First Day of School

Awww, I'm off to school again, just like almost every year of my life. Dear school: we've got to stop meeting like this. How will I ever become a grownup? Eh, who cares.

So after crying for having to leave my baby (who favored me with her first real laugh just before I took off), I wound up being in class a grand total of 1 hour. That wasn't so bad. And now I'm home again and I practically feel like a stay at home mom (that's a SAHM for those on the baby message boards). J and I are switching off who hangs out with her, so I get the rest of the day after I have class. Which is awfully cool, to just forget school and enjoy her.

Sometimes I do wish she could entertain herself for just a few minutes, though, so I could, say, write a real blog entry. She's sitting by me in her bouncy seat, but if I don't look at her she gets fussy. So much like me - has to have all the attention all the time. And is perfectly content as long as nobody is doing anything except listening to her. Geez, child, did you have to be SO much like your mother?

I did want to quickly report on my one hour of class. The makeup of the class is so interesting - so new for me! For one thing, the majority of the class is Eastern Orthodox. Well that never happened at Fuller. But when I pointed this out, they explained to me that since they are Greek, Serbian, Russian, and Coptic, they will, in fact, not agree on anything. Nice to know the Protestants don't have the market cornered on that!

Other stats on my class: there are 2 catholics, 1 lutheran, and 2 of us episcopalians (plus all those Orthodox, including the prof). Three master's students and 5 doctoral. Three women and 5 men.

The class looks to be very similar to the History of Eucharist class I sat in on last spring, with assignments that are basically repeats from that one and other liturgical history classes I've had. That should make them rather easy, since I have great notes on all this stuff already. I am kind of amazed that Fuller, of all places, really prepared me so well for this. Well, not so much Fuller as Todd. It's funny - he went to Notre Dame, as did my teacher for this class, and they basically have us doing the same class. I wonder how much that's going to happen to me. I guess that's how the academy works - classes don't really get created so much as handed down through the generations.

Anyway it shouldn't be so bad. And I've already read the books we have assigned, which is cool. My other class has TONS of reading, so I'm grateful to have more manageable assignments in history. It's kind of neat, though, that in both classes I've at least heard of, or own, most of the books already, even if I hadn't read them yet. What a great little library I must have.

And now I get to read a book about research methodology (not everything is fun) - but at least I get to do it with a sleeping precious on my lap. :)

I'll tell you - this morning I was nervous and sad, and feeling again like I shouldn't have done this so soon after the baby came. Or maybe not at all - just stayed in LA (which I'm missing), and rented my friend's house (oh - I know of a house for rent - if you're in the market, email me), and J could have kept his old jobs, and I could have kept trying to get my ass ordained. But now I'm thinking it's not so bad. I'm really barely going to miss the baby - I didn't even miss a feeding today. And I think I'll get used to Berkeley and the Bay Area (but so far, people, LA still has my heart). And yeah, I'm sad about not pursuing the priesthood, but it's not like that's off the table forever. This next season of life holds a lot of promise, and I hope to enjoy it and not just be a stress monkey.

Anyway now I'm babbling and I should get on to things more pressing while I have my hands free. I'd promise a report on my first readings...but I really doubt it's going to be that compelling!