So, I’ve Been Gone For a While

Well, now that the Space Station repairs have finally been made and everyone at NASA has been briefed, I can  take a break from  my part-time job as an astronaut and get back to the really important things in life, such as the old blog here.

Oh, wait.  I’m not an astronaut.  My fear of flying kept me out of the space program.  Well, that and the fact that you’d never catch me in one of those big white suits.  There’s no way to look slim in one of those things.  And seriously, how in the world would I ever drink my diet coke with that helmet and visor thing in the way?

Any-ol-hoo.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve wandered around on the blog.  One minute I was hanging out on the sofa, mindlessly snacking away on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and sipping diet coke by the gallon, and the next minute I found myself back in the — oh, I can barely bring myself to say it — working world.

That’s right.  I’m back in the classroom.  Teaching 5th grade, of all things.  Wait, it gets better.  I teach Language Arts to my homeroom, but then we switch for everything else.  Guess what I’m teaching to three classes?

Go ahead.  Take a shot.

Science.

It’s still a shock to me, too.  I’m working for my former principal who has known me for a sweet forever, and when she called and offered me this job I actually said, “Are you sure you want me to teach Science?  I mean, you do remember who you’re talking to, right?”  Strangely enough, she still wanted me to take the job.

So far we’ve been in school for four weeks.  When I decided to accept the position, I looked at Tater Daddy and said, “How hard can it be?  Millions of women work and have families.  I really feel like I’m ready to go back to work.”

Silly, silly Tater Mama.  How I overestimated my ability to adapt to life without sleep.

Tater Tot goes to school with me and is in the 3-year-old preschool class, which he is enjoying very much.  Last week he informed me that he held Carly’s hand and that he would like to go back to school again.  Love may be in the air.

Don’t worry one bit about Small Fry, as he is in very capable hands.  Or should I say paws.  Pearl was just delighted to step up and take over as the nanny.  Oh, okay.  I’m kidding.  She’s simply assisting with the child care, but we like to let her think she’s in charge.

All in all, I’d have to say that our lives are in a constant state of chaos.  The house hasn’t been clean in a month.  I’m never caught up on laundry.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I slept more than six hours straight, which would be a luxury.  My classroom is a wreck at the end of every day, and I’m never ahead on lesson plans.  We’re supposed to have grades entered into the computer every week by Tuesday, and I have yet to get them all in there.  Granted, the program is new to me and I haven’t been trained on it, but still… I am NOT used to being this behind.  As Erma Bombeck once wrote, “I’m so far behind I think I’m first.”  (I loves me some Erma.)

I’m learning that it’s normal to feel this way when you take on a little more than you bargained for.

I’m also learning not to start sentences with, “How hard can it be?”

Because if you ask a stupid question…