I love my job

I am really lucky to have a job where I see my kids throughout the day. We all drive to school together and after I drop them off, my work day begins. I see Brayden many times a day and stop in to see Brookelyn once a day. Sasha is still too young to see me without wanting me to take her with me, so I have to hide if I am by her room. She really likes school, but really doesn't understand that I work there. I am also lucky because I really like the people I work with, which cannot be said for every job. I think one of the best things about my job, though, is that I get to have input into making my children's school great. I have been working really hard to learn all of the children's names, parent's names, schedules...as well as creating a Artist and Composer of the Month Program. I decided that I wanted to have the children learn about a new artist and composer every month, so every month I create a unit box with a ton of info about the featured month's artist and composer. I kept track of how long it took me to make it for this month-15 hours. I did most of it during my off time, because it is hard to do anything at my office. Too many interruptions and distractions. I put up seven prints by Matisse in the multi purpose room this month and am playing Bach on my stereo in my office. I go around and "quiz" the students in each room about different things about the featured artist and composer and they win a fun pencil if they can answer it correctly. I make sure that every child wins a pencil during the month. I know it is working because a lot of parents have told me that their children can now recognize a lot of Van Gogh's works and know a lot about him. We studied him last month. It takes a lot of work, but it is worth it. The problems is that I am supposed to work four days a week from 8:15 -4:15, but I have only been able to get a day off twice so far. In the beginning it was my trying to get my office and other things organized, but the last few weeks it was other things that came up. I have never been able to leave at 4:15. 5:30 is closer to when I leave. Some nights much later. I am going to get better though. The kids like staying late, but I always feel guilty. Often when I pick them up, they tell me to get one of the other kids first. All three say this, but it is usually Brayden and Brookelyn. Sasha usually wants me to sit down and wait while she plays for longer or finishes an art project that she is working on. They all have great teachers, so I am lucky.
Three days a week after school we go to where Bradyen practices for the swim team. He really needs to keep active, so even though it is really hard, I keep bringing him. I stopped for about a week and a half and he started acting up in school. Sasha, Brookelyn and I spend most of the time in the playground while Brayden swims. Sometimes it is just me trying to keep the girls away from the pool while they try their best to get close enough to fall in. By the time Brayden is out and has taken a shower, I am pretty tired. I get all three cranky kids into the car, which is the hardest part. All three are very tired by then and do not want to walk to the car. I have to trick, beg, demand, nip at their heels...whatever it takes to get all three to the car. It is usually not very pretty. At least one of them has a meltdown on the way home and doesn't want to hear either of the other two sing, talk or breathe all the way home. I have to remind myself that I am their role model and that they are the same children I picked up from school an hour before. They sound like little demons. I make the twenty minute drive home trying my best to be sane and then realize every day THAT I STILL HAVE TO MAKE DINNER. I do not like making dinner. I manage to get them all out of the car and then make two more trips back to empty the car of all of our stuff before starting in on making dinner. Luckily for me, usually within a few minutes after putting our a few plates of fruit and raw veggies, the demons turn into my sweet kids again. Not always, but most of the time. And then I can make a quick dinner. Usually after we eat, I have the kids watch a half hour movie while I quickly clean up and make lunches for the next day. Ray usually comes home during that time. We get the kids bathed and in bed, and then I do the million things Moms always do before I go to bed. I usually get to bed around 12 or 1 and am up before 6 with Sasha. I turned 45 a couple of weeks ago, but I know there are days I look older...