The semester is almost over!

Note: I have been in the Leveling Program for Communication Disorders at Texas State University since August.

In Speech Development today, we were discussing Dr. Gawande's book "Better" and his five suggestions for becoming a positive deviant. The one that really stuck out to me was write something. Blogging is trendy right now, but I hope that it sticks around and isn't just a trend. It's not only a great way to keep up with someone's life, but it can be a tool for professionals. There are hundreds of teacher blogs, SLP blogs, and blogs for just about every profession, hobby, or interest. I've had this blog for quite a while, and yet I never write in it. Probably because I'm too busy and don't think about it, but I also don't know what to write about! Here's my goal (maybe a New Years resolution?): to write in this at least twice a month. You would think that would be feasible, right? We will see. I do wish that I had started writing more at the beginning of this semester so I remember everything that has happened.

Let's go back to the title of this post...this semester is almost over!!! November definitely snuck up on me. I felt like this was the month that everything was due and we had tons of exams. Even though there are 2 1/2 weeks left of the semester, there is still a LOT to do.

I still firmly believe that this program was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was miserable when I was teaching and I just didn't want to live the rest of my life that way. Good thing I made this decision while I was young and didn't have any kids. In the few months I've been in school, I have learned an incredible amount of information of stuff I had no idea existed, made some awesome friends, and studied ten times more than I ever did in my undergrad! All my hard work is paying off (not to mention that we took 17 hour this semester and take 19 next semester)--I have 4 A's and one B! Pretty cool, right? I have learned how to use SALT, a program for language sample analysis. I have learned how to do hearing tests, hearing screenings, and even look at people's ear drums using an otoscope! I have learned about all the anatomy from the neck up, including the ear, brain, spinal cord, throat, mouth, nose, etc. Oh, and I also learned how to do IPA, which is cool but definitely looks like an alien wrote it. Next semester we will move onto bigger and better things!

I've already started the application process for grad school, which is going to be a huge expense. Who knew that just applying is hundreds of dollars? Then you actually have to go to school and pay tuition! They want application fees, fees to send your transcripts, the fees to take the GRE...it's expensive. But worth it in the end.

I need to blog more.

I realized I basically blog once a month about my Birchboxes...my bad. I just don't know what to blog about!! I will say today was a fun and hard day. It started off by a field trip with RHA pre-k class to the San Antonio zoo! It was fantastic because 1) it was overcast so it wasn't hot, and 2) the teachers didn't have any kids to tote around (besides their own kids)! We were lucky to have an overwhelming amount of parent volunteers so we stuck the extra kids with those parents. Score! So three hours of walking around at the zoo and this afternoon I went to the Body Combat and CX Works classes at the Y here in Hays. So tough. I am so wiped!! I hope I have the energy to get up in the morning and work out. Which, by the way, I have been doing for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I get up at 5 or 5:30 and go workout and then go to work! It's tough...but it's the only time I have to go, and I need to lose weight. I have also decided to go grain-free with Landon (although he kind of has to because of his autoimmune disease). But hopefully that will trim my waist along with exercising.

We had a pretty busy Memorial Day weekend. It started off in Marble Falls on Friday. Our friend Kevin proposed to his girlfriend Rachel on Saturday and we got together with them and all of our friends (plus about 30 other people!) at Kevin's family's lake house Saturday afternoon to celebrate that.  On Sunday we left pretty early to head to Harper to be with my family. It was fun and relaxing, but no animals were shot. I know, that sounds awful. But hogs are ruining the land and apparently we have nutria in our creek. Awesome. Landon shot one last weekend when we were there with friends and my brother saw another one in the creek but didn't have his gun with him at the time. So frustrating. Love the hill country but not some of the animals. Including scorpions, which we have now been finding in the cabin.

So anyways...that's my catch-up for the last few weeks. I forgot to take a picture of my Birchbox for May and I am too lazy to take one, so I'll just list the stuff I got.

-Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle. Basically just badass in a bottle. It protects your hair from heat, detangles, adds shine, minimizes frizz, and moisturizes.
-Supergoop! CC Cream. Oh my goodness. I will for SURE buy this. I have used a couple different BB creams and haven't found one I love but I have found it in this! I wear it some days without any foundation. It covers my skin that well. And it just blends into my skin and the color matches perfectly. Not to mention it has 35 SPF. Which I need.
-Folle de Joie eau de parfum. It smells pretty good. I just don't wear perfume that often and I have gotten a TON of samples.
-Weleda body lotion. I got 3 little packets that are perfect for my purse and I got the citrus scent which smells so yummy!!
-Soleil Oraganique Environmental Defense Sunscreen SPF 30 stick. I haven't had a chance to use this yet...I put it in my purse in case I need it on the go.

So there you have it. I will try to blog more. Maybe.

April Birchbox

I'm pretty excited about this Birchbox...but when am I not excited about getting it?! The thing I am most excited about is the color changing nail polish by Ruby Wing. It starts as the pretty pink you see in the bottle but changes to a dark pink/almost red in the sun. I also Caudalie oil. Supposedly you can use it on hair, skin, and even nails. In the big white bottle is Number 4 leave in conditioner/styler, the small white bottle is Supergoop anti aging eye cream, which I am excited to try. I am willing to try anything to help reduce my awful under eye darkness that makes me look like i have black eyes if I'm not wearing makeup. They also adde chocolate macaroons as a bonus! I'm not a chocolate fan, so I'll be passing those on, but they're vegan, gluten free, and made with only natural ingredients. I love macaroons so I'm pretty disappointed its chocolate. Well, that's my box...can't wait to try the samples!!

Amazing Cookies

I pinned this recipe a few days ago, and I knew I just had to make them. Four ingredients and super easy? Right up my alley. What I didn't know is that they are AMAZING. Seriously. I cannot describe how yummy they are. Chewy, soft, and so full of flavor! You really have to try them. 

Lemon Burst Cookies

1 box of lemon cake mix

1 8oz container of Cool Whip

1 egg

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cool whip, egg, and cake mix until blended. The dough will be extremely thick and very very sticky. Tastes great though. Drop spoonfuls into a bowl of powdered sugar. It's very sticky on your hands until you roll it in the powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. It made 2 dozen cookies for me. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Then eat them all.

Next time I am going to also try a strawberry or orange cake mix. I'm not a chocolate fan, but I bet it would be good too!! Enjoy!

March Birchbox

I am loving the March Birchbox! I know I haven't posted about it before, and I will try to every month, but it's seriously the best part about my month. I have been receiving them for over a year now, and at $10 a month, I will probably be doing it for a long time! :) For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a monthly subscription (you can buy 3, 6, or 12 months or just have them bill you monthly). They send you 4-6 samples that align with a beauty profile you fill out. So this month we have..

MAKE eyeshadow

MAKE face primer broad spectrum SPF30

Oscar Blandi hair lift mousse

Whish shave crave shaving cream

Madewell emery board

I haven't tried any out because I just got it today, but I can't wait to try the shave cream and hair mousse! Since my hair is so thin and fine, I'm constantly looking for ways to volumize! I've been using Aquage volumizing mousse, but I'll try other stuff too! If you want to know more about it, go visit www.birchbox.com. Oh, one of the best parts about it...you can review each product you get in your box, and earn 10 points for each review. 100 points and you get $10 to spend on full size products in their store!! Love it!!

The King

No, I am not talking about the Lord...I am talking about George Strait. My siblings and I went to see him last night on his Cowboy Rides Away tour at the Houston Rodeo. To sum it up...it was simply amazing. He truly is the King of Country. We were talking on the way home and listening to the radio as they played song after song by George, and it's funny to think about how long he's been doing this for. He got a record deal in 1981 and played in the Houston Rodeo for the first time in 83 and has been doing it since then. He played so many hits last night, but we didn't hear so many songs that he could've  played. He just simply has too many hits! It would've lasted 5+ hours! He wrote a special song for his fans and sang it for us near the end of the concert, which of course brought tears to my eyes. It's crazy to think that he won't be playing live ever again. I hope he still makes music, but I wish more people would've had a chance to see him in the future. We're going to miss you, George!

Crazy Stories

While many people were off on MLK day, all the teachers and staff at my preschool had training. One of the suggestions during our literacy session was to get a cube with pockets, fill the pockets with pictures, and let the students create a story. I loved the idea, and I was excited we already had the cube, so I immediately sat down with magazines and cut out a bunch of random pictures. I throw the dice, and whatever picture it lands on, we make up a few sentences about that. I throw the dice again, and add that picture onto the story, and so on. We did one last week and one yesterday. I LOVED how they turned out!!

This is last weeks:

The Little Boy Had a Bad Day

(Picture 1: thermometer) The little boy got sick. He told his dad that he was sick. He stayed in his bedroom until he got better. The boy had to go to the doctor to get a shot. (Picture 2: bugs) There were bugs in the boy's tummy! The boy had eaten bugs and gotten sick. After the doctor, the boy had to go to the hospital. They looked through the boy's mouth and used a poker to get the bugs out. The boy went home and felt a lot better. (Picture 3: coffee) He drank some coffee and felt happy! He drank more coffee but spit it out! He didn't like the taste. (Picture 4: shells) There were shells in his coffee! He swallowed them, choked, and had to go back to the hospital. The boy had to have surgery! The doctors sewed him back up. The boy walked to the beach and saw a special shell. He threw the shell into the water, a crab threw it back at him, and pinched him on his tiny pinky toe. (Picture 5: iPhone) The boy ran away and called his mom and dad on his iPhone. The boy hides and the crab can't find him. The boy roared and scared the crab away. (Picture 6: bunny) He found a house on the beach with bunnies inside! The boy took all the bunnies back to his house. The boy got so comfy that he went to sleep.

Monday's story:

A Boy and Girl Got Married

(Picture 1: Tiffany engagement ring) A boy married a girl. The boy gave the girl the ring. The girl said thank you. They went out to eat. They went home and had cake. (Picture 2: STOP sign) They were driving a car and saw a STOP sign and stopped. When the light turned green, they went and crashed into a deer. They put a Band-Aid on the deer. (Picture 3: bowling) They went home, woke up, and went to see their best friends. All the friends went bowling, took a break for a little while, and went back to bowling. The boy knocked all the pins down! They played another game and knocked more of the pins down! (Picture 4: bus) They drove a bus to a rocket ship. They drove the rocket ship to outer space. The girl was scared because the rocket ship was shaking so they sat down in some seats. They flew back down to Earth. (Picture 5: toothbrush) They went home and brushed their teeth for night time. They kissed and went to bed. A tiger and a lion broke in the door! (Picture 6: farmer) They went to a farmer and got some vegetables for the animals. The animals ate it up, ran away, came back, and chased bunnies around the house. The farmer fed carrots to the bunnies and the boy and girl went to bed with the bunnies.

I was very proud of my prekinders. They came up with great ideas!!