Stress Stinks!

Literally, stress stinks. As in, "what's that smell?" As the past few weeks have gotten busier and more stressful, I found myself wondering what that weird smell is more and more often, and then I realized IT'S ME! My sweat smells different than it ever has before. My normal body odor isn't like a bouquet of flowers to begin with, but hey, that's how I'm used to smelling--you know? Lately, I smell different, and it's not what I'm used to so I don't like it!! Please tell me someone else has experienced this! Has anyone else started smelling different when they were under a lot of stress? Weird, huh?

OK, why am I stressed? Can I vent? WHY oh WHY would any program director tell new grad students to take 5 classes their first semester, and give them the 2 hardest classes in the program that first semester? My workload is unbelievable. I had a four hour Ethics exam last night. I studied 6-8 hours for that test, and there were still two questions on the exam that I was totally unfamiliar with. Coming up in Ethics: a 16 page research paper and another 4 hour exam (AAAHHHHHHH!) Right now I should be reading a 400 page book that I'll be tested on in 13 days for Theories (haven't started it yet). The first test (on a different 400 page book) was stressful, but I didn't have several other assignments and tests lurking like I do this time. In Community Counseling, we have a huge group project we're starting on tomorrow (already wrote 2 papers for that class), and in Data Analysis, I survived the first exam last week (it was all hands-on using the statistical software we're learning), just finished my weekly quiz, and now need to start studying for the next exam, which will be all hand calculated stuff, using variability, and correlation.
ANYWAY, thanks for letting me vent. I just have to try to make sure to NOT cut out the things in my life that reduce stress (hitting the gym, going to the temple, playing with the kids, date night with Chuck). And NO, I will NOT be taking 15 credit hours next semester. I will not be at school away from my family two nights a week either. So it should be a little less stressful in the future. In the meantime, I just have to survive the next couple of months, but it could get hairy (and smellier). :)

Spirit Week and ASU update

Cheyanna is loving school now! She has gotten the hang of everything, and it is so fun to see her come home with a new confidence when she has learned something new. Here are some pictures from Spirit Week. This first one is "crazy hair day."
This was "school colors day" (Red and Blue). I know I'm not an accomplished photographer. In all these pics, they are totally squinting into the sun! Oh well, I try.
I'll bet you can guess what this one is: crazy hat day. Cade keeps complaining that school is a waste of time because he already knows everything, and he wants to skip ahead to college. I think what he means is that school isn't as fun as playing Wii, so he'd rather stay home and play video games all day. :) I told him that the first few weeks are always a review of stuff you've already learned, so if he's patient, he'll start learning some new material soon.
This is just a picture of Cheyanna looking cute one morning before school. I got a kick out of her choice of bright pink hello kitty socks. I think one of her favorite parts of each day is when we pick out what outfit she is going to wear the next day.
Our kids have all gotten their first back-to-school sickness already. They passed around a cold this week, and all 3 boys stayed home from school one day last week feeling miserable (on different days). Everyone is feeling better today.

My school is going well. I had forgotten how much I love school, and I totally feel like a piece of me that was dormant (and I didn't realize it), has woken up, and I feel more alive because I am learning. There are 40 of us starting the MC (Master of Counseling) program this fall, and half of us have all of our classes together. So I have gotten to know a lot of the people in my group, and made lots of friends already. There are some other ladies my age, and some other moms, so I feel like I can totally do this. Taking 5 classes seems kinda crazy, but then again, we're all in the same boat, and if they can do it, I can do it. It's A LOT of work, and tons of reading, but hey--good thing I love to read, right? The good thing is that all of my classes are ones that I am super excited to be taking (except data analysis). So I am enjoying the reading, and loving what I am learning. My classes are: Data Analysis, Analysis of the Individual, Counseling Theories, Community Counseling, and Ethics. I am going to be really, really busy trying to get all my reading, papers, and projects done, but I'm loving every minute of it!!