I'm on a plane loading up for Paris, oui! It'd be cool if that were my final stop, but I am onward to Strassburg, where then I'll catch a 2hr train ride to Freiburg, Germany. It seems I have a yearly trip to Germany for one reason or another! This time it's to attend a plant biology workshop, specific to space plant growth. I'm going to be working with scientists on creating a plant biology in space user's guide for potential future investigators. The do's an don't's of growing plants in space. It'll be the first in a series of manuals like this for the space station program.
As many times as I visit Germany, I'm pretty sure I'll still never get the hang of that language!
On to Paris! I'm on a plane of happy people :)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
The End of Gloria Dei
Gahhhh! Today is the last day after 5 years that I will drive Anna to Gloria Dei. This is her last day.
I remember the first day I dropped her off, happy to hand her over to such capable care givers, honestly. Anna was a screamer, plagued by painful acid reflux, and most of my maternity leave was about coming up with various ways to soothe her. Like standing under our loud vent hood over our stove to get her to sleep. She hated the swing and she hated being swaddled. Turns out she loved it when the teachers did it! I was quite honestly ready for some help, and ready to return to some form of my old routine. But 2101 NASA parkway was the only thing in my life that ever came back from my old routine. Even my career at that address changed to what I'm doing now. And this is the first major change since I dropped her off 5 years ago.
I've been debating on whether to tell her today's her last day. She may not care. But she might. I think when I drop her off I will tell her and show her around her old rooms a bit before bringing her to class.
Change is weird.
I remember the first day I dropped her off, happy to hand her over to such capable care givers, honestly. Anna was a screamer, plagued by painful acid reflux, and most of my maternity leave was about coming up with various ways to soothe her. Like standing under our loud vent hood over our stove to get her to sleep. She hated the swing and she hated being swaddled. Turns out she loved it when the teachers did it! I was quite honestly ready for some help, and ready to return to some form of my old routine. But 2101 NASA parkway was the only thing in my life that ever came back from my old routine. Even my career at that address changed to what I'm doing now. And this is the first major change since I dropped her off 5 years ago.
I've been debating on whether to tell her today's her last day. She may not care. But she might. I think when I drop her off I will tell her and show her around her old rooms a bit before bringing her to class.
Change is weird.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Last day of 5:00 pick up
Today, as I was going through my outlook calendar, a realization: for the last 5 years I had a reminder at 5:00 in my Outlook calendar, "Pick Up Anna" with a 15 minute alert.
She's been right across the street from me for 5 years now. In the early days I'd leave right as the alert popped up at 4:45 because I didn't want her to be the last kid there waiting for mommy. But in the last few years I'd snooze it until 5:15 because she'd always want to stay and play and she was never the last one there. I'm certain that some parents showed up past the 5:30 pickup time.
As I looked out across the calendar at what's ahead for the rest of the summer, I noticed there were no more 5:00 pickups left for me. The structure of her camps requires Paul to pick up from her camps at 3:00 daily. She is only at her school, GD, some mornings. My last day of 5:00 pickup was actually June 28.
I'd have probably sulked all the way home. Or at least relished it. I'm trying to think of what that day's drive home was like...
A few years ago that drive home was car seat screamer Hell. Or fighting off her fussiness with making sure I always had a snack and water waiting for her in the car.
These past few later years it was more about talks of her day, and what we wanted for dinner.
Now what?
Before knowing I had to pickup Anna before 5:30, what made me leave work on time? Nothing. I was in Engineering and I was usually there until I got hungry for dinner.
Now that restriction is gone. She will be with Paul from here on out, including when school starts. What's going to require me to leave my desk at 5:00? Now I'm in Space Station Science, where if it's possible, there's even more work to do.
She will still get me to leave by 5:15 because in the 5 years, the restriction has forced me to respect a balance between work and family time.
Ok to be honest I am already planning to work late tomorrow night, but that's just because I have some major events I need to really prep for due on Tues!
So I suppose there will be exceptions.
I will really miss the drives home with her in the fall the most. Where it gets dark early and she asks WHY and we stop to look at the Halloween and Christmas decorations in the yards.
I won't be the first to see her at the end of her school day. And she will now wait for mommy to get home. Holy cow, JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
I guess this is where we start a new routine. And I thought I was ready for kindergarten because Anna had been "in school" so-to-speak since 3 months old.
Now I get it.
She's been right across the street from me for 5 years now. In the early days I'd leave right as the alert popped up at 4:45 because I didn't want her to be the last kid there waiting for mommy. But in the last few years I'd snooze it until 5:15 because she'd always want to stay and play and she was never the last one there. I'm certain that some parents showed up past the 5:30 pickup time.
As I looked out across the calendar at what's ahead for the rest of the summer, I noticed there were no more 5:00 pickups left for me. The structure of her camps requires Paul to pick up from her camps at 3:00 daily. She is only at her school, GD, some mornings. My last day of 5:00 pickup was actually June 28.
I'd have probably sulked all the way home. Or at least relished it. I'm trying to think of what that day's drive home was like...
A few years ago that drive home was car seat screamer Hell. Or fighting off her fussiness with making sure I always had a snack and water waiting for her in the car.
These past few later years it was more about talks of her day, and what we wanted for dinner.
Now what?
Before knowing I had to pickup Anna before 5:30, what made me leave work on time? Nothing. I was in Engineering and I was usually there until I got hungry for dinner.
Now that restriction is gone. She will be with Paul from here on out, including when school starts. What's going to require me to leave my desk at 5:00? Now I'm in Space Station Science, where if it's possible, there's even more work to do.
She will still get me to leave by 5:15 because in the 5 years, the restriction has forced me to respect a balance between work and family time.
Ok to be honest I am already planning to work late tomorrow night, but that's just because I have some major events I need to really prep for due on Tues!
So I suppose there will be exceptions.
I will really miss the drives home with her in the fall the most. Where it gets dark early and she asks WHY and we stop to look at the Halloween and Christmas decorations in the yards.
I won't be the first to see her at the end of her school day. And she will now wait for mommy to get home. Holy cow, JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
I guess this is where we start a new routine. And I thought I was ready for kindergarten because Anna had been "in school" so-to-speak since 3 months old.
Now I get it.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Anna's the coolest kid ever
Just had to share :) She still
Says I Love You out of nowhere. Her art work fills every crack of the house. I especially like the ones where she writes my name next to hers. It's
So sweet that my baby can write my name. And she makes books. Thick books of construction paper of drawings after drawings usually of hearts or the family. And the back of her books always say "tet-end".
She likes to write "I lvoe mom" and "I lvoe Dad". We were in a store a few weeks ago and saw the word "love." Hey, wait a minute! She catches that it's spelled LOVE, commented on that, and spells it right ever since.
She can read some stuff, do so much on her own, and hit an amazing growth spurt since march. Her favorite ride at Kemah is the same that was mine: the big flying swings (oh and she loves the kid bouncer too :) ). She's in so many different camps this summer we have spreadsheets to keep up. She's enjoying the summer and we're enjoying her. She starts kindergarten in 8 weeks.
Love her so much!!!
And daddy's 40th birthday card :)
Says I Love You out of nowhere. Her art work fills every crack of the house. I especially like the ones where she writes my name next to hers. It's
So sweet that my baby can write my name. And she makes books. Thick books of construction paper of drawings after drawings usually of hearts or the family. And the back of her books always say "tet-end".
She likes to write "I lvoe mom" and "I lvoe Dad". We were in a store a few weeks ago and saw the word "love." Hey, wait a minute! She catches that it's spelled LOVE, commented on that, and spells it right ever since.
She can read some stuff, do so much on her own, and hit an amazing growth spurt since march. Her favorite ride at Kemah is the same that was mine: the big flying swings (oh and she loves the kid bouncer too :) ). She's in so many different camps this summer we have spreadsheets to keep up. She's enjoying the summer and we're enjoying her. She starts kindergarten in 8 weeks.
Love her so much!!!
And daddy's 40th birthday card :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Some of mommy's work
Dear Anna-bear,
When you're old enough to read this blog you'll probably wonder what I was like "back then". Here's part of what I do at work. Hopefully you'll inherit my lack of fear in Public speaking.
NASA's Aspire to Inspire Program
ISS Update: Student Spaceflight Experiment Program
ISS Update on science
NASA 32/33 Press Briefing
This doesn't cover it all but it's a snapshot of me at work within at least the last several months!
When you're old enough to read this blog you'll probably wonder what I was like "back then". Here's part of what I do at work. Hopefully you'll inherit my lack of fear in Public speaking.
NASA's Aspire to Inspire Program
ISS Update: Student Spaceflight Experiment Program
ISS Update on science
NASA 32/33 Press Briefing
This doesn't cover it all but it's a snapshot of me at work within at least the last several months!
Here comes summer
We've had such a mild spring! It's nearing the end of May and just now hitting the 90's. Anna has been dragging me to the neighborhood park nearly every evening and once I'm there I'm glad we came, as it's been so cool and calm and rare evenings. She races to the park in her little big wheel, stopping at every corner to wait for me to catch up. We watch the parade of dog walkers who are also enjoying the weather and she makes new friends on the playground. She's so funny, just like her Dad and me, she's not one to approach a new friend but will play along if someone approaches her. Must really be genetic.
She made me take this picture of a dog walker!
But this week reached the 90's and so we are nearly there: summer. Already there's been plenty of backyard pool time. And this week marks the end of her pre-K curriculum with Mrs Umphres. She was the best teacher ever! Anna can read a good set of words and even some very simple books like the Bob book. She can do math, numbers up to who knows what. And they even did some science experiments. They started learning how to tell time. At the beginning of the school year Mrs U was clear on her goals and here we are, seeing how far these kids have come. We will miss her. I suspect she's special and has now set the bar too high for public school! That being said, one of the students in her class now will also be starting kindergarten with Anna in the fall. That mother has sent 2 prior boys through Gloria Dei and on to Ward and she swears we will love it and the kindergarten teachers are as good as Mrs U. I hope so! I'm really excited for Anna to start, though still in no rush. Anna has been at Gloria Dei since June of 2007, when she was 3 months old. Her last day there will be June 30, 2012. That's been a good 5 yrs.
3 years ago, her unyielding car seat tantrums Made me dread picking her up at the end of the day. Now I will miss hauling her and all of her rocks, feathers, other friends' borrowed hair accessories, glittery art work, and uneaten snacks home. I will miss her singing along in the back seat of the car, and I'll miss our talks about the day. I will miss her questions about cars and driving and weather and birds and school zones and our rhyming, counting, and word games. It's only a 15 minute trip but it's only us. In the fall I will be bringing her to school, though it's just a few blocks from my house. She won't be across the street from me like she's been the last 5 years. She will be across the street from her daddy. And she will be taking the bus home from school to her daddy, and I won't be home for another 2 hrs. I guess we will form new evening routines and talk times.
She made me take this picture of a dog walker!
But this week reached the 90's and so we are nearly there: summer. Already there's been plenty of backyard pool time. And this week marks the end of her pre-K curriculum with Mrs Umphres. She was the best teacher ever! Anna can read a good set of words and even some very simple books like the Bob book. She can do math, numbers up to who knows what. And they even did some science experiments. They started learning how to tell time. At the beginning of the school year Mrs U was clear on her goals and here we are, seeing how far these kids have come. We will miss her. I suspect she's special and has now set the bar too high for public school! That being said, one of the students in her class now will also be starting kindergarten with Anna in the fall. That mother has sent 2 prior boys through Gloria Dei and on to Ward and she swears we will love it and the kindergarten teachers are as good as Mrs U. I hope so! I'm really excited for Anna to start, though still in no rush. Anna has been at Gloria Dei since June of 2007, when she was 3 months old. Her last day there will be June 30, 2012. That's been a good 5 yrs.
3 years ago, her unyielding car seat tantrums Made me dread picking her up at the end of the day. Now I will miss hauling her and all of her rocks, feathers, other friends' borrowed hair accessories, glittery art work, and uneaten snacks home. I will miss her singing along in the back seat of the car, and I'll miss our talks about the day. I will miss her questions about cars and driving and weather and birds and school zones and our rhyming, counting, and word games. It's only a 15 minute trip but it's only us. In the fall I will be bringing her to school, though it's just a few blocks from my house. She won't be across the street from me like she's been the last 5 years. She will be across the street from her daddy. And she will be taking the bus home from school to her daddy, and I won't be home for another 2 hrs. I guess we will form new evening routines and talk times.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Kindergarten Registration
Today's the day! Anna's officially on the public school's radar.
The generic meet and greet for teachers is August 16. That's our Colorado vacation week! School's already cramping our style.
Also this morning, a Mother's Day tea party with Anna's class! So fun, the children decorated the hats for us, decorated the room and tables and even served us our food :) Such big kids, it was the best!!
That's the plate of food Anna made for me :)
Love her! Will miss this school. 5 years now.
The generic meet and greet for teachers is August 16. That's our Colorado vacation week! School's already cramping our style.
Also this morning, a Mother's Day tea party with Anna's class! So fun, the children decorated the hats for us, decorated the room and tables and even served us our food :) Such big kids, it was the best!!
That's the plate of food Anna made for me :)
Love her! Will miss this school. 5 years now.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Shots!
Anna has been prepping for a few weeks for the chicken pox booster she needs now that she's 5. I promised her lunch at Olive Garden and a trip to Toys R Us if she goes quietly. She was pretty brave! Cried a little but no tears. A co-pay would have been cheaper :)
She's done with shots till like 10 or 11!
Whew!
5 year stats: 44lbs, 42 inches. 75th percentile for weight, and 90th percentile for height.
Practically perfect :) She STILL doesn't stay dry at night so the pedi just says "move on to big girl pull ups!" She says no stress over it if Anna's not stressing. And so we are remaining stress-free.
She is already outgrowing all of the summer clothes we just bought her weeks ago. Good Lord this grown spurt's a doozie! Can't keep up!
Love her.
She's done with shots till like 10 or 11!
Whew!
5 year stats: 44lbs, 42 inches. 75th percentile for weight, and 90th percentile for height.
Practically perfect :) She STILL doesn't stay dry at night so the pedi just says "move on to big girl pull ups!" She says no stress over it if Anna's not stressing. And so we are remaining stress-free.
She is already outgrowing all of the summer clothes we just bought her weeks ago. Good Lord this grown spurt's a doozie! Can't keep up!
Love her.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
It's that time again: MS150!
Time to beg for donations!
Each year we think we'll get a head start on fundraising. And we never really do.
Once again, time to buckle down. I think the minimum to raise required is $400. So come on friends, let's get to it! I don't ask for much through the year so step it up! :)
April 21-22 is the 180 mile (or so) bike ride from Houston to Austin. The money goes for a good cause, and not just for overhead. I forget the actual breakdown but I was soooo surprised they can pull off an event like this while most of the money going right to the cause for MS. It's abuot sponsorship from big companies.
So whatever we little people pay can go to the real place it's needed: Multiple Sclerosis research and resources for those who have it.
Here's my web page to donate. Remember, whatever you give comes back to you...
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/TXHBikeEvents?px=2420180&pg=personal&fr_id=17896
Each year we think we'll get a head start on fundraising. And we never really do.
Once again, time to buckle down. I think the minimum to raise required is $400. So come on friends, let's get to it! I don't ask for much through the year so step it up! :)
April 21-22 is the 180 mile (or so) bike ride from Houston to Austin. The money goes for a good cause, and not just for overhead. I forget the actual breakdown but I was soooo surprised they can pull off an event like this while most of the money going right to the cause for MS. It's abuot sponsorship from big companies.
So whatever we little people pay can go to the real place it's needed: Multiple Sclerosis research and resources for those who have it.
Here's my web page to donate. Remember, whatever you give comes back to you...
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/TXHBikeEvents?px=2420180&pg=personal&fr_id=17896
Anna's 5 year stats
Anna had her 5 year well child check up today. They'd told me on the phone there would be no shots and so I'd promised Anna, with the caveat of it they were wrong, we just wouldn't do it today. We'd talk about it and come back in later. What's the real harm? It just needs to be done before kindergarten. So when we got there it turns out she needed a chicken pox booster! I gave her the chance to take it, explained the GOD AWFUL details of what chicken pox is, and Paul even showed her a picture on his phone. But she didn't bite. I held my end of the bargain and said we'd come back to do it when she's ready, especially since we'll be on a cruise in the Gulf starting Sunday and God knows we don't need a vaccine reaction clouding things up. I told her when she comes back for the shot, I'd give her anything she wanted. Her first demand was to get her ears pierced. When I explained that hurt way more than a shot, and in both ears, she said she'd wanted a baby doll. THAT'S IT? Oh, and candy. Ooookkkkkk....baby needs to learn how to negotiate.
So when we do this, I have to take her to get a new baby doll and candy. And not just one piece of candy, she says.
She did get a hearing assessment and 6 stickers for her trouble. They're giving SIX stickers and not even a shot? Sheesh.
Baby is 45 lbs and 44 inches tall. That's 75th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height! We are loving on her height! SUHWEET! Love it, love it! The bonus is always that she gets to ride the big rides :)
In the next room a baby was screaming his head off. Yeah, good times for them. I'm always reminded in those rooms of how that was me and I was wishing ahead to year 5, where we are now.
It's the same realization that hits you when you realize no matter what, time NEVER stops for you (if you buy into the idea that time is linear). Time will keep on going and you're going through with this no matter what. It's the thought I get in the exam room at 5 years old, it's the thought I had as I was about to start pushing her into this world, it's the thought I had at the briefing desk 2 minutes before that press briefing yesterday, and it's the thought I bet most astronauts get as they're strapped in, about ready for GO time.
Hello FIVE.
So when we do this, I have to take her to get a new baby doll and candy. And not just one piece of candy, she says.
She did get a hearing assessment and 6 stickers for her trouble. They're giving SIX stickers and not even a shot? Sheesh.
Baby is 45 lbs and 44 inches tall. That's 75th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height! We are loving on her height! SUHWEET! Love it, love it! The bonus is always that she gets to ride the big rides :)
In the next room a baby was screaming his head off. Yeah, good times for them. I'm always reminded in those rooms of how that was me and I was wishing ahead to year 5, where we are now.
It's the same realization that hits you when you realize no matter what, time NEVER stops for you (if you buy into the idea that time is linear). Time will keep on going and you're going through with this no matter what. It's the thought I get in the exam room at 5 years old, it's the thought I had as I was about to start pushing her into this world, it's the thought I had at the briefing desk 2 minutes before that press briefing yesterday, and it's the thought I bet most astronauts get as they're strapped in, about ready for GO time.
Hello FIVE.
Noooo, not AT ALL Nervous
I've done lots of interview since I've been in the ISS Program Science office the past 3 years. But this one was an actual Press Briefing, which has always been my chief's job. This time, she had a schedule conflict and so I stepped up! This was the Expedition 32/33 Operations and Science briefing, given by ISS Program Manager Micke Suffredini, Flight Director Dina Contella, and the science overview by er...well, ME. It was live TV on NASA TV (OK it's not Comedy Central but it's still live TV). It was in the middle of a near monsoon weather, and it was a little bit intimidating. It took me wayyyy too many hours to prepare for this simple briefing! Although being well-prepared is the key to less nerves, I was over-prepared and so lesson learned for next time. As it turns out, there will be a next time as JR and I rotate through these briefings that I hear will become more and more frequent (every 3 months is the plan I'm told).
For me, I think the key next time will be to read less and look into the camera more. I really didn't realize how much I was actually reading until I saw it on TV last night! Glad I watched, because normally I don't, because I can improve there. But otherwise I'm feeling fine about how it went. Although it did drain me completely for the rest of the day :)
In other news I have my own Wikipedia entry. For REAL? I was wondering who cares enough about me to have spent the time writing this entry? From what I can tell it was written by someone who tracks the aquanaut stuff, like from when I was a NEEMO aquanaut wayyyy back in 2004. The entry is actually very nice! I should have hired that guy to write my astronaut application :) Anyway, my coworker pointed it out to me after, as the new guys, was looking into some stuff about me. I was at first shocked by all of the detail, but between all the bios of the public stuff I do out there and the Grocery Station stuff too, I realize it's mostly all public knowledge. Anyway, ta-da!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Ruttley
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The party
Dear Anna,
Now that the princess party's over can we move on to space and/or dinosaurs?
Getting ready...
Paul's quickest attempt at the birthday cake. Just ran out of time and was still frosting it 5 min before party start. Not what we envisioned but still not bad!
I've almost never seen the child so exhausted! Most friends left a party end but E and M stayed into the evening for a round 2 party with TJ's in-laws in town. So the party lasted technically 9 hours for her! At one point she came over and told me she was ready for bed but quickly changed her mind!
A highlight of the party was Her friend L, who is 4 and can make balloon animals!!! Wow had I known in advance we could have saved money on the Ariel entertainer :) Then L's dad started teaching all the other parents how to make some! I really liked the parents who came.
I am hungover from the crap I ate all day. Wonder how she'll be feeling on wake up? :)
She had a super fun time with 6 little girl friends :). Yay!! On to a peaceful spring break week where she's still in school and we are at work but in all cases it will be a slower week than usual.
Now that the princess party's over can we move on to space and/or dinosaurs?
Getting ready...
Paul's quickest attempt at the birthday cake. Just ran out of time and was still frosting it 5 min before party start. Not what we envisioned but still not bad!
I've almost never seen the child so exhausted! Most friends left a party end but E and M stayed into the evening for a round 2 party with TJ's in-laws in town. So the party lasted technically 9 hours for her! At one point she came over and told me she was ready for bed but quickly changed her mind!
A highlight of the party was Her friend L, who is 4 and can make balloon animals!!! Wow had I known in advance we could have saved money on the Ariel entertainer :) Then L's dad started teaching all the other parents how to make some! I really liked the parents who came.
I am hungover from the crap I ate all day. Wonder how she'll be feeling on wake up? :)
She had a super fun time with 6 little girl friends :). Yay!! On to a peaceful spring break week where she's still in school and we are at work but in all cases it will be a slower week than usual.
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