Week 1 of Classes

As I mentioned in my last post, I decided to go back to school.  My first round of classes started the 28th and will last for 10 weeks.  I will then have 8 days off before my next round of classes starts.

This "term" I am taking Eight Effective Skills of the Legal Studies Student and The Paralegal Professional.  So far I like both classes.  They are taking some getting used to though.  The online classroom is so different from a traditional classroom, just as one would expect them to be.  Even if I was taking traditional classes though, it would still take some getting used to considering the only time I have been in a classroom in the last 12 years is for parent/teacher conferences for my children.

The first week of class hasn't offically ended yet, but I have gotten all of my assignments finished.  This first week saw the first essay of this back to school experience.  I was stressing over the essay big time.  The essay was only 300-400 words, which is really short.  And the topic was my ideal career.  Should have been easy, right.  But I stressed over it so bad.  I don't have a lot of confidence in my writing skills.  I think they suck big time.  But with the help of a friend physically asking me questions to get me brainstorming, I was able to write the essay.  Even though I thought it sucked majorly, I submitted it to my instructor.  My instructor apparently didn't think it was as horrible as I thought it was because out of 85 possible points, I got 73 (no, that is not percentage, that is points)!  Like I said, I think my essay skills suck horribly, so I was thrilled with that grade.

Since I am done with the assignments for the first week, I have reviewed the material again, and have now started some of the reading assignments for the second week for both courses.

Back To School

R & C are ready to go back to school, and B is ready to start school.  In fact, C was upset the other night because school won't start right now.  All 3 of them will have to wait though, since they don't go back until August 17.  R will be going into 4th grade, C into full day Kindergarten, and B into Pre-K for a whole 2 hours and 15 minutes a day.

I, on the other hand, am a different story.  I have been talking for a few years about going back to school, but I have finally buckled down and took that plunge.  My classes start in 7 days!  I will be going for my Associates in Paralegal Studies (but do plan on getting a bachelors sometime after that), through Kaplan University.  I will be taking 2 classes online every 10 weeks, with 8 days off in between. 

I know it will be a challenge, but I am up for it.  I plan on doing my work and studying while B is in school for his 2 hours and 15 minutes a day, then do some more after all 3 kids are in bed for the night.  And since the kids are now spending weekends with their dad, that gives me all weekend to myself to study.  So I should be able to get in quite a bit of study time...at least once the kids start school next month.  Until they go back to school the plan is to get up a little earlier in the mornings to get some studying done before they wake up, then do some after they go to bed, and on weekends.  Since C & B love to sleep in, it should be no problem having some study time in the mornings.

So I will be blogging about the joys, challanges, etc that come from being a F/T mom and student 

Pearl Paradise Giveaway & Review

You've heard it said that diamonds are a girl's best friend.  But not this girl.  This girl loves pearls.  I think perals are a classic peice of jewelry that never go out of style.  I also love how they go great for casual wear or dressy.  And a girl can never have too many pearls.  That is why I am trying to win some. 

You can enter to win too!  Just head on over to Two Classy Chics to read their great review on a company called Pearl Paradise and learn how you too can enter the giveaway!

Bath & Body Review + Giveaway

Do you love bath & body products? What about products that help make your home smell great? Now you have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to order your choice of bath, body, or home fragrance items!

Two Classy Chics have written a product review on some of our bath products. They are also hosting a giveaway, sponsored by me, on their site. You can read the product review and enter the giveaway at http://twoclassychics.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-and-giveaway-crystals-comforts.html Several ways to earn entries! You can even earn daily entries!





This giveaway ends July 24 at midnight EST time.


To learn more about the great bath & body products, visit my other blog

Getting To Know Family

I am sad to say that up until recently, my children didn't know their cousins.  Which is a shame considering that the town we live in is right next to the town they live in.  It was just that my sister and I live seperate lives, and we don't even see each other that often. 

But my kids are now getting to know their cousins.  With summer vacation going on, my nephews were getting bored at home.  So I have went and picked them up a few times so far.  They come out here and go swimming with my kids, and they all jump on the trampoline together.  On Monday, they all even went blackberry picking together in the back field. 

I am so glad that the kids are getting a chance to get to know each other.  And I am glad they are getting along together.  It is so nice to see them all doing something together. 

Changes

Sometimes life likes to throw things your way and they are hard to deal with.  I had something thrown at me me earlier in the month that has changed my life in a big way.  I don't really want to talk about it right now, because I am still not exactly sure what I am going to do.  But things are a little difficult in my life right now.  My children are having a hard time with things that are going on and happening.  They think the things that are happening are their fault.  I keep explaining to them that they had nothing to do with any of it, that none of it is their fault, that they have done nothing wrong.  The kids are also acting up during this time.  I am trying to be patient with them.  I know they are just kids and don't really understand what all is going on.  And being kids, the way they handle some hard situations is to act out.  It does get annoying, but they are doing okay 

WTH

R is 10 now.  He spends every Saturday with the Young Marines.  Some of these days are long (8 hours), some are shorter (2 to 4 hrs).  It just depends on what they are doing.  A couple weeks ago, the Young Marines did a campout from Friday night til Sunday morning.  There are always adults present at the Young Marine things, whether they are Young Marine staff or parent volunteers.  The kids aren't left unsupervised at all. 

Other than the Young Marine activities, R is home most of the time.  He is either with me, my husband, or one of my parents.  Last night he did spend the night with a friend, then called today to ask if he could spend the night again.  The friend's mother told me it was okay with her, so I said it was okay with me.  I have met this friend's parents (both mother & father).  I know where they live, I know where they work.  My family knows this family...heck, our families have known each other for YEARS!  So it's not like I'm leaving my child for a couple days with people I don't know.

But I had someone tell me today I am a bad parent for sending R "away" all of the time!  That I should be with him ALL of the time.  That I apparently don't want to spend any time with him.  WTH!  He goes somewhere without me once, maybe twice, a week!  And he is 10 years old for crying out loud.  He needs some independence.  He needs to go out and do things without me, with kids his age.  And it's not like I am dropping him off somewhere alone, like the mall or park or whatever.  When he is at the Young Marines (an organization designed for kids to keep them off the streets and off drugs), there are adults present.  He is at a friend's house right now, with adults present.  He doesn't want, or need, me up his butt 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  He can't learn to be independent if he doesn't get some independence.  And I spend plenty of time with him the other 5-6 days a week that he is home...we go fishing together, play games together, play in the pool together, read together, etc. 

So if I am a bad parent because I let my son go somewhere without me once or twice a week, then I proudly wear that title.