The first time I went to college, my husband was deployed. It was only my three- year-old son and me, and we had our routine down to a fine science. It was difficult at first, but we learned pretty quickly that we had no choice to accept that we needed to make it work.
That year, I maintained a near 4.0 GPA, became a Phi Theta Kappa honor student, and kept a pristine house. Seriously, it was immaculate all the time.
Although there is very little about that year I’d like to revisit, I often find myself looking back with longing at the days I really had it all together. Not only do I look back fondly, I also measure my current return to school against that period of time.
And, to be brutally honest, I feel like I’m already failing miserably.
I still keep a clean house (not as clean as it was before, but the chores multiply exponentially when you add another adult, a toddler, and a dog who thinks she’s people.
Mostly, I clean because the combination of OCD and ADHD does not lend itself well to a serene study environment. And although it’s only my first semester back, I can already feel the weight of the responsibilities pushing on my shoulders.
And, if I can whine for a minute, my spine already totally hurts from sitting hunched over a
laptop with a toddler sitting on me.
How do you deal with these kinds of feelings, dear readers? Do you have any tips or tricks? Tell me a story about your fixes for anything and everything related to the stresses of being a parent, a spouse, and a student.
I’m all ears.
At least, I will be when I finally have some down time. Hopefully the nursing home will have decent WiFi.