Momma Hen

Thursday Thirteen- My Favorite Pregnancy Foods

August 19th, 2010 by Jen Hen under The Busy Life, Thursday Thirteen. 2 Comments.

That is, they are my favorite foods as of today. I could change my mind tomorrow. haha.

1. Breyer’s YoCrunch Yogurt: specifically, Strawberry with granola… yum!
2. Quaker Oats Granola Bars
3. Special K: Red Berries
4. Homemade banana bread
5. Banana Pudding
6. Ruffles: Cheddar Sour Cream potato chips
7. Bologna sandwiches… don’t ask. I’m not sure why I crave these either.
8. Ham
9. Mashed potatoes and gravy
10. Biscuits and gravy
11. Sausage
12. Homemade Cinnamon Friendship Bread (basically Sour Dough bread with flavoring…. watch for a post with the recipe and pictures)
13. Cinnamon Toast

Yum yum yum!

Guys and gals, what are your favorite foods? And if you’ve ever been pregnant; what were some of your cravings (strange or not)?

Tags:favorite foods, food, food cravings, Pregnancy Week 22, Thursday Thirteen.

Thursday Thirteen- I’m thinking…

August 5th, 2010 by Jen Hen under I'm Just Saying, Thursday Thirteen. 1 Comment.

For those of you that know me personally, you know that I can be strongly opinionated about things. I can debate a person into remission on some topics, on others I feel there is simply no room for debate and refuse to even consider “the other side” of the topic (these are seriously volatile topics that my opinions are directly in line with the “social norm” on). I guess you could say that this is an inspired post. Inspired by a few different people and sources, I’m a little worked up internally and I just need to get some abbreviated views off my chest.

The “Untouchables”:

1. Violence towards women: Really, we’re past the stone age. We’re several thousand years past the stone age. Granted, I get that The Women’s Rights Movement didn’t really make its’ noise until last century, but seriously. Does it make you a bigger man that you’re able to slap around your girlfriend or wife who is smaller than you?
2. Child Abuse: Again, does it make you the bigger person that you’re able to belittle and hit child who looks to you for love, understanding, guidance, respect, and safety?
3. Rape: Revolting! Nothing else even needs to go here.
4. All other forms of abuse: Anything physical, verbal, emotional, psychological in anyway. Go to therapy and get some help… seriously. Don’t give me the crap that therapy doesn’t work… it works if you’re actually willing to accept and acknowledge that you need the help and you need to fix some things. Trust me.
5. Deadbeat parents: If you can sleep with someone and pass your genes along, then you can take responsibility for the outcome. I’ve got an entry in the works on this topic.
6. Human Rights: Oh boy… I could go on for DAYS on this topic, but I’ll refrain for the time being. I just hope people will stop thinking about things as what they see as wrong when it’s really just something that they are uncomfortable with and won’t accept. I have written on this topic in the past. If you’re interested, leave a comment (or send me a Fb message) and I’ll send you the link.

The Debates:

1. Accountability: As a general rule, we are accountable for our own actions and the positions we land in. There are exceptions to this which make it a debate topic.
2. Self Control: Control your mouth and control your actions.
3. Politics: Oh boy… this could go on forever. I really don’t like debating politics though.
4. Education: I’ve got nothing right now because this isn’t fueling me for the time being.

And Just for Fun:

1. If I put items on the conveyor belt at the store in groupings, that’s how I want them bagged. Older people who work in the stores understand my method. Younger people don’t seem to understand why my raw meat doesn’t go in the same bag as fresh fruit. Or why frozen items don’t go in with paper packaging (oh say, ice cream in with a bag of flour). Grumble. This happened to me last night. I never say anything but boy does it peeve me. DH is learning my “technique” … he thought I was crazy when we first started grocery shopping together and I’d be all anal about what went on the conveyor when. He has since met a few other people who have expressed the same organizational (could be read, controlling) way. lol.
2. Drama. Oh honey. Some people just never outgrow it, do they? Personally, drama makes me really tense, and I don’t like to be tense at all. So, I don’t like drama and I avoid drama. I avoid the overly dramatic type of people.  You know, the ones who someone is ALWAYS doing something wrong to them, or who ALWAYS have a problem with something or someone, and do a whole lot of negative talk. It’s not healthy for my sanity.
3. Fake people. Don’t act nice to someone’s face, then start bad mouthing them the second they turn their back. Better yet, don’t make assumptions about people you know nothing of. Definitely don’t do either to me. I see through it. I’m passive about a lot, and I don’t say anything very often, but don’t be surprised if I never call you to talk or visit or hang out. Alright… so I’m not good about doing any of those anyway, BUT on the rare occasion that I do actually try to make plans with people the fake, phony, and assumptive are not making the list.

Thursday Thirteen!

July 1st, 2010 by Jen Hen under Baby 3, Thursday Thirteen. No Comments.

I realize it has been several weeks since I did a Thursday Thirteen. In fact, I’m not sure that I’ve even done one since we found out that we are expecting Baby #3. This Thursday Thirteen is going to be about…. wait for it… yeah, pregnancy. It’s a Rants and Raves kind of day, so here we go…

1. Rave: no…. Rant: no… 50/50 haha. Gas. Bloating. Yeah. The existence of gas and bloating is a major Rant. Some of my favorite foods can send my stomach into a frenzy and make me swell like a Macy’s parade balloon float. The attached Rave? I have a darn good excuse for those occasions when I’m just a tad less than lady like with my timing. The boys think it’s absolutely hilarious when I “step on a barking spider”.
2. Rant: Mood swings. Contrary to what my husband may or may not think, *wink* I do not like getting snippy for no apparent reason. That poor man has gotten his head bitten off more than once or twice when I normally wouldn’t have said a word.
3. Rant: Uncontrollable crying. It is RIDICULOUS! This insurance commercial comes on the other day. The kids and the mom are joking about all those annoying things “dad” does that they won’t have to deal with while he’s gone on his business trip. Then a screen comes up with “But what if he didn’t come home?” I looked at DH Cam, at the t.v., back at DH and I had to hide my face as I broke out into tears. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen the commercial but that particular day I was just a leaky faucet waiting to happen.
4. Rave: Having a darn good excuse for requiring a milkshake every couple of days (or every day… depending on the week). “But… baby really wants a milkshake!”
5. Rant: An absolutely horrific gag reflex. Seriously, can it stop?? It requires absolutely nothing to trigger. It comes out of nowhere. As soon as I wake up, I gag. Eating food? Gag. Smell something (pleasant or not). You guessed it… gag.
6. Rave: Lil’ C had been doing darn good with his potty training since I’ve been pregnant! We’ve made huge advancements. I think seeing mommy get sick (literally) while trying to clean up his #2 from his undies convinced him using the toilet was a better idea.
7. Rant: Lack of energy. I could probably take three naps a day and still sleep 8 hours at night. Actually, I have taken two in a day and still slept 8 hours so I doubt three would be pushing it. I’m in my 2nd trimester now so this is supposed to get better… soon.
8. Rant: Dry, itchy skin. I don’t recall this being a problem with either of the boys until the final two months. My legs itch almost constantly. I have to use lotion a couple of times a day on them to find relief. Yes, I’m drinking lots of water. I keep ice water in my cup and keep the cup next to my chair.
9. Rave: I really like picking out baby names. I don’t think I’ve slipped and mentioned names on here yet, and I’m trying to hold off a bit longer, but I will tell you we have a girls first and middle name picked out. We only have the first name picked for a boy at this point.
10. Rave: Ultrasounds. I think they are just the neatest things! I love getting a peak inside and seeing how much the baby has changed since the previous viewing. Our first ultrasound the baby was 6 weeks on the dot and looked like little more than a beehive hanging around. Our second ultrasound the baby was just shy of 13 weeks and we could make out the head, back, arms, and legs. So cool. This coming Tuesday (July 6th), we are going to get to look at that little bundle again at 16 weeks… in 3D! It will be the first time I’ve ever seen one of my kids in 3D via ultrasound and I’m excited… nevermind the fact that we’ll be finding out if it’s a boy or a girl! WOOT!
11. Rave: Family excitement for the bundle of joy on the way! It’s infectious! We’re so blessed, and the kids are all so blessed, to have supportive family that is as excited as we are for this new little addition. We’ll be getting a DVD of our ultrasound Tuesday and I’m sure it’s going to get played more than a time or two. haha.
12. Rant: Middle of the night trips to the bathroom. Increased fluid intake plus increased fluid production equals at least two wake ups to dash to the bathroom. Good thing I sleep on the side of the bed right next to our bathroom door.
13. Rave: My fantastic husband who is super supportive, goes to the doctor appointments with me, helps me out around the house, picks up food cravings for me, and takes care of me when I’m moody/sickly/tired. But especially, because he is so sweet and always trying to find the baby in my belly. I think it’s adorable. I love him!

Tags:2nd trimester, pregnancy, pregnancy week 15, Thursday Thirteen.

Thursday Thirteen- Easter edition

March 31st, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. No Comments.

It’s that time of year. The time for painted eggs, bunny shaped chocolates, special Easter outfits, Ham (yummm!), and little kids on sugar highs (which reminds me of Ajax Ouch’s video an Easter or two ago).

I was going to embed the video on here, but alas, it seems YouTube has stopped providing those codes, so click on the following link to understand my reference to Ajax Ouch.

Anyway, as I was saying, it’s EASTER time so Thursday Thirteen is about all things Easter, or at least all things that I associate with Easter.

1.

2. Memory: Going to a sunrise service at Chestnut Street General Baptist when I was a girl.

3. Memory: Matching Easter dresses for my sister (Auntie E) and me. (I think that was the same Easter as the sunrise service.)

4.

5. Memory: Easter at my great-grandparents house. I think I wore a ridiculous Easter hat. I never have gotten into floppy hats. haha.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. CANDY! Chocolate Bunnies, pastel colored M&M’s, and pastel colored wrappers for Hershey Kisses and Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups.

11. Ham. Yummmmm. I LOVE ham for any holiday (or any time really), but especially for Easter.

12. The Easter Bunny, of course. Memory: I don’t remember where, and I don’t remember how old, but I remember a giant Easter Bunny (aka… someone dressed up).

13. STOMACH ACHES! *Groan* WAY to much junk food. I’m going for NOT over eating chocolate this year, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. haha.

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday surrounded with the ones you love.

Tags:candy, daffodils, Easter, March flowers, memories.

Thursday Thirteen

March 11th, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. No Comments.

It’s a Rants and Raves edition of Thursday Thirteen! I’ve been neglectful of my website. The weather has been to darn beautiful when I’ve been feeling well, we’ve all cycled through a few more germs, midterms have come and gone, and we’re making preparations for our property and future homesite.

1. Rave: Spring is just around the corner! YAY for lovely weather, blooming trees, budding flowers, and more sunshine!
2. Rant: The rainy months have arrived. Rain puddles and mud = No wearing my pretty suede New Balance.
3. Rave: We’re signing the deed for one acre of property tomorrow! And it’s one acre among many where the boys will be able to run and roam freely (for the most part).
4. Rave: The comedy that is dialogue between my grandparents. Over 50 years of marriage brings many adages. DH and I always leave their company laughing.
5. Rant: The girls in my morning class who talk non-stop which is completely distracting when we can hardly hear the teacher talk in the first place. It’s an ITV class and the teacher is at a site out of town, so it’s not like she’s there to hear them or tell them to be quiet. At least if they want to gossip the whole class period they could pass notes back and forth.
6. Rant: Poor Lil’ C has been moved to a different room at daycare. While there are a few of his favorite little friends in there with him, he’s having to go through a transistional period which means he’s not to pleased when I leave him in the morning. Actually, he screams. It makes me sad.
7. Rave: Leads for freelance writing that will actually equate to regular payment and portfolio building. Woot! This may spill over into my website as I increase my exposure.
8. Rave: A super fantastic husband who is willingly and slowly learning how to see things through my eyes, which in turn has made him a wonderful support as I’ve been making decisions and contemplating changes.
9. Rant: A make-up biology exam that royally kicked me in the bum (and in my class average). I had a stomach virus the day of the exam and wouldn’t have made it through the test. I scheduled the make-up for the next morning at 8 a.m. Bad move Jen. Bad move.
10. Rant: People who talk just to hear themselves talk. I’m pretty sure this chick has an “Owl” complex. Not sure what I mean? Read “The Tao of Pooh” (it’s entertaining), or think about the character Owl from Winnie-the-Pooh. He was always talking about things and trying to sound so superior in knowledge, but constantly mixing things up. Yeah. That’s the situation here.
11. Rave: Only ONE more week until college Spring Break which means only ONE more week until I have a whole week of freedom from campus. Not so much from homework.
12. Rant: 50-60 slide powerpoint project due in 4 weeks. I think I have 12 slides worth of information. Maybe less. Yikes. Gotta get a move on it.
13. Rave: I’m alive, overall well, the kids and my hubby are altogether healthy. We have the things that we need and we have each other. I love my little family.

Thursday Thirteen

February 25th, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. 1 Comment.

13 Questions I have recently asked myself:

1. Who are these kids and why do they keep calling me “mom”?
2. How many days until the end of the semester?
3. How long can I hide in Florida this summer?
4. Should I take a break from college? (again)
5. Should I actively freelance write?
6. Who in the heck wakes up and decides they want to strap themselves to two pieces of wood and slide down a mountain at 70+mph?
7. Who in the heck wakes up and decides they want to strap themselves to two pieces of wood and run towards a vertical piece of ice at 60+kph and flip around?
8. Was “Curling” created by drunk ice fisherman who forgot what they were on the ice to do in the first place?
9. Will I continue my website after I hit the one year mark?
10. How many more germs will we circulate through our house?
11. Who comes up with some of these television commercials?
12. How do I have so many unique visits to my website with only a few people leaving comments? (I’m just playing with you guys… but really, feel free to leave comments… they let me know what I’m doing right… (or wrong))
13. Could I make it on the bunny hill at a ski resort? (I seriously think not… hahaha)

Tags:Curling, humor, Skiing, Thursday Thirteen, Vancouver 2010, Winter Olympics.

Thursday Thirteen

January 28th, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. 1 Comment.

Thirteen college degrees I have considered for more than a minute….

1. Social Work (I know, this is the obvious one)
2. Criminal Justice (my declared major when I was at Michigan State University, briefly, after they rejected me from #3)
3. English (Michigan State rejected me despite my 4.0 grades in college English, Honors English in high school, and my 29 on the ACT… they’re picky)
4. Sociology
5. Psychology
6. Secondary Education with a focus in Organizational Communications and English
7. Journalism
8. Broadcast Journalism (there’s a difference between number 7 and 8… one does news print, the other does radio and television)
9. Theater (I don’t want to be a starving artist though. We can cross this off the list already.)
10. Travel and Tourism (My dream job: Traveling the world and telling people about everything they can do wherever they go)
11. Photography (I’ll keep it as my hobby instead.)
12. Business Administration (because let’s face it, I’m good at being bossy. Don’t laugh mom, or DH, or …. anyone related to me. (DH just did when I told him what I wrote. haha.))
13. Finance (we’d be living well… but I get really uncomfortable dealing with other people’s money. I put on a mentality of “this is my money” so that I’m more cautious (as I would be with my own) which leads to high levels of stress when people aren’t spending their money wisely.)

There’s a common theme aside from a couple of the choices: helping people enjoy life more, in one sense or another. All of the career tests I’ve ever taken have listed most of these same things, but have added in Lawyer (which, I do consider doing once the boys are older since there isn’t a law school closer than a 2.5 hour drive) and Librarian. The latter always seemed like a curve ball in the mix.

Anywho… thanks to BossSanders for the reminder in her comment on yesterday’s post. I do appreciate that. I think I had forgotten that goal as I’ve been stressing out. Of course, I’m still sitting here debating my direction. C’est la vie.

I know that I can make the necessary grades and complete the necessary coursework for any of the things I listed. I know that I could find a job and probably do well with it. But I want to LOVE my job and LOVE going to that job. And it’s not illogical to want that. It’s what professors say you should do all the time. DH likes to remind me of his professors talk with his finance class: “I made a lot of money working in Finance, but I hated what I was doing. I really enjoyed teaching. It only pays me a fraction of what I was making, but I like coming to work. Do what you enjoy. Money isn’t worth being miserable.” (That’s loosely paraphrased and quoted.)

Thursday Thirteen… Already?!

January 21st, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. No Comments.

It’s Thursday and you all know what that means. It signals time for our weekly thirteen listing and my weekly indecisive freak out. You would not believe how anxious I feel when I’m just trying to come up with something to write for you guys. I guess I could finally go public with my list for the New Year. 2010, here’s what I’m going to do:

1. QUIT SMOKING! Yep, that’s at the very top of my list, but I will almost put money on it being the last thing I accomplish. I’ve been working on a major reduction of cigarette inhalation, and it’s actually been going fairly well, all things considered.
2. GET IN SHAPE! (And everytime I see that phrase I automatically attach “Girl”… like the Mary Lou Retton work out tapes and equipment from the 80′s. ) I have gotten physically lazy and it’s time to put a stop to that. I’ve actually done really well so far with the new year. I haven’t taken any elevators, except at the doctor’s office with Carter because I really wasn’t ready to carry his 40lbs on one side of me. My knees would have yelled. Anyway… yes, stairs five days a week and when nobody is around, I take them two at a time. I feeeeeeel the burn in my buttocks. I’ve also avoided soda all year, aside from one shared 7up at the Globetrotters two weeks ago. And I’ve been controlling my urges to gorge on sweet stuff.
3. EAT FEWER SWEETS: Alright, I decided it deserved it’s own spot. Seriously, I was baking at least one thing weekly during November and December that was sweet, sugary, and bad for me and the rest of the household. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not eliminating sweets completely, but I find that the fewer I keep in the house the less tempted I am. And while X-man and I went to Culver’s last week, I ordered a small chocolate shake instead of the tempting medium or large. Sometimes one of the better things to do for a more controlled diet isn’t to all out eliminate things, but to keep control over your portion size.
4. BE MORE PATIENT WITH THE KIDS: When I told DH this was one of my resolutions for the  year he said, “You ARE patient with the kids.” To which I had to provide the rebutal: “On  YOUR scale I’m ‘to’ patient. But trust me, I need to work on this.” Being patient does not mean the absense of discipline. It’s all about the tone and how crass  you can be. I’ve been focusing on controling my temperament so that I don’t come across more harsh than is necessary.
5. Reorganize the house: ALWAYS on my list of things to do, but it doesn’t get my attention as often as it really should. We have accumulated so much “stuff” and we don’t need it all. We really don’t even need half of it. So, slowly, but surely, I will be cleaning things out. Ideally I’ll be able to post the items on craigslist and sell them. Other things I will just automatically donate.
6. Commit to Full Time student status this Fall: I’m very non-commital with this for a few different reasons. I have to much experience with “Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible moment.” I am concerned that if I go full time, the need for me to work more will come up, or one of the kids will have something drastic happen and will need more availability out of me, or I’ll get overwhelmed and hurt my gpa again like I did in Spring of ’03. I really need to commit to full time so that I can complete my degree within the time frame I have outlined in my 5 year “plan” for life.
7. Work on my study habits. Don’t groan at me. I know I typically have A’s and B’s in my classes. But trust me when I say there is room for improvement in my study habits and just imagine how much better my grades would be if I fixed those issues.
8. Be more thrifty in my grocery budget: I slacked pretty hard core during the holidays. I need to get back to using coupons and sticking to a list. I buy healthier foods that way, and I control my grocery spending a lot better. I make a tentative list of meals for about three weeks at a time. It’s not something that I schedule and stick to strictly, but it helps me keep my thoughts more organized on the grocery items I know that I will need while maintaining variety in meal choices so the kids, DH, and I don’t get burned out on any one item. Also it helps me shuffle meals around so that I can set a goal for my weekly spending and stay within just a couple of dollars of that amount.
9. Clip more coupons! Yes, this goes in with grocery shopping, but also with everyday necessities such as toothpaste, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc. Therefore, I’m cutting down on my needed budget for these items as well which saves me money overall that I can stash back for in-case-of-emergency or for vacation. Since we have a big vacation planned for this summer, saving is a big factor to cover the lost time working, as well as any of the activities that we have on our “must do” list.
10. See the Atlantic. Yep. I’ll be 30 this year and I’ve never seen the Atlantic. I saw the Pacific for the first time when I was 26. I saw the Gulf for the first time when I was 28. I’m looking forward to spending some time on the Atlantic beaches this summer before I hit 30. It’s really just a silly little goal I have, but it’s one less thing to have on my bucket list in old age.
11. More game nights with X-man: We used to have a real set routine with game nights, but life got pretty darn hectic and crazy a couple of years ago. While we’ve maintained some sort of routine, it’s not nearly as often as it should be. However, since December I have been paying a lot of attention to this detail. It’s one of the big things that means a lot to X-man in terms of time with me (and anyone else who plays with us).
12. More structured time with Lil’ C: The kids really kind of run amuck on the weekends. X-man already has some basic guidelines for t.v. time and game time (however, I’m very lax on both these days). Lil’ C really needs more structure to his days. He has a great time at daycare and I’m sure that just the predictability of his days there helps. I’m not saying I’m going to put him on some strict schedule, just put a few things into his days that make things a bit more smooth flowing and less about television or video games.
13. Last but not least: More quality time and conversation with DH. I am hoping that our scheduled vacation is going to be as relaxing as we want it to be. But I’m afraid I may have to throw any of his technological toys out into the ocean. (Cam: You’ve been forewarned. And you know I’ll do it.)

Thursday Thirteen

January 14th, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. 2 Comments.

I’ve been pretty darn annoyed by people this week. I really don’t like it when I get this agitated by the general public, but occasionally it just happens. I’m down right nasty mean feeling (even if I do keep it internalized and to myself). I tell DH that I’m really starting to wonder if I should change my major when I have weeks like this. So I don’t know whether to write a positive Thursday Thirteen to divert my attention, or if I should just go ahead and get those annoyances off my chest. DH votes for the annoyances. Okay, he wins.

1. The person who rides around in her powerchair on campus and is mean and ugly acting towards practically everyone who tries to say hello. I thought this woman was legitimately disabled and required her powerchair. I thought she probably had some severe problem that was preventing her from walking, thereby decreasing her quality of life, and probably the reason for her sour attitude towards life. And then… I saw her… outside with her daughter. This woman literally jumped out of her wheelchair and walked with more of a bounce than I do. I kid you not. I wanted to turn around and ask her why the heck she was using a wheelchair when she was walking with such a spring in her step. I didn’t.
2. People who yell and throw a fit in public. It’s not pleasant and nobody else wants to hear your issues like that. Or see you throw your trash out of your vehicle into the University parking lot while you are belittling your daughter. Reference the woman in number 1.
3. People who make things more complicated than they need to be. Like using a hole punch. Really. It’s okay if you only punch five pages at a time, instead of 15. You aren’t being quicker by realigning your pages three times, cramming the paper between the punches, and fighting with the punch for five minutes then having to rip your pages out and repunch them. Ugh!
4. A person who claims to have been in Intel with the military who obviously never served our country. Do NOT lie about military service! Don’t do it! It’s an insult to the men and women who have and do serve and protect us. UGH!
5. A person who says they are four months pregnant with twins, but when asked when she is due says August. I’m sorry, but I made it to college because I can do math. Somehow I’m not buying that you’re expecting to have a 12 month pregnancy. So what’s the situation here? Are you lying about being pregnant? Or just about how far along you are? And to either: WHY?
6. How can you complain about a professor you’ve never had before, you’ve stated you didn’t show up for the first day of class, and you are already 10 minutes late to class and still standing outside socializing? Can we please make it a little more difficult for people to get into college? Please??? (This person is the same person from 4 and 5.)
7. Don’t yell at me because I don’t know where your classroom is! If I haven’t had a class in the room, chances are I don’t know where the room is any better than you do.
8. If you ask me where the North side of the building is, and I tell you that you are in the North side, I promise I’m not just being a smarty pants. And if you ask me where the South side of the building is and I tell you it’s back through the double doors you just walked through… I’m still not just being a smarty pants. I promise. And if you ask me where the East and West wings of the building are, and I tell you that there is only a North and South wing… well, then that’s the answer. Don’t get exasperated at me. Please.
9. If you tell me that you are in the Biology building and I explain that you are actually in Blackburn, don’t tell me “No. I’m in the Biology building.” Then, when you ask me where the Biology building is and I point at it through the window we’re standing near and explain, please listen instead of interrupting and saying “What’s the name of it???” THEN get mad when I tell you the answer, “Biology building.” “Well where is it??” Didn’t I just show her out the window?? Explain again. “What’s it say on it?” Really?!?! UGH! “It has gold or silver lettering and says Biology above the door.” She HUFFED at me and went stomping out like I was lying.
10. If the professor has already made it very clear that he has a no tolerance policy on cellphone use in his classroom, do not sit next to me while you hold your cellphone under your desk and text. I really wish the University would establish a no cellphone power on in the classroom policy of some sort. I get so irritated with people sitting around me texting while I’m trying to listen to a soft spoken professor. It’s amazing, I know, but I go to classes so I can hear lectures, take notes, and at least learn enough to pass my class (and when I say pass, I don’t mean a “C”… I mean a “B” minimum).
11. People who sit and gossip DURING class. For most of the same reasons listed in 10. I know, I’m a boring person. haha.
12. I’m going to go back to something I mentioned at the beginning of last semester in a Thursday Thirteen or something. I believe that there should be a mandatory wait time before going to college. I think these “KIDS” need to find out that when they are spending twice as much time partying as they are studying or worrying about paying attention to their class, they aren’t going to learn much. They are going to struggle to get a good grade. And the teachers aren’t going to do them favors. Granted, there are people who are perfectly capable of maintaining an active social life and high markings.
13. I’ve come to realize that my view has changed on an issue. I used to be on the bandwagon of thought that higher education should be available for everyone. But, I’m afraid I may actually have a more conservative/reactionary view than I’d like to admit on certain topics. Does that mean I’m a “moderate” who likes to sit on the fence until I make up my mind on each issue? Nah. I still identify more strongly with a liberal perspective for a majority of issues. But… yeah, I’m pretty darn conservative on this issue.

So… that’s what is grinding my gears this week. I don’t enjoy feeling so irritated and like a negative nancy, but at least I got it off my chest.

Thursday Thirteen

January 7th, 2010 by Jen Hen under Thursday Thirteen. No Comments.

Thirteen things to do with a toddler and a 10 year old on a snow day:

1. Watch movies
2. Drink hot chocolate
3. Play outside
4. Play video games
5. Play board games
6. Snack all day
7. Stay in pajamas instead of getting dressed.
8. Take a nap.
9. Talk about snow.
10. Listen to music and dance crazy through the house.
11. Play with play-doh.
12. Build a super duper stunt car track with Hot Wheel tracks and Lincoln Logs.
13. Clean house.

Okay… so the last one is no fun. And we didn’t accomplish much of the rest of it. But it’s things we could have been doing with our time today. hahaha. We were lazy. And quiet… aside from an outburst earlier, but Momma Hen removed the toy that was the source of the altercation from the equation and all was peaceful afterward.

Now… I’m feeling really ready for number 8 on the list. *Yawn*