An explanation

I am about to open a little window that I don't normally open.  I keep it closed not for any real reason.  Other than the past is the past, and if I keep thinking about the past, I might just run away back to college circa 1999 and never come back...   But I had a realization, and I think talking about the past, although borderline obnoxious, might shed some light on a question that I get fairly often.  Especially to those who didn't know me in college....  I am asked very regularly:

How do you DO it?!?!? 

In case you are wondering, it usually is in regards to having so many children with so many diagnoses and homeschooling and being so involved.  I think.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what it's about.  There are different varieties to the question.  But it mostly is "How do you DO it?" 

Now a nice, neat (true) canned answer could be Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  And I know for a fact I have answered with this.  And I know for a fact it is true.

There are times that I don't have a great answer because simple enough, they are my children, so how could I NOT do it?  There are times that I don't have a great answer because I have that glazed over, took on too much and I hope we make it until tomorrow, look on my face.  There are times I don't have a great answer because to me, my kids are being horrible and awful and I just am not sure if the person asking is being sarcastic or not.... 

Then it came to me.  Sometimes I don't have an answer because it really is just who I am.  Who WE are (because I'm gonna throw Jerry in this little ring with me here...)  So here it is.  That rare moment where I peel back a layer and let you in on the hyper-nerd-spaz that is just who we are. 

Now there is a good chance that I've been a hyper-nerd-spaz my whole life.  But probably the best portrait of it was in the college years - so I'll head there for now.  I went to Michigan Tech to get a chemical engineering degree.  I was a nerd, and placed out of some classes, so after my first semester I had quite a few credits under my belt.  Spring of my freshman year, we were to map out the rest of our college career classes.  Easy-peasy.  Except... when I started mapping it out... I didn't have enough classes left to keep my full-time student status.  The way my degree was set up, I HAD to be there for 4 years, and the way my student loans were set up, I HAD to be full time...  Since I was paying my own way, I wasn't about to take crazy, unnecessary blow-off classes just to fill credit space (not on MY dime!!!).  So, I looked into getting another degree.  Also.  In addition to.  (In hindsight, this seems a bit ludicrous.  At the time it made perfect sense.)  The way our school was set up, a semester cost the same from 12 up to 20 credits.  So why not take 20 credits for the same amount of money?!?!  What a value! 

Anyway, I started looking through majors that I could dual-major with chem eng.  I don't necessarily like biology (although the thought of bio-chem is pretty cool.)  Yadda yadda yadda - I picked business administration.  I was pretty sure I could do this at the same time, and still graduate on time.  To be sure, I went and talked to my chem eng counselor guy.  I was all quiet and scared, Um, excuse me... do people dual-major?  "Sure, it isn't very common, but they do." Umm, is it possible to dual-major in 4 years?  And he answers (this STILL hits a nerve...) "Not in CHEM ENG!!!!" in the snobbiest, aren't we just the greatest, this is the superior major, so full of himself tone ever.  So once again, my Slovak stubbornness showed up to the scene... What a pompous jerk!  I'll show HIM!!!!   Long story short - I did.  I wish I could remember his ever-so-important name so I could nanner-nanner-nanner him... or better yet...

I did it in 4 years.... How you like THEM apples???

All that just to set the scene for my crazy schedule of college.  We still were on quarters (10 week terms), and so the credit count was just a bit higher than semester colleges.  However, on more than one occasion, I had to take my class schedule in to the Dean to get it signed, because I was taking more than the allowable amount.  I think my highest was 24 credits in a term.  I'm sure there is a transcript somewhere that can verify this. 

So here I am, a girl at a predominantly-male engineering school, taking a bajillion credits a term.  I also worked.  My freshman year I worked as a janitor mopping stairwells (glorious), but soon promoted up to kitchen worker.  And finally, to the coveted Card Swiper Lady at the entrance to the cafeteria.  I also worked as a grader for one of my professors (truly the best job ever).  My sophomore year, I began working in the Math Learning Center, tutoring and doing walk-ins (NERD ALERT!). 

At the end of my Freshman year, I was asked to be in a secret society.  Ok, ok... it wasn't a secret society.  But there was some crazy-nerd status that had to be reached to be invited to interview for it, so close enough... Blue Key National Honor Fraternity.  We planned Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival.  It's pretty hard core.  It also had the DREAMIEST member by the name of Jerry Rice.  We started dating soon after, and I came to realize that Blue Key was just a gateway organization.  It was my first... but it led to many, many other organizational involvements.  I think at one time I was in 8 campus organizations, having leadership roles in more than one. 

What I do know is that when Winter Carnival was in full swing, and I was taking a full credit load, and working, and other organizations, and being an awesome girlfriend, I literally had to schedule time in my life to sleep.  Up for an 8 o'clock, classes all day, working the hours I didn't have class, meetings all evening, homework, labwork, up until 2am. Rinse, repeat.  (Except for Thursday - Saturday, where there also may have been slight alcohol consumption and lots and lots of dancing...) I also believe that, although it is my favorite pastime, my body might not require sleep to function.  I tested this theory in college.  I further tested it in having 5 newborns... That fact just helps in managing everything, really.

I'm not going to totally speak for Jerry, but he was pretty much the same way.  Cramming every single minute full.  President of his fraternity, committee chair in Blue Key, Iron and Steel Society, and on and on and on....

It really was an adrenaline rush.  Being so busy that you can't even see straight.  Grabbing a Sobe Energy tea (back before Monster was invented...), a Diet Coke, or a Mountain Dew - depending on the time of day and/or energy jolt needed.  All nighters, crazy work loads.  And having so much fun.  We were that obnoxiously involved couple.  Check that - we ARE that obnoxiously involved couple... 

I struggle with sharing this because I really don't want it to come across as bragging.  I mean, I DO have a killer resume.  But honestly?  My current employer has not even asked for a resume.  They don't even know what one is...  I share this because it really does shed some light on the personalities behind us.  Gives some street cred to my self-proclaimed hyper-nerd-spaz label. 

So BRING IT, autism/arthritis/celiac/tree nut allergy/dairy allergy kids.  Is that all you got?!?!  Boom.  Nailed it.  (tee hee)

There are those rare moments when I think "Man.... what do people with healthy kids do with their time???"  Or those even rarer moments when both Jerry and I are together with only 1 or 2 of our kids and this eerie quiet and calm is there.  We look at each other like "This is so uncomfortable... this calm... quiet... easy to handle..."  

And to think... only 14 more years until it's quiet all the time and we can rest and relax. 

Who am I kidding... we are going to be those hyper-nerd-spaz, over-committed, super-involved retired couple.  And we are gonna ROCK it!