away for the holidays

Probably more than half of the people who read this blog already know this, but I'm in Utah with Juma for the New Year. The plan was for all of us to come, but Justin decided at the last minute to stay home so he could study his brains out for his up-and-coming comprehensive oral exams. (Hi, Justin!)

Here in Utah, we're splitting our time between my parents house and Andria's (Justin's sister) house. Mostly, we've been hanging out. Juma's enjoyed playing with his cousins, Ammon and Ethan, all of them four years old. They don't get to see each other much, but they get along really well (for the most part--they are four).

We were a little worried about Juma and Ammon playing together again, because they haven't seen each other for two years. When they saw each other for the first time again, they were a little wary and shy. Then Ammon's mom, Jody, and I got to talking, and about two minutes later we realized Juma and Ammon had run off and were playing contentedly in the basement.

christmas pictures

Turns out we didn't take many Christmas pictures (a grand total of eight), but did take a few videos (six). (Grandparents: I'll make a DVD of videos from the year to give to you.)

In this picture, you can see Juma's new Buzz Lightyear, his new Cars bedding, and his love for Spiderman manifest in his pajamas. (His obsession with Spiderman started when he was barely two and saw two seconds of a Spiderman commercial. He's never seen any movies or cartoons of Spiderman.)


Here you can see his new bunk bed. The first day he had it, every ten minutes he would declare that he's tired and climb into the top bunk for a little "nap." Now the top bunk is his favorite spot to play, and the bottom is a "cave" or "jail" as needed.

a most beloved buzz lightyear

We survived Christmas. What an exhausting day that can be. But it was fun. Juma enjoyed opening presents and being completely surprised to see a brand new bunk bed in his room. His favorite new toy is a Buzz Lightyear with buttons that work (read: make way too much noise) and a "real" laser.

This morning he woke up and said, "I had two dreams. One was about bowling [we keep up the Beal/Beckham tradition of going bowling on Christmas day]. The other was about Buzz. All, all, all my toys were Buzz Lightyear. That was cool."

It was strange to be away from family on Christmas. When I called my family, and my mom said that Ethan and Anna (my brother Randall's children) were coming over later, I felt a pang of sadness, and thought, "I want to come over later." But I will come over on Friday!

Luckily, we have some good friends here, the same family that invited us over for Thanksgiving. We went to church with them to see their kids in their nativity pageant, and then they had us over for Christmas Eve dinner. Then they took mercy on our bowling tradition and came out with is, and we went over to their house afterwards. So we almost had family. Christmas, like Thanksgiving, is one of those holidays better celebrated in groups.

christmas gift!

christmas adam

This year has been the best, I think, for watching Juma experience Christmas. Each year so far has had its fun, but this year Juma is really old enough to anticipate and enjoy it.

It's also sparked a little greediness in him that he didn't have a month ago. Those few weeks ago we were in a Walgreen's getting something-or-other, and Juma saw a action figure, a "motorcycle guy with a helmet." He picked up that toy in its box like it were a precious jewel, and said with great awe and wonder, "I'd really like to have one of these some day." It made me heart glad that he didn't say, "Mom, can I have this? Mom, let's get this. I have to have this now!" and start bawling and screaming right there in the aisle, like I probably did to my mom when I was four. Instead, he just expressed his conviction that that motorcycle guy would enrich his life. But the answer I gave changed things for the rest of the month: "Maybe for Christmas."

A week or so later, we went to Toys-R-Us to get a toy for his classmate's birthday. Juma was as excited as, well, a kid in a toy store. "Look at that! Look at that! Oh, look, Thomas! Wow! Cars! Oh, I want that. Mom, can I have that?" It was never demanding or whining, just excitement. The next time we went, I was actually shopping for him, doing my best to hide things under my coat in the cart (it worked). But this time, he was more demanding. He finally realized that his expressions of excitement could translate into a present under the tree.

I had come to Toys-R-Us this time with the express task of buying Juma's deepest wish: "the whole set of Cars: Lighting McQueen, Mater, and Dinoco [the King]." And then I learned about parents' Christmas nightmare:

Sold Out

At four stores. I even checked twice at the same store. No luck.

The one thing my son specifically asked for, repeatedly, and apparently every other boy wanted it too. Duh! Why didn't I shop earlier? Why didn't I ask him earlier what he wanted?

It's useless now. I got him his second-most wanted toy. I think he'll be happy anyway. It probably won't be a big deal, but I still feel that pang that I as a parent have failed him in that small way.

I've tried to focus him away from the gift-getting, too, to the pleasure of gift-giving. He's extremely proud when he can write "from Juma" on any gift, even ones not from him. And when he delivered homemade cookies (that he helped make) to our stairwell neighbors, he only wanted to deliver more.

Either way, I can see that Christmas is magical for him, and that is very satisfying to watch.

another hit in my harry potter addiction

JK Rowling has given a Christmas gift a little early this year. She has revealed the title of Harry Potter 7 on her website. Check it out if you want to confirm for yourself that this isn't a rumor, like Harry Potter and the Pillar of Scourge was. But you have to work for it a little. For clues, go here.

The title of Book 7 is

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Intriguing.

She hasn't finished writing it yet, though, and there is no release date as of yet.

Okay, my Happy Potter addiction is fed for a while. Please return to your regularly scheduled Internet surfing.

a blog entry in real time

Sarah: What should we write on our blog today?

Juma: Nothing.

Sarah: [type, type, type]

Juma: Don't write anything! Don't write anything!

Sarah: Just a second. [type]

Juma: Juma! You wrote Juma! What [about] Juma?

Sarah: [typing]

Juma: [pretending to read] Juma was in a fish. Juma was in a fish. Juma Juma was in a fish. Don't write it over and over again. Don't write it over and over again.

Sarah: Every time you say it, I'm going to write it.

Juma: Don't. Cha-chaa! You don't even know how to spell cha-chaa.

finished!

I finished my finals. I just have to drop off a copy of my last paper on campus.

Of course, I have several academic projects I need to work on now, because I never had time for them during the semester.

It never ends.

"I won't miss you"

Today is Juma's last day of school before the holiday break, so the teachers invited the parents to come for singing time and lunch. Juma enjoyed having me there with him, and showered me with hugs, kisses, and cuddles. During lunch, he wanted me to let him know exactly when I would be leaving, "because I want to give you a big hug and a kiss." When I was leaving, he did so, and then told me, "I won't miss you!" during the afternoon.

Now, that's not something a parent would normally want to hear from a child, but it was comforting to know that Juma is adjusted enough to school that he thoroughly enjoys it--and doesn't even complain about nap time. When I pick him up these days, it's not "Mommy! Let's go home!" Instead it's, "Mommy! Can I stay and play some more?"

We'll see what three week of vacation does to his adjustment. And to our sanity, since outside play time is very restricted in Connecticut winters.

Speaking of insanity, I'm working on my last final. Just a few more hours...

Nemo's send off

Juma's fish Nemo held on for about a week, but died on Saturday. Since I had already mistaken Nemo for dead previously (how stupid can I be to not try poking the thing with a net before telling my 4-year old his pet died?), Juma had already gone through the grieving process, and was not upset when the fish did actually die. Instead, he was ready to "take Nemo back to the ocean, where he comes from."

Justin and Juma took him to New Haven's Long Wharf docks a replica of the Amistad on Long Island Sound. (The Amistad trial took place in New Haven.)


There they said goodbye and plopped him into the ocean. Justin said, "We'll always remember you." Juma still wants to get another betta and name him Nemo, but we'll wait until after our holiday travels.

phaa-shew: thoughts on finals

Feel free to skip this is you don't give a dang about Sarah's academic career. Here's the short version: I'm in the middle of finals.

I just finished the academic's version of a marathon: I wrote a twenty-page research paper (okay, it was 19 1/2) in 5 hours. My brain is hurting. My body is worn out, and I'm a little shaky. (But that probably has more to do with the fact that I ate a string cheese for lunch, and breakfast? Hmmm. Can't connect the memory cells, which probably means I didn't have any. Oh, wait, an English muffin. Phew. Now the public health side of me doesn't have to feel too guilty.)

I wouldn't recommend the marathon paper-writing, or the string-cheese-for-lunch, for that matter. But, hey, I was just sitting down to write after 3 straight hours of organizing notes. I also wouldn't recommend waiting to decide on a research paper topic until exactly one week before it's due, and that only because you have to give a presentation on your topic the next day.

So I read-read-read half the weekend (every second except for the seconds I was hanging out with Juma), took notes-notes-notes, and then wrote-wrote-wrote. Leaving myself five hours was stupid, but that's what it came down to, so that's what I had to work with.

But for their part, it wasn't fair to the professors to make the final paper due the first day of reading week, two days after the last class got over, just so they can travel during reading week and finals week. But that's the privilege of a professor, isn't it? Deciding due dates. Oh, the power!

Aside from the hurried writing schedule, this paper was actually good for me to write. This class it's for is about the disciplines that study Africa. What does Africa mean to the discipline, and what does the discipline mean to Africa. Okay, a little abstract. But it got me thinking a lot about a problem that has been plaguing me every since I got over my fourth bout with malaria back in 1999. That fateful month that launched me on my career path.

Those little parasites got me interested in public health and anthropology, and, specifically, using both of them to improve the lives of people. But the two disciplines have a rather awkward relationship, one being quantitative and self-assured in its "objectivity," the other being qualitative and denying the existence of "objectivity" except as a construct people find useful to think with. The illegitimate child of the two disciplines is applied medical anthropology, a discipline trying to cater to both parent disciplines as well as international donors and the people it's trying to help. So it's kind of split and confused, trying to prove itself, being accused of "selling out," and who knows if it's actually doing any good.

That's what I wrote about. And I didn't get a chance to even read through the whole thing, so I hope it's coherent and not riddled with typos (thank goodness for spell check). The best part is I sent the email at exactly 4:59pm, one minute before it was due. How cool is that?

winter hike at sleeping giant state park

christmas is coming

Our tree is up! This is the first time since 2002 we've had a tree in our own house. It's also the first time since then we'll be in our own home for Christmas.


We got the tree at a nursery that allows "cut your own," but we opted for the pre-cut variety. Juma enjoyed putting on his ornaments and discovering Justin's many ornaments, which Juma had never seen before since we never had a tree. His favorite ornaments are "robot guy [C-3PO], firetruck, bulldozer, and Tigger. And the polar bear holding a soda on a snowboard."

a day at home

Juma's been having a fever now and then over the past few days, but it's been pretty low and hasn't interfered with him playing or going to school. But this morning he woke up with a temperature of 102 degrees, so we kept him home. He's been on antibiotics since Sunday night, because he's had a cough that isn't clearing up.

Luckily since we're students our schedules are flexible enough to switch off taking care of him. Justin's off to class this morning, so I'm home; this afternoon I've got class, so Justin'll be home. But that does mean we have to miss out on some homework time. I've got a short presentation to give at 1:30, and I didn't even pick a topic until yesterday. I have to then turn that short presentation into a 20-page paper by Monday. While still attending the rest of my classes, taking care of a sick kid (he'll have to stay home until he's fever-free for 24 hours), attending meetings, working, yadda yadda.

At least this is the last week of classes. Next week is reading week, and I have 6 papers due between Monday and Friday. The next week is finals week, but at least I'll be done before then. That's especially important since Juma's school is closed during finals week.

juma's running commentary

"I love Christmas lights!
I love everything
I lo--ovve everything
I looooveee everything
Even my parents!"
_____________

"I had a dream last night."

What was it about?

"I don't remember...There was a big, big dog. As big as a house. It was even bigger than you, Mom!"
_____________

Let's go to IKEA.

"No, I don't want to."

Did you have a bad day at school?

"No."

Did you have a happy day?

"No."

Are you having a contrary day?

"No, I didn't."

You don't know what contrary means, do you?

"I don't want to."

this picture looks familiar

This picture of Juma with two of his friends reminds me of a picture from my toddler-hood, with me and my older siblings all lined up in the front of the TV. Except there were four of us.