Where Have I Been?!!

Wow. It's definitely been a long time since I've blogged. So much to say, not even sure how to say it. I'm not even sure why it's been so long since I've blogged. I've been working hard on getting my new schedule on track and figuring out how to make it all work.

My new preschool class started January 3rd. It's only four kids, plus I have an assistant, so I didn't think it would be too tough. I figured I would just do whatever I had planned with my MWF class of 2.5-3 year olds. I was wrong - doesn't work. So that means double the planning.

My schedule right now is manageable but quite challenging.
I teach preschool five mornings a week from 9-12.
On Sundays I teach Religious School from 9-1.
I teach Hebrew School on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:30.
I teach Drama on Wednesdays from 4-5.
I teach a Parent and Me Shabbat Program on Fridays from 12:15-1:45.

I get up with the kids at 7, get them and myself ready and out the door by 8:15 or so. The boys are brought to school and picked up by a variety of different people, and they are brought to school before I'm finished teaching, joining my class twice a week and waiting until my teaching day is done the other three. I attempt to get my classroom ready for the next day while my three kids (and twice a week the daughter of the mom who picks up the kids three days a week is there too eating her lunch so I can drive her to her after-school schoolby 12:30) talk incessantly and require my attention tremendously. After I do as much as I can, we go home where I push the kids to do their "Before Lunch Routines" before I finish making their lunches. Depending on whether or not I have to work that afternoon, I then attempt to complete a load of laundry from start to finish, return e-mails, and try to do so many other jobs around the house. Also depending on the day, after the kids finish their "quiet time" and "computer time", I then have the kids sit down with me for "Homework Time" - a way to encourage B to work on his fine motor skills, A to increase his attention span with the things he reads, and J to practice letter recognition and following directions.

It's late and I need to get to bed, but I'm glad I got a chance to update my blog (and my loyal readers) on a little bit of what's been happening in my life. I have so much more to say, but have to finish washing and drying the rest of the dishes before I go to bed. I discovered a leak in the pipes under one side of the sink, so cannot use the dishwasher, and I cannot leave the dishes to dry on the counter due to the mouse problem we've been having. YUCK! They actually have nested in the walls of the oven somehow so we can no longer turn it on with filling the house with a disgusting odor. So also on my list of things to do this week is contact the exterminator to come out and help us get rid of the mice and then select a new stove from Sears and set up a delivery date. I never realized how much I use my oven (since I use my crockpot so often), but we REALLY miss it!!!

So, off to wash and dry and then get to bed. Thanks for reading!