My precious girls! :)

I am so proud of my precious angels - this school year S is in 4th grade, J is in 2nd and A is in Kindergarten. S got Cougar of the Quarter the first grading period, and J got it the 2nd. They are both really good kids at school - very quiet and respectful to their teachers, and hard workers with good grades.  A is a very sweet girl, very smart and loving. She has some issues with umm, talking too much sometimes, and occasionally gets into a little trouble at school for talking when the teacher has asked her to be quiet.  I was concerned that A would not get Cougar of the Quarter because of her behavior issues sometimes. Don't get me wrong, her behavior isn't BAD, she is never mean or rude, just sometimes a little too friendly.

But nope, my sweet BABY got Cougar of the Quarter this grading period - and her breakfast is tomorrow. Unfortunately  with my schedule I haven't been able to make it to any of their breakfasts. :( I just can't afford to miss Organic Chem. It breaks my heart that their teachers are rewarding my girls and i am not able to be there to celebrate with them. Mommy-guilt. :(

Really awesome giveaway . . .

on the blog bentobloggy. Le Creuset is the BEST cookware I have ever used, and this is a piece I don't have!!

http://bentobloggy.blogspot.com/2011/03/big-thank-you-and-big-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Bentobloggy+%28Bentobloggy%29

check it out!

Where does the time go?

I mean well. I really do. But somehow the days are slipping away from me.

The girls are great. Jimmy is great. I am CRAZED. I thought taking 17 hours would be okay. that I could handle it. I thought the extra 3 hour research thing could fit into my schedule. It does, but only if I am okay with having no free time. Which is fine, I guess. I miss having a relaxed life, though. I know it is only going to get worse. I know that I have to job shadow and study for MCAT during spring break. I know i have to take physics 1, physics 2 and the MCAT this summer. And then my senior year, and applications to med school. THEN there is the joy of finding out whether or not I am accepted, and whether we are going to try the cross-country move thing again, and where Jimmy will be working. And I am just moving along, going on faith that it will all work out. That I will get accepted somewhere where the girls will be able to go to good schools and Jimmy will get a good job and it will all be fine. But it is CRAZY. :)

So that's me. And my family. I have so much on my mind and no time to blog about it!

Oops!

So I got a little distracted by Christmas break and forgot to blog about my life! Oops! So we went home for Christmas (pictures coming soon). Home being Virginia, where our families are. We were amazingly spoiled for Christmas - I got a lot of MCAT study aids (which I have not even opened yet!) and the girls got everything! It was so much stuff that I had to rent a car to drive home with the girls so that Jimmy could PACK our Pilot full of gifts. Several of the gifts were pretty large. Ava got a plasma car - really really cool by the way! And Jimmy got a fire pit. Julie got a huge dollhouse. All of these large gifts made it very difficult to all fit into the car.

Me driving isn't a huge deal. Unfortunately I was sick that day, and had to drive 1,000 miles with 3 kids in the car while sick as a dog! Ugh. We made it home just fine though and it was fine. I spent a lot of my break reading. I read 6 books at my mom's house. Enjoyed it SO much!

Weight Loss over Christmas break?

So I have gained a LOT of weight over the last year and a half or so. With this weight gain came self-loathing and disgust for my lack of willpower. I started taking some meds a while ago to get my acne under control and some weight crept on with that as well (Yaz and Spironolactone).  So Wednesday I went to a local weight-loss clinic and Thursday I took my first phentermine pill. :) Today is Saturday, so this morning's weigh in was 2 days in. I was down 4 lbs!! Thrilled and excited!

I have had a few side effects. I am taking the 37.5 mg dose, and I have noticed the dry mouth side effect, but I am drinking extra water to counteract that (and chewing sugar free gum if necessary). Today I noticed another side effect - a horrible headache. :( I'm wondering if it is because I am not getting enough calories.  I ate about 1000 calories today so that isn't a HORRIBLY low number.

Anyway, I am excited. I am trying to really change my lifestyle, and hope to see some positive changes soon (and hopefully some fitting into my old pants!)

Almost Christmas!

10 days, to be exact.

I am SO excited.

We are traveling to Va. I have a stack of books/magazines/MCAT workbooks for the ride. 17 hours there and 17 back - i can get lots of reading done on the way.

I took my last final last night- Embryology. I have a whole month to clean the house and play with my children and enjoy Christmas and prepare myself mentally for Spring semester.

Hope that my friends and family have an amazing, relaxing, joy-filled Christmas season!

Gratitude

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so I thought I would write a post about all of the many things I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my 3 amazing daughters. All unique and wonderful in their own way.

I am thankful for my amazing, supportive husband. I couldn't do anything without him.

I am thankful to live in a country where I have rights as a woman.

I am thankful for my Mom - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! The only parent I have left, and a great one!

I am thankful for my health.

I am thankful for medicine, which keeps us all healthy, as well as for the researchers and scientists who develop it and test it for safety.

I am thankful that my needs are met, today and for the future.

I am thankful for my professors and their willingness to teach me the things I need to know.

I am thankful for food to eat and clothes on my back, and a warm home to live in.

I am thankful for trash pick up. If you have ever lived without it, and had to load your trash up and drive it to the dump, you know what I am talking about.

I am thankful for kitten snuggles. I love my cats.

-------That's all I can think of right now. I know that there are many more things that I have to be thankful for, and if you feel you have been left off the list, don't worry, I am thankful for you too! :)