Changing the way I think.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the small things in life that affect the larger picture. Things like, we complain about being held up in traffic because of an accident, and yet we don't realize that the person(s) injured in that accident is someone's brother, mother, father, etc. Too much of our time is spent thinking and reacting to the fact that others are causing us an inconvenience, rather than how we are all apart of a large community that needs one another to function.
I have a few New Year's resolutions that are similar to the above thought.
1) Complain Less
2) Nag Less ( mostly for my husband's benefit)
3) Let things go a little (i.e. the house doesn't have to be cleaned as soon as I come home)
4) Appreciate other people have their own story and way of doing things that are different from mine, and mine is not always the best way.
5) Become a more informed person ( about the world, what we eat, how we live...)

Those are just some things I have been thinking about recently.

Now, school is becoming much more challenging. We are writing three and four stroke words and it is often difficult for me to hear where the words should be separated. It is taking me about 2 hours to get through a chapter's practice in the evening, where it used to take me about 45 minutes. However, English is easy as cake. We have a quiz on sentence structure this week and have to post a couple of paragraphs on what we are struggling with in the course. That will be hard (insert sarcastic tone).

Time for more ENGRISH!

UG and UD

We are currently learning more complicated two and three stroke words. Eliminating the indistinct "schwa" vowel sounds and adding UD or UG, i.e. timid = TEUM/UD or designate = DEZ/UG/NAEUT. FUN!!
Yesterday, we had a late start day due to the 8 inches of snow we received. I was unaware of this because we were told that we can count on Jefferson County schools as to whether we would have a snow day or not. Having grown up in Jefferson County, and NEVER having snow days, I figured it would be school as usual. However, I walked into an empty classroom and had an hour to practice on my own.
I am still finding that the concepts this quarter are coming quite easily to me. I know that next quarter, when we are working on speed building, is when I will have some difficulty.
Goal: Work on speed building now.

Happy New Quarter!

I have officially begun Theory II! I am supposed to have begun English I as well. However, Stenograph got a few things wrong this quarter, like what classes are supposed to be up online. Hopefully my thus far non-existent English class will be up and running tomorrow. For now, it is review week, and I sure do need it.
I am enjoying the new schedule. Since I have opted to take my English course online, I get to sleep in on Mondays and Wednesdays. I also have the same teacher as Theory I, which makes it easier to not have to adjust to someone's different teaching style. I even sat in the same seat in the same classroom today. Although I really wanted to change it up and sit elsewhere. As I was the first one in class, I wasn't sure if someone would have been upset that I had taken their seat. So I just sat where I always have.
Security in sameness!

God Bless Us, Everyone! Thank You!

Thanks to all of our wonderful family members we had an amazing Christmas! The food was good. The company was good. And the gifts were great. I ate approximately an entire pound and a half of Chex Muddy Buddies. We were all very sick and are still not too much better, but it was wonderful having two days of uninterrupted family time.
I have an entire week off of school. Then, I begin Theory II, which is supposed to be a kick in the kiester. Everyone in the higher speed classes has told me that Theory II is much more difficult because you learn a lot of rules in Theory I and then Theory II tells you they only apply if X is X. Sheesh. Well, I am still looking forward to the challenge.

The last day of Theory I.

Today is the last day of my Theory I class in court reporting school. I am one of two students in my class to have shown up today. We have combined our class with the Theory II class, only one student present, and are working on speed building Q & A.
It is really nice to be able to mix up ways to practice. Plus, hearing two voice Q & A is so much different than our teacher dictating question and answer before each sentence.
At home, we have finished making our snowmen. We are going to put up the tree and make some yummy snacks tonight. So, to which, I say, "blog at you later, after the holidays!"

Happy Christmas to All!

Sick, AGAIN!

Ok. We are doubling up on vitamin C, and fluids, and vegetables. My little ones are sick again. Aria has a bad cough that is keeping her up all night, and Amelie has had a fever for two days now.
We were all up most of the night and I have to cut my day at school to go home and be with the girls. We are learning months, days of the week, and states today. Well, I will just have to practice a lot tonight, provided I get the chance to.
We did do one great activity last night before everyone started to feel extra crappy. We made snowmen on foam board and stuck little snowflakes all over the pictures. Aria is obsessed with snowmen.
We had promised a Christmas tree, but were unable to deliver last night. Guess it will have to wait until Thursday. Daddy is off for four days from both jobs. YAY. Can't wait to have some good family time, sick or not.

I am the Hermione Granger of my class, is that good or bad?

Well, I got out of having to make up my final test which is tomorrow, I will be absent for it as we are getting the girls pictures done at Photo Element Studio. As I am the only person in my class to have completed and turned in all the assignments and chapter practices for the quarter, my teacher gave me my final and it was cake. She said since I was such an overachiever, that my final was to upload practice dictations to everyone's computer in my class. I aced it.
We will also be putting up our Christmas tree and putting the final touches on our Christmas menu. I am making muddy buddies, and Bailey's cream pie. I really want to make buffalo pita bites. They are buffalo chicken with ranch and blue cheese on top and a little celery garnish. They look so pretty in the picture for the recipe.