Yogurt: the organic styling product

A week of firsts and lasts

This was a big week in the van Eaglegiessen household. Delia used her potty for the first time, which was a surprise even to her. She was a little traumatized by the whole experience, but climbed back into the saddle (so to speak) the next day. This week was also the last time Delia nursed. That news will probably shock many of you that we nursed this long and shock others that we are quitting so early. It seemed like the right time for both of us and given the ease of transition, I know that it was.

Delia is now making 2-3 word sentences, wielding a fork with finesse and riding Stuart whenever possible. She is very excited to have 2 new cousins this summer.

You know you shop at Whole Foods too often when...

your toddler daughter catches sight of a bag of nachos and yells "Newmans!" She prefers the fig bars, thank you very much.

MommyDaddy

A few weeks ago, Delia was playing with one of her baby dolls and I told her she was a good Mommy. She responded, "No. MommyDaddy," pointing to her chest. My unbiased interpretation is that she sees Alan and me as a seamless parenting unit with no real division of labor. Just the way we'd like it. It's when she says things like "MommyStu" that I start to worry.

Geneva, here we come!

You may be entertaining fantasies that I have taken a job with the World Health Organization or something sexy like that, but alas, it is nothing so exciting. Alan has accepted a position in the chemistry department at Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, NEW YORK. Geneva is located at the northern end of Seneca Lake and is apparently known for Sauerkraut Days and The Geneva Whale Watching Festival (a setup for major disappointment). The town is hailed at the Lake Trout capital of the world and the lake is the second deepest in the country. We visited a few weeks ago and seeing any small town in the middle of February in order to get a sense of the place is an exceedingly bad idea. It was bitterly cold, covered with dingy snow and the only people out were the smokers standing outside of bars. We did have a lovely dinner with Alan's future colleagues who painted a more positive view of the town and were enthusiastic about their neighbors, schools, and cultural offerings.

It has taken me about a month to wrap my mind around the move and all of its ramifications. I think in the end it will be a good thing for Alan and the rest of the family. I grew up in a small town and realize how much they have to offer. (Tired of the public vs private school debate? Move to a place without private schools!) I am reaching the end of a decade of obligations related to medical training and its costs and am feeling a little lost now that I have lots of choices. Luckily, the combination of Alan's job stability and a low cost of living gives me the flexibility to figure out where I want to go next. All of my mental meanderings seem to return to knitting and goat cheese.