Shoes --- Had to Share!

****I wouldn't trade my shoes for anything!  ~Ginny


I am wearing a pair of shoes. They aren't pretty shoes… uncomfortable shoes. Each day I wear them. Each day I wish they'd feel more comfortable. Some days my shoes hurt so badly that I do not think I can take another step. Yet, I continue to wear them and continue my journey....I get funny looks wearing these shoes. I can tell in others eyes that they are glad these are my shoes and not theirs. They never talk about my shoes.... To learn how painful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable. To truly understand these shoes one must walk in them. But, once you put them on, you can never take them off.

...I now realize that I am not the only one who wears these shoes. There are many pairs in this world. Some women ache daily as they try and walk in them. Some have learned how to walk in them so they don't hurt quite as much. Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by before they think about how much they hurt. No Mom deserves to wear these shoes. Yet, because of these shoes I am a stronger woman. These shoes have given me the strength to face anything. They have made me who I am. I am a Mom who has a child(ren) with special needs. I will forever walk in these shoes. ~ Unknown

Giving This Another Try!

     Wow!  I can't believe how long it has been since I have written a post.  I agreed to do some long term subbing 2 and 1/2 years ago, and it seems I am just now getting a break.  It's really pretty conflicting... after all the time I have spent full time in a classroom over the past 2 and 1/2 years I have come to realize how much I truly miss teaching.   However, I have also come to realize just how much I can not go back to teaching full time.  Teaching is truly a calling for me (at least the actual teaching part, not the politics part), and it gives me back a part of my identity that I feel I have lost since I have become a mother.  However, when I am teaching I feel and know that I am not giving my own children (and husband) everything they deserve.  Yes, my eos child gets the food he needs, my learning disabled child gets the help on her homework she needs, and my husband gets his needs met as well, but none of them get the total attention they deserve.  My typical working day schedule goes something like this:
5:30 am -  wake up and get ready for work
5:50 am - wake up Andrew for school
6:20 am - Andrew and I leave for school
7:15 am - 1st bell rings
7:45 am - late bell rings
2:45 pm - home bell rings
5:00 pm - go home
5:00 - 6:00 - help Maddie with homework
6:00 - prepare our meal and Andrew's meal
6:30 (depending on the day take children to various activities--horseback riding, volleyball, basketball, Science Olympiad, etc)
7:30 - leave to pick child up
7:50 - continue helping Maddie with homework
8:00 - put Andrew to bed, then continue to help Madison
10:00 - put Madison to bed
10:00pm - 12:00am - do my school work
So by the end of the day I am exhausted, not to mention the weekends in which I spend working.  Although the extra money is nice and really helps when it comes to paying for Andrew's neocate splash (doesn't insurance stink!), my family is always happy when I stop working and am back at home. 
    So, anyway, now that I am done for a while, I would like to get this blog back up and running.  My learning disabled child is now in 7th grade and is navigating her way through middle school (quite well actually) and my eos child now has 6 safe foods and is trialing venison.  Some things change and some things not so much!
    Stay tuned for my next posts that I am researching:  Esophageal String Test in lieu of Endoscopy/Biopsy for diagnosing and monitoring EoE and Learning Disabled Students and Preparing for End of Grade Testing.  Boy....it feels good to be back!