Friday, August 29, 2014

"There can be no joy in living without joy in work."

It's my favorite time of year, you guys! The windows are open, it feels like Fall and all I want to do is go buy a new pair of boots and a pumpkin spice latte. I'm choosing to not think about the fact that I'm missing out for the second year in a row on the 'Great Minnesota Get Together', deep fried pickles, giant beers and my favorite ride, "Techno Power" and choosing to think about how amazing the weather is here in Colorado instead. One of my bests is home from San Francisco, back in the Midwest and I can't stop thinking about how badly I want to be there with her. Lets be honest, I've been thinking about home since I've been back on Mountain time. 

Last week I had a serious case of Vacationitis. I had been back in Colorado for a week and felt homesick. Homesick for the first time since I've lived in Colorado. That's almost two years, you guys! Two years here and I have never felt a longing for home like I did last week. If you must know, I feel better now! Between me being gone for a week at work, and my Co-teacher being gone for a week after, my kids were Tasmanian devils and I seriously questioned my profession, every single day after work. I even cried two of those days. I laugh now, as I look back and picture myself in the shower, shaving my legs and crying and Joel walking in and wondering what the heck was going on with me. 

This week's mood, I'll have you know, is right up there, where it usually is; up on the high road, appreciating all life has given me, with a smile on my face. Joel had musician friends in town last week and at this time last Friday, I was getting home from work and locked myself in my room with my cats and laptop and had a serious pity party. Pity City, population 1! I figured, lock myself in our room instead of be a giant bitch brat to whoever I talked to. The Great Gatsby saved me that night, as it usually does. 

With both my Co-teacher and I being back this week, things are slowly starting to get back to normal. I hugged the shit out of her upon her arrival to work on Monday. Every day, I see my new toddlers listening better, using their words instead of their hands and I'm confident that last week was probably the worst, mainly because my kids didn't have the security and consistency of both of us. One of my little boys has cried at drop-off for the two weeks that I was gone and my Co-teacher was gone. We laughed the morning that both of us were back and he came right in smiling. Trust me, little man, it feels good for me too. All feels right in the world again! 

Today was great! Our school was closed to families and was an in service day for us teachers. I slept in, ate breakfast, drank double the amount of coffee and washed my bedding, all before I had to work at 8:30. My Co- teacher and I had a chance to clean our room, without anticipating toddlers waking up every few minutes and I got to focus on putting up new boards. I excitedly asked my director to come look at my finished products and smiled to myself as it reminded me of all the times I would invite my mom into my room when I was little, eagerly showing her the dance I had just made up to my favorite song, or the fact that I learned all the words to a song that I needed to sing to her. My Mom, my favorite audience; I felt so proud. 

I'm ending this post by honoring another wonderful Mother I know. The one who asked my age the first time she met me, who had to make sure that this baby face that I've had since I was two, wasn't a minor down in her son's bedroom. 


I've already told you today, but I'll say it again; you deserve the best day, after helping raise three crazy Kachel boys and continuing to love them and their significant others. I imagine I'll be calling you for help someday, with my insane, ADD, ADHD children. 

Happy Birthday, Diane!

 

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