I spent this morning divided between two major tasks: setting up a lesson plan and my classroom for a substitute and drinking water.
The former because Ruby woke up on Saturday morning with a fever that is only now breaking. The latter because, in our slight effort to wean Ruby, I forgot about the importance of staying hydrated.
Since I went back to work, Ruby has been, rather naturally, weaning herself from breastfeeding. In the beginning, I'd return home and she would beg to nurse, but the last week or so has shown her not to be all that interested.
Now, I recall hearing over and over again that a sick toddler probably won't want to eat, making nursing a great resource. Ruby wanted hydration, Ruby wanted comfort, so I pretty much spent the weekend cuddling and nursing a 13-month-old.
I couldn't get enough water. Not only was she draining me, I had slipped on nursing hydration standards. I wasn't nursing as much as I was, so I wasn't drinking as much as I was. I woke up parched in the middle of the night with Ruby still nursing.
Water. Goodness me, but water is a nursing mother's friend. Especially if you find yourself on a sudden power-nursing weekend.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Being a mommy and a teacher
Life certainly is strange.
No, my life has yet to become the stuff of the bizarre and truly inspirational, but I still find it funny how things go.
Late in high school, I took to the notion of becoming a teacher. For the first two years of college I flirted with both the elementary education and health science education programs before finally committing to becoming an elementary school teacher. I graduated, got a job, taught for three years, and... didn't get my contract renewed.
I was heartbroken. Not only was I out a paycheck, my dream of being that cute little elementary school teacher had been ripped from me. I applied for other jobs, but nothing really panned out and, frankly, I was too miserable to be at my best for applications.
Anyone, I took a job with my local BSA council, got married, and eventually had my daughter Ruby. My husband was still in college at the time, but I figured he would eventually graduate and I could be a stay-at-home-mom.
Which I did for a little over a year. I was of two minds about it: On one hand, I loved it. I loved being with my daughter. It was also useful as she was a miserable, no-feel-good baby the first few months--and my husband was on active duty for the summer so I was living with my parents. On the other hand, I was in fear of being bored. Even after we moved into my grandmother's basement (a temporary place until my husband could land a geology job of some sort) I felt like I wasn't doing enough with my day. Play with the baby, keep house, play video games, etc. Especially since my husband wasn't finding a job for his degree and instead was working a call center (miserable) and then as a security guard (not too shabby).
Financially, we were in great shape. But we wanted out of Grandma's basement, maybe buy a first house. So I figured with my husband's schedule, he could watch Ruby during the day and I could take the occasional sub job.
So I returned to tossing out applications. But, heck, it had been four years with a few interviews but no job offers.
I get called in for a couple of interviews (I was aiming for sub or part-time stuff, but also put in some full-time applications.) One interview at a local charter school asks how soon I could start. (Really? It's almost the final quarter of the year.) I say, with my husband's schedule, I could start immediately. The principal and her people say they'll call me with their decision (never happens if you don't get the job) and I leave, figuring that's the last of that.
I return home to await the posting of the Amazon Vine Last Harvest list, all the while mentioning my job interview on the Vine member forum largely as a joke (hey, I went to a job interview, that should get the Last Harvest posting!)
Turns out I later got to post I interviewed for AND WAS OFFERED a job and Last Harvest still couldn't post.
So the following Monday my husband is watching Ruby and I'm teaching a classroom full of crazy second-graders.
So, for the time being, I'm not being a stay-at-home-mom. I have joined the ranks of working mothers and I'm suddenly back in teaching.
Here we go.
No, my life has yet to become the stuff of the bizarre and truly inspirational, but I still find it funny how things go.
Late in high school, I took to the notion of becoming a teacher. For the first two years of college I flirted with both the elementary education and health science education programs before finally committing to becoming an elementary school teacher. I graduated, got a job, taught for three years, and... didn't get my contract renewed.
I was heartbroken. Not only was I out a paycheck, my dream of being that cute little elementary school teacher had been ripped from me. I applied for other jobs, but nothing really panned out and, frankly, I was too miserable to be at my best for applications.
Anyone, I took a job with my local BSA council, got married, and eventually had my daughter Ruby. My husband was still in college at the time, but I figured he would eventually graduate and I could be a stay-at-home-mom.
Which I did for a little over a year. I was of two minds about it: On one hand, I loved it. I loved being with my daughter. It was also useful as she was a miserable, no-feel-good baby the first few months--and my husband was on active duty for the summer so I was living with my parents. On the other hand, I was in fear of being bored. Even after we moved into my grandmother's basement (a temporary place until my husband could land a geology job of some sort) I felt like I wasn't doing enough with my day. Play with the baby, keep house, play video games, etc. Especially since my husband wasn't finding a job for his degree and instead was working a call center (miserable) and then as a security guard (not too shabby).
Financially, we were in great shape. But we wanted out of Grandma's basement, maybe buy a first house. So I figured with my husband's schedule, he could watch Ruby during the day and I could take the occasional sub job.
So I returned to tossing out applications. But, heck, it had been four years with a few interviews but no job offers.
I get called in for a couple of interviews (I was aiming for sub or part-time stuff, but also put in some full-time applications.) One interview at a local charter school asks how soon I could start. (Really? It's almost the final quarter of the year.) I say, with my husband's schedule, I could start immediately. The principal and her people say they'll call me with their decision (never happens if you don't get the job) and I leave, figuring that's the last of that.
I return home to await the posting of the Amazon Vine Last Harvest list, all the while mentioning my job interview on the Vine member forum largely as a joke (hey, I went to a job interview, that should get the Last Harvest posting!)
Turns out I later got to post I interviewed for AND WAS OFFERED a job and Last Harvest still couldn't post.
So the following Monday my husband is watching Ruby and I'm teaching a classroom full of crazy second-graders.
So, for the time being, I'm not being a stay-at-home-mom. I have joined the ranks of working mothers and I'm suddenly back in teaching.
Here we go.
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