Justin passed his exams!
Woohoo, hooray, and yeehaw.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
the move and the job
Okay. In between packing boxes, analyzing HIV statistics, playing Stars Wars Monopoly, cooking dinner, spontaneous slow dances in the living room, making snow forts, basketball practice, and addictive video games, I've found a minute to sit down and write about what's up with the Beckhams.
Well, Justin got a new job. But not just any new job. This one allows him to still be a student, an involved daddy, and be home most of the time. And the big bonus: it comes with an apartment. Much bigger than the one we have now. Pretty odd job, eh?
His job title is--get this--sexton. Since most people don't know what the he-- a sexton is, I usually tell people he's a "facilities manager" or "caretaker." A sexton, though, is traditionally someone who takes care of a church or synagogue building, and once upon a time, they dug graves, too. But luckily, Justin doesn't have to do that.
He does take care of a building, though, that belongs to a church. And our new apartment is on the third floor of that building, called a parish house. The Parish House is where they have their church offices, Sunday school classes, soup kitchen, reception hall, board meetings, etc. The Meeting House is the actual chapel where they have Sunday services. The church also regularly rents out both buildings for other uses--rallies, weddings, receptions, small congregations' church services, dance troupes, World AIDS Day services, etc, etc.
So Justin's job is to coordinate and contract all those extra functions in the Parish House. Which is pretty sweet considering we will live in the building, so he just has to run downstairs to let people in, and can come back up and do his normal stuff--read 10 books a day, teach a couple classes, have light-saber fights with Juma, give me massages, all that good stuff. There's more to the job than that, of course, but I won't bog you down in the details. (And we all know what blogging about your job can get you.)
Another bonus is that the church itself is rich in history. It's the oldest church in New Haven; it was founded the same time New Haven was, in 1638, back when New Haven colony had a theocracy. The Meeting house is in the center of town, on the town "Green," and was built over an existing graveyard, so there's a preserved crypt under the building.
We haven't moved in yet, though, since they are fixing things up after the last family (good friends of ours) moved out. Plus, Justin takes his oral qualifying exams this next Thursday. This is a huge deal and Justin's been working very hard toward this, reading like mad, for the past few months. He has two full bookshelves of books he has to not just read, but know, and be able to debate about.
Once he's done with the exam, he'll be what PhD students call ABD, "All but dissertation." After that, he'll TA a class this semester, and then he gets to research and write a book. Gee, that's all. Actually, that'll take at least a couple more years.
In the meantime, I start the last semester of my master's degree on Monday. Hooray!
Oh, and Juma's working on addition and subtraction, reading "chapter books," busting out with Latin names of prehistoric animals, dribbling a basketball, and making a career out of hammering ice in the courtyard. There are four other first-graders in our apartment complex, so he's never short on playmates. Which will change when we move downtown and live right by the library, the courthouse, and a preschool. We're looking forward to being so close to the library and other downtown amenities--restaurants, campus, bank, etc. But the lack of neighbors will be strange. We might actually have to--gasp!--try to be social and invite people over.
Update: Oh, and another huge bonus at the apartment. Dishwasher. Wash and dryer.
Let me repeat.
Dish. Wash. Er.
Washer. And. Dryer.
Well, Justin got a new job. But not just any new job. This one allows him to still be a student, an involved daddy, and be home most of the time. And the big bonus: it comes with an apartment. Much bigger than the one we have now. Pretty odd job, eh?
His job title is--get this--sexton. Since most people don't know what the he-- a sexton is, I usually tell people he's a "facilities manager" or "caretaker." A sexton, though, is traditionally someone who takes care of a church or synagogue building, and once upon a time, they dug graves, too. But luckily, Justin doesn't have to do that.
He does take care of a building, though, that belongs to a church. And our new apartment is on the third floor of that building, called a parish house. The Parish House is where they have their church offices, Sunday school classes, soup kitchen, reception hall, board meetings, etc. The Meeting House is the actual chapel where they have Sunday services. The church also regularly rents out both buildings for other uses--rallies, weddings, receptions, small congregations' church services, dance troupes, World AIDS Day services, etc, etc.
So Justin's job is to coordinate and contract all those extra functions in the Parish House. Which is pretty sweet considering we will live in the building, so he just has to run downstairs to let people in, and can come back up and do his normal stuff--read 10 books a day, teach a couple classes, have light-saber fights with Juma, give me massages, all that good stuff. There's more to the job than that, of course, but I won't bog you down in the details. (And we all know what blogging about your job can get you.)
Another bonus is that the church itself is rich in history. It's the oldest church in New Haven; it was founded the same time New Haven was, in 1638, back when New Haven colony had a theocracy. The Meeting house is in the center of town, on the town "Green," and was built over an existing graveyard, so there's a preserved crypt under the building.
We haven't moved in yet, though, since they are fixing things up after the last family (good friends of ours) moved out. Plus, Justin takes his oral qualifying exams this next Thursday. This is a huge deal and Justin's been working very hard toward this, reading like mad, for the past few months. He has two full bookshelves of books he has to not just read, but know, and be able to debate about.
Once he's done with the exam, he'll be what PhD students call ABD, "All but dissertation." After that, he'll TA a class this semester, and then he gets to research and write a book. Gee, that's all. Actually, that'll take at least a couple more years.
In the meantime, I start the last semester of my master's degree on Monday. Hooray!
Oh, and Juma's working on addition and subtraction, reading "chapter books," busting out with Latin names of prehistoric animals, dribbling a basketball, and making a career out of hammering ice in the courtyard. There are four other first-graders in our apartment complex, so he's never short on playmates. Which will change when we move downtown and live right by the library, the courthouse, and a preschool. We're looking forward to being so close to the library and other downtown amenities--restaurants, campus, bank, etc. But the lack of neighbors will be strange. We might actually have to--gasp!--try to be social and invite people over.
Update: Oh, and another huge bonus at the apartment. Dishwasher. Wash and dryer.
Let me repeat.
Dish. Wash. Er.
Washer. And. Dryer.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
new contact info
Justin and I both got new cell phone numbers today. So if you've been trying to get a hold of us and couldn't...that's why. (Either that or we don't like you. J/K).
If you would like the new number, please email. sarah dot beckham at gmail dot com
Also, we are moving to a different apartment. So make sure to get the new address from us, too, if you haven't already. Most of the holiday cards we sent out had the new address as the return address, so hopefully you have it already.
If you would like the new number, please email. sarah dot beckham at gmail dot com
Also, we are moving to a different apartment. So make sure to get the new address from us, too, if you haven't already. Most of the holiday cards we sent out had the new address as the return address, so hopefully you have it already.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
December
December naturally revolved around the winter and the holiday season. We started the month off with writing a letter to Santa (just to see...). The letter reads, "Dear Santa, for Christmas I would like a nin tendo DS a ninja sword and a scooter. I hav bn a good boy this year. Juma Beckham 2008"
The note was successful: not only did Juma get all three things he asked for (though two of them from grandparents, not Santa), but he also got a note back in the mail from the North Pole (via the USPS), signed Santa.
On Winter Solstice, we lit a fire to mark the shortest day/longest night of the year, and made goals for the new year. And roast some marshmallows. 'Cause who can resist?
Our Christmas tree was up almost all month long. Justin cut the tree down himself at a tree farm (video is coming...). It crowded the apartment a little bit, but it was nice to have that pine smell and the festive decorations and lights for weeks.
We also made new stockings, since Juma's been surviving off an undecorated one all these years.
We spent Christmas day just the three of us, which was quiet, but lovely. We also got to video chat with our families, which was great.
We also had lots of snow this month, and went sledding. Juma spends hours and hours outside with his friends, bundled up against the cold and wet, conquering mountains of snow, chipping away at ice, or pretending they are prisoners whose job it is to shovel and carve away at the snow piles. Ah, to be six.
The note was successful: not only did Juma get all three things he asked for (though two of them from grandparents, not Santa), but he also got a note back in the mail from the North Pole (via the USPS), signed Santa.
On Winter Solstice, we lit a fire to mark the shortest day/longest night of the year, and made goals for the new year. And roast some marshmallows. 'Cause who can resist?
Our Christmas tree was up almost all month long. Justin cut the tree down himself at a tree farm (video is coming...). It crowded the apartment a little bit, but it was nice to have that pine smell and the festive decorations and lights for weeks.
We also made new stockings, since Juma's been surviving off an undecorated one all these years.
We spent Christmas day just the three of us, which was quiet, but lovely. We also got to video chat with our families, which was great.
We also had lots of snow this month, and went sledding. Juma spends hours and hours outside with his friends, bundled up against the cold and wet, conquering mountains of snow, chipping away at ice, or pretending they are prisoners whose job it is to shovel and carve away at the snow piles. Ah, to be six.
November catch-up
I finally downloaded some pictures from my phone...
For Thanksgiving, we ate at some friends' house, but since we'd already bought our own turkey, we had a Thanksgiving-repeat on Friday. We cooked our very own turkey for the very first time. It was delicious, and the leftovers lasted way. too. long.
Also in November, Juma continued to be the cool kid that he is. Here he is
making the most of bath time:
playing chess at the library with a classmate:
and exploring space at a science museum:
For Thanksgiving, we ate at some friends' house, but since we'd already bought our own turkey, we had a Thanksgiving-repeat on Friday. We cooked our very own turkey for the very first time. It was delicious, and the leftovers lasted way. too. long.
Also in November, Juma continued to be the cool kid that he is. Here he is
making the most of bath time:
playing chess at the library with a classmate:
and exploring space at a science museum:
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
five down, one to go
I finished my semester! Just one to go until I graduate.
I turned in my last final paper at 5:00:09pm. Nine seconds late. Meh.
I turned in my last final paper at 5:00:09pm. Nine seconds late. Meh.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Friday, December 05, 2008
busy
busy, busy, busy.
The last two days, I haven't been home from morning to evening. So here's a picture to tide you over until I can really write.
The last two days, I haven't been home from morning to evening. So here's a picture to tide you over until I can really write.
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