Highlights of a Teacher's Summer as Mom

As a teacher, I am given three months vacation. Many people choose to be a teacher just for this specific reason, and while before, when I had only had the experience of teaching 12 month schools with track breaks, I would have commented on how selfish and one-track minded those people were, I can now honestly say that it is a pretty damn good reason to do this job. Yes, teaching is very hard, time consuming, and stressful. You do have to care, somewhat at least, about kids. But that is only if you want to be GOOD! There are quite a few teachers that suck the whole 9 months,and then get bestowed the 3 wonderful vacation months without ever really earning it, never breaking a sweat, and probably never once worrying about a phone call they needed to make to a parent. Probably because they never MAKE the calls, because they don't care, and as long as they put a "C" in the grade book, no one will ask questions.



Anyway, I am not one of those people. I work far and beyond 40 hours a week, including weekends, to get these months off. And now that I have had them, for the very first time, what seems to be the highlights, what I will remember, miss, and cherish most, are not all those mornings without an alarm. Sure, those were nice, but when you have a toddler, you STILL have an alarm- this alarm brings you frozen pancakes, a bag of Cheetohs, and ice cream sandwiches at 7:30am, pats you on the cheek, and says quietly, "Momma? I hungry!", instead of ringing! Don't get me wrong. I prefer this type of alarm! I can continue to stay in pajamas; I can gather a breakfast and even nap! No hair brushing, makeup, ironing? Heck, yea! We'll take it. BUT, we'd rather have the family sleep-in.



Family sleep-in is where NO ONE wakes up ANY ONE else. Therefore, complete peace is carried on until close to noon, when everyone sort of begins to groan and moan all at once. In my family, this includes 4 dogs (3 sleep on the bed with us), my husband, the pillow over his head sleeper, my son, the sprawler/snuggler, and me, the MOM-willwakeupforanynoiseordiscomfortandtrytofixitbutIcanbarelysleepmyselfsoifiamLETMEBE! When it is a sleep-in, we all know the rules. If AJ gets up first, he gathers items from around the bedroom and bathroom and accumulates them in one place for sorting and study. Last time, he had: Aaron's wallet, A&D Ointment, Menthol Salve for my hands, 2 hair pins, a comb, linen spray, powder, and his toothbrush. While we slept, he quietly gathered these things into a pile on the end of the bed, and then began sorting them. The dogs don't sniff anything good, so they ignore him. About 30 minutes later, I might crack an eye enough to see Toby's eye also cracked. So he'll come plop on me, then Charlotte, then Rocky. Still quiet. All plopped on me watching AJ sort and study and either add to, or dismantle, parts of his collection. We rest, until, Aaron slowly pushes the pillow from his head, "It's nice to sleep in." "Yer'right. Everyone in their own way, so polite." I'll miss this morning tradition!



After breakfast, became play time for AJ and I. We pulled out puzzles, matching and sorting games, books, coloring, paints, playdoh, maps, animal cards, and we practiced vocabulary development, color clues, descriptive words, letter and number recognition, counting how many. He's learned opposites UP/DOWN, OPEN/SHUT, IN/OUT, STOP/GO, FRONT/BACK, LOUD/QUIET. He learned some songs and dances! He's beginning to speak in more complex sentences, "Mom's sleeping. She's tired." He's also beginning to ask questions using higher level thinking skills: "Momma, why is the bear sleeping? Why did he mad at the bear?" So I had to explain that the boy thought the bear hurt his brother, so now the boy insisted on hurting the bear for revenge.          



Nap time is special. Bug and I usually choose some silly movie, like Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, Bug gets his warm milk, and I get coffee, water, or PoweraideZero. And as we watch, both of us sitting on my bed, but he paying much more attention to the fat orange royalty, I will monitor his blinks. And soon, it's Kenny Loggins, singing us both to sleep. AJ likes to be STUCK to me when he's sleeping. That would be fine, if I still slept on the Cal-King bed of a few years past.

mmmmmmmm

Mm-mmm-mmm

I like my pillows soft, cool,

my wrist rises and falls above my head

smooth, i slide, i hide, i'm shy

Mm-mmm-mmm

I love my pillows, white as snow

The satin comforts me, like on my "B"

I fold it at the right place and rub the lion, mmmm.

mmmmmmmmm

mmmy Satin Toddler Pillow

We sleep in a Mommy/Baby spoon. My legs work to warm up his little chilly legs that can't seem to keep a blanket on them. He'll reach back for my hand, and bring it forward and place it on his "tummy". He'll say, "Hand on tummy or leggies or hair. Olright?" "Course Baby! Can I sing?" "A leel bet." "When you are asleep, can I get up and finish the laundry?" "NO! YOU SLEEP WHIFF ME!" I never ask anymore. I just assume. So I cuddle up with my Bug, one hand patting his tummy, and we sing You'll Be In My Heart. He'll turn right before he dozes off, and say, "Momma, kiss?"



Every time this happens, I wonder what I need to do to make this my daily reality. My son is my spirit, so full of happiness and curiosity, love and empathy, and quiet thoughtfulness. I don't want anyone to change it, to dash his joy or compassion. But our summer is over. 9 months begin again, and my beautiful Bug, will be beginning preschool-( hopefully he will reject other "possible" insects- will it be odd if I send him with swimming caps, shower caps, and then hair greased up with V05?) These memories of him, built up over so long, are GIFTS! I see why people want the time. It just wouldn't have been the sweet, comfort filled summer, without my little pillow with freshly shampooed hair.