The End of One, The Beginning of Another

Last night I finished my 3rd class of 12. I was studying Servant Leadership. Now, there is a topic to stir up controversial conversation! This was an intense class with a ton of papers and presentations. For the most part, the class had to teach each other this time around. Then they added the element of technological difficulty. 6 of the next 9 classes will be web-based in the classroom. While I support technological advances, this is like watching REALLY BAD TV for 4 hours. It is dim and blurry. You cannot really see the students at the other location, so when they talk, you do not know who is talking. It is hard to pay attention when the visual aspect is distorted. I wonder if it would be possible for the college to change the lighting in the classrooms to make it easier to see? After 4 hours of bad TV, my eyes are sore, my head aches, and I can hardly wait to get home!

The next class is going to be Organizational Behavior and Change. Interesting! We shall see!

Two weeks, and I will be in CO for a couple of days. I am quite excited! I will get to see family and old familiar places.

Time to move all the plants indoors. I was afraid I would lose all my hanging plants to frost and cold, so, I moved them inside and hung them in front of my dining room window. I found a hanging clothes rack that works perfectly to hang plants on and under it I have a small table that holds several more smaller plants then off to each side, there are plants on stands. My goal is to hopefully keep them alive through the winter so I can put them back out in the Spring. Wish me luck.

I'm Going on a Trip and I'm taking...

That's right, I'm going on a trip to CO to see my family and pick up a car. I'm so excited. I haven't been home in 3 years. I'm sure there are a lot of changes since I left that I need to catch up on. I'll be leaving Oct 15th and getting home on the 18th. It is a short trip, but I need to be here for the kids to get off to school on time. We're chancing it on that Thurs and Fri. We may have to have them stay with someone in the mornings and schedule a different bus. They are not good at watching the time and I'm afraid they would miss the bus, then be home alone all day.

Somewhere in there I need to study and get ready for my class the following Monday. It's going to be tight, but, I guess I'll get it done, one way or the other.

So far, the kids are doing pretty well in school. They are both in middle school this year. It is hard to believe that they are that old. Why, I remember when they were just born! Doesn't seem like that long ago. In fact I have clothes as old as they are! Older in fact! Oh my, that's not so good!

Dr. O made it thru a whole week at work and they called to say he should come back next week. I guess that he must have done a good job.

I'm Back - For a While Anyway

That's right, I am attempting to come back. This has been the busiest 4 months ever. My job was going horribly and I was miserable and started to get sick from it and...and...it was just terrible.

On the other hand, I have been doing really well in school so far. In 2 weeks I will have finished 3 classes. Yipee! AND I'm getting A's so far. For that, I congratulate myself! Going to school is hard work, no matter how old or young you are. I am pleased to know that I have graduate level reading and writing skills and can reason at such a level. So far tho, it isn't really any harder than my undergrad. The same amount of work pretty much.

So, now I ask the question...Are colleges and universities making the programs easier or am I just getting smarter? I know that at 18 there was no way in the world I could have done this well. For one, I didn't know ANYTHING, and for two, I couldn't follow directions to save my life. Well...okay, maybe to save my life.

I do know that my writing skills have changed over the years, and now I have LIFE EXPERIENCE on my side. I am glad I'm doing the classes the way I am though. I could not handle doing a 16 week course again. That is pure, unadulterated torture. Who wants to go to school 3 or more nights a week AND do homework? Not me! One night a week is enough! That gives me a whole week to get the homework done.

Change of topic. I am back to being mom and wife. It feels great and I am actually doing mom, wifey things. Like cleaning house and cooking and overseeing homework. I am looking for something else that is part-time. Dr. O is back to work this week as well. Pray that his job is steady.

What Happened To All The Time?

That's what I am asking myself. It seems that I am running myself ragged trying to keep up. Monday will be the last day of my 2nd class. It has been a journey. A very difficult journey. Ethics classes have always driven me crazy, but this one is horrid. We didn't really talk about the text, barely covered the topics of philosophical thought and learned a TON about police work. Very little direction about expectations for papers, then gruelling feedback. I suppose it is supposed to 'help' me to be a better writer/critical thinker, but the only critical thinking I'm getting out of this is CRITICISM. Ugh. Horrid class. I'm glad it will be over in 3 days. Well, that's school. Now, on to work.

Work has been just as busy. I have been getting a lot of felons coming in to see me who need a LOT of help and work. They are very time absorbing. Add to that the other case manager, hired same time as I was, has been on two vacations already. So, I'm doing part of her job, along with my own. Not that it bothers me much to help out, just that she is never there, it seems. Add to that, I got a new Regional Manager who doesn't know her job yet and my other Regional Manager is being short and tempermental. Add to that, this week one of our job coaches walked off the job, creating havoc for the office, (she belongs to the other CM) , so I've been doing damage control and putting out fires, before a bunch more people decide to walk. Well that wasa work, exhausting. Now, on to family.

It is the end of summer, three weeks til school starts. My kids are bored, tempermental, and sick of being hot and bored. Movies? Video Games? Webkinz? Lumped altogether, It's not happening much. Why? They fight too much. Then I come home and it gets spilled over onto tired, stressed out Mom. I will be glad when school starts. Not the homework part, but the structure part. Get these kids out of the house. Hubby is doing all the household duties, gardening, cleaning, cooking, and driving.

Oh, the good stuff. Maybe? We got Hubby's car back. It is fixed, it runs, it goes faster than 30 mph. It cost 800 bucks. frown, sad mommy. Good stuff...good stuff...I finish the class in 3 days...school starts soon...we have onions the size of softballs...beans coming out our ears...I don't have to cook...It is Saturday and I slept in until 8...Well, that's probably enough!

Love ya all, thanks for reading. I'm sure life will get better or at least more managable.

Third Round of Picking Up the Kids

That's right, this is the 3rd round. This has been the busiest summer I can ever remember (well, except the year I got married, quit my job, moved, and met all my in-laws!). I'm picking up Calico Kid from a week of camp today, AND my sis-in-law and family will be here for the weekend. For those who don't know, I am getting my Masters in Business Management. I am going through a 17 month, very intense, program at Cornerstone University. I like learning new things. I DON'T like to be rushed and stressed. However, I can handle ANYTHING for six weeks, can't I????? Please say that I can. That's how long each of my classes are. One night a week for six weeks. Each class is four hours long. So far so good. I got an A in Research Methods. Ethics? I sure hope so. Anyway, one down, ten and a half to go. Now, off to work, then camp, then home, then study! Busy day ahead.

Camp Michawana

That's where Calico Kid is this week! This is his first experience at a summer church camp. I sure hope he is having lots of fun and keeping busy! He signed up to shoot .22's. Please, oh, please, be safe. The last time I shot a .22, the shell went down my shirt and burned my a, you know. Ouch! And yes, I cried! Mystery Girl came home with a TON of new clothes and jewelry. Holy Smokes, now I have to clean out the dresser again. And find a closet bar for all the hang up clothes. Good Grief! Now, It's off to school and try to pass this class. Hard Stuff it is.

Mystery Solved

Today the mystery of the missing Mystery Girl is solved. She is coming home from CO today. I am picking her up from Detroit. Mystery Girl seemed to have a great and wonderful time with her grandparents. While Mystery Girl was gone here is what happened:

• I cleaned her room
• I made up her bed PROPERLY
• I washed and FOLDED all her clothes
• I put all her clothes AWAY
• found and PUT AWAY all toys and personal items
• worked like crazy getting an A in my first class
• cried because work and school are so hard
• worried about MG having a good time
• hoped that MG was 'behaving'
• worked many extra hours at work (and home)
• bought MG a coming home gift
• missed MG
• talked to MG on the phone
• missed MG
• told MG that she could make it the last 5 days
• missed MG
• talked to MG on the phone
• missed MG like crazy

Did I mention that I missed her? I did! She will be coming home and be 'such a nice kid!' Can't wait to see her!