The Long Complicated Answer

So it's time for another post and my big sister gave me the means for this one, when she asked me a question on Facebook today...

She asked: 

"So how's this transition back into academic life treating you?"

And my answer is:

 

The school part is mostly okay - my classes are great but there is, obviously, a lot of reading and work involved and finding the time to do it is difficult... I'm really liking being back at school. It's nice to be able to sit and listen to an adult speak about something that I'm interested in, and having conversations with other 'big people' is wonderful too (instead of just kids all the time).

At the same time, the whole process is just that bit more difficult because I can't do my reading or work when I'm alone with the kids, and that is most of the week. Fortunatley mom has been taking Za&S to the farm overnight on Mondays and Wednesdays - so I usually end up at the University until at least 1am those nights doing work and reading - and Chessenda or Brenda deals with Zo and getting her to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sundays Obie is usually happy to keep the kids to himself for a while, so I can sometimes disappear to school (or lock myself in my bedroom) for a couple hours. Then I usually go back to school after I've got the kids in bed on Sunday night for another couple hours of work.

School is always hard, it's supposed to be, doing it with the kids is more of a juggle then I like. I don't want to say that I'm not going to keep doing some classes and wait until S is ready for pre-k before I go back to do any more... but it might come to that. Or, I'm in three classes right now, maybe I'll just do one from now on. I feel bad for complaining because I am only at the school 2 days a week but I think 2 days, with three kids (and their school, dance, skating and just their "being" kids) is sometimes too much, and I can't imagine how people do full time - school or work - when they've got a couple kids. Maybe I'm just spoiled because I've had the opportunity to stay home for the last couple of years......

It's not that I couldn't do it, because I am and other people do it all the time, but I want to be around for my own kids - I want to dress up and go to Halloween parties with my kids at school, I want to be able to spend time with them and get them ready for school pictures, I want to be able to take care of them all the time when they are sick, or hurt, and I want to be with them when they do really cool things for the first time, or start talking, or potty train... I feel like I'm missing so much and I don't like it, and it's not fair to them.

So that's a really long answer to your question. In short: the transitions been hard. I like what I am doing while I am at school but I don't like what I'm missing by being there. Make sense?

 

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Now, it's Halloween this Saturday so I should be able to put up a couple of pictures of the kids after the weekend... (For those of you who can, I put up a few pics of the kids skating - from my phone - on Facebook earlier this week.)  Till next time!!! Happy Halloween and be safe when you trick or treat!!

Just an Update

 

So a full month of school has gone by (for both Zona and myself) and things are looking good.  Zona hasn't had any major problems for the last couple weeks and for that I am honestly and immensely grateful! For me, I've done a few assignments and I am just gearing up to write my first round of "mid-terms" in the next week. But things are actually good, and I'm not too worried about the tests - they'll be hard, but I'm prepared for that and think I'll do pretty well on them.  So YAY!

As for everyone else... Saphira is walking all over and babbling all the time, and generally just getting into everything and in everyone's way.  She and Zack play really well together, which is good since they spend the most time together.  Of course, she's still growing like a weed.  Personally I think she'll end up taller then Zona. (I'm not sure where Zack will fit in though, I hope he'll be taller then the girls... I guess all I can do there is wait and see, huh?)

Zack's birthday was this week. Three years old!!! I don't really have any pictures (I didn't have a camera, but I'll be checking to see if anyone else might have taken a pic during dinner.) but I will say that we had a good time.  We took the kids to Ponyo, a new(ish) movie that's storyline is similar to the Little Mermaid, and then after that we went to Pizza Hut and had dinner and cake and opened presents.  The birthday boy happily raked in a bunch of dinosaur toys, including a play mat and a dino-tent, 2 sets of hockey sticks and balls (one foam set for inside and plastic for outside), a basketball hoop and ball, a couple toy cars and trucks, some clothes and some coloring and painting books.  And puzzles, can't forget the puzzles.  So yeah, he's a happy boy this week! 

I think I mentioned before that I had both of the kids (Zack and Zona) registered for dance classes this year. Zona is enjoying her classes a lot and is happy that she actually has a friend from school in one of them.  Zack however flatly refuses to go back. I'm not sure if he just doesn't want to dance, he's shy or scared of the teachers (and other students) or if he is just too little for dance still; in anycase, he doesn't want to do it and I'm not going to force him, but I do want him to do something.  So I decided to try him with skating.  But then, when I was getting info for that Zona heard me and demanded that she get to skating lessons too, so both Zack and Zona are doing skating now too.  Zona absolutely loves it.  Their first class was last Saturday and all she's talked about since is how much she is looking forward to this weeks lesson.  Zack liked it, until he fell on his back and got scared.  But he does want to keep doing it.  I think it is actually pretty helpful that Zona is there too, because he at least half the reason he's willing to go back is because she's there too.  YAY, again! Hopefully he'll keep at it.  I'll try and get a couple pictures so that I can post them...

Beyond that... I don't have much else to say.  Things are good.  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner this weekend - even though Big Sister and Bro-in-Law aren't coming down - and Halloween at the end of the month.  That is going to be another whole nightmare, so I'll keep you posted on that, and make sure that I get some pictures of halloween costumes when the time comes.

Till next time - have a great Thanksgiving (Canadians) and hope your October is lovely!!!

Oh, It's Sick!!

Bah! It's that time of year again people. All three kids are sick to some degree, and of course none of them have the same "symptoms!"  It's a pain in the ass but I guess that's what's expected this time of year. Running noses, fluctuating fevers, throwing up and, uh, yeah... It's gross.  I hate it because I'm the one who has to deal with it, but what else can I do?

Send them to Grandma's!!

Not much actually.  I was just getting ready for bed and 12:30 last night when the phone rang; Mom was calling to tell me that Baby was sick.  Then I got a text this morning from Auntie - Zona was sick too.  Zack's nose has been running for two days, so that was no surprise to hear at noon, but seriously - the update's couldn't have waited?  There was no emergency.  No one expected me to go dashing out of my class, run home and get my van and then speed out to the farm to take care of babies. 

So then when I do get the kids back what do you think the news was then?

"Oh, they've all just been great.  They don't seem phased by it at all."

Like I didn't know that already.  It honestly takes so much to get a rise out of the kids when they are sick.  They are just troupers. 

And how were they when I got them home?

Absolutely fine! Only had to wipe the nose once. Zona grumbled a bit but said she was okay and the Baby passed out before I'd even turned the light off in her room.  Maybe next time I'll just turn my cell off in class.

Or not.  After all, you never know when there will be a real emergency.

I'm tired. I'm going to bed.  School was great though by the way, I'm in awesome classes and the prof's are great. 


Till next time!!

Okay?

I think that the whole school/university thing will be okay.  The first day went really well anyways.  I enjoyed the classes I'm registered in, with one small exception which I'm going to rectify and with what I'll have left I think I'll be busy, even really busy sometimes, but I don't think it'll ever become something that I can't handle.  For now, I guess, I'll keep my fingers crossed on that.

Of course, not everything could continue to be all sunshine and rainbows though.  I got through my day fine, only to find out that ZONA got in trouble at school today.  Stupid, little, stuffed toys that she can hide in her jacket pocket.  She was told on the first day that no toys were to be brought to school - except for on 'special days,' and I told her on Tuesday that she was NOT allowed to take the little thing to show her friends... But the little brat just had to do it anyways.  So, ha ha ha, she was told after school today that if she brought anymore toys with her to school (except of course on the approved days) that Teacher would take the toy and not give it back till the end of June.  Needless to say she agreed not to take anything else to school.  

Hopefully she'll remember.  I don't want to have to start searching her bag everyday before I drop her off.  I'll do it if I have to, but I really don't want to.

So yeah.  That's today.  We've got a "long weekend" again - no school on Friday ever means all weekends are long weekends - but I think this one is going to be pretty boring.  No plans. 

Maybe I'll do some extra reading and get ahead for school...

Wish Me Luck?

Argh!!! I'm back to school tomorrow :)  It's actually a little bit scary!

I'll actually try and update tomorrow night or Friday morning to let you know how it went.  I don't anticipate things being to horrible, or painful, but I don't know what it will be.  I guess we'll find out.

Till then, I hope your day goes well.  

(I hope my day goes well too!!!)

We Survived!!

We survived the first week of school.  Well I guess it's a bit premature to say that, since Zona still has to go tomorrow but I'm pretty sure we won't collapse into a quivering mass of nerves.  At least I hope we don't.  It's actually been not too bad of a week.  A bit busy as we try to get back into the swing of things but we are getting there.  Of course, we'll be thrown a bit next week when I start classes, and then again the week after that when Zona and Zack start their dance classes, but I'm hoping that we'll be able to handle it.  We have to be able to handle it.

I guess that's really all I have to let you know.  Boring, I know.  But I'm going to try and post something here at least twice a week.  We'll see how it goes.  In any case, until next time I hope that everyone enjoys these last lazy days of "summer," including the last long weekend of the season.  Party safe and have fun!

Back to School?

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

Zona starts school again in less then a week. Kindergarten this year. It's really amazing because it's just like it was yesterday that Obie and I were bringing her home from the hospital and marvelling at how amazing she was. She's still amazing but so much has changed since then.

We've done the trip home from the hospital with a new baby twice more.

We've celebrated 5 years of birthdays.

We've learned so much. Taught each other so much. Discovered so much.

Sometimes, like right now for instance, it's almost unbelievable how much we've all changed. Yet what makes things bearable is realizing and understanding that no matter how much we do change, we've always got one another.

It's also interesting to see how things circle around sometimes too. For instance, I'm heading to school this fall, again. I'm not committing myself to going back full-time or even for longer than just this semester, yet, but I'm going back. I miss school. I'm somewhat worried about how I'll be able to swing University, the kids, Zona's school, Zona and Zack's dance and you know, having a life... I'm sure it's going to be chaotic, a lot of the time, but I've got to try. I want to.

I guess I'll have to keep you posted on that, won't I?