Where I was 5 years ago

I'm linking up again with Miss Monica from I Heart Grade 3 to share where I was 5 years ago. Apologies in advance for the "boring" post as there were no exciting tales of travelling or adventures in the summer of 2010 (come back next year for the summer of 2011!).

Oreo kisses x x

My son was born 6 years ago in March.  For any of you not from Canada, we get 12 months off for Maternity Leave. I didn't see the point in going back to work from March to May and then be off again from July and August but still have to pay for full time daycare (at the time it was $45 a day). So, I decided to extend my maternity leave until September.

Watching big brother on a very hot day in July

It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

My son had some health issues and he was still nursing at the time of his first birthday. We definitely both needed to stay at home for a little while longer.  He wasn't even close to sleeping through the night yet for one thing.  No need to talk about the effects of sleep deprivation to any other parent reading this.  His father and I like to refer to those two first years as "the dark times".

No make-up, house is a mess, my little guy is in my arms...yep, just a regular day for us back in 2010

Five summers ago I was extremely anxious about going back to work. I was moved into a new grade level and a new room while on Maternity leave so I had a lot to get ready for. Plus, I honestly thought that I wouldn't be able to connect with my students as well as I used to.

Boy, was I ever wrong about that.

Although becoming a mother changed my priorities, it also helped me realize how much I love my job. On the first day of school I always tell my students that we will be like a family for the next 10 months and that we really need to take care of each other.  I am so happy to be off for the summer but I also can't wait to meet my new bunch of students in September!

Until then, I'm soaking up being a full time Mom again and having the best time with my almost Grade One cutie. #timeflies

3 items that mean the world to me

Every year my students visit a place called The Safety Village where they learn about fire safety.  It always gets me thinking about the possibility of my home burning down, however unlikely.  If I was inside, what would I grab before running out the door?

Obviously my children are my most precious gifts and my top priority so let's assume that they aren't home at the time because it goes without saying that I would save them before saving myself.

Would I stop and find something meaningful to me that I could save? Would you? (insert long pause and reflexion time, just like at school)

The truth is, I have 3 things that are extremely meaningful to me: my Nanny's engagement ring, my own engagement ring and a pillowcase my mother made for me before going to university.  I used it almost exclusively during those 5 years and then for an additional 3 years after that when I moved to France.  It's practically threadbare nowadays but I'll never part with it.

I had them all close to me on the most important day of my life which happened a little over 6 years ago. My son's birth.

When I suddenly went into labour 5 weeks early, and I didn't even have my overnight bag packed for the hospital yet, I took the time to grab the pillowcase with me before leaving the house.  My parents were out of the country at the time-darn those cheeky preemies for beating to their own drum!-but I was determined that my Mom would be at his birth. Since my fingers were so swollen during my pregnancy, I put my Nanny's ring on a necklace and wore it around my neck.  Not sure why I don't see it in this picture, but I had it with me for sure.  That's my cute stepson and proud new Daddy of son #2 with me.

Even though Miss Monica's link up this week wasn't meant to be a downer at all (like I'm turning this blog post into!) I really had to dig deep to think about what I value and what is meaningful to me.

On a lighter note, I want to give a special shout out to some other things that mean the world to me. In no particular order...my favourite luxury purse, my Andrea Bocelli autograph in my France journal from 1996 that I got in the British Airways lounge before flying from Paris to London the day after he sang in the Miss France competition, the picture of me pulling a pint at the old Coronation Street set from last October, and my beloved cookbook collection.

Any other Andrea Bocelli fans out there? #lovethatalbum