Back to College

For some reason a couple of years ago I decided that I needed to finish a bachelor’s degree. At the time, I was thinking that I was going to be able to earn a lot more money with a B.S. Now that I am half-way there, I am thinking, “At my age, I am never going to earn back the money I am spending on this degree.” My only hope is to keep taking classes until I die. Then I won’t have to pay back the student loans. Plus, at over 50, the best my B.S. in Organizational Management in Project Management (The students and faculty just say “OMPM” because the name is way too long.) will probably be good for is for showing off.
Going back to college is an example to my kids though, I guess. My married daughter, who left college early because she was expecting, says I am an “inspiration” for her to finish her degree. We have actually had a couple of classes together, which is fun, except that she is a much better student than I am and makes me look bad. One instructor told her to explain what he wanted in our journals because I wasn’t “getting it”.
I must admit I enjoy school. I even miss it when I take a block off. (Our classes are in five-week blocks - which is great, because you only have to complete one subject at a time; and awful, because you only have five weeks to complete one subject.) I like getting into healthy debates over world views or C.S. Lewis’s theology. And it must be the mom in me, but I enjoy encouraging younger students (That would be almost all of them!) when they are struggling.
I do occasionally skip a block. I learned the hard way that you should not to take a class during the last few weeks of your kids’ school year. Your either miss half of their year-end functions or end up with a bad grade, or both. Then you get to feel guilty and dim-witted at the same time.
You would think that taking on college course-work would demonstrate how organized I am. But really, I procrastinate more on homework than on anything else. I have even learned how to judge just how late an assignment can be without dropping my grade a letter. In fact, come to think of it, I had better get to work on those two papers due before midnight…

The back of the book

To have credibility, any non-fiction writing, whether book or blog, relies on the credentials of the author. Here are mine. (Just pretend this is the back of a book jacket.)

Mom is the mother of five - two still at home, one in college and two married. She also has a 10 month-old beautiful, intelligent, delightful, etc. grandson. This is in addition to a house and yard full of three cats and three dogs. (One of the ways you care for your grown children is ending up with their pets.)

At the age of forty, after 25 years of marriage she became a suddenly-single mother of children ranging from 13 years old down to a few weeks. (For that story you will have to wait until I start my soap opera blog.)

She has been home-school mom, soccer mom, football mom, college mom and army mom, among other things.

From an "older" Mom

I can remember as a young mother being told time and time again, "Enjoy your children while they are young; they will soon grow up and not need you anymore."

Boy, were those people wrong. Sure, I am no longer changing diapers and chasing toddlers, but my adult and teenage children take more of my energy than ever. Not a day goes by without several calls ranging from "Mom, I just don't know what to do" to "Mom, how much water goes into the rice." And I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

I feel reassured that, even though I will be an empty-nester in a couple of years, my relationship with my children (and their spouses and children) will not end. I believe I can look forward to more years of, “Mom, how do you…?”

My hope is that this blog will provide my readers with a little humor and some modest insight into the joys of taking care of family.