Happy semester start for those who celebrate! The first session of my #ComputationalEcology course went surprisingly well, given all the sickness related chaos in the background. Winter semester with small kids is so much fun, isn't it? 🤧 🤒 😷

#Momademia
#AcademicParents
#SciMom
#AcademicMama

I tried a new thing and it’s an absolute game changer for me as #AcademicMama: I started using an app to track my working hours.

I never did that before because I thought it would stress me out even more. But it’s in fact super relaxing! There is obviously always more work waiting for me but time tracking gives me a sense of „enough for today“ in an ocean of unfinished projects. And guess what? Suddenly there is also time for other things…

Dear #Momademia, what other life hacks did I miss?

Today I’m trying really hard to be kind to myself. No, I did not manage to finish the work that I promised to finish. It’s still sitting there on my desk, half done, accusingly staring at me. But I did invest the hours that I get payed for and that has to be enough, especially after a rough week with little sleep and a sick toddler at home. Time for weekend. Work can wait.

#momademia
#AcademicMama
#AcademicMom

New blog post: "Productivity While Caregiving." I probably *shouldn't* post new content on a Friday afternoon, but that's squeezing productivity around caregiving for you :) #academicmama #productivity
https://tawnyaazar.com/2023/01/13/productivity-while-caregiving/

Unexpected but useful skill I learned during my sabbatical? How to get all sorts of weird things out of my #toddler ‘s toy. Today it was a doorstop. #AcademicMama #LifeSkills #WhyDoKidsDoThis

Between MLK Jr day, a dept “retreat” 🙄, and a minor planned procedure, I have 2 productive days left before the 1st day of classes. So of COURSE kiddo #2 catches the current daycare plaque. Of freaking course she does

#AcademicParent #AcademicMama

When else would your #JWSTlaunch baby take her first steps but when you're away at a conference #AAS241?!? Good thing there's a video clip of it... 🥲
#AcademicMama #AcademicMom

(apologies to dinner companions for the silly grin on my face while I stared at my phone for 50 seconds)

*whiny privilege alert*

I truly love my job. I still feel like getting a TT job at a PUI was basically winning the lottery & my dept & students are the absolute best

BUT

I hate how finals & grades being due right before Christmas (12/23) turns the holidays into the most stressful time of my year. I want to bake cookies! Sing carols! Sip cocoa in front of the fire! Not grade until I'm bleary-eyed and then wrap until 4am

Cue the tiny violins

#ProfLife #AcademicMama #AcademicParenting

For those keeping track, my children are sick again-- Got pink eye and some respiratory virus on the last day their preschool was open for the next month. (On the upside, at least I'm not paying for childcare that they aren't using.) Any other parents of little ones finding their kids are sick all the time? Mine have legit been sick with 10 different illnesses since August. #parenting #AcademicMama #exhausted

At rock climbing club today

Kiddo #1's friend: Mrs. Elliott! Can you please unhook me?

Kiddo #1: actually, it's Dr. Elliott

Me (aloud): it's ok. Either is fine.

My brain: <damn straight kiddo #1! I worked hard for that title!>

#AcademicMama #AcademicParent

Goodmorning #momademia #academicmama #AcademicParents #moms #AcademicMastdon

This is a daily reminder that Maria #Montessori abandoned her own child so she could get a university degree in medicine and build a career telling women how to be mothers & carers.

So, stop feeling guilty about these hours you spend in the lab, writing, or teaching.

It takes me roughly an entire workday to produce one hour of recorded lecture. This is material I know well. Is this nuts? I’ve been a prof for 8 years! (I wanted to overhaul a lecture from one of my courses. That’ll teach me.) #AcademicMastodon #AcademicMama

My very first HST proposal acceptance AND donuts at my kids' school's book fair this morning -- what more can a girl ask for?! 🥲 #academicmama

Man, if I were a preschooler, I'd be very concerned about the possibility of Christmas being canceled. It's the plot of all the movies! #Momademia #academicmama

Woke up at 6am Pacific time to watch the whole parade live with my kid. Totally worth it! #academicmom #academicmum #academicmama

hot new data: significant sex differences in response
(by 2-way ANOVA of sex and behavior) to my jokes

#academicmama #neuroscience #sexdifferences

It's wild that it's already late November. I'm still catching up from early October, and, if I'm being honest . . . . 2019? Here's to all of our overenthusiastic plans to simultaneously grade all the things, work through all the archival things and survey data, and *also* find some time to stop and refresh. #histodons #AcademicMama

@autisticbookclub Oooh, fun. Here we go: #mindfulness #panicdisorder #wordgames #phreaking #academicmama #ENFP

Reluctantly / finally starting to shift out of Twitter to Mastodon (#AcademicMama = ever behind on these things).

Don't really want yet another app in my life ... do want to keep up with my people, ideas, advocacy, new research.

Sigh.