Christmas With The Cacibaudas

WARNING: I'm about to let the whole world (read: all 4 of my blog peeps) see some emotion from yours truly. The real deal stuff, not my I-hate-physics-and-Cormac-McCarthy emotion. I'll even try to speak fluent niceness instead of fluent sarcasm. (What can I say? It's a gift.) :)

I can't believe it's already the last day of 2011. I can't figure out where it all went, especially the last six months. I'm pretty sure my life has been scarier and more exciting/nerve-wracking this year than it has been my whole life. It has been a pretty big year for Casa de Cacibauda: graduations, college, JT getting a big boy job in the grown-up world, Zoe working on her sophomore and junior year so she can graduate early, weddings, new additions to the family, too many visits to doctors/hospitals, and Mom and Dad trying to control their 3 crazy children as always.

December is always my favorite month because it's Christmas time. Christmas is the craziest time of year at Casa de Cacibauda. We always have multiple Christmases due to our big family, lots of food to make, and December means JT comes home! This year he was only able to come home for a week. A WEEK. As in, not many days at all. He got here on the 17th and left on the 26th. Him and Karley are taking a class they need to have before they graduate. Where does this class take place? Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam. They left to fly over there on the 27th and are there now having a wonderful time. (Are you wondering why your life isn't that cool? Yeah, me too. Story of my life.)

If you have little children, you better tell them to take in every second they have with their siblings and enjoy living with them! I kinda wish someone would go back in time and tell little Alexa, "PAY ATTENTION! Take in every second because later in life your brother is going to move 14 hours away, you're going to go to college, and your baby sister will somehow be allowed to drive and become the prettiest person on the whole planet. And nothing will ever, ever, ever be the same again. And you'll be sad. So don't grow up." Oh wait, my parents DID say that. Or.. something along those lines. You know what I realized as I was laying in bed watching some cheesy, sappy sibling commercial a few weeks ago? My siblings and I are never going to live together in the same house ever again. NEVER. (Okay, so we actually will when June rolls around and my brother comes home for the summer.. but you know what I mean!) We are all getting old, living on our own, and doing our own thing. And eventually we'll all be married with kids and have to adjust holiday traditions and stuff. (FYI to our future spouses, WE CLAIM CHRISTMAS EVE! We can be with your family any other day of the year except that one.) Minus me. My sister told me I should just go ahead and start preparing for cats and get one of those tacky license plates that says SNGL4LYFE. She's so loving.

I'm not a fan of this whole growing up, everything changing, having to share my siblings with other people thing. And no, it's not because I'm the single one! Okay.. it might have something to do with that. But not really. You know what? Stop judging. :) Siblings are just the people that just get you, ya know? They know that even if you can't spell sod, you're still smart. Really. And even though our comeback for everything is, "You better hope you never need a kidney, because you aren't getting mine!" you know they'd give up one of their beloved kidneys for you in a heartbeat. And even though there are always threats to kill you, punch you, or throw you over the upstairs balcony (Ahem. JT.).. we know none of us would actually throw the other one over the balcony. It's not a far enough fall, and our mother would die if we got blood on the living room rug. Duh. I can't imagine growing up without them! My life would be so boring.

Ah, well. That's enough niceness for one blog post. I can't let everyone know I have emotions, that would be tragic. :) The holidays have been great, but I'm ready to get back to Starkville. I miss it too much! Tell everyone you love them and don't forget to give lots of hugs, people! Life is too short. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year from the Cacibaudas. If 2011 wasn't nice to you, I hope 2012 has better manners and treats you right. :)

Super Powers and Library Lovers: First Semester Discoveries

IT'S OVER! My first semester of college classes are over. I have three finals next week, but other than that I am D-O-N-E. I am so, so thankful this week is over for me! I feel like my life was a game show hosted by Satan himself this week. College vs Alexa. I won, in case you were wondering. :) I've been awake for almost 40 hours, but it feels so good to be finished! I was in the library until 3:30 this morning writing a ten page research paper on Pride and Prejudice. The BEST paper I've ever written, hands down. I was enjoying it a little too much. Then I studied for my physics lab final, and by the time I finished it was 6:30 am. My alarm goes off at 7, so I just didn't go to sleep. Praise Da LAWD for coffee and excedrin migraine! (Yes, Mom, I know I need to sleep more. Yes, I know this won't help me stay healthy. Yes, I am going to sleep tonight.)

Anyway, this semester has been filled with tons of.. uh.. interesting discoveries. These are probably the top ten though. Ahem:

1. I have a serious problem with accidentally playing footsie with strangers under the tables/cubicles in the library. It's ALWAYS a boy sitting across from me with his legs stretched out! They always think I'm flirting and doing it on purpose, and then they do the boy smile, smirk & nod thing. Little do they know I just have restless leg syndrome and the attention span of a five year old. That's a joke, peeps.

2. Having a lab instructor that likes you is FAB-U-LOUS. This means he will give you answers when you have NO clue what you're doing, you will receive better lab report grades than your lab partner even though your lab reports are identical (sorry, Melissa!), and he will also give you a 100 on your final as a Christmas present simply because he can't find the paper. Yeah, THAT HAPPENED. He's the bomb. What can I say, it pays to be pretty. :) Being a nice person helps too.

3. Looking for a new place to make out with your middle school luvahhh? No need to go to the movies anymore, just hit up MSU's library. There is a couple that has decided to sit right next to my area (YES, it is MINE. I have been going there all semester!) of the library and the only thing they study is the inside of each others mouths. "Hi, I was wondering, is it possible to increase security? I wrote a book that's up there, and instead of reading it people are.. well, they're rolling around in front of it." Name that tv show. 

4. The asian ladies that swipe IDs during lunch at Perry LOVE to politely tell me I look God awful on a regular basis. Tuesdays/Thursdays are my bad days, so I usually don't have make-up on and my hair probably hasn't been brushed. Those are also the only days I get to eat lunch.  They always ask me, "Are you feeling okay? You look like you're having a rough day." or "How are you sweetie? Tough morning?" or "You look completely drained. Have a good day!" Damn asians.

5. Josh Winter (my physics teacher) should be a model. Seriously. He always has a look on his face that reminds me of a model, even when he's just randomly walking down the hallway. It's glorious. My heart skips a few beats every time he talks to me. Not to mention he has a geeky, intense love for Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings. Can you say soul mates?

6. Taking an Excedrin Migraine after having 4 cups of coffee, two of which were from Starbucks, makes you jittery and extra cray cray. You will look and feel like you are having a seizure. I'm talking about a fish-out-of-water/sizzling bacon kind of seizure. Also, you will probably get weird looks from the people in the library.

7. College is a vicious cycle. Catching up in one class means falling behind in another. Studying for one class means you have less time to study for another. Earlier this week, I skipped my geography class so I could study for a psychology test that I couldn't study for earlier because I had a physical science test! And I wrote my entire research paper last night because I was too busy studying for my tests and didn't even want to think about my paper at the time. It's never ending!

8. My perspective on grades has changed A LOT. In high school, I was an all As kind of girl. When I said I did bad on something, I probably meant I made a 90-93. If I made a 99 on something, it secretly drove me CRAZY that I didn't get that one point. Yeah, I was THAT girl. I wasn't one of those ridiculous people who cried when they got a B, but it would make me pretty mad. And Cs? Um, the only C I ever saw on anything was the first and third letter of my last name. These days, however, things are a little different. I made a B (!!!!) on my physics test this week and HAPPY DANCED. I was slightly bummed that I didn't pull off an A even though I studied SO HARD, but physics just isn't my thing.

9. Waking up late gives you super powers. My walk to my physical science class is a good 10-15 minute walk depending on how fast I walk. However, there have been MANY times this semester where I wake up at 7:45/7:50 and somehow make it to class by 8. It's a gift, really. Also, hats and perfume are two wonderful inventions. Ya diggg?

10. For some reason I'm still unsure of, God has blessed me with the most incredible people! I have a wonderful, supportive fan club also known as my crazy family. My parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins.. they are the best of the best. :) Always sending sweet, encouraging texts/calls/FB messages and always ready to listen to one of my ridiculous rants! And each time I go home, I can always count on my mom to be standing by the door waiting to give me a mommy hug as if she hasn't seen me in years. :) I also have the most incredible best friends a girl could possibly ask for! Like, REAL ones! They watch out for me (when they're not almost getting us killed), make my days much brighter, bring me cupcakes, sit with me in the ER, carry in heavy stuff from my car, freeze to death while my sick/infected self keeps the room at 60 degrees in the winter, and even drive me all the way home when I'm too sick to drive myself. I have no clue what I did to deserve such wonderful friends! Feeling. The. Love. Thanks for errrrythang, peeps. :) You guys are daaaa best.

So there you go. I can NOT believe I am halfway through my freshman year of college. My life needs to SLOW DOWN! I don't want to be all grown up and stuff! Good luck to all my college friends who are dying this week and preparing for finals. I will definitely miss life in Starky, but I can't wait to be home with my family for Christmas! My brother and his girlfriend come home in 16 DAYS!!! I can't wait. Excited doesn't even begin to cover it! JT has been so helpful this semester. I can always count on him to have an answer to almost anything, and I love our middle of the night chit chats. I can't wait for him and Karley to be home where they belong for Christmas!

By the way, my friend/fellow cyber-stalker/soul mate just came out with her first book! It's called Ketchup is a Vegetable and Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves. You can buy it here. She's HI-LARIOUS. I just started reading it today and I'm already halfway through! She's an incredible writer and inspires me daily! She also has a blog.. READ IT. Love it. You will laugh until you cry and/or pee your pants. I always go and re-read a few of her posts when I'm having a bad day and need a good laugh. Her three beautiful, bubbly daughters give her plenty of hilarious material to write about. Stalk her on Facebook and Twitter. She's friendly, I promise. :) You can find her blog here! Check it out. You won't regret it, I promise.

40 hours without sleep makes for a delirious, cranky Alexa, so it is time. to. crash. Happy Holidays, beautiful people. :) Over and out.

Needle Happy Nurses and Drug Addictions

True Life: I have turned into a drug addict.

Lemme just say, it SUCKS to be sick in college. For me AND my poor roomie, who has been FREEZING all week because it's cold enough to hang meat in our room. But thanks to my coughing and the heating pad that is permanently strapped to my chest, it feels GREAT to me. Sorry Jen, thanks for putting up with me. :)

Anyway, the people who work at the Student Health Center are CRAY CRAY. I try to avoid going there unless I'm in dire need of drugs. No matter what you go there for, they always want to take your blood. ALWAYS! They are needle happy. (Word on the street is that it's so the nurses can get some practice in. Uhh, put the needle down and back away. You are NOT practicing on me.) Anyway, I picked up a cold from God knows where, and it turned into bronchitis and a URI. Go figure. (Also, I don't think staying out in the freezing cold and being around a bunch of smokers until 4am Friday night was a good idea. But hey, it was Bulldog Bash!) So thanks to my sucky immune system and irresponsible (but ridiculously fun) weekend plans, I had to drag myself to the SHC yesterday. The beginning of this week's visit went a little something like this:

*grumpy lady with an attitude takes me to the back*
(Note: I INSTANTLY notice the huge needle and tube thingys. Cue panic attack.)
Nurse: Sit. *points to chair* (Uh.. am I a dog?)
Me: (I sit like the good dog I am. Where's my treat?)
Nurse: Roll up your sleeve.
Me: Um.. roll up my sleeve?
Nurse: *rolls eyes* Yes. Blood test.
Me: Oh, I'm sorry but I don't need a blood test.
Nurse: You don't want no blood test? Why you think you don't need one? (att-i-tude.)

I kindly explain that I know what's wrong with me, and a blood test isn't necessary. I just need to see a doctor, get my oxygen levels checked, and get some antibiotics. She huffed and puffed, but finally let me go back to the front and wait for the doctor. Nurses HATE when I do that. I know they think I'm just a bratty, know-it-all college student, but forreals. After 18 years of this nonsense, I know what I'm talking about. I finally got a doctor and she was AWESOME. Bronchitis. URI. Low oxygen levels. Just like I said. In your face mean, needle happy nurse.

Then Awesome Doctor said two tragic words: bed rest. Uhh.. what? What does that even mean? No class. No walking long distances. No driving. Try to never be by myself in case my oxygen levels drop too low and I pass out. Um.. WHAT? I just stared at her for a really, really long time. This is the busiest week of my life and I'm not allowed to leave my bed? I thought bed rest was only for dying/pregnant people. I'm too young to be dying, and my eggo is certainly not preggo. (Name that movie.)

So here I am. Just me, my drugs, and my breathing machine. (I'm 18 and I have a BREATHING MACHINE. Am I aging in reverse or something? Curious Case of Alexa Cacibauda, anyone?) In my room. In bed. Where I've been ALL FRICKIN DAY and will continue to stay until Awesome Doctor says I can go to class and be normal. And to add cherries to the top of my Sundae of Sick Suckness, SHC isn't allowed to give excuses for missing class. Even though they are making me miss. Ummmm.

Sucks. To. Suck.

Jane Austen and Nerdy Italian Genes

Well, just in case all of you [and by that I mean all two or three of you. Hi, Mom. Thanks for being my #1 fan. You da best. You too, Bragg, since I know you aren't slacking on your creeping skills! :)] were worried.. I'm still alive. I've just been living in the library the past three weeks or so. Seriously. Guess where I am right now? Uh huh. The 4th floor and I see lots of each other, but I occasionally cheat on it and go up to the 5th floor instead. When I'm here at night, I'm always afraid I'm going to fall asleep and get locked in here. So I set an alarm on my phone for 1am every time. You know, just in case! The library is probably my favorite place on campus, even though I associate it with school work. If I don't feel like sitting in a cubicle, I'll just go sit in between two book shelves against the wall. The smell of old books.. yeah, I could get high off that stuff. LOVE it. Nerdy, I know. What can I say, I'm my mother's daughter. Sometimes I think we are the same person. She's just been here longer, so she has more wrinkles. :)

Speaking of nerdy, I have to write a huge research paper for my honors comp 2 class and I've decided to do it on Pride and Prejudice. I'm LOVING it. I mean, I love it a little less on the days I'm feeling super lazy, but I really have taken the terms nerdy and geeky to a whole different level. I spent at least 45 minutes in front of the shelf with all of the Jane Austen/Pride & Prejudice literary criticisms. Then I had to take two trips to the check-out desk because I got 12 books. When I had to write my 10 annotated bibliographies, it took me FOREVER. Not because I didn't know what I was doing, but because I would start reading part of a book to get an idea for my summaries, and then I wouldn't be able to stop reading. Sigh. Thanks for the nerdy traits, mom. :)

In other news, time is going by so fast! I feel like I'm going to close my eyes, open them, and suddenly have 4 kids, lots of grandkids, and a jillion wrinkles. Oh, and a husband. Those are generally important. But you get the point. My baby sister turned 16 on Sunday. SIXTEEN, people! She'll also be able to drive a car by herself soon, so if you live on the coast.. you have been warned.

How did we go from this..

To THIS so quickly?

Yeah. I have no idea either. Either way, my life needs to SLOW DOWN. I'm getting too old, too fast! And thanks to my lovely Italian genes, wanna know what comes with getting old? WEIGHT. Apparently I don't get to eat whatever I want and get away with it anymore. I started a new diet thing this week. Oh, excuse me.. not a diet, a "new, healthy lifestyle." Gag.

:)

Snotty Noses and the Fires of Failure

That, ladies and gentlemen, is my GPA going up in flames and burning in the fires of failure. Just in case you weren't sure since I have the drawing skills of a two year old. Not good at physics, not good at drawing.. what can I say, I got the short end of the stick. 

"I promise physics is important! You really will use it later in life no matter what your career choice is!"

Umm, sorry Josh Winter, you may be hilarious and attractive, but you are a liar. Six year olds don't know or care about physics. I mean really. Are they going to ask me to calculate the speed of their barbie jeep or something? Besides, if they ever ask me a question I don't have an answer for, I'll just do the responsible adult thing and say, "That's a great question for your parents! Ask them when you get home from school today!" Problem solved. :)

Physical science and I have a relationship that will never be filled with anything but hate. Maybe it's just a common problem with elementary ed majors. There are a few other girls in my class that are just as clueless as I am, and they are elementary ed majors too! I mean, jeez.. don't you think there's a reason we want to teach elementary school? We don't have to be the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to physics, we just have to make sure we have enough crayons for our kids to color with! (That's a joke, peeps. Elementary ed majors are just as smart as engineers! But, uh, hopefully engineers are a little better at physics.)

So maybe I don't have the IQ of a genius or a perfect GPA, and I'm not going to be as successful/rich as JT's going to be; And I certainly didn't get my mom's artistic talents like Zoe did, so I can't draw decent looking stick people, much less something spectacular; BUT I can/am going to spend 8 hours in a classroom five days a week with short, whiny humans that constantly need my attention and have snot on their face 90% of the time. I'm going to teach them to read, count, and use their imagination. I'll laugh at their jokes that make no sense (Knock knock! Who's there? Tomato. Tomato who? ORANGE! Giggle giggle giggle) and smile when they finally understand something and their face lights up.

And to me, all of that is WAY better than being able to tell you the velocity and frequency of the sound waves coming from your computer speakers while you're blasting your Backstreet Boys Millennium CD.

:)

No Country for Old Men, No Sanity for Alexa

Warning: I'm about to be an overly dramatic drama diva queen. You have been warned. :)

Cormac McCarthy is still alive, right? I need to have a little chit chat with that lunatic of a writer. Because after having to read No Country for Old Men for my Honors Comp 2 class, I have a few questions. Ahem.

1) Are you a psychopath or do you have dreams of becoming one?
2) While other kids were coloring, were you looking up a million ways to be cruel?
3) Did your parents hug you enough when you were little?
4) Now that I have read your book, could you kindly point me in the direction of the nearest therapist?

Worst. Book. Ever. Ever. Ever. EVER.

If you are going to tell me something about how it's a great piece of literature or some other kind of nonsense like that, you better keep those terrible thoughts in your pretty little head! And then be thankful that your head wasn't one of the many ones that got to meet a nice cattle gun (Is that what those things are called? The thing they use to shoot cows in the forehead or whatevs?) in that stupid book. I mean REALLY. I've watched my fair share of gory tv shows/movies that made me want to throw up all of my internal organs, but this book goes way past anything I've ever seen. It's 309 pages of nonstop killing! I wake up in the morning and brush my teeth, he wakes up in the morning and kills five people. Then changes his shirt and goes on with his day. No big deal.

I hated reading it. I can't even imagine writing something like that! I always get really attached to the characters in the books I read, so that's probably a big problem too. Once I got closer to the end of the book and he killed one of the main character's wife, Carla Jean, (who, might I add, had just lost her husband AND her mom) I lost it. I'm pretty sure Jen thought something was wrong with me. I had to stop reading and do something else because I couldn't do it! He's awful, mean, terrible, and just HORRIBLE! The way he kills the people, and the awful conversations he has with them right before, and just everything! I can't wrap my tiny little brain around something like that. I've been having awful dreams about it too! I mean, there are probably people like him on this planet! I have big dreams and plans for my life, people. I can NOT afford to get chased down by a psycho killer. I was glad when I went to class on Tuesday and discovered that some of the other girls in my class are just as disturbed. Oh, and someone PLEASE tell me how the movie got an Academy Award. Best picture? Are you kidding?! Sickos.

My heart sinks every time I have to open the book. The best part? I still have to discuss/analyze it even more and then I get to write a paper on it next week. Lucky me! If you have/had to read this book, I'm so sorry. You are more than welcome to go searching for a therapist with me. :)

So, stay away from psychopathic murderers, and if you see someone with a cattle gun.. RUN.

Home Is Where The Pickles Are

I surprised my family and went home this past weekend. I had no intention of going home because gas is really expensive, but a few of my friends were going home so they talked me into riding with them. (thanks Ryan and Christian!)

Best. Idea. Ever.

I didn't say anything about coming home to my parents. Then I ran into a slight problem because my mom wanted to either A) overnight my machine that helps me breathe to fix my mama llama lung drama (Just in case you're wondering, I have no idea how/why I came up with that. But it rhymes!) or B) drive up to Starkville to see that I'm alive with her own two eyes. My oxygen intake level has been really low for the last week-ish, and apparently my parents were a lot more worried than they made me think. Clearly, they love me.. who knew. ;) Anyway, I came up with a nice little story and told my darling mother that my friend Drue was going home this weekend and would stop by on Friday to pick up my thingy. Needless to say, she was really excited when she opened the door and found her darling oldest daughter instead of Drue.

It was the perfect weekend to go home! My mom and I showed up at the football game on Friday and surprised my dad and sister. People probably thought my sister hadn't seen me in months/years due to the fact that she squealed/jumped up and down/hugged me for five minutes. We have separation issues. Then band contest and my dad's birthday was on Saturday, so I got to see the halftime show and be there for my dad's birthday party! AND I got to watch two Yankees ALDS games and the Saints game with my wonderful daddy. That's something I miss more than anything.

It was really, really good to be home. Between my mama llama lung drama and school kicking my butt, I needed mommy/daddy hugs and sleepovers/silliness with my sister. It was a really wonderful weekend filled with baking cakes, band stuff, and loving on sweet baby Livie! I really missed my family! I take them for granted for sure. They really are the best! I can't wait for Christmas when my brother will be home and all five of us will be together. Speaking of JT, cross your fingers and maybe mention his name when you're saying hey to Jesus every now and then. He's starting to interview for scary, grown-up world jobs that will determine where he lives after he graduates in May! So, fingers crossed. (Double crossed for somewhere closer than 14 hours away. Me no likey this distance.) I'm so proud of him!

I have four midterms and a paper due this week.. BOOOO. But that's okay. Thanks to the weekend I got my oxygen, hugs, and pickles. :) Pretty sure I can conquer the world (and physics) now.

PS- IT SMELLS LIKE FALL OUTSIDE!

Hugs, Lungs, and Animal Crackers

I love hugs. LOVE THEM. I grew up in a big, loving family that likes to hug a lot. Bad day! Hug. You made an A, yay! Hug. You just brushed your teeth! Hug. Are you catching what I'm throwing, peeps? The Van Ackers/Cacibaudas are all about hugging it out. Maybe it's because we like each other, or maybe it's just because it makes it easier to secretly stick something to someone's back. Who knows, but due to this hugging obsession, hugs play a vital role in my life. They are #3 on my list of life's necessities, right under oxygen and pickles. When I lived at home, I was too lazy to walk downstairs for food/water/school binder/anything, but I would go down there just to hug my mom without even thinking about it.

Anyway, the point of this ridiculous tangent is that hugs are different when you get to college. I don't always hug people goodbye, because I'm probably going to see them in a few hours! You get hugs at church, but they are just the quick .253 second hugs. You don't get a really awesome hug often, and you certainly don't get any mommy hugs. But I can always count on my Critz girls for a good hug. It's normal for me to walk across the hall into Stephanie's room, hold out my arms, and say, "Hold meeee!" I think I need to start hugging people all the time again. Did you know you need 4 hugs a day to survive, 8 to function, and 12 to grow? Eat your veggies and get your hugs, people!

Remember that list of life's necessities I mentioned earlier? Well, I'm short on hugs, there aren't pickles in my fridge, and my lungs are crapping out on me this week. It's only a matter of time before my short little life ends! So tragic. The cold I caught from my infected friends has worked its way up to a nice little upper respiratory infection, just like I figured it would. I'm such a pro at being sick. I go to the doctor and tell them what's wrong with me, what I have, and the medicine I need. If only I could write my own prescriptions. Just think of all the money I could save!

Due to my mama llama lung drama, I never feel like walking up the steep hill to get to the Union/Perry to eat dinner, so lately my dinner has consisted of a nice, healthy bowl of animal crackers and peanut butter. Tonight I might even spice it up and throw in a fruit cup and Capri Sun! You're jealous. You would much rather eat my dinner than your nice, home-cooked meal. I know.

If you need to get your good deed out of the way for this week, I'm looking for a new pair of lungs. I'll even buy you dinner first! No old, black, smoker lungs, please.

Reunions and Rain

Well. I've been here for a little over a month now. I haven't been arrested or kicked out, and I've managed to avoid being raped/attacked/stabbed/kidnapped, so these are all good things.. right?

Things have been quite eventful around here lately. I like keeping myself busy, but lately I've just felt like being lazy. Too bad I never have time to be lazy! I should start putting "be super lazy" on my to-do list every day. I had three tests last week, so being lazy wasn't really an option. I have my physics test this Thursday. Gag. I will gladly accept prayers, chocolate, and/or a noose.

Anyway! Last weekend, Jen and I took a road trip to Auburn for the Auburn/State game! We left State at 5 am, and met up with two of my friends from home, Sebastian and Jill. Then we drove back later that night after the game. It was a LONG day, but it was so much fun! Seeing Sebastian and Jill made me so happy. :)

Then it was test week. :( I survived my geography and psychology tests on Monday, and aced (read: I MADE A FREAKING 100!!!) my math test on Wednesday. We had Cowbell Yell (a pep rally thingy) on Wednesday night to get everyone pumped for our first home game on Thursday. I went with my sweet little Critz family! Have I mentioned how much I love them?

Stephanie, Audra, and myself at Cowbell Yell! They live on my hall. :)

Ready to hear the best part? Since ESPN and LSU fans invaded Starkville on Thursday for the game, classes were cancelled. Terrible Thursday was NONEXISTENT! The weather was super nice, and college football games are really fun! It was weird being at a football game and not being in a band uniform. I had lots of good times in band, but this was so different! I loved every second of it. Also, I don't care what kind of jokes are made about our cowbells, ringing those things are FUN. And painful. But still fun. :) Along with getting to watch a football game and make lots of noise with a cowbell, there are a few bonuses that are thrown in there that no one mentions. You know, like being slammed into by obnoxious boys and getting alcoholic drinks spilled on my clothes.

My roomie :)

Drue :) She lives on my hall and is Stephanie's roommate!

   
 














Then, the very best thing happened on Friday! I was reunited with two of my very bestest friends from home! We hadn't all been together since summer, so saying we were excited is an understatement! Courtney came up Wednesday night, and Ashley got here Friday. Ridiculous things always happen when we're together. I don't know how, it just happens! I'm pretty sure my mom was saying a prayer for every person in Starkville when she found out the three of us would be together all weekend.

But you know what they say, all good things must come to an end. I don't really like the person that came up with that. I started my Monday with wet hair, no coffee in my system, running on less than two hours of sleep. After my two classes I did some homework in the library, made a careless mistake on my easy cheesy math quiz, and realized I have no idea what I did with my physical science lab work that's due this week. Then I got to walk all the way across campus to my dorm in the pouring rain. And since my sweet mother was nice enough to share her TERRIBLE luck with me (thanks, Mom!), I was walking down what is probably the biggest hill on campus and slipped. And fell. While carrying a 10,000 pound backpack and holding food, a drink, and my keys. Yep. That happened.

If you're gonna do it, do it big.. right?

Fig Newtons and Mass Watchers

I hate Tuesdays and Thursdays. I usually refer to them as Terrible Tuesdays and Terrible Thursdays simply because I despise them so much. I secretly hope it hurts their feelings. (The ONLY good thing about Tuesdays is the CSA $2 Tuesday Night Dinner. Real, delicious food? Yes, please.) Anyway, I start my Tuesdays and Thursdays with an 8 am physical science class that is in the middle of NO WHERE and takes 10-15 minutes to walk to. The best part? The entire walk is uphill. Lucky me! Every Tuesday and Thursday, as I am literally falling out of my lifted bed, I ask myself, "Self, why the HELL would you schedule an 8 am class that's located in East Jesus?" The only response I can think to give myself is, "Because, Self, you are the DUMBEST PERSON EVER." But I will admit that on the days I get up on time, have 3 cups of coffee, and the weather is nice, the walk is somewhat enjoyable. It was 58 degrees when I left my dorm at 7:40 this morning, so I had a nice 15 minutes of coffee/Benjy Davis bonding time on my way to class.

I got to class on time, I didn't have to run, AND my hair was dry because I actually had enough time to use that awesome invention known as the hair dryer. I was feeling pretty accomplished. My naive, sleep deprived self even thought You know what? This Terrible Tuesday might not be so terrible after all. (Did you just laugh, shake your head, and call me stupid? I did, too.) Then my (really cute) teacher started talking and my dreams of a good Terrible Tuesday went down the drain. The same drain my Physical Science grade (and sanity) is going to end up going down.

Physical science is nothing but physics. I don't even know why they call it physical science! On the first day of class my teacher said, "They call this class physical science, but it's basically a physics class. All we are going to do in this class is physics, so I hope you like math." So, being a person with a geeky, intense love for math, I was excited! I LOVE math. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread and the New York Yankees! Sometimes when I'm bored in class or laying in bed at night, I make up equations in my head and solve them. It's something/one of the only things I'm good at. Obviously when Josh Winter said, "I hope you like math," he REALLY meant, "I hope you like a bunch of stupid crap that I'm going to call math, but when I teach it to you it's really going to sound like someone is talking to you in German." I don't understand it. What's even worse is that I don't understand why I don't understand. It just makes NO SENSE!

There are so many stupid words like velocity, inertia, net force, mass, and weight. Then there are confusing things like the fact that mass and weight aren't the same thing. My teacher went on a hilarious rant about the fact that Weight Watchers should be called Mass Watchers, because you're actually trying to lose mass, not weight. Wanna know what mass and weight are to me? Mass is where I go to praise Jesus every Sunday, and weight is what I gain when I go home for Labor Day weekend during a tropical storm and my mom has nothing to do but cook and bake! Also, I hate that stupid Newton guy. The only kind of newton I like is the fig kind. Sigh.

So, there's that. I know this particular post isn't very convincing, but I still love college. A LOT. I love that I love it so much! My other classes are fine, my physical science lab starts this week (gag), and I have my first test in every class next week. Terrified doesn't even begin to explain how I feel about that. But thankfully I have my wonderful friends and my awesome Critz 1st floor girls. We have become a legit little family and I LOVE it! I have no idea what I would do without them. I have to study and do most of my homework in the library, because it's impossible to get anything done at my dorm. We all like each other too much, so it's easy to get distracted. Jen and I are taking a road trip to Auburn this weekend to meet up with our friends Sebastian and Jill for the MSU/Auburn game! I'm so excited. I love road trips!

I can hear my physics homework calling my name, trying to suck my soul. Hanging myself with my computer cord sounds more enjoyable, but I was told it's illegal to tie a noose. Who knew. Do you think eating Fig Newtons while dealing with this physics nonsense will help? :)

PS- This is just one example of the many amusing things that come with community bathrooms. Those RA's are so clever ;)

Panda Express, Plans To FSU, & Class

College. Is. The. Best. Place. EVER! Why didn't anyone tell me?! Oh, wait... :)

A few things have changed since I first got here. Jen and I re-arranged our beds, so now we have more room! It's so nice not being right on top of each other now. The room is still the size of a closet, but it feels homey. My bed is lifted, and Jen's is underneath. I'm so thankful to have a wonderful roommate!

The last week has been awesome. I'm getting to know locations on campus a lot better! I still get lost when I'm driving, but if I'm walking I'm usually okay. I have adjusted to the community showers, and I can now quickly and skillfully shower in the morning. The bathrooms/showers get cleaned every day, but the girls on my hall aren't gross or anything so that's a plus. I did, however, have a lizard that wanted to be friends with me when I was trying to shower before class the other day. Gag. I also met a girl that apparently likes to pretend she's a "black rapper" when she's in the shower. Yes, she actually told me that. Whatever floats her boat, no judgement here. Okay.. maybe just a little. :) In other news, I have spent too much time at the Panda Express they recently put in the Union, but I've also become good friends with the Sanderson Center because that's where the gym is. I'm a friendly person and all, but this girl refuses to be friends with the freshman 15. STAYAWAYFROMME. Speaking of friends, I have REALLY great ones. I'm super blessed. I've also met a few people in particular that are really wonderful and I already know they're going to be really important people in my life. Oh, and I'm getting even closer to some of the really awesome girls on my hall! They make me happy. :)

Parties are fun, people are fun.. but waking up in the morning is NOT fun. I think I've had more new experiences this past week than I've ever had during the last 18 years of my life. I know I have family reading this and my mom's heart rate is probably picking up speed right about now, but no worries. I'm smart and safe.. except on the weekends.

I'm kidding, mom and dad. You can breathe. :)

Don't worry, I'm not throwing away the education that already has me $10,000 in debt. I've been going to class and plan on getting a 4.0 this semester. Fingers crossed. I really like my classes already. I only have one 8 am class, which is physical science (and in MS State East Jesus..yay), but my teacher is cute and he's really good at teaching, so it's totally worth it. My Honors Comp 2 teacher is AUSTRALIAN! Gotta love those accents. That class doesn't even feel like a class. There's only about 15 of us and we sit around a table. Geography, Algebra, and Psychology aren't bad. I have really good teachers, so I'm thankful for that.

I also checked out the church here. I absolutely love it! The priest is really funny, I have a lot of friends that go there, and it feels very welcoming and wonderful. I'm really going to like it there! So don't worry, I'm keeping my faith, brain, and sanity in check. It is only the first week though. Who knows what I'll be like at Christmas time in a few months.

Juuuuuust kidding. :) Love to all my family! I miss you guys, but college is amazing. I'm already having the time of my life!

PS- FSU does not stand for Florida State University, in case you were confused. That is all. :)

I'm A Big Girl Now!

I'm at big girl school! So.. I'm a big girl now, obviously.

They should change move-in day to something more appropriate.. like THE WORST DAY OF YOUR ENTIRE COLLEGE LIFE. Getting up at 3 am, driving 4 hours, moving lots of stuff in hot weather, and not getting to eat much makes for a cranky Alexa. Not to mention I had to say bye to my family. They were all pretty sad because they secretly love me A LOT. I cried like a baby, and then called my older brother and cried like a baby some more before my family was even completely off campus. Not that few tears kind of crying. NOPE. I was melting down like a popsicle in July, forreal. And don't you know that while I was sitting outside crying to my brother on the phone, 5 super cute boys walked by. And waved. And asked if I was okay. I mean.. REALLY?! Can you please talk to me when I'm cuter? Thanks.

But talking to JT made me feel better, because he's just good like that I guess. He said I had to give it more than five minutes.. and you know what? College was much more awesome a few hours later! Here is what I discovered: I get to do WHATEVER I WANT. Don't get me wrong, my parents weren't the psycho, sheltering, made-me-come-home-at-10 pm kind of parents. I had lots of freedom at home, but college is a whole new world! I got back to my dorm a little before 3 last night, and no one was waiting up for me. So weird. And if I feel like going somewhere at 3am, I totally can. How cool/weird is that? Okay, stop laughing at me.

My dorm is the size of a closet. I promise I'm not kidding. But it's really not bad, I'm already used to it. Although if Jen is at her desk and I need to get to my closet, I have to jump over her bed. And if I'm at my desk and she needs to get to the fridge or sink, she has to jump over my bed. But we just think of it as a game, and that makes it all better! The girls on my hall are so sweet, and people here are just nice in general! And seriously.. the boys are cute. REALLY CUTE. It just makes me happy. My friends that have already been here a few years have been really awesome. I went to dinner with some CSA (catholic student association) people on Thursday night, and I got to eat real food (instead of noodles and apple slices) tonight thanks to the wonderful Brittany Steer! Her and Dianna are the best. Did I mention I got REAL, FREE FOOD?! It's the little things, people. :)

I miss my parents, I REALLY miss my sister, and I miss my bed/shower even more than them. But college is awesome. I'm having so much fun! I feel like I've been here forever though. I'm so ready for classes to start! I need to stop eating and get into a class and gym routine, but I'm loving this free time I have! New friends are awesome, Jen is a wonderful roomie, and I still have money in my bank account! I'm liking this college thing already. :)

Oh, and some of my classes are in MississippiStateEastJesus and on opposite ends of campus. This campus has lots of hills. I have 10-15 minutes between each class. So, I'll either be sprinting to class, or investing in a bike and trying not to run people over. This is what happens when you throw me into a big girl school! Pray for me.. and everyone else on this campus. :) Oh, and if I didn't already mention this, I FREAKING LOVE COLLEGE.

Yankees vs Red Sox

My feelings on the Red Sox. Clearly, the Yankees are the better choice. PS- Do not judge my iPaint skills. That is all. :)

Closing Time

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Oh, Semisonic, I just love you. Partially because your song, Closing Time, now reminds me of Justin Timberlake thanks to the movie Friends With Benefits, but also because you throw lines like that at me at appropriate times! My new beginning is almost here! I move up to Starkville August 10th. Next Wednesday. Yep, the Wednesday that is only A WEEK AWAY. I'm insanely excited, but I don't think my tiny brain can wrap itself around the whole college concept. My mom and I had the following conversation during one of my college panic attacks:

Me: MOM. I don't know how I'm supposed to think of this whole college thing! Is it like moving out for good, or more like a realllllly long sleepover?!
Mom: More like a really long sleepover. Or like an extended sleep-away camp!
Me: Oh yeah, because sleep-away camps always worked out SO well for me.

I've only been to one sleep-away camp. I was in 6th grade, it was only for like four nights, and I cried almost every day. BUT, for two summers in a row now, I have been to a summer Catholic convention that was held at Notre Dame and I was fine. So I should be fine for at least a week!

I don't really care about leaving Ocean Springs, and I truly don't care if I never see most of the people I went to high school with again. What I DO care about is leaving the awesome friends I've made through my church activities. All of the many hilarious, exhausting weekends we spent together cutting endless amounts of leaves, working on convention decorations, spirit mover skits, and balloon bash games. The game nights, the parties at the Krause House, and the 18 hour bus ride to ND that turned into a 24 hour bus ride. I'll definitely miss that. I can't wait to do it all again as an adult with my own cyo!

And I really, really, REALLY care about leaving my huge, crazy, amazing family. Why did I have to grow up with such a wonderful, close extended family?! I know I'm only going 4 hours away and can pretty much come home whenever I want, but still. I'm going to miss having midnight cereal dates with my little sister, and making her let me sleep in her room when I watch something scary. I'll miss staying at my Aunt Charlene's just because. Or the random nights when Uncle Dennis, Aunt Rosemary, Andy, Tiffany, and sweet Isabella stop by and we just sit in the living room and talk. Or driving over to see Kellie and baby Layla simply because they only live 10 minutes away. It's the little things, people!

It's not just the little things though, it's also the little-things-that-are-actually-big-things too. Like the fact that I ALWAYS know when Zoe enters/leaves her room because her door sticks and makes a loud noise. Or the fact that I always know when my dad is coming in the door from work because I recognize the sound of his shoes, and what it sounds like when he hangs up his keys. Or the same right-before-bed conversation my mom and I have been having for as long as I can remember. "Good night, Mom." "Good night, babe. Love you." "Love you too."

Now I'm going off to big girl school where things are going to be super different. Super fun, but still different. I know I'll be perfectly fine once I get up there and realize just how much fun it's going to be! Since I'm a Cacibauda, I hate when things change. This is going to be a really awesome, fun change.. but I'm still nervous! Although I'm uncertain about the next 4 years of my life, there are a few things I'm completely certain about; things that I know will never change. For example:

Zoe will always have her mouth open in the majority of our pictures.

When I started pre-school, I thought my brother was the best person in the whole world. Now I've ended high school, and I still secretly think the same thing.

I will always admire my mom more than anyone in the whole world. She can draw, paint, make costumes, sell houses, and pretty much do anything and everything.. but she's always been the best at being a mom. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

My dad will always call me Peas, because he's said I'm his "sweet pea" since I was little. I'm 18, and have to catch myself from turning my head anytime someone says the word peas. ...I'm not a huge fan of the vegetable.

It will always take my mom forever to get a decent Christmas picture.

And I will ALWAYS remember that I was given the best childhood ever.
Time for a new adventure :) Mississippi State, here I come!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

We're The 14 Best Friends That Anyone Could Have.

7 months. 18 meetings. 3 retreats. Post-meeting trips to McDonalds, dinner at Newks, game nights, sleepovers, phone calls, planning group prayers via facebook. Everything.

On June 4, 2010, I got the BEST letter in the mail. I was asked to be on something called SEARCH Team. It's a group of high school seniors and four adults that meets every Thursday starting in September, and puts on two Catholic retreats for 11th and 12th graders in January and February. It's a huge commitment and takes a lot of time, but I knew it was a great opportunity that I didn't want to pass up. However, I didn't realize that I truly had NO clue what I was getting myself into.

I got to spend my senior year of high school getting to know 13 hilarious, incredible, amazing kids. Not to mention I gained 4 kind, caring, and loving parental units. We're all different, but we all have one thing in common: our faith. Not to mention we all enjoy dance parties, the beach at night, and being silly/obnoxious teenagers. :) Considering we saw each other for 3-4 hours every Thursday night and spent a lot of our weekends together, we quickly became best friends. And THAT is still an understatement. We pretty much became inseparable. We cheered for each other at football games, open mic nights, and yearbook distribution days. We listened to each other rant about how completely ridiculous our parents were being. We spent car rides to Wiggins together babbling about our week on the way there, and looking at the stars all the way home. And when meetings were cancelled due to bad weather, we held our own meetings via skype/tinychat. Thank God for webcams! We learned so many new things together, such as: You always open a bag of chips from the bottom. 1 in 5 couples met online last year. Stay away from Jordan, black people are the first to die in movies. And when your dad is a deacon, he can do whatever he wants. :) We spent lots of nights together staying up so late trying to finish getting things ready for the retreats, and then spent weekends getting no sleep and changing lives together at those retreats. Eventually March rolled around, and it was time for our last meeting. We cried, and cried, and cried.... and cried. We knew it was the end of the magical Thursday night meetings, but definitely not the end of the amazing bond we've created. 

We all got together yesterday because in a few weeks we'll be going off to college.

All 14 of us hadn't been together since our very last Thursday night meeting. Some of us are going State, others are going to USM, and then there are a few going to LSU, Alabama, and USA. It was by far the best weekend of my entire summer. Being with them just feels.. normal. I can tell them everything and I can be my whole self with no worries about anything. It's like being in a room with your family. They are my family.

As sad as it is to not see them weekly, I'm not worried. We always keep in touch and see/talk to each other a few times a week, if not daily. It's just like having 13 extra brothers and sisters. We jump up and down excitedly with each other when something good happens, listen when something bad happens, and roll our eyes when someone is being straight up ridiculous. We eat, laugh, and pray together, and always find a way to cause some trouble. :) Apparently we also plank in each other's houses when that person isn't home.... ahem.

I wouldn't trade any of them for anything in the whole world.

To my incredible team, I am so, so, so, so blessed to have all of you in my life. There aren't enough words in the world to describe how amazing the past year has been. Thank you for the best experience of my entire life. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life causing trouble and having fun with you guys. I love you all with my whole heart.

PS- While you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am In Denial

7 midnight book releases, 8 midnight movie premieres, trips to Harry Potter World, wands, dueling, chocolate frogs, awful British accents.. HARRYPOTTERISMYLIFE. I refuse to believe that it's over.

One of my all-time favorite HP memories happened in July 2007. My family was on vacation in Destin, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was going to be released while we were there. We ALWAYS went to every book release at midnight to get the new book, so being in Destin wasn't going to stop us! We found a Walmart and waited in line to get two copies of the new book. (Two copies because my mom, JT, and I were all going to be fighting over this book.) We were walking through Walmart, and I had the wonderful, just-released book in my hands. I opened the book and came across the dedication page. (By the way, at this point, Zoe hadn't read the books yet. She was pretty young.) The last part of the dedication says, "and to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end." I read that out loud and then turned to Zoe and, being the mean big sister I am, said, "Well, Zoe, I guess this book isn't dedicated to you!" :) Zoe's jaw dropped, and our family laughed for a good ten minutes.

Saying my family is obsessed is a bit of an understatement. Harry Potter is very much a part of Casa de Cacibauda. We went to Harry Potter World the week after it opened. Once we got home with our wands, my siblings and I ran around the house casting spells on each other. We were 21, 17, and 14. Yes, really. I grew up wanting to be Hermione Granger SO bad, and Santa ALWAYS put Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in our stockings. It was SO real to me. I've read every book too many times to count. It was always a race to see who could finish the new book first, and JT and I would hide it from each other when we weren't reading it so the other couldn't find it and get ahead. PS- In case you're wondering, I finished Deathly Hallows first. :)

I get REALLY attached to the characters in the books I read. I always have.. it's really weird. Since Harry Potter is such a long series, you can imagine how attached I've become to the characters. Part 2 of the 7th movie was certainly not a disappointment, and it was weird knowing it was the last one. And, unfortunately, I ended up being THAT girl. Cried through it, when it was over, and when I got in my car to go home at 2:30 am. I've read millions of books and watched them turn into movies, but nothing has touched me like HP has!

If you haven't read Deathly Hallows, READ IT. The movie will make much more sense, and there was still so much information left out even though it was split into two parts. READ THE BOOK.

The books and movies are over, but Harry Potter will always hold a very special place in Casa de Cacibauda. There are books, movies, tshirts, posters, ornaments, wands, candy, and a hole in the wall upstairs to prove it. ;)

What uppp, blog world!

I am such a conformist these days.

All two of you who are reading this (one being my mom, the other being my little sister) are probably thinking, "Seriously, Alexa? Your life is not interesting enough for a blog." That is probably true, but all the cool kids are doing it. What can I say? The peer pressure got to me. :) Actually, I really just like the idea of blogs. I like going back and reading the random and ridiculous things that happened to me. Also, I figured it would be a simple way to keep my wonderfully large extended family and those who care informed about my new, exciting adventure also known as college. Because this is when my life gets really wild and exciting.. right? ..Right? :)

Just so we're clear, I speak fluent sarcasm. Only take half of what I say seriously.
Much love :)