The Other Side of the Fence

There’s a very good reason why I’ve been MIA the past few months. 

I’m exhausted. 

I’ve got nothing left at the end of the day. All my creative juices are dried up and all that’s left is pulp which everyone knows is gross and should be strained out anyway. Wait. What am I talking about again? 

Oh, that’s right. I’m tired because I’m going to school. Not in the “I’m working on my degree” kind of going to school but more like I’m literally going to an elementary school every single weekday for 8 and a half hours a day to be a teacher’s aide/interventionist. Didn’t see that one coming. 

It most assuredly would have made more sense for me to get a nice part time job that could transition me back into the workplace after 23 years of being home. But no. Go big or go home here in Texas and I jumped into the pool of employment with no floaty or flotation device. Just me and my new Bento Box because if I have to pack myself a lunch five days a week, it might as well be attractive and Pinterest inspired. 

On top of having to drag myself out of bed before the sun rises which I stubbornly refused to do with my own babies all those years ago (mommy needs her rest to be a good mommy. you’ll have to wait.), I am daily - no, wait - practically living at a public elementary school. 

Anyone catch the extreme irony here? Is there someone out there that knows me well and is laughing their behind off at my expense? I’m the girl who left college after her freshmen year (teacher track) and became a hairdresser. I’m the hen who home educated her little chicks, rejecting society’s definition of education in favor of one better suited to her family’s beliefs, passions, and understanding. I’m the gal who loves all things home: homemaking, homeschooling, homemade, working from home, home-brewed without neccessarily being home all the time.  Me. 

Now Me is manning the car drop off door every morning at 7:15 am and greeting children in Kindergarten through 4th grade with a smile and a friendly “Good Morning!” as they enter school for the day. Every morning I receive back a variety of responses that range from a reciprocating “Good Morning!” to an I’m too tired to talk right now look which I totally respect since most of them are too young to take advantage of a caffeinated coffee crutch to get them going. My favorite responses though are the ones thrown in the mix that give me a good morning hug and a “Mrs. Halldorson!” squeal when they see me. I’m honored to be one of the first to greet them everyday and contribute to setting a positive tone right off the bat. The hugs and smiles back at me are a perk! 

Me is also (OK, that’s really bad grammar so from here on out I’m reverting back to “I”) teaching a Kindergarten class every morning while their teacher steps out to teach a dyslexia group. What just happened?!!! Eleven sets of eyes are on me while we do our alphabet chant, vowel songs, recite our poems, and sing with the sight words DVD. Actually, I take that back. I’m lucky if all eleven sets are on me. Usually there’s a good five sets that are looking somewhere else or more likely looking for trouble. Then it’s time to travel outside the classroom for a restroom break. It’s like trying to line up eleven squirrels and expecting them to restrain themselves from scurrying up a tree or scampering off to find a nut. Who’s the nut now????? Me. Trying to walk Kinders to the the bathroom in a quiet, uniform line. And back. 

Friends, it’s only 8:30 am. School gets out at 3pm.

To be clear I’m not literally in Kindergarten all day but I travel around to other classrooms and hit all the grades before my day is done. Sometimes I meet with small groups for some tutoring intervention. Other times I pop into classrooms and help out wherever I’m needed for the time I’m scheduled to be in there. I'm also on 1st grade recess duty and assist the 1st grade PE class that follows. Let’s just say I’ve got some 1st grade stories too. They’re a step up from squirrels. They’re like housebroken mice that go along with your plan as long as there’s a chunk of cheese waiting at the end. They also are convinced they are dying and constantly ask to go to the nurse. First graders seldom have front teeth and most have short term memory loss. It’s a curious thing! 

All in all I’ve been enjoying myself and getting to know new people, feeling more a part of my community, and experiencing new things that make life exciting! The hardest part has been fitting it into my life and the adjustment I am continuing to have to make. I couldn’t have made it this far without the support and help of the sweetest husband ever who runs the RoboVac every day before I get home so I don’t come home to dog hair everywhere. He also makes our bed for me because while he couldn’t care a hoot whether it was made or not but he cares about me. He takes care of all the dishes in the sink and even empties the dishwasher even though he’s never had to do this for our entire marriage. 

It’s been very eye opening being on the other side of the fence in several respects. As primarily a stay at home mom through all the years of parenting, I thought I could understand women who worked outside the home and imagine their challenges but I was never really sure. As a home educator, I could remember my own childhood of going to school but it was hard for me to imagine what that would be like to send my kids to school. I also had many moments wondering if we were doing the right thing, were we missing something, and what was really going on behind those school doors? It’s common to imagine that the grass might be greener on the other side of that fence, or at the very least that it offers more advantages than your own side does. I’ve experienced quite a bit of insightful awareness and compassion for both sides of the education choice and working/homemaking debate. Maybe I’ll write about it sometime if I’m not half asleep. 

Z's school registration - junior year!