All wrapped up

The past few weeks have been a bit hectic for me. My team teacher has been sick and I've found myself with some extra work on my plate. Although it has been tough, I've tried not to let it frazzle me. I know that it is shaping my character.

Thursday afternoon I finished with dismissal and headed in to the teachers' lounge to check my voicemail and mailbox. I was curious to note that there was a small brown package sitting on the counter. Now, I knew that the package wasn't for me, as I hadn't sent away for anything, and so as I drew closer I began to envy, slightly, the recipient of the package.

As I reached into my mailbox, retrieving the "To Office" folder and a set of transparencies that I'd asked the secretary to make, I glanced down at the package and was startled to see that it was addressed to me! I tried to temper my joy, reminding myself that I hadn't ordered anything. After all, it was probably just a bunch of brochures or fire safety booklets to pass out to my students.

Picking up the box, I realized that it was slightly heavy. My mind calculated the weight of brochures and told me that this was far to weighty to be something so common.

I headed up to my classroom, wondering, as I walked the 3 flights of stairs, just what could be in the package.

When I got into my room, I carefully placed the package on my desk, hung up my coat, and put my dismissal binder away. At last it was time to find out what was in the box.

I sliced open the packing tape, brushing away the packing peanuts, and found a glossy card with a big "Thank You" printed on the front. I opened it up and found a sweet note from my team teacher, thanking me for all of my help over the last few weeks.

This beautiful card would have been more than enough, but there was something hiding deeper in the box. Reaching in, I pulled out white box with a silky, red ribbon. Inside, I found two dozen gourmet cookies!

It was an unexpected delight. What a delicious way to make someone feel loved!

The list keeps getting longer

Reason number 4,573,842 I love my sister: I can ask her something embarassing and then hear her answer, "Yeah! Me, too!" And I realize that even if I really am the odd ball that I feel like sometimes, at least she is one, too.

Rescue

Today was kind of rough. I had too many things to do and not enough time in which to do any of it. I anticipated planning periods that I was unable to have due to other school events occurring.

With all of this on my plate, and more piling up each minute, an eruption was imminent.

I took my students to music class, and was poised to spend my half hour feverishly completing tasks, when I remembered that my mother had left a voicemail.

As I listened to the voicemail; a request to help out my parents by hanging out in their house entertaining the siding salesman until the were able to return, waves of stress began to overwhelm me. Of course I couldn't head out to my parents' house! I had a meeting after school. And after the meeting I had to prepare subplans for tomorrow, as I'm leaving first thing in the morning for a convention.

I dialed my mother's number and the "mommy syndrome" took hold. You know what I'm talking about. You feel like you can handle it all (feeling sad, feeling sick, feeling stressed), but then you talk to your mom and it all comes tumbling out. As I talked to my mom, I began to cry, running through the litany of details that I had to check off my list.

She did her best to soothe me, giving me ideas to try to get through each detail. She told me to picture her sitting in my classroom smiling at me. After we hung up, I had only a short amount of time to straighten myself up before another teacher requested my help. Soon it was time to pick up my class. I'd gotten very little checked off my list, but somehow felt better than when the break had started.

This afternoon I spent almost 4 hours working on subplans. As the minute hand ticked away the time, I started feeling panicky. I was no where near finished and it was almost time to pick up my daughter. I called my mother to see if she might be able to run across the street to the sitter's and watch her for a few minutes until I could get there.

Turns out, my mommy had a plan.

She happily told me how, of course, she was going to get Sophie, because she wanted both of my kids to spend the night. She was cooking a great dinner for them and had sent my husband out to get dinner for the two of us.

Now, with my tummy full of food I didn't have to cook, I am enjoying the peace and quiet. I have more work to do, but I need this silence so that I can be ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.