Why you may or may not want to call me for the next 3 weeks

When I was a teenager, I enjoyed playing a game on the computer called The Sims.
Any of you know it?
 I want you to remember what happened with your Sim when he/she hadn't had anyone over in awhile. Remember how grumpy, sullen and just plain mad and crazy they got after awhile of social deprivation? I remember it being sort of entertaining for a little while, and then I felt some compassion for this electronic person who just needed someone to talk to who had something in common with them.
What does that have to do with me, you might ask?
Reed's in his final 3 weeks of the semester.
Because of all he has to get done, he is gone from about 9 in the morning until at least 9:45 at night. Except see, that's a good night. A stressful night is when he's gone until the wee hours of the morning studying or writing a paper in the library.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China, you might ask.

Imagine yourself at home in your apartment. No balcony, no green space. A few windows to open is all you've got. You live in a neighborhood that's not the greatest for evening walks with your two small daughters and so you stay inside and play except for the once/twice a week trip to the store, the once a week trip to the laundromat and the occasional life saving get-togethers with my friend from our ward. And the morning only walks to the YMCA on the mornings that Bronwyn hasn't spent the night crying about her teeth that just don't seem to want to come in. (Seriously, we're working on well over a month for 2 bottom and now 2 top teeth. None of them will come in! I'm going a little crazy over the whole thing.)
What I'm trying to say is that I'm pretty much with our girls for 11-12 hour days. With no one to talk to and break up the monotony of the day or if I do get to talk to someone, they don't come home with me and make dinner when I'm so tired and have had a stressful day. It's all on my shoulders.
So should you happen to call me between the hours of 6-9 over the next 3 weeks, this is what you can expect:
           -- A nice long conversation. I don't mean to, but I can't help it! I finally have someone to talk to, who has something in common with me! I'm that socially deprived Sim! Just think of how quickly my social bar is moving up while you talk with me!  :)
           -- A little screaming from the kids as they go crazy while I just let them run free and enjoy my phone conversation.
             -- Probably a lot of sighing. And venting. And reminders of how much longer until Reed is finished with this semester.

    Keep in mind, I am grateful to be here. I'm grateful for this opportunity to go to school. But there are hard parts. This is just one of them, and this is still MY first semester of learning how to handle 24/7 single mothering. I know it's just as hard on Reed to be missing time with the girls and with me.

    And we'll all survive. But you may never want to call me again in the last 3 weeks of a semester.

                            :)

Post Edit: : : : : :    
                I am NOT  looking for sympathy with this post.
 I am looking to educate the family and friends that call and probably feel like they can't get off the phone with me because I just keep talking!
   I find it funny, and find myself apologizing a lot especially when I feel I might be carrying on the conversation longer than the caller had anticipated it lasting.
      I do have lots of time spent in the week seeing and spending time with my friend and her daughter and even making friends at the laundromat. (I don't make friends because I don't have many. I do it because it only adds to my experience here. I like to get to know more of the people here in Massachusetts and understand what makes them tick.) 
        It's just that in the evening hours, when I'm used to Reed being home from work (back in Idaho) and playing with the girls and asking him about his day and him asking about mine, he's at school.
And that's just life.
And I'm still adjusting.
And so are our girls.
And so is Reed.
And that's okay.
And when we're done adjusting to this semester, the semester will be over and summer will be here and we'll have an entirely new routine to get used to.  :)
LOL