Today we have my fabulous friend Mrs. Slick! You can find her over at Mrs.Slick where she writes about her journey through infertility. She's funny, tough and a great friend. Here is a day in her life...
5:00 - Alarm goes off and I get up. Now comes the challenge of dragging the beast out of bed without waking the mister.
::Gunner, here. Guuuuuunner, heeeeeere::
Nothing, he doesn’t move. He’s pretending not to hear me. So I go drag him out of his bed. He resists at first but then gives in...but not without stretching and taking his sweet time to get to the door.
5:29 - He’s finally outside, now I go to turn on our weed...I mean PLANT lights. No, really it’s all perfectly legal. The almost constant glow of the blue plant lights in our house just looks very suspicious.
While getting ready for work, I realize today is THE day.
6:15 - Gunner is back inside, I’m ready for work and have my lunch packed so I leave.
I make it to my doctor’s office before my 7:00 appointment time so I play around on my iPhone for a while until the nurse can get me back. It takes her a few tries to get my vein and I realize I haven’t drank anything today...oops! She takes two vials and sends me on my way.
7:52 - I pull into work and run in. I’m supposed to be there no later than 7:50, luckily I sneak in unannounced.
A few students drift in and out for tutoring before school starts. I check my phone compulsively even though it’s too soon for THE call.
8:30 - School starts
1st and 2nd period: Oh, my special babies. I teach what is called Opportunities. It’s a co-taught class with a special education teacher for kiddos who need additional support. Most of these kids should be in resource, one should probably be in a self contained classroom, and many have been in and out of juvy and trouble. I love my special babies. They need much more attention and tlc and I love giving it to them.
Half way though I realize that I forgot to make copies of today’s homework so I play the hero, “Surprise guys! No homework today!” I smile at their excitement and let them think I planned it. Little do they know that I planned on an evil handout, ha.
I checked my phone 3 times between 1st and 2nd period - even though I still knew it was too soon.
3rd period: This is a regular class but still has some special babies. I get all the ones that need a little more love. None of the other teachers seem to have the patience for them. I have little patience for the snotty advanced kids - well really more their parents.
One boy falls asleep for a brief second and rips a loud fart on those hard plastic chairs. He wakes himself up, realizes what he’s done, shrugs and attempts to lay his head down. While shooting death glares at any kid who looks like they’re thinking about laughing, I tell him to keep his head up and get to work. ::inside I’m DYING to laugh but I keep it in::
Again, I get to play the hero by not giving homework - woohoo!
Lunch: I have 25 minutes for lunch. One of my special babies has trouble with her back pack zipper and wants to tell me all about her new dress. I help her out and listen intently - it takes 3 minutes to get her out the door. I now have 22 minutes. I check my phone. No call yet.
I start walking to the lounge with the microwave...damn, forgot a fork today...now I have to trek it back up to the front of the building get my fork then walk back to the lounge. My food is heated and now I head down to my friend’s room where a group of us eat, it’s all the way across the building. Now I have 14 minutes to eat. I check my phone again. Still no call.
While eating a student comes to me and asks if he can get back into my classroom because he forgot his binder with his science homework in it. I take him back to my room and then walk back to lunch - I now have 3 minutes to finish my meal ::sigh:: As I’m walking back to my room, I check my phone yet again - yep, no call.
4th period: This class is like the ocean, you can’t turn your back on them. They’re a tough bunch. I am exhausted by the time this class is done every single day. Give them an inch and they’ll run a mile - in the opposite direction you want them to just to annoy you. This is a class of 26 kids - I only have 24 desks. And 19 of them are boys. There is just too high of a testosterone to estrogen ratio for things to run smoothly, I think. I don’t check my phone at all this class - I can’t trust them to take my eyes off of them or go to the back of the room to my desk.
5th period: Another one of my special baby classes. This class is a supplemental math elective for kids who need additional math support. Today we’re going to the computer lab. They are PUMPED! They love it and so do I because it means I can get some work done. While they’re working, I’m grading homework assignments and answering emails from the day. I also may or may not have checked my phone a bazillion times.
6th period: I’m so glad I get to save the best for last. I’d like to lie and say we teachers don’t have favorites, but we do. I love my 6th period class. Every single kid is hilarious in one way or another. They’re all super sweet and willing to help out others when needed. They make me cute funny pictures to put up on my wall and send me funny emails when they’re given computer time in other classes. They even send me punny math jokes.
::Hey Mrs. Slick, what did Zero say to Eight? Give up?...I like your belt::
Surprise! Principal stopped by for an impromptu observation. I’m lucky they picked this class period instead of 4th, I would likely cry if that happened. The principal gets to see me play the hero yet again with no homework. Phew.
I checked my phone 5 times this class (before the principal came in).
7th period: Conference. I get some more graded and pretend to work, but I’m really compulsively checking my phone.
3:30 - Last bell rings and kids fill the halls to go home and I get to put on my snazzy yellow vest to do parking lot duty.
3:45 - I come back in and check my phone. Nothing.
3:59 - Phone rings. My heart pounds, palms instantly get sweaty. I panic.
::answers phone, listens to nurse, talks to nurse, hangs up phone::
4:01- I made it to the car before breaking down in tears. I’m supposed to stay until 4:30 for tutoring but I don’t think I can today.
4:34 - The mister calls and I tell him the news.
::We’re not pregnant, it didn’t work, I don’t know if it will ever work::
We’ve been trying for three years now. Our main obstacles are that I have PCOS and a uterine malformation. We’ve tried everything from old fashioned sexing it up to IVF. This was our 3rd embryo transfer and we now only have enough embryos for one more transfer. With this failure comes the start of our last chance to have a biological child.
6:18 - The mister comes home unexpectedly early. He usually works long strange hours due to his job as a police officer. He tells me that he just got to come home early but I think some of his coworkers are covering for him and he just doesn’t want me to feel guilty. Either way, I’m glad he’s home.
We go to dinner and I lose it at the table. I feel terrible for the waitress, as she has no clue and doesn’t know what to do.
We get home around 8:00 and I take some Benadryl and go to bed. I can’t handle anymore of today. I need a redo.
Oh Mrs. Slick. My heart aches for you and I just want to wrap you up in a hug. You are a fantastic teacher and an even better woman. ((((()))
How do you cope with disappointment?
No comments:
Post a Comment