Too tired for cute

I know there were cute anecdotes from this week, but I'm too tired to remember them. This whole solo-parenting while starting a new job thing is exhausting. And overwhelming. And did I mention exhausting?

This has very much been the "back to school" week for us.

Nicholas started his schoolyear Monday (his school includes a kindergarden, so they really do a distinct schoolyear), which for him involved moving to a new classroom and a slightly modified "schoolyear" instead of "summer camp" school routine.

From 2011 August

I will admit that I was anxious about the move. He had just started getting adjusted there. What was moving to a new classroom with new teachers going to do? Would it throw us back again? Luckily most of his classmates were getting bumped up to the next class at the same time, so at least he had his friends (plus a few new ones, who I've been hearing a lot about this week).

But things have been going super well! He loves his new classroom and wants to show it to me every day. And I will admit that it is pretty cool. Even though he is technically still in a toddler classroom (has to do with MA laws about when preschool technically can start), his school has the toddler 3 room (his new level) set up like the preschool classrooms, with lots of fun centers. It is really amazing how much stuff they manage to fit into a small space. And this room is next to the bathroom and they've been taking the kids a couple times a day. Nicholas had to show me this too. (I saw one of his friends doing the same thing when his mom came a few minutes later.) And, possibly best of all from Nicholas' perspective, the transition from toddler 2 to toddler 3 means a transition from the little fenced in playground to the big playground! He is SO excited about this!

And not only is he excited to show me around each day, but he doesn't mind me leaving at all. I suspect this is also in part because he has been the first or second kid there each day. (Yes, I have become that parent who is standing at the door when daycare opens and is one of the last to arrive for pickup--I can't help it and they have more limited hours than his old school so he is still there less time than he was last year.) My random theory is that he feels more ownership when he is the first one there and less intimidated to enter into an already hectic scene. Anyway, whatever the cause, he has had an awesome 4 days (aside from a sunscreen in the eye incident) and I am hoping this continues.

This was also in many ways back to school week for me even though I've been working on campus since mid July and classes don't start until Tuesday.

From 2011 August

I had orientations, meetings, more orientations, more meetings, workshops, more meetings . . . you get the picture. And with all this I had to be on campus at very specific times, so we have jump started into our school year routine and time schedule. But, although it has been overwhelming and exhausting, I have had a great week. The more I get to know this school and job, the more I love it. I won't go into all the details of why, but the general summary is that the university and department have such healthy attitudes towards, well, just about everything. That doesn't mean there aren't annoyances or headaches or obnoxious requirements, or that everything is perfect. But a good perspective and good intentions and good old fashioned caring about people go such a long way. I have an insane amount of work to do and yet I am giddy with happiness at being here.

The other "back to school" part of this week is that Joe left on Monday. I don't know if it feels "back to school" for him, but for me and Nicholas that also makes this week a sharp and sudden jump into the routines of the schoolyear.

I can already tell that our diet is going to be pathetic this semester, the house is going to be a mess, and the blog is going to be neglected. But as long as school and work continue to go well and we actually eat, I'm going to go with it.

There's nothing like lowering the bar until you can jump over it.