Schooool's Out For Summer! ....Except When It Isn't

Ah, school.  Summer school, at that.  No, mine is nothing like the summer school they had for the delinquent kids in High School.  Nope, mine is college summer school.  I actually want to be there.  So much, in fact, that I'm paying for it!  Woohoo!  If you can still breathe after that choking-thick fog of sarcasm, then I applaud you, good sir.  Or ma'am.  Or laddie. Or whatever it is people call each other these days.  This semester (SU12) marks my second-to-last semester until I gain the "Associates Degree" skill level in my English mastery tree.  Ok, sorry for the role-playing geekout.  Further digression will be avoided.  Maybe.  I'm a little ADD struck right now.  Sleep can wait.  Blogs can't.

Balancing the SAHD life with the full-time student gig is not an easy chore, as you can imagine.  It equates to fighting at least twelve zombie ninjas without being Chuck Norris.  Now THAT is hard!  Elizabeth, naturally, couldn't care less about my homework.  It seems that she doesn't grasp the concept that it's detrimental to my progress if half of my math homework looks like a giant spit wad.  It sends bad vibes to my teacher.  Regardless, I do my best to make sure baby gets her necessities. 

I did manage to luck out since there have been issues with the babysitter and my wife's car.  You're probably thinking "how in the monkey-knuckle farts does that make you lucky?  Oh, you're being sarcastic again, aren't you?  You know, that doesn't translate well on the internet.  You should stop that." 

Well, I'm sorry. 

Not really. 

Anyway, the answer is this:  I now have to take my wife to work, which is located about 30 minutes from home in the opposite direction from my school.  However, she goes to work much earlier than I have to go to school.  This is where the babysitter issue comes into play.  She hasn't been able to watch Eliza, so we get to lend her to people that are otherwise ignorant of my schedule.  I now get to drop her off when I take my dearly beloved to work.  That works out to give me about half-an-hour at home to do everything I couldn't otherwise do whilst keeping an eye on my baby.  Clever, ain't it?  Feel free to steal that idea to use for your own life-easings. 

I know I should be better at multitasking with watching Eliza if I'm to be successful as a SAHD, but I'm not.  No explanation.  I'm just not good at it.  If you were to give me a guitar, I could probably write a song while building a computer and installing a light socket in the basement.  But once Eliza walks in the room, it would become a scene straight from a Chuck Jones cartoon.  Big mess.

I promised an explanation for missing Wednesday's post.  School, of course, is the reason.  Taking a 16-week course in half the time with twice the work poses some availability issues.  Don't worry.  I'll figure it out.

Surprise delay

I couldn't get to my Wednesday post, but I'll get to it Friday and explain why.  Sorry, but thanks!

The Shots Heard 'Round Your World

Throughout her first year of life, I was responsible for taking Eliza to get her shots.  You could say that it made me a stronger person, holding my precious little baby while they turned her legs into Swiss cheese with their poking little needles.  You could say this if it were true.  I must confess, here and forthwith, that the statement is horribly wrong.  I find that there is absolutely nothing "character building" (as my wife tells me) about the blood-curdling screams that resonate throughout the government office where my baby girl gets her shots.  The nurses complain, but I usually regain my composure before I have to drive us home.

In all seriousness I offer my first (hopefully not last) real advice on this blog:  Keep your shot appointments.  If you don't have them scheduled and need help in doing so, see a doctor right away and get the appointments set.  Ask any and all questions.  Make sure you know when he/she should get the shots and when or if they need to get them again.  If you don't want to take the time to ask your health professional, then at least aim your lazy-butted self to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website to get some good info there.

Vaccinations and immunizations are a very crucial step in the early years of a person, and some of the shots last for an entire lifetime.  Most of them are required for any sort of travel outside of the country and even for enrollment in school.  Because of these reasons, I must also urge you to keep track and careful record of the shots.  They are the golden key to some important parts of life.  They should be treated as such.  I have the general assumption that most parents are responsible enough to make sure their child's shot record is kept current.  Good for you.  However, it isn't blatantly obvious to some people.  If you know someone who has been shirking this duty, LAY IT ON THEM.  I officially give you permission.

To relate with the stay-at-home moms that are responsible for taking their kiddos to get their shots, I tell all other SAHDs that it sucks.  Your child will scream, they will cry, and they will look at you with the utter face of betrayal, "why are you letting this happen to me?!"  It's ok.  They are tough and they will usually stop crying before you even get to the car (depending on your child's personality).  They won't hate you forever.  Well, at least not for the shots, anyway.  There's still that whole "teenager" thing.  That is an icky subject and will not be gracing this blog for at least another 12 years. Whew.

Happy June!