So as many of you know from previous posts, I am working on finishing school and we decided to homeschool the girls this year. Well, my day is pretty packed between those two things. My schedule is typically waking up around 9-ish and working with the girls on their school stuff then work on dinner really quickly and head off to class 3 nights a week. I usually don't go to bed until about 3am because I like to not only work on my school work but also have some "me" time.... If I'm lucky Ryan gets home before I go to bed and I get to spend a little alone time with him to catch up on our shows or just chit-chat before bed.
Leave it to me though, I added one more responsibility to my list! I am now an attorney's assistant at a law firm in downtown Cincinnati. It was supposed to just be a couple hours a week of an unpaid internship so I could get my hours in for my field placement for my degree. Well, the attorney I am working for has decided he'd rather pay me than to have me do all the work I am doing for free. It's extra money that we get to put into savings or update our wardrobe or have more fun with the girls. I love that I can finally contribute to the household in a monetary way again! I know I don't need to by any means but it feels good to me to do so. So I will be going in for a few hours here and there when I'm not needed by my boss to work with some other attorneys on different types of law to get my credit for my field placement.
So far I have been organizing some binders with cases in them, making copies, putting together exhibits for cases, and putting together files for clients/opposing counsel/judge/court. I have also been lucky enough to put together two motions and am currently working on one this week. I am excited to learn more about the domestic side of law since I am so used to doing criminal law. My goal is to be able to do these things without needing assistance, to have my own office space in the firm (which has been told to me might happen by the end of the year since they are expanding their office space because the firm is growing like crazy), to know the ins and outs of the domestic relations court system, to confidently be able to interview clients and get the information needed, become independent in my work with my boss so he doesn't have to tell me what needs to be done, I will just know what needs to be done and I will do it. I know they seem like high goals for only having been there for a week and a half so far but if I am lucky, it is a position that will last! I would love for it to last, at least, until I start law school... I think it could last. That will give me about four years to work my way up the ladder in the company. Did I mention my boss has also become the office manager? This adds more to his responsibility, which in turn adds more to mine. I think that he likes that I have a "I'll do whatever needs to get done", "go-with-the-flow" and hardworking attitude. I am honestly fine with standing at the copier for 5 hours then organizing those files into a binder, as long as it makes his job easier. I have seen him on a busy day and it is not pretty... It is also WAYY busy... Like "running around like a chicken with your head cut off" busy lol
For instance, today he had me come in at 7:30am to get some exhibits and the official list of exhibits together and organized into presentation folders for the judge and other parties for a trial he had later this morning. We got that done quickly, he left at about 9:30am for court. He gave me a list of about 10 things to do (make copies of certain documents and put them in appropriate binders, organize about 10 binders, check for retainer agreements in all 50-ish binders, write a motion, write a letter to opposing counsel for a case we have, and a few other things I can't remember at the moment). He didn't come back from all of his court appointments until 3:30pm. I had all but one of the items done on the list, which I thought was really good seeing as how the first binder I organized last week took me about 2 hours to do because I had to figure out what was what and where it would go/the best categories for the documents... It was hard the first time but has become increasingly easier as I've done them. I know it sounds like silly work and something I won't learn from but I have learned a lot! So far I've successfully researched and written two motions on my own without a format or any prior lessons on how to do it... He just wanted to see how well I would do on them. He said I did well but I did get a few things wrong with one of them, which was the hardest one he had to give me, it was also in Kentucky which is different than Ohio, and the wording is different for domestic motions than criminal motions. Overall I did well! This motion is in progress, I am aiming to have it done by the end of the week. Now that I've seen about 15 or so motions on custody cases in both Ohio and Kentucky, I am now more confident in my ability to write it and what goes in it.
Ryan has been such an amazing helper through all of this! I'm so blessed to have a husband who works so hard for not only just our necessities of life to be taken care of but also any extras we have... I just want to take some of the pressure Ryan might feel if he needs/wants to take a night off every once in a while. He has been sooooo amazing through the new schedule I have with work! He has gotten up earlier than usual (while still getting his 8 hours of sleep) to help the girls with their school work as needed. He is so stinkin' awesome and I am so glad that I married him... He is legit the best husband in the world!! How did I get so lucky?!?!
There are two things you are saying after reading this (to which I will also answer these questions):
1) Megan, how in the world can you do all of this?!? Are you even sleeping or eating or giving attention to you hubby/kids or cleaning your house or cooking or anything else that wives do?
I guess I have superpowers or something lol I do sleep... about the same amount I was before, if not more because I force myself to go to bed earlier since I sometimes need to wake up earlier. I am eating, less but still eating. I have never been the type to want to take a break from work to eat because it lowers productivity and I am usually not hungry but I will be working on that ASAP. I do give attention to the hubby/kids! Even though the hubby works at night and I work during the day, I talk to him a little bit during my shifts, I talk to him in our transition time and at night while he's working. Plus, my work is only about 3 days a week. The kids get even more than he does because they see me every evening (minus the couple hours a night I'm in class). I also have my weekends completely free! My house is clean, very clean actually! The housework/cleaning has never been just my job, the whole family has always pitched in, even before I started working. The girls have chores and they do them, mainly when prompted but sometimes without. They also have done their laundry themselves since we got them, their mom taught them, so I've never had to worry about that. The dishes get done, that is mainly my job. I try to load as we go but sometimes they get a little behind and I catch up at night after class or on Saturday morning before we get to the fun stuff. I do cook, sometimes its not always super fancy stuff because in between work and school, I have short time so it's usually quick stuff. Plus, we're vegetarians and trying to eat super raw anyways... Salad is a big hit with the girls and I for dinner on nights I have class. Now that it is fall, I will be doing a lot of crockpot recipes including soups, stews and pasta dishes :)
OR
2) Megan, it doesn't sound like it is that hard to do... It is just three nights a week at class, a part time job and your girls don't need much assistance with their schoolwork because it's public school online.
It is not easy, I tell you what! It makes it easier because my husband is so amazing and helpful but not exactly as easy as you think. I have 6 classes total (maxing out the amount of credit hours I can have for a quarter), three of those are during the weeknights. I also have loads of reading, papers to write, quizzes to take, etc. which take up my later evenings. It's a very packed, highly scheduled week for the family and I. Let's look at my schedule like a math equation, I love numbers!
24 hours/day x 7 days/week= 168 hours/week- 49 hours/week (for sleep)= 119 hours/week awake & productive
24 hours/week of work + 9 hours/week of classroom time + 8 hours/week for homework and online classroom time + 3 hours/week of church + 25 hours/week for girl's school + 8 hours/week cooking + 10 hours/week cleaning & other household chores + 2 hours/week for girls' activities + 8 hours/week driving + 11 hours/week eating regular meals (30 min. each meal plus some extra time for weekend dinners) + 1 hour/week grocery shopping + 5 hours/week for personal care (showers, hair fixing, etc.) + 20 hours/week personal time with the hubby + 8 hours/week fun activities with the fam on the weekend+ 49 hours/week for sleep= 189 hours/week that I use
As you can see above, I use wayyy more hours than I have available in my week. So you tell me that it's easy now... Exactly :-) Also, to comment on the school thing for the girls, it is a lot of work on my end! Not only do I have to add attendance and monitor their progress but both girls have different learning disabilities so I have to help them with almost everything they do (some things they can do by themselves with no issues but other things just don't make any sense to them). It is challenging at times but I am hoping they can reach their goal of being at the level they need to be for next year and I truly believe they are well on their way! But don't be fooled into thinking they can do it all themselves and I have those hours when they are doing their school work to do whatever I want, that is far from the truth. I will say however, that there are days that they can do most or all of the work themselves so I do have some added hours to my day (I cherish those days!).
Wish me luck as I continue to do this. I know it will all get easier as it goes along but for now it's pretty crazy!! I know that with the support of my family, the incentive of more money/savings, and the grace/glory/help of God, I can totally make it through this transition with ease! Obviously, your prayers would always be welcome for myself and my family!
See ya on the flip side!!
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