Loose Ends

I realized with some suprise that there was actually an end point to all of this education stuff. I loved college both times I went - just this time I actually went to class. In fact, I got so focused on taking the classes I lost sight of the purpose behind it all. So when Kirk graduated and received his orders to San Angelo for training it put an abrupt end to the fun.

Originally I was a computer science major, but I only got in one C++ class before we realized all my computer sci labs were going to conflict with Kirk's schedule. That was all the excuse I needed to switch to the highly useful and terribly practical History major. (To my irritation the College of Engineering were loath to let me go - not because I was a stellar student but because I was female. I was infuriated that I could have taken a competetive slot away from another, more qualified student just because of my gender. Grrrr.) I took hours of early modern history, alternated by medieval history and literature (and my incredibly valuable languages - Latin and Ancient Greek). What I wasn't doing was looking at graduation requirements and other little details.

So when Kirk graduated in the Spring I still needed over 40 hours, and he needed to leave halfway through the school year. To further complicate things, we were really hoping to get another overseas assignment, and it would be difficult to finish my degree. At the very least I would probably be set back another semester.

Family to the rescue again. It wasn't an easy choice, but we decided to send Kirk on to Texas alone, while I finished my last semester. The kids would have to stay with me, which meant moving back to my parent's house. My mom would babysit while I took 21 hours of classes (and two CLEP exams). She took on all three kids - aged 7, 5, and 3 - taught them, played with them, walked them, took them to the library (and lived through the embarassment of child 3 pressing the emergency stop button complete with siren in the library elevator) for four months. I ended that semester with a 4.2, and was made a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and it is entirely and absolutely thanks to her. That, my friends, is a mother.