Our second trimester has come and gone, I have the stack of papers from yesterday’s exams to prove it. I will be teaching two totally new, never seen by me subjects before, during this final term. This weekend I have a TON of last minute touches to put on EVERYTHING for this new term. Everything seems to be “almost” done. And I have to do it as a single mom.
Remember how I said “Here is where I fall in love with the fire department”? I still stand by that. But, this is the moment when I lose my mind because of the firefighter’s schedule. 
Last weekend J worked a 48. He switched with one of the guys on the red shift, in order to be able to stay home with the girls during our H1N1 micro-pandemic. He also had a city-owed trade that he is paying back PLUS the teacher in him caused him to HAVE to go on an over night field trip to the EAA. This was the trip he was in charge of for 10 years. So here is our schedule over the course of 2 weeks:
- Last week – Saturday, Sunday – on. Monday off. Tuesday/Wednesday EAA trip in Oshkosh, Thursday off, Friday on.
- This week – Saturday off – our niece’s birthday party in Manitowoc. Sunday, Monday- on. Tuesday off, Wednesday, Thursday – on. Friday resume some form of normalcy.
Light at the end of the tunnel – After these CRAZY stretch, I am one week away from Spring Break – which J is home for the WHOLE time! YEAH! And the icing on the cake – I am home for St. Patrick’s Day which is also the opening day of March Madness. BONUS! Indeed the luck o’ the Irish is upon me this year! We have made arrangements for the kids so we can go out on St. Paddy’s – something silly I have always wanted to do, but always had to work.
AND…we have been totally in UNDIES with Obabya since we came home from the hospital. No Pull-ups, except at night. And every Pull-up has been dry in the morning. (Don’t ask me about the ONE time I get brave and leave her in undies at night, however.) Never thought I would be discussing undies in such a manner. So funny how Mommyhood changes things!
So, I take a deep breath today – listening to the chaos break out upstairs along with the dawn. My firefighter will be home in a few hours and our 24 hours together will begin with our fasting blood draw for his insurance – and may I say, I AM STARVING! Followed by an hour and a half trip up north for a fun party with family. He leaves for a 48 tomorrow and I need to finish correcting some papers that were “forgotten” about by my seniors, along with yesterday’s exams, finish writing my curriculum map and syllabus for my new sophomore class, shore up my second go round with this junior class for their part-deux (They have missed me so much since November, that I have not been able to get them out of my room all week! Think it will last?) and figure out what the heck I am going to do with the little teeny-tiny 7th graders they sent my way this term.
Peace, love and Coco Puffs from the loony-bin!
Enjoy your weekend, kiss your firefighters, hug your kids and thank your teachers.
Too Hot to Handle 