Luca at 3 1/2

Luca is 3 1/2 now and is something else. He loves pretend play. He is constantly in pretend world. He is either making up crazy stories and acting them out or randomly handing us pretend candied pecans or freshly baked cookies. He has imaginary dragon friends named Ginger and Toothless. Toothless was previously named Hooks but got a name change after watching How to Train a Dragon. His closest friend at school is John. John is in Kinder and is very sweet to Luca. He apparently looks out for our little Luca while out on the playground. We recently saw an endocrinologist to check on Luca's growth. He has always been on the lowest percentiles of the growth chart and we wanted to be sure that there wasn't anything preventing him from growing other than the fact that his parents are short. He had a hand x-ray and blood work done. He did a great job. He was calm and relaxed throughout the whole process and I was surprised that he didn't cry during the blood ordeal. All appears to be fine. For now we are to give him whole milk, a multivitamin, and plenty of sunlight to get his Vitamin D up. I feel like I am writing about a plant or something. Ha! We will go back in 6 mths to make sure he is indeed growing. Here is the Luca lowdown:

1. Still a picky eater
2. Favorite things to eat are quesadillas, fruit, carrots, pancakes and bacon, and loves cinnamon rolls in the morning
3. Loves building with Legos, playing with his geotrax, and playing with Jack
4. No longer takes naps at school
5. Sleeps with a monkey and giraffe
6. Thinks saying blah blah is a bad word or an act of rebellion
7. Enjoys being read to and snuggling
8. Is doing fantastic with reading and can read short vowel, three letter words
9. Can count to 20 but is still working on the relationship between the number represented in print and the actual quantity
10. He is funny but doesn't like people to laugh at him
11. Dislikes going to church :/ (Not the regular/typical resistance to going to church that lots of kids experience but rather an absolute refusal to go into childcare. So he just sits with us in the big church.) We are not sure what to do with this but are working on it.
12. Has recently shown interest in music via a play guitar he received for Christmas 

2013

This year has gone by quicker than any other. We ended 2012 by closing out a busy fall semester,  saying goodbye to Todd's grandfather (Pa), celebrating Christmas in Houston, and bringing in the New Year at home. I will make an individual post for each one of us. We all have lots going on. For now here is our Christmas picture taken at our annual Brennan's Brunch.

Jack on Allergies

Jack is a pretty OCD kid. He is a worrier like his Mommy. He grinds his teeth at night and sleep walks a lot. (Yes, it freaks me out.) OCDness and allergies are a rough combo for a 6 year old. I love Jack and how his brain works. I just wish he wasn't so stressed out. Just wanted to document/share our latest conversation over a suspected allergic reaction he had recently.

I got a call from Jack's school on Tuesday. (Of course it was minutes before I needed to walk into my class and teach.) Nonetheless, Jack's teacher said his eyes were bothering him. They were red and he was holding a wet paper towel or kleenex over them to sooth himself. She added that he seemed to be pretty uncomfortable. Todd went to go pick him up. (Thank God Todd was available.) Todd said he looked fine and could not see anything visibly wrong with him. Allergy reactions can be that way.. when near the problem inflamed skin, itchy eyes, or sneezing. When away from the allergen it all goes away. So that night Jack and I began the process of trying to determine what exactly set his reaction off at school. 

Mom: Where were you when it happened?

Jack: It was during silent reading time. (translation-inside, in the classroom) 

Mom: Had you been outside?

Jack: Yes. We were at recess.

Mom: Did you touch anything new out there? 

Jack: No.

Mom: Had you been playing with Beezus? (guinea pig.. class pet) 

Jack: No. 

Jack: Mom! There is a 100% chance that the book I was reading had something on it! The book came from the classroom next door and they are allowed to have different snacks over there! And Mom, the book is here, in the house!

Mom: Didn't you just read that book with Daddy? 

Jack: Yes. 

Mom: And did you have the same reaction?

Jack: No. 

Mom: Well, then it is not the book Jack. 

****It is now Friday and Jack will not go near the book. Sigh. My child walks around in fear of things. I have to remind myself not to instill more fear in him and to not interrupt those moments when he does allow himself to be free and to not worry about things. 

Busy Season of Life

The Meehan family smashing it all in...

We are definitely entering into a busy season of life. We have our schedules. The boys have their schedules. We try and smash them together and make it all work. :)

Is this what I am looking at? Is this my future?

So today I dropped off the boys at their school and headed on over to my school. I pulled into the parking lot and before getting out of my red Honda Accord I finished my breakfast (that had been sitting in the passenger seat next to me since leaving the house about 20 minutes earlier) when another car pulled up right next to me. I looked over and saw that it was an older male professor. He reached over to his passenger seat and began to shave his face with an electric razor. So while we were both finishing off our morning routine like an old married couple we caught eyes. I smiled and raised my oatmeal filled spoon to him as a gesture of hello. And then I noticed his car. It was a small red Honda Civic. Not the same make as mine but for sure similar in style and age. He got out of his car and reported to work. I sat there for a second and thought.. "Is this what I am looking at? Is this my future?" And this my friends left me slightly discouraged. Really? All this work and years from now will I still be in the same car finishing my morning routine, and basically doing the exact same thing that I am doing now only with the title? (Cue sound effects) Wha-wha.

My present is on the right. My future is to the left. Ha! 

A Newborn in the House?

No. No. There is no baby on the way and just to solidify that decision I think God is reminding us of what it is like to have a newborn in the house. For weeks now our children have kept us sleep deprived. Luca doesn't want to go to bed at night and gets up about a million times and then he gets up several times a night. Last night it was 12 and 3. The first time he wanted his socks. The second time he was too asleep to even communicate a need. (and yet called out to me several times in order to get me over there) I just assumed he wanted to be situated better in his bed. He was sleeping on the wrong end of the bed. Then Jack completes the 3 hour increments by getting up in the morning at 6. Come on! Mommy is not a spring chicken. I need that beauty sleep. Without sleep I look my age or older. And that makes me cranky. I know so many sweet and loving Mommies that take things like this with patience and count them as sweet and fleeting moments. I'm not one. I wish I could be but I'm not. I want my children to sleep at night. I want to sleep at night. If we all sleep at night then I am in a better mood and can appreciate and have those sweet and fleeting moments during the day time. ;)

Dear Lord,
Direct us to know what to do with this situation. Why is Luca waking up? What does he need? How can we all get more sleep? Give us the patience to deal with this time in our lives. Show us what we can do to calm Luca's night time anxious heart.

After typing that I see where maybe I should be praying for God to calm my anxious heart and not Luca's.

The Dissertation

When are you graduating?

How is the dissertation going? 

All you need to do is write your dissertation right?

These are the questions I get upon running into people I haven't seen in a while. I don't mind the questions and am happy to answer and am grateful for people that are interested in talking to me about well.. me. However, every time one of these questions is posed.. I feel the pressure to hurry up and finish so that people don't have to ask me that anymore. (Although..I know what questions come next.. So what are you going to do with your degree? Are you going back to work? What kind of job are you looking for? All of which I have no answer to)

Here is the deal with the dissertation. I finished my course work and then joined a dissertation group to help push me along. The group was great but it didn't really help to push me along. They provided great feedback and encouragement but for some crazy reason I decided sabotage myself by piling on some extras onto my already full plate. While my group was writing away and getting proposals approved and research started. I took on an additional class to teach and decided to go on a mission trip to India. Before I knew it, it was December and I had nothing done on my dissertation. The spring semester became a bit of a downer for me. I watched my friends move forward while I reflected on my lack of work.

This is/was my dissertation group. 

These ladies have graduated. One is now working at Baylor in a one year position and the other moved back to the Netherlands where she is teaching, doing research and working with a museum. So proud of both of them. 

This is CC. In the middle of our dissertating...she moved to CA, had her first baby and is now working at a small Baptist university while trying to write and finish her dissertation. 

And then there's me... 

After the spring semester reflection, I kicked into gear and got my research approved in May. I began collecting data this summer. And that is where I'm at.. My hope is to graduate in May 2013. I don't think I have an easy road ahead but I am trying my best to not have a repeat of last year. Choices that I have made thus far to help me along are: 1) I dropped the additional class I was teaching to have more time dedicated to my dissertation. 2) I said no to a job that would have been a financial blessing to my family and would have taken me back to a wonderful work family that I left 6 years ago. 3) Although I think about my friends in India often and my heart so desires to go back and see them, I am saying no to a return trip this year. Ouch. My heart aches just typing those words. Needless to say I am going to try to get my rear out of BU just as soon as I can! Prayers are welcome. I know there will be obstacles. I have hit a few in my data collection ventures already. Will save those snafus for another day and will try my best to document for myself and for others my progress towards the completion of my dissertation. I am currently imagining the same people that ask me about the status of my dissertation saying the following phrases: 

"Good Luck!" 

"Break a Leg!" 

"We believe in you!"

"You got this!" 

"Will be praying for you!"