Interim reports

I am so happy about my grades! I need to make sure that it stays where they are. But here's my problem, I worry that I won't be able to keep my grades where they are. Then there's the thing that I don't leave my room and my parents hate it, I think looking at my interim grades they would get it. This is the best report I have ever gotten during school, elementary and middle don't top this. I wish my parents would just let me be, let me stay in my room eat my food there and make sure my grades are perfect. I mean honestly, if I can make those amazing grades by just staying in my room all the time I would be AMAZING! I wanna make sure everything is perfect for my first quarter because isn't that what colleges look at? First quarter of the Freshman and Senior year. I have never loved this interim like this before =] I just gotta fix that stupid C in Psychology, though it is an AP class, but that does not mean anything. I managed a B last year in AP English ;] and I have an A in AP English this year!

Oh you darn homework...

It took all of today (Thursday) to finish all my homework. I stopped for two things a nap and to take my brother to boy scouts but still, it took all day to finish my homework and I forgot to put my blog up for Thursday! So here it is, I think I finished everything around 9 and then I just got too tired to keep going... I'm still not even finished my homework! I have a bunch of psychology work to do that I have to finish by October 7th and I am working Sunday, I am so tired!! I sleep more than the average human being =] and the fact that I am barely getting as much as I want is annoying! This is annoying, all this homework is a pain and I'm not retaining half the things I am doing. Oh sigh, we haven't been in school for more than what, 6 weeks and I am already exhausted for my homework. I miss TV and being able to sleep and not worry about my homework....

Today

Ugh, today was ridiculous! I seriously think I lost 50 brain cells just because I was listening to these three boys' and their conversation. First off all they said in their sentences were the "S" word, "Fo' real" "Bro", "Dude" and other stuff that just made me feel unbelievably stupid just listening to it. What is with people these days, these conversations just make no sense anymore. Why do people think it is okay to talk like this? It's just ridiculous. Ugh, I am so disappointed in these three boys.

AVID Class 9/27

So today, we talked about going "deep" in our essay's to colleges, but what exactly do you mean by "deep"? I mean honestly, is deep just throwing your business out there? And I know two sentences are scraping the surface but what do you really mean when you say "you're scraping the surface" do you mean we haven't written enough? And with that the "deep" thing comes up again. What is deep!? Someone please explain to me how you can get deep in an essay without pulling the sympathy card? It just isn't clicking, how can you fully tell when you have either scrap the surface or when you get "deep". Are we just suppose to know?

What do chores lead to?

I am so excited, as soon as I finish all the laundry my mom is going to use the money I usually get to pre-order harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2, yes I said harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2.. I am so excited, this movie is amazing! I can't wait to get it at home, which won't be till november sadly, but still! I can't wait to watch Harry Potter at home in my bed to watch and probably cry over Harry Potter... Last time I went to see it I did, definitly cry. SERIOUSLY! I couldn't stop bawling! =] Oh goodness, I am ranting again about Harry Potter. I can not wait to get Part 2 and have an amazing Harry Potter marathon- with lots and lots of POPCORN! Yay!

Happy Birthday, you strange little Monkey

So today was Isaac, my little brother's birthday. He is now officially 10. And it got me thinking about my tenth birthday- the only gift I remember getting that year was a purple and white shirt with the number 10 on it. And then it got me thinking again about my childhood, I remember one Christmas I got so upset because all I got that year was a blanket and some clothes, nothing I asked for. THEN that got me thinking even more about the fact that this is my last year with my parents for my birthday! My last year,GOSH! So for my seventeenth birthday I told my parents their ONDemand bill may go up because I am definitly buying Bad Teacher, Bridesmaids and Hangover II. I still think they think I am kidding... So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE BROTHER ISAAC!

My house

My dad and I were driving and he asked me, "Kennedy, your mom and I really don't understand why you are in the house you are in". And really, I didn't understand either. What does me having to be rambunctious during a debate have to do with being a leader? I would love just to know how I got put into the House of Leadership. It's the hardest group to know personally why you are put into it, What did I do that was remotely leadership like, is it the Anti-Bullying group I created that was then combined with Peer Mediation or was it something different? How am I a leader? What have I done to prove that I am a leader? When I am in a group and people are slacking I ignore them and do it all myself, I like working bye myself to get all the work done. How and What is it that makes me qualified to be in the House of Atlas?

Hypochondria

My mom thinks I have a serious case of Hypochondiraism- though that is not a real word.See it's just that honestly, I like always have some issue. It's either my ankle being weird, my stomach pains acting up or recently my knees tighten up... Yes, I know, I am definitly the definiton of Hypochondira. But honestly it's not like I mean to have random issues or problems, to be completely honest these things just happen to me AT RANDOM! It makes no sense, these things just happen, its like my body decides to be like "Hey, lets give Kennedy a new issue." And then my parents are like "We aren't taking you to the emergency room." I don't always just want to run to the ER, I just want to know why these things are happening... UGH! So irritating!

The amazing AVID Induction!

I loved tonight’s AVID Induction; it was short, sweet, to the point, and actually pretty fun! I love the houses, I think it is so much more organized and it’s just an awesome way for upperclassman to get to know underclassman. Personally, I feel the biggest house with the most enthusiasm and the house that I think will have less of a problem because there aren’t as many people in it is ATLAS! Hahaha, this year I have to admit I really paid attention to everything everyone said and did. I’m excited for Atlas and AVID this year, I think it will be an amazing AVID year!

Getting out of my head

First off this is my 20th blog, YAY! Now let me start my “rant”. I am so thankful that I have all these books just sitting there in my room, mostly because I get so caught up in to my world and my life that I need an out. I have to admit that my only biography is about Johnny Depp =] but other than that all my books are fantasy, things that let me get out of my head and that really help me relax and take a load off. Basically just to get outta my head. I love that feeling of being in another world and another dimension, but don’t worry I can separate reality and fantasy.

Magic!

I love fantasy, but what I really love are things that deal with Magic, Demi-Gods and Witches. I love the idea of people being wizards, witches and half god and half human. I just enjoy pretending when things get tough that I just pretend I use my magical ability to fix whatever it is. I love watching fantasy shows, they just give me a chance to escape, and live in a whole other reality/world/universe. Fantasy TV shows and books are amazing; it is such an escape for me, personally when things get stressed. When I flip out a little I turn on Charmed or Harry Potter, or read Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Last Olympian or The Red Pyramid books. Just the idea of being able to have my own little superhero power just sounds extremely exciting and a little uplifting… I would never use my powers for evil though. =]

Getting lost

Have you ever been told to read some book and you start reading it and you struggle (no I am not talking about A Hope Unseen). I started reading Catcher in the Rye and just really struggled to pay attention, something that never happens to me when I am reading books. So I read at least three or four chapters in to it and then I went to my “book area” and just grabbed a random book! I had grabbed “The Grim Grotto” from Lemony Snicket, and then afterwards I skipped to the last book “The End”. And I realized/remembered why I love reading so much! I love when I am reading fantasy and the fact that I get lost into it. I love reading fantasy and forgetting fantasy! I seriously put the book down and I was just like, “wait that book was fantasy, ahahaha.” I love Lemony Snicket, I really want to know how he came up with the idea for the Baudelaire and I may just have to do some research over the weekend or after I am done homework. I love the fact that I got lost into the book. It calmed me so much.

Is it nap time yet?

I get it, College is going to be loud, but I’m not in College yet. I appreciate nap time. The only problem is is that I have two little brothers who scream at each other, I mean talk to each other. It bothers me that I can’t take a nap, I mean I get it my brothers want to have fun but can’t they go to the basement or outside? I don’t think my brothers or my parents realize that when I take a nap I relieve stress, it is my escape route and it upsets me when I can’t sleep, I get more tensed and more prone to bursting into tears over nothing. I just wish my parents and brothers would understand not only that some people really do need quiet to work and that when I need to sleep. It annoys me when my parents side with my brothers and tell me to be quiet, but honestly I don’t get why we can’t have a few hours of silence when they are in the house- and not just when they are gone. Over the summer my mom would take my brothers to the pool and I would want to go but I wouldn’t because it’s a prime opportunity to sleep, and that irks me. Why can’t I take a nap without having to ask my brothers to be quiet, or when I am trying to go to bed…? I get it College is going to be loud and rambunctious but honestly, right now I just want to sleep! It gives me an escape route and I can leave reality and all my worries somewhere else. I am the type of person who needs a nap to keep going in the day, I can’t chug down coffee to keep going I need sleep I have been this way since I was a little girl. I feel like even now my parents don’t know me that they don’t realize that I need a nap, I need to come home after a whole day with New Town people and just really need to sleep. It’s hard when you have people yelling and arguing and “playing”. I am tired of trying to get my brothers to shut their faces [sorry if that sounds mean] but I am tired of trying to sleep, I wake up even more irritated then the day before. UGH! I need a nap =[

Stress

This past week has been ridiculously stressful! I don’t know how many times I’ve broken down in tears or have been on the verge of tears. I can’t even explain to you right now why, I mean my transcript made me wanna cry and then I went to talk to Ms.Suber and a guidance consular about something I don’t wanna write about but anyway when I was talking to them I broke down into tears! It was ridiculous! But that’s the type of person I am I break down under stressful situations. Is that a bad thing? Am I just overly emotional or am I just like crazy? This is ridiculous I never knew I could be as stressed and unbelievably emotional. Ugh, stress and tears really tick me off…

AP Psychology (notice the AP in it)

So today in psychology Mr.Plovan gave us a reminder that Chapter 2 notes, summary, vocabulary and Who’s Who are due this Tuesday because we have our first test. As soon as he said that the kids in class broke down saying “He never said that.” But I was sitting there trying very hard not to stand up and tell them to shut up, he did say something, he said it when he gave us our books Monday. It isn’t hard to do all the work. Do they realize that college professors will not except “It’s too much work, we can’t do it all.” I am so irritated with the kids at school who complain, just do your work and you’ll be perfectly fine. Yes there is a lot of work, yes it is hard, and yes it is absolutely annoying! But just do your work, stop complaining and just focus on doing the work then you will have no issues. I am so tired of being in classes where the kids just don’t shut up and don’t stop complaining, what’s even sadder is that this is an AP class. Do they not expect to do a lot of work in AP? Sure, last year everyone heard how fun it was but that was because Marshand taught it. Mr.Plovan just teaches a different way, and I find it to be an interesting class. I think it would be a better class if kids would just stop complaining and do the work.
Yes, I understand it is a lot of work, but it is an AP class.

Socratic Seninar Reflection

Let me start by saying that I love doing Socratic Seminars but I hate sitting on the outside because I always want to interject. Anyway, for our first Socratic circle, like Dona said, we set the bar really high. I really liked the group I was in because we did really well and we flowed, I didn't even realize how long we were going until I heard the timer. Though I think the only main problem was the fact that Jason and I did go back and forth for most of the time- but I admit, during debates I tend to get a little heated into the discussion... I can get pretty loud and pretty defensive. The first circle was really quite, they really didn't say much and it was a little boring to watch. The Second circle did a good job but theirs didn't flow that well. Like I said before I think we did a really good job, and I hope we do them again. But I don't think we should do houses, I definitely can tell you that my house, Atlas will probably get pretty rambunctious just look at how me and Jason went back and forth...

Isaac O'Brien

Isaac is the funniest 9yr old I think you will EVER meet! The things that come out of his mouth you just have to laugh and ask “Where does he get all of this?” He opened my door one day to tell me to “watch this” and so I did, he did the weirdest thing- a run into a somersault, or what he calls a “spin dash” then when he did it he rolled in laughing, when I asked him why was he laughing he replied with “It tickles my heart” I just looked at him, and then started laughing. Isaac is the sweetest kid in the world, he starts to get his “sad face on” and we refer to him as “Baby Spice” when he does this. (Baby Spice is one of the Spice Girls) But don’t get me wrong, when you get this kid mad he is not afraid to punch you in the gut, or as he does it poke you. And his pokes are sharp jabs into your gut. This child is hilarious; he has read the entire Harry Potter series. I love this child, mostly because he says some crazy things and because he is the sweetest kid in the world. Isaac is crazy.

Insects=Nasty

Let me start by saying EW! I hate bugs; they are just there, not doing anything to help. First off I have two stink bugs between my window and my window screen and I want to open my window so badly but I don’t want to let them in. Then I hate praying mantis’ I had one in my house and had a panic attack because this insect is just so nasty, I felt like it was watching me. ICK! Then there are bees, why they have to fly around me I don’t know but they drive me crazy. Insects gross me out, but what really freaks me out are spiders! I have my dad or brothers come kill a spider wherever it is. I don’t like bugs, I don’t care for bugs and I think bugs are so pointless. I am so irritated that the stupid stink bugs got in my window! One word to summarize this whole thing and what I think about bugs would have to be “EWWIE!” Yes, I know it really isn’t a word.

My escape from reality

May I just start by saying how amazing an author CS Lewis is, just the fact that he came up with these stories! Anyway, so I’m sitting in my room Sunday thinking about what I am going to write about today and watching The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and it dawned on me! If I don’t blog about Narnia something is seriously wrong “) Let me start by saying if I was able to rule a country and only certain people were able to find it and my best friends were like Mr.Tummnus, Trumpkin, Reepicheap and Aslan my life would be PERFECT! I love the series and how C.S Lewis created these master pieces. I personally believe that these stories will be told till the end of time (and Narnia does end “( ) I know that when I have kids I will tell them the stories of the seven Kings and Queens of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia definitely top Harry Potter, but only by a little and coming from me that’s saying something “) The way C.S Lewis tied religion into it and the way the stories are just written truly make them a classic. Narnia is a world where I can escape into and when you have stories like that, stories where you can forget everything going around you and get lost in them, that is the mark of a great author!

All about Me

Kennedy O'Brien has been an AVID scholar since her sophmore year, but she has known what she has wanted to do since she was in 8th grade.Since Kennedy was very little her favorite game to play was “Teacher”, she would make her stuff animals into rows and hand them printer paper. Her passion for teaching kids has never changed, which is why she plans on becoming one, as for the subject she plans on teaching history, mostly because she loved learning about our history and how America made choices that are laughable. Right now she is looking at one college in-state, Towson, three in Ohio, Akron, Toledo and Youngstown, one in Virginia, Virginia Wesleyan College and two in Chicago, Dominican (the college her mom attended) and Concordia University. Kennedy has already applied to Virginia Wesleyan College because she received a President’s Priority Application, she is almost finished applying to Dominican and has applied to Concordia for Early Nonbinding. School has always been a favorite in Kennedy’s mind and she is very excited to go off to college and finally get a chance to live her own life.

Role Models

Role models, an important part in growing up, their someone who you admire because of what they have done with their career, and in their life. To me I have to admit, now no one laugh, but I have to say I really do admire how Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato have handled their fame. I love that they are both so level-headed but I also love how Demi used her “personal problems” to help other people with the same issues she has gone through. I love the fact that she has done so much to make sure young girls don’t go through or even young girls who have gone through the same issues she has gone through herself. Now to Selena Gomez I admire her more because of her talent and her level-headedness, the fact that she hasn’t let her fame take over her life. Role models are an important part of growing up because girls are able to not model themselves after the celebrities but role models are there to help show girls the right path to take. I personally feel that celebrities like Miley Cyrus really shouldn’t have little kids looking up at them, mostly because Miley Cyrus has been caught doing things little girls really shouldn’t know about, she has been caught doing things young girls shouldn’t be exposed to. Celebrities need to use their fame to help young girls and young boys chose a path that will lead them to do something amazing in their lives.

Soul Surfer

I am watching Soul Surfer for I think the 20th time and I realize in a way it ties into the whole college search thing. I mean Bethany Hamilton has all these new challenges ahead of her because she loses her arm during a shark attack, she gives up and then goes and helps people in Thailand. After that she comes home and realizes that she can surf, that she can do what she loves, that her path maybe incredibly rocky but there is always a silver lining. Isn’t that kind of like our college search? We work hard for something then find all these challenges ahead of us and as much as we want to give up we keep trying because we have a goal, we want to get somewhere in life that helps give us a sense of accomplishment. I think it was Hyperbole who drew the mountain and talked about how that was like our college climb, we are all either on the rocky parts or we are farther ahead. Soul Surfer is a great movie to watch when you feel like it is time to give up, that no matter what you do you just can’t get your goal right, that you can’t accomplish it. Soul Surfer definitely renewed my sense of hope, just by watching Anna Sophia Robb play Bethany Hamilton and the way she showed that everything is possible if we just keep trying.

This doesn't involve a picture.

So I know we are suppose to have pictures but I have no picture to go with this blog. This one is truly just a blog. So Mr.Taylor asked us to write a college essay by next Tuesday, I've decided to write about the personal challenges I have gone through in life, and keep in mind I have had a semi-rough childhood. It was good but there were bumps in the road that really affected who I am today. But sadly, my problem is not the homework essay it is the real essay, Dominican University asks that people applying write about a personal experience and personal growth. My problem is though that through my high school career I have dealt [if that makes any sense] personal experience, and personal growth? I don't see how I have had "personal growth". Do colleges do this on purpose? Do they ask things of people that they know that the person can't right about? I am so confused on writing something about personal growth and personal experiences. Personal challenges come so easy to me, it can be basic and unique without being too over the top. My mom wants me to wait for my sister to come home to help me with the Dominican University essay and I get that doing that could really help me but I am not one to ask for help [unless it is with math]. I do not ask for help, I find it to be a personal weakness, I find that I need to do everything MYSELF just to prove to MYSELF that I CAN do it. I have no idea what to write about for Dominican... And that, right there, is my problem. Did I work to hard in school for the wrong reasons? Did I focus to much on my grade and overcoming my anxiety/panic attacks towards tests [especially that stupid math HSA]? What did I do wrong along the way?

My new favorite toy =]

I finally got myself a laptop!! Thank goodness, now I don't have to argue and fight with my brothers. I don't have to literally log off my brothers manually just to get my homework done just because my brothers have this saying "Just wait" or "I'll be a second let me just finish playing my game?" ugh! They still haven't grasped the fact that homework and college things go before Mindcraft, I mean Mindcraft? What exactly is the point of this game? ANYWAY going back to my topic- After I complained to my mom about my problem Liz texted me just saying she had a laptop for sale- brand new too! I wiped out my account [well technically there is like $9 left in it] Thank god for this computer I can get what I need to get done, done. I don't need to wait I don't need to call Mommy I don't need to argue nothing like that. Thanks Liz, you are my life savor!

College Essays- and the journey begins

So my MOM has been all about finding me colleges that she wants me to apply to, the only thing is, is that I think it’s a little weird. My MOM looking up colleges and things for me, don’t you think it’s a little weird? But I am a little excited. I mean I’m going to start writing college essays soon and applying to scholarships and just getting into the whole college experience. Gosh, I just can’t believe it has already come to this point in my life, to this crossroad! My only problem is it takes me a while to start writing. I have a thought process; my random writings are awful while my good writings are done at home. I’m nervous I’m going to mess them up and they will be awful! My mom has already told me to try to start writing for Dominican University, her alumni (?) which is all about writing about personal accomplishments and goals, but I have no idea what to write about for that specific topic. My goals, that is simple to get through college majoring in Secondary Education, and to build my own life. Accomplishment wise… I have no idea what to say. I am incredibly stuck with that scenario. My mom wants my sister to read it when I am done because she is the “accomplished writer in the family” maybe that’s a good idea and all but isn’t this supposed to be my work? I don’t know I’m stuck in quicksand right now and I can’t stop sinking…

My, how the years have gone by

For as long as I can remember I've loved school-there were 4 yrs where I hated school but I'd rather not talk about them. I remember every grade, every first day of school and every teacher. Preschool I had Ms.Class at Campfield, Kindergarten was at Church alane and was with a teacher, whose name I can not spell, but what I remember most about kindergarten was when it came to nap time there were times where my dad had to come in and pick me up because I was still asleep and no one could wake me up (I'm still like that except I don't "swing" at people when they try to wake me up hahaha) My first grade teacher at Church alane was Ms.Gray who had snapping turtles and hissing cockroaches and at the end of the year my dad and I gave her frogs. Second grade was at New Town with Ms.Gillipse where I met most of the people I'm friends with today. Third grade I remember my pregnant teacher Mrs.Boone standing on a chair because of a rat problem (I also had a close death experience that year) Fourth grade was with Ms.O'Conner and was the year I met Ms.Alyssa =] Then fifth grade to eighth grade were probably the worst years of my life, but I refuse to open up that wound. Now into highschool- ninth grade I was in thereapy and it really helped me find myself again. Tenth grade was a bit harder becuase I missed a week due to the death of my Grandfather. Junior year was fun, exciting and I really appreciate everything I learned from all my teachers. And now I'm a Senior which still shocks me~ I'm already a little nervous about it but I'm excited and I'm scared and I worry about college and my grades ALREADY! But oh well, here we go....

College, College, and more College

I am seriously siking(?) myself out! I am freaking out about the fact that I have to apply to all these places PLUS there are some application fees and then there are scholarships and there is fafsa and and and school work and I am starting to panic. Is it suppose to feel like this? Worry and panic and craziness? It's only September and I already hear people talking about the essays they've written and I just worry that I will fall behind and my grades will go down and I'll miss deadlines.. Maybe I am just over analyzing everything write now. I've only been in school for three days and I'm already freaking out..

Movies, TV Shows, CDs OH MY!

Thank god there's such things as DVD players! Everything I need is in my room, my school work and the only thing that helps me relax when things get tought-my movies, my tv shows on DVD and my music. Without them I think I'd spend majority of the time asleep. When I am frusturated, upset, or angry I just turn it on and I am perfectly fine. What's in my DVD player right now? Season 2 of the vampire Diaries-thank god I have the first two seasons because with the amount of school work I'll probably get most likely I won't be able to watch Season 3. Even though most parents are always talking about how bad it is to watch TV while doing homework I find it helps me focus. Most parents would probably disagree but when I can't figure out the answer to something or how to start off my essay I put the homework aside and watch whatever I have playing at the time. It's a good distraction, especially when I am "overly" (is that even a word?) stressed.