Sunday, November 6, 2016

A Ten Minute Breather

My gut was right.
It is not the time of life for me to get a job.
Tuesday, Oct. 18, my friend and principal of our elementary school called. The woman who was the long term maternity sub in 4th grade wasn't coming back. She needed someone the next day and for three and a half weeks after that. Seeing as how I had turned her down to take the maternity leave in the first place, she asked me just to take Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She'd have someone else do Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I agreed. I can do anything for three and a half weeks.
And then things kept happening.

The afternoon after my first day of work, Cuckoo hit his head and got one nasty concussion. Memory loss and vomiting made things quite scary.

A week and a half later, exactly 3 hours after he was cleared for normal activity, he was dancing on one of the big boys' beds and fell off. He managed to slice his leg on the bed frame. Neither Bryan nor I were home, big kids rose to the occasion, and Cuckoo ended up with 21 stitches in his shin. He gets those out on Thursday.

Parties and appointments and 6 driving classes and Giant's soccer practices starting and Phoenix's volleyball practices starting and Turken's football team winning game after game in the playoffs and Buttercup's speech team competition (that I judged! (not her speech. Other participants.)) and illness my body was fighting with the little bit of energy I had left about did me in.

And then...

Tragedy.

The son of my former boss at the preschool where all of my kids attended and I taught passed away unexpectedly.

She didn't want us all to go to the funeral. She wanted us to keep the school open.

So on Tuesday and Thursday I was teaching preschool.

It's been a rough few weeks.

This one won't be any better.

But I wanted you to know that I didn't just disappear by choice.

Life got real around here.

I'll be done teaching 4th grade later this week.

I'm actually torn.

It has been wonderful being in an elementary classroom again.

I have enjoyed every minute.

I would love to stay.

Alas, now is not the time.

These last few weeks have proven what I already knew.

It just isn't the time.

My priority must be my family.

I can't be a great teacher and a great mom at the same time.

I want to be the greatest mom I can be.

I can be a great teacher another time.

Or not.

We'll see where life takes us.

One thing that has been beaten into me is the truth that we never, ever know what the next day, the next hour, the next minute will bring.

Have a lovely day!

7 comments:

  1. Wow!! You certainly have been on one heck of a roller coaster ride with all that's happened just lately. I wondered where you were and figured out you were just too busy to blog but never imagined anything like all that.

    Sorry to hear about Cuckoo, I hope he's recovering well from both incidents - give him a big hug from me.

    That's very sad news about your former boss's son - you don't say how old he was but I'm guessing still quite young?

    It's great that you've enjoyed teaching again but I'm with you on your family taking priority - I've gone through a bit of an emotional time myself just recently and had to make my own family a big priority, though not everyone understands my reasons.

    And I hope whatever illness you had has now cleared up and you're feeling a whole heap better :)

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  2. Sometimes you don't realize how much you are doing at home until you try taking on something outside of it. Every time I go to stretch my wings, I rediscover just how much I am carrying.

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  3. Cuckoo is going to give you a run for your money. I had a son like that. I spent a lot of time in the emergency room getting whatever he messed up fixed. I can see that coming for you too.

    Being a great mom is always better than being a great teacher. You'll do just fine and yes life shuffles and you are dealt the hand you play. You're playing yours very well. One never knows what tomorrow will bring.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  4. Dang! You are right that now is not the time for a job. Hope things settle down soon!

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  5. Ohhh so sorry to hear about the loss of someone whose family you've all been so close to. There's never a good time for someone to die but it's especially harrowing when that person is far too young, and it's all unexpected :( Good for you for stepping up and getting the cover done, though. And HOORAY for your kids all being able to pull together in a crisis. I've missed you and I hope life slows down for you a bit SOON! Sending you something in the near future...I hope it will make you smile :)

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  6. We all have one who gets on first-name familiarity with the ER staff, don't we? Life's a crazy traffic jam sometimes, and I commend you for the clarity to realize what you can and cannot do, spurred by what you want and don't want to do. Prayers and thoughts for you as you navigate this all one day at a time!

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  7. Oh, Christine, I'm so sorry. The unexpected death of a child is heart-breaking for the family and those who love them. I have a friend whose daughter died in her sleep one night (years ago, when the girl was about 10 years old), and it was such a tragedy. We all mourned together, and hugged our children a bit tighter.

    Family must come first, and you and your husband are the ones to decide what that looks like for your family. Your priorities are straight, and what a blessing that is for your family. You are your own children's greatest teacher, so in that respect, you can be a great teacher and a great mom simultaneously. :-)

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Thank you for taking the time to tell me what you're thinking!