Neglectful

These are apparently the only two creatures who get any care around here. ;)

Yes, I realize it's been awhile since I've posted (for those of you who have inquired.) Have no fear however, dear readers, as my blog is not the only thing being neglected right now.

Since it is September, and we both work in schools, and September IS the craziest month in education by far, basically, our life for the past few weeks has consisted of: going to work, making dinner, doing laundry, playing with the girls, and sleeping (a little). That's it. It sounds simple, but it's kept us frantically busy.

So I wasn't too surprised tonight when Camryn pointed out that I've been neglecting to care for myself, among other people/things/animals/etc. As we were eating dinner, she examined me with a quizzical look, tilted her head to the side, and inquired, "Why are your eyebrows so big?"

Nice. Thanks, kid. Way to boost old Frazzled Mom's ego. I guess maybe sometime soon I ought to peer a little closer in the mirror, with tweezers in hand, and find out just how neglectful I've been. I can't wait.

Seven months

On Sunday, Aubrey turned seven months old, which makes me wonder, "Where has the time gone? Wasn't I just waddling around the other day, preparing for her arrival?" I guess not, because as I reminisce, she continues to grow, and show us a little bit more of her personality every day.

Lately, her favorite things include sitting up without support, and reaching all around for her toys, trying to crawl (she can get her head up or her bottom up, but not both at the same time yet), eating veggies AND fruit AND cereal at dinner(!), and riding around in the baby "packpack." She loves the view that Daddy provides, and babbles a constant commentary in his ear.

We're guessing too, that she will be our little daredevil, since she loves to swing, bounce, dance, and just about anything else that provides that "wind in the face" kind of feeling. Roller coaster ride, anyone?

Coming out of the fog

I *think* we're coming out of the first-week-of-school-flu-haze. The girls are feeling better, acting happier, and we actually all slept last night. So today we took a little family stroll to a nearby park, just to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Camryn enjoyed stretching her legs, and Aubrey loved her first swing on a big girl swing.

Ahhh...fresh air!

Wheeeeeeee!

Since when does she look like such a big girl!?!?

Comparison photos

We get asked all the time if Aubrey looks like Camryn did when she was little. My answer is always, "Sometimes." When she wears certain outfits, or gives me certain looks, definitely. Otherwise, most of the time, I think they look like sisters, but with characteristics all their own (although one's a little more Bailey, and one a little more Borts.) What do you think?

Camryn at 6 mo. in my favorite watermelon dress.

Aubrey at 6 mo. in the same dress.

The first week of school

Most teacher mommies have plenty of cute pictures of their little ones heading off to their first day of school, hair combed, and backpacks on. They could also likely show you photos of their new class, fresh and ready to go. I would like to be that Mommy. I yearn to be that Mommy. This year though, I'm just not. Instead, here's a "snapshot" of our first week of school, by the numbers:

• 1: phone call from daycare to come pick my child up ASAP
• 3: the number of days Aubrey had a temp of 102 degrees
  
• 3: episodes of explosive diarrhea, all in the middle of the night
• 2: vomiting sessions
• 1: strange, head to toe, polka-dot rash
  
• 4: calls to the doctor
• 1: trip to the pediatrician
• 5: changes of sheets
• 1: memorial service attended
• 1: missed birthday party
  
• 2: substitute teachers in my room in the first three days of school
• 168: miles my in-laws drove unexpectedly Thursday night to help us
• 487(ish): episodes of 'Little Einsteins' watched
  
• 0: the number of nights any of us experienced uninterrupted sleep
• infinity: the number of loads of laundry I've done in the past six days

We'll try again next year for that perfect photo.

Difficult day

Today was one of the most difficult days I've had, as both a teacher, and a working mom. This afternoon, on the first day of school, I left my class and attended a memorial service for a little girl who was to have been in fourth grade this year. Over the weekend, she was fatally injured in a car accident. She was well known to everyone at Templeton, and we will all miss her terribly.

The choice of where to be today and when however, was complex. Should I be with the students in my class, who had tragically lost a friend at just nine years old? Their little eyes were so sad as they stared at me, holding their newly sharpened pencils on their very first day in fourth grade. Several of them couldn't bear to attend the service.

Should I be at the service, saying goodbye and showing support for such a sweet girl's family? Surely they needed to know how many people felt a connection to their daughter.

Or, should I be at home, with my own baby girl, who was miserably enduring a 102 degree fever, and just wanted her own mommy to help her feel better? What a decision.

Ultimately, I left Aubrey in the care of her Daddy, greeted my class with my best attempt at first day enthusiasm, and left mid day to attend the service. Work: 1, Family: 0. That's how it feels. The delicate balance between work and home is sometimes enough to make a teaching mom insane. When I'm at work, I often feel guilty for the things I can't be doing with my girls, and when I'm at home, I feel like I should be doing a better job of being a teacher for "my other 26 kids."

I have come to the conclusion that there is no answer. I hate the fact that I know I could do better, both at home and at work, if there were just about 12 more hours in the day. For now, I must remind myself, that I will do my best as a teacher while I'm at school, and my best as a mom when I'm at home, and I will count my lucky stars that tonight, I was able to tuck both of my girls into bed...something that one mom can't do.

http://www.legacy.com/oregon/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=116880203

4 days down...180 to go

Well, we've made it. We've survived my first week back to work and the girls' first full week in daycare. We're all exhausted, cranky, and in serious need of this three day weekend, but we're still here to tell about it.

No matter how much I tried to anticipate and plan for it, my body and brain had forgotten just how grueling back to school time is. The breakneck pace of life as a teacher takes some getting used to, and it's amazing how much life slows down when you are not in the classroom.

The girls are adjusting well, though Camryn isn't thrilled about being woken up by me each morning, and Aubrey must be feeling a little wary of it all because she clings to me like a baby koala each evening...there is no shaking her until bedtime.

I hope it gets easier. That we settle into a routine. That my 5:15 alarm eventually doesn't seem to come quite so early, and that I can find a way to be mentally present every day.

If not though, at least I work in a profession where there is a defined end to each year. It's not too early to count down to June is it?