Week 3

It's week three and I still LOVE LOVE LOVE law school!

It is very challenging to find the time to read, and more than that, the quiet space to really THINK about and process what I've read. I am enjoying my classmates, even though I do miss having opportunites to talk to people my own age.

It is funny, in so many ways we are different, but being in school is the great equalizer, because we are all in there trying to reach the same goal. I've been very happy with the school and the programs they have in place to help us succeed. Today we met with our "Chase Fellow", a 2L that meets with about 25 of us and talks about how to outline, to brief cases, and to just answer any questions we might have about our classwork, our professors, or anything about law school in general. They also assign us mentors (if we want one) and have lots of other programs. They have an office of "Student Success Initiatives" and they take their job seriously!

P is making a good adjustment to school and seems to be liking it. He's made a few friends and is excited for me to meet his teacher at "meet the teacher night" next week. We met a dog in the neighborhood tonight and the owner let P give him a few treats. That was a pretty well behaved dog- when we pulled up a racoon was peaking it's head out of the storm drain and the dog didn't seem to notice!

I had a hearing about all the custody issues on Monday and I was proud of how I handled things. I wasn't perfect, but I am getting better and better. I don't know if I'll ever be completely happy with the outcome, but I always feel better knowing that I fought for what I wanted. It is a shame that the agreements made on Monday don't even last a week, but sadly that is the state of things at this point.

I can only work on the things I have control over. I can't worry about the ex and his machinations trying to make things hard. He can waste a lot of time and energy doing that. I am going to continue taking steps and trying to make a better life for P and me. I hope that L and N will someday see it for what it really is and understand.

Week 2

One of my professors offered us this (unsolicited)advice in our first class:

1. In terms of your career, think about how you want to help people. Lawyers have high rates of depression, divorce, etc, and those that are happiest are the ones that have positions where they feel they are helping people or making a difference.

2. Throughout law school- Keep your values. Don't think of the law as a neutral set of rules, think about how it really affects people's lives. In court, make the "values" argument first. After you've convinced the judge with the values argument, most of the time they will look for ways (in the law) to get to that result.

3. Put your family first- law school will suck every minute out of your day if you let it. Create a balance now so you aren't unhappy later.

With that said, I'm abandoning the laptop to spend some quality time at the pool with P.

Did I say that I love law school? :)

Week 1 as a 1L

All I can say is LAW SCHOOL IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!
So is Cincinnati for that matter-and my new apartment-and the fact that I have my little boy with me.
Life isn't perfect but it is good.

Someone at the Street Deparment has a sense of humor:

I knew I was going to like it here.... :)

P and Mom's Culinary Adventure

Yesterday while I was working on the computer P was watching the food channel (I had to make him turn off the military channel, future weapons, etc. there is only so much destruction one woman can take :)
Anyway Emeril was on and he was making Salmon burgers- back in the day we called them salmon cakes. Phil decided we should make some for dinner. Actually he did most of the work. Apologies in advance for the cell phone picks :)

He made the patties himself,



He was all set to fry them up


Here's how they looked right out of the skillet- Notice Phil giving his food bunny
ears, lol


Of course you can't have salmon cakes without mac & cheese

Now the big taste test:


YES! He likes them!



We had lots of fun making dinner together.