A New Classroom

Summer break is quickly drawing to a close and my decision to re-enter the workforce will become my reality in only 12 days.  At the end of May, I began applying and interviewing for Special Education Teacher positions and accepted a position in a nearby district to teach a class of middle schoolers in a self-contained class for students with behavioral disabilities. 

Life is changing and I am excited about this new transition not only for myself but also for my girls.  They will begin pre-school - Lena is enrolled in a Pre-K4 class four days a week, while Lucianna will attend the Pre-K3 program three days a week.  My mom has offered her time to be with the girls on their off days.  Her help will be invaluable as I take comfort in knowing they will get the best of both worlds - school and home with Grandmom's loving, smart way.  On Tuesdays, Grandmom will take both girls to our local library's story time as I have done for the past 3 years and G (their grandfather - cool name, eh?) has even stepped up to plate, offering to take Grandmom and his girls out to lunch following morning story time. 

What a whirlwind we are in for - entering the world of taxiing kids, packing lunch and filling book bags all while Mommy delves back in to the adult world of waking up, dressing nice and heading off to work! 

While school awaits, I reflect on the last four and a half years with gratitude and an overwhelmed heart that heats with love for the time I spent home raising Lena and Lucianna.  I am fortunate that this choice to become a working mom was accompanied by unwavering support from my hubby and was realized through a desire to move on to a new chapter of our family's life, not a necessity.  I look forward to releasing the pressure I place on myself to be not only the best mom I can be to the girls but also the best preschool teacher.  The teacher in me always enjoyed creating school time for them and engaging them in educational fun but I also levied  a lot of mom guilt.  I will always be their teacher - in life, but now I get to take one hat off and wear an entirely different one.  I am sure there will be more mom guilt, but I have taken the summer to practice cutting myself slack and letting go of what I feel I should do and have just enjoyed whatever comes!

So...a blog toast - to my time as a stay at home mom, to a new journey and two little girls who make each day a new adventure.

to be continued...