Well, you need to get one.

I felt like I had gone into hiding before Wednesday last week. Then I finally became social again and got to see friends I hadn't seen in weeks. Why was I M.I.A? Oh yeah, school started back. We just finished up our second week of school, but I went back to work the week prior which was after my week and a day summer  vacation. I love the money I make working during the summer, but it makes my summer very short. The week prior to school starting included workshops and work days. We never get enough work days. We have work days to get ready for open house.  We need more work days to get ready for school starting. It is unreal the number of teachers you can find at school on a Sunday. I am sure there are teachers there on Saturday too, but I refuse to spend my Saturday at school.

I have 20 kids in my class. Thank you crappy economy and proration. Don't get me wrong I am very thankful for my job. It just means more work on my part, and I don't think that is a good number of kids to have in one class in first grade. Oh well. I must accept the things I cannot change.

The first day of school was one to remember...
 A mom I've had through extended day told me she thought I was in high school or college until she saw me walking into my classroom.

I had a few kids who wanted to be in my class. That is something that always surprises me. Usually the kids that want to be in my class I have through extended day or I had their older sibling in first grade. Two of my current kids that wanted to be in my class do not fall into either category. It baffles me.

I nearly died, okay maybe that is an exaggeration, on the first day of school. I have carline duty. On the first day of school there was an impromptu thunder storm that broke my umbrella. I also was soaking wet from my head to my toes. Some sweet parent in carline saw me in distress and offered me a little poncho, but the wind made it very difficult to put on correctly. A mom of a former student saw me in carline and was genuinely worried for my safety with the rain, thunder, and lightening. Karen, who I was talking to on the phone as part of my carline duty, kept telling me to come inside. However, I couldn't hear her over the rain and thunder. It was eventful and memorable and hopefully it will never happen again. Maybe I should ask PTA for a rain suit...

1st day of school playground conversation:
student: Do you have kids?
me: nope
student: Do you have a husband?
me: nope
student: Well, you need to get one.

It made me giggle. I love how she thinks getting a husband is like getting a cookie at Publix. Then as the the first week of school went on it started to make sense. I would come home so tired I could barely hold my head up. I would crash on the couch for a few hours. I would wake up starving, but still tired so my cooking options were limited. I barely managed to feed myself that week. No amount of sleep was enough. I struggled to get out of bed each morning. My feet hurt. My apartment looked a mess due to my tired self being unable to find the energy to pick up after myself let alone actually clean. I was a mess and in need of help. Then I remembered what my sweet little first grader had told me, "Well, you need to get one." I needed a husband that week. I needed someone to rub my sore and tired feet after working 10 and a half hours. I needed someone to cook me dinner so I was eating a decent meal and before 9:00. I needed someone to make sure I was sleeping like a normal person meaning no naps. I needed someone to help me wake up each morning when it was still dark outside and I was so tired. I needed someone to make my lunch so it was one less thing on my to do list. I needed someone to take over cleaning so it didn't look like a messy teenager's bedroom. So I guess she was right after all.