One Success (maybe two)!

The birthday weekend was a success! H had 3 of her friends over for a slumber party on Friday night, and they didn't kill each other, and I didn't kill any of them, thus it was a success! The girls were pretty well-behaved (albeit loud!!), and their play didn't seem to bother the baby or her schedule. We had problems with one girl, however, who seems to bring out the worst in H (and in whom H seems to bring out the worst). This girl just seemed to constantly complain, tattle, and monitor what every other girl had or ate or did. For example, when she saw one of the girls eating grapes at the table, she screamed, "I want grapes! I get grapes too!" Never mind the fact that she wasn't hungry, she simply demanded that she get exactly the same thing---argghhh. Then, she got caught trying to manipulate the other girls (and me) by trying to get them to want to go outside and play. Nobody wanted to, as it was too cold outside. Thinking she'd get her way regardless, she came into the living room and said, "Everyone wants to go outside." Though I hadn't been privy to her attempts to persuade the other girls, I knew it was cold and simply explained that nobody was going outside to play. After she left the room, my husband told me what she'd been up to, and I was definitely irritated! She won't be coming back for a sleepover.

The trip to the Big Mall for a Libby Lu makeover went fabulously!! I had so much fun watching H get her hair done like a pop star, and she got to dress up and dance to the Cha-Cha Slide!! And her first trip to the Build-a-Bear Workshop was great too! She built a pink and purple bear, naming her Ashley, and bought several outfits for her new buddy. In all, it was simply a fantastic day with my daughter, and she was a pleasure to be with all day!! As I woke her up this morning (today's her actual b-day), I told her happy birthday and asked her if she felt any different now that she's 8. She said, "Yes. I feel like I can do more things now."---I wonder what she has in mind??? Dishes? Laundry?

Just as good (almost), I got 2 responses to a CFP I sent out a few weeks ago...The CFP was designed from my own dissertation research interests, and it's for a major national conference in my area of specialization. I was pleasantly surprised when the abstracts I received today weren't just good - they are brilliant and spot on to the kinds of ideas I was hoping to pursue in the panel. Even better, they're from faculty (rather than other graduate students)! And not just small-school faculty, but one is from an old & prestigious school across the pond, and the other is a distinguished faculty member from an esteemed private school here in the States! Now I'm faced with making sure that I don't look like a total idiot when I'm presenting alongside these people..That is, IF the panel gets accepted! Oh please, please let it get accepted!!!