We made cards with his handprints on the inside and let’s just say mommy did more work than him, but I’m sure that will change as the years go by.

My penmanship has definitely suffered from typing so many essays, but at least it looks like a child wrote it lol

His “handprints”

Mommy, I’m not feeling this Mother’s Day card thing maybe next year

In addition to the cards, we sent each grandmother a photo album full of photos of him up until this point, but with room for them to add more pictures along the way.

Anybody else doing crafts with their little ones for Mother’s Day?

P.S. Happy Mother’s Day!!!!

I worked in a daycare a few years ago and one of my favorite aspects were the art and crafts projects. Sesame doesn’t go to daycare, but I still want him to experience some of the things he would there while being home with me. Once I finished exams I started looking for crafts to do with him. I came across edible finger painting. There were so many different ways to do it, but I choose plain yogurt and food coloring. We had plain yogurt in the house and red food coloring from me making red velvet waffles a few months ago.

As you can see he had a lot of fun squishing the paint between his fingers and rubbing it all over the paper bag. We went to Target earlier this week and I stocked up on paper for painting and more food coloring. This week’s craft was his Mother’s Day creations and I’ll share them on Sunday.

What kind of crafts do you do with your little one?

Mommy:

1. Take Sesame outside at least twice a week (weather permitting)
2. Read him at least one book a day
3. At least one sensory/learning activity a week
4. No more frustrated yelling :-/

Blogging:

1. I need to blog at least twice a week
2. Finally finish my blog about how my exam studying inspired my parenting choices
3. Work on fostering relationships with other bloggers

School:

1. Contact my committee chair about meeting to discuss my dissertation prospectus
2. Start forming a writing group
3. Find out if there are student services on campus for parents and how they can help me

Professional:

1. Update my CV
2. Apply to teach at two or three online colleges
3. Write down my current book ideas w/ outlines
4. Add at least two new custom items to my Etsy store
5. Organize my yarn and clean out the guest room/office

Personal/Family:

1. Make time for my “beauty” days every week
2. Go running at least twice a week (weather permitting)
3. Get enough sleep
4. Clean out my closet/drawers and get rid of all the clothing I don’t/can’t wear
5. Plan two date nights (indoor/outdoor)
6. Plan a family fun day

Yikes that seems like a lot now that I see it written down, but once I finish turning in my final grades I’ll have a lot more time.

What are your goals this month?

When I first started Mamademics, it was on a bit of a whim. I wrote a few guest blogs for a friend and she encouraged me to start my own site. At the time, I was pregnant and still trying to figure out what I was going to do about graduate school and my career. I was experiencing a lot of changes at once and I feared using my real name here because it might damage potential career goal. It’s been over a year and now I see how this blog will fit into those career goals. One major thing I learned while studying for my exams is that my academic background causes me to approach parenting in a unique manner. More on that later…  In addition, my name is super popular, so who knows what someone will find if they Google me. Plus, this blog is not something I am ashamed of in any way, so if a future student/employer happens to come across it then it will just give us more to talk about in conferences/interviews.

So, with that being said… Hi, my name is Danielle S and I’m a mamademic . *shakes hands* It’s nice to meet you all again! I am a wife (newlywed), first time mom, and doctoral candidate in English (and my grammar still sucks). Mamademics is a merging of my two “careers”–motherhood and academia. I am an advanced PhD studying Rhetoric and Composition. The majority of my life has been dedicated to achieving my academic and career goals, but after finding out I was pregnant a bit earlier then expected I’ve reevaluated my career goals. I realized that my job as an academic will no longer be my only “career.”  It’s no longer my one and only focus. I am now responsible for another life and that may very well be the most important job I will ever have. This site will chronicle my life as I attempt to balance my roles as a wife, mother, and academic.

At the present time, I am a WAHM. I take care of my son while finishing my doctoral studies, teaching online, and running my crochet business, Hook Smart. After finishing my studies, I plan to start working on my first book, continue teaching online, and we’ll hopefully expand our family. You will frequently hear (read) me refer to my husband and son as Mr. S and Sesame. I’ve chosen not to use their first names to give them a little privacy.

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