Luke Wagner, M.S.

He defended and submitted his (190 page) thesis last week, completing the requirements for his MASTER OF SCIENCE.

Here are 5 non-computer-science reasons why he's great:

1. He is excited about the future and content in the present, a difficult and wonderful balance in a person.
2. He looks really great with a beard.
3. He is an excellent father. He makes Scott laugh so much and thinks about how he will raise him to be a responsible, contributing member of the world.
4. He always considers me his teammate (albeit a teammate with a penchant for flowers).
5. He can pack an apartment into boxes with very little help from me.

I'm a lucky gal.

All-Navy Karen

My little sister (5'11" ish) is in Maine training with the ALL NAVY volleyball team! 15 women are there now, scrimmaging and training and competing for one of the 10 places on the team that will compete for the US Armed Forces National Championship at the end of May. Isn't she cool?

When Karen was in 7th grade, she decided she loved volleyball. Back then she was a teeny little thing wearing size 00. She worked hard, lifted weights, got a growth spurt, and played varsity for the Lady Mavs in high school. She was offered a spot on the Air Force Academy volleyball team, but decided to be an A&M nuclear engineer instead. In college she won a few intramural championships with her Pink Ladies team (named for the apple variety).

I'm proud of her because of her determination and drive. I'm loving seeing her so excited about a sport. And I'm going to make Scott learn some team sport well enough to enjoy it in adulthood because, let's face it, there just isn't much opportunity to high kick after high school. (... but I do dance really well around our kitchen whenever Luke plays me Fergie or Beyonce!)

[INSERT PHOTO OF TEENY KAREN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL VB UNIFORM HERE ...]

Happy Mothers' Day!

Hey Mamas! Hope you had a wonderful day. I did -- and I'm looking forward to many more years of motherhood and hoping I can live up to the examples set by my mom & Luke's mom.

We took a little family swim to finish off the lovely day:

Scott Wagnon-er

My parents are great at refinishing things, and Dad re-did the Radio Flyer wagon Karen and I used for Scott.

before & after

Isn't it gorgeous? It's like new but better. It's vintage. Scott slept in the cradle they saved, is rocked in the rocking chair they used for us, eats our the high chair that Dad refinished for him, and will ride in this restored wagon! Way to be green, Granddad!

Scott says: Thanks Cap!

Adjusting

It is 9:06 am as I turn on my computer. I was supposed to be working since 8:30, but I couldn't find any shorts for Scott to wear and his diaper bag was out of diapers and there was traffic on the way to the babysitter's and now I'm writing a blog instead of a funding application. But blasting NPR's morning edition didn't make me feel any better, so I thought I'd try a little typing therapy in hopes of boosting later productivity.

9 days out of 10, I feel like I am getting the hang of these new roles in life: mother, non-student, wife, chef. But the 10th day I am lost. It is not anyone else putting pressure on me, it's just that I've trained a couple decades for a job that I now only do 10 hours per week ... and very little for the jobs I do the other 100+ hours. And that's kind of a trip. Speaking of which, I have great respect for all you full-time working mothers! I have this beautiful family, good job, perfect Mac computer, kind babysitter mom friend, and NOTHING, not one little thing, to complain about.

But some days still take a little adjusting.

Scott's Baptism

Deacon Frank & Deacon Ted

The Wagners!

Maribee & Brendan -- our babysitting buddies

Today we baptized Scott Alfred!