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| Safia at 5 weeks |
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| Happy Mother's Day! |
I can smell summer around the corner. Some of you may be saying that the summer solstice isn’t until June 21, and that is well over a month away. Be that as it may, May 18th is the last day of school for students in the Clarke County School District, and that is the official start of summer as far as I’m concerned, and that day can not come fast enough. This summer’s plans are another blog post down the road, but let me tell you that it’s going to begin with a whole lot of being at home with wife and baby and dog. Family unit style! Once significant factor that will allow me to focus more squarely on the responsibilities of baby rearing is that I have, after much toil, sweat, and industry, completed all coursework for my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and my clear, renewable teaching certificate for the state of Georgia {applause – cheer – exaltation!} A big thanks, with love and appreciation, goes to Ellen who has shouldered my grumpiness, my exasperation, my stress, and my exhaustion; who listened to my ideas, helped me clarify my purpose, and refine my vision; all while attending to your myriad, demanding responsibilities. I couldn’t have done it without you!
Well, it’s been two weeks back working since my paternity leave ended, and I gotta say it’s not a barrel of laughs. I’m tired, my students are tired (and crazy! Sorry kids, but you are), and when I get home, Ellen’s tired, Safia’s tired, and Zoey, well, she just really only ever wants to go on more walks. I think that our house is the epicenter of tiredness in all of Athens, if not the whole southeast region. But I know things are getting better, and will continue to get better. It’s just a matter of keeping sanity during these turbulent times, and I think we’re finding our way (little by little). These first five weeks have been hard. We can’t wait until she can interact with us so we feel like there is some return on all our efforts and energy. I finally understand why some parents only have one child. I found myself musing, “Why in the world would I go through this again?!” But I’ll be patient. I’ll keep waiting for the “It gets better” phase.
Yesterday afternoon my band (High Strung String Band) played at the Art-B-Q festival in Avondale Estates (Atlanta for those not-from-around-here). It was pretty awesome to play music for some new people and get out and about on such a lovely day. Because of the long drive, the heat of the day, and the crowds, Ellen and Safia sat this one out. The band has had a three-weekend-in-a-row run here and the summer schedule is starting to fill up. Negotiating music and family life will be a recurring theme, I think. There's sacrifice on all sides, but it's something we're dedicated to working through. The band has a mini-summer tour scheduled to start on June 21st and we’re trying to figure out how it’s all going to work out.
Yesterday morning I did a little work in the garden: transplanting basil into pots, transplanting eggplant and peppers into the ground, mulching, and some weeding. Things are looking pretty good in spite of the increased neglect as of late. I brought the camera out to the garden and looked for little baby veggies and fruits. I’m getting excited about the mini-bounty that will soon occupy our plates.
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| A beneficial insect! |
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| A baby blackberry and the promise of more to come. |
It get's SO MUCH better! Hang in there, you are all doing great.
ReplyDeleteHappy Mother's Day, Ellen - and a HUGE congrats to you Rube for completing your Masters, etc.
Philomena