Week 5: Famous Last Words

I think I will start with some photos from my mom's birthday this past weekend. It was a blast and I was so happy that I could do that for her! My roommate and I took my mom to lunch at Chilis, then to get new OU shirts, then to get all of our nails done. After that we drove to the Grand Resort and Casino in Shawnee, OK where we'd booked a room for the night. We checked in, got situated, then hit the casino to have a few drinks and lose some money. My roommate actually won some, but my mom and I did not have such good luck. It was still a lot of fun and after a dinner of nachos, a long time on the Wizard of Oz slots, and a few more vodka cherry sours we were ready for bed. It was a great time and I loved seeing mom genuinely smile and have fun. She deserves so much more than she gets.

Mom with her first drink in front of the Firelake Grand Casino statue and slots.

My photo taken 9-13-14

The blue-eyed trio taking advantage of the great lighting in our hotel room.

My photo taken 9-13-14

Mom in the room- my mom is stunning

My photo taken 9-13-14

Our nails: solar nails done at Modern Nails II in Norman

My photo from 9-13-14

Obligatory ridiculous bathroom selfie? Check!

My photo from 9-13-14

The three of us in our OU gear for game day with a new friend: Chester the Cheetah!

My photo from 9-13-14, taken at Walmart Norman West

Lets see, what else went on this week? Well, I made more progress with my grief group at my practicum site. The children in there are so intelligent and constantly surprise me with their ability to articulate their feelings much better than I would expect them to be able to based on their age. I also got to facilitate a new age group this week: children II, divorce. It was really neat and I enjoyed getting to meet the children and see their personalities! I also feel like it was a great demonstration of the differences in cognitive development between the ages of 4 and 6. This practicum has really taught me how to handle children in a way that keeps communication open, children under control, and the children from feeling bored/disinterested. It has also really helped me with my patience! 

This week has also been stressful, but still positive. This past week marked the beginning of my big assignments being due in my classes, and they don't stop pretty much until Christmas. Everyone in the social work class of '15 is feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and/or really tired We are pretty much living off of coffee/energy shots, a few hours of sleep each night, and nerves but everyone is trying to dig in and help each other out which is really great. 

On a personal note, i've been trying to stay on-task, maintain a positive attitude, learn as much as possible, remember to eat, not kill my boyfriend who refuses to understand that my apartment is not his apartment and therefore he needs to ask me before he just shows up/not assume that he can be there whenever he wants eating my food and using my stuff (sorry for that, end of rant), not get behind in assignments, take the dog for longer walks, not hit the snooze button so many times that I miss 7 am yoga on Wednesdays, remember to smile/laugh, and to take care of myself. 

Also, i'm down 46 pounds since August 26th! My back is straightening out, my core is getting stronger, my flexibility is improving, and I can dance again! I can even roll my stomach again! I just had to share my victory because it mad me feel awesome.

Have a bomb rest of the week and weekend!