Life at eight with a mom still finishing college

On Monday, I woke my mom and sisters up because they had too much fun with those damned "snooze" buttons. Then I went back to sleep while my mom did her Martha Stewart thing, which lasted a couple hours for her.

I got up after my sisters left and almost fell asleep again as my mom told me all about the books she had already read ahead in.

Sometimes, I think school will never start again for me.

At 10 in the morning, Mom goes to Child Development while I work on my summer reports, talk on the phone and eat. Yeah man, I have an exciting life.

But time passes and then yay, Mom is home! She has gourmet 7 Eleven food!

At 4:30, I go to volleyball practice.

Tuesday, I slept in. I get up at about noon because sleeping is fun. At noon I eat breakfast and listen to more stories about Mom's first class, Western Civ.

Actually I got pretty interested because I knew about the stuff she was talking about. That was her only class so, the rest of the day we hung out and listened to oldies.

Well, Wednesday through Friday were just the same: stories, screaming (mostly by me since I am the oldest of four), volleyball (I am obsessed with it), and how can we forget - waiting in endless lines at the bookstore.

Sometimes my mom is too much.

She borrows my clothes, laughs at my crushes, and generally is always giving "life advice." She really, really wants us to do well in school and our lives. Last year, she even set up a "reading corner" where we could do our homework in privacy, a hard thing to get in our overflowing-with people household.

She constantly worries about everything - her grades, money, even our 17-year-old blind dog. She tells me to go play with the dog all the time so he won't feel lonely and die.

It must be working because he is older than any dog we know.

He saved my life when I was just a baby, by killing a rattlesnake that was right next to me as I sat in my little baby seat while Mom was gardening, and we have never forgotten that.

Anyway, I will conclude with this: Even though my mom goes to school or works seven days a week, she always makes time for us, whether it is practicing volleyball, helping with homework or making dinner.

I admire her very much for all the effort she puts in to make our family's life better.

(OK, I'm done).