A Professional Student

I think I may have become a professional student, something I never particularly wanted to be.  I just registered for yet another university class this fall as I work towards my Masters in Education.  It's a class in Teaching Writing to Speakers of Other Languages and I am really looking forward to it!   It'll be even more applicable since I'm back to work now and will be able to make real life applications as I teach during the day and study in the evenings.

My real interest seems to be falling in the area of EAL and digital literacies.  I doubt I could get much more specific but I feel good about choosing two areas that are thriving and relevant.  There is no shortage of international students (immigrants, refugees) coming to Saskatchewan and knowledge of multiliteracies is essential in our increasingly digital world for everyone, including additional language learners. 

Maybe someone out there in the digital world with some idea of how Master's programs work can tell me if I can take the course option and still work towards a doctorate someday?   Do I want to complete my doctorate, you may ask?  I have no idea..I just like to keep my options open.  That's the same reason I took Grade 12 Physics..to keep my options open.  I never ended up using it and wish I hadn't taken it although I suppose it occasionally has a slight benefit during my tutorial class.   Very slight...minuscule, in fact. 

I have no idea why I am still awake except that it's been a very eventful day.  I should go to bed and sleep very soundly now...hope everyone is having a great week!  Also, don't forget to check out the Current Giveaways tab for a chance at winning a subscription and book set from Discovery Girls Magazine.  It would be great for parents of tween or teen girls or a middle school/high school teacher such as myself.  I took them to school for my students to "review" and have had them at home so I could write about them on my blog.  One of the girls in my class asked me to bring them back today so obviously they are worth the read!

Appreciating the little things...

I think that we sometimes get so caught up in life that we forget to appreciate the little things.  This post is about the little things I love about my kids..and because I'm tired after a long day at work and longer day after work, it's going to be in bullet form.

• Aleena's big smiles.
• How Connor says "pretty please" when he wants something.
• When Connor gives me big hugs and won't let go and I have to literally peel him off of me.
• How Aleena gets excited when her shoes squeak.
• That Connor put Aleena's tutu on his head and ran around the house.
• When I had trouble getting a shirt over Connor's head and told him his head was too big.  He replied that "Connor wants a small head!".
• How Aleena chases the dog around and giggles when he licks her face.
• That Connor has to give Aleena a kiss everytime he gets in trouble for making her sad.
• How Connor gets upset when Aleena cries and always tries to cheer her up with a toy or smiles.
• That Aleena loves her brother dearly and he gets her biggest smiles.
• How my dog whines and cries when the kids cry (probably because of the noise but it's still sort of sweet albeit annoying).
• How Connor has to sleep with Winnie the Pooh....who was fortunately recovered after being momentarily lost at Sears.
• How Connor and Aleena laugh and giggle at each other just because.

The list is endless...

I'm Proud to be a Teacher in Saskatchewan

I was very hesitant to write this post and have been avoiding it for a few reasons. I had always planned on keeping this blog separate from my work for the most part with the exception of a few general comments.  Obviously, working full-time with a one year old and two year old is bound to have its challenges but I didn't think it would be the challenge I am faced with right now.

Because I feel that this is obviously an important part of my life and my goal for my blog has always been to present a real Mom's views on life, work, school (university), and everything else, I will write about this too.  I will be honest in saying that I am using my blog as a platform to express some things that I feel very strongly about with respect to the value of teachers in the province of Saskatchewan.  Moms of two young kids can and should be strong, active voices in their communities and for their professions, especially when it is education.  I am very interested in seeing education being valued in this province for my own children's futures.

I have written a couple letters to the Government of Saskatchewan about the current contract negotiations between the Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation and the Government's Bargaining Committee.  I would like to publicly acknowledge Mr. Ron Harper for being the only MLA that has sent a response thus far. I have posted a revised version as the original version became rather long.  I will also include some relevant websites, photos, and videos. 

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To Premier Brad Wall and The Government of Saskatchewan,

I am writing with respect to the current efforts of teachers to achieve a fair and satisfactory agreement between Saskatchewan teachers, the Boards of Education and the Government of Saskatchewan.   As you know, the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation held a rally in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature Building earlier this month to express our dissatisfaction with the government’s offer of 5.5% over three years.  I was one of the teachers standing amongst my professional colleagues asking to be respected and valued by the government that day.  We stood together again yesterday and were joined by teachers from all over Saskatchewan who again asked to be respected and valued and compensated for the important work that we do with Saskatchewan’s most valuable natural resource, our children.

At this time, I would like to share my own personal teaching experiences as they are quite different than most teachers in Saskatchewan.  I began teaching English as a Foreign Language in Taiwan after I obtained my first degree in Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia.  I had the travel bug and decided to travel, teach and experience life in another country.  I came to love Taiwan and, most importantly, I fell in love with teaching.   Consequently, I lived in Taiwan for four years where I spent my time teaching English and learning Mandarin Chinese.   Teachers in Chinese culture are well-respected and considered prominent members of society.  Their value and status in society are undisputed and the teaching profession is among the most admired in China. 

When I returned to Canada, my love for teaching led me to the University of Regina where I completed the Bachelor of Education (After Degree) program in 2005.  I spent my first two years teaching in rural Saskatchewan elementary schools where I first discovered that teaching is certainly not an 8:00-3:30 job.    I also quickly learned that teachers in Saskatchewan do not receive the same respect or status in our society as I had experienced in Taiwan.   As a result, it makes our jobs even more difficult.  I truly believe that the government can contribute to our perceived value in society by bringing appropriate resources to the bargaining table and showing that we are, in fact, worthy of the investment.  

I currently teach in the English as an Additional Language program in Regina and my students come from several different countries.  I recently returned to work after a maternity leave so I was just getting to know many of my students this month.  During my first week, I asked them to write a letter about themselves to help me get to know them better.  I provided them with some guiding questions, one of which was why their family had decided to move to Canada.  My students from South Africa, The Philippines, China, Germany, Thailand, and Somalia all wrote the same thing.  They wrote that they came to Canada for a better education.  Our education system is world renowned.  Students from all over the world are coming to Saskatchewan because their families believe we provide the best education.   They respect and value the teachers in our province.

Clearly, teachers are providing children and communities across Saskatchewan with valuable services but this is not being recognized by the government in these current negotiations.  This is not an issue of supply and demand.  This is an issue of respect and value.   I am disappointed that the government does not consider education a priority at a time when Saskatchewan is experiencing unprecedented wealth and prosperity.  I urge you to bring more resources to the bargaining table so that teachers may continue to do what we love the best - teach the students of this great province.  Perhaps we need to embrace the perception of my international students who truly believe that Saskatchewan’s teachers are providing the best education in the world.  And perhaps we also need to embrace the Chinese cultural values where teachers are well-respected and considered prominent, revered members of society.  So, I ask you, please Invest in Teachers…For our Students, For our Province, For our Future. 

Sincerely,

Trudy Thorson

Regina, SK

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STF

Video: Saskatchewan Teacher's March - May 26th

Video: John McGettigan's Address at the SK Teacher's Rally - May 26th 

Video: Jim Gallagher's Address at the SK Teacher's Rally - May 26th 

Video: Pat Maze's Address at the SK Teacher's Rally - May 26th

Some photos from the rally yesterday:

Thousands of teachers and supporters at the steps of the Legislature in Regina, SK.

Thousands of teachers and supporters walking through Wascana Park on May 26, 2011.

Discovery Girls Magazine Review & Giveaway

I love reading and I love teaching reading so I was very excited to be asked to review and giveaway some magazines and books from Discovery Girls Magazine.  I was sent two magazines as well as a "Fab Girls Guide" book.  The magazines were both the February/March 2011 issues as one is create for Girls that are Ages 8 & Up and the other is for girls Ages 11 & Up.    The book says it's for Ages 8 & Up but I think it would be applicable for ages up to 13 or so.

Rather than write a lengthy review, I thought I'd keep it short and sweet with my positive observations in bullet form:

• Colourful, attractive images, text and font use throughout the magazines
• Lots of relevant articles for tweens and teens.  Example of articles are ..."Fitting in..is it worth it?", "10 Friendship Rules" and "Broken Trust? fix it".  I don't have a tween or teen yet but I've taught enough middle school students to know that these are REAL issues in their lives and these magazines are great at making kids feel like their feelings are validated and it gives them ideas for how to deal with these issues in their lives.
• Most of the content is written by the girls themselves which helps them relate to the content better. 
• Focuses on encouraging positive self-images.

Let's face it..being a tween or teen girl can be tough these days!  I know...I've seen it a lot.  I asked some of my female students to read these magazines during our silent reading periods recently and they really enjoyed the materials.  I  was anxious to do this review so I could give them back to the students to read again without having to worry about them possibly becoming misplaced. 

Now to the book!  It's called "Friendship Hardship" and is one of a set of four books.  The others are called
"Sticky Situations", "Questions Answered", and "Getting Through Tough Times".  The book features the Fab Girls who are two characters named Dallas and Carmen and they guide tween/teen girls through the book with quizzes, questions and answers and lots of advice on how to handle various friendship-related situations.  Honestly, I would have loved to have had something available like this when I was younger.  To get a better idea, some of the chapter topics are: "How do your Friendships Rate?", "Mean girls and frenemies","To Clique or not to Clique" and "Be the Best Friend You Can Be". 

I love any reading material for girls that can support them through those rough middle years when friendships can get tough and feelings are often hurt.  They also provide so many positive messages for girls to help them develop more positive self-images which is so important for girls in these age groups as I am sure parents can appreciate!

Now to the Giveaway!
One lucky reader will receive the following from Discovery Girls Magazine:

• A complimentary one-year subscription to the magazine ($20 value)
• 1 set of the Fab Girls book set ($40 value)
• Special Collector's Edition ($10 value - to be released June 28, 2011)

I will be numbering entries and using www.random.org to select the winner.  You must use separate comments for each entry.

How to Enter:

1. Visit the Discovery Girls Magazine Website and leave a comment about something you enjoyed or found interesting on the site.
2. "Like" Discovery Girls Magazine on Facebook.  (Not required but it would nice if you could let them know I sent you their way!)
3. Follow A Sophisticated Mommy via Google Friend Connect.
4. "Like" A Sophisticated Mommy on Facebook.
5. Share this giveaway. (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Forum)

This contest is open to Canada and the US until Friday, June 3rd at Midnight Saskatchewan Time.

The Jaid Creations Giveaway Winner is..

Melissa Robinson-Arezzi!  Congratulations! 

Thanks to everyone that entered this giveaway..especially those who entered twice after Blogger had its issues.  At least you were all rewarded with some bonus entries in the end as they did finally restore all those comments yesterday.  Jaime-Lynn of Jaid Creations would love to make your little one a tutu and she is very fast and efficient at her job!

One of the things I love about her shop aside from the friendly customer service are the wide variety of colours and styles available.  She will make pretty much anything you ask and is willing to try new things.  Also, the quality is excellent and it is something that should last for at least a couple years as the waist band is a good quality elastic with a good amount of stretch to it.  If you're from Saskatchewan, you clearly need to get yourself a Rider tutu like Aleena's...it's football season next month already after all.  Of course, if you happen to cheer for another sport or team, she could certainly make a tutu in your favourite teams colours too.

Here's her Facebook page again so you can check out the large variety available: Jaid Creations Facebook Page.

Her prices are as follows:

Hand Knotted Tutu:
Newborn up to 2 years $15
2 years up to 4 years $20
4 years up to 6 years $25

Petti Tutus or 3-tiered tutus, add $5 to the above price
Photographer Newborn Tutu $15
Ribbon Wound Waist, add $3
Detachable Flower on Alligator Clip, add $3
Shipping anywhere in Canada is $4/tutu (this covers all my mailing expenses)

You can order via e-mail at JaidCreations@hotmail.com.  

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.  I am enjoying the downtime but wish the weather was better.  It seems like we always get poor weather for May long weekend so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Finally, keep voting on Top Mommy Blogs and check back tomorrow for another giveaway.  I'll do one tomorrow and another on Monday since I've got the time to blog this weekend and a few giveaways coming up!  I am excited to share the next couple of giveaways with you.  One is a product for everyone..both boys and girls of all ages.  The other is very focused on the tween and teen girl population so be sure to check it out.

Have a great night!

How to Discipline a Two Year Old

So my son is challenging us more and more each day.  At first, I just blamed his behaviour on the terrible twos and tried to redirect him and asked him to apologize.  He is great at saying he is sorry but I don't feel like he really "gets it" as he'll do the same thing again the next time around.  Also, he doesn't listen..at all.  He will do the opposite of what we ask which leads us to use reverse pyschology but I'm not sure how appropriate that is either.

Should I really be teaching my child not to listen to what I want by tricking him into doing things I want by thinking it's not what I want?  The more I think about it, the more I feel that it's probably not the best idea.  On the other hand, sometimes we just cope the best we can to make it through the day even if we're not following the best parenting guidelines.

I am starting to wonder if it's time for time outs..but I don't want to be threatening time outs fifty times a day either.  It may be time to break out The Happiest Toddler on the Block.  It always makes me feel better about everything...at least I don't feel like as much of a failure at disciplining my child after I read a few pages which reassure me that my experience is totally normal.  Don't get me wrong..my child is very nice the majority of the time but he's got the whole "me me me" attitude right now along with a very bossy way of speaking as he expands his vocabulary and sentence building power.

Please tell me this is normal and I would love some suggestions for appropriate discipline to guide my 2 1/2 year old's behaviour.  He'll be three in September and I was hoping it would get easier but I'm starting to highly doubt it.

Jaid Creations Review & Giveaway

We're all set for football season now!  Jaid Creations sent us a super cute Rider tutu and it looks adorable on Aleena.  I took lots of photos after work tonight so you can check it out.  She makes all sorts of tutus in any colour you'd like.  Of course, I've always wanted a Rider tutu for Aleena so I was excited to get a green, white, and black one to go with her Rider onesies.  I also asked to have the ends tied like I saw she had done for some other tutus in her Facebook photo album.  I just like doing something a bit different and it's fun to have something unique.  Jaid Creations is very helpful and she's willing to try all sorts of different things for customers.  She is also willing to ship to either Canada or the US.

Jamie-Lynn of Jaid Creations is a stay at home Mom from Brandon, Manitoba (where I hope she's staying dry right now) and she has a daughter who she enjoys making all sorts of cute things for.  Because of this, she started to sell some of these items and that led her to start this venture.  I'm always a great supporter of mommies working from home and I love checking out her new photos to see what's she come up with recently.  Just today, she posted an amazingly cute three tiered tutu that is worth checking out.

Another thing I LOVE about Jaid Creations is her taste in football teams and the number of Rider tutus on her Facebook page is admirable.  She might live in Manitoba but she knows who the best team in the CFL is.  We took lots of photos of Aleena in her adorable tutu because she looked super cute no matter what she was doing.  I think it's clear to see that it's nice and fluffy!  The waist band has a sturdy, wide elastic so it'll last quite a while. I expect we'll be able to use it into next summer as well.  It's a little hard to see in my photos but the waistband is wrapped with green ribbon and there is a bow tied in the front.  You can see this better on her Facebook page where she has photos of the tutu on its own. 

The Giveaway:
Jaid Creations is going to give away a custom-made tutu to one lucky blog reader.  That's right!  The winner will be able to pick the style, colour, and size of tutu they'd like.

How to Enter:
1.  "Like" Jaid Creations on Facebook.
2.   Check out the Jaid Creations Tutu Photo Albums and let us know which is your favourite tutu.
3.   Follow A Sophisticated Mommy via Google Friend Connect.
4.   "Like" A Sophisticated Mommy on Facebook.
5.   Share this giveaway (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blog).

This giveaway will be open until Friday, May 20th at Midnight SK Time.  I will announce the winner the next day.  Open to Canada and the US.

Meal Planning Inspiration and General Updates

Aleena wearing her new tutu from Jaid Creations!

I posted about quick and easy meal planning ideas on my Facebook page yesterday.  Since returning to work, I am finding it a huge challenge to prepare meals when I am exhausted and the kids are still a bit wired after being at daycare all day.  I have still been making meals but they are boring ones with noodles or rice, some sort of meat and heated up frozen or canned veggies.  I'd really like to figure out a plan for making more interesting and tasty meals during the week.  I think that the slow cooker is a good option but I don't enjoy slow cooker meals everyday.  I am also considering the possibility of preparing some casseroles that I can just throw in the oven for a while when I get home.

They key to balancing my work with the kids seems to be organization and planning.  So far, it's going all right and I am lucky that I am only back for a few weeks and then off again for the summer.  It's going to be nice to have some time to myself to organize things around the house and just relax at times.  We have to keep our daycare spots for the summer so I may as well take advantage of those hours.  It's funny because I feel kind of guilty for taking them to daycare when I don't have to but I know I should just get over that feeling of guilt and enjoy having a few moments to myself since I haven't had that in ...years!

So here's a few updates on other things in my life.

Running: I still do it..but not as much as I would like to!  I was running 3 times a week until I went back to work and now I make sure to run both Saturday and Sunday at the very least.  My hope is to run even once or twice during the week but I haven't stressed myself about it too much because I know we've been through a lot of changes these past two weeks and I have to give myself a break.  I signed up for a half marathon in September so I have something to work towards.  I would also like to do a couple shorter races before then..possibly a 10 km next month if I can get these legs moving a bit more often.  I need to run about 5 times a week to train for the half marathon so I need to work it into my life soon.

Baking: That hasn't happened in a while but I want to make some healthy breads or muffins this weekend.  I miss my KitchenAid Mixer and I think it misses me too.  That's what the dust collecting on it means, right?

Not much else is new...just work, daycare, and trying to make it through each day in one piece.  :-)

As for blog news:

• I desperately need consistent votes on Top Mommy Blogs!  Please click on the logo on my blog to vote when you visit my blog. It only takes a moment and every vote makes a huge difference in the rankings.  Apparently my return to work has correlated with a huge drop in the rankings.  Keep voting for a working momma! :-P
• I have lots of fantastic giveaways coming up and can't wait to share them!  I'd love to drop hints but I like to make sure that everything is 100% certain before I mention it.
• Take a moment to enter the giveaway for a customized tutu from Jaid Creations, which is owned by a lovely stay at home mommy from Manitoba.  Jaid Creations Reivew and Giveaway
• Post your quick and easy meal ideas or even specific recipes on my Facebook Page under Discussions.  I want to make a few and blog about them in the next few weeks.  I think a lot of us could use some fresh meal ideas so let's stop hoarding our favourite recipes and share!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  We finally have some warm, sunny weather here and I am excited to spend some time outdoors today (hopefully running).  Have a great day!!

The Chuggington Interactive Wash & Fuel Set Giveaway Winner is...

Debbie Jackson!  Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone that entered this giveaway.  You can find the Chuggington interactive train sets exclusively at Toys R Us.  It's been a few days now and Connor is able to click the pieces together by himself now and is still playing with the set.  He actually plays with it more than his other ones which is saying a lot.  It could be because it's new but it's certainly captured his interest for a while.  Of course, he puts it together whichever way he wants but as long as he's happy, it really doesn't bother me!

I have several lovely giveaways coming up and am just waiting for some items to arrive in the mail so I can review them first.  I'll try my best to keep up with everything during the week which should become a bit easier once I adjust to being back to work.  In reality, I feel quite comfortable at work already so I expect this week to be quite a bit better (and hopefully less stressful).

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Just a reminder to keep voting for my blog on Top Mommy Blogs.  You can actually vote once a day so feel free to vote as often as you want and it helps a lot when you just click on the Top Mommy Blog logo each time you visit my blog.  I really appreciate it as many companies will offer products for giveaways to blogs that are rated more highly.  Thanks in advance!

To My Mom... Happy Mother's Day!

I have to admit that this Mother's Day has come upon me quickly and I haven't thought about it much since my focus was on returning to work this past week.  I survived a very busy week and am happy to report that the kids did great at daycare and I am really enjoying my classes.

Now to Mother's Day...which is a lovely day to honour Mothers for everything they do.  I have always felt very lucky to have an amazing Mom...and she really is.  I think I became motivated to do so much in my life because she made me believe that I could do anything I wanted.  She also had high expectations for my behaviour but never for my achievements.  It's not that she didn't want me to do well in school or other areas of my life but she was just happy if I tried my best.  Perhaps this was because I was already an overachiever and she knew she didn't need to put even more pressure on me as I seem to do a good job of this on my own.

Either way, I appreciate the way she raised me.  It was easy to learn how to work hard when you had her as a role model.  I still have no idea how she maintained her sanity after having four kids in five years.  I can't even imagine what that would have been like.  Not only did she look after us when we were all very young but she was also taking university classes to complete her studies in Physiotherapy.  Now, my Mom is still working and she is still possibly the most organized and hard working person I know.  It's a close race between her and her mother.  I don't think I totally inherited that gene or maybe it just manifests itself in a different way.  I could definitely use more organization and planning in my life.

So for Mother's Day this year..I write this for my Mom to let her know how much I appreciate everything she has done for us over the years.  I really admire everything that she has accomplished and I appreciate the values she taught us.   I just hope that I can do the same for my children.  I love you Mom.  Thank you for being you.

Quick update from a working momma!

One of many odd items left in my classroom.

Yep, I'm still alive.  I have survived my first couple of days back to work and yesterday was already wayyyy better than Monday.  Of course, I am completely sleep deprived and exhausted but I must be running on adreneline because I feel a bit better today even though I still didn't get much sleep last night.  Aleena insists in waking up at 5:30 am everyday this week as if there's an alarm in her room.  I decided the alarm is clearly the sunrise and we will be investing in some room darkening curtains or blinds very soon!  On the upside, she goes back to sleeep again with a bit of milk so at least I can lie down for a while afterward.

All things considered, the transition back to work has gone very smoothly but it's still stressful.  New wake up hours, new routine for everyone, new students at school and just trying to figure out what has changed/not changed since I was at work last.  That, and the large amount of junk that has accumulated in my classroom in the past year.  I turned into a cleaning service for a while yesterday...wiping shelves, disposing of broken desks/chairs, etc. 

Despite any negatives, I love my job and it's been great catching up with my colleagues and my former (current) students.  I've also met some very interesting new students who I am looking forward to teaching and learning more about.  Part of what I love about my job is that I meet these students from other countries who don't know much English so you get to learn more and more about them as their English improves and it's absolutely fascinating to hear their stories.

As I said, this was a quick update and I'm still working on lots of fun things for my blog in between everything else....i.e. more giveaways of course.  I am off to get ready for work!

The Taryn Laine Photography Giveaway Winners are...

Dyane L (Regina) & Alison (Calgary)!

Congrats to both of you!  Taryn will contact you to set up your photo sessions.  For everyone else, I still think that Taryn's photo shoots are a steal at only $100 for most sessions and that includes plenty of photos in digital format so you can print them as you wish.

It's well worth the investment and a great time of year for family photos or a fun photo session with your little one(s).  For detailed information on her rates and photo session options, here is the pricing information.

To view new photos and stay up to date on special offers, you can become a fan of her Facebook page.  She posts her blog entries on the page as well as sneak previews of photo shoots and it's fun to see all the new pictures.

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Just a reminder that I also have another giveaway going on right now for a Chuggington Interactive Railway set from Learning Curve.  It is open to Canada and the US and the contest is open until Saturday, May 7th.

Back to Work!

Aleena is 1 = Back to Work!

Yep, that's right.  I'm a mommy, a blogger, and about to be a full-time teacher again.  I guess I should be thankful that I had an extra month for my maternity leave because Aleena was born a bit early and then it happened to be Easter break this week.   However, I think that maternity leave always feels much too short.  It's hard to adjust going back to work and it's also difficult to be away from your little ones when they've been the focus of your life for such a long time.

It makes me feel sad but I am also excited to re-enter the world of adults and young adults.  I absolutely love my job and feel like it's an important part of who I am.  I also have a whole family of students at school that are very important to me and I am looking forward to teaching them again!  I know that we'll all be okay but I also know it's going to take some time for that to happen.  I feel comfortable with our daycare and they've spent a few days there already this month.  I went to school for a morning to figure out what's going on.  Really, everything is set and ready to go from a technical aspect.

I am a bit concerned about getting up earlier in the morning and actually transporting the kids to the daycare...we'll be getting up early.  I am taking the advice of some fellow mommies and prepping in advance.  I will get their clothes ready tonight so all we have to do is change them and get them in the car!   They will eat breakfast at daycare so that helps especially since it takes them forever to eat anything.  I am also going to get my lunch packed up tonight so I am not rushing to do that in the morning too.

I am not at all complaining about having to go back to work but there is a sense of sadness that this year is over.  On the upside, I only have to work for two months until summer holidays are here!   I know we survived before when I went back to work after we had Connor and we will again.  I also know the next week or two could be quite stressful as I try to figure out my new schedule, classes, routine, students, etc.

I really hope that the kids both adapt well...Aleena did better than Connor for the few days they went this past month.  Hopefully, he'll get used to everything and actually starting napping there.  So many things to think about (worry about)...it's easy to tell everyone else it's going to be okay and I know it will...it's just going to take some time.  Wish me luck!