Questions Answered

Well, I started this blog a couple years ago, and it has been a tremendous source of encouragment for me. I would like to thank all of you that read, and commented, and encouraged me along the way.

These past few years have been difficult, and I used the url "Stockdales Question" because when I started, I really was trying to find out the answer to those questions famously posed by Adm. Stockdale. "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?"

Lots has happened since I started, and I received so so much help and support from all of you. I appreciate it more than I can really express. I've managed to further my education and relocate to a great city to attend law school, something I always wanted to do. In the process, I have answered those questions and doubts about myself. Not that I never doubt anymore, but I have realized that I am stronger than I thought possible when I began "taking steps".

This blog also had a starring role in my divorce and custody proceedings, so if anyone at the courthouse was bored, they got to share the excitement of my blog posts entered into the record. Once I knew my ex had discovered the blog, I no longer felt like I could share my thoughts and feelings as freely.

Since then I have mainly shared only those things which I wanted him to see, and not very much of that!
I guess everyone has figured out where this is going. To my friends, I say thank you. To my ex- well, I think he knows what I'd say to him.
Post an email address in the comments or facebook me if you'd like to stay in touch!

More Pics

P fits right in at law school! Surfing the web at Starbucks on one of the days where he had a snow day but I didn't.


I took P & his friend K to a basketball game at my school. The highlight was at halftime, where they had a mascot basketball game. The school mascot (a viking), and some local businesses and other schools- the Xavier University "blue blob", the local waste management company's "Binny" the recyling bin, the health department's "Produce Man", and a few others played a game during half time- it was hilarious!

Snow days

From a parent's perspective:

From P's perspective:

Loving Life

Somehow I made it through first semester despite spending so much time trying to keep P with me. I am at my 3 year anniversary for this custody case, sigh. The final hearing is scheduled for early Feb. Hopefully that will be the end.
We are doing so well and I am so glad that I made the move to Cincinnati. Law school is more difficult than I expected but I know I belong. I can't wait to put what I am learning to good use!
Thanks to all who have supported me.

I am looking forward to good things in 2009!

Christmas pics

We went down to Fountain Square and watched Santa, Rudolph and some random elf rappel off the Great American Building.

We broke out the china and had a big dinner on our Christmas Eve


Our Tree


L and all her presents




P and all his loot


N and his stuff




I hope everyone had a great holiday. Now it's back to work!

More Pics

Cell phone camera, apologies for the picture quality

11-2-08 Obama UC Rally




P 11/4/08 "Chalk for Change"





P & L at the hotel pool Thanksgiving weekend:

Christmas Lights

N. spent some time this afternoon putting up Christmas lights. He was really getting into it.

I think he did a great job!

Obama Rally 11.2.08

It's been a while....

My apologies- I have been crazy busy trying to keep up with school and everything. I thought I'd at least post a few pics so ya'll can see what P and I have been up to.




P and I went to the Reds game on 9/19. A student group at school got half price tickets so a few of my friends and I decided to go. P had a great time and even got himself on the Jumbotron with his enthusiastic "YMCA" dancing !

Last weekend,P and I went up to see L march at the football game. N met us there and I had all three kids for the weekend. It was the first time L had been here since I moved in JULY , so it was long overdue.




Sunday afternoon we went to a picnic hosted by the student bar association. The older kids got a chance to meet some of my classmates and professors. N watched the student/faculty softball game with me, and P had fun making carmel apples. L just spent most of her time texting her friends, but she was there at least.



P finally got his cast off on Friday. He was very happy about that, although he is still limping quite a bit. He is so funny, he insisted on saving his cast and now has it strapped togehter and slung over his back as some kind of weapon along with his toy guns and pistols, lol.


Yesterdy P & I went to the aquarium and saw lots of great sea creatures. He really enjoyed how the divers were all dressed up like pirates for halloween! His favorite was petting the sharks which I have to say was one of my favorites too.

Palin Rap

Tina Fey is spot on!

Weekend

If you asked P, he wouldn't have to think very long to tell you his favorite part of the weekend!

We went to a great festival. There were boat races, sand sculpture, and most importantly for P, Civil War and Native American re-enactors! P wowed them with his knowledge of period weapons. They had a table of 5 rifles and 2 pistols displayed, and P named 6 of the 7 correctly. He loved the artillery demonstration too, but his favorite of all was firing a replica Springfield! The re-enactor had him tear the end of the paper cartridge with his teeth- P got a little too close and got some gunpowder in his mouth!


He didn't worry about that too much though, because right after that, he got to fire the rifle!



N isn't into history much- but even he enjoyed meeting this guy:


All in all we had a nice weekend. I didn't study as much as I should have, but it was fun to spend time with the boys.

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.

Tuesday

Today at about 4 AM I officially completed my last assignment for Ohio U. I was soooo happy!
In honor of the occasion, Goldie (my car) got a new accessory:



We spent many fun filled hours with Steve, the cable guy. P was really disappointed because it wasn't Larry, lol. Steve was nice enough, but I'm glad N was here because when he left, N programmed the remote to do everything it was supposed to do that Steve for whatever reason couldn't figure out. We will have to schedule yet another visit with Steve because there is not a cable outlet in my bedroom. Steve has never heard the old saying about asking forgiveness instead of permission so we must clear it all with the apartment gods and the cable gods before we drill one more hole in this apartment building.

Later we went to the local school district administrative offices and enrolled P in school.

After that we hopped on the outerbelt to check out my new school. I met the admissions director and one of the deans. In honor of the occasion my laptop( no name) got a new accessory to go with my block OU. P loves it because NKU's mascot involves armor and swords, lol







Phil found this representation of the Mascot (?) in the law school building




After we got home, N decided to take a nap, so P and I went to the pool. P loves to swim and the landscaping around the clubhouse is really nice. With all that school stuff out of the way, I feel like I can finally relax a little bit.

Moving day.....

It was crazy! and exciting! and stressful! But we did it.

Sunday a friend's son and nephew came and helped me move all the big stuff. They definitely earned their money and they didn't even mind P "helping" them. (At least they acted like they didn't mind :)

This is P and J showing off their muscles:




Here's the view from the balcony:

A couple of the big items even went up over the balcony. They were too big for the front door and the 90 degree turn on the stairs. The sofa bed barely made the trip after removing the legs, the door and the railings in the stairway!

By Monday we were having dinner on the balcony:


The boys seem to like the new apartment. It has had more than it's share of little glitches but we are getting things unpacked and situated.