So, how's school going?

I love it!  It's really challenging.  It's great.  I'm overwhelmed.  I have felt that every moment of instruction has been a true learning experience, no time has been wasted.  I have felt tremendous guilt every time I've said "I'm sorry sweetheart, Mommy doesn't have time for that right now, I have homework."  I am truly enjoying this program and this cohort full of wonderful, supportive personalities.  I am really missing time to just be with my children.  I'm ready to do something with them spontaneously, not carefully planning an activity where the kids will have fun but I can squeeze in some homework.

The lack of time to complete my regular house chores has been a blessing?  Well, I'm not really enjoying the enormous piles of unfolded clean laundry on all available couch or daybed surface downstairs.  I am a little weary of trying to find something to wear by looking through numerous stacks of clean, folded laundry around the bathtub that are threatening to topple over if someone walks by too fast.  But, I did enjoy finding out that my children are capable of working together as a team and thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, for the right price.  If you are a Facebook friend of mine, you will be able to track each time the girls clean the kitchen by my check-ins at Canarino Gelato.  Also, we discovered that the girls are capable of cooking an entire meal almost completely on their own.  And, they enjoy it!!!  In my desperation to both get healthy food on the table and finish the required reading one evening, I put Angela in charge of cooking the Turkey Chili & Rice, Danielle in charge of the Salad, and Maria in charge of the roasted chicken.  It was delicious and my girls were so proud of what they had accomplished.  On another night we gained a new recipe.  We discovered that we did not quite have all of the ingredients for two of the things we wanted to make; a pasta salad and a tuna pasta.  I asked Maria if she thought we should just use the ingredients we did have to make a new kind of pasta salad.  She was very excited about the idea.  I let her run with it.  I made a few suggestions here and there, but really let her lead the way.  She was one proud 6 year old when her Daddy said "I am naming this Maria's Yummy Yummy Tuna Pasta Salad."  And, indeed that is what is at the top of the new recipe card that Maria wrote right after dinner.  We even served it one more time this Summer when our guests from South Africa were here.  They thought it was quite tasty as well.  Maria just glows when she talks about creating the recipe and shows off the special recipe card she created!

I am truly committed to this teaching program and look forward to my continued learning both as a teacher candidate and in the UW classroom.  Despite my tremendous guilt over feeling like I am neglecting my children to follow my own personal dream, I feel that I have gained some valuable tools for becoming both a better teacher and a better parent.  I can hardly wait until I feel like I have time to put these tools to good use!