I learned a valuable lesson today about quality time. Allyssa wanted to spend some time with daddy after dinner and I had every intention of doing this. We started watching the Bee Movie together when I stupidly got on the computer and read an email which got me working on something that certainly could have waited. Guess I wasn’t thinking, because when I was done:

Allyssa feel asleep waiting for daddy to do something that could have waited until tomorrow.

I guess I need to really pay attention to what I do with my time. I start school on Monday so time will become even more precious than it used to be. I have a schedule planned for Monday through Friday:

• 7:00am – Wake Up
• 8:00am – 1:00pm – Work
• 1:00pm – 2:00pm – Lunch and exercise
• 2:00pm – 4:00pm – School Work
• 4:00pm – 5:30pm – Work
• 5:30pm – Make dinner and spend time with the family before I go to bed.

No planning work or school on Weekends – those days are for family time. This looks like it should be good right? Hopefully I can stick to it, but I will need Laura’s and Allyssa’s help in several ways:

1. While I am at work, they need to avoid distracting me.
2. Have lunch ready around 1:00 so I can eat and exercise before school work.
3. While I am at school, they need to avoid distracting me.
4. At 5:30, they have to tell me to stop and be with the family.

I am sure if we both work at it, I will get on the schedule and be able to stick to it. It’s gonna be a long, hard 2 years with work and school, but I know it will be worth it. After this, we shall see if I continue for my Bachelor’s degree. You ready for this, Laura?

P.S. I should add that I did spend a few hours with her playing with a ball, potatoe heads, blocks and things before we started watching the movie. But it probably wasn’t enough.

OK, I know, it’s April, and most kids are thinking they’ve been in school long enough and it’s time for summer break. But I am not a kid, and no, this isn’t about Allyssa. It’s about me. You heard me. “Back To School” is about me.

For a long time I have been contemplating going back to school and get a degree in something. I know that a degree will help me get a better job and provide a better life for my family. I just never had the time (or the guts) to do it.

Then, earlier this month, I filled out a form online about going back to school. I got a call from a recruiter a few days later and the ball was rolling. I will be attending the University of Phoenix Online starting on Monday (April 20th) and will be taking classes for around 20 months.

So now it’s time for this old man who hasn’t been inside a classroom in 20 years to get back to studying and doing homework. Well, I guess it’s all homework, since it’s online and I will be doing most of it from home.

Oh, yeah, you want to know WHAT degree I am after with this. I will be going for my Associates of Elementary Education. With that, I can become a teacher’s aide while I continue for my Bachelors Degree in a couple of years. With THAT, I can be a full time teacher, which is the ultimate goal.

So, if you thought I never had time to update this blog before, just wait! I get to work full time, go to school full time, cook dinner and spend time with Laura and Allyssa, EVERY DAY. So, if you really want to know what I am up to, get a Twitter account and follow me. I update that more often.