Difficult Week

We have reached that part of the school year where the weeks feel like years. The closer we get to summer, the more difficult the work days become. Everyone can feel the warmth of summer beating down upon us, and school becomes long and gruesome. Students believe that teachers enjoy making this part of the year hard on them, but it is just as hard for us to gaze at the sun kissed window panes thinking of lazy days and farmers markets and swimming pools and cold watermelons and days at the lake and trips to the gulf and afternoon cookouts and late night yahtzee games and porch nights and all things summer.
And it gets even more difficult when we actually have to work really hard. And this week, I have had to work REALLY hard.
There was one day that I had to leave work promptly, get on the interstate to drive to Montgomery, then sit through a planning meeting followed by a work dinner. Now, I know there are people who run this kind of a schedule every day. Driving up and down the highway, late afternoon meetings, business dinners, getting home after dark, wearing sensible shoes in the morning so you can last all day.....and I have to say that I salute you! I'm not made for that! It was long and it was hard and by the time they fed me I was about to gnaw off my own arm, and I missed my kids and my husband and my TIVO and my bathroom.
Then there was another day that I had to make hard decisions with an intern. For the sake of confidentiality, I won't get into the specifics of this situation, but it was HARD. I know there are plenty of people who spend their days having meetings and giving feedback and providing constructive criticism and looking people dead in the eye and telling them difficult things.....and I salute you, too. I don't know how to have confrontations and deliver hard to hear news and be the meanie pants all the time. It's hard.
Then there was the whole Nealy's sick again thing. This time we're not totally sure what's going on, but we're pretty sure it's ears even though the fluid in them has not reached the infection level just yet. She's just mildly feverish and fussy and upset and not smiling all the time. And my baby honestly smiles ALL the time. So when she doesn't, you know little one feels icky. Joe has been super dad, and he has stayed home with her for 2 days. All we're doing now is trying to hang on until our ENT appointment next week.
I spent most of Thursday thoroughly convinced that it was Friday. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointment.
Not that Friday really means that much lately, because I've had so much planned on my weekends that I've had to program things into my phone calendar. I mean, I can't just remember what I have to do, I have to set an alarm to remind me to do it.
Ok - on to the good things that are happening for me. Because although this work week has been hard and long and tiring, there are plenty of bright spots in my fog. First of all, I won a pair of sandals from Dillards. Yes! I entered a contest and I WON! Y'all know my affection for shoes. Of course, they gave me blisters today, but they're totally cute and I will surely work them in soon.
Then there was this tortellini salad that I made that I wanted to marry because it was so good. That was a good thing.
Jacks told me that he loved me and he's glad I came home the other night after I had to work late. That was nice.
Oh yeah, then there's this....
Okay, so she's not totally walking just yet. But she's been taking a few steps here and there, and we know it's just a matter of days before she takes off. This is HUGE news, but it's bittersweet. It means my sweet baby girl is getting older, which is hard to take. I want to keep her little and small and my wee bebe. When she starts walking, she'll just walk away from me. And I still want her to stay in my arms all the time.
And yes, I've just posted pictures of myself as my unshowered, pajamaed self from first thing in the morning. Don't judge. You're not pretty first thing in the morning, either.

And of course, we are mere weeks away from leaving for camp. I can't remember how much I have talked about Camp Beckwith on this blog, but it is one of my all time favorite places on the planet. I attended Camp Beckwith as a camper and worked there as a counselor for a combined 11 years. It is a little piece of heaven located on Weeks Bay in Fairhope, AL. Although I have been away from Beckwith for many years, I have been graciously hired to serve as Associate Camp Director this summer, which means the Dyers are headed to camp!
I seriously don't know how I'm going to make it though the next four weeks before we leave. There is so much to do, and all I want to do is day dream of long, hot summer days at camp on the bay.
(I'm trying to NOT think about the effects of the oil spill on my beloved Gulf Coast waters. I've not spoken about it very much because that is a situation that I'm still trying to get my head around.)
As I sit here, late on a Sunday night, I am trying to get my second wind to dive into another busy, busy week full of boot camp classes, doctor's appointments, a field trip, a visit from my big sister (YAY!!!), and a mini trip next weekend to camp to do a little preliminary work and deliver some large items we'll need for the summer. Oh yeah, and I have that little thing called work going on all week. I need to dig around in my drawer and find my big girl panties. I'm going to need them this week. And caffeine. And ibuprofin. And wine.