We did it! We made it to spring break. Last week I wasn't entirely sure that we would survive, but as usual, the hard days went by and now I am sitting on my old bed at my parents' house in NKY in my pj's as my baby naps next to me.
I knew that last week was going to be difficult. I had to proctor a midterm on Monday, grade 600 exams and teach 2 classes on Tuesday and then somehow study for my own midterm on Friday. The grading was the part that I was most nervous about. Usually for MA 162 we scan the exams so that each TA can grade his/her assigned problem at home on their computer at their own convenience. For large common hour exams the math department pretty much requires that each TA be assigned a particular problem to grade on all of the exams since this greatly increases consistency among scores. Therefore, for most large classes there are arranged "grading parties" (more like grading nightmares) the day after the exam. You sit in a room all day long and grade among lots of people until everyone is finished. It is highly inefficient and monotonous and I was so glad that this semester I could avoid this type of grading thanks to the scanners.
But, the scanners broke. So we had to use the old grading party technique this time. I was totally dreading Tuesday because the grading party plus teaching my 2 classes would require me to be away from Lydia all day... and I have never been away from her for more than 3 1/2 hours at a time! However, I made all of the arrangements and tried to push it out of my mind. Thankfully all of David's classes were canceled for Tuesday and I could reserve a room on campus to pump. I had it all planned out and although I was dreading it, I felt like I was ready.
Then on Monday night, literally 45 minutes after I got home from proctoring, David started puking. And he got sick every 15 minutes until 6 a.m. ... no joke. He had gotten the dreaded stomach bug that has been making its way around and at 3 a.m. as I was feeding Lydia and trying to take care of my sick husband I wondered what in the world I would do on Tuesday.
I won't bring you through all of the details of Tuesday. It was a crazy, crazy day. But at the end of it, all of the exams were graded, Lydia was fed and happy, my classes were covered and we were all okay. I am so thankful to my family and friends that helped me on Tuesday. It was a day when I really had to give up my independence and just ask for help... for big time help. But there were so many people who were willing to graciously give it, and it was actually a great feeling to know that I am not alone. I am, in fact, very far from alone.
David didn't start feeling better until Thursday (but now he is finally eating again!), so the rest of the week continued to be a blur. My midterm didn't go wonderfully yesterday, but now it is over and really that is all that matters. Now we are on spring break - for the next 10 days I don't need to worry about anything other than being with family and friends and taking some time to relax.
I have been celebrating in my mind the fact that this is our last semester of school. But it makes me a little bit sad to think that this is our last Spring Break. For how awful college and grad school are at times, I would say that Christmas Break and Spring Break are the few very redeeming factors. So David and I really hope to soak up this last Spring Break. We know that it will be the last time for a while that we will have a week off together as a family and we want to make the most of it while we still can.
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