Back to Work

I've been back to work now for 2 weeks.  I had been off on an extending maternity leave since my son was born and I've loved every minute of it.  I've had my daughter and son with me everyday.  It is such a fun time to be with my kids as they grow and change so much.  My son is now 19 months old and my daughter is 4 years old!

I have very mixed feelings about working again. I like my job.  I teach full-day Kindergarten and I love the challenges and rewards it gives to see such little children come in not knowing how to read their name and leaving (after 2 years) being able to read simple sentences (at least, that's the goal).  I'm worried about keeping everything together.  Doing things in a timely fashion.  I've only ever been early or late to things since I had kids.  Mostly I'm worried about getting knocked out by Vertigo again.  When I went back to work after having my daughter I worked for 2 weeks and then I ended up in the hospital and diagnosed with Benign Positional Paroxismal Vertigo (BPPV).  I was off work for 2 weeks ( and I was told it could be up to 6 weeks).  When I did return to work my immune system wasn't quite recovered and I caught every tiny little cold and sniffle that came into my classroom.  I ended up missing 28 days of work that year!! So I'm really afraid of a repeat of that.  Since that big episode I have only had tiny moments of vertigo.  I can't spin my kids around and dance in circles without getting dizzy.  Two weeks back this time and no vertigo yet. 

My typical day right now has been wake up with my son around 6 am.  Go to the kitchen and get a snack for him then go to the basement where my sewing area is and a play area for the kids.  On a nice day he eats his snacks and then plays happily by himself and I work on taping together patterns and cutting out fabric.

When my daughter wakes up (after 7) we go upstairs and make breakfast.  After we eat the kids are typically happy to play, as they are doing right now.  My sewing and knitting time happens when my son has his afternoon nap and my daughter has "quiet time" (read, play quietly and watch a tv show).  Then after the kids are in bed I usually do more sewing or knitting.  I will miss the quiet rhythm of our days.

Now it's up at 6 pm.  Everyone out the door by 7:15.  Drop my husband at the train. Drop the kids at daycare.  Work till 4:15.  Pick up the kids.  Home to make supper and put the kids to bed by 7.  Everything feels so rushed and hectic.  But that's reality.  We're slowly making the adjustment!  So if my blogging is slow and my finished projects slow down that's why!  Not enough hours in the day!