Biting Off WAY More Than I Can Chew

I'm not sure what I have gotten myself into these days, but I'm certain that my blood pressure has been rising steadily over the past few weeks. (Probably not good for a pregnant lady...)

In just about a month and a half, I am returning to my full-time job. I will be about 6 months pregnant, mind you, but I am still returning, because that was my plan, darn it, and I'm sticking to it! (Hello, Type A!) Many of you know that teaching is not a 9-5 gig. My work is about 45 minutes away, so I have to leave my house at 7 am to get there on time. That means I will somehow have to get myself, Charlotte, Gavin, and eventually a new baby ready all before 7 am. (Deep breaths, Amy.) If I even begin thinking about all of the lesson planning, grading, conferencing, and collaborating that I am going to have to do, I will need a paper bag to breathe into. I will be lucky if I see the twins for a couple of hours a day. I wish I didn't have such a crazy commute.

I've also begun taking a graduate course. At this point you are probably thinking that I have lost my marbles, so let me get you up to speed here. When the twins were born, I was just about 14 weeks short of obtaining my Masters in Reading/Reading Specialist Certification. Receiving this Masters will not only move me up the pay scale, but also open some doors for me career-wise. I have three courses left to graduate. I am taking one course right now, over the summer. The final two are thesis writing courses, and I have to take them during the fall semester. Which means I will have to write some sort of thesis. When I am very pregnant. And working full-time. And missing my twin toddlers at home. (Deep breaths, Amy.) With Michael's encouragement, I decided that if I didn't finish the degree now, I would never finish it. So I am muddling through just to get it done.

If that isn't enough, I am getting ready to teach a 2-week Reading and Writing course to first and second graders. I agreed to this before I knew I was pregnant, and before I started taking a grad class. And I'm not a quitter, so I start next week. So now I am busy writing lesson plans on top of all the homework I'm doing for my grad class. (Deep breaths, Amy.)

We are so getting a cleaning lady when I return to work in September.

First Day of School, Minus One

Today is the first day of school in my district. It's the first time in 10 years that I haven't been there to greet a new class. I'm feeling a little melancholy. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be home with the babies for a year, but I sure do miss all the newness of the First Day of School. Freshly sharpened pencils, crisp clean handwriting paper, shiny waxed floors, first-day-of-school outfits, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead for the year...

Everyone likes to feel irreplacable. When I was little, I used to think that when I was home sick, that school just didn't happen that day. I thought because I wasn't there, no one else was there either. I kind of feel that way now, too. Like, how can there be a school year without me? I'm sure I'll get over it quickly, though, when I hear my colleagues talk about how much work they have to do, all the report card conferences and the planning curriculum to align with state standards. I sure won't miss that part of it.