Thankful for the other moms

Today my friends Angela and Sarah are coming over with their kiddos. Angela has two daughters- Averi (3) and Nakenzi (6 months)- and Sarah has a son, Jacob (2 months). I met Angela when I started teaching at OM, and a few years later, Sarah transferred to OM from Parkville. I am very, very, very lucky that my co-workers are some of my best friends. There are a lot of people who say you should keep your social life and work life separate, but as a teacher, I think this is nearly impossible. When you teach you need to have a group of friends, allies really, who can get you through such an emotionally (and mentally, and sometimes physically) draining job.

When Lily was born, I knew it would be really hard to leave this face...

Lily, 2 months

...and I was right. It was really hard. There are 3 things that made it easier, though:

1. My parents. They watched Lily for 3 weeks before she started daycare, which made the transition back to work easier.
2. Irene. My daycare provider is amazing. I can trust her completely. Knowing Lily is in her care makes me feel much more at ease.
3. My department.

I remember when I was getting ready to go back to school, I told Becky how I didn't want to leave Lily. I didn't want to miss anything. I didn't want miss her. Becky told me it would be hard, but it would get easier...and if I needed to cry I could go in her office. I definitely cried all the way to school. Once I got there Mary, Sarah, Angela and Becky were there and made sure I was ok. And I was. I missed Lily, but I was ok.

So, today, I am thankful for all of the other moms, particularly the ones I work with. Everyday, I am amazed at their strength. How they can balance being a mom, and a teacher, and friend, and a wife and do it all (usually) gracefully. I am grateful for the laughter, the stories, and the tears that we share. I am thankful for the comfort that they give.

Today, I will share time with two of my friends and our kids (our own kids, not our school kids...we usually share our time with them when we are together). Hopefully, by the end of the afternoon we will not be tied to the chairs as our kids run around the house. I am looking forward to the time we have together, and I am always grateful for the friendship that we share.

Kenzi (4 months), Averi (3 years), Lily (8 months)