Lastly

I read this article recently about how we notice so many firsts as parents, but the lasts tend to slip by unnoticed. Of course, this need not apply to parenthood only, but to life in general.

One thing that won’t go unnoticed: my last final. I’ve been preparing for it all day and will probably finish it tonight after the kids go to bed.

And another I look forward to in the vague future: my last day living in a basement.

Also in the vague, hopefully more distant than near, future: my last day being a Provonian (thanks, Bryan). When I moved out to Utah for college in 2002, I expected to be back in California as soon as I finished. (Wouldn’t it be a twist of fate if that actually happened?) Instead, I’m still here 10 years later, and I adore Provo.

I don’t adore finals, though, so I want to celebrate this being my last!

Prior

School is a lot less demanding this semester, but I seem to be scheduling a lot of other activities because of my lighter school load…which just means that I’m extra busy, in another form. I feel pulled in a million directions – I want to do lots of projects and playing and little trips with the kids; I’d like to do as much family history research as I can while I’m near the Family History Library in Salt Lake; I’m still working on graduation announcements, which I’ll have letterpressed by local Rowley Press; I want to read more books; and I even want to clean our house, probably the most unrealistic thing on the list. On top of my poor housekeeping skills and natural untidiness, Evan and June are actually some sort of anti-cleaning sprites or brownies or something. (Is that a thing?)

But there are prior claims on my time. I got myself into this finish-your-degree stuff, and now I’m so so so very close, and I do have reading to do for classes. I have tests to take and papers to write. Prior to that, I have kids that need to be fed, clothed, attended to, played with, and disciplined. (Not necessarily in that order.) And let’s not forget that Jarom and I like to spend time with each other! We both have lighter loads this semester, but it still seems like a challenge to find time to do things other than homework, childcare, and cleaning together.

I am trying to find some balance…this week Jarom made cookies, we had friends come over, I took the kids to visit the pet store, some girls from the ward are coming to entertain Evan and June this afternoon, tomorrow June has a checkup and I get to go do safety & emissions for our car registration (wahoo!), Friday Jarom and I will go to the temple for a session (twice in two weeks! And another trip scheduled for next week!), and Saturday I’ll study for a test before we go to our friend’s first birthday party. Sound like enough fun + responsibility mixed together?

Sadly, I have two tests next week (both for independent study classes). But other than that, almost nothing on the calendar! Except, you know, going to class. Still! I’m looking forward to the magical time after school is over, we’ve settled in wherever we’ll end up, and there are a couple years left before Evan heads off to school. I’d like to have a whole week free of prior claims on my time.

Lousy

I think I said this before, I woke up with a bad cold on the first day of school. It’s been 2 weeks and things are not much better. I vaguely remember that I felt ok for the few days we spent at home at the end of vacation…but the idea of having energy and motivation is now foreign. Yesterday I got a splitting headache in the afternoon, so I took some Excedrin. Its effects last a long time for me. My headache was gone for the rest of the day, but I was awake (despite being exhausted) until at least 3am. Tossing and turning. Every time I started falling asleep I got violent chills. Yuck. So this week probably won’t have exciting posts…I just want to catch up on sleep!