It's the end of the semester... :( We're studying for exams, turning in last minute projects, and packing up the dorm rooms. I've gotten to the point that I have only three more exams and I've just taught my last lesson at Oakdale. I have now turned to my dorm room. I cannot tell you how much I am a pack rat and how many things end up in places that I didn't know existed.

I had literally every wall covered with posters, pictures, and other things just EVERYWHERE! I have to take it all down too. :( I've managed to fill three boxes with pictures, books, knick knacks, pillows, blankets, and other stuff. I have, left, to pack the essential things, my bedding, bath and kitchen stuff, trash cans, clothes, the couch, foot stools, shelving units, and my fridge. It's quite a lot to move and I'm not thrilled about it. And the fact that we're moving is a problem too. What do I do with it all? Normally I would put it all in the attic and just leave it there for the summer but now that Mom is trashing the attic and putting everything AND anything in boxes, I have to put the boxes in my room and just let it all sit in the corner. It's a sad fate for the boxes and the state of my room will be horrible soon. It will have at least 6 boxes, all three of my suitcases, and tons of shelving just sitting around waiting to be moved to a new home. And me with it.

But it's interesting how things just come to an end and we can't stop it. Today is the third day of May of the year two thousand and ten and I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed! I sound like a broken record with that but I can't help it! I didn't realize how quickly time has passed! This time last year I was preparing to go to London and spend 7 weeks in foreign countries! And I'm currently reading the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray and in it they are in London and they're mentioning places that I know! And I only know them because I spent all that time there discovering new places in a new city in a new country. And now I've already spent my time there and I wish so desperately to go back... It's just amazing that this year I'm moving to a new home and how easily time just flies by and I don't even realize it...

Graduation is even this Saturday. I'm not graduating until May of next year but under my classification in my academic records, I'm listed as a senior because I've taken so many credits. That makes me feel so old! I cannot believe that my time in college is almost over... :( I love school and I know I'm not ready to leave it yet... Maybe that's why I'm becoming a teacher. ^-^ I even have my three month anniversary with my boyfriend this Saturday, that is how much time has flown by. I can't believe it... I also have to say goodbye to my friends who are graduating and make plans with my other friends to do things over the summer, plan things for next school year, and just generally make sure we stay in touch while we all go our separate ways for three months. I am honestly ready to do nothing for a while but I know I will regret that after only a few weeks into summer. I manage to get myself in a vicious cycle where I can't wait for school to be over, have fun with no school for a while, wish I was back in school, then dread the end of summer, happy to be back at school, then hate to be back at school, and wait until the next break. It's a cycle that is never ending and oddly very comforting to know that I know what my life will be like. And yet, I don't want to know. I don't know... :(

But I know one of the last things to come down in my dorm will be my star lights hanging in my window. They are on a timer and are on from 6 PM until about 6 AM. They are a comfort and joy to me and I love my stars. They will be the last thing to be remembered from my junior year of college... I cannot wait for the next part of my life to begin and yet I don't want to leave the comfort of what I already know behind...

As yet another semester comes to a close, it is time to reflect on all those things that have changed over the past 15 weeks, well, actually 14 weeks as we do have 1 more week and exams yet.

This semester, I have gotten to delve more deeply into my major, Special Education, with my 5 classes: methods of math, curriculum and methods of spec. ed., diagnosis and remediation in reading, geometry, and classroom management. I have found something useful in each class, I think. Methods of math has shown me that when teaching little kids about math, we shouldn't assume everything we spell out clearly actually makes sense. Such as, if we show 2 apples plus 2 apples equals 4 apples and we ask how many apples are there, then we shouldn't be surprised if they say 8 because there is actually 8 apples on the diagram even though we're only wanting the number on the other side of the equal sign. In my curriculum and methods of spec. ed. class, I have learned to make an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), write an Evaluation Team Report (ETR), and modify assignments for a student with special needs. In my diagnosis and remediation in reading class, my teacher has shown us that we can give free and very useful reading diagnostics to evaluate the reading abilities of students who may need help. In geometry, I haven't learned anything I haven't already learned, but it was a helpful refresher course when I did get into my practicum for 4th graders. And in classroom management, I have learned different models that are helpful in discipline and structuring a classroom to promote learning, motivation, encouragement, and fun. Not every class I've taken has given me as much but this semester seems to have been a good one. I look forward to one more semester of classes before I student teach in the spring next year. That's scary...! :O

I also participated in the March for Life in Washington DC back in January, saw Jeff Dunham for the first time with my friend Nicole, created a board game that was only worth 10 points but looks like I bought it :D, saw the Polar Bear Plunge for the first time, got involved in a practicum with special needs students, saw the Saints win their first ever Super Bowl, was almost in a heads on collision, had a series of snow days and several feet of snow over the semester, witnessed an awesome winters Olympics, had my first ever real Valentine's Day, my grandpa broke his hip and is still recovering, saw Ringley Brothers and Barnum and Bailey's Circus, sold my house, bought a new house, went to Spring Formal with my boyfriend, participated in the "Bye, Bye Birdie" musical, and had too much fun at Spring Fest. It has been an action packed semester and I have enjoyed almost every minute of it!

With only one week to go, I have only two projects to finish and one paper to edit but I do have three lessons to teach for my practicum. How nerve-wrecking is that!? Then I also have three sit down exams- ewww- and one take home. That'll be fun- not. Then it's out for the summer! My parents just sold our house and bought a new one- all within a week so now we have to pack everything up and take it to the new place. Fortunately for me, most, if not all, of my stuff is in the dorms so I just have to move my stuff from school to, hopefully, the new place in two weeks, but I don't know how well that'll work out. All in all, it's a new adventure I'm looking forward to even though I'm not that excited about doing it right now. :(

With all this going on, I am swamped with things to do and finish but I am having fun taking all my learned knowledge and putting it to good use. I am excited to start some new chapters in my life and I can't wait to start! :)

So this weekend is musical weekend. "Bye, Bye Birdie!" is showing at the Mount this weekend and the first two shows were Thursday and Friday night at 7:30 and two shows are left on Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The show is looking great so far and all of our hard work is finally paying off. I am really having fun with it. I am more or less in charge of the stage crew but you won't find my name in the program because when I came into crew this year, the information had already been sent to the printers for the program so it was too late to add my name. :( That kinda makes me sad but that's the way the world turns sometimes so "put on a happy face!" (a line from the show- lol!).

But today, Saturday, is my roommate's 21st birthday, Sam! She told me two weeks ago that her three best friends from high school/hometown wouldn't be able to come down to the Mount for her birthday so I put into motion some plans that, so far, have seemed to make Sam so much happier about her birthday! I managed to create- and PULL OFF- a surprise birthday party for her last night at a downtown hot spot. I got about 10 or 12 people to travel to Fountain Square and hang out with me and Sam last night. There was even a cake, birthday tiara, sash, and birthday necklace! Sam was very surprised and excited! I was so happy for her! :D She was very happy to see that people came out to celebrate her birthday with us: Shiv and boyfriend Brian, Tricia and boyfriend Jeff W, Allie, Nicole, Ryan, Anne and friend Jeff, my boyfriend, Chris, Rachel and boyfriend AJ, Megan M, Megan P and her boyfriend Jeff C. It was a great time and I was so happy about how well it turned out! My boyfriend and his mom were the ones that made the cake and decorated it. It was awesome! And tasted amazing too! Sam only had one fruity beverage but that's fine that we managed to get her to have at least one. :) She also spent a lot of time dancing with friends and it made her seem very happy last night! :D

I also had my other friends Molly T and Katie decorate our dorm room while we were gone so when Sam and I got back, there were streamers and balloons in the dorm room. Then after Sam left this morning to do priority registration, I decorated the dorm a bit more with streamers on the door in the hallway and balloons and then some signs saying "Happy 21st Birthday Sam!" in the hallway. Then I also managed to get two of Sam's best friends- the ones that originally couldn't come- to come down to the Mount to surprise Sam! I had them hide in the shower because Sam is more or less afraid of the shower. When Maria and I go home for the weekend or she's in the room by herself at night, she opens all the doors and the shower curtain 'cuz she's afraid there might be something hiding in it or whatever. So when I brought her upstairs today, I told her that she could have her birthday present after she got Megatron out of the shower. (Story: she watched "Transformers" by herself in the dark once and that is now why she is afraid of things being shut while she's alone at night so Megatron frequently hides in the shower.) So when she went to find Megatron, Molly A and Cara jumped out of the shower. It was priceless! She was so scared! And Molly recorded everything on her camera so I saw what her face looked like and it was awesome! I loved it! Then they went out to lunch together since Cara had to leave earlier than Molly. But Sam and Molly will be going to the musical tonight so they won't have to cut that visit short at all.

But tonight the musical should be awesome! Molly A, Sam, my parents, boyfriend, and brother and his girlfriend (whom I have yet to meet), will all be there. It should be awesome night! Now I just need to get homework done, stop getting sick (I keep developing a fever with no other symptoms as far as I can tell), and sleep some more then I should be fine! I hope... :)

So last night was Spring Formal! One of the biggest social events that the Mount, and especially CAB, puts on! Last year it was at the Newport Aquarium but this year it was at Paul Brown Stadium. I saw outfits there that ranged from black from head to toe, sweater vests, bow ties, dresses, gowns, tuxes, suits, mobster pin stripe suits, hats and Fedoras, Michael Jackson gloves, and many bright colors! It was quite a show of design and fashion (and sometimes lack thereof).

I had musical practice for "Bye, Bye Birdie!" earlier that afternoon until 5 so after practice was over, everyone bolted for the doors trying to get home and to the dorms to get ready for the dance. It started at 7 technically so people had enough time but most of us thought we wouldn't. Which is strange considering our director, Mary Mazuk, was one of the chaperones and she was required to be there early anyway. So of course we were gonna get out early. :P Thanks Mary!

So we all got ready; I did with my roommates Sam and Maria. Sam wore a pretty teal dress, Maria in a floral black and white, and me in a black and grey striped. My boyfriend wore blue and yellow so we didn't match but I really didn't mind. We all got to the stadium about 7:30 and then ate dinner (rolls, turkey or brisket, potatos, veggies, salad, fruit, pasta, and something else I couldn't identify). Following that, we played Monte Carlo! So gambling! We were all given 24 chips in the beginning and then you gambled them and tried to make more then cashed the chips in for raffle tickets. The prizes we had were: a plasma TV, a PS3, a Coach purse, an IPod Shuffle, an IPod Touch, 4 Red's Tickets, 2 $50 BP cards, a $100 Target card, a $50 Target card, and a $25 AMC card. The games that were there were: Beat the Dealer, Craps, Roulette, Black Jack, etc. My boyfriend and I made friends with the dealer at Beat the Dealer and we walked away with 216 chips between the two of us. We got 54 raffle tickets for them. At the beginning of cashing in, the ratio for tickets was 1:1 but gradually increased as more people turned in more chips, so we cashed in at 4:1 sadly enough. And then we didn't win anything. But I had too much fun anyway. :) The dancing was loud and fun but good.

Then all day today I was recovering from the dance and I was wiped out. My house also went on the market on Friday and we had a showing Saturday morning but now I have to make sure my room at home is spotless when I'm gone. It usually is but it has to be even better than normal so that someone will fall in love with our house and buy it! :) So it was a very quiet day.

This week will not be quiet though. I am the Stage Left Manager and Props Mistress for the musical so I have to be at the practices for this week, Hell Week. Shows are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 1 PM. They should be great and I'm really excited! I just have to make it through all the practices this week before I can relax. And I'll only relax a little bit before I stress out about projects coming up. But overall, life is good. :D

This past weekend was Easter! It was an awesome four day break! I had Thursday night, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off. I spent Thursday night out with some friends and saw "Clash of the Titans" at Newport- awesome! movie by the way! :) But that was a late night and I had a blast!

Friday I spent with my boyfriend. He read all the "Twilight" books and wanted to watch "Twilight" and "New Moon" so that he could figure out what was different from the books and the movies. We got through the first one before we were bugged by my friends Rachel and AJ to go to the casino. So we left and went to Hollywood Casino where we had fun for a few hours! Even had a great dinner there too! I love free places 'cuz you can go and just hang out and not do anything if you don't want to. I play the slots but I had more fun just people watching and watching my friends gamble instead. It's quite an interesting place. This is my third time going. The first time was for my 21st birthday, then my friend Nicole's birthday, and then that day too just 'cuz we could. It's a fun time! Gotta love Indiana... :)

Then I went home and on Saturday I spent the day fixing up the house. My parents have decided that it's time to move since my brother and I are getting older, and so are they, so now it's time to find a condo where they don't have too many steps into the house, a two car garage (we have only a one car now and they hate it), an end unit, a club house with a pool, and a first floor bedroom. They want a place that they can work in the yard if they want to but are not required to because the Home Owners Association (HOA) does it for you, that's why you pay them each month like rent almost. So now we're looking and my parents signed the papers with the realtor on Saturday so it's going on the market in a week or so. We have a lot to do before then. It's kinda scary but very exciting! I'm ready for a new place. We've been in this house since 7th grade and I really like it but I can do with a change I guess. I don't know... I guess I don't have a real choice in it do I? But it's good I'm in the dorms so I don't have too much to move from our house now to the new place. I'll let you know what happens with our place. Keep your fingers crossed it sells quickly! :)

Then Sunday was Easter! I spent the morning and brunch with my family but the afternoon and evening was with my boyfriend's family. It was a great time! It's only the second time I've met his extended family (I went to his cousin's wedding a couple of weeks ago and met everyone then). He has two adorable little cousins, Shelly who is 4 and Bonnie who is 2, and they were so much fun! They kept wanting me to push them on the swings, find the Easter eggs with them, eat dinner with them- and I proceeded to get stuck physically at the kiddie picnic bench. It was pretty fun. My boyfriend got stuck too. It was hilarious! Then we went back to his house and played games with his parents for a while.

Then Monday I spent the day with my mom buying things to make our house pretty. TV shows say that you need to make the home a place that could be open to any possiblities so it has to be impersonal, clean, and open. So like my room. It has my queen sized bed, two nightstands, two shelves of ceramics pieces, a round Chinese lamp hanging from the ceiling, a desk, my printer, a chair, three words on the wall (metal words Love-Live-Laugh), a guitar picture, and a carpet. It used to have pictures of my friends all over the place, stuffed animals on one nightstand, a "Twilight" poster on the wall, and other knick knacks. Now they're gone. :( It doesn't feel like my room any more. But it has to be photographed and available for any showings that might be requested. It'll be an interesting process. I was 13 the last time we moved and I don't remember it very well. It'll be interesting this time... :)

Today was also Opening Day for the Reds and the MLB so that was fun to watch a bit of at lunch with my mom and brother. But after buying fun things all day, we watched the thunderstorms roll through, then I came back to school. And I just watched Duke beat Butler in the NCAA Championship. I think I totally lost the whole bracket for my pool but I really don't care. It's $10 so I'm not worried about it. :) Now it's back to the grind of school. I have musical practice every night this week, Spring Formal is this coming weekend, and the show is next weekend along with my one roommate's 21st birthday. It should be an awesome next two weeks! And not to mention I have little Easter Eggs everywhere to find, not only the candy kind, but the little things that make me smile. Like seeing friends and having fun. This is a great time in life and I am enjoying every minute of it! <3

no, i'm not talking about the vampire movie, even though i did have that new moon midnight release experience this past weekend. i'm referring to a 15-minute reflection that is held every monday night through campus ministry. it is a brief, insightful, relaxing meeting of students with our campus minister to simply reflect on the past day and look forward to the next week. i find myself on most nights laying down on the floor and counting my breathing as i listen to the thoughtful words of the night. it is not a time of speaking to each other but rather listening to the campus minister guide us in meditation.

well last night's reflection was a PERFECT end to my day. you know that kind of day when you wake up and know its going to be a good day. well that was yesterday for me. i started out with breakfast (hardly ever happens) and moved on through the day successfully with classes, meetings, homework, being with friends, and more. there wasn't a single moment of negativity yesterday and it felt fantastic. as the night progressed after dinner i was watching the bucket list and felt that much better about my life, especially for the 46 days left i have of my college career. it left me in a great mood about life and it ended at 10:59. so at 11:00 i headed up to the 6th floor chapel for the most influential twilight experience i've had. the night's reflection focused on life lessons and learning to open our eyes and see whats in front of us.

what did you encounter today?

what will you encounter this week?

more importantly, what will you learn from it?

I had an interesting night last night. The Campus Ministry Leadership Team (CMLT) put on a good event last night: Sundae Sunday! It was a time for students to gather in the 6 East Lobby, make ice cream sundaes, color some Easter pictures, decorate and make the tallest cupcake, and socialize. It was quite a good event!

For the coloring table, there was a coloring contest and three winners judged by Sam Gaier and Laura Leisring. They chose the winners and each winner won a prize bag that had things in it like gift cards, crayons, markers, coloring books, trivia questions, and other fun little things that I'm sure really add up! :) It was exciting!

Then the cupcake building contest was judged by Stephanie Schoenfeld and Courtney Cole. I don't really remember who won but it was exciting 'cuz I'm pretty sure the tallest one was about 6 inches high or so with icing, twizzlers, and other candies. It was quite disgusting looking I can assure you. ^-^ But they were excited that it got that tall! :) Of course, then it got interesting when I smeared a bit of icing on my friend Megan's cheek 'cuz then she went ahead and smeared me too! So we stuck them together and took a pic! It was quite a fun time!

But it was fun to socialize with all the people who came. There had to be at least 50 people that filtered through. Most people got ice cream, and/or a cupcake, then left. But quite a few stayed to talk, gossip, color, and build! I was excited for CMLT 'cuz they never have this many people show up for one of their events and this turned out really well! I was excited for them! Most events like this are put on by CAB so it was nice to see a different group have success too. :) That is one of the nice things about the Mount: we have such diversity and such fun little things that are put on that you really can't be bored with any of it!

I know that there is Pancake and Ponder on Tuesday morning, "New Moon" is being shown on Tuesday night, a game night on Wednesday night, "Bucket List" on Thursday night, and a comedian on another night-- all this week! Who thought the Mount would have so many fun things in just one week!!! :D This will be an exciting time for the Mount students!! :)

this is a problem that i've had since 8th grade. i save EVERYTHING. really. i'm the typical packrat who can't throw away a short story i wrote when i was in the 2nd grade because i won 'outstanding creativity' for it. and its still bad because even this year alone as i'm about to graduate college i'm saving post-it notes because someone wrote something funny on it. i have issues. i swear i do. when i was home last i tried to go through my old closet to throw away junk that i didn't 'need' anymore. well majority of closet is stuff that i don't 'NEED'. so what did i do? i threw away about a fourth of the stuff in that closet. the question is more about the stuff in my dorm room here. i have binders from freshman year with doodles all over it and training pamphlets from jobs that i no longer have. now i'm trying to challenge myself: don't bring anything home that i don't NEED. of course i'm going to bring home my tv and fridge even though i don't NEED them but there is plenty of other things in my room that i need to go! PLUS: i have a bag full of clothes i'm donating that has been sitting in here and taking space since i think october... YIKES! it also needs to go! wish me luck!