Long time, no post, yes I know. This week was simply ridiculous and overall not so great. A few big stress-out sessions here and there and lots of tears made up the majority of my days. Thanks grad school... Today at church, the pastor was talking to the kids during children's sermon about how the doughnut he was holding, (usually a fluffy, sweet, and wonderful thing) had been squished and shaken up all morning since too many people unknowingly mishandled it and now was not quite itself. He talked about how sometimes we as people go through the same thing and I thought "I hear ya buddy, big-time." Lately I feel pressure/ major stress pushing in on all sorts of areas from all sorts of people (even people who do so unintentionally) and I was turning into that squished up doughnut. I don't like what stress does to me, not one bit, and am constantly praying for strength and guidance with that.
But, I'm back, with a realization that I can do small things to make things these last few weeks a little more manageable and actually enjoyable at times (I hate not wanting to get up in the morning because all I get to look forward to is being overwhelmed by grad school and what not. I'm burning out quick and I feel like my brain may have reached capacity and that sometimes a few hours of work and I don't even make sense to myself...). I made a commitment to this degree and goal and there's no backing down now, especially when the finish line is less 3 weeks away. However, I've come to the realization that going day by day, dealing with what is important to ME at that time is what matters at this point. Sure it sounds selfish, but honestly, I'm at the survival point for the next 15 or so days. So again, be patient with me, you'll get your darling Dana back soon enough. :)
So now that that's out, let me share with you some recent simple joys that help me pull myself up by the bootstraps and keep on trucking....
1. The game you probably watched on T.V. today too. Fifa Women's World Cup Final. These chicks are LEGIT athletes. I have pretty much no athletic skill, and just watching them leaves me in awe. Abby Wambach and her headers are pretty much the most awesome thing ever. My parents put me in softball, soccer, volleyball, all that when I was little but when I was doing cartwheels in left field or told my dad that "soccer was silly because you just chased the same ball back and forth" they decided to stop pushing the issue. Yes I cheered in high school, but seriously, that's not really a sport. And I played intramurals in college, but mainly just to meet the numbers and give Brett a good laugh. These chicks show some serious dedication and ability and plain out rock! Go USA!
2. Sonic Happy Hour. It takes place at the time of day when I seem most in a grad school funk/ brain block and allows me just the right amount of break time with a little "reward" built right in. :)
3. 3 new Essie nail polishes. I discovered these bad boys through another blog I follow and have since been loving giving myself manicures.
4. Chicken Express. I bet those super awesome soccer girls never eat this stuff. I don't do fast food very often, and am super picky about it when I do, but Chicken Express rocks my socks off when I'm needing a good fried chicken tender and corn nuggets fix. Their tea and biscuits are awesome too and who doesn't love some tasty comfort food. When the lady in the Oreo commercial says "Shut the front door!" pretty much describes how I felt today eating this deliciousness. :)
5. Getting to spend quality time with my Daddy yesterday while he and the hubs did some carpentry work on a piece of furniture. He's a bit of a work-a-holic overachiever like myself so we both get pretty busy and miss out on time with each other. He's a pretty smart guy who gives some pretty good advice. :)
6. Taking a grad school break to clean out the guest rooms with the hubs. Sure we argued a bit about what to keep/ toss, my finger got smashed, and his idea of decor might not match mine, but I love spending time with him. He was amazed how much scrapbooking stuff I still have that I have not used in years or plan to get to in years, but didn't push the issue on going through it right this minute, just made room for them in his hunting closet. I didn't make him narrow down his basketballs or hunting stuff though either so we are getting better at compromising. However, he couldn't refrain from commenting on the 3, yes 3 plastic storage tubs full of stuff I want to do for my classroom. He even let me keep the trash bag full of empty plastic bottles after I thoroughly explained how this particular kind was the best choice for a sweet word work or number search center. What a sweetie. :) He was amazed I have all these good ideas in my brain, all the materials bought and in boxes, and hadn't touched a lick of it. Again, thanks grad school. Once I get back into the swing of things, classroom ideas are easily on the top of the list.
7. Looking forward to a few things.
- A weekend at lake LBJ with the extented in-law family. I'm bringing stuff for smores and Skipbo. :)
- The upcoming birth of a dear friend's baby boy.
- Twinks coming to visit and helping me go through my closet like we did yearly at UT. Naturally some of our old school faves like Fergie, Brittney, Cory, Pat, and the likewise will be joining us via Pandora Radio. We'll probably bake too and hopefully nothing ends up on the floor. ;)
- Convincing my mom to take me shopping for some back to school clothes. Yes, I'm 25. Yes my mom still spoils me occasionally. Yes, I love it. :)
- Getting into my classroom and getting it all set up. It doesn't stress me out, I love doing it, I just don't have the time yet. :( I wish I could do it this week, but I have GOT to do grad school instead. No choice there.
- Deciding if I want to cut all my hair off in the coming weeks. I'm thinking I want something like this but my hair is thin and I have a way bigger forehead than she does so I'm not quite convinced I can pull it off yet. Naturally I'm considering highlights too but thats another financial commitment this cheapo might not want to make.
And that my friends, is the random post as I watch the last few minutes of the World Cup and dread the paper I have to write when it is over. It's coming down to penalty kicks again and not looking so good...
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