Math

Whose bright idea was it to put Algebra into a first grade curriculum?! I'd like to have them teach my class a couple days... And really? do we have to do English measurement conversions in second grade? How is it vital that they learn how many cups are in a gallon before they know how to do two digit subtraction? Ugh! Two hours of math and I just had to be done for the day!!! I'm sure that the kids felt the same way...

Staff reductions, pay cuts, AND more students... Really?!

Back to school...

It is with mixed emotions that I return to school today. I really don't want to go back. I have greatly enjoyed my break- if you can call it a break, I spent the whole time working on the house....

I am still very confused as to what I should do next year. Our finances would benefit greatly from my continuing to work. We would be much better able to afford things like high school and college. We are so close to out of debt and starting to tip things in the other direction!! My heart is telling me that the childhood of my children is starting to slip away and I am missing it!!

Several times this weekend, someone has suggested to me that I look into teaching at SP. Teaching there would definitely help to bring down the stress my job. I would only have one grade and might possibly even have the option of teaching special reading. (One of my long-term career goals.) I would be better able to go back and forth if I need to get some extra work done also the teachers there aren't expected to do extra tutoring and stuff like that which would limit my time after school. They actually find your subs for you, so one would most likely get off if you needed rather than having sick children sleeping in the back of the classroom.

Dan would be much better able to be involved with the kids' school as it is much closer AND it would really cut down on my mileage. It seems like a good compromise... But is it compromising too much...

No idleness bread here today!

There's a certain feeling of satisfaction at the end of a productive day. After many loads of laundry, much de-cluttering, cleaning the kitchen (twice!) and making homemade laundry soap - not to mention putting up Christmas decorations - I am tired. But I think I am still going to clean the kitchen (a third time) before bed and put on the new table cloth I picked up at the dollar store - after I clear off the dining room table again (those crayons keep getting themselves out!).

I am looking forward to my Sabboth rest tomorrow, having spent much productive time on my household today.

Laundry- How can only five people wear so many clothes in such a short time?

I have (momentarily) conquered the junk drawers! (Some of them...)

(Sigh) So much clutter, so little time...

Cleaning...

I have been fighting my floors for over three years now. I don't mind saying that much of that time I have spent passive-aggressively ignoring them and hoping they would just sort-of miraculously become clean. Between the excessive wear and tear on the hardwood and the never ending stream of dog hair it is just next thing to impossible to get the floor in our house to even begin to look clean.

Sweet victory, I have found something! Nothing to take care of the wear and tear, but I finally got something to make the floor shiny again. First I stripped the floor with a Mr. Clean/ammonia mix, then I spread Mop and Glow on it. It may look worn, but at least it is now shiny! :-)

Priorities...

As a Christian Mom and a fairly staunch traditionalist, I have long struggled with what my priority should be. Of course as a wife and the mother of three, I find my first and strongest loyalty to be my family. The question that I struggle with is "What is the most appropriate way to act on that loyalty on a day to day basis?" Should I concern myself first and foremost with the occupation of keeping house and maintaining the stability our home? Or do I concern myself with the financial stability of said home and continue my career?

During my husband's College and Seminary years, I maintained my status as a stay at home mom. I could never find myself completely at peace with my role due to nagging guilt over our financial situation. After eight years as a stay at home mom, I was offered a teaching job at a small Lutheran school teaching first and second grade. At the end of this school year, having taught two years, our financial situation is much improved. By the end of July, barring any unforeseen complications, we should be out of debt with the exception of our student loans.

The dilemma:
Should I stay at home and sacrifice our second income?

OR

Should I continue teaching and sacrifice family time?


Is there another option that will allow me to continue earning an income without sacrificing family time? Should the fact that my students and their families are largely unchurched enter into the decision?

In August I started a second part-time job working with a direct marketing company. As of right now, my income with this company is close to half of what I make as a teacher... To say that the Lord has blessed my work with this company would be an understatement as in only three months I have twenty-five distributors on my team. I could continue working with this company and still be home most of the time. BUT is that the Lord's will for my life? My husband questions whether two degrees in teaching would be going to waste if I am working a job that I wouldn't need a degree for at all...

Also, quitting my teaching job would mean that of course our children could no longer go for free to the Lutheran school where I teach. Because of the progression of age of our children, paying full tuition for all three of them at the school where the kids went to before I started teaching is not an affordable option. If I quit my job, my educational options for my children would be public school or home school.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...