Insomniac's blog

Okay. Here's the final update on Sweet Nita's life. I've decided to quit the blog. Since I rarely post anymore, there is no reason to keep this up. Plus, I'm finally using Facebook through my school and Facebook has some of the same functions.

So, for the curious, this is what has been happening in my on-going saga...

1. Grad School Interview at Michigan State University...

Yep, I had a grad interview at MSU just before Thanksgiving. I met with the graduate director for the program I am applying for and two of the professors who I may be working with if I get accepted into the program there. All the interviews went extremely well. The one prof who I really want to work with interviewed me for an hour and kept saying things like, "When you are my research assistant..." and "When we are working on your master's thesis..." and so forth. She liked my ideas and my methodology too. The other prof was quite nice and seemed to enjoy our discussions too. The grad director asked me about the other schools I'm applying at and when I told her that I wanted to take Dutch language courses at one of the few schools in the country that offers it, she quickly told me that if I did the courses this coming summer that MSU could pay for them. She went on to explain that MSU does not take a grad student unless they have funding available, which is very nice to know. I sent all the profs I met with thank-you emails and the responses I got back were very encouraging. They seemed impressed with my CV (which is like an academic resume) and the fact that I have presented at two local history conferences and one international conference really impressed them. Plus, the research grant I received last summer seemed to increase my chances of getting more funding in grad school. All very nice. But, since applications are reviewed until about March, I won't hear anything back until then. Now I have to wait...sigh.

2. Upcoming graduation at the ole Grand Valley State University...

Yessirree. In a little over a week, after seven years at GVSU, I will get to walk down the aisle and receive my two Bachelor's degrees. I'm excited but also a little down about it. GVSU, for all its problems, has become like a second home to me. I've made a lot of friends there, learned a lot about myself, and even managed to learn a few important lessons in the courses I took (just kidding...my education was quite good and thorough). It is gonna be a bit sad leaving the place. I will, however, come back next semester for my internship. So, I can still keep in contact with a few people while having the privelege of no longer being a student. Graduation still seems a little surreal though.

3. Kids and such...

Well, the kids and Darling Husband are doing well. Princess is progressing fairly well in kindergarten. She's learning all her letters, numbers, some basic math and word recognition, phonics, and the like. Plus, she is making friends like crazy. I think she has managed to get at least ten new phone numbers of friends in the last two months! What can I say...she is sociable like her mama. The Boy is enjoying his sisters being gone in school. He gets to play with their stuff and gets all the attention all to himself. Plus, I kinda like just some one-on-one time with him. Princess and The Boy are only 14 months apart so he got used to sharing the spotlight. I think he likes to spend time with just me and him. Darling Husband is his normal self. He is working hard and hating it the whole time. He finished one college course and is just about to finish his second. I was kinda surprised at him because he really is enjoying school. He may just end up loving it.

4. Me, personally...

I've been okay lately. I have a lot to do to finish up with school and I am constantly rushed lately. But, I try to maintain a sense of humor about things and I have some very, very good friends who don't mind me complaining to them from time to time. I went to a movie last weekend with my FOM and we had a wonderful time. It was a bit awkward at first because it almost felt like a date...I don't know why either. But, we got over that quite quickly and ended up having a great time just hanging out. My other new guy friend is also a lot of fun to hang out with. We spend a lot of time just discussing a wide variety of issues, especially relating to history since we are both history majors at GVSU. Anyhow, I am tired lately but content. Life is good to me and I have what I truly need...good friends, a comfortable family, a career that I love, enough food, a warm house (which is good in Michigan in November!), and most of all, I have myself. I don't care if it sounds pompous, but I really do love myself. I enjoy my own company and I know who I am and what I am capable of. That's important.

So, to my random collection of blog-world buddies, thanks for reading and I wish you all well in whatever life offers you.

With affection,

Anita

So, it has been awhile since I posted here. Part of it is because I have been using facebook through my school. Another, and even bigger part of it, has been that I have been extremely busy. Swamped I would say. The entire month of October had me like a chicken with my head cut off, although I didn't die and I didn't flop around too much. Since my last posting I have presented at two conferences; the North American Labor History Conference at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and the Great Lakes History Conference at my alma mater, GVSU. Both presentations went just fine. The Labor Conference was a great success and I got to meet a few people who may be of interest to me later in my career. Oh, and at the reception that evening after my presentation I was asked out to dinner by a guy from Canada. Nice, eh? Of course I turned him down and headed home like a good wife and mom. I got a little lost in a rather shady area of Detroit while I was hunting for the expressway, but I made it home safe and sound. The Great Lakes Conference was the same weekend and I presented my summer research paper on post-WWII Dutch Immigration to the US. That too went over fine and I had a fantabulous time with FOM (Friend of Mine) and a rather handsome and intelligent newer acquaintance.

I also spoke about the MEAP testing in Dr. Rob's class and about my battles with trying to opt my daughter out of MEAP testing. That is a whole story within itself which I won't get into right now because it is long and tedious. Needless to say, I got the opt out for her and things are settling down at her school. I also was asked to guest lecture on the Dutch immigration paper in a history class on the 15th of this month. So, things are looking quite well for me on the academic plane. I'm working on my last project for my undergrad right now and things are progressing slowly...mostly because I have been dragging my heels a bit on it. I also took an internship with one of the profs in the history department. It is a shared internship with me and my new handsome and intelligent acquaintance (maybe I should call him my HIA?). Anyhow, that has kept me busy too.

On the personal end of things, Myah turned 14 in October and I am feeling a wee bit on the old side. Of course, I do ever time she has a birthday. I think part of it is because I had her so young that I always am surprised at how well I have done with the whole parenting thing thus far. Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but she really is a great kid. Princess is enjoying kindergarten and is learning her letters and numbers quickly (she takes after her Mama, in intelligence and in attitude...watch out world!). The Boy is a little on the cranky side lately. I think it is because I have been gone a lot and he is a little lost without me around. Darling Husband is done with one of his classes and he got an A- in English Comp! Woo-hoo! He was very pleased with himself and I was relieved that it was over. My soon-to-be-gotten other Bachelor's degree is in English Language and Literature and I was Darling's unofficial tutor and part-time teacher. I am very happy for him though since he did work hard at getting that grade. Plus, he's been out of school for 15 years. It takes awhile to get back into it.

Anyhow, the month of November looks a little less hectic. Just the one last project, a guest lecturer spot, and a few other meetings and such and I am set. In a little more than 6 weeks I will officially graduate and be done with GVSU as a student. I go back next semester for my internship but that's it. Oh, and I did take the Graduate Records Exam for admission into graduate school. It didn't go very well but I am hoping that my service and conference presentations on my academic resume make me shine a bit more brightly. I have an appointment this month at Michigan State University to check out their graduate program in History. Hopefully, I will get in and all will be fine. I won't know if I got in until about March or April. So, cross your fingers and shoot a prayer up for me, cuz I'll probably need it!