End of the semester

The semester ended quietly last week. Usually, the first week of May finds me at my wits end, desperate for some time to myself. This year, it was different. I was glad to get to the end of the semester, but I was not out of gas like I usually am. Which is why I had time to gather energy for my Miles moment, a time named in honor of my second semester physics teacher. Second semester of physics is bad enough without having someone who struggles getting concepts across to the students teaching the class. To make matters worse, and the thing the "moment" is named after, is that he spent hours in front of the class lamenting how dense the students were when they scraped together 47% averages on his tests. After the first test of the semester, I remember at least one student getting into a verbal spar (including obscenities) with him while the rest of us (200 strong) sat in shocked awe. Although it was not what I would have said, the feelings were certainly there. Now, as a professor, I have the same moments. Not in class, but afterwards, talking to Doug about our students. This semester saw some great efforts by students who put everything they had into learning the material, but the general level of the student was not as good as we have had. But, in saying that, I realize I may condemn myself as much as them if I did not teach them well enough. And, since I still had the energy to complain about them, I must have not done my bit.

As long as Nigel brought up the potty training this week, I will jump in with our bit. Michael is finally out of diapers! Okay, he's 3, no real feat to most of you, but this was a real struggle. He has known how to go in the potty for a long time, but just didn't feel like it. Nothing we could do would produce the result. He knew that I was willing to take him for ice cream if he would comply, even telling me so. But, after he told me that he would do better, it was immediately back to his old tricks. I think there is something that changes physiological with kids over 2. Their diapers seems to smell worse and worse with every change. I think it is preprogrammed to help them on their way to "big boys". However, if the kid is resistant, there is little joy on the parent side. But after too many stinkers to count, the change to potty trained for Michael was quite abrupt. One day he was not willing to do anything, the next, he had cast off his diaper, even for naps and night-time. That has not happened since Emily. Funny how much joy we take in these things.

In a couple of weeks I am heading to Israel with Kirby. We are going to do some training with a company who buys our sensors as well as present a paper at a conference, give a seminar at one of the research centers there, and learn more about agriculture in arid regions. It should be a wonderful trip. I wish Kersten was going with me; I think she would enjoy it. But, she was not that excited to leave the children.