When Do I Get My Paycheck?

Today was my first official day (weekday) home with everybody and the first day I didn't have to get dressed and drive to work. I still got up early and got dressed and started on what we believe will be our normal routine (after breakfast, we had story time, then the kids went to work on their boxes of hands-on lessons which they do one at a time, etcetera, etcetera).

I made notes (many notes) of what I will have to do differently tomorrow based on the things that did not go well today. I know that will be an ongoing process. Tweaking and changing, and improving.

By mid-afternoon, I was worn out! A mixture of cleaning up, ordering chores and clean-ups to be done, monitoring work, reading books, changing pampers, pouring juice and milk and the monitoring of pouring juice and milk, cleaning out the high chair, rolling out mats, and teaching how to roll out mats, spanking here and there and rewarding obedience here and there, glad when it's time for Sesame Street (their one piece of multi-media entertainment of the day), answering the phone, answering email (which now happens very rarely), kissing boo-boos, whiping noses, checking mannerisms for whether it's time for a potty reminder, cleaning out the high chair again, cleaning under the high chair, wondering what's for dinner, planning what's for dinner, preparing lunch, ordering clean-up after lunch and helping with clean up after lunch, etcetera, etcetera.

I wondered at the end of the day, when I would get a paycheck. And I could add up what I would like it to be.

I actually got something better. No, I'm not going to say something sappy like "kisses and hugs from my children."

No, I got a send off from my husband, to get a Caesar salad I was craving, and have a manicure and pedicure! And mind you, I don't do that very often.

Along with that, I got this text message (in so many words) while I was there:

You deserve the pampered treatment. Especially because of all the times you went out and worked and worked all these years on the job. I'm just glad, that after seven full years, we are finally set up to train and disciple our children on a daily basis. Face to face and not meeting to meeting at the principal's office. Or worried about a teacher who just doesn't love our son or daughter the way we do. It is just such a blessing!!