A Little Bit of Random for a Tuesday Afternoon

This morning we headed out early (well, early for us) to get to the second of five sign and sing classes. It was lots of fun, though honestly I'm not sure the kiddo cares one way or the other. Still, we're working the sign language thing with him and it is helping to cut down on some frustrated tantrums, so that's a positive benefit. I just enjoy hanging out with my friend at the class and watching the little ones run around.

Afterward we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A (though I skipped the milkshake...didn't want to, but figured it's one of those things I should probably ration) and went to the same friend's for a bit more playing. The kiddos ran around in the back yard and swung on the swings and played on the water and sand table and generally had a jolly old time. Right until they both hit overtired within about two minutes of one another. So I scooted, popping the little one in the car with a binky for the drive home while my friend toddled hers off for his nap as well.

I got home to an email from my school letting me know that while PhD students used to have the option not to do a dissertation defense as part of the process, they're now making it mandatory for all students who havent' finished completely by 1/1/10. Since my current schedule has me finishing my study on 12/20/09 I don't see any way to get around this new requirement. I'm bummed. It's not that I was sure I was going to opt out anyway...but it's not something I'm looking forward to...and it just seems like one more way they can screw me out of another semester of tuition. (Not sure how, but I'm sure if they can think of a way, they will.)

Meanwhile, the babysitting requirements for the school where I teach have increased and are starting to border on the ridiculous. Seriously, when you were in college (if, indeed, you went to college) did you ever have a professor call to personally inquire about why an assignment hadn't been turned in and beg/cajole/plead with you to please go ahead and get it in? Yeah, neither did I. In fact, I'm not sure I ever had a teacher in high school give me a second chance to get soemthing in. Either you did the work and got it in or you didn't. Period. Of course, this is still considerably less babysitting than was mandated when I taught in person in South Carolina...so there's that, I guess. I just hate the fact that people assume that retention is the end-all, be-all for higher education. When really, in my mind, it's the education part that should be the most important piece of it.

I've got my fingers crossed that there'll be a good snooze this afternoon. We had a rough night last night, for whatever reason (I have no idea why, but the kiddo was up from 1 - 2:30 last night, unhappy unless he was being held), and we're both tired today as a result.

With that...I think I'll do some of that babysitting while I have the kid-free chance and then maybe do a little reading for fun.