Peekaboo Revisited

Morgan loves playing peek-a-boo with everyone - Mom and Dad, the lady in line behind us at the grocery store, the lifeguard at the pool.....everyone. But she has gone back to her early days of playing it with herself. Now, she likes to scoot over to the kitchen, pull the dishtowel off the oven, and fling it over her head. At least this keeps her occupied while I clean up ... unless I pull out the camera and film her!

Morgan in Action

Being home with Morgan, I have lots of time to take videos of her doing funny things. Of course, maybe they are only funny to me because I don't have much of a social life these day. Here are a few recent ones of Morgan. She is certainly more adventurous and reckless with herself. She is also a girl who knows what she wants. Some new things she has picked up just this week are: crawling (finally) on her hands and knees, giving high-fives, saying "hi," and she's in the process of learning the very important "cheers!" with her sippy cup. Here she is doing a couple of her favorite activities: pulling all the tupperware out of the drawer in the kitchen and breaking apart her plastic beads.

And.....if you haven't heard, Sam's interviews went great, and we think that several of his top schools are interested in him. University of Portland is still at the top of the list. Some other contenders are Chapman, Santa Clara, Victoria, Marquette, and Boston College and Babson are still possibilities. He should hear about site visits in the next month or so. Now, we wait! :)

All Morgan, All The Time

It's been Morgan 24-7 around here this summer. In addition to being home with her full time, I am also parenting solo while Sam is in Anaheim at the business conference he's been preparing for the past three years. It's also a recruiting fair, and he's had five interviews already and has more today. They have all gone very well, and he is learning more about the schools to which he's applied. By the time the conference is over, he will have a better idea of which schools want him and which schools he wants to work at. Then, we hope to hear that he is a top candidate at a few schools and they want to invite him for a site visit in September or October.

Anyway, summer is cruising right along, and it's so hard to believe it's the middle of August already. That means only a couple of weeks before I am back at work again, and we are still in search of child care for Morgan! Now that she is older and more of her own person (not just the tiny newborn that just laid there), I feel much more concerned about finding the right place for her. I guess you could say I am a lot more attached to her now. :) While this is stressing me out a little and I'm kicking myself for not figuring this out months ago, I think we are actually close to finding something for her. Meanwhile, Morgan and I are going to a mommy-baby swim class at the neighborhood pool. Morgan loves it, but is not very good at paying attention to the teacher! She smiles and flirts with the lifeguards and watches the 4-year olds yell excitedly (or cry in misery) in swimming lessons. Let's hope Morgan still loves the water in a few years!

Our happy girl continues to grow and change all the time, and as her first birthday approaches, I feel myself analyzing her for hitting milestones. She's actually seems kind of on the small side, and at her last doctor's appointment didn't seem to grow much. She was such a chunk her first few months, that it is strange that she is a little on the small side. But the doctor wasn't worried, so I'm not. She eats a lot and really loves feeding herself finger foods. Lately, she loves bits of sliced turkey, bread, sweet potato, banana, avocado, and anything else I can scrounge up. The girl can eat! And she drinks out of her sippy cup (with gusto) all by herself.

As you can see from the picture, Morgan has figured out how to pull herself up. She can't quite do it on the higher furniture yet (I helped her up to the coffee table), but she loves getting up. In fact, she has this new love for climbing everything! I often feel like a human jungle gym, as she climbs up me, grabbing onto any appendage or clothing she can sink her nails into. It's fun. Not really, but I try to remember there will be a time when she probably won't even want me to touch her, so I'm trying to enjoy it. But having an upwardly mobile baby makes me feel like I am a spotter for a gymnast on the Olympic team. Only my athlete is uncoordinated, has very little training, and has a head that is one third her of her height! I try to be nearby when Miss Morgan starts to climb, but she will have to figure out gravity sooner or later, much to my chagrin.

Morgan's personality continues to blossom too, and she learns new things so quickly. She started saying "dog" whenever she saw one or heard one bark. When the phone rings and I know it's Sam, I will say Daddy, which excites her a lot. So now when the phone rings she says "Dad." Of course, she probably thinks the word for phone is Dad, but we will straighten that out later. I also think she says "what's that?" because we say it so much to her. And I heard her say "Mama" the other day at the park, so I look forward to hearing that directed at me (hopefully only when she's really happy, though!) The teething seems to have subsided - she got three in at once. But Morgan is still having some bedtime "issues" (a.k.a. falling right to sleep, but waking 30 minutes later and screaming until she hyperventilates). After a frustrating night by myself last night, I have recommitted our family to a strict bedtime routine, and making sure Morgan goes to bed before she gets too tired. (Overtiredness, as most parents already know, is the root of all evil!) The new theme of our bedtime campaign is: "No More Tears." When I realized it was an Ozzy Osbourne song, I knew it was perfect. (Sam loves Ozzy.)

Moving On...

Today, Sam's parents are moving to downtown Portland, and we are really excited for them. Last weekend Sam, Morgan, and I were up in Hillsboro helping Sam's parents get ready to move out of the home they have lived in for 29 years. This has been in the works for nearly two years, as they have planned and prepared to downsize and move to the Pearl District. Sam, Kim, and I are all very excited to see them make this huge life change and make a fresh start. It will be fantastic for Dinda, because there will be so many more accessible things to her downtown. For Ron, he will get hours added to his day because his commute will be only a few minutes. And, selfishly, we love being in the Pearl and look forward to lots of good times (and hopefully a place to crash) in the future.

I asked Sam if it was hard for him that his parents were selling his childhood home. He said it wasn't because he was so happy for this new chapter in his parents' lives. If my parents were moving from their home, I don't know if I would be quite that rational. Besides the emotional pull to the home you grow up in, there is the inevitable material connection that you cannot escape. When your parents live in the same house, as both our parents have for three decades, there is a lot of crap, uh...I mean memories... that can accumulate over the years. (Maybe that's why I'm glad my parents have no plans to move!) So, along with helping box up collectibles and dismantling the coolest garage in Washington County, we also had to come to terms with what was in his parent's attic. Sam and Kim had several boxes that needed to be sorted. They were full of all the childhood memorabilia that loving parents keep over the years: first doodles, report cards, school reports, sports photos. By the end, much of it went into the recycling bin or to the Goodwill box, but not before we all had some great laughs. Some particular highlights were seeing Sam's prom pictures (he and his date posed with a rose bush), school photos of Sam's "jaws" phase (when he had silver teeth), Kim's horse statue collection, a bunch of sports photos of Sam (often with Ron as a coach), water skiing pictures, funny stories written for school assignments, Kim's volleyball "shorts," and Ron looking like Clark Griswold in an old family vacation photo.

I have lots of great memories of 774 SE 39th Court: meeting Sam's parents for the first time, standing in their kitchen announcing our engagement, politely watching an OSU sporting event with Ron, eating lots of good food with family and friends, Christmas Eve cocktails with both our families, moving in with the in-laws at various times as we transitioned from one apartment (or country) to the next, experiencing a Holloway Christmas complete with ceremonial fire lighting (there is a strict protocol that must be followed) and model train set up (I even have my own train car), and watching Morgan play with her grandparents and great-grandma in the family room. But my last happy memory of this house is Ron, Dinda, Kim, Sam and I sitting in the garage, surrounded by boxes, laughing hysterically last Saturday at old photos and memories. I guess all that stuff isn't crap after all.

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.