My Sweet Empathetic Child

This evening Bo and I were watching the news when a commercial for the SPCA came on. The animals all look so sad in this commercial and then Sarah McGloughlin (sp?) comes on and asks you to donate money to help animals. Callen happened to see the commercial.

She is such a sweet, empathetic child! She was in tears worrying about the animals. She asked me several times throughout the evening why the animals had to go to animal shelters, why their people didn't take care of them, etc. It was so sweet!

I warn you - if you haven't seen this commercial, it does have some of the saddest, most soulful looking animals in it!

Fever, Doctors, and Medicine

Callen got sick while we were in FL last weekend. She ran a fever starting Friday night. We gave her tylenol and it seemed to help but she had a horrible cough. I took her to the doctor on Tuesday to have her checked. This is the first time that she has not wanted to go, to let the doctor or nurses do anything to her, and she even didn't want to get on the scales when the nurse first came to get us. She's never been like this before.

The doctor suspected strep throat so she had the nurse come in and try to swab her throat. Well, Ms. Callen would have none of this! She gritted her teeth and would not open her mouth! Two nurses finally had to force it to get the swab in. I so hated this! Callen was crying the whole time, scared to death, and her heart was beating furiously.

The test came back positive and the doctor asked if she'd take meds. I, having forgotten how much of an ordeal it was to get her to take this same med. last year when she was sick, said sure she'd take it. The other option was a one time shot and as upset as she was I couldn't see giving her a shot at that point.

Well, little did I know how hard it would be to get her to take the meds! I've tried giving it to her in a syringe, in a teaspoon, mixed with lemonade, mixed with milk, mixed with frozen juice concentrate (which worked last year sometimes), and you name whatever else. A few sips have passed her lips and that is it. We are at our wits' end with this. We've threatened, cajoled, taken away movie privileges, etc.

Our daughter is evidently stronger willed than are we... Any suggestions for how to get her to take her medicine?

Data Collection for XO Laptop Project

is done! It was a grueling year with surveying 1600+ 4th and 5th graders twice (before they received their XO laptops) and then at the end of the school year. And, my graduate students just completed in-depth interviews with 20 of the students (10 high tech and 10 low tech).

Now, the survey coding and data entry, as well as interview transcription, begins and/or continues. I can't wait to see the data! This is the largest study of the kind focusing on the XO laptops in the US and perhaps the world.

Here's to lots of interesting results to come!

Rain, rain, go away...

PLEASE!!! We've had so much rain lately. I'm grateful for the rain which means hopefully we won't be in a drought this summer but enough is enough.

Callen had her last soccer match yesterday morning. It drizzled on the way to the match, then stopped. Luckily it didn't rain during the match but as soon as we were about to get in the car it started pouring! And, it rained off and on most of the day yesterday and again today thus far.

Our grass is getting greener by the drop but the weeds are multiplying even faster with all the rain.

Here's to a less rainy week I hope!

To Do Today

Awake since 3 AM...not fun given all I need to get done today:
- get to work before 8
- go out surveying for my XO project (leaving at 8 AM)
- work on agenda for first full team meeting for my new NIA ALF study
- conduct first full team meeting this afternoon for new ALF study
- write NIA supplement that is due in less than 2 weeks!!!
- deal with administrative BS that takes way too much time away from the things I really need to be doing!!!
- begin annual report that is due TOMORROW
- begin draft of IRB application for new NSF grant that looks like it will be funded; NSF pgm officer suggested getting IRB approved, so we need to get it done. This paperwork takes tons of time!!!
- respond to various emails that came in late yesterday for meetings of various kinds
- schedule team meeting for XO project
- pick up Callen at school
- get Callen ready for soccer match
- and lots of other things that I'm sure I'm blanking on at the moment...

Wish me luck!

Cherishing the Moments

Today is a sad and a joyous day for me. It is sad as my own mother passed away a little over 9 years ago and I still miss her so! I so wish she could be here to see Callen and to experience the joy that she brings directly.

Having Callen makes this a joyous day for me. I would never have imagined that having a child could make your heart feel so full. I want to try to cherish every moment that we have together. Sometimes it isn't easy to do as life is so busy, things may be stressful, and we let the little things get in the way. However, I strive to cherish all the moments as we never know how many moments we have with each other.

Here's the cherishing the moments...

To Help A Good Cause in Birmingham

What's on Second?!
is knocking on your
PANTRY DOOR

People in our community are in need of food. The United Way food warehouse and the pantries of it's distributors are being rapidly depleted as they respond to an unprecedented number of requests for food assistance. Food is even being rationed in an effort to serve more people in need.

In times like these it becomes necessary for those of us who have a little more to share a little more. With this in mind, What's on Second? is pleading with our friends and neighbors to help us with a food drive.

To sweeten the deal, here's what we are going to do:

Starting Saturday (May 9th) and every day through Saturday (May 16th), What's on Second? will offer anything and everything in the shop at 50% off to anyone who brings in at least one large grocery bag or box of nonperishable food. That's 50% off as many items as you want to purchase on that day. (If you want to come back another day you'll need another food donation)

Choose from jewelry, postcards, art, advertising, toys, holiday decorations, men's and women's retro clothing, posters - hundreds of thousands of collectibles from the coolest store in the Magic City. If you have had your eye on an item in the store or just want to get a head start on holiday shopping, you won't find a better time (or a better cause).

SUGGESTIONS:
Use this opportunity to thin out your pantry.
Buy food in bulk at discount stores.
Think - especially - protein: dried or canned beans and peas, canned meats and tuna.
Cash, check or credit card donations of at least
$25 qualifies the donor for the 50% discount.
The money will be used to buy food wholesale
through Urban Standard (Thanks, Tom!).
Help us spread the word VIA blogs, websites,
Facebook, etc.

THE PROBLEM IS CLEAR!

THE NEED IS NOW!

THE OPPORTUNITY IS YOURS!

What's on Second?
2306 Second Avenue North
In the Loft District of
Historic Downtown Birmingham

--Steve Gilmer and Mike Wilson
What's On Second?
2306 2nd Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203
whatsonsecond@bellsouth.net