STUDY BREAAAKKK!!!

First off I would like to say--still haven't had any coffee!!

Midnight Study Breaks in college consist of...
-Popcorn and M&M's
-Cookie Dough
-Turning up the music (thank you Pandora!)
-Thinking about doing laundry, but deciding you can go a few more days. (Yes, people do laundry at really weird hours... so what?)
-Getting excited about Honduras!
-Massive "YOU CAN DO IT!" encouragement text messages sent out to all of my friends who I know are studying too.

And... back to studying! Gotta love having 3 tests in ONE day!

"Dam! Dam! Dam!"

Every Monday morning, I go to an elementary school in Bryan (just outside of cstat) and work with two 1st graders and help them read. My first child is bilingual...

So today I was helping the little girl (she barely speaks English so there is a MAJOR language barrier, b/c even though I understand some Spanish, we have her speak English, THANK GOODNESS!), and we were labeling pictures on a worksheet. (So dumb... such boring busy work... too bad I'm not allowed to be creative and make it fun!) For example, there would be a picture of a box, and underneath it would be ____ox, so they would have to write the "b".

Well, we get to a picture of a dam. It takes her a little while, but she figures it out. She writes the "d" and I went to praise her for knowing the difference between "b" and "d" when she stands up on her chair, jumps off and runs around the classroom squawking "DAM! DAM! DAM! DAM!"...

What the heck?! Who on Earth would put a picture of a dam on a worksheet that is geared towards young children? Geesh Louise!

Heading Chome

After the week I've had, I'm heading CHOME for the weekend!

I've been majorly stressed out about tests and school stuff, and trying to fit in polo and studying and still be able to have fun and see my friends. Literally, I've been losing hair this week, and the last time that happened was the month after my Gramma passed away.

There was a rainbow today though! I had just rode my bike through a rain storm right before I found out that I didn't do well at all on my political science test this week. (Rain always reminds me of a saying that my Gramma used to say when it was just her and I watching the rain/snow -- "I love it when it rains because it reminds me that those in Heaven are watching over me".) Ever since she passed away rain has meant a lot to me. It rained on my 18th birthday, and the day that I graduated. It rained on her birthday, and the 6 month anniversary of the day she made it into Heaven. I cannot see it rain without smiling anymore, and I love it. Well, I had just rode my bike through the rain, grinning the entire time. I found out my exam grade and took it pretty hard. I decided to get off of campus and so I went to Target for some therapeutic shopping (yay for gift cards!), and on my way I saw a BEAUTIFUL rainbow. It was the reminder I needed of the rain and the metaphor that is for me. It was also a "hey, things do turn out well. there's beauty behind the storm" thing for me.

Well... I've been needing to get out of C-stat and so when the opportunity to go work a retreat at Cho-Yeh came about, I immediately said yes. So, I'm going CHOME (Cho-Home) this weekend! I will be able to see two of the ladies that were instrumental in my summer and also get to hang out with some other counselors. I can't step foot onto camp property and not be grinning ear-to-ear, and so therefore I know that being back for the weekend is going to do wonders for me!

Something a Professor Said

"Those of you who go to bed want to wake up in the morning... those of you that don't are suicidal"

Thank goodness for professors who know how to make college kids laugh! I don't think I'm going to be able to ever say "I just want to go to bed and not wake up for a long time!" the same way ever again!

Who Knew?!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” --Dr. Seuss

^^That was the quote that was on the inside of my graduation invitation, and I had no idea how true that statement was until this semester.

In college, you really can be ANYBODY that you want to be. College has really taught me who I am and what I stand for more than anything has so far.

Your identity is found and defined by three things.
1) What you are apart of.
2) What you do on the weekends.
3) What you put on facebook.

For me...
1) I am apart of the TAMU Women's Water Polo Club, and the Cho-Yeh group that is prevalent here on campus. There are quite a few other things that people are involved in... I heard about the "Illegal Substances Club" the other day, and somehow walked through the cigar club's meeting (nope, couldn't breathe walkin' through that!). There are some pretty crazy things on campus, but I think I've found a good set to be involved in!
2) On the weekends, I hang out with my friends (without going to bars or clubs or drinking or being brought back by the cops, or any of the other crazy things I have witnessed) and I study. I go to church on Sunday's, and then out to eat with Kevin before we go back and study together. I go to the football games with my friends, and instead of going and having 1 beer for every touchdown (which happens A LOT... or one "something" for every touchdown), we go and get frozen yogurt. If I'm not in c-stat then I'm either in Livingston working, in Houston with the family, or road-tripping to see Cho-friends!
3) This is HUGE. I don't understand why some people put up the things they do as far as pictures and status' go. It's ridiculous and absurd.

I thought of that quote tonight as I was sitting in an education meeting. Dr. Seuss is SO right!!

18 Hours in Evans....

(Evans is our library on campus)

FRIDAY: 3:00-5:00, 6:00-9:00
SATURDAY: 10:30-3:30
SUNDAY: 3:00-8:00

Those are the times that I have spent in the library over the past 3 days working on political science ALONE! Not to count the hours that I have spent in my room or on my couch studying for polisci and other classes. I literally have polisci oozing out of my nose and ears at this point. GROSS! My head hurts (yes, it's possible!), and I'm so ready to just be done with this test. I've been stressing out WAY too much over this, and am ready to get the first one over with! My exam is tomorrow!

The rest of the week is going to be positive though:

Monday afternoon: Lunch with Kevin, seeing Kristen Dennison (Cho friend), polo for an hour, than sitting in on a "meeting" where a professional story teller is coming in order to fufill an assignment for my education class.

Tuesday: Geography, Lunch with Kristen Trapnell, Music, NO HISTORY (whoop!), education class project meeting, water polo, dinner with Shannon (polo friend), then BREAKAWAY!!

Wednesday: Class, LONG BREAK!, Class, LONG BREAK!, water polo, Cho-Yeh Bible Study!

Thursday: Class, Impact Small Group Lunch/Hangout, Class, Class, no polo :), NCIS premiere night with Kesli and Renee (impact counselors)!

Friday: Class, long break, Class... then...

I'M GOING TO CHO-YEH FOR THE WEEKEND!!!!!! I need out of cstat stat (haha), and know that a weekend surrounded by camp friends is just what I need to be remotivated to come back to A&M have a good next week :)

"Did you..."

"Did you dye your hair? It looks darker?"

"Did you color your hair? It looks blonder and lighter?"

"Did you cut your hair? It looks shorter?"

"Did you highlight your hair?

"Did your hair grow? It looks longer?"

No, I didn't!! All of these questions were asked (sometimes by 2 or 3 different people) within 30 minutes... I guess this is what happens when I wear my hair in something other than a messy bun or a french braid. Hmm...

It gave me a good laugh :)