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OUCellogal
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Name: Amanda
Country: United States
State: Illinois
Gender: Female
Interests: God, my husband, Cheech; my son, Caleb, other family and friends, cello, Patriots, Red Sox, and Sooners, writing, reading, thunderstorms, cooking, being a Cold Case fangirl
Occupation: Professional Cellist
Industry: Art
Message: message me
Member Since:
4/20/2006
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| Since this is my (drum roll please) 30th Thanksgiving, I thought it might be fun to list 30 things I'm thankful for this year. This list is, of course, in no particular order, and I'm hoping to make it a list of 30 new, or new-ish, things for which I'm grateful (aside from the standard salvation, good health, roof over my head, etc. Not that I'm not immensely grateful for those things, of course, but I thought I'd be a little bit creative this year).
Without further ado...The List.
1. Caleb. Of course.
2. Cheech. I'm always thankful for him, but this year he's been absolutely amazing. He's a wonderful husband and an awesome father; there's nothing he won't do for either one of us.
3. My parents, and the fact that they're always willing to offer free babysitting, even on short notice. Before free babysitting became an option, they wore ruts in the highway coming to visit us, helped us pack, move out, move in, unpack, and get settled. We couldn't do what we do without them.
4. The move to Wichita. Lots of specific things are Wichita-related, and I'll get to those later, but I'm very, very grateful God kicked us in the butt and made us relocate.
5. My job. When I was first told I'd be teaching a lecture class instead of cello lessons, something I had never done before, I was horrified/annoyed/infuriated...but now that I've settled in, I'm discovering I actually enjoy it. I have a great bunch of kids, and I love giving them a peek into my world. It's also some reliable income, which is always helpful!
6. Cheech's job. He had more massages his first week here than he did in two years in Champaign. Despite being the new kid, he's quickly become the go-to guy at the clinic for the tough cases, and he's being able to help some people who desperately need it, in particular a few stroke patients who now have a much higher quality of life. Better still, he actually enjoys his job and feels like he's doing some good. It's fun to watch him blossom as God uses him to touch people's lives.
7. Baby grins and giggles. They never fail to brighten even the worst days.
8. The settlement we finally got from Building On Wheels Insurance, Ltd., and the hardworking attorney who got us twice as much as we could've gotten on our own.
9. Our fireplace. We didn't have one in Champaign, and I will be extremely reluctant to live somewhere that doesn't have one ever again. There's just something about snuggling on the couch watching the flames and listening to the occasional pops and crackles that's good for my soul.
10. C-sections, and the fact that without them, Caleb and I would neither one be here. On a related note, I'm thankful for Dr. Smith and Dr. Hague, and their expertise that made what would have once been a dangerous operation officially No Big Deal, as well as most of the nurses we encountered (specifically Bridget and Jolie).
11. Miss Theresa the lactation consultant, and the fact that without her, I'd have spent twenty zillion dollars on formula in the last ten months.
12. All the friends that came over in the first few weeks of Caleb's life to offer support, encouragement, breaks, babysitting, meals, tips, tricks, adult conversation, and hand-me-down baby clothes. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but the names that come to mind are Eric and Bethany (who showed up at the hospital and were Caleb's first non-blood-relative visitors), Tiff, Tam, Elizabeth, Lisa, Dan, Nola, Jen, Jenni, Bob, Jessica, and Sirirath. You guys rock.
13. Our church in Champaign, which led me to some amazing people, a closer walk with God, and some really awesome musical experiences. I miss it!
14. Our new church in Wichita, which, though it looks nothing like what I thought it would, is exactly where God wants us to be. I'm looking forward to what it holds for us.
15. Robin, Bill, Jeff, and Amy, who have welcomed me back to Wichita with open arms. When I'm with this crew, it's like I never left!
16. Sarah, who, in addition to being one of the cherished few who know me thoroughly and loves me anyway, is exactly the sort of mommy friend I need. Her advice, support, and encouragement has been absolutely invaluable, and, as I've said before, she is one of the only people on the planet who can make me look forward to having a toddler.
17. Eni, who always seems to be online just when I need her the most, whether it be for gut-busting laughter, unflagging support, idea-bouncing, beta-reading, or just a gentle reminder that God knows what He's doing.
18. Simon, and his delightful Stratford accent, his expert craftsmanship when it comes to repair work, and of course, his generous heart.
19. Naps, and the opportunity they afford me for productivity and/or free time.
20. The ExerSaucer, the swing, the Bubble Chair, and the Johnny-Jump Up, for the same reasons, as well as eliciting baby grins and giggles (see #7).
21. My cello students; they're talented, they practice, and most of the time, they show up to lessons. Most importantly, they all seem to enjoy what they do.
22. Nutella. How did I live 29 years without discovering this stuff?
23. CBS, for giving Cold Case another season, and also for airing How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory, both of which give me much-needed laughs on a weekly basis.
24. The look on Caleb's face when he figures out something new.
25. Facebook, and the ability it gives me to keep in touch, share a laugh, pray for people in need, and get advice from veteran mommies.
26. My new laptop, which has provided me with two blissfully crash-free months (although I probably just jinxed it).
27. Watching Caleb take a bath.
28. Getting the chance to explore and experience Wichita as an adult.
29. Starting and ending each day snuggled up next to the most amazing man on Earth.
30. This. 'Nuff said.
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| Congratulations. Your exam 3 scores were much better than the last one. It seems you've figured out that, perhaps, you do need to study, at least a little bit, to pass my class.
Nevertheless, what would an exam be without a rant?
1. For the last time, Mozart was the child prodigy whose life was made into an award-winning movie in the 1980s. Beethoven was the one who went deaf. Do not confuse the two. It boggles my mind how you can correctly answer questions about more obscure (to you) composers; none of you missed the question about Clara Schumann, and most of you got the Haydn question right, which was, I thought, one of the harder ones. Yet you confused Beethoven and Mozart. Interesting.
2. The first movement of a Classical-era concerto is usually in Double Exposition form. I explained this to you multiple times. Why so many of you guessed "Minuet and Trio," I am powerless to speculate. I didn't think the question was strangely worded, nor do I have any clue why Minuet and Trio was so appealing to 75% of you.
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not, shockingly enough, a member of the Russian Five, mostly because he was not, if you want to get all technical about it, Russian.
4. Hector Berlioz, with his story-telling Symphonie Fantastique, was one of the inventors of the concept of program music (i. e., music that tells a story). As such, when a question asks, "Which of these composers did NOT include at least some programmatic elements in his symphonies," Hector Berlioz is not the answer.
5. Along similar lines, Richard Wagner was notoriously anti-Semitic, writing an article blasting Felix Mendelssohn and other composers of Jewish origin shortly after Mendelssohn died. His music was much loved by Hitler and became the semiofficial soundtrack of the Nazi Party. Therefore, when a question begins, "I was born to a wealthy Jewish family," the answer cannot be "Richard Wagner." I've heard of the self-hating Jew, but that's taking it to an extreme.
6. Finally, while we're on the subject of Wagner, please note that "The Fellowship of the Ring," despite the title, is not an opera from Wagner's Ring Cycle. It is, in fact, a novel by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Thank you. | | |
| Dear Caleb,
You're nine months old, which means you've been out as long as you were in! Trust me...out is so much more fun.
Your little personality is definitely coming out more and more with each passing day. You can't talk much yet (although you do tend to say "Mama" when you want me), but you definitely make your wishes known! You love anything that has to do with movement, specifically bouncing! You bounce when you're on someone's lap, you bounce in your Johnny Jump-Up at Grandma and Granddad's house, you try to bounce in your ExerSaucer...you even bounce when you've pulled up on something and are standing on your own!
Speaking of standing, you're doing that more and more these days. Your standing method of choice is to pull up on my fingers, and you actively seek them out when we're playing together. However, you've also discovered that you can use the coffee table, your ExerSaucer, and your crib railings to pull up. I'm not sure these have really "clicked" with you, but it won't be long before they do!
Crawling has definitely clicked with you. You don't have your tummy off the floor all the time just yet, but you can get where you want to go. Usually, this is in the direction of something expensive and electronic, although today you made it from the living room all the way into the dining room to investigate the laundry basket!
You're very into sounds these days, and you have sharp little ears. The slightest noise causes you to whip your head around to find its source, regardless of where you are (even if it's in Mommy's lap) or what you're doing (even if it's nursing. Especially if it's nursing). When you play, you like to pick up different toys and bang them together to see what sounds they make, then switch out one or more of your toys and repeat the banging to check out the different sounds. You like to bang on whatever you can get your little hands on, and when you don't have anything convenient, you clap your hands. You figured that out at the first part of this month, and you do it at every opportunity. When I clap my hands, you drop whatever you're holding to clap yours, too, which is usually followed by a huge smile, or, if we're lucky, laughter.
You're developing your own unique sense of humor, although you rarely think the same thing is funny twice. This morning, we played Patty-Cake, and you thought that was the funniest thing you'd ever seen...despite having played that game thousands of times before. You also like gusts of air, whether it's from a towel someone flips a few inches away from you or the Kansas wind...and of course, you love to swing.
As your granddad would say, you're an appetite with skin stretched around it! We've introduced you to all kinds of solid foods, including lamb, turkey, and various fruits (you're a big fan of anything with blueberries in it, particularly the Pear/Wild Blueberry mix, as well as applesauce), and you eat like a champ! Everyone says you'll tell us when you're full, but you never seem interested in stopping. You're always content when we feed you, but you'll also happily accept more. You still only have those two bottom teeth, but you'll get more, and when you do, the whole culinary world will open up for you!
You probably already know this, but your daddy and I love you very much. We're very proud of how well you handle all the changes your short life has brought to you so far, and a smile and giggle from you never fail to make our day. Every day brings new surprises and new adventures, and we're thrilled to watch you discovering it all.
I love you, Munchkin.
Love,
Mommy
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| Dear Next-Door Neighbors,
I get that you have a weird job and you have to wake up at 5:00 AM. Really, I do. And I get that you're probably very sound sleepers and you need loud music to wake up. But here's the thing: We don't have to get up at 5:00 AM every morning. Yet, thanks to your ridiculously loud annoying music, we now do. I suppose, if I were of a suitably cheery disposition, I'd appreciate the early wake-up. I could have some time to myself to get things done before the baby wakes up...things like take a shower, maybe practice a little bit...but I'm not of a suitably cheery disposition, because it's five in the morning!! You people and your loud redneck music even wake Cheech up. Cheech can sleep through absolutely anything, so if your music is waking him up? IT'S TOO LOUD, so TURN IT DOWN!!!!!
Also, please dial down the volume of your screaming matches, stop smoking outside my window, and quit letting your stupid, annoying little dog poop in our yard, plzkthx.
Yours,
Us. | | |
| We lost to saxeT. Again. Fourth time in five years. It's a streaky series, so this doesn't surprise me. When one team starts winning, you can count on them winning for a few years.
In all honesty, I figured it'd be a blowout. Instead, we only lost by 3, despite losing Sam Bradford to injury (again) eight minutes into the game. Landry threw a couple interceptions he shouldn't have, but if we'd gotten touchdowns instead of field goals on either one of our first two drives, it wouldn't have mattered.
saxeT didn't play that well today, and someone will beat them. Unfortunately, that someone couldn't be us. | | |
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