Back to School Blues

A good friend called tonight and asked if I had the "back to school blues." Two days ago, I would have emphatically said NO. I thought I was ready to go back.

Yeah, I lied.

I am ready to see sweet faces again and says my hellos and give hugs and talk about good Christmases. I suppose I'm even ready to talk about cells and mitosis and photosynthesis. I'm bracing myself for charging bravely into overmatched battles with my basketball team.

But boy, oh boy, I am not ready for the 5 am alarm clocks and workload coming back. I am not one for New Year's Resolutions... honestly, because I always, always break them. But this year, I think I have one. It's sort of vague, but it also covers pretty much everything that needs to be covered:

New Year's Resolution 2011 (I can't believe it's 2011!!)

Improve work-life balance.

This means lots of things: making time for prayer & reading in the mornings (every morning... not once every two weeks), going to bed a decent hour, not procrastinating on work, which will allow me to accomplish the preceding goal, cooking dinner more than once a month when we get a wild hair and invite a family of 6 over for dinner (sure do love those Montagues though), and perhaps dragging my lazy self off the couch to partake in some sort of regular exercise.

What this exercise is remains to be seen. The St. Jude half marathon pretty much turned me off from running for a long time. Maybe forever. So I need a new sport. I am more concerned about sanity and mental release than physical fitness... any suggestions? I have a bike but I don't live in a super great place for biking. I may try to ride more and more though. I suppose I could get back into the Binghampton soccer scene too, once the weather warms up a bit.

Anyway-- if you are friend or family member who agrees with the feeling that I seemed to have dropped off the face of the planet, you too have a role to play in the fulfillment of this New Year's Resolution-- CALL ME and make me talk to you and spend time with you. I am often so emotionally/socially exhausted from 8 hours with many small preteens that I pass up on social opportunities several times a week. But this is silly, because then I end up complaining that I never have adult conversation and am sick of only seeing 12 year olds all week. Remind me of the previous two sentences when you call and I try to worm my way out of a social obligation...

Most of all friends and family, thanks for your support these last 7 months even though I have been pretty much out of commission in your lives. It means a lot that you are still here, loving me and even reading this silly blog. Couldn't do it without you!

Love,

erin