[arthymom]

Just wondering. I realize that we can't complain with our summers off... but the end of August is always a little depressing...I love teaching as all teachers who stay in do, and yet....

[ksos2003]

I have been back to school for 2 weeks. It has been really hard since my daughter has come home. This year has been the hardest since she is 3 1/2 and cries when I take her to daycare and doesn't want me to leave. We miss our time together. This summer was our best summer together because we did so much. I am also a single mom so it is just the two of us. I will be glad once our state testing is over, she is in preschool and we are in the swing of things. Then I can start dreaming of next summer!

However, I do know how lucky I am to have so much time off with my daughter. Not many other jobs have that.

[sld]

That goes for me too! Yugh! There is nothing more fantastic than Sunday nights during the summer. I start back on Monday. My husband also starts Monday and my son starts on Tuesday. The only difference this year will make for me is that I am waiting to bring my baby home and I need to keep something off my mind. Good luck

[allido]

I do love my teaching career in that it gives me a chance to be a Stay-at-Home Mom for 1/4 of the year. But I also think I couldn't do it year round (money-wise and mentally- kudos to all the full-time SAH Mom's who do As excited as I am, I am also sad that the days of watching Sesame Street in our PJ's, Happy Meal lunches at McDonald's with Playlands where my son can stay as long as he wants, midday trips to the library, swims at the pool, and swinging in the backyard are over for another year. I'm really NOT looking forward to this year. I'm nervous that my Principal will continue to have "issues" with me and I don't want to have to deal with the stress. BUT, I'll keep remembering that the kids (my son, my soon(?)-to-be daughter as well as my students) need me.

[StefB]

I'm right there with you. I gave myself the job this summer of completing all of the requirements for my adoption. I began planning to adopt in the spring, and began researching. I told myself it was now or never, and I needed to start taking the steps (and could back out if I panicked). I am now reaching the end of my dossier. My homestudy report should be ready early next week, and I found out my local USCIS is taking only 3-5 business days to issue approvals! I'm just about going to reach my goal of finishing everything before school starts.

So where do the blues come in? I haven't exactly had my typical relaxing summer. Between the piles of homestudy and dossier paperwork, and preparing my house for my social worker visits, I've been BUSY! And school begins for me right after labor day. I'M NOT READY .

To the poster above me: I'm single too.

I guess I need to think of it this way: If September doesn't come, then neither can any of the other months that bring me to the month that I will become a mom.

And on another bright note, if things go smoothly and quickly with my adoption process, perhaps I will not be working the full school year. I'll be on leave with my little one!

We'll all get into the swing of the new school year, and that will make our adoption waits go all the quicker (I hope).

Stefanie

[ashlind]

I start back to school on Monday. My husband and I went to Guatemala to bring home our beautiful daughter, Gabriella, at the beginning of April and I've been home with her ever since. I can't believe that the 5 months I knew I would have with her are now over. I do miss teaching though and Gabriella does need to start being aound other children so I really see this as a good thing for both of us. It's been 19 years since I brought my last child to daycare. This will be something I will definitely have to get used to

[au06]

We go back early around here - Aug 10. by now school is in full swing. We also have state testing next week. On the up side in a short while I will be going to Guatemala to get my son and will then take six weeks off. The other up side - you can't spend 100% of your day thinking about PGN with all those students around

[aniles]

I'm taking this year off in hopes that our adoption will be completed soon (6 1/2 weeks in PGN right now), and I"m feeling blue that I'm NOT teaching!! I really miss my students, but I understand about the first week of school blues! It's really hard to get back into the swing of things!

[gnattylove]

I teach 6th graders in Western Kentucky and we went back to school Aug. 9th. I am very jealous of you all who have not started school yet. Not Fair. I am really having a hard time right now because school is the last place I want to be. I want to be with my son. He exited PGN on Aug. 17th so we should be leaving to go get him soon. I will be taking 6 weeks off and then back to school. If we could afford the health insurance I would stay home full time. I hope I will be able to leave my little one and go back to school after the 6 weeks. Also, we just starting another adoption of our little girl. Hopefully, we will be able to bring her home in Jan. and I will take off another 6 weeks with her.

Good Luck to You All,

[CareBears82]

I work at a daycare that's supposed to open Monday. I was out of work for 6 weeks and now to get back into work is hard. DH and I were talking and have desided now that when we have children I'm going to stay at home with them and take on a few kids to watch to make up teh income. The prices of day care here would make it impossable for me to work. I'd just basically be paying for that each paycheck.

[my3guats]

Yep me too. I always feel kind of depressed with the end of summer. I do love my job and the kids there but also love the carefree days of summer. I have always felt this at the end of summer...I remember as a college student being at my family's summer cottage and water skiing and as the days got shorter and we couldn't ski as long really feeling sad...this year though all of our kids are in school all day( second time in our life we have said this!)so at least I am not feeling so bad about daycare and all.

[arthymom]

I'm so glad I posted this thread!

I loved hearing all of the stories from so many of you who are in process and from so many of you home with babies (and older kids!)

For those of you with your first babies, I remember when bio. son was little and had to go to daycare for the first time. That first year was miserable with colds and having the stress of getting a lot of time off. But we both survived it. And I have to say that since he was our first, he has become so well adjusted through good day care.

For those of you with older ones, thank you for putting some words to my anxiety and sadness about staring anew. We are fortunate in this profession, but nothing takes the place of those lazy crazy days of summer.

I think I'm also experiencing some anxiety of moving from one to two kids, which is adding to the beginning of the year anxiety.

An additional question for all of you who have brought home a baby:

How did you time your leave? I may post this as a thread on the forum to see what folks in other professions say too. I don't see how I can tell our school when pick up will be!!!!

[lsk]

I teach special ed in high school and just love my job BUT...I resigned this year. It is kind of scary because I don't know how we are going to handle it all financially (my husband has a secure job, but we are used to my income!) We brought our little girl home at the start of May, I took off six wonderful weeks, and then went back for the last 2 weeks of school to finish the year out. For us personally it was the best decision, so I am now officially a stay at home mom! My older step children just love the idea! They have visions of me picking them up and taking them out for lunch every school day! (not going to happen!)

I feel for all of you who went back this week, or will go back next week. I'm sure it will be difficult at first, but remember that your little ones will be there when you get home!!

[Carlee1boy]

We start earrrrrrrrrrrrly here in Georgia. I went back to work on July 24th! I am a school counselor, so I have to report a week before teachers, but the teachers had to go back on the 31st of July.

I am part-time, but even so had a very hard time going back. My husband is a teacher so he gets summers off too, so we get used to a lot of relaxing family time during the summer. Then when school starts we hit the ground running again and it is a major adjustment!

Neat thread--I can so relate!
Carolyn

[carrie2adopt]

I remember that feeling...I always hated the night before the first day...nerves! I taught kindergarten and my worst fear was a child who would be so upset that they'd make themselves sick (it happened once so I worried about it every year afterwards!). Silly huh?

I miss teaching, I've been out of the loop for about three years now but I'm seriously considering returning to teaching...but I doubt any jobs are available near me this late in the year, especially for someone who says oh ya, and I'll need some time off to bring home my daughter so I can go to Guatemala to pick her up! LOL Maybe next year (I better not wait too long or my license will run out!).