A two week break was perfect and just what I needed.  Now it's time to get back in the saddle and hit the books again.  This week starts the beginning of a new class about Arizona and US Government.  A class I really do not want to take as I do not live in Arizona so the class really is not going to do me any good.  However it is on my list of required classes so take it I will.

Among all the chaos of having a two week break and going to Girls Camp I have also been in the midst of a move.  Now that everything is moved I have been busting my hind end for the last 3 days to get that house clean so that they can finally interview someone and get them moved into the house.

Cleaning your house and doing you homework normally with 3 kids running around (one of them is at Grandma's helping in the hay field) is not an easy task and I am having to clean as well as try to entertain 3 kids under the age of 6 in a house with no toys for hours while I am getting our old house clean enough for someone to come right in to and not have to worry about cleaning it before they do.  I've got it pretty dang clean in the time that I have been able to be over there with three kids underfoot and one of them that still is a must nap child taking about 5 hours of the day that I am at our new house to feed kids and put them down for naps.

this morning I get a phone call from my husband saying that his boss thinks I need to do more cleaning before they can pain.  Now they want me to wash all the walls that I have already scrubbed the crap out of.  You would not believe the messes that you find from having three boys after you move all of your stuff out of a place and you can see naked walls.  So they want me to re-wash all the walls before they will paint and try to get out pink stains that are next to impossible to get out.  (side note - never EVER give your kids strawberry crystal lite unless you are camping and it can spill in the dirt.  no matter what you do it will end up on the carpet and in places you didn't think juice could get and it likes to stick it's tongue out at you when you try to get it out.)

So in addition to all of this chaos I am struggling to keep up with my new class and the DQ's as well as the other homework because I have been spending all my time cleaning a house that I no longer live in trying to get it clean enough for them to paint it and so I can get to work on the yard.  Hubs and kids better pick up the slack tonight because mama is on the verge of a mental and physical break down.

Okay end of vent now it's off to wash walls that have already been washed, cleans stains that won't come up, clean out vents that are clean and get the rest of our stuff out of the yard all with out biting someones head off.

working hard

As a mom my job is never ending and I am on the clock 24-7.  It is also one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.  Thus why I want to be a teacher.  It is also a very rewarding job.

Parents out there I want you to know that even if you work full time in and out of the home if you work hard and make the time (all you need is a dedicated 1 hour a day) to get your work done and DO NOT leave assignments to the last minute, get them in in the middle of the week rather than the last day they will be accepted you will do very well.

I just finished one of my educational classes called Cultural Diversity in the Classroom and received an email from my teacher stating:

I am pleased to inform you that you have successfully completed EDU 230. Indeed, you were a “Shining Star” in our class! Your final grade is A.

Your journal was both reflective and summative. One of the highlights of Week 7 was the thought and care that you put into an outstanding job on the final assignment.

I wish you the best of success and enjoyment in your teaching and hope to have another opportunity to work with you again in another course here at Grand Canyon University.

When you work hard and you are able to receive emails like this from instructors whom have never met you other than a bio you post in an online forum, they never see you and you've never had a telephone conversation with them, it totally makes the hard work and effort that you put into your classes totally worth while.

I very strongly believe that we get out of something what we put into it and if we do not put in very much we are not going to get very much out.

Being a stay at home mom people think that I have all the time in the world to work on school work.  The fact is, I have 4 kids ranging from age 8 to two and I go to school year round I do not take the summer off so that I have more time with my kids.  I do have a great time management schedule though that works for me and my family.

I check forums 1-2 times a day which takes about 15-20 minutes depending on if you have to respond to what people have said to you or if you are just reading what they said or if you have to write your post for the week as well as the responses that you have to post.  then I work on a few things that I need for an assignment.

If you know the material it can take 10 minutes tops to write a 200 word journal entry and get it turned it.  then you have time to get the bigger assignment done the next few days.  I find it easiest to work on it for a few hours (usually I do this while my kids are napping so I have more time as they nap for a good 2 hours in the afternoon) then when they get up I get myself to a stopping point and leave it for either after they go to bed or the next day depending on my husbands work schedule (I need time with him too)

In between all of that is when I do the laundry, take kids to play dates, clean my house, do the dishes, play with my kids, make phone calls, run kids to birthday parties, grocery shop, pay bills, and everything else that goes along with running a house.

So I hope you all do not give up on your endeavors and that you strive to be the best that you can be and reach those insanely hard to reach goals because you can reach them.  With a little time management, hard work, and support from family and school staff you got this and you can get to the end of the road with no problem and be proud of your accomplishments as well as wearing those honor ropes when you walk at your graduation.

Best wishes,

moms & student

Breaks

School is an amazing thing.  You get to learn new things, you get to earn a degree, you get to better yourself and find something for you to do.

It has it's ups, it's downs, it's bonus', and it's pitfalls however you have to keep plugging away and sometimes even though you are doing really well and amazing you have to take a break now and then.

I am currently on a 2 week break from school hoping to be able to get moved during part of that time and going to girls camp for church with the young women to refill my spiritual gas tank.

There has been so much going on to get ready for camp and our big move that will take us to a new house that is a whopping 100-200 ft away from where we currently are.  But it will be a great move as there is more space and I have a lot of fun ideas that are going to be taking place.

A slow steady consistent, get things set up as I go move is totally out of the question at this point.  Especially since they want a start date for the new guy as of August 1st putting a stress and pressure on me that I feel is un-necessary and un-fair.

Anyway even with all of that stress looming.  I have still managed to get President's list again as well as keep my grades up to where I expect them to be.

so here is to a fun filled two weeks of getting moved and camp and a family reunion.