Returning to school and other things...

Summer school has been and gone, my darling friend has left town so the frenzied cleaning stopped and the first week of school has been and gone. The thought of going back to school this term has filled me with dread all holidays. I know I should be grateful for the wonderful holidays a teacher gets, but to be honest last year took more out of me than any teaching year before it. I guess DH having hurt his arm (tore his bicep tendon off the bone) in the middle of report writing didn't help. I guess my point is that I was starting to think I wouldn't cope with going back. And here I am, a week in, coping very well. My workload is halved from last year (we have two full time teachers working the case load) and although I have a mentoring role this year I can feel my concern and stress easing. I know though that it won't be long before I'm looking for a change/break short or long term I don't know. I know exactly what sort of break I want - the maternity type break.

On that front, I got DH to the dr to check up on how things were going. He had a vesectomy reversal 12 mths ago and I wanted to make sure that it had worked. So the dr said if you don't hear from me everything is good, but if you do hear from me don't panick. Well we heard from him and have another appointment tomorrow...am I panicked...yes YES I AM! I know I just need to believe - the catch cry of my darling friend at the moment and I am trying but I'm worried. I want babies SO MUCH!

So school, yes it is going well. Would I rather be a SAHM? Hell yeah, but I guess I need to keep waiting and believing my turn will come. In the meantime the pain of others falling pregnant easily and being around little babies comes and goes. Believe me I'm happy for the lovely people I know who totally deserve to be happy and have their babies...but there are times where that green monster overwhelms me and I find it a tad difficult. At the moment I'm in a good patch where I am enjoying the babies in my life and we'll see what the dr says tomorrow.

Back to Work

While most teachers still have another week or so (depending on how organised their classroom is) I start back tomorrow. That's right I said tomorrow. Why? Well I'm teaching Summer School again. Am I just a sucker for punishment? Perhaps, particularly when my lovely friend and her family only have 2 weeks left in town and I'm trying very hard not to get sad about it all... but that's another story...

So, Summer School. Originally I signed up just to do the June Summer School as a favour to the teacher who has been running it for years, as she was due to go on holidays, but right before SS started her husband was diagnosed with lymphoma and they left Roma in a whirlwind rush as they moved closer to doctors and treatments. I only had 5 kids at the last SS and I should have that many again. Plus the extra money was great!!

This time the unit is one I have read through many times before, and I helped my first year co-teacher teach this unit in our SEP last semester, so I'm reasonably happy that I don't have to spend hours and hours at school during the week. But I will be there a lot today. I have to go in and arrange all my furniture and make the place look nice again!!

So with great sadness, I say "Goodbye Summer holidays - it's been great" and "Hello School - I'm just about ready for your challenges" for another year!

Emily xoxo

Looking forward and being more positive!

A lovely scrapbooking friend of mine shared this blog post today on facebook and I wanted to share it with you, my tiny but lovely group of followers. The blog is called Positively Positive and this post is about 12 tips for Happiness. I think that they are just wonderful and exactly what I needed to read today. Check it out! Seriously.

I'm so impressed that I may have to change my goals this year or just say I'm going to try and follow these 12 tips.

I'm so serious about it that I'm making myself a card to keep in my purse with the 12 tips on it, to remind myself. It is so easy to fall back into old habits of thinking, and my thoughts aren't always productive or positive, particularly about myself.

So here goes. In 2012 I am going to try really really hard to:

1. Let go of my 2011 baggage.

2. Change the conversation (for me this is my internal conversation) - focus on the positives and what I love about my life.

3. Give.

4. Take a ME break.

5. Get naked (hehehehe) with my truth and be authentic - I already try pretty hard to do this. I hate fake. I don't 'do' fake. Fake people, fake friendships annoy me.

6. Get Creative - I bought Project Life and have already started!!! Sewing, Scrapbooking and Smocking - the 3S's relax me and help me to keep life in perspective. When I felt close to burning out during 2011, what was I neglecting? My creative side. Not in 2012!!!

7. Do innovative exercise.

8. Practice the F-word (as in Forgiveness).

9. Eat mindfully - trying to lose weight!!

10. Be Authentic.

11. Sit back and receive (yes please, I'll take a baby or two please!)

12. Expect miracles (yes please, definately a baby or two!)

Anyone else think they might give this a try?

Emily xoxo

Another new year!

With a crazy allergy attack that saw me rise with what appeared to be a bruiseless black eye, 2011 passed and 2012 arrived. We spent the evening exhaustedly playing ten pin bowling at the Nelson's on their Wii and had to leave before 12 due to my allergy attack. We did have heaps of fun earlier in the evening with the four boys playing with sparklers and glow sticks!!

So what do I see in store for me in 2012??

1 - My main goal is to not burn out this year at school - I know that sounds a bit drastic but I barely survived 2011 intact.

2 - I want to get fit and trim down - I know that has been my goal before, but I have already started this journey last year so all I have to do is keep the ball rolling!

3 - I bought Project Life for the first time and I intent to keep a record of this year and whatever it brings.

4 - Declutter and simplify

5 - Laugh more!

Emily xoxo