Whirlwind

Where did the last week go? Between school, Charley, coaching, and everything else I've got going on, I feel like the last week totally flew by. Charley has been busy at school, and she really loves her teachers. I've been getting to know my students better, and I'm finding that I have a really unique bunch of kids this year. I've also been coaching close to 8 hours every Sunday for the last few weeks, too, so at this point... You could say I'm pretty wiped out!

I think the craziness all started last weekend. With the weather changing from warm to cold, back to warm, combined with some rain storms, Charley and I have been in allergy city. There's been a terrible virus going around, and admittedly, I was afraid I might be coming down with it, but I really think it was (and still is) just allergies. I can't wait for the weather to even out. Now, I'm not saying I can't wait for the cold. In fact, I wish the cold weather would stay away for at least another month...but my allergies can't handle the bipolar, back and forth weather! Anyway, I had planned to meet up with a friend for lunch in Roseville, so while I was there, I decided I should take the opportunity to get my hair cut and a pedicure. Charley was with me of course, so she got her toes painted, too. She was pretty darn cute, sitting in the enormous pedicure chair! Anyway, what was intended to be a short lunch, turned into a full day in the Twin Cities. It wasn't terribly relaxing for a Saturday, but we had fun!

Work has been busy, too. A friend of mine asked me the other day how work was going. My response was, "I've got quite a crew this year!" "Why?" he asked, "What makes these kids different than the other years?" That made me think a little bit. Since I've been teaching, particularly teaching special education, it seems that I've always had the kids that are really bright, but have behavior problems, and need a metaphorical kick in the pants to get themselves motivated in class. This year, I have a couple of those kids. But I also have a couple of kids who are not behavior problems at all. They're sweet, adorable, hard little workers....But they're REALLY behind academically. In some ways it's great, because it allows me to teach more academics, and it challenges me to utilize different strategies. But in other ways, I feel more personal pressure to help these hard working kiddos make progress. It's going to be an interesting year, that's for sure, but I really do look forward to the challenge.

Charley and I are creatures of habit. We generally follow the same routine, every day. She wakes up, comes into my room, and asks, "What day is it Mommy?" I respond, and let her know if it's a school day, a gymnastics day, or a Mommy-Charley day (generally, Saturday). On school days, she watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I get ready, then I get her ready for the day, drop her off at school, and pick her up after work. We then head home, where we play outside, eat dinner, watch TV, and go to bed. It's an exciting life, I know. This week was a little bit different, though! We went to Costco on Tuesday night, which was apparently very exciting for Charley. I guess she went to school on Wednesday, and talked about how that's where you need to shop if you want to buy sorbet. Ha! Wednesday, we met up with one of my out-of-town girlfriends for dinner, and did a little bit of shopping. Thursday night, one of Charley's friends and his mom stopped by to play for a bit, and then, last night, we went to dinner, and to get Charley's hair cut. It was great. But BUSY! And honestly, I need a break.

This morning, I did something that I plan to do again. Probably weekly... I hired a babysitter. One of my amazing co-workers has a daughter in her early twenties, who has tons of experience working with kids. So, I texted her yesterday, and asked if she was free this morning. She came, and stayed with Charley for a couple hours, and it was FANTASTIC. This was significant for me for two reasons. First of all, it was the first time I've had someone who isn't a close friend or family member come over, simply to babysit Charley. She's responsible, she was on-time, and I came home to a clean house and a happy kid. That meant a lot. It was also significant, because it gave me a connection to someone who lives reasonably close-by, who can watch Charley...and Charley loves her! I think any parent, particularly single parents, know that finding a good babysitter is like finding a needle in a haystack. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of teenage girls who would love to babysit Charley, and they tell me every weekend when I coach them. Ha! But they live 45 minutes away, and they're young. Charley is 3 years old, and has severe food allergies. It's nice to have found someone who's a little bit older, and might be able to babysit past 10p.m. every once in awhile. It might enable me to have a little bit more of a social life, and find the balance that I've been seeking! Although, I'll have to cut back on work, if I really want some balance. And I do. So I've got to make some decisions and that likely means cutting back on coaching. Honestly, as much as I love coaching, I do need to maintain my sanity and take care of myself. After all, I'm not really experiencing life if I'm working 7 days a week! And I DO want to experience life a little bit more. That's my goal for the week...telling some of my private lessons that I can't do weekly lessons anymore, because I need the break! Wish me luck. Have a safe weekend, and a great week, everyone!