Why are entire years strewn on the cutting room floor of memories?

My big sister Lyndsay came to town for Christmas this year-- best present ever! She lives in LA and the last time we were able to see her was August 2008, so it's always a special treat when we get quality time with her. My sisters, mom and I went through the bins of keepsakes our mom kept all these years-- art projects, report cards, stories we authored, certificates and awards, and even memorabilia from when we were wee little things. Some highlights include: my adorable little red mary janes from when I was less than 1 year old, a note authored by Lyndsay dubbing her as my "bigger, famous sister," and a "Women in Politics" word search that I completed at the age of 4 (!!!!). Go on, Matt Smola, say it-- "that's my majorrr!!" The world shoulda seen it coming....

I want to share two things with you from my 3rd grade year. The first is a note to me from my Dad on the first day of school. My elementary school had closed down so I was going to a new school for the first time ever; he must have written it to make me feel better. It's funny how I don't remember this letter but so many of these pieces of wisdom have stuck with me throughout my life (or at least I like to think so).

Dear Molly Mo:
Good, good morning to you, Peanut! I just wanted to tell you to have a GREAT first day of school as a (can it be true?) THIRD GRADER! Listen carefully to your teachers every day and learn as much as you can every day...you have many special things about you that not everyone has, so be the very best worker that you can be. Be kind to all your classmates and teachers...there is no substitute for kindness and understanding toward others, no matter who they are. Treat others like you want to be treated. Your mother and I are VERY PROUD of you and all that you have learned so far-- keep working hard. Mommy and I love you more than you'll ever know, and we'll always help you when you need it! Have a great day, and I'm looking forward to hearing about your day.
Love,
Daddy

Shared item #2: "Happiness is...": 3rd grade edition. I feel like we did more than just 2 of these, but only 2 were salvaged in my bin, so enjoy them and use your imagination to think of what awesome responses I had to finish the statement for the remainder of my 3rd grade year.

8/30/96 Happiness is... Something inside your heart that puts a smile on your face and a song in your heart, friends, reading, playing with my dog and piano.

9/10/96 Happiness is...Staying in shape, playing in water, being in shows and plays, playing with friends during summer rain showers, and reading a good book at school or home.

It was a riot looking through the traces of my life with the people who watched me grow up. It was also full of positive, uplifting notes about how blessed my life has been....though seeing all the things I accomplished up to the age of 18 makes me feel a little bit like I've already peaked. Ha, ha. Anyway, I recommend it if you're bored during any of the remaining time in your break. :)

Just Give Love to All

It's weird/funny/expected that I'm coordinating my most recent facebook status with this blog...Right now, love languages are on my mind. Never heard of the 5 love languages, you say? Well, the idea is that we all speak one love language more "fluently" than the others; in other words, we are able to most effectively give-- and RECEIVE-- compassion, affection and interaction in one specific way. This is interesting because we assume that we are giving everything we've got to certain people and relationships, but in reality, the kind gestures aren't always having the effect we want them to have because the other person has another love language. Similarly, we don't think the other party (or parties) are as "into" creating solid friendships or relationships because we aren't making ourselves aware of/open to the love they are offering to us in their OWN love language. Get it?

The five love languages are (drumroll, please): touch, acts of service, quality time, giving/receiving gifts, and words of affirmation.

i'm interested to see what you loyal readers (are there any of those left these days?) think mine is. I can reveal it in my next post (oooooh). And I'd love for you to figure out what yours is, too!

I'm not really sure why I'm sharing this right now. I just felt compelled to. I think that any obligatory gift-giving season makes me think about how we uphold (or lose sight of) certain people and relationships in our lives year round. Why do we need a holiday like Christmas or a birthday to feel comfortable expressing love toward one another?

I feel like I end up sharing this every year, but one of my favorite holiday tunes is called "The Secret of Christmas." I only know the Shedaisy version (I'm not sure if they're the original performers or if they're just spreading the good word) but I think it serves as a great reminder that Christmas is only special if the months surrounding it contain the same joy and generosity to all.

Yeah the little gift you send on Christmas day
Will not bring back the friend you turned away
So may I suggest the secret of Christmas--
It's not the things you do at Christmas time,
But the Christmas things you all year through.

Hope everyone's day was full of gratitude and simple joys.

you CAN get left for christmas eve service, folks

well, the title sort of gives it away. nanny and lepa left me because i was taking too long to get ready for the christmas eve church service (that doesn't start until 6:30). nanny informed me that she is one of FOUR soprano's that can actually hit the proper note for ave maria and that she would see me there. so now i'm looking up different renditions of ave maria on youtube.com for fun. my aunt and uncle live next door so i'm assuming i'm going with them...but i can't believe someone would leave their granddaughter just because she's a little slower than most.

oh well! happy christmas!

my nanny & lepa keep the thermostat at 76 degrees

snowboarding was a blast! my legs are really sore, exercising before might have been helpful.

now i'm back in ohio. my brother and i are staying in columbus until christmas day around 1 p.m. or so... we are arguing so it's nanny and i all the way. i'm reaching my family-critical-point in which case there is no where to go, but i cannot stay here much longer. bless their hearts.

we got sandwiches from this place called PJ's or JP's or something and they all have inappropriate names for the sandwiches. i got a "phat phuk" which was really just a spicy chicken sandwich (i'm eating meat again, sort of). the sandwiches were huge though, and fries came ON the sandwich.

well everyone, goodbye from columbus... O-H-----

Tour de Ohio

busy couple of days!! phew!! to recap: i worked friday morning and we had a line out of the door by 7: 30 a.m. (and TWO people called off!) so my cheeks got really warm and i powerwalked around our little store in my nonskid shoes. i had a few visitors! shawn brought a can in and got his 5th free latte, latoya came in to say goodbye, kirsten was meeting with ESL students so she got her usual. it's good to catch up with people, even if i am working for "The Man" while it's happening.

so i took a medium-long nap after work, packed/cleaned the college house, and caravan-ed home. welllllll just beyond home, i went through elyria to akron! erika's 24th birthday celebration! what a trendy night!! (i did not see lebron) i think i walked around with a surprised look on my face the whole time--everything was so fancy: the dim lighting, 20-somethings with dark eye make-up, men in sweater vests. i sort of felt like a 12 year-old wearing erika's soft makeup. it wasn't that i didn't fit in, but no one else was honestly realizing how beautiful everyone was that was there. it was a night i will remember most definately. erika did break my heel when i tried to get her up the stairs, but i will spare her the embarassment of what happened after that. ha!

so drove from akron to elyria, did laundry, played with the dog. my brother was rather frustrated that he put all the ornaments on the tree by himself, but it really really looks great (holler at the little sibling!!!) and then i threw all the clean clothes in the car and john and i drove to columbus. (i did not fold, who's got the time) and now i'm in columbus as i blog!!!! we're watching the news, nanny is not happy with little kids at a columbus middle school sending "sexts"--she keeps talking about it and it's making me uncomfortable.

tomorrow we'll be driving to new york to go skiing/snowboarding at holiday valley! we will be there for a few days, i think i'm going to get a lift ticket for half the amount of days (a full day and the evening of another) and then read in the lodge and drink spicy bloody marys slowly. i'll be in columbus through christmas day, then be back in elyria on christmas day (nighttime). kind of re-arranging the traditions, but getting amped about the big birthday! (Jesus!)

i miss my friends from home. i miss the ones i see a lot and the ones i get to see a little less. i miss the ones i haven't talked to in 1 year and 3.5 years (to be specific). not only am i going to finish my application for graduate school, but i'm going to read LOTS, drink less coffee, sleep more, kiss (hopefully more, if i'm lucky), and overall be more like sarah jessica parker. just going with the flow, just doing that thing...

(nanny is now talking about how her and lepa are better dancers than most people will ever be, everyone stopped at a wedding to form a circle around them while they jitterbugged)

this post was long. hope you stayed with it.

FML.

i started this blog on my ipod (which turns out to be very difficult when your fingers are fat and you're trying to use some sort of puncuation) when i was TRADING AND GRADING my final exam in genetics. the list as to why i think this should be illegal at the university level could go on and on forever. (if we ever run out of things to talk about, ask me what i think about trade and grade and then let's go!)

BUT! DRUMROLL, PLEASE! I GOT AN "A" IN GENETICS!

My semester is finally over. I'm now going to the bar! It's 11:46 a.m.! Yeah, braahhh!!! (but on the real i really am going to bw3's and i really am getting a beer before i make peppermint mochas which i will not hate as much as my previous post)

If you're still in the school mode: God speed!
If you are finished: I understand why you're smiling about because some things really are funny.

i like that train song, too

things finals week has made me realize:

1. i do not smile when i only have 2 hours of sleep. even if something's funny i'm laughing through a straight face.

2. i hate brewing coffee....more specifically, i hate making peppermint mocha's with no sleep. The peppermint syrup was actually making me nautious (sp? wanting to throw up?) and freshmen kept coming in wanting to spend the rest of their meal plans...in turn making me nautious they had that much m$$ney.

3. i have really bad posture while i study, or take tests, or sit in uncomfortable chairs.

4. population genetics is actually worse than genetics alone, because they had to go get all specific with it.

that is all! i miss molly dull! that sort of rhymes! oh boy, i wish i had more tiiimmmeee!