College - Class of 2019????

Brandon has been in college since 2006 or 2007, I'm not sure which. After this semester, he will have one more class, then he will graduate with his ASSOCIATES degree. Please don't get me wrong. I am proud of Brandon. He has never made anything less than an A. He is extremely committed. But he is still not even halfway to his bachelors degree. This is taking for-freaking-ever! I know that once its over, it will have been worth it and blah blah blah but I am having trouble seeing the light at the end of this very looooooooong tunnel. Then he tells me the other day that once he graduates he will be making about $20,000 more a year than he is now. I said "THAT'S IT?!" We have been through all of this for $20,000 a year?! I know that may sound spoiled or whatever, but $20,000 is not hugely life changing! I mean, I had always thought of us as being fairly well off once he graduated. It's going to take a whole lot more than 20K to make us well off! So, that is even more discouraging.

Back in the fall, I asked him to take some time off, or to quit school. I know that sounds selfish. And I don't really want him to quit forever but we have almost no family support or help at all. But he wasn't having it! No way is he stopping now!

But when he is in school he is gone 2 nights a week. The kids are in bed by the time he gets home. And this semester those 2 days are Monday and Wednesday. Which are the worst days. Pierce goes to school Tuesday-Thursday so when Brandon is on a Tuesday & Thursday schedule, I at least don't have BOTH kids all day alone, because Pierce is at school for 5 hours both days. But now on Mondays, I am on my own. Both kids. Alone. ALL day.  No help. No break. It's tough. And the thoughts of us STILL doing this 5 or 6 years from now seems ridiculous. I mean Class of 2018 or 2019?! Shoot me now!

Before we had kids, the 2 nights a week that he had school was the time I sent with my girlfriends. Now, I have almost no girlfriends anymore. After I had Pierce and quit working, one by one, my relationships with my girlfriends dwindled away. More on that later.

I try to look at it as dinner time with just me and Pierce, where I can have 2 nights a week with no dinner stress. Brandon is all about some dinner! Not a day goes by that I don't have to explain what I'm cooking or why I'm not cooking. I know that this is normal conversation, but it seems there is always pressure, even if it's just from myself, to cook a good meal. And it is a positive spin that I try to put on us being alone for dinner. Pierce really enjoys helping me make homemade pizza, so we usually have that one night while Brandon is at school.  I may do a cooking post where I take pictures of each step and all of that. I think that will be fun. Lol! Anyway.

And even after the 2 nights a week away, the homework is never ending and takes up a lot of time that we would otherwise be spending as a family. And with his class being on Monday now, there is extra added stress to get everything done on the weekend. At least when he goes on Tuesday, even if we have a busy weekend, he still has Monday night to get his homework completed. So, that is another reason to hate the Monday/Wednesday schedule. So, when Brandon leaves on Monday morning, he will be gone all day. NO help on Monday. Tuesday he will be home after work but will certainly have homework that has to be done before he goes back to class on Wednesday. So VERY little help on Tuesday. Wednesday he will be gone all day again. NO help on Wednesday. Thursday he will be able to help after work. So, basically from Monday morning to Thursday night, I'm on my own.

Today is the first day of school for Brandon. The kids will for sure be in bed by the time he gets home. And it is very likely that I will be too. He doesn't like for me to be in bed when he comes home but sometimes, I just can't stay up. Between caring for the kids all day...alone, feeding them 3 meals...alone, changing all the diapers...alone, doing all the housework...alone, laundry...alone, errands...alone, baths...alone. I am exhausted...to say the least. I am exhausted just reading all of that! Lol!

Here is hoping for a good day for all of us and that Alabama beats Notre Dame tonight! Lol!

Roll Tide Roll!