Kinect for Xmas

My parents usually get my brother, sister, and me one big present for the whole family to enjoy. This year, it was a Kinect, which is the newest motion control gaming system to be released. My mom had been considering getting a Wii for quite some time, but when she heard about this, she decided to go for the newest techonology. It was not a disappointment! The kinect is so fun and so easy to use. Kyle was probably the most skeptical out of all of us, but he LOVES it now. We've spent several days of our vacation playing the Kinect non-stop (and we only have 3 Kinect games!) It's so fun that the games don't get old, especially Kinect Sports, which I could easily play all day long.

The Kinect is different from other motion control games in that there is absolutely no controller. You navigate the menu by moving your hand to select different items on the screen. When you play games, your body is the controller, everything from your arms and legs to your head. Let me tell you, after a few days of playing games on Kinect, you will be sore! It's not like Wii where you can kind of flick your wrist and get by. You really have to move around. In soccer, you have to kick the ball and aim it. In volleyball, you actually have to jump to spike the ball (Kinect can tell when your feet don't leave the floor, and you will miss the ball!). The system is pretty accurate too. The soccer/bowling/volleyball actually goes where you want it to go, and your arm and leg movements are reflected on the screen as soon as you move.

One thing I really like about the Kinect is how easy it was to learn how to play. I hardly ever play video games and I hate scrolling through confusing menus or trying to push the right button at the right time. With Kinect, there's not much of a learning curve. You just move around and your character onscreen does the same thing. I know this probably sounds like an advertisement by now, but I just can't get over how cool the Kinect is! I've played the Wii before and thought that it was a lot of fun, but it pales in comparison to the Kinect. My family is usually not the first to have new technology, so to have such an exciting new system has been a blast. I highly recommend the Kinect- it's been my family's favorite Christmas present this year.

Merry Christmas

Christmas has never been the same for me since the day my youngest brother Kyle found out that Santa Claus wasn't real. Leslie and I had known for awhile at that point, but it was still exciting to hide the presents and to wake up on Christmas morning to see that all the gifts had "magically" appeared under the tree. When I was little, I could barely get to sleep on Christmas Eve because the anticipation was so intense. Although I still love Christmas, I sometimes miss the magical feeling of the holiday. I look forward to the day I can recreate that magic with my own kids. :)

For my family, holidays have become a lot more low-key, and I'm fine with that. It seems kind of pointless now to take out tons of Christmas decorations or buy candy canes that no one eats anyway. It's easier and less stressful to keep it simple. We're all together for only a short time during the holidays, so it's nice to be at home and just relax. This Christmas was nice because my dad actually had the day off! (He's a doctor, so this is rare). We had a great day opening presents, playing board games, and eating dinner as a family.

While tradition is important, I'm glad my family's flexible. Christmas has grown up with us, and while it's not the magical event it once was, the way we celebrate now is charming in its own way. I hope all of my friends have had a wonderful Christmas too, and no matter how each of us celebrated today, I hope we all took time to remember the real reason for the season. The magic is still there, when you think about it. Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Homefront

Life at home after being away at college is always interesting. Sometimes it's a little weird adjusting from being all on my own to being part of a family again. I'm not used to being told what to do or getting yelled at anymore. But I don't mind it all that much. When I'm not here I miss the honesty and the easy familiarity that comes with being around my family. One thing's for sure though- I can't come home and quietly watch tv or browse the web on my computer. There's always a constant hubbub in this house, and with Bud around, it's usually 10 decibels above a normal speaking level.

There's always something going on- and none of it involves schoolwork, which makes me happy! Some of my friends say they get bored when they go home, but around here there's never a dull moment. I have so many normal life things to catch up on- tv shows to watch, books to read, movies to watch, recipes to try- the list goes on. My mom got me a pass to the gym, so I've been going to exercise classes with her too. Also, Leslie and Bud and I got the newest Nancy Drew computer game, so we've been playing that each evening, which has been a ton of fun.

Having home-cooked meals is another great thing about being home. The funny part is that Bud has cooked a lot of them! He loves food so much and he kind of controls what we eat around here. His newest thing that he likes to make is homemade pizza on a special flatbread crust. One night we made barbecue chicken pizza and spinach feta cheese pizza and it was delicious!

We also spent an entire evening making caramel popcorn for my dad's coworkers. We made toffee, heath, dark & white chocolate, and Reese's flavors. Here's just one of those batches.

Lucky stars

Wow. All my grades are in, and I got all A's! I can't believe it. There are at least 3 classes where I didn't think I'd be able to get an A, but I worked really hard to bring my grade up. I ended up getting just what I needed, so I feel really lucky. But really, my grades were due to working my butt off the entire semester.

I'm excited about my grades, but all I need to have in this PT program is a B average. So it's not important to have the highest grades. What I'm really excited about is the fact that I've proven to myself that I can do this. I can learn this material, even if it seems impossible at first. I can work hard and bring up my grade. Some people think Liberty is a joke, but I think I got a great education there. Now I'm at the best PT school in Virginia and I'm doing well in all my classes. It makes me feel validated. I realized today that I'm going to be able to graduate as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. It's just going to take another 2 1/2 years and a lot of hard work.

The Home Stretch

One more final to go! I can't believe this semester is almost over. I was looking over my old tests today to study for finals, and I was struck by how much I've learned this semester. Now the stuff at the beginning of the semester seems so easy! I remember when terms like rostral, caudal, ataxia, and nystagmus seemed confusing, but now it's like second nature. Someone asks a question, and it's natural to respond with anatomical and neurological terms. We've come so far!

Today has been non-stop kinesiology studying. I never knew gait could be so complicated. Heel strike, flat foot, midstance, heel off, toe off.... here we go.... almost done!!

Cold days and hot showers

Today I forgot to set my alarm clock! I guess the stress of school is really getting to me- this was the first time the entire semester that I forgot to set my alarm. Thankfully, one of my roommates woke me up, so I wasn't late for class, but I did have to skip my morning shower (luckily I still had time for my morning coffee, or it really would have been a bad day!). I hate it when I don't get a shower because I feel grody and unkempt for the entire day. It's truly amazing what a shower can do for you- how refreshed and clean and good you feel after stepping out of that hot water.

Anyway, I started thinking about how I take stuff for granted all the time. Because a shower really is one of the most amazing inventions ever. I mean, you have a waterfall inside your house! And you can turn it on and off at will, and adjust the temperature to your satisfaction. Really, it's pretty awesome that I can get hot water with just the turn of a knob- without lugging buckets of water around all morning. And the thing is, it makes my day to be able to take a hot shower. When I feel grumpy or gross, all it takes is 10 minutes under the water and some moisturizing conditioner, and I feel like a new person.

In this day and age, where there are scientific marvels and new toys and gadgets being invented all the time, I think it's actually the simple everyday conveniences that I forget to be thankful for the most. I think the Playstation Move, Kinect, Ipad, and Kindle are amazing gadgets, but I could live without them. Take away my microwave, washer and dryer, or hot shower, and I don't know what I would do!

Community

This past week has been crazy. There are so many different lab practicals and final exams to prepare for, no one seems to know where to begin! I actually feel a kind of excitement whenever final exams loom ahead. It's actually more like a mix of nervousness, anticipation, and a feeling of exhilaration that this semester is almost over. It's kind of like that last burst of energy you get right near the end of a game, even if you're tired and worn out. It's easier to stay motivated when the end is in sight!

What's been kind of fun to see is how the pressures of finals week has really made our class feel like a tight-knit community. We're all stressing out and we've been helping each other through it, passing on advice and words of encouragement. Lunch break has become a study time with a sandwich on the side. A bunch of us will go into lab and practice goniometer measurements, amputee stump wrapping, and sterile field set-ups. It's kind of fun to have everyone in there laughing and talking and stressing and studying.

I've discovered I learn a lot more studying like this with a lot of people. Everyone remembers something different that's important, and when I take all that knowledge and put it together, I've just learned a lot more than I ever would have studying by myself. It's also good to feel like I'm not alone. Everyone else in my class is in the same situation, and we're going to make it through together!