And 15 weeks later, we've reached the end of our session! Time to celebrate the wins, roll over the on-going efforts, and release the goals that no longer serve us. Also to make plans for the new year! I expect we'll have at least one "interim" post for checking in and chatting during the holidays, and we'll need to get one or two volunteers to manage the first session of 2025.
We'd love to have any former members of the TLQ collective visit the party and let us know how you are and what you have been up to!
OK: champagne fountain, check; chocolate fondue with assorted fruit and cake chunks to dip, check; little pecan tarts; lemon squares; cheese and charcuterie board with crackers and baguette slices, also vegetarian paté on separate board, check; tea and coffee station, check; table for homemade cookies and other treats brought by participants, check; cups, glasses, flutes, plates, linen napkins (this is an upscale party!), flatware, check.
And now for the checking in, last week's goals first, then the session goals. How did things go?
Last week’s goals
Daisy
Mark exams and submit grades
Sample prep and training with students
New student orientation and organizing
Practice for last shows of season
Grad student nomination letter and application edits
Organize something with friends
Dame Eleanor Hull
- Grade All The Things (and pace myself)
- Process grad apps
- Write two letters of recommendation
- Some scholarly reading/note-taking
- Re-establish regular bedtime
- Gym x6, yoga x5, weights x2
Heu mihi
1. Editor's edits of short essay
2. Tie up all the email loose ends, seriously
3. Grade last essays
4. Send judiciously but not overly reassuring, yes-there-will-be-a-curve-but-you-need-to-study-anyway email to students (about the exam--I did a sample multiple-choice section today, and they bombed)
5. Process *other* new journal submission
6. Finish reading that biography of a 12th-c. monk that I've been dragging through forever, just because
JaneB
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) do D&D planning (neither game is scheduled)
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes
(v) counselling appointment and other appointment
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) catch up on dishes
iii) wrap close family gifts, work on more UK cards, get friend gifts and first batch of UK cards into the post.
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) notes for putting teaching "to bed" from this trimester
ii) marking - finish big assignment
iii) chase up all students who did not make an appointment/did not attend their appointment for end of term check ins. SIGH
iv) if possible start commenting on grad student chapter.
4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback
iii) meeting for rejected paper
iv) last week with international visitor - get the short report ready to submit, plan journal article, make sure we have a Plan for what next.
v) review overdue paper for journal
Julie
1. Day in library, read book, work on article.
2. Teach final sessions
3. More marking.
4. Whatever end of term admin needs doing.
5. More Xmas.
6. One final mock university admission interview.
Susan
1. Three chapter revisions for Famous Author
2. One day on big talk
3. Last set of expenses
4. Pick up old computer from repair shop
5. Enjoy shopping expedition with colleagues who have promised to provide me with a "kick-ass outfit" for my public lecture
6. Send half my Christmas cards
7. Prepare for party next weekend.
Session goals (in some cases updated at midterms)
Daisy
Get back into a consistent exercise habit
Get half-done paper into decent shape
Revise 80% done paper
Organize my samples and lab space properly
Get student through thesis and defense
Dame Eleanor Hull
- spend time with Basement Cat, make his life as pleasant as possible while we have him.
- Draft an essay due at the end of January
- tinker with what was supposed to be my sabbatical project)
- grade All The Things in a timely manner- provide helpful feedback for students
- keep up with reading/notes for the new course
- read All The Things for the major committee I'm on
- continue to indulge my exercise addiction and refuse to feel guilty about the time I spend in the pool/at the gym
heu mihi
1. Deadlines: Last-minute tenure letter due Oct. 1, short weird experimental essay due Oct. 13.
2. Research:
a) Submit book manuscript!!!!!
b) Start planning essay due in April (which I think I'm also supposed to give a talk on next semester...maybe try to get out of the talk, that would also be good).
c) Submit proposal for festschrift.
3. Enjoy Italian! Remind myself that I'm learning and it's great!
4. Exercise: make this my priority. Possibly join a gym (with a pool!) when it gets too dark to run in the morning.
5. Graduate students: Get X defended and out; support G; work with R towards spring defense; others as they arise.
JaneB
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing each week (draw, diamond painting, colour, paint, knit, crochet)
(ii) read three non-fiction books this session and at least three novels
(iii) at least one social/creative-with-words thing each week (playing D&D, writing for fun, talking to people on the phone or a proper chat online, writing a social letter)
(iv) journalling through a "self-care for autistic adults" book.
(v) building a more solid exercise habit
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) working on getting better at the regular chores
ii) at least one additional care-for-home-environment thing every week
iii) working on financial things that both bore and scare me
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) successful teaching delivery (TRQ)
ii) prepare the rest of this trimester and for next trimester (one-two teaching blocks a week which are not about the immediate needs of the week)
iii) stay in my lane given my changed responsibilities
iv) support my senior grad student to submission of her thesis at the end of December
4 RESEARCH
i) make measurable progress on at least three papers
ii) write a fairly small grant application to buy out some of my time
iii) find out my committments within small cog project and meet them.
Julie
1. Teaching/admin
(i) Revise second-year module to a new format, but keep manageable.
(ii) Keep on top of first-year module and try to maintain energy/enthusiasm without setting myself impossible standards (I co-teach with someone who is a bundle of energy so I always feel students are comparing us unfavourably).
(iii) Three PhD students: one submitting in December, so a lot of drafts to read; one seems to be worryingly AWOL when he should be writing; one about a year from submission.
2. Research (TLQ!):
(i) If grant application gets through first round, write longer version. If it doesn't, put Plan B on hold until next session.
(ii) Write journal article for January deadline. This is the most important session goal.
(iii) Work on call for papers for possible collaborative workshop.
3. Kids
(i) Work out new routines, be as present with them as possible and as much as they will tolerate!
4. House/life admin
(i) One big project: new bathrooms.
(ii) Decluttering & small to medium projects.
5. Self-care
(i) Reading
(ii) Exercise: improve fitness
(iii) Healthy eating & more sleep.
(iv) Fun stuff - see friends, try to do more creative stuff.
Susan
Research:
1. Make progress of Rest of Life (RoL) project, or at least phase 1 of it.
2. If the press takes Famous Author, I will need to add some words. Do it.
3. Do any last work on Big Collaboration that needs doing.
Life:
1. Figure out an exercise routine that makes sense and is manageable.
2. Try to not work weekends and evenings
3. Read books for fun
4. Keep up with tapestry projects
5. Buy new car (maybe new used car)
I'm sitting in the corner at the party, petting any cats or dogs that happen to be around, or hiding near a bookcase - I love you all, and deeply appreciate you, but I am just so tired and out of capacity for social demands and doing the human act.
ReplyDeleteLAST WEEK:
dragged myself through two days on campus, with depressingly low attendance at my higher level classes (3 out of 29 for the finalists, and the class was entirely to help with the major assignment). I started getting ominously headachy/sinus-y - we've had a lot of crazy weather systems and the pressure keeps changing, plus when it's mild the mold spores are bad, plus I tend to slump more and "tortoise-neck" towards the computer screen when I'm tired or feeling defensive, both of which increase postural headaches (and I get postural migraines if I'm not very careful). Then I worked from home two days; most of the work happened on calls, because between calls I kept "blank-screening" and finding myself just staring into space. I am DONE but I still have some work to do...
I also had to go to a meeting with the Dean - who I have never met before (he's only been here a couple of years but he only really deals with important people), but who is responsible for the worst excesses of the local implementation of the People Change garbage - about study abroad opportunities in North America which was interesting. I did manage to be quite grown up - it was at prime brain function time in the morning, luckily - but then ate six mincepies for lunch in response. Sometimes one's inner child needs to get out.
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things yes - I made some Christmas cards for family. some here
(ii) read at least three days no. reading mojo has left the building
(iii) do D&D planning (neither game is scheduled) no
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes two of 15+, one I only did 11 minutes
(v) counselling appointment and other appointment yes to both.
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list nearly
ii) catch up on dishes haha no
iii) wrap close family gifts, work on more UK cards, get friend gifts and first batch of UK cards into the post. yes, and got both all family gifts and all the UK cards into the post. Phew!
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) notes for putting teaching "to bed" from this trimester not really
ii) marking - finish big assignment YES
iii) chase up all students who did not make an appointment/did not attend their appointment for end of term check ins. SIGH still chasing but term has ended for them so now their problem
iv) if possible start commenting on grad student chapter. started
4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh! no
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback a tiny bit of progress
iii) meeting for rejected paper yes. Plans have been made for another place to try
iv) last week with international visitor - get the short report ready to submit, plan journal article, make sure we have a Plan for what next. yes. Sad to see her go, and although I haven't been a fun or very present host I feel I've done the best I could under the circumstances so, that has to do. She has a very solid paper's worth of results almost ready to write up (she has to do a few repeats of stuff, but all the basics are there), and we have plans for a second paper to follow directly.
v) review overdue paper for journal started it today. it's rubbish and annoying. one third done
NOTE - the "some here" in section 1 above is clickable if you want to see my somewhat wonky art efforts
DeleteBEFORE THE END OF WORK (hopefully Thursday lunchtime this coming week):
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) notes for putting teaching "to bed" from this trimester
ii) prepare various documents related to study abroad students
iii) finish comments on grad student chapter.
iv) do appointment of examiners form for grad student
4 RESEARCH
i) finish integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback
iii) interviews for post-doc on shared project
iv) review overdue paper for journal
SESSION GOALS:
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing each week most weeks
(ii) read three non-fiction books this session and at least three novels yes
(iii) at least one social/creative-with-words thing each week (playing D&D, writing for fun, talking to people on the phone or a proper chat online, writing a social letter) nearly every week
(iv) journalling through a "self-care for autistic adults" book. no
(v) building a more solid exercise habit no but I'm still trying and I count that as a partial.
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) working on getting better at the regular chores mixed
ii) at least one additional care-for-home-environment thing every week no
iii) working on financial things that both bore and scare me yes - nothing like the imminent threat of job loss to overcome inertia!
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) successful teaching delivery (TRQ) well I taught every session I was scheduled to do
ii) prepare the rest of this trimester and for next trimester (one-two teaching blocks a week which are not about the immediate needs of the week) worked in the first half of the trimester then fell apart. Need to revive in January! We start teaching again end of Jan so i need to be a bit ahead if possible...
iii) stay in my lane given my changed responsibilities Mostly. Despite determined effort by some of the people who had taken on additional duties...
iv) support my senior grad student to submission of her thesis at the end of December they're on course for a start of March submission, which is the actual final deadline - they're dealing with persistent long COVID health issues so slow and steady is definitely what they need to do
4 RESEARCH
i) make measurable progress on at least three papers yes - three papers were actually finally submitted and two of those plus another one that went in just before the session started have been accepted. Different amounts of work needed, at least one almost nothing, but the goal was progress and that happened
ii) write a fairly small grant application to buy out some of my time no - Head of School basically said no
iii) find out my committments within small cog project and meet them. interviewing for the PDRA next week - it's been a long slog to get to this point. But yes
Yay for realistic goal setting...
Clicking on the link brings me to a "permission denied" page: apparently it thinks I'm trying to edit something rather than just look at it.
DeleteYES! I love the cat in the partridge's tree. Dog is my second favorite. Delightful! Thank you for sharing!
DeleteAlso getting permission denied. Feels like a lot of yes to session goals, considering all the stress of the term.
DeleteI love your art work. And I hope the "interesting" about study in North America was actually interesting rather than cynical interesting, but somehow I doubt anything the dean does would be actually interesting.
DeleteLove the cards! The turtle doves really cracked me up!
DeleteThis party has a lovely library room for comfortable solitude or quiet cat-petting... It happens to be the room where most of the very friendly felines hang out, so feel free to enjoy quiet time and a fireplace and cats amidst the party.
I'm probably drinking too much champagne and ranting about something---sorry! Shove some chocolate in my mouth if you want to get a word in. I'm so relieved the term is over that I'm a little too relaxed.
ReplyDeleteHow I did last week:
- Grade All The Things (and pace myself): YES. Sort of. It started out well, but then it seemed like the grads' papers would.not.finish and I wound up working on them all day today.
- Process grad apps: YES, those for spring. I still have a batch from people applying for fall.
- Write two letters of recommendation: NO, and at least one is due tomorrow, so I know one thing I'll be doing besides filing grades.
- Some scholarly reading/note-taking: one essay, no notes.
- Re-establish regular bedtime: not really, though I might be heading that direction.
- Gym x6, yoga x5, weights x2: YES, x2, YES.
ALSO: wrote an abstract for a conference next summer; had dinner out with friends; made a massive list of things to do over the break.
How I did, session:
- spend time with Basement Cat, make his life as pleasant as possible while we have him. YES, although it looks like he'll be with us awhile longer.
- Draft an essay due at the end of January: NO, reading has been the best I could do.
- tinker with what was supposed to be my sabbatical project: YES.
- grade All The Things in a timely manner- provide helpful feedback for students: YES.
- keep up with reading/notes for the new course: PARTIALLY (I still have a couple of weeks' worth of sticky notes-in-books to type up)
- read All The Things for the major committee I'm on: YES
- continue to indulge my exercise addiction and refuse to feel guilty about the time I spend in the pool/at the gym: YES
ALSO: did some proofreading for a fantasy writer; made some steps to get back out into the world (folk dancing twice; put some spring-term lectures at another uni on my calendar); attempted a couple of House Things that did not go well; had a medical procedure that yielded no new evidence.
Seems like a lot of 'yes' plus some additional stuff.
DeleteAlso, I am now reading The Christmas Invitation and absolutely loving it. Thank you for introducing me to Clara. She is fabulous, and the rest of the characters are fun too. Very envious of the kind of life where you get to work on interesting stuff without interruptions, emerging only to consume vast quantities of food, go for walks in scenic countryside and participate in festive activities, while other people cook your meals and run your household. I could be Clara or Meg, definitely.
I do think a huge part of the fun of that book (and others like it) is the idea of having someone else look after the household while you do your work. Alternatively, there are versions where the main character gets LOTS OF MONEY for organizing Christmas meals and festivities, so it's her Actual Real Job instead of extra work on top of the usual job.
DeleteLots of things done, and really good things on session goals! I'm so impressed with your exercise!
DeleteEnjoy the party and enjoy the relaxation, that is exactly what we're here for, and a good rant is always welcome!
I am in the mood for a party, having just decorated our tree to Christmas music, but may need a nap first. You also might want to keep your distance as one kid definitely has tonsilitis and the other has now developed symptoms, so probably only a matter of time before I succumb.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Day in library, read book, work on article. - NO (I went to library, renewed my pass, ordered the book, only for something completely different to turn up. The volume I want appears to have been miscatalogued, and so far, I've had no response to my query about whether there is any chance of finding it. I requested and read something else that was mildly useful, but not really a productive day. So that was a disaster.)
2. Teach final sessions - YES
3. More marking. - YES (but still so much, and more came in)
4. Whatever end of term admin needs doing. - YES
5. More Xmas. - YES
6. One final mock university admission interview. - YES
Session goals:
1. Teaching/admin
(i) Revise second-year module to a new format, but keep manageable. - YES, mostly.
(ii) Keep on top of first-year module and try to maintain energy/enthusiasm without setting myself impossible standards (I co-teach with someone who is a bundle of energy so I always feel students are comparing us unfavourably). - Again, mostly. My Friday 9 am session is never going to be animated, I fear.
(iii) Three PhD students: one submitting in December, so a lot of drafts to read; one seems to be worryingly AWOL when he should be writing; one about a year from submission. - Submission happened, and thesis is great, hoping examiners agree; no longer AWOL but has had to extend until September, and not much writing yet; seems to be going OK but still a lot to do.
2. Research (TLQ!):
(i) If grant application gets through first round, write longer version. If it doesn't, put Plan B on hold until next session. - Well, grant did get through, but no time to write longer version for 1st December deadline, so that will be goal for next session.
(ii) Write journal article for January deadline. This is the most important session goal. - Very little progress. Fortunately, it is end January.
(iii) Work on call for papers for possible collaborative workshop. - YES, call published, submissions coming in.
3. Kids
(i) Work out new routines, be as present with them as possible and as much as they will tolerate! - THINK SO?
4. House/life admin
(i) One big project: new bathrooms. - YES
(ii) Decluttering & small to medium projects. - A couple.
5. Self-care
(i) Reading - YES (lots)
(ii) Exercise: improve fitness - need to do more.
(iii) Healthy eating & more sleep. - haha no
(iv) Fun stuff - see friends, try to do more creative stuff. - YES, NO
Quite a few goals to carry over. The main lesson of this session is that being on four days a week is good for the kids/house/self-care side of things, but the teaching load left almost no time for research without the fifth day. That will be better next term when I have less teaching.
Sorry for the frustrating library day. Though I always feel like I'm maybe a real scholar on the days I have to discuss with the library staff something that is miscatalogued or missing.
DeleteBut generally you've had a lot of yes, even if 9 AM Friday is not lively: that seems like a lost cause if ever there was one!
I hope you can stave off the tonsillitis, or at least have a very mild case! And I hope you're enjoying your new bathrooms!
DeleteLots of things done, and lots of house things completed! Hope you are enjoying the improvements and that the shift to 4 days works really well in the next term!
DeleteParty! Where's the party! Is someone else hosting? If so, I'll come, and probably stand to the side and slowly join other conversations. But if the cheese is good, I'll be happy. (For my own party, I had far too much food, but better that than the alternative!)
ReplyDeleteLast week's goals:
1. Three chapter revisions for Famous Author ALMOST (2.75)
2. One day on big talk YES
3. Last set of expenses NO
4. Pick up old computer from repair shop YES
5. Enjoy shopping expedition with colleagues who have promised to provide me with a "kick-ass outfit" for my public lecture YES,
6. Send half my Christmas cards HAH! Not even started...
7. Prepare for party next weekend. YES
So the work was pretty much to schedule, though I'm a bit behind on the book revisions. Still, I think I'm in pretty good shape to meet my goal, which is to have a pretty solid close to final ms of FAMOUS AUTHOR *and* a good draft of the big lecture by the end of this week. (The talk is 15 Jan, the book ms due 1 February. January will be intense.) I got my other laptop back, had a great time shopping and got clothes I like. (It is kind of fun to have 5 other smart women both looking for clothes that will suit you and having opinions about them.) Cards will have to start this week, and finishing that last set of expenses. Had the party last night, and it was a success, at least people said they had fun.
Session goals:
Research:
1. Make progress of Rest of Life (RoL) project, or at least phase 1 of it. SOME
2. If the press takes Famous Author, I will need to add some words. Do it. DOING IT
3. Do any last work on Big Collaboration that needs doing. YES. (Little things keep coming up, but they are little for the time being.)
Life:
1. Figure out an exercise routine that makes sense and is manageable. YES, pretty much
2. Try to not work weekends and evenings SOME
3. Read books for fun SOME
4. Keep up with tapestry projects SOME
5. Buy new car (maybe new used car) YES
Probably worked more evenings than I hoped, and also more doomscrolling for reasons that will be obvious. Rewatching Great British Bake Off shows has been my opiate of choice. But I've done some reading, some tapestry, etc. And the press is taking my book, so I just need to do what I need to do!
I'll be working through this week, and if I land where I want to, my fantasy is not to touch work for two weeks, but anxiety may not be on my side. I'm sitting still until the 27th, with ABSOLUTELY no plans and then traveling for about 10 days, going to my discipline conference to enjoy the delights of my native city. Have lots of plans of books to read, so we'll see!
There is a splendid array of cheese, right over here . . . Congratulations on the acceptance of Famous Author!
DeleteWonderful for the Famous Author book, and the talk! You have done a huge amount of work on lots of things, I hope your break is restful and the travel afterwards is fun and restorative and inspiring!
DeleteAnd yes, we have ALL the cheese at this party!
Thank you to our excellent hosts! I've been getting worse and worse about keeping up here, it seems, but I always appreciate the posts and reading everyone's check-ins.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Editor's edits of short essay - YES
2. Tie up all the email loose ends, seriously - YES?
3. Grade last essays - YES
4. Send judiciously but not overly reassuring, yes-there-will-be-a-curve-but-you-need-to-study-anyway email to students - YES
5. Process *other* new journal submission - YES, but awaiting co-editor's action and then author's revision before I request reviewers
6. Finish reading that biography of a 12th-c. monk that I've been dragging through forever, just because - ALMOST! BUT NOT QUITE!
Session goals:
1. Deadlines: Last-minute tenure letter due Oct. 1, short weird experimental essay due Oct. 13. - YES! I'd forgotten about that tenure letter. I need to make sure to include it in next year's faculty report.
2. Research:
a) Submit book manuscript!!!!! - YES
b) Start planning essay due in April (which I think I'm also supposed to give a talk on next semester...maybe try to get out of the talk, that would also be good). - NOT REALLY; maybe spent 1 hour on this? No word about the talk, and I'm hoping that it just goes away.
c) Submit proposal for festschrift. - YES, and yesterday we got a contract!
3. Enjoy Italian! Remind myself that I'm learning and it's great! - YES, mostly, it was a lot of work and I think that I need to take next semester off
4. Exercise: make this my priority. Possibly join a gym (with a pool!) when it gets too dark to run in the morning. - YES, I was really good about this, to the point where I find my exercise routine kind of ridiculous
5. Graduate students: Get X defended and out; support G; work with R towards spring defense; others as they arise. - YES to X (defended, is revising); G is clicking along; Kr has defended and is done; R is in progress towards a (probably) summer defense
So that was all pretty good. I need to run off now and give my exam, but I'll leave this tab open so that I can read others' check-ins later and maybe add something more reflective or whatever!
Now that the exam is over, come have some nibbles to keep you going through the grading of it! Buon appetito!
DeleteCongratulations on the contract! That is exciting!
DeleteWay to go on the grad students, it is nice when you can see progress. I am also very impressed with your exercise routine, that is no small feat with everything so busy!
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming to the party! You are all marvellous guests, and we are super chill hosts, so do whatever you want! I am personally going to hang out with the cheese board and the mulled wine until I fall asleep on the comfy couch in the library. Not a party until someone gets lost in the house and falls asleep somewhere. Ideally with a cat!
Last week’s goals
Mark exams and submit grades YES
Sample prep and training with students YES AND ONGOING
New student orientation and organizing YES, SO MANY FORMS…
Practice for last shows of season YES, GREAT FUN
Grad student nomination letter and application edits YES
Organize something with friends EVERYONE TOO BUSY, POSTPONED TO JANUARY
I think I failed miserably at my actual session goals…
Get back into a consistent exercise habit MINIMAL PROGRESS
Get half-done paper into decent shape NOPE
Revise 80% done paper NOPE BUT HOPING FOR SOME OVER BREAK
Organize my samples and lab space properly NO PROGRESS
Get student through thesis and defense PROGRESS BUT NOT DONE
I did teach an overload this term, and managed a huge amount of admin for the 2 months we did not have a department administrator, so I don’t feel too bad. I am on two really great abstracts for a future conference, and both of them will probably evolve into decent papers in a reasonable time. My grad students are making progress, and a new one showed up, and I managed to do some really great music things this term even if it meant feeling behind on other things and having zero other hobbies or free time… For next term I have a few big things planned that I’m looking forward to. I will have to think of a new plan for exercise because the early mornings do not work thanks to early morning kid drop-offs for activities, and later bedtime given general teenager-ness. Plans in progress, will have that as a major goal for next session I’m sure…
I am hoping for some good work time over the next two weeks, I have some teaching prep plans to make my life easier in the busy parts of the term because it is going to chaos, we are doing two faculty searches so all kinds of chaos but for a good cause. I have a ton of my favourite sample prep to do so that will be fun. Also, want to read and sleep a lot! And bake with kid, and read some more!
Those sound like good break plans! And considering all the admin + overload you had to do this semester, I think you got a lot done. The music sounds great, too.
DeleteAs to early morning drop-offs and late bedtimes, that won't be perpetual. At some point she'll be off to uni, and in the meantime, you do what you can.