Like a Boss

Victoria did her math homework in pen. She has a lot more confidence than anyone should. I'm equally scared and proud.

Progress

It's been about a week since school started, and I'm happy to report that today is the first day Sophie didn't cry.  At least not to my face.  What she does after I leave is between her and her teacher.  I'm also happy to say that I'm adjusting to this whole home alone thing as well...a little too well, probably, considering that I'm desperately trying to get back into the workforce.  I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time planning a front yard cemetery for Halloween.  Yep- definitely time to go back to work.

Sidenote: Have you seen this guy lately?  Hugs not drug, Mac.

Like a Ton of Bricks

Today is the first day of school for all of my children.  This includes my little 3yo shadow.  I thought today would be all about celebrating the silence and peace, but the silence is deafening, and I'm thoroughly depressed.  I'm supposed to be out starting my Couch to 5K program, and I had intentions of finally putting my multitudes of Pinterest pins into action, but instead I'm bawling my eyeballs out.  I never went through this with the other two.  Hell, I didn't go through it with her when I put her in daycare at 6 weeks old.  I don't know if it's because she's my baby, or because I've been home the last two years, or because I'm realizing that my work as a stay at home mom is coming to a close.  I never wanted to be home with the kids, but when circumstances changed, and that became my life, I really did enjoy it.  I guess it surprised me how much I needed it and how sad I am now that it's over.  So today, I'm going to feed my emotions with terrible food, distract myself with a lunch outing with my friend, and cry intermittently throughout the day.

First Day pics and then some tearful songs to bring you down as well.

This soundtrack is playing in my brain, and that's part of the reason I can't stop boo hooing.

And another one from that film that's even more approriate.

And just to torture myself to the fullest, the video I made for her 3rd birthday.

Shackled

It's official.  School is out, and I am about to become a slave to the 3 little monsters angels. Although school has officially been out for a week now, we put the kids in a summer camp last week, so tomorrow is my first real day at home with them...all day...every day...until August 23rd (or possibly sooner, if the job thing works out).  If yesterday is any indication of what I'm in for, I'm going to need a Xanax prescription stat, or someone is going to get locked in a closet and beaten with wire hangers.

In spite of my impending incarceration, I have good news- Trev finished out the school year with straight A's, and Vic is at a reading level of 10, which means nothing to me, except that the average is a 4, so that's like 2.5 times as good, right?  I'm very proud of them.

Here they are on their last day:

Field Trip!

I've never been on a field trip with any of the kids.  I've either been working or taking care of the baby.  Plus, chaperoning other people's kids unnerves me.  I always worry they'll get hurt or lost or something.  All the guilt from never attending a field trip finally caught up with me, so I volunteered to go to the zoo with Victoria's class.  I figure I live in a zoo every day, so at least I would be in my element.  Luckily a bunch of parents volunteered for this one, so we each only had 2 kids a piece.  If only my own kid would have listened as well as her friend.

That is a big ol' gorilla on the other side of that pane of glass.

'Twas The Night Before School

I'm exhausted, but I'm almost too excited to sleep.  I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.  Why, in the middle of April, do I feel like this?  My kids are going back to school tomorrow.  They were out for Spring Break, and then today was a teacher work day, so they've been home for a whopping 10 days.  It's been a lot of togetherness for us all, so tomorrow will be just as good for them as it will be for me.  The one thing that concerns me is summer is a hell of a lot longer than Spring Break.  My saving grace is that I will either be in class all day Thursdays and Fridays, or I might be working full-time, depending on how things go.  Regardless I will have at least a weekly break, unlike last year, when I was ready to throw in the towel by July.  Don't get me wrong, I love my children.  I'm just not the Suzy Homemaker type that is able to be a fantabulous mom with unlimited patience and creativity, and the ability to keep a clean house while entertaining the children simultaneously.  But, I have another month and a half to prepare for that.  Until then, I will enjoy my day of solitude by indulging in chick flicks, a nap, a bath, and whatever else I can squeeze in before 2:45 p.m.

Accomplished

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I got a new job.  It's a part-time gig working with a new urgent care facility that's opening up.  I originally thought I'd be doing triage, which consists of getting the patient's history, taking their vitals, and placing them in their rooms.  Well, this place does it a bit differently, in that they like their folks to be cross-trained, so I will also be doing things like blood draws, IV's, medication administration, splints, suture and staple removal, and wound packing.  So, in essence, I quit nursing school to become a nurse.  Oh, yeah, I didn't mention that either.  Well, I wasn't super proud of that fact, especially considering I left a 10-year career in retirement plan administration to go to Nursing school, but it all worked out.  I've spent the last few months gearing myself toward a career in Nuclear Medicine (hence the cardiac scan you see on my background), and I'm happy to say that I was accepted and will begin that program in May and finish next August, so I'm still finishing at the same time as I would have, had I done the Nursing thing.  After doing my observations with 2 Nuc Med departments, I am 100% sure that I will be much happier in that field, and my decision to switch was spot on.

So, anyway, I'm in training for the job, and today was the last day before we go to the clinics and do on the job training.  I was the only one who had never done a blood draw, IV, etc., and one of my awesome new co-workers let me do a blood draw on her.  I was super nervous, but I did it.  And I got the vein on the first try.  I didn't even have to do an orange or a dummy arm or anything.  I got it right in there.  And all of the sudden, I had that feeling of accomplishment that's been missing the past couple of years.  I love staying at home with my children, but I've missed having something that I'm good at and enjoy that's just mine.  I've also been too exhausted to fuss at anyone the past 2 days, which was an unexpected bonus.

Someone Will Probably Die This Week

As if Winter Break and Spring Break were not enough, this week is Mid-Winter Break for the kids.  This means I'm at home with the 3 rugrats all week.  One thing I've realized throughout my whole SAHM experience is that distance truly does make the heart grow fonder.  This is the reason I'm back in school aggressively pursuing my new career in Nuclear Medicine- so I can once again become a working mom and actually miss my children while I'm at work.  Until then, I'm playing the role of domestic goddess, which mostly involves serving as the children's tutor, referee, entertainer, and all around slave.  This is why I relish the 1 day a week I get in which all 3 are in school, and I get to recharge.  Sadly, I'm not getting that day this week, thanks to the School District's decision that the kids need yet another break from school.  That's ok, though, because I plan to dope the kids up on Red Bull and Coffee next Monday morning, so I'll have my revenge.

I am also going back to work part-time as of this Thursday.  My schedule will be mostly weekends, which will allow me to still do mom stuff during the week, but I will miss out on a lot.  I'm not looking forward to that aspect of working again, but a part of me can't wait to again have an identity aside from being someone's mom.  And like my husband has been reminding me, it's only temporary until I get out of school.