It's true--I finally went back to work this week, as Drew turned 14 weeks old. In other words, I have been a nervous-wreck for the past couple of weeks, with work constantly on my mind. Ross was gracious enough to let me work in my classroom for a couple of hours each day of the weekend, over the past couple of weeks so I didn't feel so overwhelmed getting back into the swing of things. The week flew by and I've already gotten five days under my belt and only nine more until spring break. I can do this...
In preparation for going back to work, I made 24 crockpot meals for our freezer. It only took me an afternoon to get groceries and an evening to prepare the meals. Coming home to an awesome-smelling house and warm french dip sandwiches was definitely worth the prep time. We also have curry chicken, healthy BBQ chicken, and goulash among others, to consume over the next couple of months. I'd highly recommend this style of cooking! Plus, each meal makes plenty of leftovers for lunches to take to work the next day.
I've also filled up our deep-freeze with plenty of frozen bottles for the weeks to come, although I do not look forward to pumping at work. This first week I had an average of 6 minutes, twice a day to get the job done. One day I had to pick between going to the bathroom and pumping, because I had lunch duty and didn't have time to do both. I don't have a door on my classroom, so finding a place to pump is an adventure in itself. I had a meeting across the district on Tuesday and had to pump sitting on the floor of a junior high bathroom. Quite pathetic! I could go on, but I will get off my soapbox for now. I just hope that I can keep up with our growing little guy.
We were so appreciative that Grandma stayed with us for the whole week to take care of Drew at home so we didn't have to send him to daycare yet. I cannot tell you how much help that was!!! (She also hemmed four pairs of pants for me and worked on a project for Sage's room. :) )It's going to be even crazier around here in the mornings, come Monday, as both Sage and Drew take their first field trip together to Lisa's.
Thank goodness Drew did a lot of growing-up this week! He is getting much less fussy throughout the day, even though there are still times that he cannot be consoled. He loves to be part of the action and talks almost non-stop when he's awake. He's also smiling and cooing like crazy. Today he played with me on the floor for almost 30 minutes; that's a record by about 20 minutes over last week. This makes it a little easier to send him to daycare!
In preparation for going back to work, I made 24 crockpot meals for our freezer. It only took me an afternoon to get groceries and an evening to prepare the meals. Coming home to an awesome-smelling house and warm french dip sandwiches was definitely worth the prep time. We also have curry chicken, healthy BBQ chicken, and goulash among others, to consume over the next couple of months. I'd highly recommend this style of cooking! Plus, each meal makes plenty of leftovers for lunches to take to work the next day.
I've also filled up our deep-freeze with plenty of frozen bottles for the weeks to come, although I do not look forward to pumping at work. This first week I had an average of 6 minutes, twice a day to get the job done. One day I had to pick between going to the bathroom and pumping, because I had lunch duty and didn't have time to do both. I don't have a door on my classroom, so finding a place to pump is an adventure in itself. I had a meeting across the district on Tuesday and had to pump sitting on the floor of a junior high bathroom. Quite pathetic! I could go on, but I will get off my soapbox for now. I just hope that I can keep up with our growing little guy.
We were so appreciative that Grandma stayed with us for the whole week to take care of Drew at home so we didn't have to send him to daycare yet. I cannot tell you how much help that was!!! (She also hemmed four pairs of pants for me and worked on a project for Sage's room. :) )It's going to be even crazier around here in the mornings, come Monday, as both Sage and Drew take their first field trip together to Lisa's.
Thank goodness Drew did a lot of growing-up this week! He is getting much less fussy throughout the day, even though there are still times that he cannot be consoled. He loves to be part of the action and talks almost non-stop when he's awake. He's also smiling and cooing like crazy. Today he played with me on the floor for almost 30 minutes; that's a record by about 20 minutes over last week. This makes it a little easier to send him to daycare!
I also started taking Sage to the library on Saturday mornings to check out books. She also gets to check-out a video as well. Of course it has been Thomas each time. This week she wore her backpack to take her books home in, which made the experience extra-special. I have really enjoyed this time together!
We also started a routine this week in letting Sage watch an episode of Dora when she gets home from daycare, so that I can try to clean up the house a bit and wash bottles. Yes, I am generally in my pajamas by 4pm if we are not planning on going anywhere. I just love sitting Drew in the bumbo to help--he looks like a little man in there. :)
I am already looking forward to spring break and summer. I think being a parent is one of the hardest jobs out there, and teaching isn't far behind! I'm exhausted, but life is good!
He is so sweet! And so old! Hope to see you guys soon - can't wait to see Drew and Clara play together :-)
ReplyDeletewhat a treat to get such a long blog post from you! I love getting a glimpse into your everyday lives... one of the things I miss most about living nearby! we can't wait to meet drew (now that he's on the outside world...) and get to hang out with all of you guys soon!
ReplyDeleteyou are such an amazing mommy!!
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