Woman on Wire

When I made the decision to go to uni, I thought my family would just have to fit into my new schedule, you know, like they tell you when you bring home a baby for the first time - they have to learn to fit into your life, not the other way around. Well, judging by my experience this morning, being my first day at school, I think uni will have to fit into my family life and the balancing act is about to begin.

After spending the best part of last week preparing for No. 1 Son's sleepover birthday party, having zero sleep because of said party, getting two hours sleep the next night after collecting Teenage Daughter No. 2 from a dance and dealing with No. 1 Son's sleepless night because of the headache he had from the night before - I awoke early this morning almost refreshed but not quite. After trying to rouse everyone up to get ready, I felt like a tightrope walker balancing my way across the wire, precariously, trying to get to the other side (not quite as graceful as Madonna, but with almost as much dress sense) without falling, to the thrill of an expectant crowd below.

By the time I had had my liberating first morning coffee, pulled my moaning, Monday-itis children out of bed, made lunch, straightened my hair, worked out what to wear, made sure everyone had breakfast, I was well and truly starting to suffer from first day jitters and even beginning to wonder how on earth this was going to work (and I haven't even had to deal with exams or assignments yet!). Lucky Supportive Husband No. 1 offered to drive them all to school. Upon sitting in traffic for 20 minutes and having to navigate my way through the city to get to the other side of town, I felt well and truly nauseous.

After finally finding a park and doing some well deserved deep breathing, it all went pretty much up-hill from there. I found the lecture theatre with some time to spare, made a friend (a grandmother no-less who doesn't look that much older than me) and am back to feeling the confidence I felt when I first enrolled. However, I have a tutorial tomorrow and I know the wire is at the ready and, oh look, here come the clowns!!!!!

Mutton-dressed-as-lamb to the slaughter

As the beginning of the Semester looms ever closer, I am faced with my biggest decision so far. No it's not, How do I actually do an assignment or Do I need to raise my hand when I want to go to the bathroom - it's, What should I wear? There are a few dilemmas to be taken into consideration. If I dress age-appropriately e.g. as I would going to work or for a parent/teacher interview, I risk being mistaken as one of the lecturers (or somebody's mother). However, if I dress to blend in with my fellow students, I risk looking like mutton dressed as lamb. Then my mind wondered to the Madonna. How does this mature-age material girl decide what to wear? Whether she's scouring orphanages in Africa, doing pilates with Gwynneth or doing whatever she does with Jesus, I think she always looks pretty cool. This is a woman over a certain age who actually sets the fashion scene. As Teenage Daughter Number 1 recently said, "Be youself, Mum". Great advice, Daughter. Strike a pose!!!