Back to School

Less than a month from now it is all over. This carefree summer of pool parties, midnight conversations with friends, harvesting my own tomatoes, onions and peppers to make fresh salsa, hanging clothes on the clothesline in the sweltering sun while listening to the hens lay eggs in the early afternoon, sewing dresses and mending ripped clothes, sitting in the babies room watching them totter and climb and jabber, reading endless books and watching endless documentaries... and I wonder how will I ever mangage once school starts again to keep up with all I want to do. I contract with the school so I can work less hours. This year the plan is to work 3 days a week only. That is the plan, but we will see. I love my job, I do. I help children communicate better. I talk to kids all day. I play in the floor with 3 year olds and name objects of interest. I teach 7 year olds how to hold their tongue to produce "l" and "r". I explain the difference between rock, rock, and a rock to 12 year olds who struggle with abstract language. It's an awesome job. But I have a responsibility as a mom and a wife that supersedes all else. A responsibility to know what they are eating and to teach them how to produce healthy food for themselves and make good choices about what they buy, to teach them skills and not be dependent on stores or the government, how to manage finances, to teach them what schools don't. But I must go back to work, the savings account, which is almost drained due to Uncle Sam holding on to the refunds of everyone who claimed an adoption credit, will only make so many more mortgage payments, so back to work I go. When will I bake bread, hang clothes on the line, sew up jeans, go to the farmer's market, stand in my yard and stare at poultry? I'm not sure but hopefully I can make it all work. Maybe I can blog about it as I go. Maybe I will go insane and be locked up after I have a nervous breakdown in the middle of Homeland. Time will tell.