Monday, September 01, 2008

Gettin' on the Wagon

Hey Girls, I thought I would finally jump on the bloggin' wagon. I have followed “ApartmentFiveB” in fits and starts, but somehow I've never made the effort to post. I could invent some excuses, but I'm a miserable liar. The truth is I just never got around to it. Sorry for being so distant.

So what does one write in a debut post? What I'm doing--watching Caleb send Nathan skidding across the living room in his walker (can a nine-month-old get whiplash?). What I'm reading--The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (I'm down to the dregs at the local bookstore). What I'm listening to--the construction crew next door taking down a concrete wall with hammers (“tink, tink, tink, tink, tink...” add about three thousand more “tinks” and you get the idea). Where I'm going--to the beach this weekend! (Imagine yourself in a desert clawing at sand and praying the palm trees aren't a mirage. That approaches how ready I am for a vacation.)

What I'm thinking about--hmm, that's more complicated. The bulk of my life at the moment is consumed (devoured?) by two little boys. The advent of parenthood has turned everything completely topsy turvy. I know I can be a bit of a drama queen (wink to Sarah), but who knew life could become so delicious and so draining in one fell swoop. I haven't been this tired since that dreadful, procrastination-enforced, triple all-nighter I pulled in an attempt to finish my senior seminar portfolio at Wheaton. (What was I thinking?!?) The trouble with the current situation is that there is no reprieve in sight, unless you consider kindergarten a light at the end of the tunnel.

Without minimizing the havoc these pint-sized imposters wreak on the system, parenting is also the most amazing endeavor I've yet undertaken. I am exhausted, but I've never enjoyed anything as much as I enjoy watching Caleb and Nathan grow and change. Children really are amazing. I am learning so much from the days I spend caring for them...but that topic probably deserves a post of it's own.

I'll draw this to a close, but by way of update, here are a few stats:

--Daniel and I celebrated our eighth anniversary in June.
--In July, we passed the five year mark in Vietnam.
--Caleb will be three in October.
--Nathan will have his first birthday in November.

And the big news is...(pause for effect)...we are planning to come back to Wheaton next summer. We are due for a one-year stint in the States, but we may take an extended time for study. Daniel is applying to Wheaton and to Trinity for their PhD programs. Our preference would be for him to do the Wheaton program (in large part because it's fully funded!), but it's pretty competitive. If he gets in, we'll be back for three years. Plenty of time to catch up with all of you in person.

I'll sign off for now. Hopefully it won't be another eight years before I post again.

5 comments:

Jo said...

Woo-hoo! Welcome, Heather. The group is now complete. Not only did you pull the blog out of a month-long drought, but you also raised the bar on our posts. Please come back often!

Sars said...

You make me smile. I'm glad you signed on! Love, Sars

Megan said...

Heather and Daniel in Wheaton is on the PRO side for staying in Chicago next year vs. moving to Indy. I hope it all works out!! Gregg, Kim and kiddos hope to be in Wheaton on furlough next summer as well.

Would Caleb be in school during the furlough?

Kristy said...

I had no idea that's how you spell furlough...

Heather, so great to hear from you! It sounds like things are going quite well...I do look forward to seeing your children give one another head and neck injuries soon. As soon as you hear about Daniel's acceptance to Wheaton's PhD program, let us know!

Heather said...

Hey again, Jo...thanks for helping me get on board. I'm a little slow when it comes to tech stuff. Sarah...thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad it made you smile--probably because you can relate to all the kiddie stuff. Megan...please DO stay in Chicago. I'm terrified of coming back to Wheaton and being totally "out of it." You can be my coach on how to fit back in to suburban Illinois. Kristy...it's good to hear from you too. I hope you're still safe and dry. Let's hope your power comes back on soon. Will keep you all posted as we know more about Wheaton and the PhD program and all that.