Mothers Achieving More Academically

Welcome back to classes MAMAs!!

2010-01-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

Its already spring 2010 semester! It seems like last semester flew by, but maybe that is because I kept soooo busy between work and school and the baby! Ive got another stacked up semester, but I happy cause its one more semester closer to nursing school, and closer to graduation. :)

I just got an email from one of the women heading up the MAMA stuff, she said were going to have some really cool things for UA moms coming up including:

Jan 27

Financial Aid for Mothers

Student Union room 308

12:00pm-2:00pm

- and -

Feb 24

Breastfeeding Information Session

Student Union 312

12:00pm-2:00pm

Even if you have never been to any of the organized events for the MAMAs, now is a good time to start! Its an awesome way to meet other moms and learn some good things together! Lets hope for a good turn out this time, and hopefully we can get the word out there to other mommies at school that there are def some other people in your situation and we are here for you!!!

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

I hate school.

2009-11-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

well, rather, just financial aide. This is getting ridiculous. It's not mine, thankfully, but its my fiance's- just as bad. He can't get it figured out and there's like four weeks of school left. Really? And, of course, Akron being the WONDERFUL school it is (I hate akron with a burning passion) won't do anything. Anything. Just tell him that a collection agency will be calling soon. This is so stupid! It's driving me insane. And now we actually have to file legal seperation from his parents for everything to go through. We should not have to jump through so many hoops just to attend school! All he wants to do is take out a couple loans!! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGG!!! Sorry for venting so much, but it just feels like no one cares sometimes. And it's so hard to accomplish anything at that stupid school. This is the only group that I've ever felt like being a part of, and I haven't even been able to do anything with you guys because of work. Akron does NOTHING for it's adult student population, even though we comprise more than 2/3 of campus. It all drives me crazy.

Well thats all for now, I guess. Hopefully this works out soon :(((

Kelsey

MAMA And Lip Service Halloween Party!

2009-10-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

I thought it was a good fun time! The children really loved playing together so that was fun. There was pizza, candy, cookies (informative cookies at that) and drinks. Lincoln, my 18 month old, made lots of fun new friends. He ran around in his roaring 20's gangster costume and he just looked so adorable. I really believe the party was fun. Yeah it might have been a kinda weird mix for some of us just because on one hand there were kids running around, and on the other there were pamphlets on safe sex and penis/boob cookies. To me its not a big deal cause my son is young enough that he doesnt understand, and really it was fun to meet new people and see all the neat costumes, but I could also see if you had older kids how it might take some explaining to them lol. But here are some pictures of the party! Hope you enjoy!

Feedback on Halloween Party

2009-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

I wasnt as happy with the set up of the Halloween party as i thought i would be. I didnt feel it was very "kid friendly". Some of the treats and materials there seemed directed more towards adults when i was under the impression the party was directed more towards families. Im curious what you guys thought. Thanks for your feedback.
~Annabelle~

Halloween Party

2009-10-16T08:11:00.001-07:00

LIP and MAMA are hosting a Halloween party Friday the 23th from 6 to 8 pm in room 335 of the student union. Free food, movies and, games. Costumes are encouraged!!! Hope to see you guys there!!!

AHA walk this Saturday on campus

2009-10-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
This Sat is the American Heart Association walk. It will begin at the Athletic Field House on campus at 10 am and finish at the new stadium. The walk is 2.5 miles long. Events start at 8:30 am and the walk will begin at 10. I will be there by 9 am. If anyone is interested, please contact me at jjd15@zips.uakron.edu.

Thanks in advance to everyone who participates!

Jen Dolly

2009-10-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

American Heart Association Event at U of A!!

The Breast Cancer walk at Lock 3 went very well today! Thanks to everyone who came out to walk with us and thanks to those who made a donation! All together, we were able to raise almost $100!

The AHA walk is this Sat on the campus of U of A. I am going to make a few phone calls to get more info about this walk, exactly where it is at, and when it starts. I will post a blog on Tues to let everyone know the details. If you are interested in walking or donating money, please contact me at jjd15@zips.uakron.edu.

This week should be a calm week at school (much unlike last week!!) The halfway point of the semester is finally past so it is back to learning as usual instead of studying for midterms! The kids and I are finally getting over our cold viruses. My advice to everyone is to wash your hands and your children's hands as often as you can because this cold bug is just awful!!

Until next time...
Jen

I hate flu season

2009-10-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

ugh its here, and we've already missed our first day. Monday Camryn had a cold, and while it was in it's last stages it was still to bad to be sent to daycare. So mommy and cam had a fun play at home day. Actually, we both just slept a lot, and mommy caught up on some homework, which was a nice day. I don't like missing classes but i was relieved to find i didn't miss much! Now on to battling the rest of the season. We've had flu shots so hopefully we stay pretty safe!

Has anyone thought about getting the H1N1 shot for their kid? They're going to be avaliable soon, and I'm just unsure of what to do. Her doctor said she really didn't need one, but there's so much hype... any advice?? Oh, and what about you? It's supposedly targeted at the younger generation- THATS US!! I don't want to get it either!!!

ugh, well thank goodness for the weekend, good luck with next week!
Kelsey

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

2009-10-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

Ok. I had to get it out. Its only 718 am right now and Im already having meltdowns. Lincoln is on his way to the babysitter. I didnt even get to say much of a goodbye to him in the rush of the things, and I have a midterm in an hour and a half, and test and another quiz later on today..........

Breathe In. Breathe Out. Breathe In. Breathe Out.

Im. Just. Gonna. Take. This. Day. One. Sentence. At. A. Time.
Then Back to work tmrw (first day since getting my wisdom teeth pulled)

Really all I want right now is a big hug and a kiss from my little man.

yeah.... a little something like that.

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

Raising money for breast cancer and/or the American Heart Association.

2009-10-04T10:06:00.001-07:00

Raising money for breast cancer and/or the American Heart Association.

October is breast cancer awareness month and Lock 3 will be holding a breast cancer walk this Sat., Oct 10 at 9am. If anyone is interested in walking, I will be attending the event. Registration starts at 9 and the walk begins at 10.
Click here for more information about the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

The American Heart Association (AHA) is also having a walk to raise money for heart disease. This event will take place at Akron U. When I get more details, Iwill let everyone know!

If you are interested in walking or donating money, please contact me at jjd15@zips.uakron.edu.

Thanks to everyone who supports these wonderful charity events!

Until I blog again...
Jen Dolly

2009-10-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

BioChem is making my life difficult!!

Hey everyone!
I have a test tomorrow in Biochem and this subject is a lot harder than I thought it would be! I knew it wouldn't be a cake-walk, but I didn't think I would be spending hours trying to figure out how to do one problem. Maybe if the book was a little btr at explaining the problems and showed (in detail) how to do them, I might catch-on a little quicker. Nursing students have to keep their GPA as high as they can because the college of nursing only accepts 160 students each year and they start with those who have the highest GPA. It is so frustrating!!

I have a cold also so that might be contributing to my bad mood and irritability! lol

Thanks for letting me vent!

MAMA movie night was great last night! Thanks to Pat for bringing in the pizza and thanks to everyone who attended! L.I.P service will be having a Halloween party this month. When we receive more information, we will let everyone know!

Until I blog again....
Jen Dolly

MAMA movie night!! Tmrw!

2009-10-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to send a little reminder out there to all the UAkron MAMAs... and student/moms interested in meeting other people with similar interests.

Saturday October 3rd, at 4 pm. Movie Night

Hope to see everyone there. I will try and make it (even though I just had my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday) and I hope to take some good pics of all my new mama friends! See you tmrw night.

Until Next Time! ~ Mommy Jessica

Monday Moments......

2009-09-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Im going to try to make it a trend on Mondays to share a little bit of my life.... in pictures. So here it goes for the first one.....
These are all recent cell phone pictures:
My 16 month old son and I on our front porch, doggies in the background

Lincoln with his aunts at Olive Garden

I finally got a date night with my hubby!
Looking sweet in his stunna shades
Loves riding in the front!

Well this is just a little bit recently. I love taking pics of my little man every chance I get. Especially now since I am so busy with school and work!
Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

Just a little heads up to MAMAs

2009-09-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Got all this info from the tylenol website... I know its especially important because sicky season is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

September 24, 2009

You may have heard that McNeil Consumer Healthcare (the makers of TYLENOL®) is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products that were manufactured between April, 2008 and June, 2008. All products manufactured met internal specifications. However, the company is implementing this recall because during this period, an unused portion of one inactive ingredient did not meet all quality standards. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it was decided to recall all Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products listed below, which were made during this time.

Parents and caregivers who have questions or concerns should contact their child's health care provider or our consumer call center at 1-800-962-5357 (available Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time). Consumers can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the liquid product and also on the sticker that surrounds the product bottle. The lot numbers of the affected products are listed below.

These actions do not apply to Children's TYLENOL® Meltaways and Junior Strength TYLENOL® Meltaways. The voluntary recall applies only to select lots of Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products.

Recalled Products - Full List

Lot #	Product Description
SBM041, SBM067, SCM037, SDM027, SEM109	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold MS Suspension 4 oz. Grape
SBM042, SCM015, SCM036, SDM034	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Grape
SBM043, SBM044, SCM029	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Bubble Gum
SBM045, SCM011, SCM030, SDM035	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Strawberry
SBM064, SCM033, SDM020	Infant’s Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops 1/4oz.
SBM065, SCM005, SCM006, SDM032	Infant's Tylenol Suspension 1/2oz. Cherry
SBM066, SCM068	Children's Dye Free Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SBM068, SCM035, SCM070, SCM080, SDM005	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SBM069, SBM070, SCM081, SDM006	Children's Tylenol Plus Cough & Runny Nose 4oz. Cherry
SCM012, SCM067, SDM007, SDM068	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1/2oz. Grape
SCM013, SCM014, SCM069	Children's Tylenol Plus Flu 4oz. Bubble Gum
SCM016, SFM024	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold Suspension 4oz. Grape
SCM017	Children's Tylenol Plus Cough/ST Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SCM082, SDM039, SDM040	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1oz. Grape
SCM083, SCM084, SDM008	Infant's Tylenol Dye Free Suspension 1oz. Cherry
SDM064	Children’s Tylenol Pediatric Suspension 1oz. Cherry
SDM038, SDM009	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1oz. Cherry
SDM033	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold/Allergy 4oz. Bubble Gum
SDM078	Infant's Tylenol Drops 1oz. Grape
SCM034	Infant’s Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops H/G 1/2oz.
SDM028	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry, Hospital Govt.

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

2009-09-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
My name is Jennifer Dolly. I am a freshman at the University of Akron, but I am not your normal freshman. I started college my senior year in highschool. After I graduated, I took a semester off and during that time, I found my husband-to-be and I got pregnant. I decided to put school on hold until we were done having children. So, here I am, 10 years and four children (yes 4!!) later. My son Brandon is 9, my daughter Annalise is 6, my daughter Gabrielle is almost 5, and my daughter Cameron is 2 years old today!!
Being a college student and a mother is extremely difficult but I know it will be more rewarding in the end. I am attending U of A to get my Bachelors of Science in Nursing and when I graduate, I will get my Masters, specializing in Midwifery. I am excited to meet new friends who are also mothers at U of A. I love the new MAMA group!! I was a wonderful idea!

Until next time,
Jen Dolly

Me + My Son + Walking Around Campus =

2009-09-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Alot of awkward stares today! LIKE OMG why does she have a baby with her at school. Cant she shut him up! I feel so bad for her. Why did she bring her baby around here?

Thats what I feel like when people see me walking around campus with my son in the stroller. And you know what.... I dont care. I feel proud of my little man, and I feel like the others will one day understand what it takes to walk around campus with your kid. So there. :)

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

A typical night in the life of a student mom:

2009-09-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well every night is a little bit different (btw work and different class days) but most days heres how it goes for me.....

get home about 630 pm after a full day of work or school
help make dinner, something we can eat and something for my son
at 7 we either play outside for a while, or go for a walk.
I give Lincoln a bath, he loves bathtime, while we listen to the Bob Marley for kids cd.
We read a few books and sing songs in his room while we play in the ball tent.
Then I sing skinamarinkydinkydink while we lay him down in his crib... its about 8 pm at this time

Since school started this semester, I dont get very much time with Lincoln. Thats the hardest part of this semester, harder than any test or anything else. So on nights like these I try to make the best use of the time that I do have with him. We turn off the tv, and the computer, and we just get down and spend time together.
So after bedtime its my time to hang out with my hubby and dogs, do some homework, and computer time, and watch some movies or tv!

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

Life is Rough

2009-09-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

I agree, it is so hard to be a mother and a student! Its two totally different worlds. But I know we'll make it through eventually! Its just getting to the eventually thats hard.
More Later!
Kelsey

Keeping my chin up!!

2009-09-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

So its sunday night, back to the weekly grind of school/work tmrw. One more day closer toward my end goal, thats what I have to keep thinking, and all this time my 16 month old son is spending at the daycare will pay off. He will have a mommy that is well educated and can support her family! I just have to keep thinking of the positive. If I start dwelling on the fact that since I went so part-time over the past two and a half years (bcz of being pregnant and having a baby), that I really have only one years worth of credits.... well I start getting overwhelmed and want to give up!

But thats why I am really glad to have found some other mothers at UA. I know that if they can do it, so can I. I have met some really strong determined single mothers who I can only aspire to be like with my only family. I am lucky to have a husband and a son in my life to help me, but that doesnt make things automatically easy. I married really young and did things a little out of order. But thats how life goes sometimes! Well.... until next time, I will continue to do what I do. Trying to do the best that I can do with my son! (and heres a pic of him just for fun:)

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica

Attention UA MAMAs!!!!

2009-09-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Are you a mother and a student at the same time? Trying to get through school so that you can help create a better future for your children? Do you find yourself looking to find friends with similar interests? (is there anyone who can really understand how tough it is for us mamas to be students and moms and so many things all at once?) Well there is hope for you (and me), and friendship, and a place to vent..........

The new student organization MAMA at the Univerity of Akron is having its first real event.... and your invited!

So come on out to our first event on October 3rd! And def bring your children! Cant wait to see you there.... oh and p.s.... spread the word! Let all the MAMAs at the University of Akron unite!

An article all about us MAMA

2009-09-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

Check it out, in our schools newspaper, the Buchtelite, there was a very nice article getting the word out about the new MAMA group at UA! Click on the link below to learn more!!

Mothers Look to Peers for Support

the first MAMA post!!

2009-09-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Pace (the admin for this blog). I am starting this blog up for all of us mothers at the University of Akron, to share stories, vent, and just type out things going on in our lives. So here is the start for me, and there will be plenty more to come!

Here is a picture of me, my hubby, and my son Lincoln who is 16 months old!!

I cant wait to vent a little more about being a mother and a student at the same time, whew... its really rough somedays!! BUT i really love it and wouldnt switch this world for anything!

Until Next Time! ~Mommy Jessica