and musicians. The book opens with five year old Irving Berlin leaving his home:  the Cossack revolts in Russia resulted in his family's house burning down, so the Berlin family is fleeing to America.  The family, along with many other immigrants, sail into New York City harbor and as they all see the Statue of Liberty, they break out in song.  It was the first of many times that Irving tried to capture the sounds and songs of this new city, of this new country.  His mother and father both say "God Bless America," at the site of their new home; it is something that will stay with Irving for his whole life.

The book continues to follow Irving as a child, growing into a young man.  The book discusses how the sounds on the streets where Irving plays, the prayers in the synagogue where the family worships, the sounds of the apartment where Irving grows up, all these things will later influence Irving's music.  Young Irving sings on the streets, which leads to a a job as a singing waiter at a restaurant, which leads to his first song (sold for 37 cents).  This job also leads to Irving's first hit song (which is an international hit), "Alexander's Ragtime Band."  All the while, his surroundings continue (like working at a restaurant that plays jazz).

Later, Irving serves in the US Army (he also has become a US citizen) during World War I.  His job is to write patriotic songs for the Army, and he also composes a show for the troops called "Yip! Yip!  Yaphank!"  He composed a song for the finale of the show that would become the basis for "God Bless America," but the song was ultimately not used in "Yip! Yip! Yaphank!" When the US enters into World War II twenty years later, Irving wanted to help and inspire his country again, so he pulled out the unused finale song from that show, and with his journey to America and what his parents said when they arrived in the US, he finished "God Bless America."  The song was performed by famous singer Kate Smith on the eve of World War II (in 1938), giving people hope and courage.  Irving never took a penny for "God Bless America," donating all proceed to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.  "It was his thank you to the country that opened its arms to countless people from all over the world..."

My Review

My first thought is wow!  Such an inspiring and uplifting story about Irving Berlin and "God Bless America!"  I really want to get a hold of the hard copy now!  I want to be able to actually flip through the pages, admiring the actual ink of the illustrations and soak in the words.  It is such a well written, and beautiful story.  And the the illustrations are gorgeous!  The lighting of each illustration, and the theme of Irving's red scarf throughout, and the details of the background are so well done.  The illustrations really set the tone and match well the mood of the words.

I also love the message (well at least what I think is the message): that anyone can live the American dream.  In time when some Americans think that the American dream is only for those born in the country, it's such an important message--  an immigrant gave us one of our most popular songs about our country and what it means to be an American.  And to think about how that could have been lost if we had completely "shut the door" on immigrants.

I worry a little about some of the recent anti-immigration policies set forth by the current Administration, especially for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  If we "close the door," what or who will we be missing out on?  Brilliant minds with brilliant STEM innovations?  Innovations that could solve some of our biggest problems and challenges (water and energy needs, global warming, cures for diseases, and so on)?  And we can't forget the arts and language side of it too-- will we miss the next Irving Berlin and "God Bless America?"

And from what I gather from this picture book, Irving Berlin seemed to want to want to share the gift of the American dream with everyone in the US, so much so, that he wasn't willing to profit from it.  It's really cool that he gave all his royalties to such a good cause, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.  He also gave all his profits for the song "This is the Army" to the Army Emergency Relief Fund.  That's pretty cool.

So yeah, I think this story is such an important one to read with our children.  To talk about immigration and what it means to be American (it's more than just a birth right to me).  I also like the mentions of Irving's beliefs and mentions of Yiddish and Russian words, which add another layer of diversity to discuss with our children.  Not to mention that it's also a great introduction to some fabulous songs (Irving truly was gifted); I really can't wait to share them with Jack on iTunes!  "White Christmas" in particular has a special place in my heart, as it's a favorite song (and movie) between my dad and I, so being able to share the story of the composer of "White Christmas" with my son will be pretty amazing (tear).   And of course "God Bless America" is such a beautiful song, so reading such a beautiful story/book about this beautiful song and the amazing person who wrote it, is just all around amazingness!

Alright just to sum it up: 5 out of 5 stars (using the Goodreads and Amazon rating systems) and totally worth the epic trips to the libraries to get this book in hand!  I can't wait for the hard copies to come in!  Thank you Nancy for sharing an e-copy and for writing such a fabulous book (and James Rey Sanchez for the beautiful accompanying illustrations)!  It's really a great read, so go get Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing from your local library or bookstore (or Amazon or website or where ever you get books)! Happy reading!

PS:  Nancy has some great teacher guides for the book on her website, http://www.nancychurnin.com/.

There's also a project for kids to do on Nancy's website: http://www.nancychurnin.com/make-america-sing/.

Enjoy!

7/20/18-- Exciting Things!

I'm so excited!  I'm so excited!  I'm so... scared...sorry, couldn't resist a classic Saved By The Bell reference there.  But some really exciting things are happening here in the land of MomeeZee!  The first one is that I'm going to be re-naming my blog, as well as re-designing my blog.  I guess it's what business and marking folk call re-branding.

It was really cool-- I meet with The Crafty Chica last Friday for some blogger to blogger advice and insight.  Kathy is really passionate about helping other bloggers and small business owners, so every July she offers up consulting services (man, I need to lay off the reallys).  Her service was well worth it for me because she has given me some great tips, ideas (including blog direction) and motivation.  One of the big tips, and it's so obvious, is to have a blog name that people immediately know what the blog is about just by the name alone.  My friend Maira over at Enthusiastic About Life has also said the same thing, and I'm sorry that I'm just now listening Maira! 😊

As some you, my dear friends, may know, I brainstormed a whole slew of new names and put it to a vote with my friends and family.  I learned from Kathy (The Crafty Chica) that the first 5-6 things brainstormed are usually from our logical left side of the brain, and the next 5-6 things are from our creative right brain.  It's not really relevant; just a cool fact that I thought some of you might enjoy.  So anyway, I narrowed down the new blog names to two, and my friends and family have voted feverishly for their favorite. A huge thank you and shout to those of you who voted!  Stay tune in the next couple of months for the final name, and hence new blog!  I'll be having some fun things (aka giveaways) for the new blog launch!

Also exciting is that Jack will be in Pre-K starting August 6th.  My baby is a pre-kindergartner!  I'm so happy and thrilled for him to learn so new pre-k things.  Learning new things while unencumbered by fear and doubts, and to borrow from Maira, and with enthusiasm is such an awesome feeling!  He's going to have a blast.  I'm going to cry, but very thankful he's growing.  

And now a drumroll for the reveal... of the final... exciting.... piece of news I that have...brrrrum...I am working on the layout of the next Annie Aardvark book!  The title should be Annie Aardvark: Adding Ants, and it should be released this fall.  I'm most likely go to release the book through a Kickstarter campaign, right after I've finished the new blog, so please stay tuned/keep an eye out!  In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at an illustration in the new book. Squee, Annie's so cute!

 I'm so excited, I'm so excited!  I'm about to lose control and I think I like it! Hope everyone has something exciting going on in their lives!  Happy weekend! xoxo!

7/6/18- Summer STEM Experiment: Pool Noodle Math Game

How to make summer swimming a learning task, you ask? One where your math happy kid will grin and your language happy kid will groan?  Create a math game using a foam pool noodle of course!

YOU WILL NEED:

A Foam Pool Noddle
Scissors or Exacto Knife
Permanent Marker (my fav is Sharpie)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Cut the pool noodle into 10 pieces (even is good, but it's fine if you don't-- I have no perfectionist requirement on cutting the noodle into even pieces).  This step should probably be done by an adult since scissors or an Exacto knife are involved.

2) Using the permanent marker, write one number, 1-10, on each pool noodle piece (also make a 7 ate 9 joke as you number).

3) Throw the numbered pool noodle pieces into a pool (this pool should be a pool you have permission to use).

4) Have the child(ren) retrieve the numbers you call out: "3! 10! 5!" etc.


Variations on the pool noodle math swimming games:

• If you have an older child, tell them to retrieve 10-7; 36/6; 4+5; etc. 

• If you have a child under 2, you can put shapes on pool noodle pieces and create your own shape game.

• If you have a language lover, you can cut the pool noodle into 26 pieces and put one letter of the alphabet on each and create your own language game. 

Have fun swimming this summer, and always remember pool safety with your kids!

6/27/18- My Dream Job

I had a scary dream, but with a happy ending, the other night.  Bobby, Jack and I were flying somewhere overseas (the destination I forget, but it's not relevant to the story).  We're on a 747, so it's commercial flight with 300 something passengers.  All of sudden, we have to make a crash landing on the sea.  Luckily, our pilots manage to land use on the ocean with minimal damage. Passengers have bumps and scraps, but no major injures.  And no deaths (woo miracle and woo subconscious for making that happen).

Which is great, expect we're all now drifting randomly at sea with nothing but seat cushions as flotation devices.  Thankfully the US Coast Guard shows up out of no where with a big enough boat to put 300 something people on it.  They attend to the wounded and give us blankets and water.  We are all safe and headed home.  It's a happy ending!

But the dream wasn't really about a fear of flying and crashing into the sea.  I believe the dream was about my day job.  I try to stay pretty vague on my blog about where I work to avoid getting into trouble with my company.  However, my author profile does indicate that I work on the search and rescue system for the US Coast Guard (and all my friends and family know that's the project I work on, so it'd not that big of secret).  So the fact that my family and I are rescued at sea by the US Coast Guard in my dream, that was not a coincidence.

I am proud that I work as a systems engineer on the search and rescue system for the US Coast Guard.  I have much gratification that a project I work on saves people lives (specifically, people lost or distressed at sea and require rescuing).  To me, it's a project that makes a positive impact on the world.  And I love that I provide for my family through such a positive project.  I'm pretty sure that's why I dreamed about the Coast Guard rescuing my family the other night-- there's great satisfaction that two of my ideals, providing for my family and positively impacting the word, can co-exist.

Sometimes I'm not happy with the limited work I've been relegated to, and a lot of the time, I'm not happy with some of the things my company does.  My project within my company is pretty great, but the rest of my company frustrates me. Executive leadership has done some things in the past that show that they care more about profit and shareholders than the employees that work there. They also take on some projects that I'm not sure meld with my personal values and ideals.  That is what has made the past couple of years really hard for me in terms of working there.

And while I search for what to do next, I'm going to try and focus on the good that the search and rescue system project does while I provide a good life for my family.  I think continuing to focus on the positive of my current work situation will make me a better optimist and in turn, will open up the door to my next GREAT thing. That is my dream. I wish that we may all find work that we believe in.  May we all find our dream.

That's Me (standing in front and) Sharing with Students What I Do for A Living