Busiest Year+ Ever (almost over--phew!)

For a little over a year, life in our house has been the most chaotic, rushed, and stressful that we have ever experienced, but the end is finally in sight and we hope to resume a more normal pace in less than a month. Last school year (07-08) began a whirlwind of activities for us. With Phoebe being at an age that requires constant entertainment and engagement, we didn't have a moment of down time. Brett and I were working full time and going to school part time. Brett took a class in the fall and so did I. We both had new classes to teach--I gained two new classes that I had to prepare all new material for and Brett gained one new class. On the weekends, we were taking turns taking Phoebe to museums, zoos, orchards, etc. to share the world with her and spend as much time as possible with her since she was in day care on the week days. Sometimes one of us would go on an adventure with her while the other stayed home to catch up on work, homework, or studying. But often, we would both end up going because we didn't want to miss out on the excursion and the Phoebe time, so we wound up spending most of our nights up late playing catch-up. Late in the fall, I got pregnant, which we chose to do, but it made things a little more difficult because I didn't have the same kind of leisure rest time that I had when I was pregnant with Phoebe. In the spring, Brett added some complications to the mix by coaching track--which he had done for the past two years, but this year, he decided to do his internship for his degree at the same time. In the past, he did not take any classes or extra work while coaching. So, I was taking a class, working full time, and taking care of Phoebe almost exclusively because Brett's track schedule did not allow him to be home much, and when he was home, he often had to get his coursework and school prep/grading done since his plan period was taken up with the internship--though he did manage to do as much as possible with Phoebe and to help me whenever he could. In the summer, Brett took one class on Saturdays and I took two that went all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we chose to remodel our kitchen. Thankfully, on August 7th (the day I went into labor with Beck) I finished my two classes, thus concluding my coursework for my M.A. in English literature and Brett finished his class 4 days earlier, also concluding his coursework for his 2nd M.A., this one in Educational Leadership (his first is in English--specifically rhetoric and composition). Our kitchen is mostly done except for some small corrections and finishing touches as of this past weekend (labor day). We can cook and clean, and we have a dishwasher! And all I have left for this degree is a very scary test that is fast approaching on September 27 (and for which I should be studying right now instead of posting). Once that is over, I think we will be able to drop our shoulders a little and run at a moderate pace. I am home for the year. Phoebe begins preschool (two days a week for 2.5 hours/day) next week, and Beck turns one month old on Friday. I plan to embrace and enjoy every minute of their development as I get to spend this time with them.