Not Going Back to School

At this point in the Summer I am usually getting ready to go "Back to School."  I am buying supplies, price matching those supplies, making lesson plans, dreading leaving my child everyday, working on a schedule, paying tuition or a whole host of other awful things.  I used to watch Summer fade away from my life and school take it's place.  For the last 23 years I have gone back to school as either a student or a teacher.  Mostly a student...bleh.  The three years as a teacher were better than being a student, but much more stressful.  

Okay, so on to how I feel about all this....I LOVE IT!!  I do have a little sense of loss when I think about not teaching; but I love not leaving my kids, love not worrying about test scores, schedules, faculty meetings and other things that give me anxiety just trying to create the list.  I am so glad that I am not buying supplies for my classroom and am instead buying fun Fall clothes for my kids.  I miss going somewhere and being Melanie the "grown-up", my other teacher friends, and the sense of accomplishment I felt when a struggling student would master a most difficult concept.  All of that has been replaced with being a Mom (which is way better) and rejoicing in small miracles such as a good nights sleep, and a three year old being able to do a somersault and a back bend!  I know I made the right choice to stay home.  I love it here.  I love my kids.  I love having some flexibility in my life.  I love "Not Going Back to School!!"