We have reached that point in the trimester where I find that I have been looking forward to a little time off. Veteran’s Day seemed like it could be my chance; unfortunately, the problem is that when given time I quickly find ways to fill it. So, I kept busy, and will continue to be busy right up until the end of my last clinic shift during finals week; the tests don’t ever seem to end this term. I do get one more chance at a little break for Thanksgiving though and we will see how that one goes.

This weekend my son was in his very first school play, and I found myself volunteering backstage for two of the shows. I did this in the hopes that I might stop being “guilted” by the moms at the PTO who don’t seem to understand or care if your life is full of insanity. I am happy to have made it this far on my parenting journey without seeing this crazy overbearing PTO mom stereotype up close and personal. All things considered, I had a good time helping out and my son did a great job. Hearing the laughter and applause as he delivered his over the top lines and danced filled me with pride; he made for a terrific Mr. Krabs (SpongeBob).

 NUHS students Christy Decker, Sarah Montesa & Chris Hartman

On our day off, I paid a visit to the Morton Arboretum with some friends from school. If you are looking for some place to get off campus to relax or spend time studying in nature, the Arboretum with its 1,700 acres of curated trees and plants is where it’s at. The nature preserve is less than a 20-minute drive from campus and they put on many excellent events all year round. Right now, they have their Troll Hunt attraction. It is an installation of giant wooden statues placed throughout the grounds, and we had a blast trying to track them all down.  For more information on the Arboretum and its Troll Hunt, check out their site here http://www.mortonarb.org/