Well, first things first. Moving is an exhausting undertaking. For the first two weeks in our new home, I didn't sleep more than 4 hours a night, and spent the entirety of my waking hours painting, lifting, building, cleaning, arranging, juggling service people and appointments, and generally running around town for necessities as they popped up. We got a tremendous amount of work done, and it has paid off beautifully. My daughter officially has the Hulk room she requested (more on that in a before & after DIY update post to come), and my doggie loves her giant yard. But there is a list a mile long of things we still plan to tackle, including a master bath remodel, cultivating the entire backyard area into an outdoor living space, and taking down the popcorn ceilings. Though I'm sleeping more a night now, we've been keeping beyond busy.
In addition to the chaos that is adjusting to a new house/town, I have also accepted a new position working at a progressive private school teaching Sociology, British Literature, World Literature and (of all things) drama (I told you I wore many hats!). I am in love with the school. From being housed in an actual house to encourage students to feel comfortable in their learning environment, to the focus on collaboration and healthy risk-taking instead of competition and hierarchy, this is the place for me. Obviously though, that's a lot of prep work. Having only ever really taught Sociology, and having been a loooooong time since I taught at the high school level, it's been a challenge to lesson plan and cultivate ideas. Luckily for me that's fun work, but work nonetheless. And with the new job (which is technically part time allowing me to work from home on my schedule except for in-class hours), it has necessitated another challenge: finding affordable childcare.
I could probably swing this guy.
If you have children and don't stay home with them (and even if you do if you've ever needed a sitter), you know that childcare is a racket. Finding something affordable, flexible, AND well-run with good curriculum is like finding a unicorn. The conundrum: I could use child care 4 days a week, but I only really need childcare 3 days a week for a couple hours each day. Unfortunately, those days are not your run of the mill Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I need Monday/Wednesday/Thursday. So many places were inflexible about the days of the week. The truly worthwhile places cost an arm and a leg. The okay places we would have to shell out extra money for five days a week we wouldn't even use! And trust me, I wouldn't use it if we didn't need to. I'm not ready to completely give up weekdays with my daughter. I've mentioned in previous posts that I suffer from anxiety disorders. At this point in time in my life, I am fortunate to have developed valuable coping mechanisms, practicing grounding techniques and avoiding triggers when possible. Generally I suffer far less now than I have at times in the past. But boy oh boy did the school stress trigger it. Every "no," every time I'd find a place I liked that was flexible and heard the exorbitant price tag, I lost it a little more. I began questioning whether it was even worth it to have a job if I was going to be funneling all the extra money I made into paying for childcare that I wouldn't need if I wasn't working! But finally... we found the place. Great curriculum including STEM. They teach Spanish. They have art and P.E. and even take field trips. They have short school days (8:00-3:15) which is all I need. AND... Their 4 day a week program is nearly half the cost of everywhere else. Relief! I don't want to pay for time I don't need, but having the extra day to work means I will have to spend less time working when my daughter is with me or after she's in bed. Built in planning time. I'll take it.
And as if that craziness is not enough, a little under a month ago, my body had a strange reaction. I have a history of hormonal issues and endometriosis, so when I began feeling pain and unusual symptoms, I guessed it had to with stress. About 11 days in, I was instructed to double my birth control pills for 3 days. After I found no relief and felt the pain increase, I finally got into see a specialist on day 17 for a sonogram and evaluation. Turns out the estrogen in my birth control which had been bumped up 7 months ago for medical reasons was causing my endometrial lining to thicken. At the time of the appointment, it was twice the thickness it should be which, compounded with endometriosis, was the source of the pain and unusual symptoms. Basically, my first self-diagnosis was correct: my uterus had staged a coup and was trying to take over my body. After being told it literally would not stop (like... ever), I was instructed to immediately cease taking birth control and was scheduled for surgery. It's still 3 days away, and even on prescription pain medication I've been fetal more than a few times. I'm doing my best to carry on day to day (swim lessons and tea parties and dance-a-thons with three year olds don't happen on their own!), but the effort is exhausting. Usually by the time I get to the point in time I could write, I have had no energy or focus. Just a few more days and I will hopefully be able to get back to writing regularly. I can't BELIEVE how much I have missed discussing.
Thanks everyone for your patience and well-wishes. And don't worry...
