A pretty good weekend

It's been a good weekend so far. Since I have no Friday class, I count Thursday as my Friday. Friday, I went to help at the junior high class. I am still feeling really useful with the students and am learning a lot. Friday night, I went to the pub with the LonDolls. We ate, laughed, and planned our trip for Spring Break for about two hours. We're hoping to go to Denver to visit Hobby and to also have a Hen Party (bachelorette party) for Nobby before she gets hitched. We were trying to come up with costume ideas, because you have to dress up in costume for a Hen Party. We saw quite a few themes in Dublin, including a group of women wearing headbands with two coils that came off the top (like antenna) with two male genitalia on the ends. Trippy was insistent that we not wearing anything of that sort and I was inclined to agree on drawing the line at wearing genitalia on my head. We ultimately decided that the bride-to-be would be an angel and the rest of us will be devils. We will dress up and go clubbing for a night. It is very odd to see a huge ring on Nobby's finger and to know that I won't be the only married gal anymore. I'm really happy for her though. You can tell if a guy is good for your friend when they are still their fun selves or even more so. I don't think she can talk about her guy without smiling.

We also talked about Hobby's new modeling career. She has finished her classes and had her portfolio shots taken this weekend. We got a sneak peek on her camera and she looked so different with all the makeup and done up hair. It was exciting to see and hear about though. So, after dinner, half of us went to the theater and saw Casino Royale. Now, I'm not much on James Bond. I've never really watched a whole movie. But this one was excellent. All the action was exciting and it was very pleasing to look at the new Bond. He is quite satisfactory. After that, we sat and chatted a while longer, then drove back to our cars. Overall, it was a great night, full of laughs. It is getting increasingly harder to schedule get-togethers as we all become busier with school, work, and relationships. I think we will always try to come together though.

Today, Mody came over and we had a Heroes marathon. She had missed the last 5 episodes because of our new school schedules. After watching it last week, I knew I couldn't just tell her what was happening and had to have her watch it. We ate junk food and watched about 4 hours of online tv. We were crosseyed when we were done, but it was fun. Before she had arrived, I managed to clean my living room, the main bathroom, the front hall and the kitchen. I was pretty pleased with myself. Unfortunately, I have yet to even look at my homework. There's tomorrow, I guess.

I also felt like a complete heel when I called my mom and realized that I had forgotten her birthday a few days ago. I felt like crap. H's mom has the same bday as her and he said that he had tried to call her a few days ago and was unsuccessful. You'd think we would remember it a little better since they are on the same day. Being mom though, she was quick to forgive.

Well, better hit the hay before I fall aslepoipoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.....just kidding. Good night.

Blast from Roller Rink Past

I heard a song this morning that reminded me of way back when I was in junior high and my little brother and I would go to the skating rink every weekend. Once I got into junior high, we were deemed old enough to go by ourselves. My dad would drop us off, give us $20 and tell us he'd be back at 11pm. We would rent our skates and I would make sure to wear two pairs of socks because those rental skates were not made for comfort. We'd split up to hang with friends, eat, play games, and skate to our fav songs. There was a DJ, so we would make requests and dedications and hope we could find someone for the couple skates.

This is where I met Brandy, one of my best friends. I saw her there a lot and we started talking and ended up hanging out all the time. I met many cute guys there, slapped my first one, and we perfected dancing while on wheels.

Here is a list of some of those forgotten memories of music played while we were skating around, wishing we were older and not knowing how great we had it.

Mr. Big "To Be With You"
Right Said Fred "I'm Too Sexy"
Color Me Badd "All 4 Love"
Boyz II Men "End of the Road", "On Bended Knee", "I'll Make Love to You" (they had quite a streak)
LL Cool J (with Boyz II Men) "Hey Lover"
Tag Team "Whoomp, There it is"
H Town "Knockin' Da Boots"
Duice "Dazzey Duks" (yes, that's how they spelled it)
Snow "Informer"
Shai "Baby I'm Yours", "If I Ever Fall In Love"

There are just too many to list. If you want to have a blast from the past and see a list of songs you've completely forgotten but used to totally love, check out Music Outfitters. That is the link for the year 1993. If you want to check out a different year, just change the year in the web address. Talk about memories. More on that later.

I have hit the proverbial caffeine wall

Those energy drinks truly live up to their name. I was still zooming around until yesterday afternoon after only just under two hours of sleep the night before. I wasn't tired at all. I went to my first class which was canceled due to the snow storm, but the prof was still kind enough to show up to collect our papers. At least he postponed the quiz. I then met with Mody to have a hot chocolate at the library cafe since we had time to kill and I wanted to show her my new hairdo. Oh, I neglected to tell you all that...wait for it. I then went to my second class which was sparsely attended. We briefly met with the prof to review our presentation ideas. Then we were free to leave. I am very thankful for our city light rail train. Traffic was horrible in the storm but the trains were running smooth and on time. I then went with H to Barnes and Noble. It is my fav place. I only shop the bargain aisles, being the thrifter that I am, and came away with three books that came out to $25. I came home, watched Monday's episode of Heroes, picked up the kids, and made sure they did their homework.

After that, I was DRAGGING. I called Mody about doing a Heroes marathon on Saturday since she has missed about 5 episodes and then laid down. This was at about 4:30. Well, I didn't get back up until 7 am this morning. And I was still dragging and could have slept in a lot longer. I feel wiped right now. I guess it's what they say, "What goes up must come down." There had to be a downside to those drinks. No wonder they're addictive. It's like how the quickest cure for a hangover is to drink more. Anyway.

Hair: Every 6 months or so, I get bored with my look. I can't afford a new wardrobe or a long trip, so I usually do something to my hair. I don't go completely crazy with bleach and scissors. But I do something very noticeable. I only chop it off about every ten years, so don't worry, I didn't. I wanted color. My hair is a very dark brown and coloring is limited. I can either go with red or a certain level of blond (which comes out a light brown). If I stray too far, it comes out orange or green. A girl in Spanish class has black hair (not natural) and she had big streaks of bright red put in. Apparently, they have to bleach the hair first to attain this level of color. This was a measure I wasn't willing to take. So, we chose a bright red copper and put it in the middle layer of my hair so it peeks out. It's definitely noticeable, and I really like it. So did the kids. I have it peeking through a lot in this pic.

Being red, it will blend in as it fades. But I'm definitely going to have some fun with it.

Barnes and Noble: I walked away with three books. First, I got "Letters to a Young Artist" by Julia Cameron. I made the mistake of thinking this was a different book I had wanted to read "Letters to a Young Poet" by Rilke. I didn't realize my error until I was almost home. I will still read it and then probably pass it on to someone else. The second is "Rival Crock Pot: Slow Cooker Recipes". It has recipes for each meat and also vegetarian meals that you cook in your crock pot. The recipes looked yum and simple. Can't wait to try one.

The third book I got will probably null and void any use of the second book though. It is "The Perricone Promise: Look Younger, Live Longer in Three Easy Steps". I know, you're asking, "Why are you buying some empy promise of a book?" Well, I didn't buy it on a whim. I have seen this doctor on Oprah and some examples of his work. And what he says about the food we eat is proven science. I am just hesitant to give up some of the "bad" foods, like a LOT of chocolate in one sitting and soda. But it has also not escaped me the toll that they are taking on my body. I want to feel better, fit better in my clothes, and have more energy, and yes, live longer. He promises noticeable results in three days and great results in 28 days. Unfortunately, the Oprah website doesn't have the before and after pics of that show on their website anymore. If I come across any, I'll post them.

Since I listed my blog on a couple of blog lists, I have seen the number of viewers jump dramatically. I want to say welcome to all you reading and invite you to drop a line or two. And if there is any subject, website, or idea you'd like my two cents on, pass it along.

Well, my eyes are drooping and I'm fighting the urge to get another energy drink. Think I will consume a chocolate bar and do my homework. I'll leave you with a few lines of Maya Angelou that I am using for my presentation.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to fit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

My hands are shaking as I type this...

I just drank my first full energy drink. It was a Mountain Dew Amp Energy. I've only tasted one energy drink before, but tonight I had the whole thing. And if you can see the time of post, you will know that it lives up to its name. I put off a theory paper until the last minute and told H that I knew what and how I wanted to write but the challenge was staying awake. He asked if I wanted him to go get me an energy drink and after considering my impending paper deadline on top of a presentation I needed to finish up, I consented. It wasn't the best tasting drink I've ever had, but it didn't make me ill and I drank the whole thing. So, here it is, about 2 hours since my last sip and my fingers are still going 100 mph. I finished the paper, finished my presentation outline, and organized my presentation clips and audio on my desktop, and just need to print up some copies of poems. I can feel the caffeine still flooded in my veins. At 5:30 am, is it even worth it to go to bed? Well, I probably will and I will definitely remember that drink the next time I pull an all-nighter. I'm not as young as I used to be and need that extra boost just to stay awake. This may even become a new addiction. Like I need another one? Good night...er, morning.

My Anniversary

No, not that one. I just realized that my One Year Blogging Anniversary has come and gone. I can't believe I've been doing it for that long already. A year ago, I barely knew what a blog was and was turned on to it by my London buddy, Something McSomethingkins. This blog is the closest I've ever come to keeping a journal/record of my life/happenings/comings and goings. I've enjoyed it greatly, I've enjoyed you greatly, and I hope to continue this joy into the future. Thanks again for reading.

Does Rayovac have a bunny too???

My first baby just completed his very first science fair project. He did an experiment to see if Rayovac batteries last as long as Energizer batteries, as they claim on the package. He ran each set of batteries in a remote control car, recording the time, until they died. He found that Rayovacs, at just under 2 hours, do not even last half as long as Energizers, with almost 5 hours. I am so proud of him because he did the work himself. He ran the tests, recorded the data, and then proceeded to put together a slide show of his data which he then printed out for his board. His dad guided him and helped a little here and there. I only helped decorate his data board. Everything else was all him. Thankfully, I didn't become THAT mom that does all the work for him like Mom Writes blogged about. I am so proud of him. Below are some pics of the finished work.

Carol Burnett

Man, I wish they still had the reruns of the show on tv. Above are some blooper clips. I remember coming home from school and watching it everyday. It was and still is the funniest show ever. The cast said that it was like putting on a new broadway performance every night. The costumes were designed by Bob Mackie and were amazing. Who could forget the Scarlett O'Hara outfit.

"That gown is gorgeous." "Thank you. I saw it in the window and just couldn't resist it."

How was your day of love?

It seems that the days of "What did you get?" are not over, even as you get older. That seemed to be the question yesterday, though it is now focused more on the sentiment rather than the scorekeeping of gifts received like in junior high. When asked, many people responded that they had received flowers, dinner, or candy. My response? I got spoiled...or as spoiled as you can get on our budget. When I lamented that I was hungry around lunchtime, he immediately drove to my fav burger place and got me a burger and fries. Earlier, he had also given me a bottle of root beer (there's a backstory to that), a card, and a 1/2 lb. of Hershey's chocolate. The card was beautiful and not too mushy with the simple Love, H signed on it. I think when you add too much wording to a card, it can detract from the loving and carefully chosen words in the card. This is provided that the giver actually searched for the right card with the right sentiment, which H always does.

The backstory to the rootbeer: As newlyweds, we had one of our first real arguments and went to bed upset. I know, people say you shouldn't do that. But I think that getting some rest and resolving an argument when you feel calmer is better than staying up all night, tired and angry, trying to fix a problem that you are still frusted about. Anyway, after I woke up, H had already left for work and I was still a bit upset. Then I opened the fridge to start breakfast and found a single bottle of rootbeer on the top shelf. It was his way of saying sorry and that he still loved me. Needless to say, I couldn't be upset after that and felt really loved. So, rootbeer isn't just rootbeer to us.

What did I get him yesterday? I got him a great card that didn't have the most appealing (to me) design, but it said just what I wanted him to know. I also got him a huge tub of red vines, one of his fav candies. We will also be going to dinner with some friends tonight that we love being around but rarely get the chance to spend time with. (You know...finding time, finding a sitter, aligning schedules.)

I feel amazingly blessed to have H. Our marriage has been no smooth ride by any means, but the hard times make me appreciate the good ones. I love the random moments of laughter, our conversations after the kids leave the dinner table, and the sense of humor we try to find when we find ourselves in a tough situation. I especially love that he loves me, all of me, rough edges, sometimes unthinking, sometimes rude, sometimes sad and confusing, my weird sense of humor, my random thoughts, and my soft (-er than when we married) curves. He says I'm beautiful when I'm makeup-less and cute in sweats. He hugs me for a long time, smiles at me when I'm sad, listens to my opinion, plays with our children, and even still sometimes carries me up the stairs at night. I always say that I knew he was the one for me because I knew deep down that I would NEVER find another person better than him. And you know what? I still have yet to meet one.

Which do you choose?

Here's a question for all you bloggers out there. Tell me which one you find more romantic and meaningful.

1. When a man asks you to marry him and spend the rest of your lives together. He has chosen you to walk hand in hand into forever. You're young, optimistic, and in love.

OR

2. When you have been married for quite some time, you have struggled, fought, loved, laughed, and cried through good times and bad. Then he looks at you, both of you a bit older and wiser, and says that he would gladly do it all over again.

HELP...MY MIND IS MELTING!!!

HELP!!! I'm getting sucked into the the tv/internet vortex again. I have only managed to fold two loads of laundry and complete no homework due to the tv again. I decided to watch the beginning of Regis and Kelly because I love their banter at the beginning of the show. But then they announced who was going to be on the show...Hugh Grant (who I could NEVER turn the tv off on) and Hayden Panettiere (from Heroes, so you KNOW I'm not turning that off). So, I wasted that hour in front of the tube. It's like chips, you can't have just one. So, I then channel flipped and ended up sucked into the Dr. Keith Ablow show, which I never watch and was actually not a justifiable use of time. So, here I am at 12:30pm and I have yet to start my homework. I have got to get a grip on my time or cut our cable. Such a waste of time and brain cells.

If it were a hotdog, it would be a footlong!

Warning: Extremely long blog post to follow. You were warned.

I really wish that we had three day weekends. I could get so much more done. The weekend is the only real time I have to focus on the house and it seems to get sucked up by extra activities. Before you know it, it's time to start the week all over again.

Last Friday, I started volunteering in a junior high class for my service learning for school. I've been to this particular junior high previously because my sis-in-law works there and I sat in on a few classes. I remembered it being kind of chaotic in the classes. I mean, it is a junior high after all. I signed up to assist a specific teacher this time and didn't know what to expect. I had been told by many people numerous times that this teacher is really "old school" and one of my fellow students even used the word boring. So, I went on Friday with an open mind. At the end of my volunteer time, I felt that this teacher was a perfect fit for me. I'm not sure what "old school" entails, but this teacher had good cooperation from her students, control over the class, and was well organized. I was really impressed by her. I also was able to help the students many times with their essays. I felt that I was very useful. She even let me critique some of the students' essays. I did more in her class in one day than I did most of my last semester of service learning. I'm really looking forward to going back. I'm only required to do 20 hours of volunteering, but believe I will continue to help after that is completed.

Since taking the GRE, I have been receiving info from different grad schools from various places. I have received a packet from a school for business in Indiana. Heeellloooo!!!! I'm an English major....that marked off that I want to teach secondary ed.....and I live in another state! I considered it for a nanosecond until I realized that it's colder there than it is here and that cinched the rejection. Sorry, after two semesters of accounting, I knew business was not for me. I also received a packet from a school in Virginia that seemed very appealing. It was a school that focused on Shakespeare and his contemporaries. I think the degree was a Masters of Letters and it not only taught Shakespeare by the book (catch the pun?) but also through performance. It is a school that produces Shakespearean professors, drama teachers, playwrights, actors, and directors. They had a picture of the period replica stage that is used for classes as well as performances. I have to say that it really appealed to me, focusing in depth on Shakespeare and acquainting yourself through performance as well as through text. Tempting, very tempting. The drawbacks, however, is the location on the farthest coast from where I live and I'm sure there is a nice price tag attached as well. I can't see myself uprooting my family from job and school, just so I can attend grad school on the other side of the continent. Now, if I was younger and single, I'd probably give it a whirl. I know I would.

This just might end up being my longest post ever because I don't plan to stop soon. Last night, we had the privilege of having dinner at a friend's house. These friends are actually also a couple that H helped to buy a house. They had been in a small townhouse with their four kids for some time. They now have a multi-level that has a lot of space. It was nice to hang out and chat while the kids all played in a whole other part of the house.

Today at church, I found out that a friend is about 3 months pregnant. I was so excited for them because they are some of the best people I know and are really great parents. This baby will make #5 for them. It was very unexpected but they are all now very excited. Her son is rooting for a boy since he is the only son. I told her that we had talked about when to have another kiddo and hadn't decided yet. I still very much want to finish school and do a bit of working first. I just don't know though. I can sometimes feel the pull of motherhood and actually look forward to when I'll be able to do it again.

Good news...I got my first paper back in theory and it had a B- on it. It had been a B+, but was reduced because it was late. I didn't mind considering that he had said he wouldn't take any late papers at all and definitely could have deducted a LOT more. I was just glad that he was nice enough to accept it. I cringe to think of getting my Spanish test back. I seriously just pray that I passed with a decent grade. I don't delude myself into thinking that I aced it or even beed it. (I know, it's not a word. But I thought it fit.)

Bad news...my little brother got laid off because the factory where he is working had to shut down temporarily. There is also word that it is being sold. It sucks because he really enjoyed working there and he was providing for his new little family. I hope he will get back there soon or somewhere as good.

Well, I better sign off for now since the typing is keeping Mister awake. Sorry for the length, but like I always said...I keep this blog more for me than for anyone else. But I'm sure glad you're along for the ride.

Did you ever try to push something the size of a watermelon through something the size of a lemon???

Well, I feel like I just endured a final in the middle of the semester. I finished my Spanish test feeling like I did well enough to pass, maybe a little better than that. Just a little, though. I'm relieved anyway. Now, it's 9pm and I need to read a couple chapters of theory, write an article about a magazine ad relating to sign theory, and do some sewing on a costume for my daughter for a school party tomorrow. Sound like too much? Not for...SUPERMOM!!! Just thought I would update you on the test outcome. Will post more later.

Oh Colin, you flirt!

Above is the picture I now have adorning my screen background. Every time I start up my comp or close the window, I see Colin Firth's mischevious and sexy grin and I can't help but smile myself. It's like he shows up unexpectedly and beckons me into his sexy arms and to ride around London with him. Well, a girl can dream! Needless to say, I'm not changing this pic anytime soon.

Heroes update: HOLY CRAP!!! I watched the latest episode today after school and COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!!! Not only did Claire meet her mom, but they also revealed that her real father is...NATHAN PETRELLI! I made a comment to Mody that it would be interesting if Peter and Claire got together after she was older. But that theory is shot now considering he is her uncle. Just in case you haven't caught it before or figured it out........I FREAKIN LOVE THIS SHOW! That's all for now folks!

Just an early morning break

Here I am, at 1:30 in the morn and still not done with my homework. I have a killer Spanish exam in less than two days, a group lesson presentation tomorrow, and a quiz tomorrow morn over Aristotle, Gorgias, Plato, and Augustine. I was also supposed to have started my service learning already and post about it tomorrow. Alas, I still have not started it yet, but will this week. It's only been a month of school and I'm SO tired of it already. One down, three to go. I also found out that by the time I finish all my schooling, I will owe about $30,000 in student loans, if not more. Totally sucks. I'm tired, I'm disorganized, and I'm ready to be done already.

I was pretty proud of the fact that I did not watch even one minute of tv today...even though "Heroes" was on tonight. (I was in class.) I will have to watch it online tomorrow or probably after the test on Wednesday. I did, however, linger on the comp for about an hour this morning. Oh well, some is better than none. Well, break is over and I must return to my studies. Adios!

A bit of a sabbatical...

What I am going to say in this post is quite the opposite of the subject of my last post. In my theory class this week, we were discussing how our lives nowadays have become so full that we have the need to externalize our thoughts, ideas, and agendas. What do I mean by this, you ask? Well, take your cell phone for example. How many important numbers would be absolutely lost if you broke/lost your cell? How many appointments/events would you miss if you couldn't find your calendar/planner/pda? Our lives have become so full with activities, appointments, phone numbers, and other info that we can not contain it all in our own minds. He also mentioned that someone said our work areas (desks, cubicle, etc) are a reflection of our minds. Yikes! Mine would win an award for the most unorganized mess of a mind in history...ok, I exaggerate a bit. But it's a lot worse than I would like.

This discussion has stuck in my head all week and I have found that it really bothered me. I have let my life become so dependent on externalization and it bothers me that I can not keep it straight on my own. I never wanted to have to keep my life in order with a day planner. Sure, I know they have helped millions and it works well for people, but I just never wanted to have to be that overly busy. So, I started to think about ways to simplify my life, schedule, and priorities. One immediate idea was television. I can easily waste half a day in front of the boob tube if I'm not careful. Afterwards, I feel like a total bum, not having accomplished a thing. A couple blogs ago, I mentioned that I LOVE 'Heroes' and if I could only watch one show all week, that would be it. Well, I remembered this and thought, "Why don't I try that? If that's the only show that I actually feel I MUST watch (addiction? what addiction?), then that should be the only one I DO watch. Sure, I like other shows..."Numbers", "CSI", "Live with Regis and Kelly", etc. But "Heroes" is the only one that I REALLY, FULLY enjoy. So, that's the tv plan.

Next, the internet. There are a lot of websites that I visit on a regular basis that do not warrant any real beneficial reason to visit them so often. I can easily spend two hours on the 'net just browsing through some of these sights. So, I will be narrowing them down to a precious few...mostly email, news, and a few blogs. I have found that although there are some great folks out there in the blogging world, I can not spend all my time keeping up with them. Sadly, my own blogging may be less frequent as well. This saddens me just a bit, but there are a lot of other really important things that I need to devote my time to...family, home, and school (that Spanish homework isn't going to do itself, and try as I may, I can't absorb my reading through osmosis).

There are a number of other things I will try along the way, but I think that this is a good start. I will keep in touch on here and hopefully be accomplishing a lot more with my simpler load in life. Take care.

Need to waste some time???

It never ceases to amaze me the websites that people will come up with and it will become incredibly popular. One of the most recent I have come across is Found Magazine. This is a collection of notes and photos that people find on the street, in parks, etc and then submit online. The notes range from shopping lists to love notes to drug deals. The pictures are random photos that they have found in cameras, on the ground, etc. It's a good website to visit when you want to get sucked in and waste an hour, or two or three.

And another popular website, if you haven't heard of it already, is Post Secret. People submit confessions/secrets anonymously on postcards and a small number are chosen each week to be featured on the website. While it may be interesting to indulge such a curiousity, the downside is that some of these secrets aren't for the faint of heart. Some could receive a R rating.

There is a similar webpage on Live Journal. It is LJSecrets and it posts a lot more secrets, more frequently than Post Secret. Like Post though, some secrets are rated R. It is easy to spend a ton of time on these pages, so beware.

Just a hiccup of a post.

Heya. This won't be a very long one. It's like 10:30 and I still have to do my homework for tomorrow. I've found that blogs can become quite addictive. I came across a blog that rates other blogs and reviews them. So, I started checking out some of the other blogs and my blog list has now doubled. I had to make myself stop adding blogs to my fav link list because I kept finding interesting blogs out there and I could clearly see that I would accomplish nothing all day if I kept going. But I will be posting some of those new links soon if I find them to be truly enjoyable. I also received a comment from Skittles and am really glad to have her in my viewing audience. Her blog is very worth a peek for some giggles.

HEROES: I watched Monday's episode yesterday on the 'net. Each episode just furthers my addiction. I have two worries/ideas/predictions. In the earlier episodes, there was a little girl whose parents Sylar killed that was found by Matt Parkman by hearing her thoughts. Sylar also tried to kill the girl later but was stopped by Matt and the FBI. I was wondering if that was the last we were going to see of the little girl. Considering that both her parents were 'heroes', she is probably one too. Also, Micah (Niki's son) has used his power to get free money from ATMs. Don't ATMs all have cameras? I think he will be getting a visit from the PD soon. You should probably expect to see more of these sections on the show considering how addicted I am and how religiously I watch it.

Well, I probably better go and do my homework now that I've stalled for a significant amount of time. Good night, all.

I'm a ramblin' gal...

Ok, it's been too long again. I have a sort of excuse though, since we went out of town for the weekend. H's sister and her new husband were renewing their vows (first time was at the courthouse) and celebrating with a dinner. It was great to pop over for a quick visit with his fam. My other sis-in-law made the wedding cake and it came out really great. It was only her second wedding cake, but she's been making a lot of cakes for many occasions lately. The ceremony was short and sweet. The theme of the wedding was a winter fairy tale wedding. The bride had snagged some great deals after Christmas on all the decorations and it was all light blue, white, and silver. They had a netting canopy over where they stood and it had little fake birds holding it up. It was really pretty. Afterwards, we all had some great pizza and cake. The cake had a thin filling of raspberry on one tier and lemon on the other. I preferred the lemon. It was simple, nice, and festive. If we recieve some pics of the occasion soon, I will post them. On the drive home, I got to test out my new book light. I know, it's the simple things that please me. Need further proof of that? My next indulgence for myself will be a shower radio...can't waste that great shower voice.

I received an email to day from the International Center at my U. They are holding a photo contest of photos taken while the participant was studying abroad. I will have to post the ones I wittle it down to so you might help me decide which is best. The winners get varying amounts of gift cards from the bookstore. Imagine what kind of damage I could do to that card in 10 minutes!!! *The mind reels with excitement* I know, I'm such a nerd. But I might also have to get a cute hoodie that actually affiliates me with my U. Currently, I only have a license plate holder that was a gift from H. It's hard for me to spend money on myself and not feel guilty. Like today, I argued with myself for a full minute just to allow myself to by some Ferrero Rocher. I've been craving them and haven't had one in about 2 years. I think I know why I don't usually give in though, because once I left the store, I found myself in the drugstore next, buying some new makeup...another thing I never do. I may have opened up a floodgate!

So, here I sit with a box of Ferrero Rocher by my side, with three empty spots in the box and I am effectively putting off my homework. I have Spanish tonight that I have not read yet, a quiz tomorrow on Aristotle that I'm not prepared for, and a paper on the same that I have yet to start. Not to mention that I have only done about half my reading for Lang. Arts. I'm pathetic, I know, such a procrastinator.

Good news! I had ordered a book off Barnes & Noble.com last week and then put it out of my mind. I didn't think it would get here until about 2 weeks had passed. Well, the UPS guy knocked on my door today. You can always tell when it's them cause it sounds like the mob is breaking down your door for money overdue. It's annoying. But I was SO happy when I realized what it was, opened it up and found this:

I have been eyeing this book for a while now and when I last went to B&N, they were sold out. I looked it up online and not only did I find it, it was on sale for only $7, down from the original $24.99. How much better can it get? So, I jumped right on that deal. What is so great about this book, you ask? Well, I'm not going to be using it to shop for Pottery Barn furniture, if that's what you're thinking. Though I love their style, it's way out of my $$$ range. What I loved about this book was that it has really great ideas to implement in a child's room that you can do on your own. For example, there is a barrette holder you can make out of a small picture frame with vertical ribbons running from the top to the bottom and you just clip the barrettes right onto the ribbons. My fav though is a small round table that is cut down to child's height. It has mismatched little chairs and the table has one large hole cut out of the middle where you would slide a bucket in, and a few smaller holes around the outsides of the table surface for cups to slide right in. These cups and the bucket hold the art supplies; crayons, chalk, paints, brushes, colored pencils, etc. There is also a dispenser (think 'paper towel holder') that attaches on the wall and you load up drawing paper/butcher paper on it for the kids to pull off, tear, and have new paper to draw on. These are just a few examples and I'm looking forward to doing a lot of them in their rooms. Sorry for the length of this paragraph, I'm just pretty excited.

Major excitement for me and millions of fans out there..."Heroes" returned last week with new episodes. It continues tonight and I may have to miss it and catch it on the 'net later. I love that a lot of shows are posting the episodes on the web now. Not everyone can afford tivo and it's nice to not miss a show. If you have not jumped aboard this scifi phenomenon, you can catch up on all of it by watching every episode on the link above. Last I checked, they still had every episode available for viewing. Bonus, there is a new hero that is invisible and will teach Peter how to control his power. I'm completely hooked on this show and would gladly give up all other tv watching in exchange for this one show. I love it.

Well, I believe that I will cut out for now and close with this thought: "A Wise Man can see more from the bottom of a well than a Fool can see from the top of a mountain."

I've Been Tagged!

I have accepted the tagging by A Dress A Day and will now reveal 5 things about myself that I wouldn't usually post.

1. My ancestry consists of German, Dutch, Spanish, and Native American (Cherokee, Apache). My father is the first two and the mother is the last two. If my mom ever got mad at my dad she would chew him out in Spanish and he would respond in German, with a smile on his face. Unfortunately, neither language was spoken enough for us kids to learn it.

2. My maternal great grandmother was forced into marriage at the age of 14. Her family gave permission for her marriage to her school teacher. Creepy, you say? Though she was never "in love" with him, he proved to be a good man that took care of her and gained her respect. Also, he was also barely in his 20's when they married...not SO bad.

3. My first career choice had been to become a lawyer. My friend Lee and I had it all planned out that we would go into the military after high school and they would pay for our college. Then I would go to law school and become a great lawyer. After law school, I would get married and I would have our children in my 30's. Well, I seem to be working that plan backwards. I had my son when I was really young, got married at 19, had another child, and am finishing my degree in English. If I'm lucky, I'll be a teacher before I turn 30. I didn't follow the plan, but I like how it worked out on its own.

4. I LOVE the "Rocky" movies and wouldn't mind one bit if they did ten more. I'd still watch them. It is the ULTIMATE underdog story and just doesn't get old to me.

5. I wish I could take a sledgehammer to our downstairs bathroom and start it all over. I really want to learn how to do all the DIY stuff but am apprehensive about screwing something up beyond repair. Knowing me, I would probably hook the septic line to the shower head and then be banned from all future renovations.

So, there they are. I am now tagging you to do the same. You can do it on your own blog or you can leave it as a comment on mine if you don't have your own blog. Have a blast!

A Real Post...with words.

I haven't posted a real post (with a lot of words) in a while. I've been a bit busy and also in a bit of a funk. Thankfully, I think I'm past it. I just didn't feel like doing much of anything and subsequently felt crappy for not doing anything. Anyways, I'm feeling a little better about my Spanish class. I had a conversation with some of my fellow classmates about how our prof and the work compares to the profs and work of the other Spanish classes at our university. Apparently, there is more reading in this class than others, but the prof is pretty forgiving if we can't for the life of us think of how to say something in Spanish. Thankfully, she'll let us just say it in English. And what is more encouraging is that when she speaks more slowly, I can understand what she is saying and wants us to do. So far, we are assigned a few sections of reading or questions, we go over the sections in class as groups, and we mainly just read it again and answer the questions. So, I come prepared by reading the sections, looking up the words I don't know, penning them into the book to remember later, and coming to class having looked up half the words and a really good idea about what it's all about.


My theory class is still quite interesting, which is something that I never expected to say. The prof is still doing a great job and I'm really loving sharing a class with Liz. I'm hoping the LonDolls can get together in about a week. We're also thinking about spending some of our Spring Break in Denver with Hobby. Nobby will be getting married soon and I think we will have to throw a hen party for her while in Denver. What is a hen party, you ask? This is the European version of a bachelorette party. The group dresses up with a theme and the bride-to-be has a distinguishing banner/label. You then go out and party. We ran into tons of these in Dublin, including a Pink Ladies theme, and we thought it was the best idea and decided to do that when one of the four other girls got married. I wonder what theme we should go with? The male equivalent to this is called a stag party. We came across one of these where the guys were all dressed as leprechauns. We even got to pinch the groom's bum. Here's a visual aid:

Yes, it was a great night in Dublin. We're thinking that there'll be another LonDoll engagement next year when Nobby returns from Colorado.

In other news, my new sis-in-law posted some new pics on her myspace of my brother and their gorgeous little girl. This one is my fav:

They are doing really well and my brother is advancing in his job and enjoying a new schedule that allows him to spend more time with his baby girl. I miss this little princess a lot already. The conversation has been coming up lately about adding another little one to our happy group. I'm not against it. On the contrary, I'm quite for it, just not sure about the timing. I told him I would be more for it when we have health insurance and I have graduated. Right now, it's a choice between grad school or another kiddo, because one will delay the other. Both are not an option for me at the same time. So, it'll happen how it'll happen, right?

Well, I have a house to clean and myself to get out of pajamas. Have a great day!

Como Se Dice...?

It's only 1:30 and I'm already tired. I just finished my Spanish homework which I started reading last night, picked up again at about 10:30 and just now finished the assigned questions. My brain hurts. In the words of Trippy, I think this class is going to eat my lunch. I went to the first one on Monday night and the teacher started talking in Spanish. I caught what he was asking us to do, but I was seriously overwhelmed by just how little I know. And then at the end of class, he lets us know that he is not our real teacher. The classes got switched around and we were assigned someone else. Most of the class has had this guy previously and was pretty disappointed that he wasn't going to be teaching. I'm understandably worried because I have no idea what to expect from this other prof. I usually either know the profs I sign up with or at least check them out. I do not have the pleasure of either this time. The good news is though that if I know I'm in trouble after I meet her, there is another class at the same time that I could check out. Wish me luck.

I am taking Theory with a prof I've had twice previously. I picked him for this tough course because I know that he has a talent for dummying down difficult material. The first day seemed to go well, not to mention that I had Liz by my side. I know he expects our best, but I'm just happy that I might finally understand what this class is about this time around. Get this, our first reading is three books of Plato. Hee hee, let the fun begin. My last class is Teaching Language Arts. Translation: learning to teach literature to antsy adolescents who couldn't care less. The teacher came highly recommended and the first day was definitely interesting and attention-getting. As a name-remembering activity, we all stood in a circle and took turns introducing ourselves. While doing this, we were handed a baby blanket and we had to figure out something to do with it while the others guessed what it was...ie. bib, cape, tourniquet, etc. This was supposed to help us associate the person with their name and the idea that they came up with. It helped more than I thought it would to remember some names. I am the worst with remembering names. We will be continuing our service learning also, which is volunteering in a classroom or like setting for 20 hours in the semester. I was excited when I saw the list included the junior high that my sis-in-law works at. I may have to consider it deeply...I don't prefer junior high, but I love working with her. I had planned on returning to Horizonte but was somewhat put off by my last experience with a different teacher. I felt like I wasn't going to be used much and that I would ultimately be in the way. I want to be useful and get in there and get some real experience.

Well, it's almost 2 pm now and I still need to do something with the mop on my head and get ready to pick up the kiddos. Have a relaxed day!

A meme I snagged off another blog

1.When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
I gotta get a new alarm. This one is too passive-aggressive.

2.How much cash do you have on you?
Zip, zero, zilch, nada. Why have cash when you can use a debit card?

3.What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
Snore...guess what I hear many nights?

4.Do you label yourself?
I used to, now I'm too complex to fit in a box with a label...unless you wanted to change that label often.

5.Bright or Dark Room?
Bright...I love natural sunlight streaming in through the windows.

6.Why is there always a missing question?
To see if you're awake.

7.What does your watch look like?
Don't wear one, bugs the crap out of me to wear one.

8.What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping on the living room chair, Spanish book in my lap, blanket over me, with my head straight back and mouth open I'm sure. At least I turned off the laptop before I fell asleep this time.

9.Where is your nearest 7-11?
About three blocks away.

10.What’s a word that you say a lot?
Sweet, which originated from Napoleon Dynamite and started in London (for me, anyway).

11.Who told you he/she loved you last?
My Hubby.

12.Last furry thing you touched?
Cocoa (not the drink, the dog)

13.How many rolls of film do you need developed?
About 15, embarassingly enough.

14.Favorite age you have been so far?
Don't have a fav. I've enjoyed and hated each age differently.

15.Your worst enemy?
Candy.

16.What is your current desktop picture?
A t-shirt slogan that says 'Sometimes I wonder "Why that frisbee getting bigger?"...and then it hits me!'

17.What was the last thing you said to someone?
See you later.

18.The last song you listened to?
"We Run This" by Missy Elliot (I was working out)

19.What time of day were you born?
At 4 in the morning on my sister's 13th birthday who happened to have been born at 4 pm.

20.What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
Usually sigh in frustration, stare at it, and loiter hoping it will change its mind.

21.Do you consider yourself kind?
I try.

22.What’s your life motto?
If you're not sure what to do in your life, ask The Man with the map.

23.Name three things you have on you at all times.
Wedding rings, contact lenses, and usually my cell phone.

24.Can you change the oil on a car?
Yeah, ask the hubby to take it to be changed.

25.When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
Christmas cards to friends and family...that's as close as I get lately.

So, Here's the Plan, Stan...

Well, I've thought a lot about what I should do since I got my scores back. I figured that the only reason I didn't nail those tests was because of the very short prep time I had. So, I'm not going to repeat that mistake and retake them again so soon. Not to mention that it costs a fortune every time I retake them. Without those passing grades, I am not eligible for grad school this year. So, I will put off grad school until next year and take the time between now and then to prepare well for the test retakes and to prepare my grad school apps properly. I will graduate in May as planned and until next year, I am going to take the math classes that I had planned on for my math endorsement. This is not what I had planned, but I have to roll with the punches and make the best out of what is before me. I will also try to gain more classroom experience this year. I don't know what is in store, but I'm willing to follow it.

I don't know if this has anything to do with all that, but I've also felt lately that I need to focus more on my writing as well. I have goals with my writing and I should put forth some effort in that area. So, I am going into this new plan a little blind and pretty bruised, but with a lot of faith. We have always made it through trials and been fine. I have faith in God and what He has planned for me. That doesn't mean I'm not nervous and a little frustrated, just that I trust.

Pulling a Hobby

Boy, I feel crappy. I got my second GRE scores in the mail today and I still didn't pass the written test. I was still getting over my Praxis score when this hit me. I pretty much freaked out and pulled a Hobby a la Wimbledon. (You gotta be a LonDoll to understand that one.) I'm feeling pretty sucky right now. My chances of getting into grad school are getting slimmer by the minute. I may have to wait a year to be accepted. I'm not sure what to do just yet, but will figure it out. If I had to wait a year I could still go to school and take the math classes I need for my teaching endorsement. I'm trying to figure things out right now and am not near an answer yet. Will keep you updated.

Happy New Year! The Gift of Pics!

So, we're safely back home and recovering from our trip. We left NM on Saturday and stayed the night in Moab. After breakfast in Moab, we decided to visit Arches National Park on the way home. We were there for about four hours and had a blast. H hadn't been there in about 18 years and me and the kids have never been there. It was really pretty and a good workout after the hikes. H and Mister decided that we should make it a family tradition to visit Arches every New Year's Eve. After we got home, we started a fire and got cozy in the living room. I think I fell asleep at about 11:30 and heard the neighbors set off fireworks at midnight. I opened my eyes, told the kids Happy New Year, and dozed back off. They finished their movie and fell asleep in the spots right away. I remember when I was a kid and wished that I was older so I could go out on New Year's Eve and party all night. Now that I'm old enough, I'm too tired to go out all night. I would rather curl up on the couch with H and the kiddos and watch videos in my warm, quiet living room. I know, kinda boring, huh? It works for me though.

I got back my Praxis scores and guess what?! I missed the passing score by 5 points. 5 POINTS!!! Can you believe it? It's like the GRE scores all over again. Henry pointed out though that I took both the test with almost no prep time, I took them cold. So, now I need to retake it and hope the grad school will believe that I probably passed the second time since my scores won't be back before my application deadline. It's quite depressing, on the spirit and the wallet...these tests aren't cheap. I know the only reason I didn't pass that test is because I ran out of time. That's always the case. And it sucks. I'm still waiting for my second GRE scores.

New Year's Resolutions: I hate that word because it has a stigma and it sets you up to fail a week later. Instead, I have decided to make some "changes". I will wake up earlier, got to bed earlier, do my workout video and do the dishes and breakfast...all before everyone else wakes up (I figured the sound of the dishes should wake them up nicely without all the fuss of dragging them out of bed too), put aside some extra money (for Christmas, trips, emergencies, or just fun stuff), travel more, cook more, clean more, organize the house better, drop at least 20 lbs (what I have gained in the last 3 years) by the end of spring and help the hubby to lose his weight too, and many other things that will be added later. Sound ambitious enough? Well, those are the goals and I will keep you updated on my progress. I plan to start them tomorrow, beginning with the exercising and morning stuff since the kids are starting school again tomorrow and it will give me about 6 days of practice before my classes start. Wish me luck!

The LonDolls plan to get together on Thursday for lunch. Hobby has been in Colorado at a culinary grad school and she's home on vacation. She plans to make us a few dishes to sample that she's been working on. For our part, we will be contributing some of the ingredients. I can't remember the fancy names of the dishes but it will be some sort of spinach/cheese pastry and a carrot soup. Sounded yummy when she was talking about it. The ingredients I'm bringing are spinach, feta, and carrots. Just those alone sound good. I'll let you know how it turns out. I have faith in her cooking. In other LonDoll news, Nobby is officially engaged. She and her boy have been unofficial for a few months now. They made it the real deal over Christmas. I hope she has a ring to show off on Thursday so we can all ogle. They will dream about the day it will happen to them and I will remember the idealistic and hopeful outlook I had before taking the plunge. The catch 22 of being older is that when you've finally grown up enough to learn something that will help those that are still on the path, they don't want to hear your advice or just don't think it applies to them. (I'm referring to my kids and some other young adults I know...not so much about newlyweds, but it's applicable to them too.)

This is the necklace I was talking about that I got for Christmas. My mom saw it and said it had my name all over it. I'm enjoying it.

I also thoroughly enjoyed holding all the new babies, especially my new niece, Patience. Here's a pic of me on the right with her the morning after I had her spend the night with me. Do I look a little tired? She has breakfast at 5am. I better watch out, I look a bit too comfortable with that babe in my arms. On the left, my mom is passing down her tradition of making Christmas sugar cookies to Holly. Later, we decorated them and ate more icing than we used.

Back to School Dreams

We're still in NM and I have pretty limited access to the internet. We're having fun but may be heading home soon. H needs to get back to work and the kids and I need to prepare for school. My final semester grades are in and here's the verdict...one A, two A-, one B, and one B+. I am pretty pleased with those grades. I worked hard for them. I deserved them.

I had another 'back to school' dream. I blogged previously about a dream that I always have before school starts, dating back to high school, where I can't find something to wear on the first day. Well, I had one last night that I also often have before school starts. In the dream, I am in any of the schools that I have attended previously. I am looking for my locker and can't find it and if I do find it, I can't remember my combination. So, I go from locker to locker looking for the one that opens with my combination. Or I have to go to the office to get my combination again. What's also weird is that the combination I always use is the same in every dream, some sequence of 25-10-35. Anyone got any interpretations of that? Let me know.

And a diamond in a pear tree...

Hello from NM! I hope everyone had a great Christmas cause we sure did. The kids received a lot of great toys and are really having a blast. They both got Heely shoes (shoes with wheels on the heels) and have been test driving them. H got a new suit (he's been outgrowing his old ones) and I (along with the other women) got a diamond necklace. I will post pics of it all soon...I forgot to bring my usb cord for the camera. I thought it was really funny that some of the kids' cousins actually got mp3 players and cell phones (keep in mind that they are all 10 and under) and our kids were ecstatic that they got their own tackleboxes and golf balls. Too funny. We also got them some house slippers and they gave us the most thanks for those. They got the major stuff from their Mamaw and Papaw. But they really had a great time.

We then went to my Grandma's house for more presents and tons of food. Tiny suprised me when we were there and she was playing with her cousins. They were playing with makeup and she indulged in that more than usual. She also received a Bratz doll and I didn't know what to think since she has never shown much interest in playing with dolls, be they baby dolls or barbies. However, there she was, playing with her, changing her clothes and brushing her hair. I was pretty surprised. The food was great. My uncle insisted on cooking prime rib in addition to the ham and turkey. There were a lot of laughs, kidding, and good food. Another perk, there were babies everywhere to cuddle. Three of the six new babies were there and they are all so tiny and cute.

Today, my parents are at work. Some of the little cousins will be coming over to play with the kids and I'll probably straighten up around the house. We will be here for New Year's too. They always have a pretty good party for that where karaoke and alcohol take part (no alcohol for me thanks...karaoke is bad enough). Will try to keep this updated while we're relaxing and partying.

The Green Demon

We leave for NM tomorrow and I'm pretty excited. I've been baking up a storm the last two days. Thanks to a fellow blogger, I found a great recipe for gingersnaps. After a few batches and a little tweaking, I got it just how I wanted it. I like them chewy and with a kick. My legs were actually sore from standing half the day, mixing the dough and taking them in and out of the oven. I hardly sat yesterday. Today, I baked another batch, packaged them and delivered them. I have to say that all the baking and playing Christmas music while doing it really put me in the holiday mood. Delivering the treats and other errands had me driving around for about two hours. I am also packing for the trip and am ready to pass out. While at the library, I found an old fav movie on dvd..."Big Trouble in Little China". I used to watch it with my brother over and over again when we were younger. It's very 80's, but entertaining.

This year, we also did Christmas cards with a family picture of us in front of our tree. We've never done those before and they came out pretty good. We tried to have the dog in the pic with us, but she was quite uncooperative.

We are thinking of trading in one of our cars. I don't know what we might gbet, but it would have to have enough room for the dog in the back, like a wagon, van, or small SUV. As long as it is fast, I'm pretty happy. I got spoiled when I got my first 6-cylinder. I love the get-up-and-go. I think it will be weird to drive a regular car, being close to the ground. I've driven taller cars for a while now. I saw the most awesome car today. I found out that it was a 2005 Thunderbird. It was really retro. Here's a pic similar to what it looked like:

It looked cooler in person too. So vintage. It made me want to drive one. I would call it the "Green Demon".

I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!

I don't know if it's the sentimentality of the season or what, but I was listening to some music today and a song came on that made me cry. It's not even about Christmas or anything either. The song "Is there life out there?" by Reba McIntyre came on and I remebered seeing the video for it a long time ago. I must have been in junior high and it was one of my fav songs and videos at the time. For those who aren't familiar with it, I will post it below and you can see it. But anyways, it's about a woman that married young and had a couple of kids young and decides to go back to college. It's hard and she struggles but achieves her goal when she gets her degree. Why does this have me choked up? Well, because I married younger than the woman in the song did, had kids at a younger age than her, and I am finally graduating in the spring. I think the emotion of it is starting to hit me. I thought I was being silly for feeling like that but then I thought about it and realized I have worked my butt off, I have never given up, and I deserve it. I was proud. I never feel that way about myself, usually I only feel these feeling for my kids when they accomplish something wonderful that I know they worked hard at. I just didn't know that I could feel the same way about something I did. It feels good. And I'll say it again...I'M PROUD OF MYSELF!

I was also thinking that this is the closest I will ever get to keeping a regular journal of my life and will probably print up these pages and bind them. I'm not that great at remembering to actually write about my day, and when I do, I immediately forget all that occurred that day. Hope it will be an acceptable substitute.

Just what did you put in that cup of Christmas cheer?!

Can you believe that I'm still recovering from my finals? I don't think I've ever taken this long to get over the stress at the end of the semester and settle into the holidays. The Christmas tree is up and decorated and I was going to decorate the windows with lights tonight. Maybe it's because I haven't done a lick of shopping yet. Yes, it's true...I haven't bought any Christmas presents yet. I'm sure I'm breaking some sort of law, but oh well.

I feel bad sometimes when we get little gifts or cards from others and we usually can't get something for everyone. Maybe I'll bake a batch of goodies...that's always easy. One thing that I'm pretty thankful for is that we have never put ourselves into debt trying to buy something for everyone or buying a ton of things that will just end up being forgotten by our kids a couple weeks later. I always try to think of a few things that I know they will appreciate and they are usually items that are very inexpensive. I've never been one to rush out and buy the latest toy, outfit, or gadget. It could be because we've never had a ton of money to throw around, but also because I really love focusing on what Christmas is really about. I love feeling the reverence of the quiet, snowy nights, watching the snow fall softly, spending time with my family and friends, hot chocolate and good food, and knowing that the Baby Jesus was born into this world knowing why he came and loving us always. It's amazing. Of course, the presents are nice too, I just don't like how to some people, that's what it's all about. That's not for me, no thanks.

So, for my first official day of my break, I spent the day cleaning up around the house and trying to make it more cozy. I love having the time to work around the house. I hope I can get it put in order before we head to NM. I also want to rearrange Henry's office for him. It's become quite the pile of stuff and is hard to navigate at times. We both have some of the same ideas for it and I hope we can do it before I start school again. I love projects. If we get it going soon, I will post some pics.

GUESS WHAT...

I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE!
I can't believe that I am finally saying those words. I just emailed my last paper to my professor and I really do feel like Jello that will melt at any minute. I'm so exhausted...and feel so liberated at the same time. I want to party, but I also want to nap. I want to scream with joy, and I also almost want to cry. I always say that this semester's finals were the hardest and then I say it again next semester. At least I get to end next semester with a ceremony and a diploma. That's a lot better than what I have to show for this one...a bed covered in books and paper, bags under my eyes, and finally being able to fit in a shower today for the first time in an embarassingly long stretch of days and finals. Oh man. I might not have it in me to even post a long one today. Just know that I am very happy right now...very tired and hungry too. Love you all and thanks for the good wishes and thoughts my way...they already helped me finish and I already got an A in one class. I'll write more after I've regained a solid form that can spell her name.

The Home Stretch

I just turned in my project and now only have one paper standing between me and freedom. I seriously considered blowing it off and then realized that it counts for 20 % of my grade. Yikes! Better get to work.

Does anyone know the capital of the state of Insanity?!

I'm pretty tired right now. It could have something to do with the fact that it is almost midnight. Naaah! It's probably because of that, and because I did nothing but write a paper from 9:30 this morn till about 3:30 pm this afternoon, and I didn't go to sleep until after 1 am last night. I'm guessing it's all of the above. While cramming in my paper writing this morning, I told myself, "Maybe you'll learn your lesson and not put it off until the last minute next time." Then I said, "Yeah right. You always say that and nothing ever changes. You'll still be cramming a paper the day it's due." Well, if it ain't broke... :)

I am taking GRE again in the morning at 8 am. I hope I can get there on time. The test takes about 3 hours. H emailed me a study guide to the analytical writing section of the test (aka the part I didn't score high enough on) that MIT put together. I studied it for about two hours and I think it has really helped to realize some of the errors I made in my writing last time. I hope it will help me this time. Mister's class has a field trip tomorrow to the Natural History Museum at my university. They sent the info home if any parents wanted to tag along. I really want to go with them, but it's at the same time as the test. Tiny wanted to go too, but she'll also be in school.

I remarked to H today how funny life can be. Even though I am stressing on finals and he is dealing with a difficult client, it just shows that life is anything but dull. I had the thought today that I am really glad that he and I are sharing this ride together. There's no one else that I would want to experience it all with. I'm really grateful that no matter how stressful it is right now, we are all doing well. The stress is all over stuff that is normal, healthy stuff and it will all pass soon. There are definitely a lot of much harder things that we could be stuck dealing with and I'm really happy that it's just small stuff right now. We are pretty blessed.

I chatted with my friend in Kentucky today. She is finishing her Masters and was hired as a teacher for difficult 8th graders at a junior high a while back. She was sort of thrown into the deep end of the pool, but is managing to stay afloat quite well. She's pretty good at handling the tough stuff and coming out pretty well. At her previous job, she was developing a recreation program from scratch for the youth at a detention facility. She had to complete a weekend course in self-defense for her job and didn't actually have to use these skills until she started teaching the 8th graders. Two kids got into a fight in her classroom, one would not settle down, so she restrained him and basically sat on him until the security officer arrived. The whole time she has him pinned, she continues to teach the lesson to her other students. I tell you, that girl is made of some tough stuff. I would LOVE to student teach in her class. At first glance, you wouldn't know right away how strong she is, mentally and physically. She's a smart, beautiful woman that works hard and loves her kids. I tip my hat to her.

I had my first day in the high school English class on Monday. It is an alternative school, so the class was pretty small. The students and the teacher were nice to me. But I felt a little useless. Half of the class time was spent with the kids reading silently. At that time, the teacher went on about her business and worked on a computer, leaving me to sit and stare at the walls for the last 15 minutes of the class. The students seemed to carry on with the teacher well enough. When her back was turned though, there were still a few eye rolls her way. That made me realize that no matter how much I enjoy what I teach and how much I like my students, they are not always going to like me. I'm going to annoy them sometimes, I will be silently called an idiot or worse, and I might even get an eye roll. I need to develop some tough skin fast but still care about them and what I teach. I hope I can be more useful in this class than on my first day. If not, there are three other teachers I can try out.

Well, I have the GRE in the morning and I will be spending the rest of the day and most of Friday morning writing my 5-7 page theory paper and preparing my project on a postmodern poetry 'zine. Wish me luck! By Saturday, I'll be jello.

Finals...Good Times!

Here I sit, helping Mister do his math homework. It's slow in coming tonight, especially since H is also trying to outfit them to their snowboards for a quick trip tonight to the slopes. They love to board and have very little fear. That's a good thing for them. I promised myself that I would try it this year. I won't be making that happen tonight though since I have a 6-8 page paper due tomorrow afternoon for my children's lit class. It sounds like it wouldn't be too hard to write a paper about children's lit, but you should try to find a running theme between two novels, ranging from Peter Pan to Winnie the Pooh. It's not as easy as it seems. Comin up this week, I also have to retake the GRE on Wednesday and have a 5-7 page paper due in theory along with my project. I will be SO glad when it's Friday evening and I'm melting onto the couch, watching a movie, and generally feeling buzzed from all the stress relief.

Why am I taking the GRE again, you ask? Well, apparently I didn't get a high enough score on the written section. I really don't understand why I didn't do well enough on this section, especially since writing is my strong point and I have been writing paper after paper for the last 8 years. Needless to say, I was and am still pretty pissed off about this. I am also mad that I have to pay another $130 to take the stupid test over again. I told H that the hardest part for me to deal with is that all through college, how well I did was determined by me: how hard I studied, how well I wrote a paper, etc. And now, I have someone else telling me that I didn't do good enough to merit a better score, someone I've never met and who doesn't know my abilities as a writer from spit. And this person is the one that is holding up my grad school requirements. THAT pisses me off.

Well, glad I could get that off my chest. Thanks for listening.

I SO can't wait until we are in NM and eating good food and opening great presents.

A short post to wet you're appetite.

Still busy with school and family. Finals are next week and I am really ready for the semester to be over. I don't know why this semester seems longer than any I've had thus far. It's certainly not the biggest workload I've ever had even though it's the most classes I've taken at one time in a long time. Bad new: I got my GRE scores in the mail this weekend. I knew that I had passed two sections of it but had to wait for the scores to find out how I did on the writing section. Well, my score is not high enough for the grad school standards. So, guess what I will be doing next week on Thursday the 14th? That's right...retaking the GRE. Maybe I'm growing accustomed to self torture, but as long as I get into this program, that's fine. I have to check, but I'm pretty sure that I have a paper due tomorrow and another on Thursday, neither of which I have started. Talk about self torture.

I finished my service learning at the ESL class yesterday. On Wednesday, I will start helping out in some of the high school classes at the same school. I want to get in as much classroom experience as I can before I'm too loaded down in grad school. I was also thinking of signing up to do substituting in the school district next semester too. That would definitely give me a little more experience. The only classes I've substituted before were for my cousin's kindergarten class. That's when I knew that teaching elementary school was NOT for me.

Unfortunately, this post is going to be terribly short because I have to scoot off to class. Will post more when I can. Our internet at home has gone to crap since our neighbor got wireless also. Will need to call on that. Laters.

Making up for lost time

Yes, I suck at updating this thing. I have good reason though as I am at the end of the semester and homework is a pretty consistent thing now. I have one week of classes and one of finals left. I have 2 finals, one project, and 2 papers (min 5-6 pages) due in the next two weeks. How much fun does all that sound?! Anyone wanna try that "Try my Life" show with me? I think out of all that, I fear the papers the most. I consider myself a fair writer, but it's pretty hard for me to come up with an original argument for the paper considering that I don't feel strongly about much of what we've studied. It'll come out in the end though...at midnight the night before it's due. I know it's time to finish up school when I feel too old to be pulling all-nighters to write a paper. I hope my students don't see me as a clueless teacher that piles mounds of homework on them and they come to loathe my very existence. Ok, so I know there will be a few that feel like that no matter how great I am. Oh well...can't win them all.

Am I ready for Christmas, you ask? Someone posed a variation of this question to me the other day. Something along the lines of, "Got all your Christmas shopping done already?" My answer? "Are you kidding?!" I started to wonder why I have not put much thought to the season yet and realized that until finals are a memory and reading three chapters in two days is not required, I'm pretty useless. I can barely keep up with my house, am too tired to plan out dinners, and too stressed to worry about planning ahead when I am in school. So, as soon as my last final is completed at 3pm on Friday the 15th, I will officially be in the "holiday spirit". Probably not any sooner, but after that, I'm all about the holidays. To add to the merriment, we are heading to NM this year for Christmas and New Years. I don't know if H will have recovered from the road trip to CO in time, but come heck or high water, we're going. I get to see all those wonderful babies that have been so busy coming into the world and our family for the last two months. Well, not all of them, but I'm not complaining. Beautiful, tiny angels that I can cuddle, kiss and horde all to myself. I love it. I think H believes that it's a sign that I am getting baby hungry. Nope...just enjoying the beauty of them without the fuss.

I read a fellow blogger's post today and it had a section of little known facts about her. I found it interesting and thought I would do the same. If you want to ask anything, I will answer. If you know me, you know I'm not shy about sharing.

@ age 20: I was married with two kids.

fear: losing my family, dying young (worry more for my family than myself), having regrets about my life when it's almost over

@ 28: I want to be done with school and teaching in a high school.

secret: I want to take math classes to get a teaching endorsement in it, but I'm afraid that I suck so bad at it that even if I get the endorsement, my students will know more than me. I also have a secret desire to enter interior design and decorating...maybe later.

Things I want to do before I die: Do interior design and decorating. Write a book (no matter what size it is). See my family happy and well. Do real estate. Do home staging. Meet one of my idols (Wanna know who they are? George Strait, Gordon B. Hinckley, J.K. Rowling, and a few hundred more.), travel extensively with my family, show my kids places and things most kids only read about in textbooks (paintings, natural wonders of the world, etc), learn to enjoy cooking, become organized (this will take a while), and many other things.

I am interested in knowing what some of you have planned for your life. Well, I think I have made up for my lapse in blogging with the length of this one. Will try harder to keep it up. Laters.