Thankful Thursday #14

I am thankful for so many things everyday.



I am one of those nerdy and geeky people who loved school and especially the first day of a new year.  I loved learning and in my parents words, "would still be in school if I could."

I have my degree in middle school education and did some graduate classes, mainly to keep up my certificate while I was a stay at home mom.  I went a little bit through the masters program, but I didn't finish.

I always thought the benefit of not having a masters might be lower pay which might help me get a teaching job.  They wouldn't have to pay me as much.  When I did think about teaching, I realized my experience as a mom didn't make me more qualified than a young girl fresh out of graduate school.

I still believe my experiences should have counted for more than it did, but I think maybe their head was more with the thinking of do we want a worn out mom of 3 with just a bachelors from a few years ago who may have been up all night with sick kids and will probably use all of her sick days or an eager, young person with no responsibilities outside of her job? I kind of get it.  I did teach one year and it was hard with young kids. If I hadn't been a stay at home mom first, I wouldn't have had the guilt of leaving kids at home especially when they were sick.

I could have finished that graduate degree, but I don't think I would have used it.  I just enjoyed school and learning.  However, I am older now and watching my three kids and two very special girls to me study and cram and stress all last weekend and this week with college mid-terms, I am very thankful not to have to take another mid-term or final exam.

Seeing as how I can't remember why I walked in a room or where I last put something and the panic attacks of pressure in some situations, school might not be as fun to me as it once was.  Seriously, adults who go back to school after raising kids are just on a whole different level of awesome to me.  I admire their ambition and ability to go back to school.  Things happen, life happens, and going back to finish or just to start a new career is so admirable and impressive.

Everyone has that one recurring dream.  Mine is being in school and it's the end of the semester and I haven't been to class or taken any of the tests.  I don't know why I have that dream because if that was real life I would have dropped the class, but it isn't an option in my dream.  And, being that far behind why would I even bother taking the final?  Either way, I wake up in a sweat and scared.  It's my recurring nightmare.

I made these bracelets.  The beads are round limestone, but they look like little apples.  These would make great teacher gifts.

The first one has the "ohm" charm for meditation.  Studying is stressful.  All of my kids are stressed this week.


Apple Limestone Bead Stretchy Bracelet with Karen Hill Tribe Beads and Sterling Silver Ohm Charm

This one is in honor of my Junior and Senior high school English teacher.  Sometimes while passing out the final she would give us permission to pray beforehand.  That was never a good sign, but I always did great in her class.  She definitely gave me a love for and intrigue with literature.


Apple Limestone Bead Stretchy Bracelet with Karen Hill Tribe Beads and Sterling Silver Cross Charm