Life Goes On

We decided. Alvin is not going to school this year. It was a difficult decision to say the least. Ultimately, the decision came down to the research projects. The schools that accepted him would have involved research projects that were not a good fit for Alvin's interests and career path. So he turned them down.

We will be staying in or near Salt Lake and Alvin will continue working at his current job, which he likes. We are looking forward to having the time and money to enjoy hobbies, family, and travel. We feel good about the decision. And now we get to once again decide what we want for our future. Lots to look forward to and plenty of possibilities. One possibility...after hearing about Alvin's decision to not attend Purdue, a professor there sent Alvin an encouraging email. He said to keep in touch - he's requesting funding for a project next year that Alvin would really enjoy.

Decisions, decisions

After a busy winter of filling out college applications, Skyping with potential advisors, and flying across the country to visit universities, Alvin is ready to decide which school to attend for his PhD in geology.

Schools which have accepted Alvin:

Purdue University

University of Pittsburgh

University of North Carolina

Schools which Alvin would like to attend:

University of Colorado

Oregon State University

Dartmouth

Another option that we started discussing a week ago is this: not going to school at all. Alvin is already qualified for excellent geology-related jobs in industry. These positions pay very well, have increasing demand, and offer reasonable work hours. That option is very alluring, especially after finding out more about the academia option.

A PhD takes 5 years to complete, most graduates do a 2-3 year post-doc, and the availability of tenure-track faculty positions is declining rapidly. Alvin has talked to current PhD students who work 50-70 hours a week for a paltry $20,000 annual stipend. Why would we do that when the job competition at the end of that path is so steep? Even if he were to find a job teaching at a college or university, he would have to work extremely hard to obtain tenure. You've heard it: publish or perish.

Academia is not without its allure. A tenured professor enjoys job flexibility, variety of work, teaching, travel for field work, sabbatical every 7 years, and working with interesting, intelligent, driven people.

We have until April 15 to decide. What should we do???

What's more important than blogging these days

Tales from Joy School, Part 1

These two kids were born on February 21, 2009. Their mommies thought they would love going to each other's house for Joy School (a term they use loosely since the curriculum is actually from Brightly Beaming). The kids play, do art projects and action songs, and learn fun things, like shapes, colors, letters, and animals. Miles likes to show Ella his battery-powered cars and how to jump on the bed. Ella can sing songs and likes to ask for cheese. Their favorite games are London Bridge and Ring Around the Rosy.

Tales from Joy School, Part 2

Yesterday Miles and his friend Ella were playing in the living room while I was getting a snack in the kitchen. I heard a crash. Is that ever good? Well, it wasn't too bad. Ella, fascinated by a bookend, had picked it up, and the books had tipped over and slipped to the floor.

Here is the bookend. Alvin got it from an artist in Jerusalem who catered to Mormon tourists.

After Ella handed it over, I showed it to the kiddies. "Who is this?" I asked. "She-she [Jesus]," said Miles. "No, this is Joseph Smith." Just as I launched into my explanation about how Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw Jesus, Miles reached out, grabbed the statue's nose, and said, "Onk!"

Compass

Every night we put Miles to bed with his head on his pillow and tuck his blanket into the bed. (Incidentally, the head of his bed pointed north.) His alignment doesn't change much until morning when he gets up. But . . . three days ago I moved his bed to another wall in the room. Since then, every night when we check on Miles before we go to bed, we have found him rotated 90 degrees, his entire body beneath the tucked-in blanket. Curious!

After two nights of worrying about the oxygen level beneath the blanket, we stripped the bed and dressed Miles in two pajamas. He slept very well last night.

Goodbye, 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Lest you think this the perfect picture, here was take one:

Christmas is lovely, but there sure is a lot to do. Brave traffic, parking lots, and lines in stores. Plan and purchase or make presents. Order gifts online. Cook carrot butter for friends and neighbors. Find the perfect baguette to accompany the carrot butter. Go to family parties. Go to work parties. Go to friend parties. By the time Christmas day arrives, we just sit back and breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite our activity-filled schedule, or maybe because of it, we shared some memorable times.

• Miles decorated and redecorated our lovely tree a throughout December.
• Alvin was the most dashing (and most sober) redhead at his TerraTek party at the Park City Marriott.
• My whole-wheat rolls were a hit at the ward Christmas party.
• My sister got engaged.
• Alvin finished an oral history of his parents and gave a copy to all his siblings.
• My high-school friends (and their husbands and babies) came to town.
• We ate our traditional, simple Bethlehem supper on Christmas Eve.
• We played games with Alvin's brother and a neighbor after Miles went to bed.
• My parents drove from St. George and opened presents with us Christmas morning.
• Miles perfected his wide-eyed excited expression while opening his presents - he loved the candy and the shirt with Lightning McQueen.
• I ate pecan pie to my heart's content.
• Alvin went snowshoing with his dad.
• Alvin and I went snowshoing with my boss and his wife.
• We went to dinner with my sisters, parents, and uncle.
• Alvin arranged for a babysitter for Miles on New Year's Eve. Miles almost had his first sleepover ever at Grandma's house, but we ended up taking him home with us at 1:00 am.
• Almost daily, we watched Miles gorilla-jump off the couch.

December was a pretty fantastic finish to a good year.