So much!

So much to catch up on about the past week- but I'll start with the most recent. 


1. Dos, 12 week check up- 150 bpm heart rate.


2. I just posted my first discussion question online. We had the dreaded syllabus review yesterday in my first ENG101 class. I took a quick poll and the general consensus is: we hate writing. AWESOME! 


I showed this top ten list from copyblogger.com

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer

1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don’t want to.
6. Write when you do.
7. Write when you have something to say.
8. Write when you don’t.
9. Write every day.
10. Keep writing.

We all had a good laugh about PRACTICE. 

So here's my introduction/ice breaker for Eng 101 (and then my response to try and model good behavior in an online setting:

1. Tell the class about yourself! Where are you from? How many siblings? Do you have pets? Do you work? Resident or commuter? What do you want the class to know about you? (100-200 words)

2. Choose ONE of the following questions to answer (100-200 words):

Would you rather be a bird or a fish? Why?

If you were on a deserted island and you could only bring one book, what book would you bring?

If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which animal best matches your personality?

3. Comment on TWO of your classmate's posts- "wow, Steve, I have a parrot too! His name is Louie and I got him when I was 12...etc." (50-100 word comment)


ME:


I'm Sarah Kurpel (rhymes with 'bell') and I'm your professor! I'm a former 8th grade English Teacher in Upper Darby and the current field hockey coach at Neumann University. I attended Neumann as an undergraduate student and earned my Bachelors of Arts in English in 2002. I completed my Masters of Science in Strategic Leadership, also at Neumann, in May 2010. 

I play the clarinet, I have two sisters and one brother and my grandmother is 92! I'm married to Todd Kurpel (sounds like Taco Bell) who I met via MySpace in 2005. Our son, who turned one in May, is named Maksim. We getting ready for our second baby who we’ve nick-named baby Dos (two in Spanish for those keeping score- we’re NOTHING if not clever!) and he or she is expected during Spring Break 2012.

If I had a choice between transforming into a bird or a fish, I think I’d go with a bird- and most likely a fancy one like a peacock or a flamingo. When my mom taught us how to swim, I must have missed the lesson about keeping water out of my nose and nearly drowning. To this day, if I want to go for a serious swim, I have to wear nose plugs so being a fish, not really for me. 

I have a penchant for birds- I think they’re very interesting to watch. Some have long legs, their knees work backwards from human’s knees and they have to hunt for their food- and they can FLY. I was watching a seagull during the hurricane and I was sucked in to watching him (or her, I suppose) just float on the wind current for the entire length of a red light down at Broad and Packer Ave. The bird was at ease just suspended in the air. I think I’d like to feel like that. 

I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you and helping you on your journeys to become more comfortable with writing!




So the first class/post is in the books! Feel free to play along with me- and write your answers in a comment.


Woot! English!

Seeds scattered and sewn (Update)

Garden update!

Remember this?!

We have flowers! And I've heard brushing your leaves helps pollinate lone rider plants.

Don't remember what this is...but it's flowering!

Maybe a sunflower?

Another unknown plant...it's like another reveal party. 

More...

That's a 'mater. 

Tomato seeds that germinated- and missed by the week whacker.

Woot!

What a professor...

For as long as I can remember, I've been calling know-it-alls professors. It's one of those funny things that I picked up from my dad from childhood.

I ALWAYS end up sitting in front of one at a sporting event, in the doctor's office, in an elevator, in the grocery store telling me when and why and how there's a better way to do what I'm doing/buying/reading.

Why their perspective is such an enlightened one...

Why I should listen. To them.

And now...

I'M A PROFESSOR!!

I just found out today that I'll be teaching my first class, ENG 101 MWF 1:50-2:50.

I can't wait to read some of these papers.

I was inspired by this.

NO, YOU CANNOT WORK IN GROUPS!

Please TOUCH!

mini lunch cart

snacks!

Paging Dr. BB.

Dr. BB- you're needed in the OR. 

Dr. BB, your daddy is here to pick you up.

Ma! Look! A GIANT BIRD!

Mine.

Quack!

Oh, say! Can you see!

My little Greased Monkey.

I have a picture of me somewhere with my cousins on this when it was in JW.

Carousel at the end of the trip. BB is rightfully pooped!

Fifteen Monfs.

you're a ham. 

Dos- baby part two

July 1, 2011, Four weeks pregnant. Baby Center claims I won't track this pregnancy like I did with Fancy Pants. I hope to prove BC wrong. After a week of, "is that a second line??" on the pregnancy test strips I got from Amazon, I asked TBone to get a digital clear blue easy. The word PREGNANT popped up barely two minutes later. This was only my second round of ovulation postpartum thanks to co-sleeping and continued breastfeeding. We're down to once at bed time and since we're getting molars...BB needs his milk.

PS- those preg. tests did show a second line since Monday, 6/27, but every last review on Amazon was correct, the line was VERY, VERY faint. Now, on the day I'm supposed to get my period, the line is a much deeper shade of pink.The cycle length was 40 days long. Thank goodness for Ovulation test strips, also from Amazon (and listed below if you're looking) because I ovulated about a full 10 days after when I thought I would. Ah, SCIENCE!

March 9th due date. Todd said, "Oh! Maybe a St. Patty's day baby!" I replied, "Seriously? You want me to go a week past my due date?" Him, "Oh. NVRMND."

So far, a little nausea when I'm not eating and a TON of burping.

Dos, 4 weeks, 7/1/11

Congrats go out to the Madrak and Kurpel reproductive organs!

Maksim- you're going to be a big brother. If you're anything like your Daddy, this baby will be loved and protected because: safety first! If you're anything like me, you'll dress that baby up in some spandex and call it a day well spent. I can't wait to see you teach your brother or sister all of your learned tricks. Like this one- needing your very own tippy tap (cell phone)

you're a handsome fella. 

Dos, 5 weeks, 7/8/11

Dos, 6 weeks 7/15/11

Dos, 7 weeks, 7/22/11

7/27/11- I had my first appointment today at the Birth Center. Since my first period that I got back was the only one in between babies they're sending me for dating. That means I get to see little Dos first hand a  little early. VERY exciting.

7/29/11- 8 weeks. Holy Hannah. Showing a little. This is happening fast. 

8/1/11- So, little baby, let's talk about acne. WHAT GIVES?! I was talking with my mom this morning about having boys- she said her hair fell out in clumps after her second pregnancy- a boy- same with me and my sister- but it didn't happen after the birth of my sister or after me. Hmm...do these crappy physical changes (acne, look EXHAUSTED all the time, etc.) mean that baby Dos is really a Dos-ette? Time will tell, we suppose. In other fantastic news, found out Dos will have a cousin three months older JUST LIKE MAKSIM!! Big L is 21 weeks. That sneak. Didn't tell anyone. Mazel to the Madraks! Now, I look forward to the day that I can share this information with the work folk...

No "symptoms" = paranoia = using all left over OPK tests and pregnancy test. It only takes 2 seconds to come up positive. I laugh every time.

8/4/11- we met you today!!! Aren't you CUTE?!


We saw your teeny beating heart. You're itsy-bitsy and have a heart rate of 165 bpm and have the cutest little arm and leg buds. You're only about 6mm- so that's pretty small- about the size of a quarter. The funny part, my new favorite pregnancy website says this about today: Baby's arms and legs are moving now. This would be visible on ultrasound.

AND THEY WERE!!

You know what's nice about this website- offers the same pieces of daily information that What to Expect emails offers- except they don't spam my inbox all day. I go get info when I want it.

8/5/11. 9 Weeks. The ultrasound yesterday would date me for a 3/7/12 due date...but I'm going to stick with 3/9 since that means Friday is the new week. Makes things easier for me. Thanks.


8/10/11. I can finally tell you. I'm pregnant. 10 weeks on Friday. Due 3/9/12. My job has released me from hostage and I told my boss today.


That is all. 

You made WHAT?!

Sometimes I'll eat, drink or smell something, I'll be reminded of something else and think, "whoa- that would make a BANGIN' SNACK."

Example: last Spring the local grocery store was unloading all of their winter teas. Bigelow's Ginger Snappish was $1 a box so I thought, WHAT THE HECK!? And picked up a box. It's a great cup of tea: a mellow ginger taste with a muted lemon finish. It was really, really good.

Got me thinking, this would make a GREAT cookie. Next grocery trip had me in the cookie aisle where I grabbed me a gigner bread cookie mix and a vat of lemon icicng. They. Were. So. GOOD.

So last weekend after I was throwing together a lunch for BB- PB&J sammy- and later that day, I was coming home from yoga class. I had TBone throw a grilled cheese together. I was laying there in bed in post grilled goodness bliss and jolted up to a seat.

"Todd, I just had ANOTHER brilliant idea. Do you think there's such a thing a grilled peanut butter and jelly?!"

For a solid week I thought about it, what's the best way to get the butter on one side and then the PB&J on the other since I hate getting goo on my hands. Finally, this past Saturday I was able to get everything together (I don't usually keep regular bread in the house?) and execute the perfect snack.

It's really good. I don't have pictures of my own as proof but (gooey hands didn't work with my cell photog) just imagine warm, runny peanut butter oozing out the side of a diagonally sliced piece of heaven.

Here's a picture from the interwebs:

And a funny cat pic (it's that kinda day...) 

Yoga Ohm-work- month 5.

Pranayama is the guidance of the energy or breath. In class this week Mark talked with us about breath being the first thing we do when we’re born and the last thing we do before our spirit leaves our body. It helps regulate our energy, circulates our blood, delivers nutrients to our cells and helps balance our mood. It's the only thing that's really ours. We can always rely and call on our breath. In pain, in joy, health and illness- we have our breath. Stuffy nose or clear as day- it’s there. I look forward to this focused approach for next time around. 

Bringing awareness to the breath is a goal of yoga. Sometimes when reflecting on a yoga asana class, if I thought the class was physically strenuous, I won’t be able to recall how I breathed through the poses. Similarly, when we get wrapped up in outside stress with home, work, family, or countless other activities our breath becomes affected and days can pass before someone notices the change. 

...

Overall, I know I can’t control outside stress and other people. I can only control me and observe and make changes in my breathing. I can choose my reaction to stress. I can have a goal of excellence each day and adapt and overcome outside influences. I know this past month has been very difficult for me and focusing on pranayama has been a nice reminder to try and find balance. I know it’s a work in progress but this has been a real challenge.   

Moles and Trolls.

work, work, work, work.

Getting geared up for the fall season- the school website boasts only 14 days until preseason. Eek!

So how are you dudes? I really don't have a lot to report other than I had a delicious snack at the Golden Arches this morning.

Waffles and yogurt didn't cut it so I was hungry an hour later on the way back from dropping off BB. McDicks has $1 burritos- and they're BANGIN."

They're really good- and get the HOT sauce. It's not that hot. 

We'll spend the weekend as some nuptials, then Sundee playing LET'S STAGE OUR HOUSE BETTER! Because folks, we gots ta move. 

I hope to update everyone with my garden sometime next week. Half of the seeds that were scattered and sewn took and we have a few speedily growing plants after a week's worth of rain. 

Also, we're glad to announce we no longer have a co-sleeping baby. Mr. Crawls-in-his-Sleep was getting too much to handle And no matter how cute I think this is: 

shits just not safe. 

Today- I'm going to leave work and head to Michales to make a to do chalk board list but hopefully with contact paper. Can't do the paint just yet- gots ta SELL. 

Happy weekend y'all- gotta take this feeling of being motivated and get goin already. 

PS- chomping at the bit to share news. Can't just yet. Job has to make a decision before that happens. Grrr. Life. On. Hold. 

Wat, watch the tram car, please.

It smells like the board walk up in my office. Alls I need is some serious FUDGE to keep this party rolling.

Can someone please bring me fudge?

yup. this is in my office. I dragged it in here to heat up my pizza. 

We've started sorting and stacking!

Came home to a pile of like items on the window sill. Someone has started to sort (and isn't color blind? But I don't know enough about color blindness to comment on green.)

Let's start over.

Apple has its claws sunk DEEP into the Kurpels. Deep.

We noticed the problem about two months ago- Todd's ipod touch wasn't holding a charge or syncing to my MacBook. No big- a quick call to customer service should fix us right up. I get the new guy on the phone and it takes us 2 hours to determine that I need a new operating system because the new software updates on all new Apple products will not talk with my old MacBook. I got it in 2006, basically eons ago in the tech world.

So, Todd's new toy wouldn't talk with the laptop so we headed with all of our apples stuffs to the Apple store in Center City. You know what sucks? The Apple Store in Center City.

We asked Quadir for the new system (after waiting for our appointment 30 minutes after the actual appointment time passed) and he said he'd call when it was ready. 

Get a call an hour later for another gentleman to tell us the hard drive was on the way out so any altering would most likely fry it. We had two options: $1000 for the upgrade for a new system or...$130 for a new hard drive. 

Seriously. A $870 difference. We ask second sir what the draw back was of putting a new hard drive in. Nothing notable. Do it. Sold. 

But. A moment of sheer terror. Just a moment. It erases EVERYTHING on the computer. Everything. Wedding address spreadsheets, honeymoon pictures, Todd's infamous Water Song. Everything. 

I'm in need of a fresh start so I didn't even blink when he asked- is everything backed up? 

Yup. Do it. 

Ten minutes later- new hard drive, problem solved. And the burden of cleaning out five year old files lifted. 

This probably speaks of the way I handle problems- I said in passing to Todd this weekend- wouldn't it be nice if we had the cats out of the house and everything we consider important and then it just all burnt down? To be freed from our crap? 

Wouldn't it be nice?

Who wants to come by and take it all?