A year ago

Isn't the above quote the truth? I just found that and I LOVE it!!!!

For some reason the other day I pulled out the book in which I had made this blog made into. The book went from September '08 until just a few days before Anna was born, so it was about the end of April '09. It was fun to look at. The majority of it was about my pregnancy and I realized a few things. One- I made a lot of grammatical errors so I apologize for that. Two- I am kinda anal. When I was reading over my 'To-Do' list before I had Anna and all the things I wanted to get done and had already done, I was almost annoyed at myself. But anyway, I came across this post which is almost exactly one year ago:

http://farmkids-julie.blogspot.com/2009/03/big-change.html

I decided I wanted to write my thoughts about teaching and the effect it has had on our family and I since I found out that I was getting back into it after being home for four and a half years.

As you have figured out by now by reading my blog or just knowing me for an extended amount of time, I am a planner. I have an idea of how I want my life to go on a larger scale as in years and years. And I also plan what I am going to have for dinner each night and what day I go to the grocery store. I like to be in control of these things and I feel that if I have a plan and make it happen, my life will be less stressful in the long run. Teaching is all about planning. Well, maybe it is for me anyway. People may say that cooking doesn't take any planning either but for me it obviously does. I have to know what I am teaching a week in advance or I feel completely frazzled. I think this is one reason why I like teaching though, I am in control of what I do in my classroom. I call the shots, I plan what we are doing, and it has a constant flow to it. One friend posted on facebook she is never bored when she goes to work, and if that ain't the truth! Teaching is most definitely not boring, and it has sort of a quick pace which I enjoy. Staying home with the kids DEFINITELY does not have a quick pace to it.

I think that as much as I would hate to admit it, I enjoy going to work more than staying home. I also truly believe that God is looking out for me, knows what I can handle and knows what is best for me. I think He knew that having Anna and staying home with all three kids would have put me over the edge. I think He gave me an out before I knew what I was in for. And I think that He knows that I really enjoyed my job and this was a perfect way for me to keep all my family members alive. :)

I do get stressed some days, and I do have bad days at work. I am tired sometimes and I welcome a snow day now and again. But I am genuinely happy at work. There is not another profession I would choose for myself. Sometimes I wish I did things a little differently in my classroom, or my lessons don't go as I had planned but I am striving to do better and I think I will.

My kids don't seem any worse for the wear. They still are here on the farm every day, out in the barn, doing their thing. Chip is home 2-3 days a week. Life is fine. I am a little sad that I can't take Van and Anna to The Little Gym like I did with Adam. And I do sometimes wonder if I 'missing' their baby years. But I work 180 days a year, I am here for half of it.

And with that said, a year after I make the choice of going back to work, I find out, there is a good possibility that I may not have a job next year. I don't know if you have been reading the local papers lately but Monticello Central School District (and I guess other schools in the state as well) are losing A LOT of aid. From the meetings I went to, I guess Monticello is being cut by 4.5 million dollars. We are being told that one of the elementary buildings may be closing. I would like to think that we will know this in about a month or so. Our principal and superintendent said that there will be 30 elementary teachers being cut possibly. Of course this goes by seniority, not buildings so even if another elementary building gets closed in our district, they will let go from the bottom There are about 130 elementary teachers in our district (if I read the seniority list correctly). Someone in our building said that is every fourth grade teacher in our building except for one! I am about 22 up from the bottom. Teachers in our district are in a panic not knowing if they will have a job next year or not. If I don't have a job, I sincerely believe that is God's will. Adam will be in school all day next year, I will be home with my other two kids. Maybe it would be His way of saying, 'Hey, you can handle it now. I'll take care of the rest.' I am not sure. I have a peace about it. I am not going to worry about it until I am really told one way or another. I went to one meeting where there were over 100 people. Residents are upset that a school may be closing and rightfully so. I don't know the answer. Our superintendent also has the reputation for getting everyone in a tizzy, and then miraculously making everything better. So we'll see. What will be will be. And I will be doing another post if anything drastically changes. :)