(I like this picture because it's how most of them turn out when we try to get the dog and baby in one shot!)
“Is it okay if I wait to write my blog after I go back to work?” – A question I asked Joshua about three weeks ago. Funny that I overlooked the reduction in time going back to work would bring. So here I am in study hall trying to eke out a post. I’m using study hall much like I did when I was in high school (avoiding school work) and I can see many of my freshmen are doing the same (too concerned with Justin Bieber news), but at least neither of us is using it to highlight our hair with markers. Yes, we did that. And often.
So my extended summer could not last forever. Thanks be to God for the momentum of second quarter. It’s the shortest of the quarters, and this portion of the curriculum contains some of my favorite lessons. I walked into my junior classes doing a Passover Seder with Chick-fil-A nuggets and hashbrowns. I managed to turn a sophomore lesson into a wildly competitive game of musical chairs (anything for competition). And today we are playing guitar and singing “American Pie” with rewritten lyrics pertaining to salvation history. I had forgotten how much I loved and missed teaching. I like the challenge of trying to surprise and capture the attention of the girls. I like discussing ethics and Judaism and Jesus. I like the camaraderie of my coworkers. I like wearing heels. And my students this year are wonderful. One of my best groups in my seven years here. There is a lot of good to be done, and I am 100% affirmed in prayer that I am supposed to be here.
While teaching is a blessing, I cannot deny that it is what it is… Work. Joshua prefaced my return by warning me how tiring it can be. Tiring? There are days where it simply is Exhausting. I do find satisfaction in pouring myself out tirelessly. It’s nice to lie down at the close of the day and tell God, today was for you and I did my best (and to look at my son and husband and to think the same). But there are many days where I feel pulled and unbalanced and I just have to pray for grace to be the person I want to be.
I joined the club of moms who cry the night before returning to work. Everyone wants to know if I missed him. Isn’t that a given? I mean, if people can miss the McRib like they do (which will baffle me til the day I die), of course I am going to miss the time with my son. But the day I was so nervous about turned out to be peaceful. Dad’s been extra helpful. I couldn't do it without him. And right now, as long as the coffee and the bed are made, I’m good to go. My mom took care of Tressan the first week back. For no rhyme or reason, Tressan decided to give in the day I returned to work and went back to taking a bottle. Prayers answered. Now Aunt Barb is learning the tricks of the trade with the baby… or she’s teaching the baby tricks of the trade. Next step… coaxing him to nap in his crib rather than Kennedy’s swing (his flat little head shows just how determined he is to sleep in that cocoon). But it really is such a relief to know he’s in good hands. The only rule is that he’s not allowed to roll over for the first time without mom or dad present. It’s getting close with T being as active as he has been. If you want to see what I mean, check out the youtube of his affinity for the ceiling fan...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDczXnFOCRM
Other happenings around here:
The night of Game 6 of the World Series I hit a squirrel in my car. Really hit. As in dead (trust me, I went back to check on him). I called Joshua saddened for the poor squirrel who made a very bad decision, and he responded, “Oh no, you killed the rally squirrel.” With my profound respect for the Rangers (and more than slight intimidation), I went into game 6 with cautious hopes. And WOW what a game on both sides. I prayed to go to Game 7 from the get-go, and once we made it I didn’t mind how it ended. While the Cardinals are my first love, the Briones house cheered for the Rangers in Game 7. It was hard to watch, as were all the games. Joshua and I saw Moneyball (two thumbs up) on Sunday when Aunt Barb babysat (two thumbs up). It’s so true that baseball is a romance. I think you become a real fan when you believe your watching the game or not watching the game is actually affecting the game. That’s definitely how we are… and it’s such a guilty feeling when you know YOU jinxed your team. So game 7 didn’t set off fireworks in Texas but one thing’s for sure – neither Joshua nor I want the drama of our AL team and NL team competing in the World Series again. I’m still in awe when I think about what the Cardinals did – it truly was a post-season of champions. I’m also glad Missy and Joe got to Texas just in time to cheer in those final runs with us. (I will add to my gladness, the fact that they brought the top tier of their wedding cake to Dallas to celebrate their one-year anniversary with us.) I can’t wait for the spring and 2012 when the Rangers go for their third attempt (and this time WIN).
Our family and some close friends welcomed Tressan into the church on the day he turned three months old. We truly believe he is a new creation in Christ, we give him back to God, and we hope he will grow to know the special part he has in God’s plan. We are grateful for our parents who blessed us with the beautiful gift of faith. We also thank our heavenly Father for the special role Fr. Alfonse plays in the life of our family, and we are honored to have our best friends, Beth and Chris Everett, as the spiritual parents of baby T. Kennedy and Tressan will grow up as god-siblings. I’m sure they will get into as much trouble as regular siblings.
I have to add, one of my favorite memories of these past weeks was going to Tappy’s with the Everetts after their return from Europe and watching Kennedy be a ham with her sweet grin and silliness. She’s a special little girl. We rejoice in Tressan’s new prayer-group friends, Addison Grace and Elliott Joseph, just born in the past few weeks. We are living the spirit of the holidays with Halloween, All Saints Day, and Thanksgiving on the way. Even got Dad to watch baby so I could go to our annual corn maze outing (in which we were lost for over an hour and had to be guided out by the employees). God is doing great things in our lives.
Instead of Occupy Wall Street... May Heaven Occupy Us.
All our love,
The Brioni
