I hate Mondays! I haven't always hated Mondays. In fact, in graduate school I was one of the freaks that loved Mondays! I was having a great time in class, loved my job, and quite frankly, it was less "work" being at work and class than it was being at home with my (then) 3 young children. Mondays were a welcome distraction.

But now... now I hate Mondays.

I now have class on Monday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. with only 10 minute breaks in between. So I have a 10 minute break just before noon, and another at 2, and whatever the (merciless) teachers decide to give us during class. Two of my classes are in the same room, which is much like an old movie theater as far as seating goes. You know, those fold-down, terribly uncomfortable, no-room-to-move-or-turn seats with no cushion? Yeah, those. These are torture to my back (can't speak for anyone else's) even in a non-pregnant state, but with my current (ahem) basketball ( ) belly they are truly excruciating. Truly.

Today we had to watch a movie in the 12-2 class, and as a result had no break in that time frame from the devil-seats. My test was in the next room (with the same satanic seats) at 2. I thought I would cry before the test was handed out. But I didn't cry, and the test was as simple as I imagined it would be (thankfully because the pg hormones were running rampant at that point let me tell you!) and I didn't have to sit in those horrible, cruel, torture devices all the way until 5:00 today. We were allowed to leave when we finished the test, which took me all of about... 20 minutes!

Didn't matter much, the damage was done and I have felt absolutely horrible the rest of the day. There is no easy recovery at this stage in the game. Thankfully hubby was off today (lucky him, he loves Mondays) and he straightened the house and took care of the kiddies and dinner for me (woohooo, points for him!)

On the bright side, the rest of the week is pretty easy in comparison once I get Monday out of the way, and I only have 7 Mondays left to go in the quarter.

I'm going to bed early tonight, I'm too old for this!

But I'm not! Hubby is out of town (again) this weekend, so just me and the kiddies. We had our usual Saturday Buckeye ritual, all decked out in our Buckeye gear and shouting at the TV. I love it when toddler gets involved, and especially when he shouts obscenities in Greek at the TV (he learned this from hubby). It's very funny when the timing is right. If you missed it, they won; GO BUCKS!

Today was also my daughter's birthday. She went to spend the night with a friend and I haven't seen much of her but she had a good day nonetheless. I wish I could still look forward to birthdays. Mine is coming up in a little over a month, and I just wish I could skip it!

Trying to get everyone ready for the Halloween party, which is only a few weeks away! I bought toddler a Power Ranger costume as he and my six year old LOVE power rangers. He won't wear it. Because he doesn't have Power Ranger shoes he says. This from a 2 year old (3 in December). I mean, really, who thinks of Power Ranger shoes? I can't even get him to try the thing on without Power Ranger Shoes. Anyone know where I can find a pair of those?
Daughter is going as a Dr, and will borrow some of my gear for her costume. Teenager is going as a freak from one of his favorite bands, not much different from every day except he gets to paint his face. And my 6 year old has no idea what he wants to be just yet.

My 6 year old also started playing flag football through the school. Now this is entertainment, folks! If you've never seen a bunch of 5 and 6-year-olds running around a muddy field (it's been raining a LOT here in case you missed the Buckeyes game today) trying to play football... well, you should if you ever have the opportunity. He had a great time, and his team won 21-7 (how I don't know, sheer dumb luck?). And we, the family, were entertained for very cheap!

Time to get toddler to bed and work on some studying, Monday will be here before I know it.

I survived my first test, and even made it out with an A. Barely, but I'll take it. Have another one coming up next Monday (different class) so I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend. I'm enjoying labs and clinicals, and some of the lectures... some not so much and I'm struggling to stay awake. Guess you'll have that.

Been feeling really kind of blah this week, don't know if I'm coming down with something or it's just the 3rd trimester hitting me (along with the getting up and going to class all day!) I kind of hope I'm coming down with something, I don't want to feel this way for the next 10 weeks! I'm feeling incredibly lazy. The weather is not helping, it's cool outside and makes for a nice day of laying on the couch cuddled up in a quilt with some kiddies.

Had a nice visit with my midwife last night, just love her to pieces! She's me, only older and with a few more kiddies. Seriously, our philosophies are the same on so many levels - it's nice to not fight my way through pregnancy. Baby's heartbeat was great, my belly measurements were right on (even though I look like a beached whale!) and all is good in babyland.

Off to entertain the toddler and study, not much exciting here for now (and I like it that way!)

I have my first test Monday, so tonight I'm (or I was) spending some time trying to study... for regurgitation and all. Except hubby is in the next room with Star Wars blasting on surround sound, toddler is on the other computer with the volume full blast (because he turns it up since he can't hear his game over the Star Wars in the next room); some Nickjr game going on over there... And I'm expecting the other 3 home anytime so who knows what zoo is going to break out then.

I envy people who have a nice, quiet place to study! Anyone got some earplugs they could send me? As it is, I'll have to wait until they all go to bed to get started, and by that time I'm usually falling asleep myself. Ah well, what fun would school be without a little challenge thrown in? I haven't pulled an all-nighter for a while.

First off, Woohoooo Buckeyes for Saturday's victory! Ex-h wound up bringing the kiddies home Saturday because he had a Game party, not kid-friendly to go to Sat. night. We had fun, and they didn't learn any new curse words. None of them made it to the end of the game, but that's okay. They all fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV, kind of sweet all cuddled up together.

Okay, so I started back to class myself today and I have some serious adjusting to do! I've spent probably the majority of my adult life in college, so it's not the "going back to school" that's getting to me... rather it's that I'm once again an undergraduate, a peon, who needs to convince herself that the teacher actually knows more than the student.

It's a BIG switch going from graduate school back to an undergraduate program, that much is for certain. In grad school, professors treated you more like a peer, an equal. Assistantships were spent teaching the undergrads (peons) the intro courses that the "real" professors were too busy to handle (what with their research interests and all). You actually participated in classes, and the professors acted as though they valued your input. Sometimes they thanked you for giving them a different perspective on an article, study, or theory, even if they disagreed with you.

Now, there is no class participation. I'm back to memorize and regurgitate. Sit and be lectured to, you don't have anything useful to contribute to this process. I know stuff, you don't, so sit back and let me tell you about it. It didn't bother me so much as an undergraduate the first time, I guess because that's how it was done in high school and therefore I didn't know any other way. But now... now it irks me. A lot. I realize that my teachers (not professors in this case because they don't hold the PhD that title requires at this university - shoot one of them only has a BSN!) undoubtedly know more about this particular subject that myself, which is why I'm starting over at the beginning, but does that mean I (and other students) are not capable of intelligent conversation on the matter? Do they not realize that debate and questioning the material leads (in my case at least, can't speak for anyone else I guess) to a better understanding and appreciation of said material? Is there really any value to the memorize and regurgitate methodology I'm being forced to endure?

Okay, there might be exceptions...anatomy, for example, simply requires memorization. But most topics are not like anatomy (thank goodness because I passed that class with a "C").

Maybe this feeling of discontent with the way things are stems from a feeling of going backward in my life? Maybe it's because I have been on the other side of the desk? It's going to be a challenge that I will have to overcome if I'm going to be successful, because right now I'm quite resentful of being treated like a peon!

Incidentally, I am teaching a course at this same university (in a completely different subject of course) this winter quarter. Maybe I'll be able to take a slightly different approach with my undergraduates now that I've been thrown back into it myself. I know I won't make them memorize and regurgitate. Yuck.

First test next week, hope my regurgitation skills are up to par!