KSU Flashbacks

Confession time. All these naughty naughty things in just one weekend.

Friday morning I ran out of my omelet muffins (the ones I make ahead and just heat up for a protein packed breakfast each morning.) I was also out of greek yogurt. I was in a breakfast protein crunch. 

So,  I made do. 

Had you been in the morning commute with me on Friday, you would have looked into my car to see me eating a french onion pork chop. With my hands. At 6:45 am. 

I seem to have a lot of food related confessions. Maybe that's because I know what I WANT to be eating and what I SHOULD be eating. Here's the problem...sometimes a once in half-a-decade opportunity presents itself. 

Like that time that we went back to K-State for my first time in over 5 years.

Actually, we went back to see and old high school friend (who also played soccer with Rico in high school and college) coach our old high school team in the state finals. The game happened to be at the high school I student taught at. Small world. 

Over the past 5 years, I have made quite a long list of things I miss about Manhattan.

Last year I heard about a new place in Aggieville that became my new Manhattan mission. Varsity doughnuts. They have unique freshly made flavors and a unique atmosphere. It is SO cute, and they even rent bikes (with baskets). 

Of note. Things you can convince your husband of: waking up at 7:30 am on a weekend for doughnuts. Things you can NOT convince your husband of: renting bikes to ride through Aggieville afterwards. Especially using the argument "But they even have BASKETS!" 

For my doughnut lovers: A Maple and Bacon Long John,  Peanut Butter and Jelly, Pumpkin Spice, "flat tire"- aka OREO, blueberry, and classic with raspberry filling. I can't choose a favorite- just kidding, it was blueberry.

While we were in Man-happiness, we did all our college-y things. Look what they did to welcome Bill Nye the Science guy at the Union- a HUGE bow tie with powercats! 

In case you were wondering, we were totally those dorks that went to all those union events. 

Grocery store bingo- yep, I won fruit snacks and a loaf of bread.

Hypnotist/mentalist - oh yeah, they totally embarrassed us and asked Rico when he was going to propose after revealing our social security numbers and year and make of both our cars.

$3 movies- we saw our fair share.

I can't describe our disappointment that we were missing Bill Nye. 

BILL NYE people. 

5 years too late. 

We ate pre-game appetisers at So Long Saloon (Rico had a few "Nancy" beers, I had fried pickles- how very pregnant of me). We were literally the only people there for the first hour. If you know So Long, you know this was maybe the weirdest feeling you could ever have. 

We had lunch at Rock-A-Belly (I couldn't convince him that we should eat at the Derb), complete with the tastiest sandwiches and a side of a flashback- the first time I ever made Rico try hummus. I've now made it so often that he is nearly sick of it. 

We drove by all the places we used to live. We took a side trip to Dara's to get a pop slushy (Rico- not me), stopped by Old Stadium, and visited the new stadium. Holy. Moley. That new stadium. Whoa. 

Maybe I'm the only one, but when I think of college I have one thing that sticks out in my mind.

 For me, it is walking to class, listening to music, on a very specific tree covered sidewalk with squirrels running across the path in front of me. To the left, Anderson Hall.  To the right, the Dean's house. Clearly, we needed to re-create this. 

Rico indulged me. He even turned on some Jack Johnson (we both agree that nothing quite re-creates our college years like a lil' Jack Johnson) as we walked the path. We went through campus, pointing to buildings and talking about the classes and professors we had. We went into the library. We saw all the updates to the buildings. We helped a lost freshman. 

Anderson Hall in the back...it was just too beautiful outside to capture it AND us at the same time.

Then, at the very end, as we were ALMOST back in the car I said "But we didn't go into Justin". Justin hall was the hall with all my FACS classes (interior design, textiles, culinary, child development, family relations, sexuality, personal finance...you know all my favorite classes.) So, we went. We were in awe at the new updates as we wandered the new portion of the building. We made our way over to the older portion, where I had all my classes. 

Then it happened.

By complete accident.

We stumbled across THIS room.

Erik reached for the door-and it was OPEN. I showed him where I sat...and then I burst into tears.

I know it doesn't look like much, but to me (apparently) it is everything. 

"You are NOT crying right now!"

"I can't help it!

"Oh honey, why?"

"This is where I learned what kind of mommy I want to be. It changed my life." (don't worry, I am crying right now just typing this)

My child development class. Where I learned about attachment and media influences and Bronfrenbrenner (for the 1 millionth time) and so many other things that molded my opinions on how I wanted to parent. 

Side note, I recently got a VERY sweet note (that made me cry) from a former Parenting student 

(Hi Taylor!) 

and have had some fun conversations with other former students that made me think that some day MY classroom might be a classroom where hormonal pregnant moms go back and cry...here's to hoping. 

That wasn't my last crazy crying fit. I ALSO cried the night before, driving around Manhattan. SO much had changed. Nothing was the same. Oh, and at the grocery store the next day. It had changed too.

Oh, and at the Sprint store to get a new phone the next day (clearly I didn't get a new phone) 

Oh, and on the drive to, at, and on the way home from dinner. 

Oh, and at our Redbox that night. Admission. Yes, the comedy with Tina Fay and Paul Rudd.

Oh, and Monday in class. A student showed a Sesame Street clip (to demonstrate toddler emotions) where Elmo was sad...he was SOOOO sad. Clearly I needed to cry. 

I think that is about all the embarrassment I need to reveal for the time being. Let's end on a K-State high note. Literally high. If you are a Wildcat, you'll recognize this spot. This is the view from on top of Manhattan hill that overlooks campus. 

Hopefully I passed on lots of warm K-State fuzzies to our baby. No pressure baby. That's a lie, a little tiny pressure.