Happy

While going into the special education office today to check my box, I struck up a conversation with our secretary. She asked me how I was doing and how everything was going in our class this year. It's no secret that the last few years have been a bit difficult. There is one particular person that I work with in my classroom who finds ways of making things very difficult for the rest of us. I won't go into specifics, but she has caused a lot of stress and tension in the classroom. There were many times over the last few years that I found myself just sitting in the special ed office so I could just breathe. I'm the kind of person who tends to take everything in and not let a whole lot back out, so I'm a constant ball of stress on the inside. It's something I'm working on.

Our secretary told me today that she has noticed a change in me this year. She said I look happy. She also told me that she was starting to worry about me last year. My students have never, ever been the source of my stress. In fact, I find them to be a bit of a stress reliever. They allow me to put things in perspective and for the time I am with them, they are the most important thing in my world. I care about all of them very much. As long as I am keeping them safe, happy and healthy, I feel that I am doing my job. Not to mention that they are just tons of fun to be around.

There is a definite reason for me being happier this year. I made a decision to not work a second job this school year. For the last few years, I have either found myself working at the preschool (which I LOVE, by the way!) or job coaching my students in the afternoons. As much as I like both jobs, I was beginning to feel worn out. I told Lance this summer that I needed a break and I crunched the numbers to see if I could pull it off financially. Money is definitely going to be much tighter without me working the extra hours, but I think we can pull it off.

I decided that it was time for me to do some things that I have been wanting to do for a long time but wasn't able to do while working the other jobs in the afternoons. I'm taking a college class on Monday nights. I'm not taking it because I have to. I'm taking it because I want to. I'm also taking a dance class with my sister on Wednesday nights that has made me so incredibly happy. Not only do I get to return to dance (I used to dance competitively) but I get to spend some time with my sister, who I don't get to see very often anymore. Lance and I are taking a bunch of classes on Thursday nights for foster and adoptive parents. Having the extra time also allows me to spend some much needed time with my hubby.

There are other things I would love to get involved in as well. If I can figure out a way to do it, I would love to also get myself back into singing. I've also wanted to volunteer for a long time, too, so I'm going to look into doing that. It definitely means that I have to sacrifice some things, but this is definitely more important. These are the things that are going to make me happy. I'm not going to be able to take care of a little one if I don't learn how to take care of myself as well. It's just an all around good decision on my part, I think.