Back To Work

I'm so not ready for this... tomorrow is my first day back to work after 15 months off on maternity leave. Yes, it has been 15 months... As a teacher, I timed my pregnancy perfectly - I got pregnant in January and had Mady in September. I was off on summer holidays at 6 months pregnant and only had to go back into work for 10 days that September (I wasn't teaching classes, just helping out in the Resource Centre) so I really haven't really "worked" since June, 2008. I am stressed beyond belief and have had a headache for 2 days now. Not good. I'm super-stressed because, this year, I'm teaching 3 new courses that I haven't taught before, I'm in 3 separate classrooms for each class, and my prep period is no longer 1st period, but 2nd period, which sucks since I used to use that prep period to arrange my day and get photocopies done. I had to photocopy binders full of lessons from my very helpful colleagues, but I'm still not sure what to do with all that information. I have some stuff prepared for tomorrow morning, but I'm very afraid that I will walk into the classroom and hear crickets... I'm so messed up right now that I'm having a hard time writing this blog, and that's saying something.

Mady started DAYCARE on Aug.17th, which was tougher than I thought it would be... for me, that is! On the first day, I dropped her off without Steve there for support, and I was thinking that I'd get through it without crying... until Mady heard me tell the caregiver "goodbye" and then Mady waved at me from someone else's arms. I lost it. I got into my car and cried for two hour straight. I couldn't go home, so I drove to Guelph and went to meet a friend for coffee, and then went to Winners and bought myself a pair of red Hush Puppies and a pair of rubber boots - I don't even wear rubber boots and I have nothing that will go with the red shoes. I was so distraught! But having to get up every morning to get Mady ready for daycare has forced me to get back into the routine of getting up and showered and dressed and out the door. For that, I'm thankful. For a few mornings, it's been hard to get up at 7am and be out the door by 8am, but I've been pretty successful at it. Actually, I'll probably have to leave here by 7:45am each morning in order to have enough time to get organized before my first class, so I'll have to get up even earlier. Oh well...

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go...