New graduate intensive just dropped: Semiotics. Will spend the entire semester parsing the New York Times article on genetic Alzheimer's. Course meets nightly from 1230AM to 2AM.

I feel you OP. I have a kid in elementary school, I went through menopause early (age 47) and just completed 9 months of intense treatment for breast cancer. One parent is disabled and living in a facility, the other is getting dementia and is having major surgery in a few weeks.
So in between my remaining oncology appointments, shuffling kid to sports after school, trying to keep a full time job, I’m now flying down to help parent for a week after surgery. Also, parents are broke due to terrible money management and lying to their kids for decades about estate planning.

Major: Husband’s midlife crisis/major depression will likely lead to him moving out to ‘find himself.’

Minor: How to explain Dad to ten-year-old son

Majoring in the mental load with a minor in being the scapegoat for everyone's emotions

Anonymous wrote: I just graduated from the class "Be on a first name basis with every hospital social worker in my county" after parent's many hospital stays.

We also took the "Get to know your EMT's personally!" class after they had to come get parent up from so.many.falls. (they are great people doing tough work).

That parent recently passed away, so now I'm enrolled in "Help Mom with all the death things". Today's field trip is to the funeral home to get the ashes and to the bank to do bank things. Class snack will be ice cream, after (in Dad's honor, he loved that)

Perfect weather for it -- get a double scoop!

I just graduated from the class "Be on a first name basis with every hospital social worker in my county" after parent's many hospital stays.

We also took the "Get to know your EMT's personally!" class after they had to come get parent up from so.many.falls. (they are great people doing tough work).

That parent recently passed away, so now I'm enrolled in "Help Mom with all the death things". Today's field trip is to the funeral home to get the ashes and to the bank to do bank things. Class snack will be ice cream, after (in Dad's honor, he loved that)

Parents enrolled in the course entitled Old Age: Living at Home Forever but failed the prerequisite of Must Be Able To Walk to the Bathroom without Assistance. Now I am enrolled in How to Find Immediately Available Assisted Living While Not Being on Any Waiting List. Also auditing Parental Anxiety 101: How to talk your Mom off the Ledge Daily

Anonymous wrote:Well I graduated with a 3.90 GPA in Nutrition = How to raise a family on Domino's Pizza and bad Chinese Take Out. Did take some Pre Law studies = How to keep the HOA off your back when your yard looks like a cross between the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rain Forest

Husband is going for his PHD in Civil engineering = How the patch together every critical system in your house with masking tape, wire ties and Elmers Glue so it makes in one more year.

In addition, some online Magic Classes to make all the above dysfunction look like a normal, "The American Dream" suburban household right off the cover of Good Housekeeping.

Anonymous wrote:Well I graduated with a 3.90 GPA in Nutrition = How to raise a family on Domino's Pizza and bad Chinese Take Out. Did take some Pre Law studies = How to keep the HOA off your back when your yard looks like a cross between the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rain Forest

Husband is going for his PHD in Civil engineering = How the patch together every critical system in your house with masking tape, wire ties and Elmers Glue so it makes in one more year.

My husband is getting the same degree as yours.

Well I graduated with a 3.90 GPA in Nutrition = How to raise a family on Domino's Pizza and bad Chinese Take Out. Did take some Pre Law studies = How to keep the HOA off your back when your yard looks like a cross between the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rain Forest

Husband is going for his PHD in Civil engineering = How the patch together every critical system in your house with masking tape, wire ties and Elmers Glue so it makes in one more year.

This semester I thought I would be in the intermediate Orange Theory seminar but got stuck taking back pain and related numbness all the way down my leg instead so I’m taking a PT lab with a field trip to the MRI center and possibly another one to have a needle inserted into my spine.

So cute

My last class was Sandwich Generation 101: Kids and Eldercare.

That class ended and then was quickly replaced with Sandwich 102: Eldercare Plus Disabled Spouse.

I have a minor in Constantly Vomiting Cat and Anxious-Depressed Teen.

Another minor in: Almost Died from COVID and Living with Chronic Illness.

Other classes include Dementia Goodness.

Anonymous wrote:Geography. Trying a identifying a location where a disabled elder can take a child alone on vacation.

Not sure about budget, the nature of the disability, or the age of the child, but Disney cruise? Road Scholar and Tauck also have multigenerational guided tours. You can search by activity level.

I'm getting a certificate in Tendinitis Care. Courses include Orthotics 101, Going Downstairs in a Boot, and Wiggling Your Toes the PT Way. There's also a personal training practicum that meets twice a week--the tuition is really high but it's kind of fun.

Also attending various long-term non-credit lecture series--they're not leading to a degree but I just keep showing up and taking notes. Current faves: Ideal Career Path, Every Health Problem An Elderly Cat Can Have, Great Neighborhood But the Continual Shootings Are a Big But, and Chronically Ill Mom 3000 Miles Away (that last one had a guest lecturer, Unhelpful Dad, pop in last week).