Ouch...School is Painful!

I didn't know going to school could cause pain in every part of my body. I must be getting old.

MY FEET HURT.
I was very wishy-washy about my major before school started. On my application to the U, I was a English major transfer student. On my financial aid I was Early Childhood Education. On other paperwork, I was Elementary Ed. I really wanted an English degree, but I didn't think it was as attainable with my busy family life. So I signed up for for the Early Childhood classes. After two weeks of classes, reading, and homework, I had an epiphany. School isn't just about getting a degree, it's about getting the degree you want. DUH.

By this time, it was too late to merely drop my classes, I had to withdraw. I had to run all over campus several times in driving snow with 2 children in a limo stroller trying to get papers signed, books returned, add cards signed, books bought. I later found out that by listening to advice from a kid at the financial aid window, I had missed the tuition refund deadline by one day. He told me I shouldn't drop classes until I was able to add the new classes. Now I am expected to pay not only for the courses I had withdrawn from, but also the courses I replaced them with. Yeah. I totally have thousands of extra dollars lying around to pay for NOTHING. RAAR. I now get to go through an appeals process in addition to trying to catch up for 2 weeks of missed English courses. Let me tell you a very important lesson I have learned: NEVER change your mind. (Unless you really need to.)

The reason why my feet hurt? I did this running all over campus in heeled boots. Why? I might say it was for the sake of fashion, but they are not the kind of boots that are actually in style. No, I don't have the kind of knee-high boots that every girl and her frog pulls on over skinny jeans (I could totally go for the boots, the tapered jeans, not so much). Mine are the chunky kind that were in style about 5 years ago. The kind I have to wear with Boot-cut jeans. Remember those kind of jeans that were in style, like, forever ago? (It's been at least 3 months, give or take). I can't bring myself to get excited about pulling on jeans like I wore in 7th grade, so I'm sticking with the boot-cut for now. I'm sure they'll come back in within 10 years or so, then I might be in style! That will be a huge relief. Anyway, I digress. So, did I kill my feet off for the sake of style? I really don't have an answer. I don't know what I was thinking, but this brings me to another important lesson. Disregard fashion for running shoes when on campus. It's okay for me to have discovered this lesson now, because I haven't come into contact with anyone in the English field who worries too much about style anyway. (I'm talking about those at school, Mom H. You have amazing style. As do you, Sam. ;) I could do a whole series of posts on the style (or lack thereof) that I encountered upon walking into my first English class at the U. SCARINESS. Anyway, back to my list of owies.

MY EYES HURT.
Trying to read Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, along with pages of poems, their explications, and explanations of their elements in a matter of a few days will do that to you. (Now that you've read that run-on, I just know that you're thinking I should switch back to teaching kindergartners who don't care about sentence structure.)

MY BRAIN HURTS.
It's been 12 years since I've tried to think deeply about poetry. Ouch! It's painful!

MY NECK HURTS.
I never knew that reading could be such a PAIN in the neck, literally. It makes me want to lay down to study. But then, there is no study. Only napping. Any volunteers for a neck rub?

MY BACK HURTS.
But that really has to do more with my really chubby baby and his desire to be held all the time because I've been more busy than usual. He's really heavy. No, I mean REALLY heavy.

What else hurts. Oh! MY ARMS HURT.
Actually they don't, but that's the problem. I've been having a harder time getting up at 5:45 to work out because I'm staying up too late studying. I only got up 1 day this week. (Sorry Christina! I'll meet you there more often next week!)

Lastly, MY HEART HURTS.
There's a really good book sitting on the counter, and every time I pass by it my mouth waters. I want to pick it up so bad, but I've restrained myself so far.

Well, that about covers it. The crazy thing is, even though I'm wishing several times a day that there was such a thing as a full body massage machine, and I had one in my room, I love school!
Learning is so invigorating! Being busier has also helped me to be better at spending more meaningful blocks of time with my kids. Taking my younger kids onto campus has introduced some great conversations, because they are seeing different people and places. I love the knowledge I've received so far, and the new discussion topics it has opened up at our house. I could go on and on. So, I guess my conclusion is Hooray for School! However, I still wouldn't say no if anyone has invented a massage machine and wants me to product test it for them.