I have the best boss(es)!

When things are difficult, it is often hard to find the silver lining.

I found my today.

I went back to work yesterday and my body was not doing well by the time I got home. If you are a teacher, have been a teacher or know a teacher, you understand that teaching is a physically demanding job. I am up and down, animated, explaining, running around the building, making 2000 decisions, dealing with middle school drama...and that's what happens by lunch. So with my body being so sick and compromised, me going back to teaching right now probably wasn't the best decision.

With that I knew I had to talk to my principal. I was nervous because again, as a teacher, it is really hard to be out. A sub just can't really replace a teacher in the classroom.

So I started the conversation by saying I know how important it is for the teacher to be with the students consistently and that are test scores are falling, etc. My principal then interrupted and said, "But I am worried about you."

That put me at ease. He listened while I explained how I felt and what was going on.

He grabbed my hand when I cried. He said he would cry with me.

Then he told me my options, all of which were the most supportive and generous things I could imagine. He repeatedly said how he supports me and will do whatever he can for me.

This on top of the wonderful support I've gotten from my assistant principal-- she offered to bring me juice one particularly difficult morning.

I am so blessed to work for two truly amazing, selfless and caring people.

Truly a silver lining in this situation.

My favorite time of year

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year.

There are lots of thanks to be had and expressed, which is always a good thing. Plus I get to spend time with my family.

One of my favorite memories from growing up is awakening Thanksgiving Day to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the smell of my mom cooking away in the kitchen. Oh how I love that memory!! The past few years I've not been home to experience this. I'm hoping this year I'll be in the same house as my mom, and I can once again live the wonderfulness of my Thanksgiving morning bliss.

I also love Thanksgiving because it means we can go shopping for our Christmas tree! We have a family tradition of my dad, Douglas and myself going to pick out our fresh tree. We load it in the car and drive home to meet my mom. She cooks up a yummy dinner, and then we talk about how to decorate it. With Christmas music in the background and a fire in the fireplace, it is just absolutely wonderful.

This year Richie promised no fights for a tree and even said we could get it right away. Yay! While last year was, um, not the most fun, it is still a nice memory of our first Christmas as husband and wife.

I can't wait for this holiday season to begin!

I've been MIA again because, well, I'm sick.

For the past few weeks, I've been having what I thought were normal morning sickness & pregnancy symptoms.

I went to the doctor last Wednesday because I was feeling a little sick.

Turns out I am a lot sick.

My pancreatitis has come back.

It is all around not good. While I can manage the physical side, I'll be totally honest and say that the mental side isn't going so well. I am very down, upset, stressed, all of those things.

I go back to the doctor today for a new game plan, because rest & fluids & meds thus far aren't working so well.

This also affirms the fact that my body can't keep up with me teaching or working a traditional full-time job (something my doctor & I talked about back in August). I have been searching and applying for anything I can find that will let me work part-time or from home. Anything. Naturally nothing has panned out. This just adds to the stress of the whole thing.

Any spare thoughts & prayers would be appreciated!