A Kaleidoscopic Christmas

So, I really have nothing of import to report. Except that the Kaleidoscope Shop has an updated website, and you can actually buy online now! We are very excited. So if you know anyone interested in scopes, direct them to the website. and you yourself can browse, too. We're still working on uploading more of our 'unusual gifts' to the site, but i think all of the kaleidoscopes we have are up, as well as what my mom's gotten to of the gifts. There are some really awesome scopes (though it's never the same just looking at them online- you need to hold them and look at them in person to get the real experience).

Anyway- check it out at www.kaleidoscopeshop.com.

random side note: my laptop keyboard always randomly leaves out letters, even when i've pressed the button, i guess because i don't hit it hard enough or something. anyway, find it quite annoying. and it makes me miss my keyboard with princess stickers i have at school.

So, other than working in the kaleidoscope shop, i've done some babysitting- i got to emergency babysit for some people (oooo, aaah! i'm really important now) when the dad was out of town, and the mom got suddenly ill and took to bed. I got to go over and play mommy to a 2nd and 3rd grader. And let me tell you, it's really hard to get a 2nd grader to focus on homework when he is totally ADD. a math sheet that should have taken him 5 minutes took him at least 45, if not more. And I totally wish homework was as easy as it is for a 2nd and 3rd grader. Man. At one point they asked me what type of math I do, so I just walked the 3rd grader through some made up dosage problem (the hardest kind, like an IV med given mg/kg or something) and he was just like "oh". It made me laugh. Also, it is never a good idea to play tag with kids who can run a 7 minute mile. They will make you look like a complete fool.

It's fun being home and getting to catch up with old friends, but at the same time, I don't think I ever really stop missing school friends. It's never the same, meeting up with old friends, no matter how much you miss them and want to see them again. It's even hard to explain exactly why or how, and it feels like there really is no reason you can't have as much fun with them. It's just never quite the same as sitting in Malcom and eating a Page dinner and playing whatever random game we can actually agree on that night.

But I also am totally excited about hanging out with old friends- tomorrow morning I'm having brunch with a bunch of people from highschool, and I'm totally psyched, because, well, I like people. And brunch. And it grew from me randomly running into an old friend at the mall and saying we should have brunch, to a bunch of people, and I think it shall be fun.

Also, Jimmy and I started Heroes season 2 today. Finally.

This is what happens when I start a post as a way to pass the time before I'm ready to go to bed. Sorry! :)

Home Sweet Home

That's right- finals are finally over. The first semester of nursing clinical is finally over, and I officially only have three semester left... well, plus janterms and any summer stuff. Life moves way too fast.

On my way out of Birmingham I stopped at the lovely Bedsole abode to hang out and have dinner, which was a very good idea, if I do say so myself. Mainly because dinner at home would have been me by myself. Which would have been sad.

And Valerie lent me her old ipod which has all my christmas music on it that she stole from me, so I got to listen to lots of really good music on the way home. And I am again now. I love christmas music.

And when I got home I proceeded to talk my parent's ears off for two hours. I definitely talk more when I get home. I know people at Samford may not believe this is possible, but trust me, it is. You should feel relieved.

As most of you might remember, my family does an Advent Jesse Tree every year (though, actually, this year my parent's have been severely lacking, claiming the excuse that since they are empty nesters, there's no one home to do it with...). Anyway, when I was doing devotional the other night, I was looking at my lovely Jesse tree that is accumulating more and more ornaments, and I was thining about how weird some of the ornaments must look if you know nothing about it, but how much I love it. It is a tree of God's promises, of God's faithfulness, of God's love, even in the face of our continual stupiditiy. What could be more beautiful?


Oh, and I'm already babysitting tonight and tomorrow night. It's good to be home.

Finals week...

and I am so bored. I don't have another final until Wednesday afternoon, and then another Thursday afternoon. I need to study a little, but not *that* much. Plus, it's hard to feel motivated when the highest grade I need to make is a 79. I think... I'm assuming I did that math right.

And, to make matters worse, my computer is now randomly blocking youtube and fanfiction.net. those are the only two, so far, that i've found out, but I have no idea why! I think I'm going to have to take it by computer services tomorrow. At least I have nothing else to do tomorrow. But I also have nothing else to do now. I can't even watch stupid, pointless videos over and over again or read trashy gilmore girls fanfiction to waste my time. *sigh* whatever shall I do?

ooo! maybe I'll watch a movie... but what? decisions decisions...

Thanksgiving

I feel like I should update since it's been awhile. And I have 30 minutes to burn before I go take my Psych ATI (read: pointless nursing standardized testing to supposedly prepare us for the NCLEX). Huzzah. But, thankfully, the rest of my day after that is filled with... nothing. and then thursday again with... nothing. (well, thursday i get to enjoy office shifts, my last CEP, and Lighting of the Way!!!). All leading up to Friday: Foundations ATI. And then finals. I suppose if I was being a good, dedicated student, I would start studying for finals. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. It's hard to feel motivated, when I'm really just excited about christmas parties (those that have past, and those to come). Not sure if any of the ones to come can top getting to pretend to be pregnant for a whole evening, but we can try.

Thanksgiving update? Williamsburg was beautiful, of course. There is just something about walking down a historically reconstructed street, the smell of fires actually being used for heat, fresh, crisp, cold virginia air, and horse poop being mixed together that takes you back in time. And thinking about how great men of our country like George Washington and Patrick Henry, among many many others walked these streets. or atleast in the same latitude and longitude, maybe not actually on some of the paved streets. It does make you think about how beautiful a thing our country is, and whether or not we are still holding fast to the principles that we founded it on. We went to one thing about voting, and Patrick Henry really explained well why woman weren't allowed to vote, then, and it wasn't out of disrespect for the woman at all. If I lived back then, I would have agreed. Oh, and we ate in a tavern and drank ale (or maybe just hot chocolate for those of us disinclined to the taste of ale), and went to a concert at the capitol with a violl. And for 45 minutes my siblings and I sat around waiting for our parents, who were supposedly on their way to meet us, but got 'caught up' in a show without 'realizing'. This is what happens when your parents turn into empty nesters- they leave their children abandoned on family trips.

Other things included getting to call Tommy Thomas for most of the trip, which I never fail to enjoy, and getting to meet my Uncle's new wife, Rebecca, who was very sweet and nice. And getting to be told by Mana that she thinks I'm the granddaughter most like her (YES!) and by Amy that "no one can not like Erin!" Wow. I feel special indeed. Amy should realize though, that she is probably the most like me. Oh Amy. I like having a cousin 10 years younger than me who reminds me of me. Weird- in 10 years she'll be my age and nice and mature(ish) and in the middle of college, and I'll be 30, doing who knows what (except probably popping out babies, according to facebook comments on the Redneck Christmas Party photos).

And, of course, we got our christmas tree, and I got to set up the crèche (on the piano- and still barely enough room!) And I even hung up some of the fragile ornaments! I was so scared. hah. And we even had a meal with the whole family at the dinner table before we ran off in separate directions again.

And I suppose now I should head down to the dreaded ATI...