So Over It

I am so done with this working thing. LOL… I know I was doing better for a week or two right after Alan left because it was something to distract me. Now I’m just incredibly sick of it all. This week has been dragging something awful.

I do have a partner now, Gina. Technically she’s not "in numbers" yet, which means that she’s not counted in the teacher-student ratio. Of course, necessity has already dictated otherwise. Kim’s been having her come in so that we can self-cover lunches and then seems to forget she’s back there with me and no one else is. That means that I technically have 5 or 6 kids by myself. Hehehe. She’s a pretty nice girl and happens to be from right here in Milford. I like her, which is probably important since she’ll be with me for 8 hours every day.

And I know that having a partner will more than likely make the rest of it more bearable. Erica is still not willing to cut me any slack on the playground schedule, even though Joy has repeatedly said that she can go back to the old schedule where she came out at 9:00. Erica just ignores her. ::rolls eyes:: I think she just wants someone to gossip with, because right now they go out at the same time. Her other suggestion was that my kids just all go out together at 9:00, which I also don’t appreciate. So every other class gets to meet and play with other kids except for us? That makes sense.

Plus I’ve been getting out late almost every single day. Yesterday when I called Alyssa to find out how many kids needed to leave before I was out of numbers I still had 5 to go. And this was 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave! Fortunately, Brynn’s dad picked her up earlier than usual, and a couple other parents showed up, so I got out of numbers at 5:05. Of course, I still had to spend 15 minutes shutting down the room, so I didn’t get home until 6:00. Lots of fun. Same thing yesterday and the day before. Monday was the only day I got out on time this week. It’s another thing that will get better when Gina’s in our numbers, but once our class’s enrollment goes up, it’s going to be the same problem… unless I actually manage to get some kids who leave before closing time! As it is, I lucked out yesterday because Abigail picked her up early for a doctor’s appointment, Connor’s Nana picked him up early, and Brynn’s dad came early. Ugh.

On top of all that I’m feeling like complete crap. I think I pinched a nerve somewhere in my lower back, so at certain points when I bend over I’m in excruciating pain. Plus my throat is raw and sore, my head is congested, and I’m developing a nice dry cough. So much fun.

And did I mention that I miss Alan like crazy? I’ve finally gotten a couple letters from him, which helps since I haven’t heard from him lately. I guess mail gets really slowed down on base because he sent his first letter on the 9th and it didn’t make it to me until a couple days ago. His second got here a bit quicker. I doubt I’m going to get to see him while I’m down in South Carolina though. I was hoping that they’d get a couple days for Thanksgiving, but I haven’t heard anything from him. It might be better that way anyway. I’m afraid I’ll distract him and make both of us miss the other even more than we already do. Still, I’m looking forward to going down there.

I cried most of the way to work yesterday just out of missing Alan… okay, maybe a little of it was self-pity for feeling as awful as I do. I just wish I could call out sick without feeling like I’m letting everyone down. It’s one of the biggest problems with this center. I mean, I felt bad calling out at Kiddie World, but I also knew that they’d more than likely have someone to cover my room. Isabel is our only center floater and she’s already supposed to be in my room to cover my extra kids. So if one person calls out sick, she has to cover that room, and I either have to pass kids or hope someone in Infants can help me out. And then Danielle and Kim have to cover lunches. I think when Karina comes back from maternity leave we need to keep Sarah as a floater. Nicole should be coming back soon too, and I think that frees up someone to do preschool lunch breaks. It’s all very convoluted, not to mention stupid.

Oh well, time to wrap this one up and finish getting ready for work. Ugh.

~Liz