ooooh projects

I don't have many talents...but one talent I have is stealing other people's ideas...(I will give them credit, Dodi and Martha) At another friend's 40th birthday they came up with this idea of making t-shirts for her kids to wear coming out of school. So I made up some t-shirts for Katrina's 40th and here they are (she doesn't read my blog...shame on her, so it's safe to post before her party).














Other stuff We've done and I forgot to post pictures in the past few months:
One whole scrapbook layout completed with journaling and everything...have other pages completed without journaling, but this one was all done...woo hoo. Martha was doing a challenge off of a scrap booking idea website and I decided to join in...I guess I need homework assignments for my crafts too...BTW love scrap booking weekends away with my buddies (just wish BFF, Shannon was there too).
Valentine's day...ok, so this was a while ago, but these turned out so cute. Jake and I melted different colors in heart shaped moulds and then we put a tag on them saying 'you color my world' and the boys gave them as their valentine favors. Another stolen idea from a Family Fun magazine.


Last day of school. All the B-track 1st graders took a walk around the neighborhood and a neighbor and I put together a water balloon game and some snacks (they stopped at other houses on the way, we were the last)

Here's Martha's youngest, he just got the water balloon into the "pitching zone" of our baseball player guy.

Oh Ann do you have to be so MEAN?

I'm sure you've all heard by now the little nastiness that happened between Coulter and Mrs. Edwards when Mrs. Edwards politely asked to keep her dead kid out of the mudslinging in an unsolicited and unknown to John Edwards call to Hardcopy. Coulter, in a very 7 year old way (I say this because my 7 year old uses the same huffy end of argument approach himself), says (and this isn't verbatim, but close) "Well, I guess Elizabeth Edwards doesn't want me to invoke my 1st amendment rights and speak"....UMMM, Mrs. Edwards didn't tell her to shut up, she just said keep it away from her children....a reasonable request.

I love hearing reasonable dialogue of reasonable people on both sides of the issue, it helps me clarify my own position. I'm not even a proponent of Edwards, have really nothing against the guy, just not sure he has what we need for the commander and chief. I just don't think saying things like "hope Edwards gets killed in an assassination attempt" does much to help us think about the issues, it just riles people up and REALLY do we need to be riled up like that? How about getting riled up about REAL issues. Which I won't go into because we all have our own picks....and Coulter should pick one and use her writing talent to win people over to whatever issue she lands on....but lady I can't listen to the name calling, the mean digs and the little whiny huffs claiming that she was just told not to speak when she was just told to leave the very personal, very painful death of a child out of it....one small, personal, insignificant to the presidential race, piece of information....

OK, normally don't get political, not that kind of gal, but I got pissed....a disclaimer here, not really caring who believes in what. I really think we are blessed to live in a country where our beliefs are our own and we should be respectful in sharing those beliefs with others and respectful in hearing them. I don't think it gives us a license to go to the unreasonable, unkind and personally painful depths that Coulter just did.

Now that that's out of the way...about ME.
I went to the professor's office (who is btw also the head of the science dept.) He was not there, but there were two teary eyed students waiting for him. I pulled up a chair and asked "Patho test" two nods yes. Both failed also (one failing the other assignments too...wow that sucks). Another one of the profs comes walking by, we mention our prof. not there. He looks at us and you can so tell he wants to escape....but we, being desperate, corner him. They are dropping a couple of the questions BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT IN OUR READING and they still have to grade the short answer portion, so maybe I didn't fail? Maybe I got a D. I did show Prof my notes as proof I was studying.....get this, he says I'M STUDYING TOO HARD. Huh?

But really, why study, I think I could have done better with the close your eyes and pick, or there hasn't been a choice 'b' in awhile I'll choose 'b' method, then actually learning the stuff....He mentioned something about resting your brain and giving it a chance for the info to absorb and the whole study smarter not more...seems a bit fishy, but he's a neurologist so he may know of what he is speaking.

I go study now...wish me luck.

curious kids

I should be happy that my child wants to learn new things, see what happens if (fill in blank), and all the other stuff parents say about curious children....but have you ever had to clean goo out of a freezer? The other day Jake decided that he would put a half finished glass bottle of orange soda, filled with a bunch of jelly beans into the freezer to see what would happen. I think it may be a physics thing, not sure, maybe chemistry???? but what happened is that the bottle exploded and nasty greenish thing globby goo went all over the freezer. How I found it? I went to get a nice cup of cold ice water and instead of ice in my cup I got green sludge, it was right out of a science fiction movie, involving Blob and/or nuclear waste in the title. He was, I must add, quite proud of himself.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh.....which brings me to my next picture, I'm so excited how the clematis vine is working. I put in one of those garden chachkees and the vine grew nicely around that; very picturesque if I do say so myself...pat on back.

AND....I so need it, I failed another Patho test and this time I put in about 50 hours of study time in two weeks. The class average is D- (for the class, not just the tests) so I tell myself it's not me...but really would anyone else believe that about themselves? I can't imagine I'm harder on myself then other people are? You should see the discussion board online, people are LIVID. I'm more of the beat myself up and be sad type myself so I'm self editing my comments on the discussion board....I'm looking at the bright side and being grateful that I only ate 5 oreos instead of the whole entire package of them.

breathe

relax

laugh

In fear of reciprocal sassy comments

I better blog before Ms. Martha gets on me....after all I just made a sassy comment on hers and she emailed me and of course HAS already posted pictures of our beautiful children (see her blog, link below) on their last days of FIRST GRADE, can you believe it!

I am off to a crafty weekend and a celebration of a friend's 40th...woo hoo, can I add, one more year for me...not yet there, I will most likely mention that to said friend, probably more than once, because, well, I can be a snot! It's amazing anyone likes me.

BUT...Jake and I had a wonderful post first grade lunch at PF Changs (no relation to our friends the Changs) and discussed his whole year ...here, his recap was in two sentences..."yeah, I liked writing and gym. Mr. Kampling was a good teacher." Hmmmm. Strong silent type? He excelled in gym....hmmm, eyesbrows raised, whose kid is HE?

ok, gotta go pick the kiddos up and then I'm outta here.

My brain. Very scary

The challenge: Just write. Stream of consciousness. Doesn't matter if it even makes sense. Who cares if it flows. Just start. Just type whatever pops into your brain. Go

hmmm where do I even start, my coffee, it's so damn early in the morning and this going to soy milk, even vanilla soy milk is really NO substitution for that nice chemically goodness of hazelnut creamer....sigh, but my quest for healthier living, of course what excuse do I have for the oreos last night? oh they were reduced fat. I can't believe ...i before e...I hate those words...I'm doing this instead of my TB report, what the fuck was I thinking taking these two classes together, I should get a prize at the end of this semester, 6 hellish weeks to go, I can't wait, I am enjoying the learning but wish I had more time to actually do the learning, heck I wish I had time to do the dishes, but here I am doing this. I wonder how ethical it is to cannibalize my TB report from Micro? How do you spell consciousness anyway, I suck at spelling thank goodness for spell check. I so the hell don't want to take this test today!

oh, look at that, my consciousness has a potty mouth. I wonder what that would have sounded like if someone was stoned? or on cocaine?

How is that fair?

I just don't get it sometimes, why some people are treated one way and faced some of the same set of circumstances another person is treated much worse. Our very own National Jewish hospital has been in the news lately because of its new guest, TB patient, Andrew Speaker (and, puhlease isn't Speaker a perfect name for an attorney? He should go into politics, change his middle name to Double....oh I digress). So, he's told to stay put but since it was a suggestion and not an order he gallivants all over Europe, and a border guard, with all of his medical savvy figures Speaker is okay and lets him cross. Speaker goes on a couple transatlantic flights and potentially infects loads and loads of people....and not even potentially, but really scares the crap out of those loads and loads of people

--Another digression, if you're asymptomatic it's very very difficult to spread the disease -- so scare, yes, infect, no.

Then there's This poor schmuck in Arizona, who also has drug-resistant TB, forgets to put on his face mask, he's caught on a convenience store video and is thrown into jail, indefinitely.

It's too bad his new father-in-law isn't a TB expert for the CDC.

OK, off to finish my TB report (thus the above info...not the focus of my report, but do you really want to hear about how the immune function works on Mycrobacterium tuberculosis?) And yeah, it's Saturday night, like I have a life this summer?

and, yes, that was bitter.

one more year!

Today (happy birthday to me) I have exactly one year left of my thirties...WOW. And now officially only 10 years younger then my mother. The big 4-0 is looming ahead of me. I'm a bit excited and a little apprehensive. But then it doesn't really matter how I feel about it, I can't keep it from happening. I think my 40's will be exciting, a new career, my kids older and seeing how they grow and learn more who they will be as adults. Growing closer to my husband. Not taking as much grief from people, being more confident in my own decisions and abilities...heck my forties are going to be great....even so, I still have another year to prepare and frankly tease those of my friends who are already there!

Is it Wednesday already?

Wow, what a week, it already feels like the end of the week to me and it's only Wednesday morning. As you all know I bombed (I mean REALLY) my first test in patho. I've been getting emails from fellow online-classmates that I may not be the only one...can you say CURVE, cross your fingers! A&P....now those two tests (Monday for lecture and Tuesday for Lab)....I'm pretty sure I did well (woo hoo). So now I'm catching up with laundry. My life is so freaking exciting, why do I even blog?

OK, so the fun stuff. We got together last night and watched the first show of the Big Love season. Thank you Shaina for use of your home and TIVO. We did have our resident (though monogamous) Mormon help us out with some of the terminology, like 'Priesthood Holder????' The man of the house who is responsible for the spiritual well being of his family. The meaning of being 'sealed' and that you can actually be 'unsealed' and it costs a lot less then a Catholic annulment. But she did not know the origin of Jack Mormon (the meaning we all knew as a Mormon by culture but not by faith, like a Christmas/Easter Christian, Yom Kippur Jew or a Cafeteria Catholic...Martha looked it up on Wikipedia (LOVE Wiki) -- has something to do with the sympathisers in Jackson County, MO. So who knew a group of suburban housewives getting together to watch a cable evening soap opera got a little book learnin'.

The thing I took away from the show was how we sometimes think others are thinking badly of us, but in truth they're so worried about what you are thinking of THEM. It kind of boils down being so scared of looking badly to others that you don't realize everyone has the same fear. Even insecurities can be a little narcissistic.

ok, my deep thought for the day. Gotta get back on the study bandwagon.

Stuff

It's four in the morning, Isaac has gotten up three times already and now is sleeping on the floor beside me. He came into the study/guestroom a few minutes ago demanding that I give him the toy I bought him. I finally told him I had no idea what he was talking about and he threw his hands up in disgust and said he must have just dreamed the whole thing.

Jason' s aunt emailed me this water art piece it was really interesting.

I failed my first online Patho test. Studied the way wrong things. I wonder how other people did? It's hard not having that interaction with fellow students or the interaction with the teacher to see what he/she emphasizes. Is it bad to hope all did poorly and they'll grade on a curve? When left to my own devices, I gravitate to the things that are interesting to me....like genetics and birth defects....not so much sodium/potassium/calcium balances (guess what was the heavy balance of the test ---- not sex linked-chromosomal disorders...I could have answered those questions!). It sucks to actually study hard and not do well.

Now....on to studying for my A&P2 test today, then the lab quiz tomorrow.
Tuesday afternoon I'm gonna RELAX and not THINK about school; you will find me mixing a batch of Mojitos to enjoy with the neighborhood 'sister wives' while we take in the premier of Big Love(thank you Shaina for the use of your tivo). And yeah yeah, it's getting mediocre reviews but I am strangely fascinated by it, at times repulsed, and at times envious of the whole family dynamic they have created on that show. I'm not much fond of critics, see
Colleeno's blog to see why.

Second Guessing

Tonight is anti-date night...all the kiddos are over here. They're happily playing in the back yard without incident (knock on wood I may have just jinxed myself) and I find myself thinking that maybe I could have had a large family.....Naaa.

I had this long post ready to go.....so glad I didn't hit 'publish post' because it was pretty much just whining....so here's the gist.

I have great friends who know I am a flawed human being and still like me. I'm a lucky woman. Even knowing this, I "hear" the voice of a toxic, narcissistic, sociopathic ex-friend somehow making me out to be a bad guy. I really need to learn to believe when the people around me say they are fine with what happened (it sounds like something bad...it's not, I just bailed on a babysitting promise).

I was horrible at this whole knowing how to 'play' the smile and mean something else game in high school and I haven't gotten any better at it now!

so...
Thank you Martha for being a blunt person, I like knowing where I stand with you, and I so admire how dedicated you are to your family.
Thank you Colleen for being so nice and laid back and really not caring when plans change...you go with the flow, that's great.
Thank you Katrina for being understanding and gracious when things don't go as planned.
Aimee, you have a great sense of humor, and thank you so much for that Strong stand by your friend personality that you have.
Shaina and Gina, I'm so lucky to have both of you as sister-in-laws not many people can boast of even one person they would chose to be in their family and I can say I have two I would most definitely have chosen!

I love my friends, they love me...sociopathic narcissistic toxic b*&^c can BITE ME.

now that's good therapy.

So much homework

Okay, just so you can feel sorry for me. I just finished a paper, still have a test to take by Sunday (okay, online class is kind of cool). For A&P2 I have a test in lecture and an assignment due on Monday. In lab on Tuesday, another test, a digestive enzyme report and two pre-labs due.

Soooo.....I decided to blog and then I'm going to go watch my eldest do field day, then help a friend out and watch her kids this afternoon. Then back on track TOMORROW.

This paper I just wrote was about how a cell may react to the cold. I had absolutely NO idea what I was supposed to write about? I mentioned something about slowing down life functions such as DNA replication and energy metabolism (ATP production and cellular respiration). Not sure that's what he wanted, not sure what I wrote was even correct. While writing this paper, it was hard not to think of the funner papers I got to write when I was a Creative Writing major......then I remember one huge, BIG, stupid mistake I made on one of my stories in one of my workshops. One of those mistakes, you don't even know is a mistake until you talk to someone from that class a couple semesters later.....Now, in case you would like a chuckle I will share the mistake with you.. Our professor TOLD us to never never write a story from a dream because you may not realize what you're really saying. Well, I was 20 something, foolish and knew better and I had had a GREAT dream. I woke up excited, energized and had to write it down immediately. I did and worked for hours crafting a story of this primitive culture and of a woman who longed for a lover who had died and a child who could never be. In my humble opinion, at the time, it was a brilliant story. An A+ for sure. Yes, I did get the lecture about writing about your dreams because of what they could reveal, got a couple puzzled looks from the other students but this did not make me think any less of my story, after all WHAT DID THEY KNOW (oh my gosh being 20ish is great for your ego, you really do know everything).

Now, the conversation a couple of semesters after that workshop; I was speaking to a fellow student, who blurts out that that was one erotic story I had written.....Erotic? HUH? I verified that it was indeed the same story, blushed a little and wondered if he was a perv? Holy cow, then it hits me -- A woman drowning in her own sorrow symbolized by deep pools of dark mysterious water, in the middle of a cave pool connected to the ocean by a tunnel. Yup, I had just written surreal porn. Color me fiery freakin' RED.

And yet, I still would have rather turned that story in then the paper I wrote on cells.

Wannabe Artist

This week's blog challenge (thank you Martha):

"Every child is an artist.The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."-Pablo PicassoReflect on this quote. What was the first piece of art your created? Were you artistic as a child? Did you love to color? Did you learn any art forms - needle arts, painting, sculpting? Did anyone nurture your creativity? Were you drawn to any specific type of art? Has your child created something that he was proud of? Are you still an artist today? In what way? Do you consider scrapbooking an art? Choose any aspect you like, but incorporate a childhood artist somehow into your story. Dig deep, and have fun discovering your forgotten childhood artist!

I've always wanted to be an artist. I'm particularly drawn to the artist lifestyle, there's a certain amount of freedom that is so not me but I so admire in others. Even the way some dress. There's that look in their faces of being off in another world, dreamy, soft. As a child, I doodled a LOT and designed rooms, houses on paper, in cardboard boxes. Each time I constructed a new cardboard home my sister would want to play with it. That was fine by be, the fun was the designing it. My favorite barbie accessories where those that decorated that very cool barbie condo from the 70's. Loved doll HOUSES, not dolls, but the houses. I fancied I would be a decorator or designer. My first love (and still is) was decorating.

In high school and college I switched to writing. I really enjoyed constructing stories and putting them on paper. I liked it, I was okay at it, made it my major. But realized I didn't have the passion to make my rudimentary talent into something great, or even publishable. So I just do it for fun on the blog now, and a clever line or two in a dry science paper for school.

Currently I love to scrapbook. It involves, color, texture and most importantly my family and memories. I don't need a lot of space, uninterrupted time or even a little studio. So it helps with my internal wannabe artist for the moment.

While in Kansas a couple years ago I discovered a love for mosaics. WOW, I can't wait to finish our basement and have my own little studio. It was so fun. Again, I don't fancy myself an artist, just a crafter, but I do believe when I mosaic I have the dreamy look of an artist. It gives me that whole mind body connection. And I get to wear over sized shirts that I wipe my messy hands on.

I read a book by Elizabeth Berg, I can't remember the name. The main character was a quilter. She described her quilting space and spoke of the colors, the textures the abundance of cloth and it reminded me of how I felt about collecting plates (to break) ,tiles and little chachkees.

My next goal....learning how to quilt, which is pretty much mosaics with cloth. I'm even saving my favorite outfits from the boys to make a quilt for them when they get married. I'm also saving their sports t-shirts to patchwork a comforter for when the go to college.

OK, so part of any artistic pursuits I have is in the dreaming of what could be.

Spotlight Meme

I got tagged by Valiens to answer a portion and/or all of the questions posed on Christy's coffee house so here it goes:

What are my feelings on the blog popularity issue:
I had no idea there were popularity contests on blogs, but I figure it's like high school. Your best bet is to do what you love with integrity, be respectful and courteous and not care what others are doing or thinking of you.

Are you a spiritual person:
Yes. I have a strong belief system but do not assume that all people should share that, or think that they are wrong for not believing what I do. It is my choice and it's 'place' from which I gather strength, peace and wisdom. I am not a sheep; I am not chattel; I have been known, on occasion, to even think for myself.

Best/worst qualities:
My best quality is that I know I have no worst qualities
hahaha, I crack myself up. Really, my best quality is that I can laugh at myself, as well as others. I don't take myself or anyone else too seriously and it takes a long time for my fuse to blow, but when it does it leads right to my worst quality. Worst quality is that I hold on to hurts, mull them over, analyze them, share them with all, way too long and too much.

Favorite childhood memory:
Christmastime. Our house would be decorated. We would socialize with a bunch of people. My parents would invite anyone who didn't have a place to go over on Christmas Eve. We would pull out card tables, stack boxes for tables, anything that you could put a table cloth over and we would place them all over the house and decorate each table. One year we had three or four in the living room, a couple in the front hall and in the kitchen. No overhead lights, just candles and lamps and a fire in the fireplace. Then we would leave the house a mess and go to Midnight Mass and St. Johns Cathedral (beautiful Gothic style Episcopal church in Denver). We would come home and my sister and I would open one present each, then go to bed. It was magical.

Okay, I tag all those who even read this....it's not a popular blog, and that's okay, I didn't start blogging to become popular.

NOW, I do believe I've procrastinated enough and I must go work on my pathophysiology.

time? time? who has some?

started school, holy cow!
so I'll just do a quick little post about an overheard conversation. In my class this girl (and no, I'm not in any way being derogatory, she was a GIRL) said to her friend.

"I feel so behind the curve, I graduated high school in 2001 and I'm still in school, can you believe it?"

Bwahahaha