You know, I try. Really I do. And most of the time I think I do okay. But tonight I'm tired. I've had a literal pain in my neck all day. I get these from time to time, usually when I'm stressed out or tired. I'm tired today. Really tired. Our two kids had a total of 4 friends over to spend the night last night, and nobody got enough sleep. My son and three friends were out back in a tent (until one missed his mom and went home; then there were two friends), chatting it up until at least 11:30. My daughter and her friend were watching Cinderella, but then decided to "go to bed." Now mind you, to be honest, they never said they were going to sleep. Just to bed. They proceeded to talk until at least midnight. Mind you, my daughter's friend is 4. I swear my kids go to bed easily when it's "just us" at home, but add a friend or two in any situation and they turn into insomniacs. This they did not get from me; I love my sleep. Not that I've seen it much this past week.
Then there's school. I've worked hard, really. I've done at least an hour of homework time every night; most nights 2 hours. But I haven't been able to keep up with the reading. I hope this coming week to do better. I did get my 750-1050 word paper written (I wrote 960 words, by the way), and I got my search activity and quizzes done, as well as printed off two self-assessment things I have to write, because I don't have the ability to circle answers on my computer. Plus my part of the study group's outline for our presentation is done. But I didn't get all the reading done. I hope it's all okay.
It's 10:13 now, and my brain has shut off as far as taking in any more information. It all sounds like the same gibberish. I'm selfishly deciding to watch West Wing (which we recorded) with my hubby and go to blissful sleep, after taking my Benadryl. Maybe, if I take that, tonight I'll sleep without waking up to sneeze and blow my nose 50 times tonight. Maybe. Damn allergies!
Another week is on the way! :-)
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
The First Day of School
Well, tonight was my first night at school. So why I titled this "The First Day of School," I have no idea. It was really a night. But I digress. It was a lot of fun! First my advisor and the person who I met with to enroll both called me today to tell me the room number my class would be in. Room 106. I get to Room 106, sit through class 'til the break, and then go to sign in on the attendance sheet...but my name isn't there. The instructor kindly went with me to the office where we discovered I was in the wrong room. I then went to the right room just in time to introduce myself, and then go on break again! Too funny. Long story short, my instructor is wonderful, I think I'll like everyone on my learning team, and I'm really thinking that maybe I can do this college thing after all.
Work is also going well. I'm really starting to pick up on things now and there are fewer questions. I really can't get over how nice everyone is there. We have good days most every day. I'm doing less work but being paid more, I'm not being told every day how crappy anything looks but instead how well I'm doing, it's just amazing. Sometimes I feel guilty being this happy, or maybe afraid is a better word. I know God led me to this so I know it's the right thing. Happily, God also knows and loves my little paranoid brain, so He will lead me through these feelings, too. I'm so grateful that He has blessed me this much!
I had worried that my husband would have trouble getting off work in order to "cover" home when I'm at school and working full-time, but he hasn't. He admits that at least part of his problem was his not having proper boundaries in place in his life, and he was trying to basically play saviour at work. The 60 and 70 hour weeks were getting old, but now it has calmed down. Plus, God is giving me strength to do more than I was doing, so together we're making it work. Amazing.
I must bid you good night now, because my eyes are tired and my brain is, too. May you have a wonderful day/evening!
Work is also going well. I'm really starting to pick up on things now and there are fewer questions. I really can't get over how nice everyone is there. We have good days most every day. I'm doing less work but being paid more, I'm not being told every day how crappy anything looks but instead how well I'm doing, it's just amazing. Sometimes I feel guilty being this happy, or maybe afraid is a better word. I know God led me to this so I know it's the right thing. Happily, God also knows and loves my little paranoid brain, so He will lead me through these feelings, too. I'm so grateful that He has blessed me this much!
I had worried that my husband would have trouble getting off work in order to "cover" home when I'm at school and working full-time, but he hasn't. He admits that at least part of his problem was his not having proper boundaries in place in his life, and he was trying to basically play saviour at work. The 60 and 70 hour weeks were getting old, but now it has calmed down. Plus, God is giving me strength to do more than I was doing, so together we're making it work. Amazing.
I must bid you good night now, because my eyes are tired and my brain is, too. May you have a wonderful day/evening!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Something Big...the other shoe drops
Hello again! Well, shoe #2 drops tomorrow night as I attend my first class at the University of Phoenix. I'll be completing my elementary education degree. I was told there was some homework, so I logged on to the site to complete it, and it turned out to be 2 surveys about how I feel about returning to school. And to think I'd been so nervous about it.
Today my hubby is home, not working, which is a godsend. He's been working loads and loads of hours, but is trying to find his boundaries, and our boundaries as a family. He has been my rock for years, and part of me is terrified to go back to school because I'll be spending so much money, and I'm afraid the stress of his stressful job, plus me working full-time instead of my former part-time position, plus my going to school, will make his life miserable. He has a heart condition which will require a new valve in about 10-15 years and I don't want to exacerbate it at all by doing this, but at the same time we were both working so hard to simply stay afloat and keep the utilities on, that I felt this full-time job I have was a godsend...and it has been. It's a pleasure to be there every day. And school is something that he tells me he has wanted me to do for years. And I'm so happy...but I don't want him to die. He keeps telling me he's fine and will be fine. I don't know. I'll do my best.
Of course since school and work start tomorrow and my time here from now on will be slightly less (I only go to school 1 day a week), I want to get everything organized before I leave. Mind you, I'm starting from fairly chaotic and hope to get to "Martha Stewart" by 8:00 (including baking cookies, reorganizing the cart next to the stove, reorganizing the cupboards, reorganizing the kids' rooms, getting all lunches made for the week, doing laundry, buying a printer so I can do my homework, ironing, painting my nails, and losing 50 pounds), so I'm being unrealistic, but I need to get some things taken care of. Clean laundry would be good! :-)
But like I said in my first post, talking with adults about a topic that is dear to my heart will be a welcome change, so I'll look forward to that and try to keep things rational.
And now my beautiful daughter is looking for something to do, so I must go and see if she'll work with me today. Have a great day, all!
Today my hubby is home, not working, which is a godsend. He's been working loads and loads of hours, but is trying to find his boundaries, and our boundaries as a family. He has been my rock for years, and part of me is terrified to go back to school because I'll be spending so much money, and I'm afraid the stress of his stressful job, plus me working full-time instead of my former part-time position, plus my going to school, will make his life miserable. He has a heart condition which will require a new valve in about 10-15 years and I don't want to exacerbate it at all by doing this, but at the same time we were both working so hard to simply stay afloat and keep the utilities on, that I felt this full-time job I have was a godsend...and it has been. It's a pleasure to be there every day. And school is something that he tells me he has wanted me to do for years. And I'm so happy...but I don't want him to die. He keeps telling me he's fine and will be fine. I don't know. I'll do my best.
Of course since school and work start tomorrow and my time here from now on will be slightly less (I only go to school 1 day a week), I want to get everything organized before I leave. Mind you, I'm starting from fairly chaotic and hope to get to "Martha Stewart" by 8:00 (including baking cookies, reorganizing the cart next to the stove, reorganizing the cupboards, reorganizing the kids' rooms, getting all lunches made for the week, doing laundry, buying a printer so I can do my homework, ironing, painting my nails, and losing 50 pounds), so I'm being unrealistic, but I need to get some things taken care of. Clean laundry would be good! :-)
But like I said in my first post, talking with adults about a topic that is dear to my heart will be a welcome change, so I'll look forward to that and try to keep things rational.
And now my beautiful daughter is looking for something to do, so I must go and see if she'll work with me today. Have a great day, all!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Almost a week...
Hello again!
Hello! Just called to let you know...my son is really "into" Neil Diamond right now. He is listening to my Neil Diamond Greatest Hits CD. Constantly. All night long! It's kind of funny, in a way, that we have a child for whom the stereo is an issue at the tender age of 8, and even funnier that what we're tired of hearing is Neil. I always figured it would be some hip-hop thing in about 5 years or so. Such is life with a child who has Asperger Syndrome, which, by the way, my son does. It's a little like having autism, in fact in layman's terms many doctors I've spoken to have called it "Autism Lite." Kids with this are typically very bright, which he is, and tend to fixate on things that normal kids wouldn't, like ceiling fans, something with lots of facts they can learn about, and obviously Neil Diamond.
It's been almost a week since I started my new job. I'm liking it very much. It is such an incredibly friendly place...I almost can't believe that I work there. The work seems easy enough, which will be welcome when I actually start classes. Maybe this really is a company that values its staff and works together as a team. I know that I hear that phrase almost everywhere I have ever worked but I haven't yet found it to be true. Usually someone is standing over the clock making sure that everybody is in on time and gossiping about anything they can sink their claws into, while smiling to everyone like the Cheshire Cat. I may actually be in a fantastic job here. I'm excited at the possibility.
We had a huge immigration march (actually a couple of them) here in Phoenix over the past couple weeks. I still think it's very sad that conditions in Mexico are so terrible that people constantly risk their lives in order to leave. What kind of deplorable is that? I can't imagine being so bad off that I would need to head to Canada in order for my family to survive. That must be sheer desperation, considering that there are miles and miles of desert to cross before one gets to any kind of civilization, let alone water. Incredible.
Hello! Just called to let you know...my son is really "into" Neil Diamond right now. He is listening to my Neil Diamond Greatest Hits CD. Constantly. All night long! It's kind of funny, in a way, that we have a child for whom the stereo is an issue at the tender age of 8, and even funnier that what we're tired of hearing is Neil. I always figured it would be some hip-hop thing in about 5 years or so. Such is life with a child who has Asperger Syndrome, which, by the way, my son does. It's a little like having autism, in fact in layman's terms many doctors I've spoken to have called it "Autism Lite." Kids with this are typically very bright, which he is, and tend to fixate on things that normal kids wouldn't, like ceiling fans, something with lots of facts they can learn about, and obviously Neil Diamond.
It's been almost a week since I started my new job. I'm liking it very much. It is such an incredibly friendly place...I almost can't believe that I work there. The work seems easy enough, which will be welcome when I actually start classes. Maybe this really is a company that values its staff and works together as a team. I know that I hear that phrase almost everywhere I have ever worked but I haven't yet found it to be true. Usually someone is standing over the clock making sure that everybody is in on time and gossiping about anything they can sink their claws into, while smiling to everyone like the Cheshire Cat. I may actually be in a fantastic job here. I'm excited at the possibility.
We had a huge immigration march (actually a couple of them) here in Phoenix over the past couple weeks. I still think it's very sad that conditions in Mexico are so terrible that people constantly risk their lives in order to leave. What kind of deplorable is that? I can't imagine being so bad off that I would need to head to Canada in order for my family to survive. That must be sheer desperation, considering that there are miles and miles of desert to cross before one gets to any kind of civilization, let alone water. Incredible.
Monday, April 10, 2006
...And so It Begins
Hello. Welcome, whatever it is that's brought you here. I've started a blog because I saw a neat one I really liked and it inspired me. Also, I have some very interesting things happening just now; I've just (today) started a new job and I report back to school (University of Phoenix) on April 24 to finish my elementary education degree.
I found the blog I mentioned earlier in quite a roundabout way. One night I was fed up with the world and life, particularly my life, so I typed into Google, "Help me I'm going to kill myself." It was a bad day. But I was brought to this wonderful pink-and-rose blog called "My Salome Nature." It's about a mom and a baby and is quite uplifting, actually. So I didn't kill myself that night. Or any other night, at least until the present. So far, so good!
Which brings me to now. Until today I worked for a well-known charity. Surprisingly, it was unpleasant. Even more surprisingly, I stayed there a year and a half. I worked part-time for an organization in which most everyone I dealt with was severely negative, all the while talking about how the company worked to bring positive change to the world. Eventually I got tired of nearly losing electric service, water and phone because my bills were always so late, so I jumped at this opportunity which basically fell into my lap. Today was day #1.
It was typical first-day, but I wasn't confused and lost like I sometimes am on the first day of a new job. It looks kind of easy so far--I hesitate to say that, but I'm not complaining...I've been running like a chicken without a head for 18 months now and some calm, repetitive tasks will be welcome. I think it will work out. I hope it gets less boring. I'm truly grateful and don't mean to complain at all. Like I said, it's just first-day stuff.
As for the rest of my life, that which is not work, I'm married and have 2 children. A son, who is in 3rd grade this year and a daughter who is in 1st grade. They're wonderful, but of course all parents say their children are wonderful. I'll tell you, though, I'm not sure how they got to be so pleasant and smart. Most days I feel like I'm barely hanging on and yet it seems to be working out. God has a big hand in that, I'm sure.
School is still a mystery as I don't start until 4/24. I'm excited...a room full of adults, talking about the field that's dearest to my heart. I'm scared...what if, in the 20 years since my bright and shining one single year at Graceland College (now University), I'm not smart enough. But I think I am. I think I can do this. I want to do this.
And that is my first blog post. If you've made it this far, thank you! I'm going to see if I can put some color into this and see what else I can do to make it "mine," and then I must sleep, for work starts early! G'night, all!
I found the blog I mentioned earlier in quite a roundabout way. One night I was fed up with the world and life, particularly my life, so I typed into Google, "Help me I'm going to kill myself." It was a bad day. But I was brought to this wonderful pink-and-rose blog called "My Salome Nature." It's about a mom and a baby and is quite uplifting, actually. So I didn't kill myself that night. Or any other night, at least until the present. So far, so good!
Which brings me to now. Until today I worked for a well-known charity. Surprisingly, it was unpleasant. Even more surprisingly, I stayed there a year and a half. I worked part-time for an organization in which most everyone I dealt with was severely negative, all the while talking about how the company worked to bring positive change to the world. Eventually I got tired of nearly losing electric service, water and phone because my bills were always so late, so I jumped at this opportunity which basically fell into my lap. Today was day #1.
It was typical first-day, but I wasn't confused and lost like I sometimes am on the first day of a new job. It looks kind of easy so far--I hesitate to say that, but I'm not complaining...I've been running like a chicken without a head for 18 months now and some calm, repetitive tasks will be welcome. I think it will work out. I hope it gets less boring. I'm truly grateful and don't mean to complain at all. Like I said, it's just first-day stuff.
As for the rest of my life, that which is not work, I'm married and have 2 children. A son, who is in 3rd grade this year and a daughter who is in 1st grade. They're wonderful, but of course all parents say their children are wonderful. I'll tell you, though, I'm not sure how they got to be so pleasant and smart. Most days I feel like I'm barely hanging on and yet it seems to be working out. God has a big hand in that, I'm sure.
School is still a mystery as I don't start until 4/24. I'm excited...a room full of adults, talking about the field that's dearest to my heart. I'm scared...what if, in the 20 years since my bright and shining one single year at Graceland College (now University), I'm not smart enough. But I think I am. I think I can do this. I want to do this.
And that is my first blog post. If you've made it this far, thank you! I'm going to see if I can put some color into this and see what else I can do to make it "mine," and then I must sleep, for work starts early! G'night, all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
