Games

I am not into video games, and definitely not computer games.  But put me in front of something that has solitaire and I'm set for HOURS.  I love it.  SO much.  I have an almost equal amount of love for freecell, but I love the quickness of solitaire. 

I don't even really like board games.  Monopoly is the one exception, and I have to be in the mood for it.  I also really dislike things like Eye Spy, Tag, Capture the Flag, etc.  I just am not a game person. 


With my new iPad, however, my world has been opened up to new games.  Angry Birds provides entertainment for hours, and Words With Friends takes more of my time than sleeping does, probably.  I love it.  I can also play solitaire and Monopoly! It's like the best thing ever.  I love it.

just imagine me with my iPad...

But since I've never had to budget time for games before, I'm finding myself lost in these games for hours on end.  What do you do to make sure you don't waste too much time on games??  I'm thinking of maybe only playing Words With Friends during the week, and the other games only during the weekend?  That way I still can play games during the week and weekend, but they all have a limited time frame?  Still learning!

Thankful

#3: children told me I was the best part of their day (they are often the best part of mine, too)
#4: Excited for a fun weekend (that you read about in the last post)
#5: Getting to watch CMT's Top 20 while doing my large amounts of homework, as songs like Jake Owen's "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" reminds me so much of our summers on Lake Cumberland.

#6: Teachers who respond to emails as quick (if not quicker than) as I do.  It helps the process of homework and school that much more doable. 

I'm loving this little project.  1000 is a large number, so thinking of getting up to that number is daunting, but I am loving how much it is changing my mindset.  Instead of thinking of how difficult life is, or how tired or worn out I am; I am spending time looking for the good in little instances, the hope in little instances, and the joy.  It's refreshing, healing and helping me see how God is intertwined in my every move during the day.  Relying on His strength is incredibly difficult for my independent-self, but knowing I can depend on him whenever I need to provides a sense of calm.

What are you thankful for?

Welcoming in October

Well, it's official.  Only 2 months until December 1st.  Which is only 25 days until Christmas.  To me, October signals the beginning of a season filled with holidays! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are all so close that it feels like a blur, really.  But I'm so excited!!

I spent the last day of September hanging out with great friends and watching Michigan kick ass on the field.  And then later watching MSU and OSU look confused on the field.  So interesting (and depressing to see my buckeyes so lost).  It was a great day and I am so grateful to have spent quality time, not just rushed school time, in my favorite little city, Ann Arbor. 

 it was so cold...but so worth it! We were a bit late (thankfully) but thoroughly enjoyed the cheers and the laughs.  But we definitely didn't enjoy the wind.  That's for sure.  Oh so fun otherwise :)

He just really wanted to be in the picture.  So we let him be, but with the consequence of being a bunny.  P.s. check out the chick behind Denise.  She looks unsettled. 

A Goal, A Project

Since I have SO much free time (...) I decided to embark on a project.  It's called 1000 gifts.  I follow a few people on twitter and blogger that have done it so I looked in to it.  Basically, instead of complaining and looking for all of the "wrong" things, I am going to spend time in the upcoming months/however long it takes, to name 1000 things that I am grateful for.  I will be blogging about the process, the gifts, and how it feels.  I will also be tweeting some of the gifts :) (@jackiepolen).  Join me in this LARGE but EXCITING undertaking.

And because I like having lots of things to do, I am hoping to encourage others to do the same through my experience with this.  If you're curious about the process, or interested in how it's going...ASK :)

...#1.. sleeping babies, cool breeze and time to work on my project...

Lions, Tigers, Wolverines and Buckeyes

Despite my lack of athletic ability, I really like sports.  Even though no one would ever want me to play on their football, baseball or any other team, I have a decent knowledge base of sport info.  I can explain the game of football to someone with relative ease, and even though I don't really understand baseball...I can act like I do with effortless grace. 

This weekend, amongst my hours of homework and babysitting, I have watched a tigers game, lions game, michigan game and a buckeye game.  And it's all been great.  The wolverines won, the buckeyes won and the tigers are currently winning and the lions have come back from 0-20 to make the score 23-20 with only a few minutes left in the 4th quarter.  And even though I think pro sports are weird because it is a bunch of old men running around, it is so exciting to see the Lions actually as a successful sports team! They're 2 and 0 and are hopefully going to make it 3 and 0 within a few minutes.  Of course if not, that'll be all sorts of typical and sad. 

Why am I writing about sports?  Because it is an amazing way to connect with people.  Whether I'm connecting with my baby brother, the kids I babysit, or friends...it is always fun and always a good excuse to have a beer. 

Now I need to get back to homework, work, and watching the Lions.  Did I mention I love multitasking?

Correction

I actually have THREE readings left.  I was forgetting about a class.

Oh, and I have one paper at least written!! (I wrote it in 20 minutes, though, so it needs edited).

Now on to the monster paper...5 pages single spaced.  And it is more detailed and messy than you can imagine.  And I haven't even written it yet...that's how messy it really is.


p.s.  I am currently working in my bed.  I have notebooks, folders and papers all around me, I'm working on my computer and I have my iPad next to me with my readings on it that I need to reference in my papers.  I'm buried in school.  Literally and figuratively. 

Wanted: Motivation

I am currently believing this with all of my heart.  I am struggling, hard core, to stay focused.  When my to-do list is sooo long it definitely feels overwhelming. 

I have, however, made quite a dent in it thus far today.  I am done with all but 1 of my readings (I had 16 total readings by the way.  Anywhere from 30-100 pages long each).  What I have not done, however, are the most important things on the to-do list: one project thing that at least has been started, and one paper that I haven't even thought about.

Football is on, I'm exhausted, I am doing laundry, and my puppy wants to play. Plus I'm working at 6 so I just keep watching the clock half hoping it slows down so I can get work done and half hoping it speeds up so I can leave and be apart from my stupid agenda (I'm sorry agenda. You know I love you, but you're a huge stressor as of late). 

Any tips for motivation? Anything that helps you focus through the pain of doing homework for hours on end on the weekend? HELP A GIRL OUT.