When the questions come...

... but they were bound to come...

Someone today spelled out s-e-x to me, and it was playing on B's mind.

On the way home from dance, she asked me what s-e-x was.

I asked her what she thought it was...

When 2 people kiss?

Not quite.

When 2 people get naked in bed & kiss?

Well, that's part of it, I guess...

Well, what is it?

Do you really want to know?

Yes.

Ok. It's when a man puts his bicken in a woman's glicean.

WHAT?!?!

Yep.

silence

Um.. I think I may have just threw up in my mouth a bit.

more silence

Is that how you have a baby?

Well, it's how you make a baby.

So, you and dad... ?

major face palm by B

Oh. My. God.

So, like, does it work every time to make a baby?

Great question, actually... and No.

WHAT?!?! SERIOUSLY?!?!?! All that for nothin'?! That must be a huge let down!

(me, literally laughing out loud...)

Yes, it can be.

and from there it went on and on with questions about pain, clarification over which hole is which, more gagging noises... more face palms... more questions...

So, as she was getting into bed, I asked her, "Are you going to be able to sleep tonight or are you traumatized?"

Her response:

Sleep? Yep. Traumatized? Just a little. Oh. My. God....

What do YOU expect from your child's teacher?

For 24 hours a day, I'm a mom.
For about 12 hours a day, I'm a teacher.
Yes, e v e r y  d a y. Weekends. Evenings. Christmas Vacation. Summer Vacation (aka, right now). I'm constantly thinking of my job... well, it's not really that, it's another part of my daily life, another part of who I am. I eat, sleep, breathe, think about teaching or teaching related things at various points each and every day. (In fact, this week I'm participating in a Math Academy for sixth grade teachers, and the true geek in me is loving that I'm learning so much!)

Come September 1, I'll be starting a new teaching assignment. To some it would be considered an easier assignment than my previous Primary through Twelfth grade assortment. Others wonder why I'd want to "just be a classroom teacher". Me, well, I don't quite know what to think, other than I'm very excited to be a teacher of the grade 5/6 combined class in the school I've taught in for 10 years. It's exciting, exhilirating, and a tad bit scary! (lol)

I'm going from the "teacher of many courses/disciplines" to the "classroom teacher of your child".

My questions for you around what you, as parents, want to see from your children's teachers:

• What makes them good?
• What's the best way to communicate?
• What do you want communicated?
• What's your opinion on homework?
• What do you really want your children to learn?

Can you help me out? I want to have a multiple-parent-point-of-view to help frame my own mindset as the new school year approaches.

Thanks!

Parenting Paradox?!

So, apparently, this evening I "undermined" my hubby's parenting. No need to get into the minor details, but there is need to discuss such a thing.

Who does the majority of parenting in your home? Discipline? General upkeep? Is discipline the only form of parenting?

In my home, I'm the one who spends the vast majority of the time with the chillins. This is, as I am told,

"because of my schedule".

Um hmmmmmm.

I get them dressed in the morning, fed, out the door. Drive for the 35 minutes to get them to the sitter. Pick them up after work. Get them home. Entertain them until supper. Feed them supper... you know, the usual. Weekends usually see me spending at least half of Saturday with them, while hubs does stuff around the yard and so on. Sunday he has his usual golf game. So, me and the kiddies again.

Now, don't get me wrong... I don't begrudge any of this; I love my children dearly. But, sometimes being with them 24/7 can get a little hard on the head, you know. And, it may make me a little cranky. So be it.

So, where do the parenting rules come in? Where do they fit in such a scenario? Yes, we both should have a say in what's right and wrong; punishable vs. nonsense. Do we agree on all accounts? Nope. Do I grin and bear it sometimes? Yep. Do I bite my tongue? Yep! (ow)

So, where does this go from here?

Is there a winner? Does one parent have more clout than the other? If one parent spends considerably more time with the chillins, does that person have more clout? If so, where does the other parent fit in?

I know this should be equal; but according to tonight's discussions (or lack thereof) it is not.
Insight, anyone?

Starting another motherly chapter...

Two more sleeps.
Two more sleeps, Mamaidh!

In just two more sleeps, my daughter will be going to school for her grade primary orientation day. Wow! Can we just stop time for a while, please?!?!

I've been giving the whole "first year at school" thing an awful lot of thought lately... but not just because my little girl will be starting school.... more so because I'm a teacher.  And... I'll be teaching my own daughter for a half hour each day come the fall.

My inner debate surrounds which hat will I be wearing in the classroom with my own flesh and blood in front of me? Teacher hat? Parent hat? Do I choose? Do I have to choose?

Not only does this scenario have me reflecting upon my own teaching, but it really has me analyzing, surmising, scrutinizing the teaching other teachers do. And parents, too.

• Do I want my daughter to be experiencing such-and-such with Ms. So&So?
• How will she get along in Mr.A&B's class? What if she doesn't?
• What if a teacher... my co-worker/colleague... treats her unfairly?

These are the questions I have with her preparing to start her school journey, and I know all the stakeholders involved. I know the processes. I know the school, the parents, the students, their backgrounds... every single one of them!

I can only imagine what it must be like for mother's to send their children to larger schools where they don't know those people who are going to shape their children's futures. Wow. I'd be a wreck!
(And as it is, I'm already hyper analyzing all aspects of my teaching, decorum, etc!)

And, so... I guess, another chapter begins... whether I like it or not.
I'm sure you can imagine there will be more posts about this in the fall!

The nagging reality...

Every night when I go to bed, every day when I wake up, every errant thought when I'm driving all revolve around the bitter reality -- I'm returning to work in two weeks. (pout)

I've been on maternity/parental leave for almost 14 months. I'm a teacher, so if you count the weeks of vacation at Christmas, plus an extra week in there and the month of January all taken as sick days due to a very large belly and an SI joint that would not work properly, I've been off for over a year.

I took the year off in maternity/parental leave with my now four year old daughter. She was born in October, so by the time March came around, I was quite shack-whacky as the winter of 2006 provided us with quite a few snow storms. (Damn snow days when I'm not at work!) While I enjoyed being home and creating and living our own little routine, I knew in my heart I was not meant to be a stay-at-home mom and welcomed the thought of going back to work.

>> fast forward to the end of 2009 & the present, 2010 >>

So, here I am now. A stay-at-home mom of two (which, by the way, is a whole different kettle of fish!), who has been cranky, sleep-deprived, and in demand for the last ten months, basically. As much as I've bitched and complained, it's kind of nice.... kind of...

You see, the thoughts that are plaguing my mind have less to do with the workfront, and a whole lot more to do with the homefront!

Everyday, I'm going to have to get myself and the two kids out the door and on the road by 7:30am at the LATEST!

This might be an ok feat for all of those parents out there whose children are up with the birds, but my children don't wake up til after 7:30! In fact, they're moreso on the later side of 8am in the rise & shine category (Bless their little snoozy hearts!).  The thoughts of getting them and myself  de-watered, watered, fed, dressed and presentable --without incident-- is crippling!

I've been preparing for this!

Seriously. I've done my research. I've almost completed a "Control Journal" a là Fly Lady (it's a combo school + home one. Maybe I should call it my "lifer"?!?), which makes things look managable! (I winder where I put it?! lol - kidding) We've started the chillins (our home speak for 'children') on a evening/night time/earlier to bed routine. I've explained to fashionista 4 year old daughter that she will have to pick out one outfit each night before bed to wear the next day (that  should be interesting!).

I've resolved in my heart that I will have to get up each morning at 5:45am -- shower, dressed, eat. At 6:30 wake my sleeping baby (can't believe I have to do this. It will likely spell the end of our nice, after 8am routine -- pout, pout, sigh) -- get him in highchair to eat, change, dress him. I've given my dear husband the job of waking sleeping beauty at 6:45 before he heads to work. (I should really consider making a copy of the 'Lifer Journal' for him; he doesn't realize all the new tasks he's been assigned on said day!) She gets dressed, and uses the washroom (have to include this. She's part camel, yet I"m not pulling over on the side of the road for her to pee in freezing cold February just because she "forgot"!) and will have the breakfast I've laid out the night before... or, will have the back-up "truck worthy" alternative.

While this is happening, I've piled the "stuff" in the truck, fed the dog, loaded dear son into carseat, and have made my coffee for the road. Throw dear daughter in there, and we're off.

The drive won't be so bad; IF the roads are plowed, which the usually are not. But it's about a 45 minute drive to the babysitter's... I digress...

See, even in writing that I'm feeling overwhelmed because I've realized there's nothing out for supper, the breakfast mess is in the sunroom/dining room and kitchen. I'll be coming home to a mess... likely on top of another mess... it's a vicious cycle, also known as my so-called life.

Please, pray for a smooth transition for us into this new routine! I'll be sure to document my progress on here...

...the power of positive thinking...