My baby boy is 3.

He was a little nervous about going to school today. Nervous about sitting in the birthday chair. Nervous about wearing the birthday crown. Nervous about being sung to. I would have been too. While I occasionally liked to be the center of attention, mostly I liked to be left alone. I would have been horrified had my birthday been forgotten, but I wasn�t entirely sure I wanted it to be remembered.

He will come home to presents and a giant balloon shaped like a number 3, which I predict will be his favorite present. I�ll try to report back later on the celebration.

Meanwhile, I�ve got a little celebrating of my own to do. My proposal to the national convention was accepted, despite very grim odds. It probably helped that the head of the committee who made the decisions is on my dissertation committee, although I was not aware of that when I applied. I was literally jumping up and down when I got the news. It�s perfect timing for me, as I�ll probably be doing job interviews at that time and it always helps to have a chance to show off. I don�t have to finish the paper until October 1, when, hopefully, my dissertation will be complete (It seems very scary to put that in writing. I don�t want to jinx it!). This is also going to make the providers of my fellowship very happy. Plus I get to go to Seattle, a city I�ve always wanted to visit but have never had the chance.

And now, I am off to pick up the birthday boy from preschool. Thanks to the many who have sent (or, in the case of eggsaucted, writ large) your birthday greetings and also to all those who�ve had such kind words to say in the last few days. I�m on cloud nine for many reasons and you all are a big part of it. I�ll try to post again later.

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