Feeling Thankful

The last few days literally flew by. We had all kinds of events planned at school, so my students' schedules were totally out of whack. With all of the excitement at school, by the time Wednesday night rolled around, I was ready to relax. Charley and I watched a movie, and Charley went to bed early. For some reason, on holiday breaks, I get the inkling that I should stay up late because I'll get to sleep in. I don't know why I always do this... It never actually happens. Charley was up at 6a.m. and of course, upon waking up, I instantly regretted staying up until midnight. Oh well, live and learn, right? Ha!Anyway, as Thanksgiving rolled around, I thought about all of the things I have to be thankful for, and there are just too many to list. I suppose I could go with the generic and say I'm thankful for family, friends, a job I love, wonderful co-workers, a great home, etc...The list could go on. But I won't bore you with that. Let me fill you in on our Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving was really nice this year. Charley and I went over to my dads' house around noon, to socialize a bit before eating dinner around 4. One of our long-time family friends from England was in town to celebrate her first Thanksgiving, and I wanted to make sure Charley and I had plenty of time to visit with her. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon with family and friends. My dad cooked the turkey, several sides, and dessert. I was responsible for the mashed potatoes. Now, historically I've been pretty good at making mashed potatoes, but it's been awhile since I made them for a group. I wanted to make sure we had enough...Well we did...We probably had 5 pounds of mashed potatoes....And went through more than I would like to admit! Anyway, they were pretty good, so I was relieved that my contribution to the meal wasn't a total flop.

After dinner, I noticed Charley starting to get little red bumps around her lips, the way she does when she is around peanuts. There were no peanuts in sight, though, and all she'd eaten were potatoes, turkey, and cranberries. I figured it must've been a reaction to the cranberries, and smeared some cortisone on her face. The bumps went away, and we all sat around the house for awhile. Around 6:30, I suggested that we check out some of the Black Friday deals. Now, there was a time (pre-Charley), when I was a pretty heavy Black Friday shopper. I'd go out in search of big deals, early on Black Friday. Well, many shops were actually open last night, so I figured since we weren't doing anything, that we should check them out. So, my dad, his friend, Charley, and I went shopping on Thanksgiving. It felt kind of weird to be out shopping on a holiday, but it was kind of fun. We didn't go super early, so we missed the crazy lines and the rush of people at Target and Old Navy. But it definitely was an adventure...I got some great things for Charley, and a couple of things for myself...but leaving Target with only 5 (small) items...we looked kind of silly. People were walking around the store with multiple carts, breaking up into groups to get everything on their lists, carrying all kinds of electronics around the store...It was quite a sight. Charley took it upon herself to run around through the aisles, perusing the stores, while I attempted to simultaneously look around and chase after her. Let's just say, chasing Charley definitely won in that contest. Actually, I should probably be grateful for that. She probably saved me from spending a ton of money on things we don't need. Ha!

When I ask her to pose for a picture, this is what I get...

When we got back from our little excursion, Charley asked for some more turkey. She hadn't eaten that much at dinner, and I was certain she was still hungry. Besides, I knew she wouldn't sleep on an empty stomach, so I brought her some turkey. Within minutes, I noticed that the little red bumps were appearing again, and this time her lips were beginning to swell. I asked my dad what he'd seasoned the turkey with, and he said it was just olive oil, salt, and pepper...all things that Charley has been totally fine eating. But there was no denying it...the turkey seemed to be the problem. We were at my dad's house, which is about 45 minutes away from my home, and although I had an Epi-pen, I really didn't want to use it if I didn't have to. So, again, I slathered cortisone on her face, and raced to Walgreens down the street (thank goodness they were open),  to pick up some Benadryl. By the time I got back, the cortisone had already begun to reduce the bumps and swelling, but I gave Charley the Benadryl just to be on the safe side. It helped her fall asleep, too...Lucky me! Once she went to sleep, I started looking up the brand of turkey we'd eaten, to see if there were any additives listed that she could be allergic to, and I couldn't really pinpoint anything specifically. It looks like I'll have to take her back in for allergy testing. Yuck! Poor kid. I had the same thing done to me when I was 4, and I still remember it vividly. "It will only itch if you're allergic," the nurse told me, before she started pricking my back with small vials of allergens. I'm sure she didn't anticipate that my entire back would be inflamed for days afterwards...but it was! I'm just hoping that Charley doesn't have the same experience!

Rocking a new sweater. She's so grown up!

This morning, we woke up at my dads' and enjoyed being lazy around the house. We went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, and then I took my English friend, Lily around the city. We drove through Edina, where I grew up, then into Minneapolis, St. Paul, Como Park...It was actually really fun to drive around and show her what a Minnesota city is like! We haven't seen each other in at least 5 years, too, so it was nice to catch up a little bit. By the time we got back to my dad's house, Charley and I were exhausted and really ready to get home. So, here we are. It's been a busy couple of days, but we've both enjoyed it. I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and has a great weekend!

Ready for a Break! Thanksgiving Break, That Is...

I've been thinking about how it's been over a week since I've blogged for the last couple of days, but honestly, I couldn't think of anything in particular I wanted to write about until today. Today was...well... rough. Well, rough in my terms, which probably isn't all that bad to some people. But it seemed like a pot that was starting to bubble (probably due to the upcoming Thanksgiving break) finally boiled over, and my normally orderly students were bouncing off the walls! But before I get into that, let me talk a little bit about the last week or so...I'll try not to be too ADHD and bounce all over the place, I promise. Anyway, here we go...

Over a week ago, there was a big snowfall in Minnesota. Shocking, I know. Anyway, as usual, I found myself totally unprepared. It's funny... For some things, I am always totally prepared (work, scheduling, etc.)... but when it comes to the weather, I always seem to be caught off-guard and find myself stuck in the mud, in a sense. Well, the snow hit, and fortunately my neighborhood was plowed fairly early, so I was able to get around pretty easily, and within a couple of days quite a bit of the snow had melted. But then it snowed again. And I didn't have a shovel. Typical. I shoveled all the time growing up, but give me a break, I lived in Las Vegas for 4 years, and the last two years I lived in a duplex, where the landlord shoveled us out all the time and a shovel really wasn't necessary. I suppose I got a little spoiled in that sense. Anyway, I got myself a shovel and now I'm a little bit more prepared for the impending ice storm that's supposedly coming this way over the weekend!

I've been working twice a week at the new gym, and I have to say, I'm impressed with the quality of training, particularly in a community education program. I don't have anything against community ed programs, but when it comes to gymnastics, you generally get what you pay for. In this case, however, the girls are really well-trained...and they want to learn! So they're really fun to work with. I'm having fun getting to know them a little bit, and figuring out where I can be the most helpful and best-utilized. I have to admit, I was a little bit nervous about committing to weeknight hours, mostly because I'm afraid I'm going to burn out...but now that Charley has a place to go (that she LOVES), I'm finding that the long days really aren't that bad. And I LOVE having a weekend. I told someone the other day that this is the first time in 13 years I've had a full weekend, and that's true. Gymnastics coaches almost always work weekends. So I'm enjoying being able to relax like a normal person (well, not quite like a normal person...I'll always be a total busy-body), two days a week.

Okay, let me get to the events of the last couple of days. It's interesting. When I was in school, I remember being overly excited about holiday breaks, because I got a couple of days off to relax and be with family. Some of my students are excited about Thanksgiving break next week...others are not. Not at all. But they can't verbalize that or even really recognize their stress, so they act out in different ways. Teachers anticipate this type of anxiety as breaks approach, but it seemed to hit earlier than usual, this year! Anyway, I've got a couple of kids who are a little bit out-of-sorts, because they aren't really sure what the break will bring. So, it's my job to try to redirect them, try to get them to talk about their feelings, and understand their underlying motivations. Easy, right? Ha! Not so much. But I try. The week started off alright, but the kids have gotten progressively more anxious, hyper, and distractible.  Today was no exception, and a few of my generally well-behaved students, were a bit off. Naturally, I had an observation today. Great timing, right? My observer came in while I had one student writing an apology letter, and two students going back to class. When my other students came in, they got right to work, but one student consistently interrupted. The phone rang (which never happens), several people came in to pick papers up from the printer, and when the lesson was over, one of the students in my next group (who was WAY off today) barged into the room, and exclaimed, "What are you doing?! Playing a GAME?" It was the perfect ending to the lesson. Totally summed up the distractions that had appeared throughout my normally effective math class. There's something to be said for working in a resource room, though... You've got to be prepared for anything, and if nothing else, at least the observer got a picture of life in the resource room!

While it's been a bit of a crazy week, it has had some great moments. One little girl (who is absolutely adorable), has been coming in looking sad, with her hair covering her face all week.  Today, I said something to her about it. She made mention of her mom not having time to do her hair in the morning, because she had to get to work.  So I pulled her hair back into a little ponytail...and her attitude changed instantly. Her classroom teacher told me later in the day that her students were having conversations about what they're thankful for. My little girl said, "I'm thankful for teachers that help me a lot and do my hair." That made me feel so good. Something that seems so insignificant made a difference in her day. 

Alright, it's time for me to head to bed. Charley and I went to our friends' house for dinner tonight, and I'm exhausted. It was a nice evening, though. The kids played, my friend and I got to catch up, and Charley fell asleep within a half an hour of getting home. It was just what I needed at the end of a long day! Have a great weekend!

Something Special

Ok, while this post will summarize my last week or so, quite a bit of it will focus on Charley, so be forewarned. Since I posted last, I've celebrated Halloween, had my first full weekend off in a very long time, worked two jobs, attended two meetings (thus writing two sets of sub plans...my teacher friends will understand why that's annoying), developed laryngitis, gotten my iPad fixed, and finally gotten caught up on sleep. Phew, that was a lot of information for one sentence. Anyway, the week was jam-packed, but in spite of losing my voice, it was a really successful week.

Before I get into the events of the last week, I suppose I should touch base about Halloween. Charley and I went over to my friend Michelle's house to trick-or-treat with her two kids. Michelle's husband dressed up like a scarecrow and sat outside, waiting to pass out candy to the kids, while we took our kids out to get some candy. It was quite an experience! People were pulling kids in trailers, there was a horse and carriage taking kids through the neighborhood...even a haunted house at the end of the block! The funny part is, Charley and Michelle's daughter Evie, didn't notice any of that. They were too busy chit-chatting and playing music on Evie's light-up Elsa dress. The girls nearly got trampled several times by older children, but they were lost in conversation and totally oblivious. All three kids ended up with tons of candy, and because Charley can't have anything with nuts or peanuts, I ended up with quite a stash myself...A stash I actually brought into school. Not without eating a Reese's though...Do you know how long it's been since I ate a Reese's? Mmmmm....Heaven.

Anyway, by the time we got home Friday night, I was exhausted. I was coming off of a 21+ day working streak and two of those days had been 13 hour days. Charley was tired, too. As much as I've been busy, she generally has to come along for the ride whether she wants to or not, so she was wiped out after trick-or-treating. Charley fell asleep on the couch, and I was in bed before 10. It was great. Over the weekend, Charley and I enjoyed not really having anything scheduled. We had chores to get done and errands to run, but nothing we absolutely HAD to do. Except, of course, for meeting up with Jackie and Chris, Charley's new babysitters.

When I started coaching at the gym in North Branch, the program director found a family that was willing to take Charley while I was at work. On my first night in the gym, the director introduced Charley to Jackie and Chris, the parents of one of the girls I work with. They were very friendly, but Charley was not entirely sold. I think she knew that meeting them eventually meant she would have to be away from me. She's such a mama's girl. Anyway, I talked to Jackie about getting together over the weekend, so Charley and I (well...all of us) could get a little bit more comfortable with one another. We went over to their home on Sunday night, and it was like being at home. While I chatted with Jackie and Chris, Charley got acclimated to the space, and played with their daughter. I felt much better about leaving Charley with them, and Charley definitely seemed comfortable. On Monday when I dropped her off, she ran in without an issue, waved goodbye, and apparently did just great. When they brought her to the gym, Chris said, "It was like she's known us her whole life." I guess she was singing and dancing to her iPad, and, of course, making sure she had the whole family's attention.

She always wants to get dolled up!

This is where the focus of my post really turns to Charley. I am seriously so lucky to have a child like her. It's not just because she's smart. I know she's smart. She always has been. But she is just so adaptable in social situations, particularly with adults. I don't know what to attribute that skill to. I mean... there are probably several factors involved. For one thing, she's being raised by a single mom. She has to come along with me, most of the time, more by necessity than by choice. Maybe that's impacted her social maturity. She's also spent time with friends and family, who act like Charley is just part of their families. She's used to fitting in, even when she's the only child in the room. I could also credit all of the coaches and parents who treated her like one of their own, at Kenwood (and Sasso's in Vegas, for that matter). They didn't have to. In fact, they could've been annoyed that she came along while I coached. But they never complained. In fact, on the days Charley was NOT with me, I generally got questions about her. "Where's Charley?" disappointed moms would ask. Ha! I loved that. I'm often amazed at how easily Charley can wrap someone around her finger, and have that person totally engaged for long periods of time. Men, in particular. Even the most straight-faced, inexpressive men will engage in conversation with Charley and usually crack a smile at the very least, within minutes of meeting her. It's impressive. It's also a little scary (I'm thinking of her teenage years).  Anyway, this all relates back to Jackie and Chris' house, because Charley didn't know them well, but seemed to be able to adapt to their house rules quickly and easily. According to Jackie, "She is so polite! And very sweet. I call her Little Miss Manners, because she always says please and thank you. She is such a sweet girl!" What more could a mother ask for?

This kid loves a good hair cut.

 It's funny, because I had at least 5 conversations about manners at work last week. Most of the issues stem from the fact that teachers will greet students as they walk by, and the children say nothing in response. That's happened to me several times. I'm not one for being ignored, so I've been known to say, "EXCUSE ME! Come back here, please. When someone says 'Good morning' to you, it is rude not to respond." I think any time someone communicates with you, and you don't respond, it's rude. It's just not how I was raised. I require my students to say hello when they enter my classroom, and say goodbye before they leave. And you know what? They do it every time.In fact, some of them have started a little contest with me, getting creative with, "See ya later, Alligator," "In awhile, Crocodile," "See ya soon, Baboon," trying to come up with rhymes so they say goodbye last. It's cute. Their peers might not recognize the need to respond to adults, but my students do (well, most of them do) and I appreciate that. It's a social skill we generally don't think about teaching, because it seems like common sense politeness. But kids aren't necessarily learning this at home. I would say that my friends' kids are exceptionally polite. They have great parents. That's why we're friends! But unfortunately, at this point, politeness is the exception, not the rule. This is why I appreciate that Charley shows those social skills outside of the house. From the Target cashier, to the dad watching his daughter get her hair cut at the salon, to the older women checking out her macaroni and cheese at Noodles and Co. last night, Charley makes no exceptions. She's friendly with everyone (everyone she doesn't think is a 'creeper,' that is). It makes me feel like I'm doing something right. She truly is, something special.

With that, I'm going to relax on the couch and try not to talk for the rest of the night, so this laryngitis goes away. I'm hoping to sound like a human before Monday. Chances are slim, but I'll give it a shot. Have a great weekend!

Moving On

I really should be sleeping right now, but I just got home about 45 minutes ago, and I generally need to have at least 30 minutes to myself before I get to bed. Why did I just get home? Well, I was working. I've pretty much come to accept that until I share expenses with someone, I will have to work two jobs, if I want to give Charley the life she deserves. It's okay, though, because I always seem to fall into jobs that I actually enjoy (I'm very lucky in that sense), and it's just something I have to do!

Generally, when I've talked about a second job, I've talked about coaching at Kenwood. I ADORE Kenwood... But I currently live close to an hour away from the gym. That's a fairly long drive, and I've been making that drive every Sunday for quite some time, now. For the last couple of months, I've been working 6 days a week, and that additional drive time has worn on me. So, last weekend, I worked my last day at Kenwood. I was actually really sad to go. I knew it was time for me to move on, because it just wasn't working for my family anymore. But that didn't make it easy. I said goodbye to some wonderful families I've worked with for the last several years (and when I say wonderful, I really mean it), and even though I know I'll see them again at some point, it means things are changing, and change can be difficult. When I submitted my resignation, I received a response that was very kind and supportive. It was nice to know that my friends (extended family) at the gym felt the same way about me as I feel about them. And it's nice to know that I'll always have a home at Kenwood, particularly if I move back that direction. It's hard to see that chapter of my life close, but as that door closed, another one seemed to open almost immediately.

Over the last 6 months, I've been approached by several dance studios, asking that I come in and teach tumbling to their dancers. I seem to have built a bit of a reputation as a "gymnastics for dance," coach, and it's worked well for me. But it never really felt right to look at teaching at one of those studios for two reasons. First, I worked at Kenwood, and felt like that would've been an ethical issue for me. But second, I'm a gymnastics coach, not a dance teacher. I haven't been able to coach much gymnastics over the last year or so, just because it hasn't fit into my schedule with Charley. I've primarily taught tumbling, and while I enjoy that, I've noticed that I actually MISS coaching all of the events. I'm a gymnast. I want to coach ALL aspects of gymnastics. But due to my teaching schedule, it just hasn't really been feasible...Until now.

The other day, I got a phone call from a woman who directs a gymnastics program in a small town about 20 minutes North of my home. I teach school with a man who used to coach gymnastics (we joke that he likely coached me, when I was about 4), and apparently he had passed on my name to the high school gymnastics coach. She was calling to see if I was interested in coaching the high school team. Part of me has really wanted to coach high school gymnastics, because I competed at Edina High School for 6 years...and loved it. As we talked, we determined that it wouldn't make sense for me to coach the high school team, because their practice schedule didn't line up with my teaching schedule. "Well, we actually have an XCel team in the community ed program," she said, "I'd love for you to work with those girls, too, if you're interested. I'd only need you two nights a week." I really had to think about it. I explained to her that I'm a full-time single mom, and that the only issue with that idea was the fact that I would need to find and pay for childcare while I worked. "I can take care of that," she told me. I wasn't really sure what she had in mind, but I went into the gym to talk to her, to see if this was really feasible for me. Basically, she set up childcare for Charley, at no cost to me. That's huge, because generally, I would have to pay a sitter $10 an hour, which kind of defeats the purpose of working to earn extra money. There really is something about a small town, in that sense, though...everybody knows everybody, and all the director had to do was make a few phone calls, and she had a family volunteer to watch Charley while I coached. How amazing is that? Anyway,  I decided to give it a shot. I'd already told Kenwood of my resignation, and I truly do rely on that additional income to pay for Charley's daycare. I can't live on a teacher's salary (sad, but true). Basically, it seemed like it could work. At least it's worth a shot, right?

So, tonight I coached. I coached every event. I got to do all of the things that I have wanted to do for a long time, but haven't had the opportunity to do, because of logistics. When I was at Kenwood, they would've let me coach any group, at pretty much any level. But unfortunately, the level of gymnasts I wanted to coach trained frequently and fairly late into the evening. Considering that I teach all day, there just wasn't really any way to make that work, particularly when it meant two hours of driving in addition to my coaching hours. Anyway, I never quite know what to expect when I go into a new gym. I'm not necessarily sure of systems, and how things go. Basically, the director gave me a group of girls, and said, "Go ahead and take them to beam." I was admittedly surprised at her instant confidence in me, but I appreciated it. Beam is my favorite event to coach, too, so I was excited! It was fun to spot backhandsprings on beam, and help kids connect different series' of skills and combinations. I made little technical suggestions, and watched girls who were falling off the beam on cartwheels and back walkovers, suddenly stick 10 in a row. I felt effective. It was nice! I even got a message from her shortly after I left, thanking me for coming in, and essentially stating that it's been a long time since she had a new coach come in who didn't need training, and she was grateful that the teacher at my school had sent her my name. That was very much appreciated.

At this point, I'm tired. I worked quite a long day, and I will now be doing that twice a week. But I will also have a weekend. Two days off...In a row! There have been times in the last 3 months where I've worked 21 days in a row, and although I'm a natural workaholic, I'm also human, and I am so excited to have a weekend to spend with Charley. She's only young once and I want to enjoy it! Speaking of Charley... I feel the need to address her school pictures. Seeing those for the first time was probably the highlight of my week. Let me start from the beginning... On picture day, I picked out three different outfits that she could choose from. She chose the cheetah print shirt. That was fine with me, so I got her dressed, put her hair up in a pony tail, made sure she didn't have any leftover breakfast on her face, and took her to school. They were working on pictures when I got there, and I watched Charley have a few photos taken... HAT FREE. Then I left for work. Fast forward two weeks (until yesterday), and as I walked into the school, I noticed a big poster, announcing that photos had arrived. I was kind of excited to see them. Charley's teacher dug through the stack, and passed me the stack of photos. That's when I saw the hat. Charley's cheetah print hat that I bought her when she was about a year old. "Why are you wearing a hat?!" I asked her. "I had to look fabulous," she responded. I couldn't stop laughing. We received a photo of all of the students in her class, and she's the ONLY one wearing a hat. That made me laugh even harder. She totally marches to the beat of her own drum, that's for sure. My biggest concern is that the parents will look at her picture amongst her friends' photos, and think, "That poor girl. Her mom must've made her wear that hat." Ha! Oddly enough, that is TOTALLY not the case. The truth is, my hilarious child snuck that hat to school and out of her back pack, so she could be (in her words), "matchy-matchy." Awesome. I love her. And I love those pictures. They will be saved to show all future boyfriends. And on that note, goodnight!

Something About This Time of Year...

This week has been busy, but great. It was absolutely beautiful in Minnesota.  Last weekend, Charley and I had the chance to get pumpkins at my dad's annual office gathering, and enjoy the weather. I had a Charley-free night last Saturday (thanks, Mom!), so I actually went OUT for a couple of hours. It was amazing. When school started on Monday, I saw the weather as a good omen.The sun was shining almost the entire week, it was warm outside, and leaves were changing colors and falling from the trees. It was almost picture perfect. It was a pretty wonderful week at work, too. I had a couple of meetings, so I had to get to work early several days this week, but my kids were just fantastic. I had an observation yesterday which I always remember being really intimidating, when I was in my first teaching job. But yesterday's observation was so different from that. The principal sat down with the kids, and participated in the activities they were doing. The kids LOVED that, and they really did a good job. Phew. One observation down, just about a million more to go! 

Anyway, it was a great week. It was one of those weeks where everything just felt settled. When I got home from work every night, I felt like I'd gotten everything I wanted to accomplish, completed. As a single mom...well let's just say that doesn't happen very often! But this week I kind of felt like I was able to do everything that needed to get done. It was nice. I think there's something about this time of year that's kind of grounding for me. The last couple of years around this time, I've found myself a little bit more ready to settle down in all areas of my life. Particularly my romantic life...Ha! I really do think it has something to do with the time of year....Maybe there's something in the air. I mean, in the last couple of weeks I've heard from several men I dated...Like two years ago. I mean...It's seriously been a long time. Two of them I only went on a couple of dates with, while one was a man I dated for four months, and it just kind of died off. I wouldn't exactly call them exes because I never went so far as to commit to any of them, and honestly, I was kind of the one who ended things in all three situations. It's been months (close to a year, in one case), since I've heard from these guys, and just like every other time they've reached out to me, I honestly didn't know how to respond. When someone texts me, it's just in my nature to respond. But when the texts come from people I really have no interest in engaging with, I kind of have a hard time. I think the most awkward conversation went like this:

Guy I Dated for Four Months Who I Haven't Heard From in a Year: Hey!

Me: Hi. How are you?

Guy: Good! Just sitting here, thinking about you.

Me: That's nice. (I really didn't know how to respond to that. If I was interested, I might've found it kind of sweet. But I'm not...at all. I kind of think it is the equivalent of someone saying, "I love you," and hearing, "Thank you," in return...But hopefully not that harsh...Ha! )

Guy: I'm getting married! 

Me: That's great! Congratulations!

Guy: Just kidding! I'm not getting married!

Me: I figured. Anyway, I'm glad to know you're doing well. Take care.

Ummmm...awkward! How did I date that guy for 4 months?! Anyway, I think my point with all this is the fact that there is something in the air this time of year. Maybe it's because by this time, work has generally settled into a fairly good routine, and I have a better vision of what I want my students to accomplish...So I am more in a place where I have TIME to start thinking about those things. And  it seems to be the season when people reach out to try to reconnect. Unfortunately, I'm not in the place where I'm really willing to reconnect with people I was never terribly connected with in the first place. A year ago, I might've been more willing to engage. But at this point, I'm not really interested. I guess I'm just so far beyond the point in my life where I will talk to people I'm not terribly interested in, just for the purpose of having male attention. That phase in my life was fleeting, and passed quite quickly (shortly after my divorce), because I legitimately am more into depth and connections than meaningless compliments from people I don't even really like. And let's face it... I'm totally ADHD... If someone doesn't have anything interesting to talk about and keep me on my toes, I lose interest in about 3.2 seconds. Just saying.  I AM ready to put more effort into a relationship with the right person...but I don't really want to date... Can't I just skip that part? Ha! A girl can dream, right?

Clearly, even though I seem to be in a settling mode, I'm not entirely settled yet. But that's okay. I keep telling myself that once I get into a little bit simpler routine where I might actually have some full weekends, and I stop living my life like a complete workaholic, I'll actually be more capable of settling. I really do think that's true. I've got a lot going on, but I am hoping it will all fall into place, so I can give Charley more QUALITY time and an even better quality of life. My goal is to work all of the logistics out before the holidays. It's good to have goals, right? 

With all of that said, it really was a great week. There were some hiccups here and there, but I really can't complain. Fingers crossed for more great weather this weekend! On that note, have a great night!

Just in Time!

I love that smile!

Tomorrow the annual MEA (Minnesota Education Association) break begins. Essentially, the importance of the break for teachers like me is the fact that it means we have a day off. This particular break came about just in time. I know I mentioned that I've been working fewer hours at the gym, and that has really relieved quite a bit of stress on my end. However, this week we had parent-teacher conferences, so that meant staying at the school until 7:30 or 8 on Monday and Tuesday. Twelve hour days are certainly enough to do me in!  Anyway, today we wrapped up conferences, and students had the day off, which  was probably a good thing, because all of the teachers would've been SUPER crabby, due to lack of sleep! Ha!

Last weekend was busy. I had a friend watch Charley for a little while on Saturday, and Charley had a complete blast. She couldn't stop talking about "Katie Pilz." Apparently she called Katie by her first and last name the entire time she was with her. That sounds like my Charley! Anyway, she came home with a painted pumpkin, a little light-up ring, and a little Halloween bucket. She couldn't have been happier. Katie said Charley had kept her family laughing all morning. That made me feel really great. I also felt wonderful when Katie texted me later to let me know how polite Charley had been. I guess at one point during the morning, Katie had two treats and there were three people. Charley said, "It's okay. You can have my treat." That made me feel really wonderful as a parent. I'm glad my little Charley is so friendly and generous. Most of the time, at least! Ha! Saturday afternoon, we went to the apple orchard with my sister, then Saturday evening one of my neighborhood girlfriends came over to chit chat for awhile. It was a busy day for sure, but it was pretty fantastic!

Picture day! Totally a fake smile...

Sunday, I worked at the gym, as usual. Then, when Monday rolled around, I knew I was in for a long couple of days. The kids all knew it was only a two day week, so they were distractible from the moment they walked in on Monday until the moment they walked out the door on Tuesday afternoon. It was just one of those weeks.  It didn't help that the teachers were staying late for conferences. Honestly, most of my conferences were great. I work with parents who are, for the most part, incredibly supportive and encouraging of their children. I only had one who seemed to be unhappy, but there's always one in the bunch, right? As I drove home last night, I was questioning why I'd left the school feeling so exhausted and...well...crabby. Then I realized I hadn't ingested any caffeine at ALL. That pretty much explained it! With that said, I got home, and Charley and I had passed out by 8:45. It was amazing.

Apparently Charley felt the need to wear a
disguise today... Ha!

This morning, I felt great. I got a great night's sleep, and was able to have a cup of coffee in peace, because Charley slept in a bit. I dropped her off at school, and headed into work for a somewhat relaxing day of conferences, planning, and meetings. I'd been at school for about 45 minutes when my classroom phone rang. I answered. Sure enough, it was Charley's teacher on the other end. Apparently one of Charley's friends snuck in the door with some food from home. Peanut butter. And who did this little girl run up to hug? Charley. The child with a severe peanut allergy. Somehow she managed to get her hands all over Charley's face, and my kiddo was breaking out in hives. I raced down to the principal's office, explained what had happened, and flew out the door. When I got to Charley's school, I was relieved to see that the hives were not nearly as bad as they had been the last time she had a peanut-related reaction. Nonetheless, I took her home, gave her some Benadryl and put cortisone on her hives, and let her relax for a few minutes. She was honestly fine, but definitely shaken up by all of the excitement. After spending a few minutes at home, I brought her back to school, where her director apologized profusely and assured me that she had already addressed the issue with the other child's parents. I think I was calmer and more understanding than they'd anticipated. I mean, I was certainly frustrated...but getting all worked up won't do any good. Don't get me wrong... on the inside, I was panicking. I don't think some parents realize just how serious a food allergy can be! But I just needed reassurance that precautions would be taken to make sure it didn't happen again. Charley spent the rest of the day at school, and I went back to work.

This picture sums us up pretty well!

So, with all of that said, it's been quite a week so far. And yes, I believe this short vacation came about just in time. I'm looking forward to a couple days to myself, cleaning the house, running errands, and maybe even getting a pedicure! It's definitely a much-needed break. On that note, have a great rest of the week!

Cutting Back

I know I've mentioned in the last few posts how I've been really busy lately. I like being busy...In fact, I'm at my best when I'm busy. But everybody has their limits. I just can't work 7 days a week and be a pleasant person to be around! So, I finally made an effort to cut back on work, and it feels INCREDIBLE. Today is really the first day I've had off, but it gave me a chance to see what I've been missing. And wow,  I've been missing out!

Last week at work was a little bit rough. I love my job, and the fact that the kids challenge me. They make me think, and many times think completely outside the box, in order to get them to work. Honestly, I remember thinking that I'd had a pretty good day, each day as I left the school. In fact, I walked away from a couple of days with some hilarious stories, that non-teachers might have a hard time believing. But for some reason, last week was more physically draining that usual. I'm  not quite sure why. Maybe it's the fact that I went on a field trip yesterday... That certainly took a lot out of me! Field trips are fun, and yesterday's was no exception. We went to a fur trading post, and the kids learned a lot about trading and the Ojibwa culture. As a teacher, I found it very interesting. The kids I was working with did a really good job, and they were well-behaved almost the entire time. I think the exhausting parts of the trip were the outdoor pieces (I'm not a fan of being outside in the rain and cold weather, but I'm just being a whiner... The outdoor things were actually pretty cool), and the bus ride. Oh, the bus ride.  After riding on the bus with 50+ fifth graders, I've determined that bus drivers do not make enough money! Overall, it was a great trip, but it truly did wear me out.

Feeding chickens at the apple orchard.

On an unrelated note, earlier this week, one of my friends came over for dinner with her two kids. It was SO much fun. I genuinely enjoy cooking, but haven't done much of it in the last 2 years, because I'm used to cooking for at least 2 adults and seem to have a hard time cooking the right amount for just Charley and me. I'm all about eating leftovers, but you can only eat the same casserole for so many days in a row before determining that you'll never eat it again! Anyway, they drove up from the cities, and I made a simple spaghetti dinner, complete with all the fixings. It was great! The kids played, my friend and I had a chance to catch up, and have an adult conversation on a weeknight. Kind of out of the ordinary for me! With that said, I'm hoping to do more cooking and weeknight entertaining, during the upcoming months.

So, back to the title of my post. Cutting back. I've officially cut back on my weekly private lessons. It's hard when people have specifically sought me out to work with their kids, and I have to tell them I can't do it anymore. But I am human. I need a little bit of time to myself, and more than anything, I need to work less so I'm less stressed out around Charley. Today was legitimately the perfect fall day, and I wouldn't have experienced it if I'd have been working. Charley and I slept in until 7:30 (in our world, that's late), and ate breakfast together. Then, I started some Saturday morning cleaning. Sometimes, in my world, cleaning consists of shoving things into closets, to clear the space I can see. Other times, I do the nitty-gritty, deep cleaning that I really SHOULD do more frequently than I do. Today, I actually had time to do a nitty-gritty clean, and my house looks great as a result! When I was finished cleaning, Charley and I headed out to lunch with my sister. We haven't done enough of those outings lately, and it was nice to catch up, just the 3 of us. My sister commented on how Charley was in such a great mood. "Probably because she slept for 12 hours!" I said. She really was in a great mood. After we left lunch, Charley and I headed to the apple orchard. It was a nice orchard, about a mile from our house, but it wasn't a self-pick orchard, so it really wasn't what I'm used to in terms of apple picking. There really wasn't any picking involved! With that said, Charley had a great time, and we bought some apples that we turned into homemade apple crisp as soon as we returned home. With all of the cooking and cleaning in the last week, I'm beginning to feel my little 'Suzy Homemaker' side coming out, and it's kind of nice! My home looks and smells incredible (apple crisp in the oven is making my house smell like sweet, cinnamony-goodness), and I feel more relaxed than than I have in weeks! Hopefully, with reducing my work schedule, I'll get to have more days like this coming my way. Have a great weekend!

My little apple-crisp maker!

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!

It's Here...Blog #100!

In honor of my 100th blog post, I decided to go back and read my first ever blog. It was interesting, that’s for sure. Time goes quickly, and I feel like I’m turning into a new person, and…dare I say… growing up. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’ve always been kind of a grown up. Responsible, stayed out of trouble, tried to keep the peace…But I’ve grown in different ways, due to life’s circumstances. So, I thought I would use today’s post to reflect on a couple of areas in which my life has changed drastically, since I started this whole blogging adventure. 

Career: When I started blogging, I was teaching special education for Nevada Virtual Academy. The job had a lot of perks, including a flexible schedule, and the ability to work from home. But considering I was living with a toddler, and wasn't exactly having a lot of adult interaction on a daily basis, I found that in that job I was bored and kind of lonely. Since leaving that position, I returned to a full-time gymnastics career, when I started GO! Gymnastics, but after some time, it was clear that I really needed a job that would give me a steady paycheck, and provided a regular routine. So, I went back to teaching. Is my job difficult? Absolutely. Do I love it? Absolutely. I love everything about my job. In a given day, I can be insulted, yelled at, talked back to, hugged, smiled at, thanked, and told, "I wish you could be my mom," all by the same student. It can be emotionally draining at times, because I invest myself in all of my students... but I wouldn't change it for the world. I feel like I've found a home, in my classroom.

Love: A year and a half ago, I detailed my extensive online dating experience. While the dates were amusing, and brought along necessary experience in the dating world, it wasn't long before online dating in general, got old. Very old. I ventured back into the online world several times over the last two years, but every time, I found myself kind of annoyed by it and it certainly wasn't fulfilling. I learned a lot, though, and met all types of different people. I've found that I'm more in search of companionship than anything else.  Am I in a serious relationship right now? No. I do have someone in my life who's important to me. He gives me butterflies. He always has. And I like that. But that's all I have to say on the subject at this point! 

Charley: Charley has changed from a sweet, silly, headstrong toddler to a bright, spunky, adorable preschooler. She's not a baby anymore. She's a little girl. It's hard to believe how much she's grown up in the last couple of years. When I started blogging, she spent 98% of her time with me. The excitement of her day might've been a trip to Target, or going to the gym. Now, she spends much of her time at preschool, with her friends and her teachers. She speaks in clear, complete sentences, and counts to 50. She is a free spirit, who belts out songs at the top of her lungs, and dances around the room like nobody's watching (although she always checks to make sure SOMEONE is watching). Charley has grown up quite a bit, and I can't believe how much she has changed. It makes me simultaneously sad and proud. I love that little girl. 

Home: For two years, I lived in a small, two-bedroom duplex, where I could hear EVERYTHING that went on upstairs. The place wasn't perfect, but it was a great fit for awhile. I loved the neighborhood, and all of my neighbors. I lived less than a block from Target and Jimmy John's, and was 10 minutes from just about anywhere I needed to go. Now, I live outside of the city. I live in a small town, in a more comfortable home, where Charley is surrounded by other kids. I'm closer to work, and spending more time at home. It's definitely a simpler life, and I like that.

Friends: The friends I had when I came back from Las Vegas will always be some of my closest friends. They will always be the girls that I could not talk to for several weeks or months, but there's a mutual understanding that if we ever need each other, we'll be there in a heartbeat. I've been lucky, too, in the last year. I've definitely expanded my social circle to more parents of young kids, which certainly makes Charley's playdates more fun! I've also spent a lot of time interacting with my co-workers, and many of them have become friends, too. It's nice to work with people that you genuinely enjoy being around!

Priorities: When I started this blog, my priorities were a little bit different. Charley has always come first, and that has been non-negotiable over the years. But outside of that, my frame of mind has really changed dramatically. My main focus outside of Charley and work, was finding a relationship. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but when you go into any type of dating, searching specifically for a relationship, it can lead to rushing, and settling, just for the sake of having someone to call your other half. Now, more than anything, I'm looking for balance. I've made that a resolution the last two years, and I'm still not doing a very good job. My life consists of Charley, work, a LITTLE bit of time for friends, and even less time for anything more than that. I'm trying to make it a priority to find better balance in all areas of my life. What that means, I'm not entirely sure. But it is important to me to lead a more balanced, fulfilling life, where all aspects feel settled and content. I'm not there quite yet, but I'm getting there! 

With all of that said, this whole blogging experience has been enlightening and amusing for me. I'll likely keep it up for awhile longer. At the very least, it serves as a reminder of where I've been in the last couple of years. Anyway, it's time for me to sign off for the night. Have a great weekend!

I Survived!

Well, I did it. I survived the first week of school. And in all honesty, it went pretty well. Sure, there were a few hiccups, and signs of problem behaviors, but overall, it was a reasonably successful week of school. Even though I’m overwhelmed by the number of evaluations I will have to do this year, and the number of meetings that are imminently in my future, I’m hopeful that things will settle in, in the next few weeks, and my life will slow down a little bit. I’m not counting on it, but a girl can dream, right? Anyway, I thought I’d write a little bit about what I’ve been up to. 

On Tuesday, I went to school, nervous and excited to see my kids. The kids were all learning classroom rules and expectations with their general education peers, so I just kind of bounced from room to room, trying to make sure that my students were on-track, and nobody was melting down. Most of the students were glad to see me, although a couple of them didn’t want to be singled out in the class, so with those kids, I just made eye contact and smiled from a distance.  In one sixth grade classroom, I snuck up behind a student of mine from last year. I’m not working with him this year, but when I peeked in the room, he was clearly lost. So, I crouched down beside his desk, tapped him on the shoulder, and he simultaneously jumped and turned his head. “Ms. Pierron! You scared me!” he whispered, excitedly. “It’s really good to see you,” he said, as he squeezed my shoulder. I left the room shortly after, and when I stopped by to check on him again, he was doing just fine. I was happy for him.

Wednesday was my birthday. 31. It’s crazy to me, because I’m not at all where I thought I would be in my life at 31. I take that back. In many ways, I’m exactly where I expected to be at  this age. I have a beautiful child, a great home, wonderful friends, and a job that I love. So, in all of those areas, I suppose I couldn’t really ask for any more. I guess I just never thought that I’d be 31 and a single mom, living paycheck to paycheck. But life is never what you expect, right? And that’s okay, I won’t be in this situation forever. I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year for me. Anyway, the day itself was wonderful. Certainly better than LAST year’s birthday! Last year, I spent the entire day running from one DMV to the next, trying to get my in-state driver’s license. This year, I went to school, and received a bag of goodies from one of my friends, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers from another. By the time I checked FB, I had lots of birthday messages, including a message from one of my favorite little gymnasts. Those little things definitely got my day started off on the right foot. Students were still spending most of their time in their regular classrooms, but a few kids came down for small groups. A couple of them clearly just needed a break, so one of my co-workers put “Just Dance” on the SmartBoard, and let them take a movement break. It was hilarious. I’ve never seen two 6th grade boys so serious about dancing. When “I Will Survive,” came on the screen, my co-worker and I joined in with the kids. I’m sure if anybody walked by, they probably thought were were crazy. But it was fun! And the kids were much easier to work with after their little dance break. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly, and I went out to dinner that evening. After Charley went to sleep, one of my girlfriends who lives a couple of blocks away came over for a glass of wine and we chatted for awhile. It’s amazing how much we have in common, and we just met by chance at the pool a couple of months ago. It just goes to show, you can meet good people anywhere…Particularly in Minnesota!

The rest of the week was pretty typical. There were a couple of miscommunications, and a few student meltdowns, but nothing too bad. This morning, Charley woke up in a great mood, and ready to go at 6 a.m. By noon, I had already vacuumed and steam cleaned the floors, done two loads of laundry, run the dishwasher, and Charley and I had already been to the grocery store, and the park twice. My mom called, and asked if she and my sister could come up for a visit, so they stopped by for awhile, which was nice. Charley and I sat outside, waiting for them to come, and discovered a nice family of bees living on the front of our garage. I don’t know if it was the product in my hair, or if the bees could just sense that I’m severely allergic, but they were circling around me for a good fifteen minutes. I didn’t want to panic, and scare Charley, but truth be told, I was screaming on the inside! I kept walking around, trying to avoid them (which I’m sure looked ridiculous to anybody who might have seen me from a distance), but they just wouldn’t leave me alone. When we went to the pool later in the day, I seemed to have another bee-stalker. Bees and mosquitoes are the reason I don’t consider myself an outdoor person! I think they can sense my fear. Anyway, I managed to make it through the day without a sting or a bite, so I suppose that’s a success!

Alright, I suppose I should get myself ready for tomorrow. I’ve got a full day of private lessons at the gym, and it’s going to be a doozy. On an unrelated note, this is my 99th blog post! When I started blogging a year-and-a-half ago, I never really imagined I’d keep writing for so long. So with that said, any requests for 100th post blog topics? Let me know! Have a great weekend!