This is what you get after a long absence...

Well, here it is....the middle (almost) of February. And I have done nothing but an awful job of blogging. So to the 3 of you who read this, I'm sorry. I'd give you the excuse that I'm a grad student and this past month has been a complete whirlwind, however, while that is true, I feel like it's an easy answer. So do with it what you will.
So, here's a quick recap of the past month or so of my life:
-I've been making lots of fun therapy things like this gem made from a Pringle's can

 I sincerely apologize for the awful quality of this photo

And behavior charts and picture schedules like these

I wish I could take credit for the Superman coloring book page on my fridge (in the to left corner) but I can't. It was a gift from my favorite 3 year old, and is proudly displayed.

Legging-ed knee, how did you sneak into this photo?

This is what I do on Friday nights. Sit around and drink tea/coffee, watch Netflix (or Hulu all the shows I don't have time to watch during the week) and turn my living room into a wonderful mess of foam, scissors, scrap paper, hot glue, double stick tape, and lamination. And I love it.

On the same note, school is in full swing and I'm finding myself spending 7-10 hours in the basement of the same building on a daily basis, clinic or not. I have 3 sweet kiddos who give me wonderful reasons to craft and have avoidance behaviors that come in the form of putting too much effort into those crafts to no end. My heart is so happy.

-I've been obsessed with my Switchfoot station on Pandora .Moreso, this album in particular. (Ok, well these couple. Maybe I'm just years behind everyone else....but my music tastes switch a lot. I'll listen to nothing but showtunes for a month solid, and then something else will come up and will be played incessantly for a long time. Good thing I live by myself...)

   
okay, so this one doesn't match, but this is my blog! I put what I want!


-I've been cooking a lot, which is great because it means I'm eating real food, but I think I'll save that for a post of its own.

-If there's one thing I don't have, it's time to read anything that's not a SOAP note, test protocol, or an anatomy picture reference book, but this little gem is on its way to my house, and should come on Valentine's day( presents from myself still count as presents, right?), and I think I'm pretty excited.

I'd like to think that I'll tear through it and give you an insightful, deep review....but I can't make any promises.

-This has recently graced my refrigerator and morning coffee with it's presence, and it makes life just a little more bearable. (Yes, I saw a commercial and yes, it immediately made my grocery list. So what I'm a sucker for marketing and things that taste like ice cream?!)

it's even special enough to take a hipster-looking picture of.

Where I've been and where I'm going

In 2011...

• I graduated from college
• I moved...twice.
• I got accepted to grad school
• I turned 22
• I SURVIVED a semester of grad school
• I met some lovely ladies :-)
• I gained a sister-in-law

So now in 2012...

• I will finish the academic portion of grad. school
• I will move...again.
• I will gain a member of the family (and that's all I'm saying...for now...)
• I will turn 23
• I will be a working woman, yet again
• I will....

Day...oops.

Okay, okay. So I'm not passing blame, but the writing prompts was getting to me. Deeper than sitting on my to-do list saying "Hey! Look at me!" It was all about gifts. And frankly as much as I do (and don't) like gifts, I have a hard time thinking of posting all the way through December and talking only about gifts.  Although I suppose if I really tried I could turn each of them around and make each post revolve around The gift...I want t the few of you who visit to not have to read the same post only re-worded every day. That, and finals week was a killer. We're talking only 2.5 hours of sleep across 2 days killer. Will I pick up the "one a day" in January? Maybe. If I find a good enough prompt that actually has some kind of depth to it. Until then, I ramble.

• Christmas is in 3 days. Holy schmoley. Where did THAT come from?!
• Wanna know what I did today? Good, because I'm gonna tell you. I got to go to Science Central today with these sweet faces:

seriously, I get PAID to spend time with these wonderful children who so quickly worked their way into my heart. PAID. Can I pay them?I absolutely adore these 3. Melt.my.heart.

So I hung out with them, filled my belly with Panera, and am now sitting at a favorite coffee shop playing on Pinterest and drinking a white chocolate mocha until I don't want to. And when I'm done with that? I'm gonna read a REAL book. Not about speech therapy. This book to be exact:

photo credit

 I'd tell you why I'm obsessed with this author/story line/series, but that's for another post. But I'm reading books the rest of society reads, and I'm gonna read until I don't want to anymore. Moral of the story? Christmas break is my best friend. (Actually, it's been kinda nuts, and today is my first real "break-ish" day but I love it and am milking it for all its worth).

• My grades for the semester, nothing short of the grace of God Almighty, came back better than expected. As in, passing.  ( And as I type this, at table of 3 older  ladies at afore-mentioned coffee shop, 1 just said loud enough for the whole coffee shop to hear "But yes! Speech therapy works!" I'm tempted to go shake their hands. And listen to the rest of their conversation. Must....behave....) 
• I miss my grad school friends. If only seeing them all in one place again didn't mean having to start school again, and being back in Terre Haute...

when you're here, you're family.

I am sufficiently pleased with the number of pictures in this post.

Day 9

What gift do you regret breaking?

I wasn't exactly a graceful child, but I do remember being really upset when my toys would break. Mostly because I think I loved them each, and while I wasn't careful with them, I never liked breaking a toy. Do I remember one in particular? Nope. And it was a totally different story when someone else broke one of my toys. Devastation. Not so much in the obnoxious sense, but more...heartfelt. I just loved things fixed. It also came in really handy that both of my parents are quite creative/handy with and about broken things! (Probably because I got so upset when my things didn't work right.)
Is all of this telling of my personality traits now? Probably. But I think I turned out ok....so I'll take it!

I need to embrace this picture-less post. It's ok, right? I guess I'll just have to make up for it next week!

Day 8

What was your favourite thing you received below the age of 10?
 
She was my best friend, and came to me (thanks to a favorite uncle) right about 4th grade. I had (/have) her dresses, other clothes that weren't hers but I made her wear them anyway, I was in the American Girl Club (for the time that it existed), I read all the books at least 2 times, I own BINDERS full of their trading cardss....you name it. I made a couple trips to American Girl store....I BREATHED this company. And it was awesome.I also can't believe I just admitted that here.
Maybe someday I'll let my future daughter play with them and it will be sentimental, or maybe I'll just keep her in her carrying case. (I told you I was all about this.) Regardless, she made my childhood what it was, and I love it :)

Day 7

Some of my answers to these questions are becoming pretty boring. Does that mean I'm boring?! Maybe I should start making up some of my answers to make it a little more interesting. Maybe not. I'm not sure I could be that creative. I digress.

What was the strangest thing that ever made your gift wish list?

My Christmas list, as you may or may not have read earlier, is pretty standard usually. Clothes, something practical,movies, music, books, house-ish things. This year has to be the most unique, and few of these made even my own mother say "Are you sure?!". I think it has to do a lot with the fact that this is at the very tip-top of my list:

mhmm, you read that right. Ages 1-5. 

Aside from a new to-go coffee cup, everything I've asked for this year is either a toy or a game. I'm 22...I haven't asked for toys for Christmas in a LONG time. It's so much fun.
 It's one of the great things I love about speech therapy....we don't have specific toys that are strictly for speech (although there are some awesome companies who make toys that get done exactly what you need). We can take just about any toy and make it work for us.
The clinic here has a lot of toys, but I like having my own for a few reasons. If it's mine, I can guess a little better who's germs have been on it. Also, I know all the pieces (ideally) will be where I need them to be there when I need them to be there, and also so I'll have them with me wherever I go once I'm finished here soon.
Some other things I would l-o-v-e to add to my ridiculously growing collection of child's play things:

I'm obsessed with this. Velcro food that you can cut apart with a wooden knife on a cutting board. yes.


any and all children's books. I'm obsessed with using books/themes in therapy as much as possible.

Don't worry about gift wrapping them....just send them my way.

Day 6

Do you like to try to guess your gifts ahead of time?


Yes, you caught me. Two posts in one day...I fell behind. I'd use finals as an excuse....but it really, my life this week ("dead week"...named so because you supposedly just have to study for next week, but it's reality that you are dead to the world because you have SO much that you have to do.) is a never-ending to-do list. It's fine.

I am undecided on my answer to this question. For a few reasons, actually, but I'll try and be concise. I like to know because I'm not a fan of surprises. It's the type A controller/planner in me, but I just like to know what's coming and how things are going to be, and then have them happen that way. You can imagine how hard I must work, on a daily basis, to let go of this (especially in grad. school. With my major. And my life.) A life goal is really to be able to truly "flop with the mop". So yes, sometimes I like to know. I tell people (mostly just my mom) what I want for Christmas and that's what happens. Beautiful.

Aaaand then sometimes I like for people to have stories and reasoning behind a gift, and have it mean something more than "you asked for it." Everyone likes to be thought of, right?

Personally, I like to think I'm a creative "I know you asked for that but I got you this because here's why" kind of gift giver.
Sometimes it's kind of hard to write a lot about these prompts. They're kind of boring, but I started with them and I WILL finish them. WILL.

This little gem was such a gift:

My wonderful friend Kayla and her husband Chris made this for me for my college graduation. I ordered it, but they surprised me by giving it to me as a gift! They're super talented, you should check them out (shameless plug!) It hangs in the hallway of my apartment and I just really, really love it. And was surprised by it. And life is still ok.