Back in the Saddle

Tomorrow I head back to work, and Sara will begin her "school" career at my district's employee childcare center. I'm feeling the following emotions simultaneously: Excitement. Nervousness. Sadness. I'm excited to have the career part of my life back. I'm nervous about establishing a routine that includes getting up VERY early and being places on time. I'm sad because the last eight weeks have been the best of my life, and I'm going to miss spending my days with my Sara-belle. While I am trying really hard not to be sad, I've talked to enough people to know that this week probably won't pass without a fair amount of tears. However, the silver lining is two-fold. For one thing, there is always a break around the corner in education; five weeks until spring break, and then eleven weeks until summer. And second, I truly value my job. I also love the fact that I can shut my office door, put my head on my desk, and have a private moment to wallow in I-can't-believe-I-left-my-kid-at-daycare-self-pity when necessary!

Thanks for your phone calls and e-mails offering words of encouragement as we learn the ropes of this next phase. The goal is a smooth transition for all of us. I'm excited to see Sara grow as she learns to interact socially with other people her age, and I'm confident that she will not achieve any major milestones during the daytime hours; she'll save them all for the evenings when we're together as a family in the comfort of our own home!

Now, who wants pictures?