Our little Annie Grace is incredible. Having a newborn baby again seems so different. I do not ever recall our children being as small (although they were). I do not ever recall them waking up all night (although they did). I do remember the nappies though! And nothing has changed there with this infant. Annie has been stunning from day one. She really does little except eat and sleep. Most nights she sleeps from 8pm until midnight. She feeds and goes back to sleep until 5 or 6 in the morning. Amazing, and so breathlessly beautiful.
This week I have found myself spending massive amounts of time staring at Annie. I am in awe. That Kylie and I could be responsible for this little girl is staggering, and miraculous. Her features are perfect, her temperament is divine, and her presence creates wonder and calm.
Kylie, too, has been incredible. She is a mountain of strength, hard working, and self-sacrificing. Of all the choices I have made in my life, marrying Kylie is one of the best.
Yesterday I took some time with Ella and Abbie. I took them to Ratatouille, the animated movie. It was fun, but Ella made it hard work. She has been a little difficult all week. Part of it is due to her being unwell (although she seems to be getting better now). But I cannot help but wonder if part of it is related to her knowledge that she is no longer the baby in the family. She still speaks poorly, but we’re not giving up. She has a long and hard road ahead of her. Several times throughout the movie I was forced to take her outside. She simply didn’t want to sit through the whole thing.
I also took Chanel out for a treat. As she gets older, she gets more and more wonderful. I love dealing with her. We had a slurpee in the park on the river and watched the Citycat’s pass by. A perfect afternoon. I think we’ll take the family there for dinner when the whether warms up just a little more. Chanel is getting very funny. I asked her what she was playing when she spent some time with her friends earlier in the day. Her response: “Teenagers”. When I asked what she does when she plays teenagers, Chanel stated, “We go shopping.” So funny! They go shopping in their friends’ bedroom or backyard. I love the way they can amuse themselves by playing make-believe. I guess in some ways we do the same as we imagine what we would like to be able to do with the next tax cheque, or if we win lotto (have to buy a ticket to win, but I still find myself imagining now and then).
As far as my studies go, not a lot was accomplished this past week. Much of that has to do with a quick trip I made to Sydney to pick up a car that we bought. It’s a little Daihatsu Sirion. I think I got it quite cheap and it’s a terrific little car. So I flew to Sydney on Thursday and drove home on Friday. The trip home was terrific. I took my mp3 player with me and listened to 30 conference talks from church leaders. The topics were diverse, but all uplifting, and all inspiring.
I find it interesting that the closer I am to the finish line in my studies, the harder it is to stay motivated enough to cross it. My degree will be complete in another 6 weeks. That doesn’t really seem real. Unfortunately it is difficult to see beyond the mountain of essays, literature reviews and my thesis piled up in front of me. This week will be pretty huge for me. I plan on completing my thesis introduction for the last time (I’ve already rewritten it twice). I also hope to finalise two other assignments which are quite large. It’s interesting, because completion is only a heartbeat around the corner, yet there is so much to do first.
I have been reading a book called The Whole Child. Not one of the greatest parenting books I’ve read, but it is nice to be reading for the love of reading again, and not just because I have something assigned to read from school. I’m slowly making my way through a pile of books that Wally Goddard sent me from the US. I anticipate getting through a lot more in 6 weeks when school is finally over.
That reminds me. I have determined what I should do next year with my studies. Last week I fasted and prayed about it. In fact, I have been doing so for some weeks. I have decided to let go of the Ph.D. It was a hard decision, but in talking with potential supervisors, none were really what I was looking for. It seems that parenting is not particularly popular amongst academics, and so my direction has changed. I am applying for a Masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology instead. I will study part time and graduate as a qualified psychologist in QLD in 4 years. Oh, and it will cost me about $25 000. But I suspect it will all be worth it.
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