So this is the email that my Dean sent out to everyone yesterday:

Subject line: Good News

The Board of Trustees has just voted this morning on awarding promotion and tenure to MJ Curry and April Luehmann – congratulations! Raffaella

This tenure andpromotion thing is a very big thing where I work – and not so easy to achieve. You are telling people “Mommi got tenure” but you also asked – “Mommi, what IS tenure?” I tried hard, but I don’t think I was successful in helping you understand. The wonderful thing is that you are still very happy for me! Really what that means is that I will be more able to spend time with YOU!!

This is a picture of my science education master’s students and me today at graduation:

So, here is an interesting story – I try hard, as a Mom, not to sweat the small stuff. You want to wear your fancy dress to school? No problem. In the sandbox? Okay. Four days out of five in a week? Sure. I don’t mind you exploring what it means to handle “fragile” things, and if there is an accident, that’s okay too. All that said, here’s the situation.

I bought you a doll from Israel. (I secretly fell in love with this doll). I have decided it will be the focal point for your room, and eventually we will paint your room using the colors of this doll as a guide. I place this sweet doll on the dresser to protect it from all the loving the rest of your toys receive… Hmmm…

True to your 4-year old nature, that which is forbidden becomes MOST attactive. You really want to play with this doll. Sigh. What do I say? You can’t play with the doll I gave you? Silliness. Okay, I sigh. And as soon as you turn your attention, I place it back on the dresser. This goes on for weeks!

Then, the night before last, you asked for it yet again – and you took it to bed with you. Okay – I was tired – whatever.

In the middle of the night, you come to me b/c you had your first accident. Okay, we clean you up, get new jammies, put you back to bed. The next morning when I’m cleaning up your room… you guessed it. You peed RIGHT ON THE DOLL!!! I could not believe it!!! UGH! (Don’t worry, the story turns out just fine.)

When you were with your Daddy today, I gave our little doll a bath – Check it out:

The whole experience made my laugh so hard. All’s well that ends well. 🙂
I love you Peanut Butter. Thank you for the many ways you help me surrender.
You are so very good for me!!