An 'Un'-alarming Start to the Day

The alarm went off. Not the one I set on my phone...the one in my head that told me, "It's light outside, why are you still in bed?" I bolted upright and stared at the clock in stark confusion. 6:38. I stared at the time in my reluctantly conscience state and tried to make sense of what that meant. My thought process went like this, "6:38.......six.....thirty-eight...6:38!!!!!! CRAP! We are supposed to be out the door at 6:30 to get Sam to school on time!"  I vaguely remembered, and still can't say for sure whether it was a dream or not, angrily pushing the snooze button on my phone as though wanting to stab a whole through the darn thing for waking me up! I'm guessing it wasn't a dream.

So I sprung from my bed, went from room to room jiggling one kid after another awake with urgency in my voice, "I overslept, we are supposed to be on the road...NOW!! Get up, get dressed, we have to GO!" I got myself dressed, ran a brush through my frizzy hair, brushed my teeth, threw on some mascara in an attempt to make myself look awake and poured my coffee.

The kids were out the door in record time without breakfast and grabbing random lunch food items as we head out the door. On the way to Sam's school, 35 minutes away, I made sure to tell everyone how awesome they were. Providentially, Samuel's teacher was late that day and he ended up waiting for her to arrive instead of vice versa. And by the grace of God, we still arrived at school with 2 minutes to spare. As I made my way down the ramp to my classroom a dozen sprightly 6-7 years bounded my way. I knew I would need another cup of coffee to handle their energy.

When I got home after a pretty good day, I had a text from my sons' teacher. It said, "I hope (so and so) can get some sleep. He was kinda cranky today. (not being bad, just CRANKY!)" I responded like this:

Yes, when I saw Cecelia at lunch time she was eating a bag of chips and a string cheese. Samuel didn't have lunch, I have no idea what the others ate and yet, not one of them complained. Most days, I am frustrated with my kids because I am practically dragging them out the door after innumerable reminders to get dressed, pack lunch, eat breakfast, brush teeth, grab homework etc., the list goes on and on. But sometimes they remind me that they can work as a team and when they do, they are fabulous!

7 More Weeks!

33 Days to be exact (not including the weekends)...not that anyone is counting. Ok, everyone is counting; students, parents, and teachers alike and probably all for different reasons. And when you are a parent/teacher you are counting doubly, like a couple times a day just to make sure you didn't miscount.  Some parents are counting with apprehension wondering how they will juggle the new summer schedule with their work load, some are counting with joyful anticipation knowing soon they will finally have a more flexible schedule and won't have to pack lunches every day.  I count with a giddy and impatient fervor. With the joy of a parent whose schedule will be freed up to live at our own pace, and begin a summer of new experiences.

I am so blessed to work where I do. To have the same days on and off as my kids (with the exception of Sam) and to be able to enjoy the summer almost as a kid does. I am blessed to work with three nuns who have dedicated their whole lives to the Catholic education of children and who care about them as though they were their own. Three nuns who I am proud to call my dear friends. I am blessed to be able to attend daily Mass and to have my children receive the sacraments with me.

It's easy to get caught up in the tedium of our day to day work and long for the weekend or spring break or summer, but the truth is I have it made. I have to stop every now and then and remind myself of that fact. We went back to school today after a ten day break and even though it was hard (boy was it hard!!) to get out of bed at the crack of dawn, it was great to see my students again and my fellow teachers. In each of them, however, I could sense excitement that we are in the final stretch.

A highlight of my day came when I first got to my classroom and the older sister of one of my First Graders brought me a sugar-free vanilla latte, on it she had written with a Sharpie, '7 more weeks!!☺'
Many times prior the same kids' dad had purchased myself and his daughter's teacher a morning coffee and while it's always such a sweet surprise, several times I had to pass it off to our secretary on account of my sugar-free diet....but not today.  I am thankful.

sometimes we do this for our staff meetings ☺

A New Chapter

My boys are growing fast. The girls too, but the boys are definitely in the metamorphosis of adolescence. Samuel and Hunter have changed so much this year that pictures of them just last year make them look like tiny little boys. Their voices have deepened, their 'staches are budding, and they are constantly comparing their height and strength as a measure of their manliness. They both crack me up and drive me crazy. When they were little I can't tell you how many times while in line to pay for groceries, I was told by older women to, "enjoy them now,  they grow so fast!" I tried, and I did. But it was difficult, as a single mom, through the diapers, tantrums, fights and sleepless nights to think to myself, "Wow, I really enjoy this!"

That being said, I truly have enjoyed every stage of their growing up. Now (when they aren't fighting over the Xbox or bickering with each other) I enjoy their hilarious sense of humor and having conversations with them that are both entertaining and thought provoking. Both Samuel and Hunter have joined me in volunteering for Pierce Co. Search and Rescue. We've gone through training together, attended meetings together and have searched together for both people and important evidence. I can look back and say I truly have enjoyed them as babies, as children and now as young adults.

And now, together, all six of us are embarking on perhaps the scariest adventure of all...Samuel is beginning to drive. The very idea of my child operating a vehicle amidst crowded roads and so many crazy drivers is torturous!  Sitting in the passenger seat with absolutely no control and trusting he will be able to make good judgements is the greatest trust fall of all! He is in his fourth week of driver's ed and I try to let him drive every chance I can. In all honesty, he's a very good driver...much better than I was when I started out. That's not to say we haven't had some hair raising moments:

The Itch

Writing keeps me open as a person, truth spills out when I type whereas it might get sugar coated when I speak. For the last year, however, I have done VERY little writing....ok, I haven't done ANY!! I have blamed the old equation: my job + my life = no time. "I will write come summer." I told my mom the other day when she asked me why I haven't written anything. "That's what you said last summer!" she replied. Then it dawned on me...she's right. Why haven't I written? Is it because I don't have any truth that I want to share? Is it because I don't believe myself worthy to take up others' time with my words? Is it because I'm just plain lazy? Maybe a combination of the latter two.

There is an itch, however, that I can't ignore. An itch that is enough to get me back in front of my computer regardless of my kids hovering around me needing this or that as they are doing right now. So here I am. Truth? Do you really want it? I just told my kids that there will be one full day every week without the damn Xbox because I don't want to hear them arguing about who's turn it is. Now they are mad at me and I just remembered why I haven't written. It's because typing on the computer is like talking on the phone, no matter where my kids are or what they were doing, as soon as I am busy, they become as needy for my attention as when they were little.

The truth is also this: my kids are my life, and their needs will come first, even if my eyes are on the verge of bugging out and my head is about to explode, which is what happens when your mind tells you it's time for camping but the weather forecast tells you otherwise.

The mud season has arrived in the PNW. I saw a very accurate meme about Oregon weather that applies as well to the weather here in Western Washington. We have 11 seasons of the year: Winter, Fool's Spring, Second Winter, Spring of Deception, Third Winter, Mud Season, Actual Spring, Summer, False Fall, Second Summer (one week) and Actual Fall. Right now the rain is falling outside with a vengence and our much anticipated first hike of the year with Pierce County Search and Rescue was cancelled due to high wind warnings. This would have been exactly what we needed right now, fresh air and space from one another. Oh well, life goes on, and sunny days are bound to come....right?