Mathematics in Engineering

A few weeks ago I got an unusual phone call. It was my seventh grade math teacher, whom I haven't spoken to since seventh grade, asking me to come speak to her classes about how I use math in my career. I didn't even know she remembered who I was, because in seventh grade I wasn't even really interested in math and science. And I'm pretty sure as a scared little 12-year-old, I never opened my mouth once in that class.

I of course said yes, and I was delighted to go speak to her 8th and 9th grade algebra classes. I hadn't been back to the school since seventh grade, because my family moved and I attended the rest of junior high at a different school. But the moment I walked in, I kid you not, it still smelled the same. Don't ask me how I remembered the smell...but I did.

I spoke to about 100 kids in the library for about an hour. They were attentive and fascinated, and asked lots of great questions. They made me feel "smart" for an hour or so.

{Why is it that my mom's iphone takes better photos than my point & shoot? Ugh.}

{Putting on my microphone}

Emme sat in the back with my mom, who wanted to come listen to me speak. They ate snacks and climbed on and off the chairs ad nauseum, until Emme couldn't be quiet anymore and they had to wander the halls.


Then about a week later, I got a huge manila envelope in the mail. Inside were about a hundred thank you notes, from each of the students. I sat on the floor and read them all, and some of them were really thoughtful. They talked about how they never knew engineering could be so interesting, and that math could open up so many doors. They talked about how they planned to keep taking math so they could help make the world better, and save lives.


About a week after the letters arrived, I got laid off from my job. Times our tough, and our company is small. The government has slowed its research funding drastically in the last few years, and they had to make some cut backs.

I feel like speaking to those junior high students was my last hurrah. My last chance to promote the profession I know and love, and spark some imagination into the hearts of those young kids. Especially the girls.

And on the bright side, I've got some big plans for my newfound extra time this summer. Lots of swimming & parks & zoos with Miss Emmeline, and enjoying my stay-at-home mommyhood.

Crafty

I've been super crafty lately. Well, super crafty by my standards anyway...which is not all that crafty by some of yours. At any rate, I thought I'd share some of my projects.

I made a recreation of the Anthropologie Squeezebox top, by following the tutorial from Welcome To The Good Life, found here.

{Anthropologie Squeezebox Top, $48}

I used two t-shirts from Downeast that I bought for $5 each on clearance, and cut them apart & sewed them back together using the tutorial directions. It took me about two hours all total. I love how it turned out! Chris calls it my "shield" shirt. Oh, well.

{My version - in cream rather than white}

I'm so in love with the site Welcome To The Good Life that I also did a recreation of the Anthropologie Marjorelle necklace (no longer available on the Anthropologie website), her tutorial here.

{Anthropologie Marjorelle Necklace, $68}

I bought the rope at Walmart, the clasps at Hobby Lobby at 50% off, and the flowers on ebay (they were rings but I cut off the ring part). All total it cost me around $15. I wore it on our cruise on a formal night, with a black dress that had gold buttons on the sleeves. It was perfect! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from that night.

{My version}

And lastly, I was inspired by March's craft with me challenge on u-create, so I made myself a new spring wreath to display in our entryway. I didn't really follow anyone's tutorial, but went with what I liked in the floral section at Hobby Lobby.

{The inspiration, found here.}

I bought my wreath materials and flowers at Hobby Lobby, all 50% off that week. It cost me about $23 and an hour or so. I love it!

{My version}

You Know You Have A Toddler When...

...you find a sheet of Dora The Explorer stickers stashed in the refrigerator.

You know, for safe keeping. Or Something.

Matchy Matchy

Is it not a lifelong dream of every mother to wear matching dresses to church with their daughter? I think yes. (At least it was mine, anyway.)

My sister-in-law Julie let Emme and I borrow some cute Hanna Andersson dresses that belong to her and Nora Jane. And luckily the sun came out long enough for us to wear them! (Stinkin' Utah weather...)

Naughty

Don't turn your back for more than 2 seconds at our house, or something like this will happen:

{"What? I just wanted some crackers!"}

{The unrepentant troublemaker}

{Not exactly sure what this face is. I think she saw I wasn't happy and was trying to make me feel better?}

The Wee

Grandma Pace got a new swingset last year. The best part about it is the awesome slide, which Emme lovingly named the "wee." (Because that's what she yells as she's sliding down it.) The second we walk into grandma's house, she points out the back yard and exclaims "wee! wee!"

{Again with the climbing up the slide.}

{Michelley took Emme to see the horseys. Emme still gets them confused with cows, and she starts to "moo" like crazy when she's near them.}

{Dada took her for a ride on the "sled."}

{We finished up the afternoon with a little hoop action.}

The Park

Emme has a thing for slides and parks lately. She's a climber these days, and she'll turn anything upside down if she thinks she can stand on it to climb up onto something. Her favorite part about the park is climbing up the slide (bad, I know). Luckily, the days we have the park to ourselves it's not a problem.


The best part about going to the park? Crashing hard for naptime once we get home.

The Closet

When I check my email in the morning, Emme hangs out in the closet in the office. She's obsessed with it for some reason.

She giggles, and laughs, and closes herself inside and then sits really still until I come looking for her.
All I can see are a few pudgy little fingers and a big eye peeking out at me.

Until she pops her head back out, yells peek-a-boo! and laughs and laughs.

Say Cheese

Emme is obsessed with the camera lately. She knows how to give me a big cheesy smile when I snap her picture, and she loves to pretend to take pictures of us as well.

Hat

Emme learned how to say "hat" during Dr. Seuss week at her daycare a while back (you know, as in, the Cat in the Hat).

Ever since then she's obsessed with putting hats on things - herself as well as inanimate objects. I about died laughing when she made a "hat" out of her yogurt at breakfast one day. She kept saying it to me over and over - "hat! hat! hat!" - and she was so proud of herself.

Thank heavens it was bath day!

Smelling The Roses

It was such a nice day yesterday that we put on our sunglasses and lounged in the front yard with some sidewalk chalk.



Then later, we stopped to smell the roses.

{and we accidentally took a bite of this one -- but we spit it out when we realized it didn't taste good!}