SUMMER and DestructoBaby

Today is officially my first day of summer break.  (Don't you like our new magnets?  Ben's dad gave them to Millie this weekend when we were in Glasgow.  Ben says he thinks they were theirs (his and his siblings') growing up.  FUN!)

Yesterday was our last work day at school, and we all went home exhausted and elated.  We also toasted with champagne and got a cash gift at the end-of-the-year party. Have I ever told you how awesome it is to work at a private school?  Well, I just did.

So far, this break is weird.  Last year at the start of summer, I was still on my maternity leave, so I didn't get to experience the end-of-the-year-start-of-the-summer transition, really.  This was my first time to go from teacher to stay-at-home mom.  I can't say that I fully feel relaxed about it, but that could be because we are now preparing for a big fishing trip in two days, and trying to keep DestructoBaby from terrorizing our house.

Amelia, our now 13 month old, has decided that it is developmentally appropriate for her to grab whatever she can reach and throw it, slam it, or eat it.  Case in point, the magnets.

They make quite a funny sound, sliding all the way down the fridge and bouncing off of the linoleum.  My BabyCenter Toddler update said this is just what would happen at this exact stage in her life, and thank the Lord for that website because it at least gives me a little peace of mind (as I am rapidly losing it).  No longer is she safe in a baby-proofed room.  HA!  The only room that I would consider baby-proofed for Millie is a padded one.  Yowzahs - it is exhausting chasing her around and making sure she's not getting into mischief.  She loves to go to the mailbox and will reach for the key when we ask her to go.  As soon as we get back and spill the mail all over the floor, the first thing she wants to do is eat it.  I don't know how many times I've told her that we don't eat paper.  Maybe in a few years she'll understand what I'm saying and actually stop eating it.

I am so excited about being home, but also a little nervous.  There's still a voice in my head that says I can't hack it as a mom.  This morning, as I was wrestling Amelia to the ground to get a piece of food from the dirty floor out of her mouth, she bonked her head and started wailing.  And then I had to keep from wailing, because the voice started talking and said, "Look what you did!  You can't do this.  You can't take care of her and keep her safe...you just hurt your baby!"  And I just had to tell that voice to go shove it, and pray to God that He gives me the strength to hold it together for the sake of my beautiful child.  It's not natural for me, people...this mom thing...not like teaching.  This summer is going to be great, but I've got to take the bumps in stride and know that I'm doing a good enough job.  (Sigh.)

This school year was great.  Better than great.  FANTASTIC.  I was so worried about how I was going to handle all of my classes and my nine (yes I do NINE!) music programs.  Before Amelia, I spent so much time after school and on Mondays (because I don't work on Mondays) working on school stuff.  How was I going to get all of that stuff done in the three and a half days that I was working?  You know what, though?  I did it.  And I didn't just barely make it through.  I fricking rocked it.  Every program was amazeballs.  Yes, I'll admit...there were a few classes (okay, a lot of classes) that got the shaft during one of my crappy lessons.  But I really did a great job of holding it together and getting done what I needed to during the day.  I left around 3:45 every day to go pick up Mills, and didn't panic too many times because of all I had left to do.  I simplified, and more importantly, I streamlined and became more efficient.  That is definitely the key...to every part of life when one is a parent, I am convinced.

Yay! for school being out, Yay!  for another great year at school, Yay! for DestructoBaby, and Yay! for our big family trip in t minus 2 days.  (I don't even know what "t minus" means.)


HOLLA -