Pencils, Rulers, and School Supplies in General

I love the beginnings of things; especially beginnings that deal with buying school supplies. A handful of new pens and a package of freshly saran-wrapped Oxford index cards make me feel like a whole new person. In some ways I am a new person and don’t correct my professors when they call “Caitlin, Holman?”

Don’t even get me started about the official first day of class. Every year I wake up an hour before class, eat a special breakfast, neatly part my hair to the side, and almost whistle as I skip on my way to class… which happens on occasion if I forget to keep social appropriateness in mind. My new textbooks are likely to be sorted either by color or by class schedule in my backpack along with three different pens for me to choose from in the front pocket.  Throughout the year I will start every paper in my notebook with my full name and the date. Confessions?

In conclusion, I love the first day of school. The whole experience summarized by the smell of flippy spiral notebooks, slacker syllabus class meetings, and new pens that you have to swirl around before they'll write for you.

Old School

Some days… okay, let’s be honest, everyday, I try to kick it old school. Like when I dressed up as a 90’s soccer mom, or that time I played Aaron Carter during small group. And sometimes I have to keep my actions in check and use what I like to call my cool/un-cool gauge. I’ve got to be careful to make sure I’m still in the cool zone at all times possible.

1.       Wanting to play hand clapping games? Cool

2.       Secretly bringing my old gameboy color to school? Cool

3.       Tucking in my t-shirt? Uncool

4.       Wearing a fanny pack in order to listen my cd player? … Cool?

I dunno, I was just thinking about it. I think my mind still works in the 90’s and I’m secretly hoping we’ll have a relapse and go backwards.

Utopia

Day 1: Voyage to “The Hideaway”

Well, really Utopia, TX. We were supposed to have left three hours ago but we’re still parked in front of the house. Classic. Each of us is suped up with electronics. Ipods, cameras, gameboys, and Ben with his first ever cellphone. An amazing feat for a now fourteen year old boy. 
I'm the odd man out and have brought a book instead.

“Please drive to highlighted route”.

And we’re off!

Later that evening…

Phew! Already 60 degrees and dropping inside the cabin. I have doubles of almost everything on plus gloves! Ended the night playing Apples to Apples and laughing hard at the results.

Day2: Rain

Sprinkled all day. Not too terribly bad though! Found a flock of wild turkeys. Dad was excited and gobbled at them after taking pictures. We were schmucked out of $25 to get into Lost Maples State Park. Turns out it’s a hiking only park and who wants to hike in the rain anyway? We chanted “dirty double dealers” on the way out. Sat in a wooden bird blind… Stared out and saw one poor miserable bird.

Day3: Exploration

Went to Garner State Park today. Climbed part of the steep trail. After we got to White Rock Cave Alicia and I realized that converse plus muddy uphill hiking don’t mix. So, we all climbed back down… much to Ben’s disappointment.

The best part was tonight. We suited up into ski suits and waddled out into the night. We looked like astronauts which was perfect because of the abundance of stars overhead. Alicia, Ben, and I startipped while the parents took pictures. We swapped gobbles and hoots throughout the night, trying to persuade any creature to call out. We heard two hoot-hoots, some coyotes, and a few unruly dogs.

Got back to the cabin and scraped the 3-4 inches of mud off our shoes. Made tea, hot chocolate, and painted a rock with our names on it to display in the cabin. Now we’re waiting around to play a game, most likely Apples to Apples again, while Ben and Dad discuss why Jesus chose Peter.

Day 4: Departure

Dad has slipped into his Chinese accent and has walked around interjecting “Ah, so…” and “I tink maybe” into his speech. Peels of laughter break out anytime he says anything. We’re all packed and headed out. Many stops to “hysterical” markers along the way home. And frequent stops to take pictures of hawks and various other birds. Dad makes a game out of it by showing us the pictures he's taken and asks, “Who’s that Pokémon?”

Upon slacking while wrapping presents.

We are sisters.

"Hey, lets look at each other!"

"Yeah! Thats a good idea!"

 "And now... we'll have bows!"

"Yeah!"

 "Now do something cool and jump or something!"

"What should we do now?"

"Look awkward?"

"Okay!"

Merry Christmas

Finals

Make me feel crazy.

Like the library is starting to smell like home.

Like this past cup of coffee was one too many.

Like that person who just started tap dancing in the elevator.

Make me throw things.

Papers and Note cards

Out of my backpack

Off my shoulders

Around my room

Make me wish I was

Driving with my hand out the window

Snuggling with a schnauzer

Chopping off my hair
Dying a slow and painful death

But three more days and I’ll be home.

Finally, finally, finally.

Fall

This semester in particular has been my favorite. It’s contained wooden floors, slug pajamas, numerous chai teas, spontaneous midnight trips to the lake, drawings displayed on refrigerator doors, and learning that we were made to be messy with each other; that we live and grow together that way. Oh yeah, and laughing, lots of laughing. The pee your pants, I accept you for exactly who you are, kind of laughing.

I’ve learned all about “irrational thoughts vs. real life”. Let me explain. Sometimes I have crazy irrational thoughts about situations I’m in. Through friends I've learned that almost all of these thoughts are not real life. Here are some examples:

·         “If I stare at people’s eyes when they walk down the sidewalk, they’ll appreciate it, and will be thankful when they look up and I creepily smile at them to wish them a good day.”

·         “If I laugh louder than everyone else, everyone will think that I am the funniest girl there.”

·         “The amount of people that like my status on facebook equals the amount of people who like me in reality.”

Obviously, none of these things are real life.

I think the thing I’ve loved most about this fall is the family I’m a part of here at SFA. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Ever. I’ve never felt so free to be myself, to laugh until I double over crying, to make stress balls with flour smeared all over my face, or to dance while I’m speaking to people. And I completely and totally agree that this is all the Lord, and not me at all. Everything was so divinely planned. Best friends, sisterhood.

So thank you Fall 2010 for Gloria, couch surfing, burning pancakes, laying down in the middle of the railroad tracks, and boys with Louis Vuitton backpacks.

Star Trek

Every time I come home my family and I catch up on the latest sci-fi. Anything with the word "star" in it we've probably already seen, and we've probably got it on dvd. Star trek, Star Wars, The Last Starfighter...

Star Trek is probably our most favorite.

Here's how things go. Dad pops the popcorn. Alicia, Ben, and I snuggle into the couches. Someone calls the Tobe- otherwise known as our schnauzer Toby. And mom sings the beginning credits to the episode.

My house is filled with quartz crystals and petrified wood. We play monopoly. We dig through magazines for bizarre ads and post the prized ones on the fridge. This year nobody likes my music and tells me I am becoming a hippie. "Pomegranates?" my dad says, "You're eating what now?" Also, this year I discovered that I live in a family of giants. I stood in the middle of the kitchen during Thanksgiving and found that I was smaller than everyone there. I was constantly looking up while speaking to people. My grandma was the first to notice, "I told you Caitlin! You're the runt."

I've learned invaluable life lessons through my family. Lessons like: singing songs about one another is acceptable in the house but not acceptable in public, fighting over how much the dog loves you proves that you are the most loved, and that only your siblings are going to fully appreciate how hard you worked to beat that last boss. As a unit we create a safe place for each other, allowing each member to be as strange and offbeat as they care to be. I don't think I'd be me without this crazy Holman clan.

"Beam me up Scotty."