The Home Stretch
Here at Chez Harding/Miller, we're getting close to the the end of several important milestones. I particularly enjoy that feeling of impending completion, even as I sometimes wonder what I will do once my current activity or situation reaches an end. Endings, beginnings, endings, beginnings...
Almost B-Day: No, that doesn't mean it's almost MY birthday (although in fact it is), but rather it's almost ROSLYN'S birthday. Today is the beginning of week 36, with an "official" due date of 4 weeks from today. W-O-W. Even as I kind of feel like Tess has been pregnant "forever," I look back now and realize that my perception of time is that it has passed VERY quickly. Some things still need to be done: carpet in her room (on order, just waiting for an installation date), carseat installed in Dr. Miller's auto (currently in the basement, waiting for me to get around to it), bags to be packed for the hospital (including Tess' "focusing items" for late labor). In some ways it's scary to consider that, beginning today, if Tess went into labor the Docs wouldn't try to stop it. I guess that means we could conceivably have a baby by this time Wednesday...although I've been cajoling Roz to stay put, dammit! This is usually being said late in the evening, when we're laying in bed (Tess not so well these days), poking around trying to find little hard spots in her belly, then pressing gently. We're usually given a kick or some sort of responding pressure. That's fun.
Finishing Touches on Stairway: This one really boggles my mind, as I usually think of renovation as being a summer-long project. But, the crown moulding went up on Saturday, and today's project involves 1) sanding the rest of the doorway trim to a uniform surface, 2) erasing uneven trim gaps with Elasto-Patch, and 3) painting the trim. Yes, that's right, I used the word "paint" there. As in, "the final thing you do in a room." Tomorrow will be trim paint coat #2, then Wednesday and Thursday I can do double-duty on the ceiling and walls. Friday is a catch-up day, and also the day to install the permanent light fixtures. I've arranged for Mom to come over this weekend, and we'll (wait for it...) tackle the stairs themselves. A quick, masterful re-do, perhaps in only 3 weeks' time. Yeah, baby!
Class Starts Next Week: I've taught music appreciation in the summer for...(thinking)...going on the 4th year now. I enjoy teaching music appreesh classes GENERALLY, although I was stuck for a couple of years doing the ginormous 300-seat regular semester class, and that had challenges I didn't care for. Lately I've just done this 20-seat summer session or the Honors section, and those are both fine. I'm not crazy about our book - the Kamien, which is pretty much the same as all the OTHER books out there. I'm not sure what I'd do to replace these dull texts, with their glossy photos and monotonous listening guides. In my jazz history classes I've eschewed a text entirely, relying on class lecture and the far-more-reasonably-priced Ken Burns "Jazz" box set of CDs. But for general Western music appreesh? I dunno...I sometimes just feel like using the text becomes a little "rote," like I'm using a book because that's what you do. ANYWAY. That starts next Monday, which brings to a close my first big chunk of summer break. Once that class is done...we'll have a baby! And then things can finally, FINALLY calm down for me! Those of you with children who just dropped out of your chairs with laughter at that statement: shut the hell up! I don't want to hear about it! I'm sure I'll find out on my own how wrong I am...in the meantime, I'll just take solace in the thought that caring for my newborn and her healing mother must - MUST! - be easier than renovation. Right? RIGHT?!?
Almost B-Day: No, that doesn't mean it's almost MY birthday (although in fact it is), but rather it's almost ROSLYN'S birthday. Today is the beginning of week 36, with an "official" due date of 4 weeks from today. W-O-W. Even as I kind of feel like Tess has been pregnant "forever," I look back now and realize that my perception of time is that it has passed VERY quickly. Some things still need to be done: carpet in her room (on order, just waiting for an installation date), carseat installed in Dr. Miller's auto (currently in the basement, waiting for me to get around to it), bags to be packed for the hospital (including Tess' "focusing items" for late labor). In some ways it's scary to consider that, beginning today, if Tess went into labor the Docs wouldn't try to stop it. I guess that means we could conceivably have a baby by this time Wednesday...although I've been cajoling Roz to stay put, dammit! This is usually being said late in the evening, when we're laying in bed (Tess not so well these days), poking around trying to find little hard spots in her belly, then pressing gently. We're usually given a kick or some sort of responding pressure. That's fun.
Finishing Touches on Stairway: This one really boggles my mind, as I usually think of renovation as being a summer-long project. But, the crown moulding went up on Saturday, and today's project involves 1) sanding the rest of the doorway trim to a uniform surface, 2) erasing uneven trim gaps with Elasto-Patch, and 3) painting the trim. Yes, that's right, I used the word "paint" there. As in, "the final thing you do in a room." Tomorrow will be trim paint coat #2, then Wednesday and Thursday I can do double-duty on the ceiling and walls. Friday is a catch-up day, and also the day to install the permanent light fixtures. I've arranged for Mom to come over this weekend, and we'll (wait for it...) tackle the stairs themselves. A quick, masterful re-do, perhaps in only 3 weeks' time. Yeah, baby!
Class Starts Next Week: I've taught music appreciation in the summer for...(thinking)...going on the 4th year now. I enjoy teaching music appreesh classes GENERALLY, although I was stuck for a couple of years doing the ginormous 300-seat regular semester class, and that had challenges I didn't care for. Lately I've just done this 20-seat summer session or the Honors section, and those are both fine. I'm not crazy about our book - the Kamien, which is pretty much the same as all the OTHER books out there. I'm not sure what I'd do to replace these dull texts, with their glossy photos and monotonous listening guides. In my jazz history classes I've eschewed a text entirely, relying on class lecture and the far-more-reasonably-priced Ken Burns "Jazz" box set of CDs. But for general Western music appreesh? I dunno...I sometimes just feel like using the text becomes a little "rote," like I'm using a book because that's what you do. ANYWAY. That starts next Monday, which brings to a close my first big chunk of summer break. Once that class is done...we'll have a baby! And then things can finally, FINALLY calm down for me! Those of you with children who just dropped out of your chairs with laughter at that statement: shut the hell up! I don't want to hear about it! I'm sure I'll find out on my own how wrong I am...in the meantime, I'll just take solace in the thought that caring for my newborn and her healing mother must - MUST! - be easier than renovation. Right? RIGHT?!?
posted by Animal at 7:12 AM
4 Comments:
Ahhh, yes, the joys of parenthood. It will be a wonderful journey for all of you. :)
If Tess is up for some soothing music, don't forget to pack that as well. I must admit, some of the nicest deliveries I am in on are the ones with the soothing, calming music on in the background. We all calm down when we hear it.
I've been thinking about making a Labor Mix, but somehow that sounds totally bizarre. Labor Mix. Should I try to time it so that when the heavy labor begins and I need to get pumped up, the Eagles of Death Metal or the Electric Six are playing? And what would work for the delivery of the placenta? I'm hearing "All of me, why not take all of me?".
I'll have to work on that one.
Tess, I think "All of Me" is perfectly appropriate.
Yeah, you're right...Labor Mix does sound a bit strange, though.
Hi there - I'm a friend of Susan's and found your blog through a link from Madtown Mama -
Just wanted to let you know that I've taught music appreciation with Jeremy Yudkin's Understanding Music and I like that text much better than the others - for what it's worth.
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