The Dark Side

I have been on a high horse for awhile lately regarding a certain website called Pintrest (you may have heard of it).  Whenever this site has been mentioned in a conversation I'm having, my end of the conversation would go a little something like this: 

Friend/Colleague/Lady at the Grocery Store/etc: "I saw it on Pintrest!" 
Me: "Oh, I haven't joined that site.   I refuse to.  I don't need one more thing on the internet to suck my time and become a distraction.  I spend too much time on the computer as it is." 

Insufferable, right?  Well, the problem with high horses is that once you're on one, it's a long way down.  Of course, after months and months of saying I was not going to join Pintrest for one of many reasons, something happened to make me rethink my position.  I came across a little page called "Specifically Articulation".  I saw idea after idea for articulation therapy, and this is how my inner monologue sounded:

Oh, that's a good idea!  
I can print these off for free? 
I never would have thought of that!
I wonder if I can find ideas for language therapy...
or maybe fluency!  
There are so many things here, I can't look at them all right now!
Crap.  I have to join Pintrest.  

I think my coworker may have been a bit baffled when I looked up from my computer screen and said, with a resigned sigh, "Can you invite me to join Pintrest?".  Then she proceeded to gloat over my inevitable downfall and send me the invitation.

I have now been on Pintrest for a little over 24 hours, and have "pinned" recipes, ideas for school, and a few fun things for Cadence.  I have officially been converted to the dark side. 

That Sunday Night Feeling

Sundays are bittersweet days. On one hand, it's a day off, and therefore enjoyable. On the other hand, the inevitability of Monday lurks just a few hours away, spreading gloom like a creeping fog.  Okay, that might be a little bit melodramatic.  Still, there is a certain melancholy associated with Sunday nights (at least for me).  I love my job, but I savor every precious minute that I can spend with my family, and it always makes me sad when our weekends together come to an end. 

Why am I writing a post about Sunday nights on a Wednesday?  Because tonight is kind of like the ultimate Sunday night for me.  Tomorrow, I head back to work after a wonderful four months spent at home with my children.  I'm feeling a magnified version of that Sunday night feeling tonight, and just felt the need to write about it.  

Don't get me wrong; I love my job.  I feel very fortunate that I am able to work with the amazing kids at my school, challenge my creativity and problem solving skills every day, and work with some amazing professionals.  Since staying at home is not a financially viable option for my family, I am incredibly lucky that I have a job I enjoy, and not one that I just "have to do".  However, the fact that I have a great job doesn't change the fact that I miss my kids like crazy while I'm doing it.  

This "back to school" is a little harder than it has been in previous years.  Cadence, at almost three years old, really understands what is happening.  As of now, she is NOT happy about Mommy going back to work.  She will be fine once she gets into the swing of the school year, especially since she will be with her daddy every day, but the transition is going to be rough.  My little Bennett Boy has never been in daycare; I've never left him for more than an hour or two before.  I worry about how he will do in the new environment.  I worry that my happy, easy-going, chunky little love might be somehow changed by me not being with him all day every day.  The rational side of my personality tells me that he will be just fine.  Unfortunately, the over-emotional, rampaging mama-bear side of me is screaming "I CAN'T LEAVE MY BABY!!!" Hopefully the rational side wins out on Monday when I take Bennett to daycare for the first time so that I don't have to be escorted off the property. 

Sometimes the anticipation of something unpleasant winds up being worse than the actual event itself.  I hope that's the case in this situation.  Regardless, tomorrow I officially return to "working mom" status.  Tomorrow, I will be cheerful, energetic, and organized.  I will be ready to get started on a brand new school year, put my best foot forward, and do everything in my power to make a difference in the lives of some terrific kids.  But tonight, I'm going to allow myself to wallow just a little bit longer in the sadness of that Sunday night feeling. 

Introductions

For my second post, I figured I would take some time to introduce my family and myself. 

"The Momma"

I'm Kathryn. By day, a mild-mannered speech-language pathologist and mother of two, and by night... well, still a mild-mannered speech-language pathologist and mother of two, but in sweat pants. I'm getting ready to start my fourth year in the dual role of SLP and mom.    Other than playing with my kids and spending time with my husband, I enjoy reading, researching (which drives my husband batty), playing games, watching T.V., and pretty much anything involving musical theater.  

(Photo note: This was the most recent picture I could find of me by myself, and I was about 2 days away from giving birth to my son.  So, kindly ignore the overall puffiness.)

"The Daddy"

This is Lance, my charming husband.  He is a total goofball, rather loud, and absolutely the best father in the world.  We are high school sweethearts turned life-long partners, and 10 years into our relationship, I still want to spend all of my time with him.  When not working as a site director for a before-and-after school program, Lance can usually be found playing cards, following sports, or engaging our daughter in a "who can be louder" contest.   

(Photo note: I could find no pictures of Lance by himself, so this one is cropped out of a family picture.  Actually, I take that back.  I DID find one of him by himself, but it was one where he decided to cut his hair into a Mohawk as a joke; I didn't think he would appreciate the posting of that one.)

"The Sassy-Pants"

Meet Cadence, our almost 3 year old ray of sunshine.  She is energetic, hilarious, super smart, and a complete and utter sweetie pie.  She can also be stubborn, sneaky, and extremely sassy.  Her interests include playing dress-up, reading stories, swimming, and trying to prove her mommy wrong.  Cadence loves princesses and Minnie Mouse, and tolerates her baby brother.  She is wonderful. 

(Photo note: This is the classic "cheese face".  It is hard for us to get a picture that does not look like this, as apparently any time she sees a camera, it means full-on cheese mode.)

"The Stud-Muffin"

 

This handsome man is Bennett. He is almost 4 months old, incredibly chubby, and one of the most delicious babies ever.  He is a pretty happy-go-lucky little guy, but definitely makes his displeasure known when he is hungry or tired.  This little dude loves his big sister.  If she even comes close to him, his face lights up and he gets all wiggly with excitement.  Bennett enjoys cuddling, sitting in his Bumbo, and looking at his favorite sun toy.  He holds a strong belief that it is not necessary to sleep through the night; his mother disagrees.  This boy is one chunky little nugget of love.    

(Photo note: This suit, while adorable, made Bennett very hot, hence the look of uncomfortable wariness.)  

So, there we are.  Just a brief glimpse of the folks that make my life crazy, hectic, noisy, and absolutely fantastic. 

The Plan

"Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." -J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I have experienced quite a few beginnings in my life, and here is one more: my first blog post. I've been looking to find a way to work on my "freestyle" writing skills for awhile, and thought a blog would be an exciting change.

So, here's the plan. I think the best material to start with is the known, and the loved (or at least liked). Therefore, my posts might range from an account of the latest adventures of my kids, to a review of a book I've recently read, to a great resource for speech pathologists that I've just got to share. The term "mixed bag", while somewhat cliche, is probably an accurate portrayal of what I will be writing about to start with. From there, we will see where the writing takes me.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to blog-writing as a new adventure.