Whew!

So, here I am, posting finally after almost a month away.  It has been an overwhelming month, to be sure.  I have no fun pictures, but I have been extremely busy.  My brother, Tom, and his family left this morning after spending two weeks with us.  His son, Daniel, is off to college at ASU within the month.  His son, Michael, is the nephew who spent some time with us two summers ago.  Michael is a special needs child, and I have been trying to help with him as much as I am able.  I spent every day of the two weeks with them.  We visited both the Guthrie and Jungle Theaters, the Mall of America including the amusement park and aquarium, the Science Museum and the Dead Sea Scrolls and Omni, a Huskies game, Canal Park, Brighton Beach, and fishing at Island Lake twice.  I taught my sister-in-law, Dee, how to knit a cotton washcloth.  I knit and gifted three sets of "Fetching" fingerless gloves in Cashmerino.  I read a novel and started another.  It was wonderful to see them, but their vacation is not a vacation for us or my folks.  I'm tired today.

Also, within the month, I've ridden the job rollercoaster. Granted the rollercoaster ride is all of my own making.  I am making changes to our health insurance, which I had hoped might change my teaching assignment for this Sept. back to the job I had last year.  I was encouraged by my principal's comments about the change and hopeful that I might be able to go back to that position.  After several weeks of being on the bubble, word came that my request has been denied again.  As that door closed, another opened in the form of a job opportunity in the Twin Cities.  I have applied for that job, but the timeline may be a problem, as the beginning of the schoolyear is fast approaching.  Because of the rollercoaster, the second grade classroom is most decidedly NOT ready.  My month of August is pretty well planned out.  I will need to be in the classroom pretty much every day, and I may need to make a trip to the Cities if they want to interview me.  I am excited about the opportunity, but the prospect of the change is frightening.  Bob does NOT want to move to the Cities, and this isn't a good time to be putting a house on the market.  There also may be a problem if I need to request a Leave of Absence from school to try the other job.  That said, this job opportunity sounds just too good to let go without pursuit.

My summer break is two thirds gone, and has been spent helping family and fussing over my employment.  I feel stressed and tired.  Because I must be available to work in the second grade room and perhaps go south for an interview, it seems that any hope of a vacation away is out of the question.  It is difficult for me to put my heart into preparing a classroom, knowing that I may be leaving the room before the school year starts or within a month or two. I like my blog to be upbeat and positive, but this is where I am at the end of July. 

Be grateful and see the beauty in each day!