Icelandic Lamb Soup

Kjotsupa! It pairs nicely with buttered, toasted bread.

For my dad's birthday meal we made a leg of lamb but had about 1 cup of meat left on the bone. So I Googled "lamb soup" and discovered that Iceland is known for a soup called Kjotsupa.

You can Google the recipe (there are hundreds since this soup is much like chicken noodle in that everyone has their own favorite proportions). Most recipes I found call for using water but I made stock from the remaining lamb bone so you'll see, below, that my measuring bowl if full of lamb stock.  It is very plain soup, in my opinion. Everything is boiled so there aren't levels of flavor from browning the onion or anything. But it is still pretty tasty and is very inexpensive and easy.

I used purple potatoes and leeks since that was I had.

And turnips instead of rutabegas since I had some mature ones in the front yard garden.

Kairos Time

A friend shared this via Facebook, and I wanted to put it here, too. I thought it was insightful and hilarious.  I'm glad I'm not the only one whose favorite time of day is bedtime. And someday I, too, hope I will remember the toughest moments when I see a stressed out mama and be able to afford to help make her life a little easier.

Here's the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

And here's the article (copyright Huffingtonpost.com):

Don't Carpe Diem
Glennon Melton | Jan 14, 2012 11:57 AM EST

Every time I'm out with my kids -- this seems to happen:

An older woman stops us, puts her hand over her heart and says something like, "Oh, Enjoy every moment. This time goes by so fast."

Everywhere I go, someone is telling me to seize the moment, raise my awareness, be happy, enjoy every second,etc, etc, etc.

I know that this message is right and good. But, I have finally allowed myself to admit that it just doesn't work for me. It bugs me. This CARPE DIEM message makes me paranoid and panicky. Especially during this phase of my life - while I'm raising young kids. Being told, in a million different ways to CARPE DIEM makes me worry that if I'm not in a constant state of intense gratitude and ecstasy, I'm doing something wrong.

I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

And so I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers -- "ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN'T!" TRUST US!! IT'LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!" -- those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain.

Now. I'm not suggesting that the sweet old ladies who tell me to ENJOY MYSELF be thrown from a mountain. These are wonderful ladies. Monkees, probably. But last week,a woman approached me in the Target line and said the following: "Sugar, I hope you are enjoying this. I loved every single second of parenting my two girls. Every single moment. These days go by so fast."

At that particular moment, Amma had arranged one of the new bras I was buying on top of her sweater and was sucking a lollipop that she must have found on the ground. She also had three shop-lifted clip-on neon feathers stuck in her hair. She looked exactly like a contestant from Toddlers and Tiaras. I couldn't find Chase anywhere, and Tish was grabbing the pen on the credit card swiper thing WHILE the woman in front of me was trying to use it. And so I just looked at the woman, smiled and said, "Thank you. Yes. Me too. I am enjoying every single moment. Especially this one. Yes. Thank you."

That's not exactly what I wanted to say, though.

There was a famous writer who, when asked if he loved writing, replied, "No. but I love having written." What I wanted to say to this sweet woman was, "Are you sure? Are you sure you don't mean you love having parented?"

I love having written. And I love having parented. My favorite part of each day is when the kids are put to sleep (to bed) and Craig and I sink into the couch to watch some quality TV, like Celebrity Wife Swap, and congratulate each other on a job well done. Or a job done, at least.

Every time I write a post like this, I get emails suggesting that I'm being negative. I have received this particular message four or five times -- G, if you can't handle the three you have, why do you want a fourth?
That one always stings, and I don't think it's quite fair. Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it's hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she's not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn't add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it's so hard means she IS doing it right...in her own way...and she happens to be honest.

Craig is a software salesman. It's a hard job in this economy. And he comes home each day and talks a little bit about how hard it is. And I don't ever feel the need to suggest that he's not doing it right, or that he's negative for noticing that it's hard, or that maybe he shouldn't even consider taking on more responsibility. And I doubt anybody comes by his office to make sure he's ENJOYING HIMSELF. I doubt his boss peeks in his office and says: "This career stuff...it goes by so fast...ARE YOU ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT IN THERE, CRAIG???? CARPE DIEM, CRAIG!"

My point is this. I used to worry that not only was I failing to do a good enough job at parenting, but that I wasn't enjoying it enough. Double failure. I felt guilty because I wasn't in parental ecstasy every hour of every day and I wasn't MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT like the mamas in the parenting magazines seemed to be doing. I felt guilty because honestly, I was tired and cranky and ready for the day to be over quite often. And because I knew that one day, I'd wake up and the kids would be gone, and I'd be the old lady in the grocery store with my hand over my heart. Would I be able to say I enjoyed every moment? No.

But the fact remains that I will be that nostalgic lady. I just hope to be one with a clear memory. And here's what I hope to say to the younger mama gritting her teeth in line:

"It's helluva hard, isn't it? You're a good mom, I can tell. And I like your kids, especially that one peeing in the corner. She's my favorite. Carry on, warrior. Six hours till bedtime." And hopefully, every once in a while, I'll add -- "Let me pick up that grocery bill for ya, sister. Go put those kids in the van and pull on up -- I'll have them bring your groceries out."

Anyway. Clearly, Carpe Diem doesn't work for me. I can't even carpe fifteen minutes in a row, so a whole diem is out of the question.

Here's what does work for me:

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.
Like when I actually stop what I'm doing and really look at Tish. I notice how perfectly smooth and brownish her skin is. I notice the perfect curves of her teeny elf mouth and her asianish brown eyes, and I breathe in her soft Tishy smell. In these moments, I see that her mouth is moving but I can't hear her because all I can think is -- This is the first time I've really seen Tish all day, and my God -- she is so beautiful. Kairos.

Like when I'm stuck in chronos time in the grocery line and I'm haggard and annoyed and angry at the slow check-out clerk. And then I look at my cart and I'm transported out of chronos. And suddenly I notice the piles and piles of healthy food I'll feed my children to grow their bodies and minds and I remember that most of the world's mamas would kill for this opportunity. This chance to stand in a grocery line with enough money to pay. And I just stare at my cart. At the abundance. The bounty. Thank you, God. Kairos.
Or when I curl up in my cozy bed with Theo asleep at my feet and Craig asleep by my side and I listen to them both breathing. And for a moment, I think- how did a girl like me get so lucky? To go to bed each night surrounded by this breath, this love, this peace, this warmth? Kairos.

These kairos moments leave as fast as they come- but I mark them. I say the word kairos in my head each time I leave chronos. And at the end of the day, I don't remember exactly what my kairos moments were, but I remember I had them. And that makes the pain of the daily parenting climb worth it.
If I had a couple Kairos moments during the day, I call it a success.

Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day.

Good enough for me.

Eight Things

1. Jennifer got a job at an advertising agency...something like account associate?  I can't remember but I keep imagining Mad Men and just hope there'll be less infidelity and smoking.
2. Edward and Jennifer got their very own apartment.  This is great for them since they've only ever lived together but with other people (roommates, a grandmother, us, or my parents). I can't wait to see Jennifer's decorating style!
3. Because they are moving into their own place, it means our house will soon be empty of a couch, a bed, some housewares, and linens (we basically absorbed Edward's stuff when he moved back here).
4. Eddie has been sleeping on Edward's queen bed, which has been in his room since June of 2010. So we ordered Eddie a twin bunk bed with a trundle.  It is quite awesome, with a staircase instead of a ladder (that doubles as a dresser with drawers under each step).  Because Eddie is so young, Dave didn't feel comfortable with the ladder and opted for the stairs.  UPS tracking says it'll arrive on Friday and since Dave bought the mattresses at Costco yesterday, we'll be ready to assemble it as soon as Edward hauls his queen bed away.
5.  I ordered a solid colored, king sized bedspread that I plan to cut into two and hem to the exact dimensions of the twin mattresses (as opposed to making them bigger, as most spreads are, so they can hang down over the edge of the bed).  I might even sew one side of the flat sheet to the fitted sheet so it stays in place, too.  I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of making a bunk bed (tucking in the sheets and blankets). I bought a set of "trains, cars, airplanes, and tractors" sheets and a jungle animal set, too.  I think cartoon character bedspreads are tacky so I'm hoping he'll be satisfied with fun sheets and a plain top blanket.
6. My family will be visiting next weekend so we can celebrate my dad's birthday. I've already planned out the meal and I can't wait to eat it.  I won't say what it is here on the blog because I don't want to ruin the surprise for my dad.
7. I love that Dave has today off.  It made for a wonderful weekend that was so jam-packed full of fun and relaxation that it has felt like he's been here a whole week.  Once I've offloaded the pictures of our weekend getaway I'll post about it--the food, wine, hotels, shopping, and childlessness.  It was glorious.
8. There is a "hard freeze" weather advisory in effect for tonight and tomorrow so I just wrapped towels on the above ground irrigation line in the chicken house and plugged in the lights on the lemon tree and threw a sheet over the whole tree.  I should probably bring the chicken waterer inside, too, once it is dark (and they are asleep) and bring it back out in the morning so it won't freeze solid.  It'll be so cold tomorrow that it might take a long time to melt and I don't want them to be thirsty. 

Operation: Playgrounds!

Growing up, our family didn't have many traditions (beyond, perhaps, getting cans of smoked oysters in our stockings every year at Christmas/New Years). I've always been a little jealous of my friends who had sentimental or even quirky traditions.

Vacations, for example, were something done only with my mom and perhaps the Joneses.  It wasn't really a "family" vacation, more like a trip with our moms.  In college I was a geriatric caregiver to this woman named Georgia.  She and her husband had a daughter and I loved listening to her stories about all their family traditions.  One in particular was that each year the choice of the destination for the "big family vacation" rotated amongst the three of them.  I thought that was awesome, so no one ever had to feel like they didn't get a say in what was "fun" or not.  (I'd love to adopt this tradition in our family.  Eddie's not old enough for that, obviously, but he will be in a few years.)  

Along these lines, I thought I'd start a new tradition for our little family.  The plan is to go to every single park in Davis for play time and a picnic of some sort.  Davis isn't a big place, but it is in sunny California and is very family friendly so there are a LOT of parks--forty three parks, actually, according to this handy parks map I found online.  Since I try to make everything educational, I did some reading about the "father of playgrounds and recreation," Joseph Lee and found a book I will try to read about parks, too.  Lucky for Eddie, he's too young to get anything educational out of it so it'll be all fun for him.

On a see saw for the first time! At Whaleback Park, January 10, 2012.

He opted for the "big" swings (instead of the baby swing seats) at Whaleback Park.

Ideally we'll be able to visit all the parks in Yolo County before we move away after I graduate.  Our county includes the cities of (and respective number of parks with play areas for kiddos): West Sacramento (14), Davis (43), Woodland (22), Esparto (0, sad), and Winters (1). I'm basing the last two cities' parks only on Google Maps since I can't find anything on their municipal websites.

Having a snack at the Mace Greenbelt Park on January 3, 2012.

He really liked climbing this fake rock at the Mace Greenbelt Park, January 3, 2012 (we stayed until it was too dark to see).

As of yesterday (when we went to Whaleback Park during our Tuesday afternoon off), we've been to only 10 parks in Davis.  Considering we literally live next door to a park, it is hard to justify biking or driving across town to a new park so we visit "our" park many, many times a week.  Hopefully Eddie and I will get to go to a new park each week that it isn't raining (in which case we'll go to the tractor museum, train museum, bounce place, or something else indoorsy).

Poor kid, I'm ruining him for our move to Gualala where there's only ONE park.  I've always want a geodesic dome play structure...maybe we can get one for our kids when we move, to augment the recreation experience up on the coast?  And a tree house, they'll definitely need a tree house...with a slide and a bucket pulley system to haul goodies up.  And a trampoline.  Can you tell I miss childhood?

Holiday Foods

We ate some pretty tasty things this holiday season.  Unfortunately, I didn't make everything on my list, in part because we weren't able to visit Gualala for a week as we intended so I had less cooking time.  My in-law's were sick (and "run ragged" by their new puppy) so they didn't want us to visit last week.  So I was back at work and away from Dave a week sooner than I'd hoped.  I was seriously disappointed that we didn't get to visit...I don't think we've been up there since October!

So I'll just finish up my list over the next couple of weekends when Dave is home to eat with us.  But here's what I did make over the holidays:

A couple of days post-Christmas we had cheese fondue, using whatever random foods we had left in the fridge for dipping (purple potato pancakes, broccoli and cauliflower, chicken, and bread). 

 For breakfast on New Year's Eve, my dad and I made Eggs Benedict.  I'd never poached eggs the "real" way (swirling, barely simmering water, etc.)--mine are always more like "coddled" eggs when I nestle them into the ramen noodles when I make Asian soup.  We made the Hollandaise sauce the night before and it was pretty easy.  Like Julia Child says, once you master the egg yolk nothing can stop you in the kitchen!  Instead of using English muffins, I made a loaf of rosemary French bread and grilled it in butter before topping it with the egg, ham, and sauce (a la Cafe Bernardo, my and Dave's favorite breakfast eatery here in Davis).   We also just used some ham my dad had bought instead of Canadian bacon.

Eggs Benedict will be one of those educational meals to engage Eddie when he's older: learning about French sauces, why Hollandaise is named after Holland, the use of English muffins, Canadian bacon, etc.  Quite the European and (colonial) English lesson!

Edward and Jennifer arrived later that day from New York so we had a feast ready for them: roasted trout, paella (with chorizo on the side since my dad doesn't like spicy stuff like that) and jalapeno poppers (Daddy didn't eat any).

It was very yummy...and particularly enjoyable since we adults ate our feast without Eddie, who was napping.  Meals are so much easier (and quieter) without him around.  

I stuffed the trout with fresh bay leaves, parsley, and lemon and it was daaaaaaaaang good. 

Before roasting. 

After roasting for 20 minutes at 375F (and cut in half).

Just yesterday I made donuts for breakfast.  It was quite simple, really, but once you start frying it goes pretty fast.   

That lumpy thing at the back of the stove is a half-pumpkin from our CSA that I roasted the night before. I think it'll become curried soup.

 I made a half batch of dough the night before and let it do the first rise in the fridge over night.  On Sunday morning I simply took it out, rolled and cut it, and let the second rise happen in a warm oven.  To prevent the dough from deflating when I transferred each piece into the hot oil, I put each ring on a small piece of waxed paper and then sort of "dumped" them into the oil, as suggested some a reviewer of the recipe.  Excellent suggestion!  

 

I used a maple syrup glaze that I sort of made up...and it wasn't wonderful (didn't harden) so I need to work on it.  But overall, the donuts were super delicious--more cakey than raised donuts from a proper shop, but more delicious I think.  I fashioned ours into rings, holes, and one braided cinnamon-sugared "twist" for Dave.  The boys certainly approved.

This coming weekend I'll make the buffalo chicken dip for an easy junk dinner on Saturday and mussels and fries on Sunday for dinner (perhaps I'll be able to make a Moroccan preserved lemon pilaf for Sunday lunch?).  Having a quick, fun dinner dish like the dip on Saturday evening will be nice since we'll have just come home from a night-away date.  More details on that later!

Breastfeeding Support Program Testimonial

I posted this link on Facebook a while ago and forgot to put it here, too.

Eddie and I are featured on the UC Davis Foods for Health Institute's testimonials page for the Breastfeeding Support Program.

I've copied it all here because I'm sure this website will be deleted someday and I want to make sure Eddie gets to see it when he's older (see the copyright at the bottom of the page).  One of the other kiddos featured goes to daycare with Eddie, so that's worth noting.

» News > 2011 > November > UC Davis Breastfeeding Support Group Members Share Their Stories

UC Davis Breastfeeding Support Group Members Share Their Stories Contributors: Stephanie Maroney — filed under: Lactation Study Read the testimonials from members of the UC Davis community as they share their experiences in the Breastfeeding Support Group. The Breastfeeding Support Group is a vital program that enhances the quality of life for UC Davis employees, students, and the greater Davis community. This unique work/life program goes beyond state-required policy to create an encouraging and supportive environment where women can successfully breastfeed their children. Staff members, graduate students and a faculty member share their experiences as members of the breastfeeding support group, and express with gratitude the sense of community that grew out of their time in the group. Specifically, all the women who provided testimonials were thrilled to have the opportunity to praise the outstanding work that Lactation Consultant Lonna Hampton has done for their families. Min Yu, staff member After Min had her daughter Sofia, she was surprised by how difficult it was to breastfeed. Min was renting a hospital-grade pump, struggling with unanticipated problems, and felt frustrated that she didn’t do more research before taking maternity leave from her job as a Student Advisor for the Environmental Science and Management program at UC Davis. When Sofia was about six weeks old, a friend recommended the Breastfeeding Support Group and Min was relieved to learn about the variety of resources funded by the University and provided to the campus community. Ever since that moment, Min has been attending all the support group meetings and has reached out to Lonna Hampton, the program’s lactation consultant, with “all kinds of questions.” Min says, “Lonna is very experienced and it so beneficial to have someone to listen to your stories about the challenges with breastfeeding.” Min describes Lonna's commitment to help baby Sofia learn to take pumped milk from a bottle when Min had to return to work, and how comforted Min felt knowing that she had Lonna’s advice and expertise at hand. When Min returned to work, she continued to attend the support group meetings. It was reassuring to hear the troubles and successes of other new moms, which Min says helped to “normalize the experience” of breastfeeding and “realize the benefits for my baby.” She continues to rely on Lonna as resource, stating that “without her help, I probably wouldn’t have continued breastfeeding this long.” Now that she’s “a pro,” Min can also provide guidance for other new working moms who struggle with their baby’s peculiar schedules. Elizabeth Guerra, staff member Elizabeth began attending the breastfeeding support group meetings when she was still pregnant with her son, Santiago. Working in the Anthropology Department at UC Davis, Elizabeth learned from a friend about the benefits of the program including the lactation rooms, the breastfeeding classes, and the support group. But what Elizabeth didn’t anticipate is that the program’s lactation consultant, Lonna Hampton, would become “her guardian angel." When asked about the most beneficial part of the breastfeeding program, Elizabeth can’t possible quantify the value of Lonna’s participation: “Lonna falls in love with your family, and it’s incredible." Elizabeth has learned so much at the support group meetings, which have helped make “being a mom as easy as it can” with the encouragement of other moms, fathers, grandparents, and especially Lonna. In the meetings, Elizabeth was able to connect with two other moms whose kids are the same age and request additional lactation sites near their workplaces so that the three moms could have a choice in lactation sites when others were not available. Elizabeth only wishes that more people knew about the program, and especially that women would attend while they were still pregnant to get information ahead of time. Elizabeth stresses that breastfeeding is “a lifestyle – it changes your life completely.” But by being a part of a big network of breastfeeding moms in Davis, she has learned not to feel any kind of stigma about it or to feel embarrassed about feeding her baby in public. Teresa Steele, faculty member Teresa began attending the breastfeeding support group meetings one month before her daughter Anna was born. She found out about the program from a handout she received about UC Davis’ Work Life Program at her new faculty orientation. When having a baby came onto her radar, she attended a seminar on maternity leave policies and saw that it was easy to find information online and registered for the breastfeeding support program. Before Anna was born, Teresa had taken a breastfeeding class through her hospital with other families who weren’t yet nursing, but she credits the UC Davis support group meetings for really helping her understand what to expect. Teresa feels that it is an “absolutely fabulous program. It’s a big asset to Davis and a huge reason why breastfeeding worked for my daughter and me.” Teresa attended her second breastfeeding support group meeting in August, and her daughter was born that night. When Anna was a month old, Teresa went back to the meetings to share information and resources with other, more experienced, moms. In addition to helping Teresa and Anna get through the exhausting early weeks of breastfeeding, Lonna Hampton and the other mothers helped Teresa prepare for introducing solids, going back to work, and many other issues that developed. The other component of the program that Teresa found very useful is the lactation rooms. When she returned to work, Teresa found that the nearest lactation site was frequently occupied when she needed to use it. Teresa spoke with Lonna and they were able to open another lactation room in her building. Teresa says that these rooms are “fantastic in terms of being able to maintain pumping. Even though I have a private office, I share the space, so the lactation room allows me to go into a quiet place and just think about my baby – I could block out work and my computer.” The more adjustable, hospital-grade pumps also allowed for a better pumping experience than her portable pump. When she attending a recent support group meeting, Teresa saw all the new babies and was pleased to be a voice of experience. She says it’s a “nice completion of the cycle to be able to pass on our experiences. I think the program is one of the things that makes Davis special and sets it apart from other UC campuses and other schools.” Julie Bower, graduate studentWhen Julie was pregnant with her son Eddie, she was also confronting some very difficult events that affected her personally and professionally. At that time, she was a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Agriculture and Environmental Chemistry Graduate Group at UC Davis and Julie considered taking an extended leave from her program. Although she was faced with challenging circumstances, Julie made the decision to return to school because she felt that UC Davis' supportive resources (including her professor, colleagues and classmates) wanted her to continue. Julie then found out about the breastfeeding support program through the Women’s Resource and Research Center on campus and realized how much support the campus provides for new mothers. When Eddie was three months old, Julie starting coming to campus to attend the support group meetings and was comforted by the issues discussed by other mothers – issues that were very similar to her own. Since her partner lives away from home during the week, Julie found the support and encouragement she needed to continue her life as a new breastfeeding mom who also worked and pursued her Ph.D. Julie says that she doesn’t know “if I would have been able to come back to school if it wasn’t for that program.” What Julie finds most useful about the program is the lactation sites on campus. Julie explains that “when you work in a lab, there isn’t any private space,” and since she is committed to breastfeeding, Julie was prepared to delay her return to school if it meant she could breastfeed at home. Julie needed a “haven to think about her baby, relax, have a snack and not think about work” and Lonna Hampton was able to direct her to a private lactation room, with a hospital-grade pump.  The pumps provided by the campus made it easy for her to provide milk for her baby every day, without the hassle of bringing her own heavy pump from home. Julie stopped using the lactation rooms when Eddie turned one year old, but she continued bringing him to the support group meetings to provide guidance to other mothers who face the same problems she worked through and to get advice on breastfeeding a toddler. Lisa Sperber, graduate student Lisa is a Ph.D. student in the English Department at UC Davis and first heard about the Breastfeeding Support Program from an on-campus friend. Lisa has attended the support group meetings and plans to use the lactation sites this fall now that her son is attending part-time daycare, but the most valuable part of the program for Lisa has been the attention and knowledge of lactation consultant Lonna Hampton. Lisa says, “In addition to being a really knowledgeable, up-to-date lactation consultant, Lonna is an exceptionally kind and supportive person during a time that can be a really difficult adjustment period.” Lisa, like many new mothers, was overwhelmed by unexpected complications as she began to breastfeed her son. But Lonna was able to offer many helpful, practical suggestions. As a lactation consultant, Lonna has offered invaluable expertise that is both experience and research-based. Lisa says that Lonna is “not only more accessible than some of my doctors, but her knowledge has often been a lot more detailed.” Lonna also validated the things that Lisa felt were instinctively correct, which helped to ease some of the stress that new mothers feel.  Lisa also attended the support group meetings which normalized the process of breastfeeding as she was able to hear from other women whose babies had gone through similar challenging phases and moved beyond them. Lisa believes that “the breastfeeding support program has helped me continue to be a productive graduate student by relieving a lot of mental worry associated with various problems that arose around breastfeeding.” She adds that “being the source of food for a growing human being is a huge responsibility! As academics, many of us live far away from family, so having an institutionalized support system is especially important.” In the support group meetings, Lisa has found a sense of community and encouragement that she would not have found elsewhere, and has learned from other women’s experiences. Through Lonna's expert facilitation and direction, Lisa has developed supportive relationships that will continue past the breastfeeding stage of mothering.

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New Year's Resolutions: 2012

I did really well with my resolutions from last year. Number 3 was and always will be tricky...but I'm not perfect.

Accomplishments: Dave and I each accomplished big career milestones this year.  He passed his water distribution exam on September 17 with a 96%. I passed my Ph.D. oral qualifying exam on August 30, getting out 40 minutes early. For him it marks the first step towards being fully certified as a water treatment and distributor for the North Gualala Water Company, something he takes very seriously. For me it means one step closer toward the end of my long, twisted, Ph.D. path.

Challenges: I've continued as a mostly single working mother, upping my time on campus to nearly 40 hours a week most of the year to accommodate being a TA and for my exam prep.

I worked as a teaching assistant for a science and society fusion class in the spring and really had to push myself in that position. I'd never had to teach that many students (100 students, with about 30 per discussion section, all of which I taught), prepare lesson plans from scratch, confront students about cheating, etc. Truth be told, I was pretty nervous about it but it turned out to be a really wonderful experience, one that I'm REALLY looking forward to doing again.

During that quarter I started preparing myself for studying for my big qualifying exam. Arranging Eddie's childcare schedule to accommodate six weeks of intense studying was tough (and super expensive).

Dave has had to deal with not being around for Eddie as much as he'd like. Thankfully, faster/reliable internet has been installed at his parents' house this past year so that we can Skype nearly every night. Usually we get to chat from dinner through to bath time. Some nights I take the laptop into Eddie's room so Dave can listen to bedtime stories with us, too. It isn't perfect, but it works for now.

And now for the resolutions:

1. To have two publications ready for submission by the end of 2012. My professor wants me to have 3-5 publications before he'll let me graduate. I think 3 is the department sign-off standard, but since I don't have a masters degree and people are hired largely based on publication records, he'd like me to have more than the minimum.

2. I will finish collecting all my essential data by the end of 2012 (DSC-IRMS, C/N, headspace gases, plant component extractions). This is definitely my BHAG for the year. I have an undergraduate intern lined up to help me run my instrument cluster (assuming the stable isotope director will allow me to train someone else to run the IRMS) and process my compost samples. With Eddie's schedule I can only squeeze in about 4 samples a day, but hopefully the intern will be able to do 2-4 additional if she can come in before I arrive (at about 9:15am) and after I leave (at about 5pm). In order to accomplish this, it means I will need to work extra long on Fridays and probably one weekend day, too. But the sooner I can get done, the sooner we can move on to the next step in our lives (living together, in one place like most families do...imagine that!).

3. We will finish our major home improvement projects. These include: replacing the windows in the hall bathroom and living room; deciding and acting on what to do with the dining room (split into two rooms or not?); paint the interior doors; replace all broken/rotting fence posts; install wooden edging around garden beds. This list isn't particularly long, but some items are pretty involved. But we need to prepare the house for eventual renters and these are "must do" items.

4. I will finish the knit monster pants that I started the day after my heart surgery (12/2010). The yarn I used is much thicker than what the pattern called for so the ended up being for a toddler instead of a baby (perfect since I'm STILL not done with them!). I have only about 4" on one leg to finish and some sewing decorations to add.

5. Sell my collection of "see if I can sell this" stuff. It includes some vintage/old wallets and purses, a mostly complete collection of Babysitters Club books, and a few other things. Basically, things that are worth more in college fund money for Eddie and his future siblings than the sentimental value of holding on to them.