Christmas Tree and Cupcakes

This year marked our fourth Christmas in the Washington DC metropolitan area, and yet we have never been in to see the national Christmas tree! Every year I talked about going in, but it was either too cold, or we were too busy. However, yesterday was one of the warmest days we had in awhile, and Mike didn't have to go in for work today, so we drove in.
On the way we decided to hit another DC tourist attraction that we had yet to visit, Georgetown Cupcake. I heard about the ridiculously long lines, but thought that because we were going at 8pm on a Thursday night in December, that there would not be a line. Boy was I wrong!

We stood in line for over a half an hour, and decided that if we were going to stand in line that long we needed to get a half a dozen cupcakes (chocolate peanut butter swirl, red velvet, chocolate peppermint, strawberry champagne, chocolate squared, and chocolate ganache). We split the peanut butter one yesterday (yummy!!), and are saving the other ones.

Then we headed to the tree, where we saw everyone else in DC that wasn't in line at Georgetown Cupcake! I guess that is what happens when you go on a warmer night, on a holiday weekend, which also happens to be the second to the last night the tree is being lit! But, it was definitely worth the trip!

Me with the PA tree

Mike with the National tree

Now Mike and I are off to stimulate the economy by hitting the after-Christmas sales! 

Seven Christmases!

Have you ever seen the movie Four Christmases? That is how I felt this year, only Mike and I had a lot more fun than Reese and Vince!
After Christmas Eve service, Mike and I drove to PA to my aunt's Christmas Eve party. We then spent the night at Mike's parents' house, so we would be there for Christmas morning. We woke up very early (or in Mike's case stayed up all night!), so we could exchange presents before we then headed to Mike's great uncle's house for a yummy breakfast. After that Mike and I stopped by his Nana's house to see her, his uncle, and to play with their dogs.
We still had sometime to spare before we needed to be at my aunt's house (on my mom's side) for Christmas dinner, so we decided that we had time to make the present exchange at my other aunt's (on my dad's side) house. We then drove down to Philly for a yummy Christmas dinner and gift exchange with my mom's family. Finally, we came back to my parents' house to exchange gifts with my immediate family.
I feel very blessed to have such a loving family, and am very thankful for all of the gifts we received this year.
Unfortunately, I spent the entire day without my camera, so I don't have any images to document my day, but trust me when I say that it was fun! However, I am not sure that I can say that I blame Reese and Vince for going on a trip, because after all that running around I definitely feel like I could use a vacation!
I hope you all had a blessed Christmas with your families as well.

Late Night Baking

Last night I called my mom around 8:30 to talk about a Christmas gift I was still trying to figure out. While on the phone she was trying to bake cookies, and it made me want to do the same. I had spent the entire day sitting in my chair reading and writing, and standing up and doing something other than read/write about children's self-awareness sounded like a good plan.
So, at 9pm Mike ran out to Giant (isn't he the greatest!) to get the ingredients we needed to make our recipes. Mike chose to make rum balls, and I made buckeyes. Though neither required baking, the rolling them was a bit time consuming. Nevertheless, about two and half hours later, we had rum balls and buckeyes!

Buckeyes (taken from allrecipes.com):
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 butter softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I ended up using 18 oz!)
2 tablespoon shortening (I ended up using 6 tbs!)

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside. In a medium bowl mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioner's sugar with you hands until the dough is smooth and stiff. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball (I made mine much smaller, which was why I needed more chocolate and shortening). Place balls on baking sheet and refrigerate. Melt shortening and chocolate together on a double boiler over medium heat, until smooth. Remove from heat (you can always reheat it if it starts to get too cool). Remove balls from refrigerator, and with a toothpick, dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper chocolate side down. When done coating all the balls return to refrigerator for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Rum Balls (taken from Food Network):
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup dark rum
2 tbs light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Into a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar, the cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in the rum and corn syrup. Stir in the vanilla wafers and walnuts, mix well. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly, about 30 minutes (the mixture may appear crumbly and dry; this is okay). Place the remaining 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the chocolate mixture and press into 1-inch balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioner's sugar, coating evenly. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, placing waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking. Enjoy!

But for now, I have corrections that need to be made to my proposal, so its back to writing for me...

Winter Break

I long for the days when winter break meant sitting on my parent's couch for four/five weeks straight catching up on my daytime television. This break, it much less of a break, just same ole, same ole with a little less structure.
I kept pushing the date of my dissertation proposal back, so I am now at the point where I cannot push it off any further. The date is set for January 10th, which means that I need to get my proposal to my committee by December 27th, and before I can do that I need to get my advisor's approval. All that to say, I better get it out NOW! I also have a lot of job applications that need to be assembled over the next two weeks.
The problem is that I am having a hard time finding the motivation to hunker down and get it all done. I went to bed early last night with the hope that I would be able to get an early start this morning, but instead I stayed up late reading an indulgent book. As a result I am feeling a bit sluggish.
So, I am off to work on my proposal with the hope that one day I can actually write my dissertation.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The holiday season is in full swing around our house. My final final was turned in, and I am officially done with classes (this is such a wonderful feeling!). There is snow on the ground (though it's only a dusting), the tree is up and decorated (notice there aren't any ornaments at the bottoms because of the cats),  presents are purchased and wrapped, and the lights are up outside. Now all I need it for Christmas to get here already! 

I usually don't get this excited about Christmas, but after such a trying semester, I can't wait for the happiness that Christmas promises. Also, it doesn't hurt that there is going to be a baby in the house for Christmas this year! 

A visit from Amy

I have been a bit stressed trying meet all of my deadlines this past week (which is why I have been MIA), so when my friend Amy contacted me about getting together over the weekend, I welcomed the opportunity to have some fun.

Amy and I lived next door to each other our freshman year of college, were roommates our sophomore and junior years, and lived on the same hall our senior year. Thankfully when we both went off to graduate school we went within an hour drive of one another, so we have been able to stay in touch (at least when our busy school schedules have allowed). 

Amy got in engaged in October, and I haven't gotten to see her yet, so I was excited to catch up and discuss wedding details (I am going to be a bridesmaid!). We had a nice afternoon of catching up, ate dinner at the Macaroni Grill (where our silly waitress ended up giving us $23 back in gift cards, still not sure I understand how!), and then went to see Christmas lights.

This house is only about a mile away from me, so I wanted to drive by. However, even though we went an hour after the lights were supposed to be on, the house was completely dark! Then we went to the Festival of Lights at the local park, but that was kind of a bust too! It was soo packed that we waited about an hour and a half before we got to the first set of lights, and then they never told us the radio station, so we had to find just a random station playing Christmas music. I still thought the lights were nice, but Mike was definitely disappointed.

All in all, it was a really nice day of catching up, but for today it is back to work on applications, dissertation proposals, and my last final EVER.

A Nice Long Weekend at Home

Mike and I packed up ourselves and our cats on Wednesday afternoon to head home to PA for five days jammed packed with family!

After sitting in about an hour of traffic, and dealing with a sick kitten on the drive home, we made it up to PA just in time for dinner with my parents. There is nothing like mom's cooking, especially when it is a beef roast on a cold night.

I want to learn how to make a Thanksgiving dinner, because I hope to someday be able to host my family at my house, so I woke up very early to help my mom (okay watch her and ask a lot of questions) make our family dinner. We definitely had a packed house, with my sister and her family, my younger brother, my parent's international student, my grandmother, my aunt and her family, my parents, Mike and I. There was definitely a lot to be thankful for, and a lot of yummy food to consume!

Grace (my parent's international student), Ryan (my brother), and Momma (my grandmother)

My Aunt had a great idea about getting my mom and her friends together for pictures on Friday. My mom has been friends with these women since she moved to PA almost 30 years ago. They all had daughters around the same time, and their daughters all just recently had daughters. Since everyone was in town for Thanksgiving, my mom had everyone over for lunch and a photo op. What a cool idea!

3 generations plus 2 sisters

Then on Saturday, we headed to Mike's cousin's wedding, where we danced the night away! Then on Sunday Mike battled the traffic back to VA while I slept in the car (what a wonderful husband!).

Mike with his brother and cousins

Now, I am back in PA at my sisters house (I would have stayed, but I had to be back for class last night), because we are going to New York tomorrow to see Promises, Promises. I am not excited about the torrential rain they are calling for, but I am excited to see the show.

On a side note, while filling out one of my applications today, I realized that on all of the applications that have gone out thus far, on my cover letter I am missing a number in my zip code. I hope none of my reviewers notice this mistake!

Giving Thanks

1. Law and Order marathons

3. Rainy days

3. Clean clothes

4. The ridiculousness of Christmas in November(lights up before Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales that start at 3am, Christmas music on the radio that lasts for 6 weeks)

5. Being home to watch Glee

6. Glee songs being on iTunes

7. Knowing that I get to see my family tomorrow

8. Friendly Wii competitions with Mike

9. Two day work weeks

10. Flannel sheets

Now I am off to pack, because we are going to PA tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Excited to see my family! I hope you all have safe travels. 

Sleepy Thanksgiving

We had a great night watching football at our friends house last night, but that left for a very sleepy Caroline today. Today was just a typical Monday, managing in the morning, a lab meeting in the afternoon, and class in the evening {with a nap on my desk squeezed in the middle ;)}. I am now settling in to cuddle up with my husband and kittens to watch some TV and then head to bed early, so I am going to keep today's post short. 


Here are my 10 for today:
1. Coke Zero Cherry
2. Cuddling under a blanket with my pjs on
3. Chats with my sister
4. Cute kids at my research sites
5. Cooperative researchers
6. Blog friends
7. Fun music to sing to in the car
8. Fresh popped popcorn with white cheddar seasoning
9. A steady paycheck
10. Facebook status updates

Weekend Update and Giving Thanks

Mike and I have definitely been keeping busy this weekend. We got a coupon in the mail for buy get one free at a new Korean buffet in C'ville, so we decided to check it out. It was okay, it wasn't terrible, but I am glad we had a coupon, and am not sure I would ever go back :(. But it was nice to enjoy a nice dinner with Mike and to not have to worry about cooking or cleaning. Then we came home and put in a movie then loaded up our laptops and settled in for a night of homework.

Saturday was a day full of errands. We had tickets to see Harry Potter at 1:20, so we woke up early and ran some errands before heading to the mall hoping to shop before the movie. Only, we discovered that people we lining up over an hour before the start of each movie! So, we grabbed a quick lunch, and then went to wait in line. Harry Potter was ah-maze-ing!!! I cannot wait until the second part comes out in July!!! After the movie we did the shopping that we were hoping to get done earlier that day. We were definitely productive, but we definitely have a lot more shopping to get done! We didn't get home till around 7, so we made a quick dinner of burgers and hot dogs, threw in another movie, and settled in for another night of homework.

This morning we went to church, and are planning to go to our friends' house to watch football later tonight, so once again we are trying to get some homework done.

At church this morning, our pastor gave us homework {as if Mike and I don't already have enough ;)}, we are to write down ten things we are thankful for each day this week (no repeats!). As I mentioned on Thursday, I am definitely in a place where I need to focus more on the positive, so here is my list for today:

1. How beautiful VA is in the fall.
2. Grilled cheese sandwiches.
3. My kiddies in children's ministry.
4. My co-instructor in children's ministry, who this morning cleaned up a little girl who wet herself, so that I didn't have to.
5. Having my car clean.
6. My kittens, who love to cuddle.
7. There are only two work days this week!
8. Mike's help cleaning up the leaves this morning.
9. Cinnamon muffins at church.
10. The warm temps we are having in VA.

Don't forget to stop to think about what you are thankful for.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

This week has definitely been a rollar coaster of emotions, so I have been postponing posting, because I don't want this to be a negative place. This morning on my way to school I was thinking about all that has happened, and I found myself singing "Always look on the bright side of life". This got me thinking about the upcoming holiday, and I decided that instead of posting about all the negative things that had happened, I would instead post about things that I am thankful for this week.


1. I am thankful (and proud) that I was able to go to Mike's tournament on Saturday to see him win third place.

2. I am thankful that we have such great friends in VA and that we were all able to enjoy a fun dinner on Saturday night.


3. I am thankful that our friends have welcomed us into their family, since we live so far away from ours. They are always the most gracious hosts, and make us feel welcome.


4. I am thankful that I submitted my last midterm EVER on Monday.


5. I am thankful that the Cowboys finally won a game so that Sundays can be fun again.


6. I am thankful that all of the leaves are finally cleaned up from my yard.


7. I am thankful that I have a husband who is willing to do anything to make me happy.


8. I am thankful for students who tell me that my class was one of their favorites.


9. I am thankful for a yummy soup and salad dinner at Panera.


10. I am thankful that I already have my Harry Potter tickets.


11. I am thankful for a loving and supportive church community.


12. I am thankful that I will be seeing my family next week.


13. I am thankful that it still is not so cold out that I need to wear a winter jacket and leggings under my pants. 


14. I am thankful that tomorrow is Friday.


When you think about all of the blessings in your life, it definitely makes the bad seem more manageable.

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength, They will soar high on wings like eagles, They will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not faint."

Phone Interviews

Since I was working in the advising office yesterday, and wouldn't be home until after Mike would have left for pool, we decided to meet up to eat dinner. On my way to meet Mike, I had a missed call from an unfamiliar number. The whole time we were eating I was anxious about who had called me, since I am hoping to hear back about my job applications.

I am not sure why, other than God was trying to test my patience, but the voicemail did not register in my phone until an hour an a half later, when I was driving home. Well, my anxiety was well deserved, because it was one of the school that I had applied to calling to ask for a phone interview! We set up a time to talk this morning at 11, she had a couple of questions she wanted to ask me about my teaching philosophy and research goals. They are calling 15 people, and will only be inviting a handful out for interviews, but that I should know whether I am picked by next Friday. I don't want to jinx myself, but I think that it went well, but it is just a waiting game from here!


All of this excitement is keeping me from being able to focus on working on my midterm though, I definitely want to finish it by the end of the day today, not only because I just want to be done with it, but also because Mike has a pool tournament all day tomorrow that I want to go watch, and I definitely don't want to be the dork working on my homework at a bar.




“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Proverbs 27:1.

Can I make an advising appointment?

Because of an overwhelming demand for advisors, I was asked to help out in the advising office on Thursday afternoons for the rest of the semester. Though, I have been enjoying having more time to work on my own research and classes, I have definitely missed working with the students. I hear all of my colleagues who are teaching talking about their lesson planning, and it does make me a bit jealous. Even if I know that I wouldn't have enough time to get it all done. I have missed working with the students to plan their courses and talk about graduate school plans. But, now I need to make up those hours by spending the night working on my midterm (last one ever!!!). Hopefully I will get a lot done since Mike will be out all night at pool.

Working from home

After church yesterday, Mike and I went to visit our friends who recently had a baby. It was great catching up with them, and the baby was so cute! However, that meant that all the chores that I typically do on Sunday didn't get done. 


This morning I woke up to go to my school, and was so excited to see the sun at 5:45am! I am sure I am not going to like it being dark by 5:45pm, but it definitely made getting out of bed this morning a bit easier. 


I headed out to my school, met with all of my teachers and students, and was back home again by about 10am. I typically have class on Monday night, so I stake out in my office for the day. However, because today is canceled, and I have a lot of chores to get done around the house, I decided to work from home. So here I sit, with a hot cup of tea, a load of laundry in the washer, getting ready to start working on more applications. 


Today's applications are going out to Toronto, Massachusetts, and Saskatoon. Truth be told though, I am a bit nervous about those locations, as I sit here below the Mason Dixon line in the beginning of November wearing two layers under my two blankets! Brrr...

Pimp My Blog

So, now that I have been blogging for about 5 months, I decided that I need to make some changes. I have been looking at some other blogs out there, and feel that there is a much better way to do this. So, please bear with me as I begin to make some changes around here. 
I am hoping to add some more bling to the main page, as well as add some links and pictures. Most importantly, I want to give the blog a more focused feel, instead of just rambling about whatever it on my mind that day! 
Looking forward to hearing your input as I go through this blog transformation! 

It's the most wonderful time of the year... already?

I can't believe that it is already time to start prepping for the holidays. Mike and I went on our first shopping trip, and couldn't believe the number of people who were out with the same mission. Time is flying by so quickly. I started this semester thinking that I had all of the time in the world to get everything done, and here we are in November, and there is still so much left to be done. 


It is just a matter of weeks before another semester is behind me, and I am preparing to submit the final draft of my dissertation and walk across the stage to get my diploma. It is just a matter of time until Mike and I are packing up our belongings once again as we prepare to move to a location that is still unknown. I can't believe how quickly the past four years at Virginia have gone, and how as we get closer to the end of our time year the clock seems to be ticking even faster. 


There are days when I can't wait to be done with it all. I am sick of homework, job applications, and the unknowns that the future holds. I want to know where I am going to be living, where I am going to be working; I am ready to be established. But I am also realizing how important it is to live in the moment, and to cherish the present. I need to be careful not to wish my life away. 


For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Part Research Manager

So, this is one of the roles that I hold so that I can keep my lights turned on. In previous semesters, I held this role part time, but was offered a full time job managing this semester, so I don't have to worry about doing teaching and advising in addition. 
My advisor was awarded a grant that allows him to research the effects of a patterning intervention in first grade classrooms. We prescreened the children to see which ones did not already know the patterns that we were going to teach them. Then, we randomly assigned those children to four different groups. Each group works with an undergraduate student for 15 minutes a day. The Social Studies groups works on coloring sheets that focus on geography and civics topics. The Literacy group reads poems and focuses on rhyming words and comprehension. The Math group focuses on basic math skills. The Patterning group focuses on learning patterns. We are trying to determine whether the children in the patterning group can match the math kids on measures of math, match the literacy group on measures of literacy, and outscore the other groups on these measures. 
My job is to prepare all of the literacy materials, and to make sure that all of the classrooms have all of the materials they need to do the literacy activities. I also am the manager at one of the schools, am responsible for the project at that school. I am the point of contact for the principle and teachers, and need to make sure that they are happy so that we can come back the following year. I am also responsible for making sure that the undergraduate students are trained and are implementing the intervention measures appropriately. 
This is a really cool project, and I enjoy having the opportunity to work on such a large scale project. However, it can be stressful, because it means that I need to leave my house at 6:30 in the morning so that I can make it to the school by 8am to meet my researchers. It also means that non-confrontational me needs to confront my students whenever they act inappropriately in the school. It is definitely a learning opportunity for future roles. 

Part Graduate Teaching Assistant

This is a role that I held for the majority of my my time at GMU, but that I am not holding currently. In order to make money so I can pay my bills while I am in graduate school, I worked as a GRA (Graduate Teaching Assistant). This meant that I taught classes and worked in the undergraduate advising office.
My first two semesters at GMU I was a TA for Psych 100 recitation sessions. The way GMU sets up their Psyc 100 classes is that students meet twice a week in a large lecture, and once a week in a smaller review session. I led the smaller review sessions. I met with about 30 students one morning a week to review the material that they had covered in lecture earlier that week. This was a great way to ease me into teaching. I only had to lesson plan for one day a week, and I was not the person responsible for introducing the material to the students. It was difficult though, because I didn't have very much control over the structure of the course, because it was Psyc 100, I had to cover material I wasn't very familiar with, and the students tended to not take theses sessions very seriously, because they had already gone over the material with the instructor, and didn't see a real reason for the recitation.
After gaining this experience, I was then appointed the Adolescent Psyc teaching position, and I ended up teaching this course 5 times over a year and a half. It was a lot of work prepping for the class, and a bit nerve-wracking lecturing to 70 students, but overall I had a lot of fun teaching the course. Adolescent isn't laden with theory, so I was able to get creative with my lesson planning. 
Finally, I worked in the undergraduate advising office for about three years. I have already talked about the work I did in there on here, so I won't bore you too much ;). 
Unfortunately, because I am doing managing full time this year, I can't teach anymore, but hopefully I will find a job for next year that will allow me to do this again. 

Part Researcher...

In order to graduate from my program I need to write a dissertation (a long research paper) on a project that I did. I also need to publish research papers in order to be able to obtain and maintain a job. So, I have been spending the past three years working on my own research projects. All of these projects have surrounded the same theme, preschool children's self-awareness.
My first project was conducted in Head Start centers, and was focused on the children's abilities to recognize the dimensions of their own bodies, as well as the ability for their bodies to be obstacles preventing them from completing a task. The results of this study indicated that body self-awareness is still not complete by four years of age. The children were also significantly better at the tasks that required them to recognize the dimensions of their own bodies than on tasks requiring them to recognize their bodies as obstacles. This paper is going to be submitted for publication on Friday, and will hopefully be my first, first authored paper. 
My second project was also conducted in Head Start centers, but was focused on the children's abilities to accurately evaluate their own cognitive abilities. Each child was administered one test of basic mathematical abilities, and two tests of basic cognitive abilities, and were then asked to assess on a 4 point scale how well they did on the test. I have not yet analyzed these data,  but am planning to do so soon, and am going to use this project for my dissertation. 
My third project is being conducted at the Child Development Center on campus. This project is a combination of the previous two projects, and I am hoping to find a connection between body self-awareness and cognitive self-awareness. I am hoping to take this data set with me to my job, and will analyze the data during my first year while I establish a research base in my new town. 
In order to conduct this research, I have undergraduate students in the classrooms at the centers, who administer the tests to the children on a weekly basis. I go to the school each day to make sure the researchers are doing what they are supposed to be doing, have all of the materials they need, and I also assist with the testing of the children to make sure that we get it all done on schedule. 
I love this role, because it means I get to play with preschool children 2 days a week. This is a lot more fun than taking notes and studying for exams. 

What do you do?

I have frequently been asked what exactly it is that I do, and typically when I begin my rant, I either see eyes glaze over, or have people respond with complete inaccuracies. I don't think this is because what I do is over the head of the average person, but because I hold so many different roles, and they are not roles that are very common. 


I am currently a Psychology Graduate student, but that means that I am part student, part researcher, part graduate teaching assistant, and part research manager. I think the things that I get to work on are pretty cool, so I am going to devote a post to each (that way this doesn't get to long).


First and foremost, I am an Applied Developmental Psychology graduate student. This means that I study human development. Mostly though, my program is focused on typical development of young children. We want to know how individuals get from being a one-celled organism to walking, talking, thinking human beings. I study how we learn new material, how we develop language, how motor skills are developed, etc. As well as how we can improve development in these areas. 


In order to study this, just like any good student, I take classes. Typically I take about 2-3 classes a semester on topics such as, research methods, statistics, socioemotional development, cognitive development, etc. 


I am currently taking my last class ever, and am just a little excited at the prospect of finally being done with homework assignments and exams. 


As a student, my workload definitely has peaks and valleys. Taking statistics classes take up a lot more of my time than other courses, and with any course the time during mid-terms and finals I typically feel as though I don't have a moment to breathe. However, I do get my summers off as well as a four week break over Christmas. I prefer this way though, I don't mind working hard for several weeks, when I know that there is a break in sight. 


Typically the misconceptions about this position include the fact that studying psychology means that I am studying clinical psychology, and while, yes, I do take classes with clinical psychologists, and I have taken Abnormal Psyc, this is not my area of expertise. I personally think that the media has done an enormous disservice to the field of psychology, by making people believe that clinical psychology is the only type and that all they do is take notes while someone sits on their couch and discuss their past. The truth is, this is a very small population of psychologist, and even a small population of clinical psychologists. But, let me step down off my soap box... 

Senioritis

There are typically about 4 weeks a year (midterms and finals for each semester) that I say to Mike, "this is going to be a really bad week for me, so please just bear with me." However, I feel that recently I have been beginning every week with this phrase.
This year isn't especially stressful, in fact it is probably less stressful than last. I am feeling extremely motivated to get my degree and a job, but I am having a hard time finding the motivation to get all of the work done.
I was talking to another student in my cohort about our lack of motivation, and difficulty dealing with our unstructured schedules. It is so easy to allow ourselves to take days off, because we don't have any real deadlines. I think she hit the nail on the head when she labeled our lack of motivation "senioritis." I feel like a senior in high school again :/.
So here I am sitting at home on a Friday morning trying to convince myself that I need to finish proofing my paper, and read at least a chapter of my textbook. Maybe I should tape a picture of a diploma in every room of my house, and on the wall in front of my desk in my office, so that I can keep my eye on the prize ;). 

Flippin' your fins you don't get too far

I started this week the same way that I start every other, by creating my to do list. This week's included: finish the next job application, complete the final draft of my manuscript, write my dissertation proposal, do my reading for class, and prepare my materials for FPU for next week. I thought that because I did not have much else going on this week that, while this to do list had major items on it, I should have no problem getting them done. I was going into the week with high anticipation of the feeling of accomplishment that the end of the week would bring. 
Then life happened. Monday was pretty productive, in the sense that it usually is, it was spend finishing the last couple of items off the week before's to do list. Then on Tuesday, I had an early meeting and decided that I could come home to take a nap and then work from home. Well, after a three hour nap I woke up and started cleaning out our closets, finding clothes that we no longer wear to donate (not on the list). 
After taking off Tuesday, I came back Wednesday to find my inbox overflowing, so Wednesday was lost to e-mails. On Thursday, I offered to sub in for a friend of mine who was going out of town. I was to teach her 300 student Psyc 100 class about hearing. So not only did I need to lecture to 300 students, but I had to lecture to them about something that I knew nothing about! So most of Thursday was lost to preparation and mild panic attacks. It ended up going really well though, and reassured me about the fact that I can do it, which is important because I will probably have to teach large sections of Psyc 100 the first several years of my appointment. 
Then there was Friday, which was spent in bed. I headed to my research project early Friday morning, but the whole time I felt sick to my stomach. So, I came home and spent the entire day sleeping, not waking up until Mike came home from work at 4. 
So, here it is on  Saturday and all I want to do is go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather we are having in C'ville, but instead I need to focus on getting items crossed off the list. The good news is that we have off on Monday, and my research isn't meeting on Tuesday, so I have extra buffer days this week. 
Maybe we will go have a picnic in the park, and I will take some work with me, that way I can get the best of both worlds. 

Job apps & Grandmothers

On Friday I sent out the first application for my first big girl job! Hitting send was a very exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking! I am currently working on the second and third, which will both be submitted some time next week. Please send positive thoughts my way!

Then on Sunday my family had an 85th birthday brunch for my grandmother, Momma. What an amazing women! Momma is the mother of 5 children, the grandmother of 15 children, and the great grandmother of 1 baby. All of us have enjoyed spending summers at Momma's summer home at the beach, where she makes us feel like the most important people on the world, as we eat zucchini bread, sip iced tea, and discuss our lives. Momma is a fun loving woman, who makes me feel like the 85 year old when we are walking through the mall and I am unable to keep up! We have all been very blessed to have this woman in our lives, and I am glad that my family was able to come together to celebrate her life. 

Self Improvement

If I could choose one thing to change about myself, I think it would be how critical I am. I have a tendency to dissect people's personalities, and their behaviors. This can be good in the sense that it helps me with my career, but it can also make things very difficult in my personal life. 

I tend to overanalyze. I second guess the way my behaviors and comments came across, and I wonder about the actions of others. Unfortunately, this has lend to many sleepless nights, as I can not stop replaying scenes from my life. I get trapped into what my mom would call a "negative thought pattern." One of the consequences of these patterns of negative thinking, is that as a result of assuming that everyone else is dissecting my behaviors the way that I am (I know that being a psychologist should mean that I know better), and this has a tendency to effect the way that I treat my husband as well. :insert nagging wife: "Don't stand like that", "Don't ask that question", "That is inappropriate"... well you get the picture.

The interesting thing is, that in this context Mike and I could not be any more different. Mike is a very laid back person (well, as long as the Lakers and Cowboys are not playing), and so he is really good at just rolling with the punches, so he just doesn't understand what I am getting so worked up about. His usual answer, when I am trying to dissect in the car after a social gathering is "who cares?", and his usual response to my nagging is that I should allow him to live his own life. 

So, I have been working on improving my thought patterns, or at the very least my criticisms of my husband. To be quite honest, it is extremely hard! How do you stop yourself from being upset about something? Well, I am a work in progress, trying to learn how to take myself a lot less seriously. 

As Jo Dee Messina once said:

well, oh, that's the way it is
you gotta roll with the punches
that's the way it goes
you gotta bend when the wind blows
you live you learn
you crash and burn
it's hit or miss
and that's the way it is

Football, Laundry, and Applications

I love Sundays in the fall. Mike and I come home from church, cook a big lunch, turn on the football games and set to work on our chores. Typically Mike works on ironing our clothes for the week, while I work on homework and laundry. 

This setup seems to work really well for us; Mike is happy because he gets to watch the football games, and I am happy because because I don't care enough about football to be distracted from my work:). 

I am a very structured person, I like to do lists, and organization, so know that I have a set plan for each Sunday, and knowing that it is going to be a productive day, but also a day that I get to spend with my husband makes me happy. 

Today I am working on finishing another job application, so that I can meet my October 1st deadline. If I am able to get this accomplished, I also hope to go over my FPU lesson for this week. 

Mike is making chili and lime wings for lunch, and they are almost ready, so I am off to enjoy my Sunday!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."
~ Jeremiah 29:11-12. 

Proposals and Applications

The first two weeks of the semester were filled will a lot of gossip, drama, and catching up with people I hadn't seen in three months. Unfortunately though, this means that not a lot of work was accomplished. That means that I now have one week to write a 20 page dissertation proposal, and complete my job applications.


I have definitely been dragging my feet on both of these. There is so much uncertainty that lies in the year ahead, and I am a person who enjoys a structured plan for the future. Starting these processes means that I am that much closer to the unknown. It also means that I am putting myself in a position that would allow me to fail in a major way. 


Since we moved to VA in the summer of 2007, all anyone has asked me is how many years will it take me to get my degree. At first I answered this questions by confidently exclaiming that I would be award my Ph.D. after four short years. Now that answer has turned to a tentative, "May 2011, if everything goes as planned, but possibly August 2011." I now feel like everyone has high expectations for me to graduate this May, and I will feel like a failure if I am not able to accomplish this goal. However, I am also beginning to realize how ambitious this goal is. 


Graduating also means that I need to have a plan for the future. What good is graduating if I am not able to secure a job? This also means that I have a lot of work to do finding positions, researching the schools,  completing applications and preparing for interviews. 


I am very excited about all of the possibilities that lay ahead of Mike and I, but am also very afraid of the unknown. I just need to keep reminding myself that I am not in control, and that I just need to trust in Him, and know that He has a plan for us.