Well, as I have another exam in two hours, blogging seemed like a fantastic idea.  Here are some pictures of Silas' birthday party, which was a nice little study break.

Yeah, that's my lens cap.

Happy Birthday to Silas!

I have a bunch more, but I'm hiding out in the COMD building and the room I'm in has a terrible wireless connection.  So that's all.  I hope your Monday is lovely.

One down.

My first exam, in my most difficult, stress inducing, is-this-really-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life class, is over.  And I blew that thing out of the water (I know, because I just got my grade back today).  I think I've been holding my breath since October, and the relief is wonderful.

However it has taken all my energy that I need to study for Monday's exam.  So it's blogging and picture time!  The School of Allied Health (which my program is a department of) had a Christmas party for the local Head Start classes. So fun!

That's me and a classmate, while the kids were eating (can you tell we're in the PT part of the building?).  It was such a fun party.  The kids ate some pizza, there were lots of games and crafts for them to do, and Santa came!! Here he is getting run over by a million preschoolers:

Ahh yes.  Each of the kids got a huge bag of toys and a picture with Santa.  The little boy I was with just kept asking "I get to keep all this?! This is all for me?!"  Yes, indeed.  What a joy it was. Although let me just throw it out there that the bubbles were his favorite part, and probably the cheapest thing in the bag.  Doesn't it always work out that way?  It's the simple pleasures that are the best.

I have my second hardest exam Monday, so what am I doing tomorrow?  Going to Silas T.'s second birthday party, that's what.  Well, after an intense morning of studying. And then I'll be studying that evening, and Monday morning (don't worry Mom, I'm not slacking!).

But the end is so close I can feel it.  I don't even know what it's going to feel like to not be stressed for a month...walking to the beach, visiting friends, sleeping in...okay, this is no longer productive, since I just want to go home.  

It's snowing!

"Snow in the South is wonderful. It has a kind of magic and mystery that it has nowhere else. And the reason for this is that it comes to people in the South not as the grim, unyielding tenant of Winter's keep, but as a strange and wild visitor from the secret North."

-Thomas Wolfe

If it were the pretty winter wonderland type of snow, I would share a picture.  But it's not.  It's the kind you have to be here to enjoy.

And I feel worlds better, after 5 days of being cooped up inside. Finally!  

My arsenal. *Edited*

Yesterday I noticed I had swollen tonsils. Not a great sign.  Then this morning I woke up with a sore throat.  And I'm approx. 10 days away from exams.  That's just not permissible. 

I would normally just start with some echinacea, but not with a threat such as this.  I am on Airborne, DayQuil/NyQuil, and Echinacea.  If that doesn't work, well...it just has to, or maybe I'll get a steroid shot (natural-remedy girl flees under the threat of exam week).  Even if it just delays the inevitable, after the 19th I can have the plague for all I care. 

**I'm afraid it was too little too late. I'm sick. Blah.

What my kids are going to listen to.

This album (and Elizabeth Mitchell's others) are the only kids music I'm going to be able to tolerate.  But I'm hoping for some little hippies anyway. 

And they can listen to THAT as many times as they want (I have).