on my plate

this blog post is just going to be a jumble.  mostly because the pictures and the words won't have much to do with one another.  

somehow, where i had enough time yesterday to play around the internet and plan a trip to germany (well, first to the middle of denmark and then to germany, if you'll recall), today i have more projects than i could possibly hope for, to keep me busy, at least until the end of november.  

william's installation art. hand holding pencil with sharpener, included.

of course, one, there is my 50,000 words.  despite this busyness i talked about just one paragraph up, i still managed to procrastinate a little bit after getting home from class.  i like to think of it as my lunch hour.  many times my brain switches into unproductive (i.e. reading things on the internet mode) when i put food into my mouth.  i was worried i wouldn't get my words done... that today would be one of just two other days so far that i couldn't make it happen, but i did, with time to spare.  i don't think i'm getting better at it, i just think it happened to be the conversation two characters were having today.  it was an easy one to get out.  

i was impressed with all the preschooler/kindergarten bikes parked in front of the school, one cold, wet day. william's is in there somewhere.  he doesn't leave home without it anymore.

then there's also danish homework.  we are preparing for our module two test.  (already!  there are only 5... or, if you want to, like, get your danish ph.d., 6 modules.  taking this test will push me into module 3... well, taking this test and passing will.)  but anyway, that means a lot of homework.  test prep plus the regular stuff.  and, i signed up for a danish math class beginning in january.  offered through our school, two days a week, two and half hours a day.  optional, but i know it will be good for me somehow.  

my "lille prinsesse"... he would not keep still for me to get an in-focus picture.  but man was he cute in that dress. 

then, my two new projects...

one: editing a dissertation chapter.  i'm very excited about this!  

"these are golden flowers, mama," said william pulling these out of the bottom of his boots.  "i saved them in there so they wouldn't get wet."

two: reading amy tan's "the kitchen god's wife" in 11 days.  it's for the book club my classmates and i decided to start.  i chose the book... one i'd read many years ago and remember loving (but remember no details of), and didn't have a copy of it until today.  

and finally, a face we may not see for awhile on our oldest guy...

tonight he declared more than once that he was not going to play with his toys tomorrow, not going to go on any adventures, not going to watch his forty-fives, not do anything.  before bed, i told him to stay open to the possibility that he might feel differently tomorrow.  he said he wouldn't.  then greg told him a story of a grumpy squirrel, who, in the end decided he wanted to have fun.  william said, "the squirrel stopped being grumpy, but i'm not going to."  before that, though, at dinner, he said, "you know what i miss about wisconsin?  our home.  with our kitties and our puppy."  oh, that tomorrow is an easier day for this little one who really did have some smiles and fun today.