rivmama's blog

My best and oldest friend is getting married in a week and a half, and I love her, even when she makes me crazy. She asked me to read something, of my own choosing, at her wedding. I have been pouring through books and poems and whatnot, and cannot come up with anything that seems right. She is independent, strong, a fighter, critical, secretly sensitive and soft, has hidden layers of generosity and loveliness but a hard sarcastic outside. So what on earth is appropriate for that?

Update on Summer of Yes...I am a bit unbalanced, but realizing that balance is sorta over-rated and rare - I decided since this upcoming weekend contains the potential for feeling sorry for myself, it was necessary to leave town. My kiddos are going away with their dad, I can find someone to teach my class for me for one day, so I am off to Chicago for a last minute trip - mental health vacation - YES! Visiting with old and new friends? Yes! Going to a weekend long music festival, something I haven't done since I was a kid myself? Yes!

I am way to cautious in general. I am impatient, and rush to action and judgement, but I stress and moan and second-guess myself and get over anxious. i figured now, right after a break up and a cross-town move, would be a good time to try to make some changes. So my friends and I decided we should make this the summer of yes. Within limits, no hurting ourselves or getting us in too deep, but taking opportunities as they come up, being reflexive, and perhaps the most important for me, getting out there and making things happen, by saying yes. So....

Hi,
I thought it might be a good time to re-establish my hipmama self. I am a 30 year old single mom, two daughters. When I first joined hipmama, i had just had my first daughter, nearly seven years ago (whoah) But then got lost in the business of life - graduate school, a second kiddo, a divorce, so on and so forth. In the last three years I have had a hell of a time finding my peace, and I realized I haven't yet, and maybe a community of like-minded moms and parents would help me figure that shit out. Or at least not feel so alone.

Hi,
I post here only occasionally, i read all of the time, but most things I feel like posting haev already been said, or answered, or discussed.
Anyway, I am just starting my project/thesis for my MA in Human Services, and I am doing a needs assessment of students who have children here on my campus. I am going to be doing an internet based survey of students who are parents, both grad and undergrad, and a small focus group of students who had children prior to coming to college. Anyway, here is my dilemma, two things:
First, the survey is long, I wanted to be able to get data on many possible needs and/or frusterations of student-parents in order to make a case to the University to keep family student housing and on-site daycare. Do you think it is asking too much for parents to fill out a survey that could take 15 minutes or more?