A Sunriver Vacation

We just got back from an awesome week in Sunriver, a resort community near Bend, Oregon. It was so much fun to be there for more than just a weekend. We stayed at Sam's aunt and uncle's beautiful house, and it truly felt like a vacation. One of the best parts was spending time with our college friends, who were gathered there for the "Wannabe Cup" golf tournament put on by our friend Joe. It was great seeing friends again, and bizarre realizing how long it had been since we all hung out. Gone are the days of our 20s, when we knew we'd regularly get together in a bar somewhere in Portland or attend somebody's wedding. With new houses, jobs, and kids, does this means we're settling down in our 30s? We also got to spend time with our friend, Sue, who we worked with in Prague. She is dating our college friend, Joe, and we take lots of credit for introducing them last summer!

Sunriver is such a scenic and well-planned place, that it's impossible to not enjoy yourself. Besides just relaxing on the deck, inhaling the juniper and pine-scented air, we went for walks, bike rides, visited the pool, and kayaked. I love all of those things, but especially kayaking, so it was terrific when Sam watched Morgan so Sue, Joe, his sister, and I could go kayaking on the Deschutes River. Everyone seems so happy in Sunriver because they are outdoors and on vacation. And now that we are in the family set, it is a great place to be with kids. Our friends, Keith & Sarah, came with their two little ones. Knox is two and was fascinated with Morgan. She was pretty entertained by his talking and energy, and they had fun playing with Knox's toy cars.
As Morgan gets older, traveling overnight with her is a little more challenging. One nice thing about the house we stayed at, was the walk-in closet that became Morgan's room! She's to savvy now and wakes easily when we are all sleeping in the same room. But she made us feel a bit like new parents again, because she had several restless nights of waking up in tears. We weren't sure what was going on and tried to let her "cry it out," (that fun way of torturing your child (and yourself) all in the name of their own good). We couldn't figure out what was throwing her off, but now that we are home, we realize she is teething and getting two more top teeth. That combined with being somewhere new seemed to cause us all a lot of agony. But now she seems to be her normal, predictable self. Hooray! But one parenting experiment did not go so well - the bike trailer. We rented one so we could bike ride with her, but she's still a bit on the small side (apparently kids have to be a year old - oops). She liked it at first, but then slid down with her head tilted to one side because of the giant helmet. Here's a 'before' picture of her. We ended up just taking off the helmet and heading home. So much for the family bike ride. Maybe next summer??

Family Fun!

Last weekend we were in Portland doing stuff with both our families. The Panzers had a family picnic, and it was so nice to spend a beautiful summer afternoon with my side of the family. Morgan got to meet another one of her aunties - Diane, who was visiting from Hawaii. They bonded over a long walk through the garden and some quality time on the swings. Morgan also had her first dip in Grandma and Grandpa's pool. She loved every minute and had fun watching Noah and Avery swim and jump around her.

Of course, Morgan decided that things were much too exciting to sleep. She is at an age where everything is so interesting and brand new (I imagine this stage will last for many more years!). She will climb out of my arms to look at something over my shoulder, or let out a screech of frustration when I pry her away from some much sought-after electrical cords. And once she gets excited about something new, she seems to get a bit hyper and will tap into hidden energy reserves I didn't know she had. She loves people-watching, particularly if they have dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs are what Morgan loves to talk about (well, hear about). We don't even have one, and somehow she seems to already love them. We read books about them, hear the neighbor's dogs barking (all day long it seems like), and Sam and I spend a lot of time barking at our child. Morgan has actually said a word that closely resemble 'dog' several times when she sees or hears a dog, so apparently this new passion is sinking in. And she has no fear whatsoever. This weekend was a bonanza for her, as Aunt Kay & Uncle Hans' two dogs and Aunt Natalie's dog were all around the house, licking wagging, and running. Morgan was mesmerized by them and giggled every time they came near. It was so cute, and made me want to get a dog just for her (on second thought, she is enough for us right now).

Another fun weekend event was meeting Auntie Kim at Jamison Square in the Pearl District, near her condo. Morgan has been there before, but now is prime kid fountain time. It was only ten in the morning and it was filled with kids. Morgan wasn't dressed for swimming, but got to kick and splash anyway. She loved the water, but especially loved watching all the little kids running and splashing around her. I know Jamison Square will be a special spot for Morgan and her Auntie Kim in the years to come.

A Year and Counting

It's so hard to believe, but Sam has only one more year left in his doctoral program, which means we will only be in Eugene one more year too. Last Wednesday, Sam successfully presented his dissertation proposal to his committee - the faculty members who essentially decide whether he graduates or not next June. It was a big accomplishment, considering he ended up completely rewriting it in the final weeks! Officially, it means that Sam is considered ABD (all but dissertation, in academic speak) and that is the last thing left he has to do. And then what...? Well, this also means he is officially on the job market and can apply for positions for the 2009-10 school year. This is where life gets interesting.

When Sam applied for graduate school four years ago while we were still living in Prague, I knew we had a future of living in different places ahead of us. Eugene was first, but our chances of living in Portland again were unlikely. As an academic, you have to go where the jobs are, and that could be anywhere. We have always talked about wanting to stay on the West Coast but that could be a lot of places. Sam has worked incredibly hard on many things these past three years: trying to graduate in four years, surviving his courses - both as a student and an instructor, figuring out how to be a researcher, and churning out papers worthy of being accepted at business conferences and journals. And it really is a game. Sam had to figure out early on what types of schools he would be most attractive to as a job candidate, as well as the kind of environment he wanted to work in. Some schools are research powerhouses and that is first and foremost (much more important than teaching). And other schools are much more focused on quality instruction. Sam excels at teaching, but has learned to love research as well, so finding a happy medium has been hard. He would like to be at a school that values both of these, but those are harder to come by than you might imagine.

In the past few weeks, job openings have posted and Sam is busy writing and rewriting cover letters, teaching statements, research samples, and sending off application packets. In a few weeks he will attend the annual Academy of Management conference (this year it's in Anaheim), where he will have many preliminary interviews with schools. Then, if he is considered a top candidate by a school, they will invite him for a campus visit sometime in October. So we could potentially know by Thanksgiving where we will be headed. As the "trailing spouse" (an endearing term I picked up overseas), it is exciting and scary to find out where Sam's career will take us. I know we will end up where we are meant to be and that we will continue to have a wonderful life together, but family, friends, and quality of life are a big part of this decision-making process.

So far, there are many great schools that happen to have job openings in Sam's area of management (strategy & entrepreneurship). Some of them include: Santa Clara University, Seattle University, Gonzaga, University of Victoria (B.C.), Chapman University and Pepperdine (both So.Cal). The one we are most excited for, however, is University of Portland! We weren't sure a few weeks ago whether they would have an opening, but they do, and Sam has already talked to two members of their search committee. But since this whole thing is both a game and a gamble, Sam is looking at other schools around the country: University of Virginia, Boston College, Northeastern (Boston), University of Wisconsin, North Carolina State, and University of North Carolina (Charlotte). Some openings are a better fit for Sam than others, and its hard to know exactly what the school is looking for - pedigree is still quite important. Regardless of the what happens, I think Sam has set himself (and us) up for a fantastic future...it is just hard to know where that will be.

Summer in Eugene

So far the summer has been great here in Eugene. The weather has been warm and sunny, I am off of work (one of the many reasons I like teaching!), and I get to hang out with Morgan every day. That has been even more fun than I expected, except when she decided to skip naps in lieu of crawling around and getting into stuff...like closets.

Last week, Morgan and I went to the pool for the first time with my friend, Beth Anne, and her two little ones. Amazon Pool is outdoors and is a very popular place in the summer. They have a baby pool that is really shallow and covered with a big umbrella, and even have certain hours where only little kiddos can swim. I wasn't sure what Morgan would think, but she approached it with her usual laid-back, happy attitude. She sat in the water and splashed, and didn't seem to mind it when I laid her down in it. But she mostly loved watching the other kids. She would clap and jabber at them with a great amount of joy. I think this will become our new summer routine.

Another part of summer in Eugene was the US Track and Field Olympic Trials, or "Eugene '08" as they were called. The trials have ended, but it was a pretty big deal to have them in Eugene. Everywhere around town, things got spruced up for the big event. Flowers were planted, road construction projects were finished, and the annual field burning was put on hold so that the air would be clear. (Ironically it was hazy most of the time because of the California wildfires.) The trials had not been here in "Track Town USA" since the 1980's. Eugene has always had a big reputation for running, yet it seems that not too much has changed in the last 20+ years because Steve Prefontaine is still the biggest icon in town.
There was a big festival area that was free for anyone to go to. They had vendors and entertainment, big screens to watch the events on, and even a place you could ride stationary bikes (like a spinning class) to generate power for the event (yes, Eugene is and always has been pretty green!) Sam and I took Morgan there on the 4th of July. We were lucky to be given tickets to go watch the trials, but figured it would be impossible to find a sitter that day. So we packed her up, and as usual, conducted experiments in child-rearing. Morgan did great, watching people from her stroller, and getting smiles from strangers. We did go into Hayward Field to watch the events, so we did get to technically see the trials - it just happened to be men's javelin. She ate Cheerios and clapped from the bleachers. But the big track events weren't until late in the evening, and we figured that squirmy Morgan couldn't hang out until then. Experiment over. So we strolled up Agate Street, got ice cream and Prince Pucklers, and found a swing set for Morgan. From there we could hear the cheers from inside the stadium, and then we read the paper the next day about UO runner, Galen Rupp, and record setter Tyson Gay. A few weeks ago I couldn't even name three Olympic track and field events let alone a single athlete, but having the trials in Eugene made me a bit of a fan. I guess it will make watching the Olympics next month a little more interesting. (Here's a cool slide show of photos from the trials. )

New Kinds of Needs

Today I was sitting with Morgan while she was playing on the floor. Suddenly she pitched forward, hitting her face on her book basket. A lot of times those kind of things don't faze her, but I could tell that one hurt. She immediately started crying - real tears with a cry I rarely hear - so I scooped her up to comfort her. Fortunately, it was about time for her to eat, so I was able to calm her right down by nursing her. In that moment, I felt so pleased I could soothe her so easily with something that we do all the time. I felt so needed and so happy to be there in that little moment of her life.

I started thinking about how our relationship - Morgan's and mine - has changed lately. She has always needed me for something, and it was rare that I could be apart from her for very long. Going to work was the most I'd been away from her. Just this past weekend, though, we left her overnight for the first time with Ron & Dinda. It was a bit of a milestone for me, but not nearly as strange as I thought it would be. So now that she is older, I feel like I am getting a little more appreciation for all the things I do for her. She smiles a little bigger for me, she laughs as though she gets my silly jokes, she holds her arms us to me asking to be picked up, and she looks back to make sure I'm watching her crawl and explore the world. In a lot of ways, she needs me far less - she can move around on her own and is so busy taking in everything going on around her. And honestly, I know it will be a very long time (or perhaps never?) for her to appreciate all the things I do for her. But that's not why people have kids now, is it?

This is Morgan giving me a "kiss."

Sam's Two Favorite "Words"

Morgan has become mobile! Her crawling resembles more a soldier taking heavy machine gun fire, rather than the typical baby in a diaper commercial. But she doesn't seem to care how she gets around. Here she is simultaneously showing off her crawling and talking skills. For most people, she sounds like she is babbling, but to us, Morgan clearly says, "Hi, Dad!" You can also tell how pleased she is with the new-found freedom of crawling.

It is amazing how she can get around rather quickly by primarily using her arms to pull her and her two big toes to push her forward. (I honestly think her big toes have started to curl upward, resembling the feet of a Lollipop Kid. I hope they flatten out eventually). She loves to crawl after cords, garbage, and other things she shouldn't be near. I guess now we finally know where to baby proof. Morgan also taught me she has the potential to lock herself in a room. Today I was in the hall outside her room where she was playing on the floor. She started this adorable game of peek-a-boo by moving the door back and forth. Well, before I knew it the door kept closing as Morgan crawled toward it. Her body was up against it so I could hardly open it. Fortunately her short attention span led her off in a new direction so I could get in there, but I will have to be a bit more careful next time.