Bittersweet

It's official, summer has begun. All of my teacher friends are rejoicing, and as much as I hate to be 'Debbie Downer', I am groaning and moaning. Why am I moaning and groaning you ask?

Here goes nothing...this is my twisted thought process.

Now that it's the official start of summer and the 2009-2010 school year has come to a close I am no longer on maternity leave. Yes, I understand that I still have July and August to be home with Cami (66 more days to be exact) but I am no longer on leave. I am now on the same schedule again as all of the other teachers in my county. I am now on summer break just like they are and come the end of August I will be back at work just like they are too.

I admit, every time I think about this I get a mix of emotions. I am a little bit excited to go back to work - especially since I am doing something new (I will be doing leveled literacy with struggling readers) and I'm only working part time - but at the same time I am DREADING it. I mean really, I have to leave Cami for hours each day to go help other children learn how to read?!? Can't someone pay me to stay home and teach my own child how to read (now that would be the life)? Anyways - there's no getting around it - I must go back to work. I will never regret our family decision for me to stay home the remainder of this school year to be with Cami and I will forever cherish the months and months (8 to be exact) of maternity leave that I was blessed to have with my first child. It's bittersweet to see this chapter in my life come to a close, but I keep telling myself where one door closes another opens.