the first day of school.

today was the first day of school. a few months ago, before the end of last year and before lylah was born, i didn't think i'd still be a teacher on this day. i'd turned in my resignation because leaving lylah (and the other two as well, honestly) was out of the question. i wanted to nurse. and i desperately wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. on a whim, i included the possibility of continuing to work with the school via the yearbook in my resignation letter. i truly, truly love my school and knew it would be hard to find someone to take over the yearbook job. the learning curve is steep, and it takes up a lot of time for an english teacher. even so, i really didn't expect it to work out.

i was wrong.

it has more than worked out. the school has given me everything i asked for: one class period (for yearbook I, II & III), an afternoon time slot, and the opportunity to maintain health insurance for my sweet family of five. i am still a part of the team at tlca while still very much a stay-at-home mom. i can take my big kids to preschool as well as attend their events there and pick them up when it's over. i can nurse my baby. i can go grocery shopping with my kids and take them to the park. i can do laundry and clean bathrooms during the day if i want to. i can also get showered and dressed for work and wear a tlca name badge. i can go to football games. i can hug my students of two years who are now 8th graders. i can supervise the creation of the third eagle charter yearbook. it is mind-blowingly, unbelievably ideal. totally perfect. God is such a showoff.

i love being a teacher. and i love being a mom. i truly have the best of both worlds.

today was great. my staff is great. i can already see their creative, artistic minds turning. i can't wait to see what they come up with over the next several months. making it even sweeter was that class was sandwiched on either side by my having lunch with my kids and putting them down for their naps.

it's going to be a great year.