Jamie Oliver is Awesome!

Jamie Oliver is on a mission to make school lunches healthier! I am 100% on board with supporting his cause. If you are too, sign the petition.

Jamie Oliver is Awesome!

This Super Mom is Hip!

A quick refresher on my (not-so-regular) regular Super Mom Series:



I have a lot of really great, really spectacular friends and most of them are moms. They challenge me daily to be my best and I, suffering from impossible shyness, never tell them how they inspire me. I am changing that starting today. I hope to 'spotlight' a fellow mommy-blogger every Monday. I will only be posting fellow mom-bloggers with public blogs and only addressing them by the names they use for themselves on their blogs because I don't want to breech anyone's privacy. Later, I'll also 'showcase' bloggers who I don't necessarily know but who are as equally inspiring. (If you do NOT want to be included let me know.)

Okay, now that I have refreshed your collective memories, I apologize for missing a few Mondays so I am scratching the day of the week and just writing about my awesome momma friends when I can.



Now this week's mom is truly hip! Why? I'm so glad you asked. One Hip Mom has four beautiful little ones...and I am very partial to mommas with lots of children. There are a lot of unique joys and struggles that come with a family of four or more children and I am always so grateful to my friends with large families who share their lives because it reinforces that our brand of crazy (good and bad) is normal.



Hip Momma is an awesome mom. There are a lot of adjectives that describe Hip Momma but as I read her blog the two that always come to mind are loving and fun! And, I cannot forget to tell you that she makes the sweetest little pinafores, aprons and pillowcase dresses. She has her own store on Etsy appropriately named A Diva and 3 Dudes Designs and oh, did I mention she is also a nursing student?



Hip Momma, thank you for being you. Your dedication to all you do; your family, your sewing, your education..is inspiring. *hugs* momma!

This Super Mom is Hip!

Swamped

I feel like life just went on and left me in the dust. I am swamped. I wish there were about ten more hours each day because I just cannot seem to find enough time to accomplish everything I need to do! I need to get to sleep so I will just make a quick list to purge all of my to-dos...maybe that will help me feel less overwhelmed.

1)Homework. I am falling behind. My doctor's appointments and just flat out not feeling well have made focusing on classwork almost impossible. I will be spending most of tomorrow on homework.

2)Deadline. I received my first deadline for the Kansas City Examiner. It is Monday. So, as soon as I am finished with homework...or at least caught up enough to stop...I need to get busy on my article. My editor is waiting to approve it so I can go live. (It was super cool to say all of that!)

3)Party prep. A's birthday party is Sunday. I have a lot of preparation to get finished so Sunday morning is not crazy. I need to prepare some food and clean up a bit. So I guess between my homework and article I will squeeze that in somehow. Thankfully Jeff and the kids will help out a lot with that one.

4)Pros/Cons. Our company is trying something new and stumbled on something really awesome. It is great, I will blog about it another day because I am excited to share it. I am product testing and need to sit down and make a pros vs. cons list to make sure our product is worthy of competing with the other stuff. It will not take long, but I am running out of minutes to spare.

5)Labels. This is related to #4, but is more involved and will take quite a bit of time.

6)Homework. Did I mention my classes are overwhelming? Everything is due Sunday. I have no time. I wish I could freeze time so I could get some things finished while the world around me pauses.

7)Kids. I have four kids...they need my attention and I cannot give it to them right now. The guilt from that is pretty sad. They understand but I still feel like it is unfair to them.

And lastly, but it's not exactly a list item but more of a handicap, my shoulder/arm/hand is still messed up. Today I was finally told a diagnosis after one heck of an interesting test involving electricity and needles (more another day). I have a pinched nerve in my wrist. I will explain it more...only 10% of pinched nerves are in the wrist. I like to be different. It is kind of my specialty. Needless to say, movement has been difficult to put it mildly. I am pretty loopy with Vicodin making it even more difficult to focus. At least, thankfully, the Vicodin gives me energy...it is just unfocused and jittery.

Okay, so writing it all out did not help me feel less overwhelmed. In fact, I just sacrificed seven minutes I could have been reading my Philosophy textbook.

Oh, who am I kidding? I would be in bed reading The Likeness.

Please forgive typos, grammar and other oddities in this post. Blame The Din! (Special thanks to @OpinionatedGift for vicodin's new moniker!)

Swamped

It's My Summer and I'll be Lazy if I Want To

I do not take classes in the summer for two reasons.

Reason #1: All four kids are home and they make studying really difficult.

Reason #2: I want to be lazy!

Yes, lazy. I know in most of today's society "lazy" is a dirty word. No one wants to admit to being unproductive so we all multitask trying to optimize our time and energy. And I do optimize with the best of them...nine months out of the year.

During the school year, I study while doing just about every other household and parenting task possible. I spread myself thin every day making sure the kids are fed, bathed, have their homework completed, entertained, loved, and safe add in making sure the house is cleaned, organized and safe, not to mention: volunteering at their schools, working on homework, keeping up with friends and family, throwing birthday parties, hosting holiday gatherings, and figuring out how to take a minute every day to shower and eat. And I do most of these simultaneously while trying to remember to be a supportive, loving and affectionate wife because really, doing everything else would be impossible without Hubs.

So by the time summer rolls around I am really ready for some lazy. Don't get me wrong, the house and children are still clean and safe but I do not live by the calendar. The summer is my time to recharge and relax. And by the time the school year rolls around I am reluctantly ready to begin again knowing the chaos is coming. But for now, it's my summer and I'll be lazy if I want to.

It's My Summer and I'll be Lazy if I Want To

New Chapter this Fall

Fall 2009 marks an interesting new chapter: All of my children will be in school!

Wow! All of them!

I won't get into how bittersweet that will be...that is another entry for another day.

But having all of my kids in school leaves me with an interesting new phenomena...TIME.

Time for myself, by myself doing what makes me happy. It will mean a clean house--at least between the hours of 8 and 3:30!

So in the interest of enjoying my new time I decided to do another semester of online classes. Thankfully, I still have plenty of options--I only need to be on campus for Biology and Math.

Jeff was telling me to take the semester off and just enjoy myself after 11 years of being a stay-at-home-mom, but that seems...well, not something I'm interested in doing. I fear that if I take a semester off, I will not want to go back.

School is hard work, doubly so online as deadlines are firm (no exceptions), there is no professor to bounce questions and ideas off of (though they are always available by phone, email and office meetings) and frankly, you have to be freakishly disciplined to get through each course. I spend a lot of time with my face in my books and computer reading lectures, watching video lectures, listening to taped lectures. And while it is difficult, I like using my brain.

So next semester I will continue with online classes for one more semester!

Cross your fingers that I am able to secure:
Philosophy
Cultural Anthropology
Economics I
Interpersonal Communication

I can study with my new-found time...

Studying without interruption? Sounds like heaven!

New Chapter this Fall

A Buddhist Service at the Rime Tibetan Buddhist Center 3

Part 3 of 3

The most moving portion of the service was when the sangha chanted “Om Vahrasattva hum” one hundred eight times in rapid succession. The chanting began after everyone spoke the Vajrasattva mantra and we noticed the members discreetly removing mala beads from their pockets or the seats beside them. The chanting began quickly and, at first, the sangha was out of step but by the tenth repetition suddenly the entire sangha fell perfectly in tune with one another leaving the room ringing with their combined voices. I was moved as I heard and felt the unity grow and surround the shrine room.

Another ten minute meditation was followed by a special guest speaker, Dr. Terry Brody. Dr. Brody spoke about the way the Buddhist handles times of crisis and how to learn from those times of struggle. Personally, this was a welcome lesson after having a particularly difficult start to this year. I listened to her speak saying the things that I knew to be true—that bad times do not define us, that we should not let ourselves become paralyzed with inaction but fight against the urge to close off to the world and find the middle path. She recited some of her favorite quotes from the Dalai Lama and other spiritual leaders and the service concluded with a prayer to the Dalai Lama for a long life and a dedication of merit to the sangha. The horns, drums and cymbals began again as the preceptors extinguished the candles, bowed once again to the Buddha and exited in the same manner as their entrance.


While the Tibetan Buddhist service was a lot to take in, it left us an overall sense of peace and contentment. Our only disappointment was Lama Stanford was in India so we were unable to meet him in person and the center preceptor filling in for him skipped the guided meditation. We were hoping for the guided meditation to help us understand meditation through his teaching. My husband and I walked from the shrine room to the gift shop to take a brief look at the ritual items and books. Our children quickly found us in the gift shop and upon greeting us confirmed they enjoyed the dharma school as much as we enjoyed the meditation service by asking, “Can we come back next Sunday?” They excitedly explained they got to sit and meditate. They did yoga poses and walked like a crab. They were taught about the offering bowls and the importance of the offering. We gathered our crew, left a small donation for their time, resources and the experience and left the Rime Center pleasantly surprised by and thankful for our positive and peaceful experience.

A Buddhist Service at the Rime Tibetan Buddhist Center 3

A Buddhist Service at the Rime Tibetan Buddhist Center 2

Part 2 of 3

The beginning of the service was announced by a recording of horns, cymbals and drums during which the entire sangha stood, faced the center of the room and bowed. The preceptors walked in a single file line down the middle of the shrine. The center preceptor lit candles and incense as an offering to the Buddha and all three bowed in respect then everyone sat down. Each precept sat on a zafu and zabuton, two on the sides facing the sangha and the third, the center preceptor, sat in the middle slightly elevated. He then rang the singing bowl four times to indicate the beginning of the service.

Members immediately fell into a meditation the program noted was a brief stabilizing meditation. A few short minutes passed and the center preceptor rang the singing bowl to note the start of the refuge vows. The refuge vow is spoken three times by the entire sangha as a motivation to open their hearts to enlightenment. Quickly following the refuge vow were the Four Immeasurables, blessings for all beings to be free from suffering and filled with happiness, the sangha spoke three times followed by another ring of the singing bowl and a ten minute meditation session. The meditation session was ended by a ring of the singing bowl and the members of the sangha fell into the supplication to Buddha. We were instructed to visualize a gold Buddha sitting on an open lotus. The visualization ended with Buddha radiating light and dissolving into the light and becoming one with us. The supplication asked that we are shown the path to enlightenment through compassion and virtuous action true to the teaching of the Blessed One.

The next portions of the service happened quickly as the well-practiced sangha fell swiftly into unison. The ringing of the singing bowl began the Seven Limbed Prayer prostrating offering, confession, rejoicing in the good, asking the Buddha to remain, and beseeching Buddha’s to teach others. The Seven Limb Prayers were spoken by everyone one time. The Mandala Offering, also spoken by everyone, is an offering to all of the lineage of Buddhas and bodhisattvas and all of the lamas and deities and enlightened beings in all ten directions and in all three times. My husband and I struggled to keep up with the chants while trying to discreetly read the pamphlet with the text of the chants. We found quickly that we would read the explanations later so we could follow along with the service.

Another ring of the singing bowl, the preceptors began the supplication to Manjushri. The pamphlet from the center credits Manjushri as one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism as the bodhisattva of wisdom. The preceptors continue with the supplication to Maitreya or the next Buddha. The preceptors moved on with a Supplication to Tara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, which ended with the entire sangha finishing the prayer. A music track began playing and everyone began singing the Tara Mantra, “Om tare tu tare ture soha.” At the song’s conclusion the Dedication of Tara Meditation was spoken by everyone one time and the sangha quickly transitioned to Liberating the Beings of the Six Realms aloud. This led to the Tonglen meditation session where the sangha was to embrace the bad and emit the good. After the ten minute Tonglen meditation session everyone spoke the prayer to Chenrezig and began singing, “Om mani padme hum.”

Part 3 to come...

A Buddhist Service at the Rime Tibetan Buddhist Center 2

A Buddhist Service at the Rime Tibetan Buddhist Center

Part 1 of 3



The Rime Buddhist Center and Tibetan Institute of Studies is found in a hundred year old two story church in Kansas City, Missouri. The large red building offers ample room to hold not only the Buddhist service and practice but house dorms for retreats and visiting monks from all over the world. I found myself walking up the steep red stairs Sunday, March 15th at 10:15 in the morning for the 10:30 service with my husband and four children in tow.

When we entered the Rime Center we were first greeted by the sharp, rich smell of patchouli incense then by the friendly smile of a member on the look-out for visitors waiting to answer any questions. From previous conversations with Lama Chuck Stanford, we knew that there was a Sunday dharma school the children were able, and encouraged, to attend. After a brief conversation with the center’s greeter we took the children upstairs, helped them remove their shoes and bid them farewell hearing them instructed to each pick up a zabuton and find a place to sit down.

My husband and I removed our shoes in the foyer and walked down the main hallway that ended at the shrine room. We briefly spoke with a gentleman who was handing out service programs and introduced ourselves. We explained that we were new to the center and if there were any last minute bits of information we should know. He said we were welcome to grab a spot to sit where we were comfortable, either on the hardwood floor on a zabuton with or without the zafu or on one of the chairs that lined the sanctuary. He told us to participate as much, or as little, as we felt comfortable and the program he gave us outlined specific details on what to expect and when. We thanked him and sat down on a zabuton with a zafu near the middle of the sangha to observe both the preceptors and the community.

Right away we took in the brilliant red drapes with colorful tapestries decorated with Buddhist iconography. The shrine, situated at the front of the room, held pictures of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama in various poses of him in meditation or smiling along with mandalas, statues of Buddha and Tara and colorful photographs of the sangha during many different events. The shrine room ceiling gently fluttered with the multicolored Buddhist prayer flags strung from one side to the other. The seating itself was divided into two sections on the right and left with a center path to the shrine and folding chairs lined the sides and back walls. The shrine room felt serene as each member sat quietly waiting for the preceptors to enter marking the beginning of the service. We noticed the energy shifting as people quieted and began their own personal meditations.

Part 2 to follow...

A Buddhist Service at the Rime Tibetan Buddhist Center

Being Five More than Ninety

Remember the Drama midterm I posted about a couple weeks ago? I took this midterm during a horrible bout with the stomach flu while I had a fever. I was sure I did horribly. I could not focus during the test at all.

I finally got my grade back this afternoon and I scored 95/100!

What a relief!

Now I need to go study for my tests tomorrow!

Being Five More than Ninety

Test Taking+Fever=Bad Idea

I have been sick with some kind of bug for the last few days that's left me pretty much in bed with a fever. And it also happens to be midterm time. I had one midterm left to take and it was in my Drama class. I studied as best I could but honestly I was just not up for taking any kind of test at all. I got my test--I knew nothing. I mean, nothing. Okay, nothing is an exaggeration but not by much. I felt so lost and I know it was because my brain was just not working but I felt like an idiot! I work my way through the test as best I could when I got to the essay portion. The question was whether or not Freud's analysis of Hamlet was believable or not and I had 10 minutes to prepare and write a response.

Of course when I'm not sick it would have been no problem. Psychology and Literature--my two favorite things. But my 101.1 fever brain totally locks up. I ended up with a brief two paragraph essay with what are likely the most incoherent sentences strung together about Hamlet and Freud my professor has seen or will see in his teaching career. That essay was worth 50 points. Half the grade of my midterm. If I earn a 50% it will be a miracle. Just marvelous!

Test Taking+Fever=Bad Idea

Hear that?

It's the beautiful sound of a quiet house! The kids went back to school this morning after almost three weeks for winter break. We all had a lovely time while they were home from school but we all need some space.

They were all looking forward to getting back to school. S begins choir this semester and he is very excited. M and C also wanted to get back to their friends and see their teachers. A is glad to have the house--and toys--to herself all day long and I am, well, just glad to get back to our normal routine.

Back-to-school time for the kids is also back-to-school time for me. My semester begins next week. I have a heavy course load so that means late night studying (that's the only time it's quiet enough to focus without interruption) and loads of homework. We are leaving for FL next week, too, so all my textbooks are coming with me so I won't miss any work.

For now, I'll enjoy the quiet and rest my brain before life begins to get hectic again!

Hear that?

So long Fall 2008 Semester

I am officially finished with the Fall 2008 semester! All of my assignments are handed in and my finals are done. Whew!

I am glad to have this semester behind me. I am a bit upset with myself. I am positive I did not do well enough this semester to keep my perfect 4.0 GPA. BUT I'm trying not to be too hard on myself because I know that it is next to impossible to keep a perfect score. I had a good 39 credit hours with my 4.0, that's impressive...to me at least. =)

So while I wait for my final grades I can be thankful I am finally through this awful semester! YAY!

Ok, I'll still be bummed when I see my GPA as anything less than 4.0 but such is life...

So long Fall 2008 Semester

My first 'C'

I had a paper to write in Human Development. I chose my topic and wrote a perfectly APA cited paper. I was horribly distracted but I thought I did well. Turns out well was just okay as I scored 75/100. After reading my professor's comments, I see where I went wrong. I confused two different topics making my conclusions not work. It was a 'C' paper.

I've never scored that low on any paper before. Ever.

Ouch.

I must do better.

My first 'C'

Finals Time

It's finals time, finally! I have a lot of studying to do and unfortunately my finals are roughly the same time as C's surgery. Next week is going to be tough!

Wish me luck!

sigh...

Finals Time

I Suck

And I don't even want to tell you what happened when I searched for an image for this blog using the word "suck"! HA! I got a warning about adult content and my browser was shut down--I didn't even think about suck and porn...doh!

So back to why I suck--

I am taking Human Development this semester. It is a really interesting class but it is a lot of work. And life right now is, well, hectic and stressful to put it mildly.

Each week we have 3-6 essays we have to write on various topics to help us focus and expand on concepts through the units. The essays do not exactly have an assigned length but in order to clearly articulate the concepts and our understanding of those, along with real-world examples of how those concepts explain human development, they can get pretty lengthy and require a lot of effort.

Last week, I forgot two of them. Flat out forgot to do them. The worst part, I remembered I needed to do them then promptly forgot again. The due dates passed and it was not until I was in the testing center that it dawned on me I forgot to write two of the required essays. My professor does not accept late work and frankly if I was her I would not accept them late either. I messed up. Simple as that.

We do still have more points to be earned so I am hopeful that my overall grade will not fall too much. I had a good cushion with the 109% I earned on my last major exam but I am so angry at myself. I have this standard of perfection that even though I know is impossible I still strive for it. My GPA is a 4.0 after 39 credit hours and I want to keep it that way but after this I am just not sure that is possible.

Now I have to work twice as hard to try and make up for this. I suck.

I Suck

Insane in the Mem-Brain!

My brain isn't working lately.




I can't seem to think clearly. When I study the words go in and out and I can't seem to retain anything. I have gotten several people confused with one another. I've forgotten assignments. I lost our checkbook. Forgotten to return phone calls.

I just can't keep things straight.

Too much going on, I think. My classes and homework, planning parties for both C and M's classes, three birthday parties, out-of-town hubby...blah blah blah.

Insane in the Mem-Brain!

Thoroughly Unmotivated.

I am feeling super unmotivated today. I have a history test today and I just cannot get my brain in gear. I need to study. But I just don't have it in me to sit down and study. What's worse--I do have the motivation to blog about unmotivated I am!

Nice.

Thoroughly Unmotivated.

School's Back!

It's time to celebrate! The kids go back to school tomorrow!

S is going into Jr. High, amazing! It seems like yesterday I walked him into Kindergarten!

M is going into 4th grade! Ditto the same shock!

C is beginning 2nd grade! And once again, I'm amazed at how quickly it's going by.

A will be home with me. She will begin Kindergarten next year. We just have one more year together. *sniffle*

My semester begins tomorrow as well. I'm hoping for a very smooth semester. Something tells me it won't happen but a girl can hope.

School's Back!

My Research Paper

I just got my grade back on my research paper and I got 100%!!!

I'm so happy, I really was resigned to maybe getting a B on the paper. I never dreamed of a perfect score!!

My professor said my paper was well-written, comprehensive, organized and fair. He said I presented complete information and raised interesting points with my research. And that my APA formatting and sources were "excellent"!

I am over the moon!

My Research Paper

Term Paper Complete!!

I have finally finished my term paper! Whoohoo--I am so so so done learning about the craziness that is abstinence-only education! NOTHING I read confirmed that the program is working--NOTHING. There is no difference in the number of children who choose to have sex and who choose to abstain based on which program they were taught. Except the children who were taught abstinence only had limited knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy! So anyway, I'm done being subjective about it!! It's a ridiculous program that needs to go so we can begin giving our adolescents comprehensive, accurate information about sexual behaviors!!

Term Paper Complete!!