Volcano contractions and more

MT.REDOUBT
As Patrick avidly watches the volcano activity with Mt. Redoubt, he looks at the activity monitor of the earth quakes around the volcano and they go in gradual surges, up and down. Birth is on my mind, because I can't help but think that the graph read out looks very similar to labor contractions when having a baby! They start, slowly build, build, build then decline. Just like labor. Patrick awaits the big eruption. The geologist in him loves this stuff.

STUEY
Stuey is feeling better, finally recovered from his wasn't-supposed-to-be birthday party. Poor guy. He didn't have a choice but to party hard to bring in the big 0-2. Today he went to his first day at Ms.Garahs (well, its actually Ms. Sarah's but Nora says Garah).....gotta love speech impediments. Stuey did fabulous. He still had a remnant of his little illness, but you never would've guessed. Sarah said he took a nap like a champ and when I went to pick him up, he was standing at a table stacked high with big leggos. He looked at me, smiled, then said, "Bye Mamma." He wasn't ready to part with his newly found lego creation. I couldn't be happier to have both of them going to the same place for childcare. It is in a private home, small number of kids and Nora and Stuey really like it. And the BEST part is that Sarah gets the kids outside in all sorts of weather. Shes not intimidated by a little wind or rain.

LOVING MOMMYHOOD
I'm loving mommyhood with the kids at 3 & 2 years old. They crack me up. I love being with the kids and I love my job. Its a toss up. I just know that I couldn't do 1 or the other full time. I've struck a balance which I hope continues to work. A friend recently told me that she is going to stay home for a year with her kids and I had a pang of guilt-like, "Should I be doing that? Does that make me a bad mom if I'm not staying home with my kids?". 15 minutes of reassurance later, I'm ok with the fact that I enjoy my job and I"m not going to play the guilt game. When I'm at home, I enjoy being at home. When I'm at work, I enjoy being at work. Living in the moment is the way to go.


Zoya