Motherhood.

So, this week, Eli - without any prompting by me - goes and sees his guidance counselor at school. It seems that he didn't like the path he was on. He changed his schedule and added Driver's Ed. That is just fine, we let him have one "fluff" class per semester. He changed to Honors Chemistry in the Spring. He also changed this path from Science something to Science something else.

Then, he handed me a packet because he wants to apply to Tennessee Govenors School. Great, I say. I start to fill it out. Then, I get on the internet, and I read that, if accepted, he will be gone for five weeks this summer. Ouch. I felt the burn.

Five weeks, I thought.

Me: Ummm.... Five weeks? In a dorm? And you will only be 16?

Eli: Well, It won't be that far away. And I don't know that I will get accepted. We just have to apply. But it will count toward those college credits that I need, and next year, MY JUNIOR YEAR, I am taking six college hours WHILE I AM IN HIGH SCHOOL... and since you are a teacher, it won't cost that much, and WHEN I GO TO COLLEGE IN ONLY TWO YEARS it will help me out ... (at this point I tuned him out and I heard)..

Me: Two years, I have been saying two years, but he could go away for five weeks now, and then WHAT next summer, and then what if he sees bad stuff in the world and I am not there and he doesn't call and who will help him find socks and what if he can't remember how to cook an egg and what if his pencil breaks and he can't find a sharpener and he may run out of notebook paper and he uses an awful lot of shampoo and doesn't have a blowdryer....

INSERT MEDICATION HERE

What really happened is -
Me: Ok, Eli, Let's fill these papers out. And you have to write an essay. This should be fun.
Eli: Well, just how long of an essay?

And I knew that my Eli was in there somewhere :)

Updates.

Quiet. It is nice and quiet. All the kids were asleep by 7:45 tonight. I guess that means we ran them hard this weekend - Football, School, Pumpkin Patch, working at the store. Cleaning.

We did not have a good football game Friday night. In fact, it sucked. It was one of those games where nobody threw the ball, they handed it off and tried to run right through the middle of the players. I threatened to text the coaches and tell them to change the plays up, and that they might score. When something doesn't work, why keep doing the same thing over and over?

I guess I am getting confident after reading Football for Dummies. Nope. I am not even kidding.

Other than that, I am just counting down till snow days. I think that this year, my first year of teaching, has been harder than I thought. I feel so, so sorry for my mentor teacher. I text her and call her. I know she is sick of me. I am trying to take the problems of all of my students. I think about them. I know that I need to set emotional limits. But it is difficult - especially when you are a "fixer".

So, I love teaching. I love my students. I love my co-workers. My house is a disaster, I can't get ahead. But I am so happy with my job. I just need to get a grip and know when I leave the school (at 4, 5, 6 or 8 p.m.) that I should leave the kids and their issues there too. I will get it. I will.

Report cards come out this week. I have New Evaluation #3. Gymnastics. Referral for SPED. That is a whole book itself. Off to work I go. :)

Here I Am.

Wow. What about a blogging break? I knew that I needed some down time, blogging became a chore to me, but I am thinking that I should have written something. I don't have a whole lot to show for 2011.


Speaking of 2011 - Time has flown! We are already in the middle of October. Lots of things have happened... Emma and Eli and Tripp are in school. I am chugging along, teaching 3rd grade. We have completed Dave's football season with a Championship Trophy (!) for the second season in a row. Eli has three games left in his season. I think, at this point, he has scored close to 40 points this season. I love, love, love to watch him kick.

Picture out of the local paper - Eli #85 kicking.

So, we are busy with school, and football and the store. Tripp started gymnastics last month after spending the last six months standing on his head. Emma went to watch one night, and she loved it too, so now she is tumbling around. She also takes piano, but I can only handle one activity, so one must go.

My new neice is coming next month. My sister in law, Terri, is scheduled to have Adaline Fowler in November. Boy, isn't Mallie going to be in culture shock. I can't wait to hold her and change those itty bitty diapers again. I surely thought I would never say that. I also want to do a little baby sniffing. I love baby lotion!

Here is a quick video of Eli. :) I am a proud momma. For those of you who understand football, Eli tackles the guy at the end, too. I just about died.