Back in the saddle...

Well, the day finally came... although it was not the end of the world it was the end of the stay at home mom -- go to the gym while the baby is with KK -- watch daytime television and DVRed everything -- eat ice cream at noon -- nap at 10am, 1pm and 2pm -- Sonic happy hour -- cuddle bug with baby -- life that I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 11 weeks!

This is the face of a lady headed to her first day of work from maternity leave...

complete with almost 3 year-olds "school stuff", gym bag, and my reacquainted BFF, "Pumpy Brewster".

The week has actually not been bad at all. It helps to have a job that I do love, surrounded by fun people to work with and engaging students in what it is that drives them to succeed. I received an email that was much too kind on Sunday night (thank you Liz) that had me extra ready to head into the new school year.

It has been an adjustment getting back into the swing of things. While I had been waking up at my normal "get ready for work" time, I had NOT been "getting ready for work". Monday was quite a Monday with forgotten lunches, spilled Dr. Peppers, unanswered emails, and rushed Mommy's! I think I better get used to it and I also think that my morning routine may need to start a tad earlier. But hey, if Emmy wants to sleep until 7 then so does Mommy!!

Picking Radley up from school on Monday was a bit sweeter and walking in the door was even more welcoming when we got to see this sweet face...

and were treated to an after school snack provided by KK...

I have loved every minute of the time that I got to spend with Emmy at home. She truly is a delight in all of our lives and I am anxious to continue to watch her grow and become a little lady over the next months and years!

ALL mom's have a tough job but I want working mom's to know that it is OKAY that they do work. The ability to work makes me a better Mommy. It gives me an outlet to do what I am passionate about, to share my strengths, to improve my weaknesses and to make an impact on young minds that will hopefully take what they have learned from me into the next phase of their own lives.

Working not only makes me happy (maybe not all the time... but I really do love my job) it provides for my family. It challenges me more than I thought it could. It allows me to acquire knowledge and skills that will help me be a better parent. It has given me friends that I can learn from and lean on at any given moment. It gives me the opportunity to share my family, my time and heart with others.

At the end of the day my number one goal is to make my family proud of me. I want my kids to smile when they think of me to know that I did everything I could to make them happy, to keep them safe and to provide a life for them that they deserve.

So while I miss the time that I could have with them M-F 8am - 5pm ... I look forward to the lessons that they will learn by venturing out into life and submerging themselves in all that it has to offer.