Elevators, CSA, and Sunshine

Hellllllo, my sweet blog peeps! I am getting really bad at keeping up with this thing. 2012 has just been completely insane for me! I feel like I've been on the Tower of Terror since this year started. I know a lot of people love that ride, but I HATE it. I hate it so much that I had to underline the word hate so you can fully understand my feelings towards that ride. But anyway, that's my analogy. The Tower of Terror. My elevator of life has been bringing me to the very tippy top which is wonderful. Despite my intense fear of heights, I love the tippy top! The tippy top includes everything wonderful: making As on quizzes by pure luck, mom's fabulous recovery, losing 10 lbs which puts me back at my pre-college weight (Thank. You. Baby. Jesus.), keeping my embarrassing moments to a minimum, & just having lots of reasons to be very happy. Then, as soon as I get comfortable.. BAM. Elevator of life drops 13 stories. But ya know, that's life. All I can do is enjoy the tippy top while I'm there. :)

This past weekend, the tippy top was located in Durant, Mississippi. Never heard of it? I hadn't either. But that's where the CSA Statewide Spring Retreat was held, so on Friday I, along with my sweet CSA fam, went for a nice little drive until we arrived at Holmes County State Park. This retreat was for Catholic college students in Mississippi. There were people from MSU, USM, DSU, MUW, and Ole Miss. I knew it would be a nice little getaway, but the whole weekend ended up being so much more incredible than I expected. Between the talks, nature walks, and late night discussions that lasted until 2am.. I made so many new friends and got so much closer to my Starkville CSA family! The weather was beautiful and everything was simply perfect. I spent my entire weekend laughing so hard I couldn't breathe and smiling until my face hurt. It's nice to know that there's a place you always belong, you know? It's so wonderful to walk into the parish hall on Tuesdays for Tuesday Night Dinner and be greeted with lots of hugs and smiles. I can't imagine going through my first year of this crazy and slightly overwhelming adventure without those amazing people and their HUGE hearts! If any of you are reading this, I am so thankful for you guys and I love you all more than you know!

"For when two or three gather in my name, there I am with them." -Matthew 18:20

In other news, well.. life is life. Lent has started. I know it's supposed to be a sacrifice, but it's killing me. I gave up eating after 8pm and cussing. When I'm hungry and it's after 8, I drink water. It makes me feel like I'm starving myself since I'm not used to it, but I am 100% positive that I am not undernourished. I've slipped on the cussing a few times, but I'm trying really hard! It's become so subconscious that I don't even realize I'm doing it. It's that bad. Sigh. I've been keeping up with my going to the gym/eating healthy thing. My eating habits have changed drastically and going to the gym has become part of my daily routine. I don't even think about it anymore, I just go. I love it! I feel great and I don't want to completely die every time I pass a mirror. When I'm feeling unmotivated, I watch that TLC show called My 600 lb Life. Works like a charm.

Anyway, school is school, and my biggest problem this semester is my procrastination. Go figure. Example: It is currently 2:39 am. I have homework, reading to do for class, a midterm on Tuesday, and a midterm in about 12 hours. I'm blogging instead of doing any of the things I just listed. Oops. My classes aren't overwhelming this semester and that makes me (and my sanity) so very happy. The most overwhelming thing that has occurred so far was having to watch and analyze a childbirth in Developmental Psychology. My dreams of having children have been crushed and I'm no longer allowing boys to come within five feet of me. Just kidding. :) But seriously, if you have baby fever.. hit me up. I can help you with that. I do NOT have baby fever in any way, but those sweet little people never fail to make my heart smile. If there is one thing I'm absolutely sure of, it's that I want to be surrounded by 25-30 of them every single school day for 180 days of the year. Their minds and feelings are so simple, yet so incredible. They are so smart and they don't even realize it. Some of the BEST things said to me last week came from the mouth of a child under the age of 6. Prepare to smile and say, "Awww!" I promise you will. If you don't, your heart is ICE COLD and you should get that checked out.

6 y/o: Ms. Alexa, I REALLY like him. I know so cause my face hurts.
Me: Your face hurts...?
6 y/o: Ya, cause he makes me smile a lot.. DUH. But he doesn't want to be my boyfriend right now. He's a boy.. but he makes as much sense as my baby sister when she talks. That means he makes no sense at ALL. He just sounds like this. (insert weird noises here)
Me: I hear ya, sister. Don't worry though, you have plenty of time to find a good boyfriend. I bet there are tons of cuties on that 1st grade hall!
6 y/o: Oh no.. I'm going to wait for him. I have to, Ms. Alexa.
Me: Oh yeah? Why's that?
6 y/o: Lots of reasons. He shares his fruit snacks with me! And he tells me his secrets at recess! And.. well.. he makes me feel like.. like sunshine. You can't just let someone like that go. (loud sigh) Don't you adults know anything?

I mean.. COME ON, PEOPLE. She said the boy makes her feel like SUNSHINE. It just doesn't get much cuter than that. Actually, it did five minutes later when she told me that if there's someone that makes me feel like sunshine, I need to "hold my horses and ponies because mama says good things take time" and I must share my fruit snacks. So that's what I've been doing wrong all these years... :)

So there you go. I hope your elevator is keeping you at the tippy top and that you are surrounded by people that make you feel like sunshine. :) As for me, I will be waiting to see where my elevator of life takes me next. Hopefully it takes me somewhere that sells patience and that special power that grown ups and mommys have. You know, the one that suddenly turns you into a wise grown up that knows how to make big girl decisions and stuff. I need a huge plate of that with a side of patience and xanax. ;) Until then, I'll just continue to be my indecisive, impatient, 18 year old self. Besides, I know that if I hold on a little longer, my elevator will eventually find its way back to the tippy top again. :)

2012 vs Alexa: Stairs, Hospitals, & Conquering The World

Hellllllo 2012! No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I know all (4? Or are we down to 2 now?) of you were wondering, since you couldn't possibly have anything better to think about. :) I've just been busy keeping up with my normal life. You know.. doing school work, keeping up with my family, and embarrassing myself. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I started this year like every other person on the planet. "New year! New me! Last year tried to kick my butt and THEN tried to run me over, but not this year.. no sir! It's going to be different! I'm going to be skinnier, happier, and conquer the worrrrrrld!"

......yeah. Are you already laughing and shaking your head? Well, ANYWAY, my New Year's Resolutions were to be a better person, get skinny, and take some risks. Now, slow your roll and don't start rolling your eyes just yet! I don't think I'm a terrible person or anything, I just think I can be better! Especially the whole cussing thing. What can I say.. I'm Italian! It comes naturally. ;) And when I say get skinny, I'm not looking for people to say, "Oh my gaaahhh, shut up, you are so skinny." Umm. No. I just mean get healthier and lose the stupid weight I've gained since I started college. It's not about the number though, it's just about feeling good about myself. A few of the girls on my hall are doing the same, so that's made it easier. I've been eating healthy, counting calories, and going to the gym every day! I can practically hear my body screaming mean things at me, but it will thank me when bathing suit season rolls around. Sigh.

As far as the taking risks thing goes, I'm not going to jump off a building or ride a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. I just want to take advantage of opportunities when they come up. Whenever something really good starts to happen, I freak out and run away from it. Why? I DON'T KNOW. I just have a really good relationship with my comfort zone. I'm like the Runaway Bride! Except I'm not Julia Roberts. And I'm not leaving people at the altar. I love that movie. Whatever, you get the point. Where was I going with this? Oh, right.. 2012. Goodbye 2011, hello nice, skinny, risk-taking, world-conquering Alexa.

Ha. Ha. HA. It's always nice to think that the new year is going to be insanely different than the previous year, but 2012 has not been insanely life altering yet. I'm still saying bad words (but I'm trying to stop, I SWEAR! ....Ha. I swear. And I'm talking about cussing. Get it?), and I still start my weeks with terrible Mondays that include things like a stylish carpal tunnel brace and falling down a flight of stairs in the IED building in front of a random boy. Yes, sadly that actually happened. My phone went flying, my bookbag fell, I hit my head, and landed on my wrist. Oh yes, it was even the carpal tunnel wrist that already hurt like hell. (I know carpal tunnel is for old people. I'm special. Go me.) Would you expect anything less? The random guy looked like one of those too-cute-to-be-nice boys, but he was actually sweet. He picked up all of my stuff and sat with me until I was ready to get up and walk. I am a pro at embarrassing myself.

Even after that, I still had hope for 2012! My classes are great, I have been blessed with the greatest friends, my Critz girls mean the world to me, and I have accepted the fact that being able to embarrass myself as much as I do is pure talent. :)

Call mom, take a long walk, and laugh it off.. right? Right. As soon as I laugh in 2012's face.. BAM. A "call me when you can" text from Dad turns into a "mom is having surgery/in the hospital" phone call which turns into a "THISROADISNEVERENDING" 4-hour drive home. I came home to a messy house, empty fridge, and an exhausted daddy. He hasn't left her side since they got to the hospital late Tuesday night. Talk about some true love. :) When Mom goes down, we ALL go down. I cleaned, went grocery shopping, and have been playing Mommy all day. Not that I mind, it's nice to feel needed and be able to help my parents out as much as I can. I've already made friends with the uncomfortable hospital bench in the room. It's 3am and I'm beyond exhausted, but too worried to sleep. I don't know how my mom cleans, works, worries, drives, cooks, AND functions like this every day while smiling, fighting off my sister's 16 year old attitude, and checking on her 2 babies that are on their own. She's the greatest person I know. I hope I can do all of those things like her when I grow up.

It's super sucky to watch your poor mommy suffer. Especially when you know you have to go back to being 4 hours away in a few days. Sigh. My mom just can't stand if things start to get a little boring at Casa de Cacibauda. :)

Carpal Tunnel. Stairs. Hospitals. Playing Mommy. 2012 has a head start, but I still want to conquer the world and save the day! Or at least save my mommy from this nonsense. For now, I'll just count my blessings. :) Pray/think happy thoughts/do magic/practice voodoo spells for us. Especially my mom. We need it! Love and hugs!

PS- If you actually read all of this, thanks! But you probably need a new hobby. ;)

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.

:)