Halloween Parties at School = Great Lesson for My Daughter

We do not celebrate halloween. My family does not feel like it is an appropriate holiday for us to celebrate as Christians. That doesn't mean that we think other people should not celebrate it. This is our first year with children in school. We have one child in preschool and another in kindergarten - and one more who is Mama's helper all day!
The preschool did a survey, of sorts, upon enrollment and one of the questions asked was if the child celebrates holidays. We put on there that we do not celebrate halloween, or santa at Christmas. The teacher was very kind, letting me know that she didn't know yet what their plans are for halloween but that at Christmas time they do have a visit from Santa. Again, just because it is not what we believe doesn't mean that other people should have the same feelings or beliefs - and that is what I told the teacher.
Kindergarten, apparently, has quite the halloween celebration, complete with a parade of {kids in} costumes. Emily, who is 5, has a great understanding of why we don't celebrate halloween, but was a little sad when she found out that her whole school will be celebrating it. She wanted to just stay home from school that day.
After a few talks, we decided that it is not always easy to stand for what you believe - that sometimes you might be the only one. Then we talked a little about Jesus, and how it was not always easy for Him, and how people actually hated Him for what He taught and stood for. It was one of those ah-ha moments in my daughter's life where she realized that being a Christian will sometimes set us apart from the world. I am glad that she learned this now over a pretty simple matter than later over something much bigger. I am proud of her.
What about you, how do you feel about halloween in general, and about halloween parties at school?

Oh, I forgot to tell you!

This last week has been Spring Break for WNC, so I have had no classes. Wednesday, of last week, at the end of Chemistry class we were given our graded scantrons back from the first test.
The reason that we had to wait so long was that the professor was giving us the opportunity to earn extra credit toward the exam scores each class period until Wednesday. The extra credit raised the average grade from the first exam (from all of his classes) from a 50-something to a 77% (there were 30 extra-credit points available). Good news, right?
It turns out that the wait was worth it, I passed the test -- even before the extra credit was added in!!
**Insert Happy Dance Here**

Just thought I would share that with you all since I have been sharing my angst about it with you up until this point.

But guess what...in three more weeks, it is time for the next exam.......
**Happy Dance Over**


Thanks for taking this journey with me! ;)

The first Chem test is a thing of the past...

Last week, both Monday and Wednesday, I took my first Chemistry exam. It was hard, maybe even brutal. I thought I was pretty well prepared: I study, I do my homework, read the lecture notes A LOT.

I was wrong. I was not prepared.

I spent so much time going over everything that we had learned in class that I all but forgot to study all the math concepts that we are expected to know.

The test was Monday and Wednesday, we were supposed to get our grades tonight in class. We did not. I am so frustrated! The only thing related to our grades that we saw was a chart showing the grades received, and the average was a 50-something. I am going crazy not knowing if I passed or failed, did good or bad... I need to know, and it looks like I am going to have to wait at least another week to find out.

So if you feel like sending some patience my way, and a few good thoughts, I would gladly take 'em! :)



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I am terrified of Chemistry

I am terrified of Chemistry - seriously terrified.
When I spoke to the counselor at WNC she looked at my math grades and said I should do fine in Chemistry.
I love math. I have always done well in math classes.
I have never liked science. Of all the science classes that I have taken, and there are quite a few, the only one that I liked was Biology (in high school, college Biology was BORING.)
Now I find myself in a predicament. I am finishing up my pre-requisites and co-requisites for the nursing program and I have to take Chemistry this semester. Then I have two more semesters of science classes - Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II and General Microbiology.
I am freaking out about the Chemistry class though. And as if I wasn't nervous already, I went to the college bookstore to get my books and other required materials, and the guy at the bookstore laughed when I told him which professor I had...laughed. He then told me that there was no text for his class. So I am thinking, great I just saved like $200 on a book! Then he says, "But you are going to wish there were, his is the toughest class...but you will learn a lot." I am slightly excited now, I took the gentleman from the bookstore's comments as a challenge, I am going to do awesome in Chemistry! (If I don't, I will never tell you! hehe)
I just keep reminding myself of this:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Philippians 4:13