Prosem Talk

Today I presented my Master's thesis at the Child Language proseminar.  Despite having a bit of a nasty cold, it went well.  I managed to talk for about 20 minutes, and everyone asked questions.  I also got some good suggestions to try out.  It was nice to have such a positive experience sharing my work with my peers.  None of them had ever heard me talk about it prior to this afternoon.  To be honest, I was very worried about how it would go, so it was a relief that it went so well!  Next step:  presenting at Gatlinburg.

Local Visit

Our visit to one of our Kansas families went very nicely today.  We were training our newest travel GRA, so the family's house was a bit crowded, but they didn't seem to mind.  This child is adorable and cooperative, so even though the family can be difficult to track down, it's not hard once you get there.  It did feel strange to do an assessment on Friday and not have to fly there or back!  I had a trip and still had my weekend!

Spring Semester

Today was the first day of spring classes.  So far so good, even though I've only been to one so far. ;)  I'll go to my other class for the first time tomorrow.  Both classes should be challenging but not impossible, and both should be more hands-on than many of my recent classes have been. As in, I'll have exercises and exams instead of leading discussion and writing papers.  I'm ready for a little change-of-pace now, though I may change my mind later in the semester!

I've also started going to Zumba! at the student rec center. I'm planning to add a couple more KU Fit classes (yoga, step and/or BodyPump), but I've made it through 2 Zumba classes so far.  I'm worn out after, but for the most part I'm enjoying myself.  It reminds me a lot of the hip-hop aerobics class I took in high school, but with more Bollywood and Latin influence.

An Explanation

I found out today that I've had mono since sometime in October.  Who knew?  I didn't have most of the visible symptoms, which is why we realize it until now, but I definitely had the constant exhaustion and lack of motivation.  At least now I know why I felt so out of sorts this fall!  Hopefully a good solid week at home without work or school will help me get over it.

And yes, this means I did defend my Master's thesis while I had mono.

Master's Thesis = Defended

Today I successfully defended my Master's thesis!  I passed without revisions!

My advisor and committee members told me not to worry too much about it, but of course I did anyway.  The defense itself lasted only an hour, and it went very well.  I presented my study, and then answered questions from the faculty.  One of my colleagues was there to provide moral support and take notes for me, and she tells me I didn't seem nervous and that I handled the questions well.  It's nice to know that what I've been working on for the past year has a tangible result.

I say I have my MA now, but I'll officially have it on December 31st.