Late Summer

School/Work begins for me in a little over a week, so I'm doing my best to cram as much as I can into these final days of summer vacation.  The kids and I are playing in the park a lot, consuming way too many popsicles, and splashing in the water whenever we can.  We're even attending a Wiggles concert tomorrow (Excedrin Migraine is already in the purse), and we're taking the twins to their first Phillies game in two weeks.

Believe me, I count my blessings every day to be able to work in a profession where I have my summers free to spend with the kids.  But that doesn't make it any easier (or make me feel any less guilty) to go back to work.  Charlotte and Gavin really seem to thrive in daycare.  This year they will be in preschool, and I know they will continue to astound me with their ability to learn new things quickly and adapt to any new situation with ease.  (Case in point:  at a playground recently, I observed Gavin walk right up to another little boy and say, "Hi.  I'm Gavin Michael.  Let's play!"  And off they went.)

But again, it doesn't make me feel any less guilty.  I've been thinking a lot lately about how I will never get to see them off on their first days of school, because they are my first days of school as well.  Sure, Michael will be there.  Probably my mom will too.  But I don't think it's the same.

One of the things I do that makes me feel a little better about working is to pack a special lunch for the kids.  A lot of the other kids are get Lunchables or something of the sort, so I go out of my way to pack things in a cute container and arrange the food in a interesting way.  It sounds silly, I'm sure, but I hope that as the kids get older they realize that this is a little gesture of love that they can count on in the middle of their day.  For the past few weeks I've been experimenting with different recipes that will hold up well in their lunchboxes.  Yesterday, I tried my hand at homemade granola bars.  I needed a recipe that didn't use peanut butter since their day care is peanut-free, and this one from another lunch fit the bill.  It was DELICIOUS!  The kids gobbled up three bars each today.  

The bottom photo shows how Melissa at Another Lunch suggests wrapping the bars since they tend to crumble.  It's just a bonus that they look so cute!

Wow, this blog sounds more and more like a food blog lately, huh?  Trust me:  it's not! :)

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.