Hil :

Many, many moons ago, you said this (just found it now due to random threadsucking and skimming):

There's a Math for America recruiting poster that I walk by every day, and it keeps looking like a better and better idea.

I don't know if you know, but I'm currently doing this program. Am partway through the first full semester at Teachers College / Columbia right now, doing observations of NYC classrooms at the same time. Next semester, student teaching and whatnot.

The program is AWESOME. If you're interested in teaching, and in math (which I know you are), you should definitely apply, assuming you don't hate NYC (which i know you don't). Beyond the fact that they give you a TON of money to do something you want to do anyway, the fact that there are 30-odd other people in the program who want to do the same thing is great - you get an immediate social group. There are other advantages too - the teacher I'm hoping to do student teaching with is a MfA Master Teacher, who I might not have met without being part of the program, for example.

For that matter, anybody else who likes math and teaching and is looking around for something to do with your lives - check this program out for reals. [link]

I'm glad to find out that "that one learns how to parent by just trying stuff until something works". I always thought I was broken because I'm so helpless around babies. I thought one was just supposed to know what to do with them. Not that I ever expect to be a parent, but at least I don't feel so bad.

Dude. Babies are so individualized that trial and error is the ONLY way you can really figure them out. At least until we can breed them so they come out talking and can tell us what we're doing wrong.

Thanks for the info, Gris. I'd actually just been thinking about emailing you with some questions about how you liked the program, but that post just answered most of them.

Right now, I'm still mostly thinking I'll stay with grad school for now, but MfA is still sort of in the back of my mind.

Thanks for the support, guys. It's an ongoing issue (14 years and counting), but I have to say that the DH is way more involved in the whole baby thing than I thought he would be - I didn't think he'd "engage" until the kid could talk. It's just the occasional cluelessness that means that I often think being a single parent would be easier.

And I have no idea why he thinks I know more about caring for babies than he does. I just do the trial and error routine; it's not like *I've* ever done this before.

But you know, this is the guy that I asked the midwife to intercept at the door when labor got really going, since he's not good with ookiness.

One thing Raq (and I'm not assuming or saying you are doing or would do this), but sometimes, I see some mothers sort of treat fathers like they're more of a parent-in-training, and those fathers who might be a little naturally afraid of killing the baby anyhow sort of step way back. I think that in part, Scott has been so involved in the daily care and feeding sorts of things, because when he was doing something for one of the babies, I got out of the way and let him do things his way. I don't mean that in any way that would imply he became chief parent. I just mean that as long as whatever he was doing for one of the babies wasn't going to hurt the baby, I tried not to correct him (like if he would wash the kids' hair last when I would have washed it earlier on in bath, etc.). Also, I would make specific requests, like this morning, I might have said, "I need to sleep. Can you please change the baby's diaper and give him breakfast and a bottle?" I don't know if this will help. I hope it does.

I know I'm just an eensy bit of a control freak, so I've made sure to not treat Robert that way. That's part of why I haven't given him specific instructions. I may start with those though.

Part of it is that I feel like he has work and school, and all I have to do is take care of the baby...

Nah, you know what? Sick of whinging. I'll be back with photos.

Part of it is that I feel like he has work and school, and all I have to do is take care of the baby...

Nah, you know what? Sick of whinging. I'll be back with photos.

I remember feeling like that. And to some extent, if you're the stay-at-home parent, it is true. But don't forget to look at it from the other side too--your job never ends. There are no weekends, no holidays, no lunch hours. You're always on-duty.

Part of it is that I feel like he has work and school, and all I have to do is take care of the baby...

Babies are harder than work or school. Sure, they're also cuter, but man, I miss the routine of 40 hours behind a desk.

Lily has started taking an interest in the cats. I think she also knows the word "kitty" (and probably the sign), because when I asked her if she wanted her (stuffed) kitty just now, she turned and looked at Mo and grinned.

Hmm. I should warn the felines that trouble is on the way. (She also wants to play with the keyboard. And the touchpad. I'm having a devil of a time typing this with her sitting here.)

Mal's all about the keyboard and mouse (and my stylus). We stole a keyboard that the embassy was throwing out, so he can sit next to us and bang away on a keyboard of his own.

Legion has started to realize that Mallory is a potential source of pets, so he's getting more interested. Mal has in fact petted him, although not very gracefully. The tail is an issue.

I know I don't get a break with the baby, but on the other hand, I don't have to get up at 6:00 and go to work. OK, I have to get up at six, but not really, not for long, and I don't have to get dressed or commute.

Hmm...close to whinging again. If I let it start, the dam will break, and I'll say something I'll be embarrassed about later. Anyway, I should really have something to bitch about in a few days.

So, I've never eat Brussels Sprouts before, but the latest article on Cooking for Engineers convinced me to try them.

Why are these considered bad again? OMG so good!