this is our happily ever after: nesting

It's come to that time when I'm looking ahead in my planner and realizing that in just over a month I will be returning to work full time. GULP!! People are beginning to ask if I'm excited, nervous, worried, etc. My answer is yes on all accounts. I'm excited to become a part of a small group of like-minded Christian educators. I'm excited to get back to teaching. I really do love teaching...it's the ridiculous amount of paperwork, large class size, and discipline problems that I don't miss and hopefully will avoid in this new setting.

I'm excited to have a structured life again...though I will miss the lengthy morning snuggles that K and I have on the couch now. I guess that weekends will become extra special.

I'm excited for Karsten to begin school....and I'm worried about him beginning school. He's ready, but it's going to be a BIG transition for him. I am thankful that I'll be in the same building, but this will also be tricky because if he sees me in those beginning days I think he'll fall apart and want me to take him home. He's becoming more and more of a Momma's boy, so the time is perfect, but it will be tough too. My Mom will be living with us for at least the first month of school, so she can always come pick him up if necessary.

I'm nervous about balancing everything....home life versus work life. I'm a big time overachiever when it comes to teaching and I will have to learn to let perfection go. It will take awhile to find the perfect rythmn for our family. I'm already beginning to sketch out our daily schedule for home/work life and how Brian and I can work together to keep things running smoothly.

I've also found out that it's very likely that my 3rd grade class will not fill, so I will likely be teaching 1st grade. I taught 1st grade for 6 years, but it was a long time ago and I really got used to older kids. This will be my biggest adjustment as far as the teaching goes. First graders are very different than Third graders, so Lord help me...at least the grading will be a breeze!!!

With all of this change coming Brian and I felt a strong need to deep clean and organize the house. We still have a few closets to attack, but we made a huge amount of progress over the long weekend. I deep cleaned my closet and took 3 trash bags full of clothes to Goodwill yesterday and I have a whole bunch of stuff to take to consignment. I've adopted this attitude regarding clothing that if I don't love it....I don't keep it! Thankfully my work wardrobe will be pretty much the same as my everyday life wardrobe...I can wear jeans every day and even shorts and capris!!! I know teacher friends, you're jealous!

After cleaning out my closet Brian realized that he has far more clothes than I do....so I'll be doing a little shopping before school begins!!!

As a part of cleaning out/organizing I rearranged odds and ends in my house (helps to freshen things up). I went to Homegoods to get a few baskets and found this lamp shade for $25!!!!! I've wanted a very similar one at Anthropologie for years that costs $100!!!! It's perfect for my living room!!! I already had the lamp which I've loved for years.