Glad to Not be Teaching Today

Today is a collection of reasons I'm glad I'm not currently teaching.

If I was teaching today, it would be the most stressful and busy time of year: A couple days before finals start. I most likely would be swamped with essays and dreading the in flux of final exams, which would most likely be essays. I'd be considering when I could go without sleep, if necessary, and dealing with concerns about final grades.

If I was teaching today, I would have had to get up at least at 530, if not early to get in some grading. This morning, Natalie slept until 6, allowing me a nice reprieve from her early awaking the last two days.

If I was teaching today, I would have been stuck inside a classroom instead of going out for a nice walk this morning enjoying the 65 - 70 degree weather, slight humidity, birdsong, and smell of flowers. In my classroom, it could have still been stifling from the day before and it would smell like pencil shavings, sweaty kids, and possibly spoiled milk from locker clean out.

If I was teaching today, I would be dreading the foretasted 90 degree weather this afternoon (and almost 100 tomorrow!). Forever ingrained in my mind is DC's sweat dripping off his face on to his final exam on one of these unseasonably hot days during the last week of school. I'd be fielding complaints about the heat from kids wearing hoodies and dealing with begging for me to have fans in the room, though they do not cool the room, only create noise. Here at home, thanks to Mike's awesomeness last night, we now have AC in the living room, where Natalie and I can hide and watch TV all afternoon if need be.

In general, I'm glad to be home so that I can spend time with Natalie. So that I can see her blossum first hand all day long, instead of trying to squeeze all our interactions (plus grading and chores) into a few hours at night and on weekends. Thought today hasn't been anything magical - no huge skills mastered or showers of spontaneous kisses - its still nice to be home with Natalie caring for her myself. If I was teaching, I would be wondering what Natalie was doing right now. But, since I am home, I know she is standing 6 inches from the TV watching Kai-lan and chewing on her stuffed kitty. Since I've been home, I know that she's stacked play-doh balls, shared stickers and toast with her toys, and been sad when her dandelion broke.