My Twice Baked Potato

I have a favorite Eric Carle book called The Mixed Up Chameleon.  After today, I understand him a little better.

Today was a day of mixed emotions.  I think that’s probably how most people roll, but it is hard for a person who craves predictability.

I started the day a bit slower due to a broken toe. I wish the toe story was interesting, it just isn’t.  No adventure or sport.  I was walking barefoot and my second toe got caught in the fringe of my rug.  There was a painful yank and a trip and a lot of bruising.  I did manage to keep from spilling my coffee though.

Being a teacher, doesn’t allow for a lot of ice wearing and elevating, so the best I could do to help myself was to wear my Ugg boots.  They aren’t flattering, but oh so comfortable.

Anyway, I was slower this morning.

Once at school, I had a great day of teaching.  It was one of those days where everything was clicking. The kids were actively engaged, they were making connections to previous learning, and they even asked for more time to work on their writing lesson. I love that!

The day went from slow to satisfying and I was hoping for a continued upward swing.  This idea was short-lived because at lunch, I read an infuriating email from my son’s teacher. Today’s email consisted of a long list of all the activities that my son had not finished at school. I wanted to respond immediately; however, we all know that doesn’t usually end well.

So I thought about it. I thought about it as I drove to my staff development meeting. I thought about it as we discussed best practices in math problem solving. I thought about it on the way home.

It was hours later when I sent my response. You can be sure that this email was very different from the first couple of drafts that I wrote in my head.

I decided that it would be best to stay in questioning mode instead of launching right into accusatory what-are-you-thinking mode.

It wasn’t easy. I felt my protective mama bear instincts coming out in full force! In this email, like all the others, I wasn’t asking for anything new; I was asking for a bit of compassion and support for my son and his medical condition that makes school harder for him.

The advocating and explaining and educating doesn’t seem to be enough this year.

I think this day might be a perfect example of why parenting is so exhausting. The ride might start out slow and then surprising bumps and bruises happen along the way! It requires an unlimited supply of patience and flexibility.  This might be the greatest adjustment for me since the people who know me in real life, probably wouldn’t use those two words to describe me.

Dear Readers, how was your day? Slow and steady or rough and wild?