Squeezing the Last Drops Out of Summer

Tomorrow I report back to work for the first time since June 2009.  One week from today, I will start teaching again.  I've known these days were coming, but I'm still left scrambling to fit it all in.  We've spent the past couple weeks doing all our favorite summer things, and I can't wait to share our adventures.  (You can get a sneak peek at a future post over at Suzanne's blog today.)

My parents have a camper that they park at the beach just about every other week in the summer, so we get a lot of mini beach "vacations" throughout the summer.  I've already shared tips for camping with babies, so now I'll just dump pics of all the fun we had.

collecting

A ton of (live) clams washed up on shore.  It was sad and stinky.  O helped some other kids who were determined to save them by throwing them back.

Ava wanted to be friends.

Grandpa Bob is the best at burying toddlers in the sand.  They love it!

The water is pretty calm compared to other ocean beaches, and they have no fear!

We're hoping to spend at least one more solid beach day there this year- I need something to look forward to!

Wordless Wednesday: My Flirt

And just as cute: JD having a blast in the background, totally oblivious to the beautiful lifeguard.  My boys are so different.

I AM a Good Mom

I think my boys are awesome.  Of course I do.  I'm their mom.  And one of the things keeping me up lately has been worrying about how they will stack up against the other kids at day care.  I think they're brilliant.  I think they're lovable. I think they're sweet and sensitive to others.  But what will their teachers think?  It's not that I want them to be the head of the class or the teacher's pet, but I want that validation that I DID MY JOB.  That during the three years that I've been a stay-at-home mom, I haven't let my boys down.

In my job as a teacher, I am observed and evaluated.  There are test scores and growth that can be measured.  I can read teacher evaluations from my supervisors and from my students.  I can look in my file and see my accomplishments, accolades, and failures.  As a mom, I have to do that on my own.  There is no boss to make the tough decisions.  There is no core curriculum to stick to.  There are a million decisions each day and SO MUCH second guessing and guilt.

JD and O have started day care part-time this month- just 2 short days a week- to ease us all in.  By the second week, my heart was at ease when I saw that their teachers enjoyed them.  Both sets of teachers have commented that they can't wait until my boys are there full time.  They tell me that JD & O listen and say "please" and "thank you".  That I have good boys.  O's teachers genuinely look sad when I come to pick my smiley baby up.  They like my boys.  It's such a huge relief.  (Although there is a tiny voice saying, "give them time...")

They may be teaching them new things, but I laid the foundation.  As much as I've made mistakes and doubted my decisions, I didn't royally screw up.  And knowing that is totally worth the cost of daycare. Maybe.