what week is it?

so, i tell people that school is "fantastically kicking my butt" because i am just loving it. i don't have "friends" on campus (not counting the two professors i go to church with) so i spend a lot of time in the freezing cold library getting my readings done and other school work. you would think that i would bring a jacket or dress better knowing i would be in the library turning into a popsicle, but it's hot enough during the day that walking across campus produces a sweat... not so sweet.

so my communications class is great. we had to do an impromptu speech on friday, which was oh so fun. my reaction to the list of topics when it was my turn was "really, you should keep the 32 year old mother of three in mind when you make the list next time". almost every topic was geared for the young college people that basically live on campus. well, the speech being impromptu meant there was no time limit.... mine was 2 min 48 sec (the average time was a LOT less). what can i say, i'm a talker. our next assignment is a 90 second speech, hardest! thing! ever!!! i am practicing so i don't go over.

my writing class is a little better. the professor brought chocolate one day just cause it was a rainy day (it was dove dark!). we have been working on our first paper, a rhetorical piece, for the past two weeks... or, at least i have. i was under the impression for a week that the first draft was due on the 18th, it wasn't due until the 25th. so i got my paper done by this past friday and properly stressed over my citations and making sure i was not plagiarizing (so many rules!). i had a writing conference with my professor today and she said that it was very well written but i needed a little more "meat" in my thesis. she pointed me in the right direction and now i am properly procrastinating to write this blog update.

had my midterm for my psych class.... i won't go into details, but i didn't do so hot. i went in with the attitude of "i'm living this and it's mostly common sense". yeah, my c+ in the class says otherwise. only a few more classes and i'm done with it. it's a fantastic class, but i won't miss it. too many insights into my life that i wasn't really ready to face.

history! oh my goodness, do i love this class! and that says a lot since i never liked any of my history classes before. my professor is freakin awesome and loves to have fun in class. lots of notes to take and everyone is freaking out over our first test next week, but that's expected. i rocked the 'map of the u.s.' quiz two weeks ago (mucho bonus points for naming the canadian provinces). today, though, we had a map quiz again (apparently we'll keep having them until everyone gets a 100), but this time it included mexico.... 30 states in mexico and i couldn't name one. time to get another atlas...

a week to NOT remember

i say NOT to remember... cause i don't want to. i didn't have a bad week or a crazy one. it was just full. i had volunteered to be the first discussion leader for my history class (bonus points and kudos will be given) and it was on the salem witch trials. i did all of the assigned reading and then some just to be extra prepared, my partner... not so much. when we got together he hadn't read a thing. can we say miffed?! i really don't know how prepared he was cause as it turns out, though we were the discussion leaders we hardly spoke, the professor did most of the talking. and he has issues when you talk while he is, so we let him.

my communications class is about the same. i give lots of 2-cents worth of stuff to give a new spin on things. the professor smiles a lot at what i have to say.... i'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or not.

ugh! my writing class... so not a big fan. we have had two difficult/boring/loooooong readings that we had to 'blog' about (it's on tumblr, click here to see it). the professor insured us that she is putting the hard stuff first and it will get easier. but now we have to start worrying about a 'rhetorical situation' paper. crim-a-nitly, i have no clue what to write about. we do have the option of picking a historical event or something current.... yeah, that helps narrow it down.

my psych class is fantastic as usual. i'm getting some really good insights to myself and my relationship issues (yes, i do have them). the professor loves to catch me off guard to get my stories and examples to enlighten the rest of the class. though this last time was a bit funny, he asked "are you one of those practicing mormons (first class he found out i was mormon when he said he taught a byu) who drink wine?" where did that come from?! i told him that i don't drink or even like the taste of alcohol. then he asked what was my 'romantic drink' (is there such a thing in mormon culture) and i said i don't have one.... but my drink of choice in mt dew. he was 'shocked' because of all the caffeine. i said "uncle (we are told to call him that) i have three kids, i need all the caffeine i can get". the class laughed and i was then left alone for the remainder of class.

so, not too shabby. with little to do next week, other than readings and more readings, i know i will have an easier time of it. on the upside of things, i lost some weight with all that walking up hills and those 60 steps i go up and down four times a day. i have two pairs of pants that were my sister-in-laws. a few months ago i cried cause they didn't fit.... they do now!!! love it!

First Week Done

ok, so this is my first non-picture post.... this a new thing for me. but so many people have asked me how school is going i figured that i'll just add that info in with the kid's stuff.

my first week went great!!! though that first day was hard on my legs and butt. i have never been on a campus where you go uphill to just about everything. on the upside, great workout; on the downside, i'm all sweaty and gross when i get to class. so i am wishing for an early fall.

i am taking four classes, which makes me a full time student, and i love all but one. they are gen.ed. communications (mostly freshman), gen.ed. writing (again, mostly freshman), us history and (you'll love this) psychology of human intimacy.

the class i don't love, just like, is my writing class... the professor isn't as lively as the others. but her expectations are not insanely high and she is wanting quality over quantity, i think i can do that. my communications class is great, despite my age difference with everyone in it. we're a quiet class, but i help break the ice most days. the prof loves my different perspective. my psychology class is the one i have been looking forward to the most. the title is what got my attention, then i read the course description and said "i have got to take this!!!" a few emails to the prof and i got in with no problems. he wants me in the class for my experience and i told him that i have no issues with being the class guinea pig.

so i thought i would hate my history class, since i am not very good at it. but i changed my mind as soon as the professor walked in. he was wearing a coat and tie, jeans, flip-flops and carrying a skateboard. can we say unconventional?! the man has no issues with cursing in front of students and letting us know his exact opinion of anything. he is intense and expects a great deal out of us, but he also wants us to have fun. i only have his class twice a week, but he requires us to go to a discussion class and he just happens to be the leader for my time. i'm way excited.

so all in all... a good first week. i got my assignments done this week early and have already finished another that's not due until thursday of next week. i think that means i have grown up a bit. what do you think?

Birthday and My First Day of School

yes! i had a birthday. and if you read my last post (i know, two within a short amount of time, i must be improving) you know that it was on the 23, my kids first day of school. but since they have no money they had to wait until daddy came down to visit to get me my gifts. well worth the wait. there are days i feel old and days i feel really old, but this day i was just worn out from cleaning all day (please don't judge how i look in these pictures... cleaning as long as i did does take it out of ya). so the beautiful and thoughtful gifts from my kids made the end of my day perfect.
which brings me to the next item of business.... my first day of school. yes people, i went back. jmu accepted me with slightly opened arms and i have joined the crowds and crowds and crowds (there are a lot of students there) of kids aiming for the higher education. because svu and jmu don't really see eye to eye, most of my credits didn't transfer... only 38 did. so i'm basically a sophomore..... again. but that is ok. i have been to all of my classes and love almost all of them. i'll keep ya posted about them, maybe. i did get a rude awakening right before my first class. i don't remember what was said that prompted a kid to ask if i was a freshman too, but my response was "honey, my freshman year was in '97". his response "how old are you?". have to admit i left myself open for that one. but it is so true, walking around campus all day yesterday i felt every year of my age. i should have gotten a picture of when i got home.... i am still so sore from all that walking, most of it uphill, i kid you not! i don't even have to worry about getting to the gym now, i can just walk all over campus.

not the best picture, but it shows that my kids got me flowers and a balloon (that says birthday princess) for my birthday. funny fyi: the flowers turned the water in my vase pink, pretty!








big thick envelope means a big card that has sound, good thing or bad? well, this card said that i wasn't old until the fat lady sings....










she sang.... and the kids all laughed at me. i'm not really that old, though some days i certainly feel it.











writing out directions for grandma. thank heavens my mother is willing to watch my kids so i can do this. mondays and wednesdays will be the longest, ALL day on campus. either that or run out of gas goin back and forth between classes (i have long breaks between all of them).






here is my snazzy new lunch 'box'. i was such a geek pickin out all my school stuff, including this. sorry, no justin beiber or unicorns for me. i'm goin for the sophisticated look (but can i really pull it off?)








here i am.... off to face the world of 18 to 21 year olds.... hoping i won't get lost or go to the wrong class












the most expensive sticker i have EVER bought!! and i thought the school was kidding when they said they have people patrolling the garage.... i saw a little gray haired man going from car to car, checking for the proper sticker in the proper place (i'm so glad i can follow directions)

and now there are two!

happy birthday to me! happy birthday to me! the first day of school just happen to be on my birthday. i was so excited. i got dressed, made the kids lunches.... that's right.... i said kidS! then ran upstairs to "scream" that it was the first day of school and that it was time to get up. erica was already up, but i had to drag aidan out of bed a bit. once he remembered that it was the day he got to ride the bus he fully woke up. breakfast, brushing of teeth, family prayer then off to the bus. sofia didn't want to leave the busstop, but when i said she could pick the movies and play with all the toys.... she ran down the street back to our house yelling "my pick, my pick". at lunch time mom picked me up and took me out for lunch, we left sofia with her great-grandparents. and during lunch (or soon after) there was an earthquake... who knew virginia could have those. we totally didn't notice. when the kids got home from school, aidan was so excited to tell me all he did. he was a bit sad that he didn't have math homework (who is this kid) but moved on quickly. a quick dinner of nuggets and fries and soon it was bed time. now.... what to do with the rest of my birthday....

Erica turned 8!

oh the joys of having children! i have a hard time believing that my first born, my baby, has turned 8 years old. and that means baptism! i had fun planning and prepping for her big day. friends and family came to help us celebrate and it was a good day. for all the planning that was done i was a bit frazzled when we got to the church, so i forgot the important "before" pictures of erica and her uncle casey in their white clothes. oh well. and since we were able to have her baptism on her birthday we had a nice party at my parents after. lots of food and great company. now that i know all there is to know about planning a baptism, the next two will be a snap!



good morning sunshine! after i took this i jumped on her bed to wake her up (cause i could) and sang every primary birthday song i could think of. don't worry, she was in a good mood











i completely spaced when we got to the church for erica's baptism, so i have no pictures of her in her dress with her uncle casey (who baptized her). but here is her dress, made by her grandma adams.















my niece just loved visiting with her cousins, not to mention my parents house with the large toy room. she was very sad to leave

















she just loves being the center of attention, but what kid doesn't. and today (the 23rd) i had the rest of her cake for breakfast, bill cosby would be so proud (hey, it's my birthday!)











grandma webb ALWAYS picks out the best clothes. erica can't wait until it gets cold enough to wear her new jacket.












always a winner!














so my child!














the damage done! though if a certain little boy came (a friend's son) then there would be no cupcakes left.












the newest member of the family, ben, with the oldest member. how great is it that mine and my siblings kids can have a relationship with thier GREAT grandparents











aidan just handed aunt rachel the book and asked her to read it.... sofia couldn't be left out













newest memeber of the parental club enjoying some tummy to tummy time with his son!

too long!

remember erica's sunflower from last year... if not then click here for a refresher. any-who, it dropped a lot of seeds that i assumed the birds ate. well, in march two potential sunflowers were coming up, then promptly died due to a late snow. now this.... it's already about 8 inches high (that ruler in the picture is only 6") i hope this one does as well as the last one!

he loves him some tractors! he would have drivin this thing around if he could.

teachin her how to do her makeup is gonna be so much fun.... this was just face paint

one tired little miss. i was going to keep her up since she missed her nap time being at great grandma's... oh well

why..... because he could.

her last project for her second grade class. she glued and colored while i used a not-as-sharp exacto knife to cut it all out (i don't like foam board now)

she has discovered the hula-hoop. too bad none of us "older" people can do a demo for her to learn from.... i'll tell ya right now, it's not a pretty picture to watch me try and hula that hoop

new dress and new boots (they may even be on the right feet)