stressed.....

i don't know if there has ever been a time in my life when i have been as stressed as i am now. maybe a few times in college, but that has been quite a while ago. school is only 3 weeks away and i have been frantically trying to prepare my classroom, scheduling, and lesson plans. i have made quite a bit of progress, but i'm not confident that i've made a big enough dent in my workload. i know that i am probably being a lot harder on myself than i need to be, but it's overwhelming to know that i am going to be in charge of the learning of 18 first graders. a lot is at stake and i don't want to mess up!! i have also been stressed out about finances as money has been tight all summer and i know that it has been because i have not been working since i was placed on bedrest in march. of course we predicted this, but now that it has been reality it's been hard for me to deal with. i know that the end of this hardship is in sight because i will be working again soon and i am thankful for that but in the meantime, i can't help but stress. on top of this, i have been struggling to find balance in my life....finding enough time in the day to do housework, schoolwork, and still be able to spend lots of time with my kids and my husband. they deserve the majority of my time and attention and i feel guilty that i've had to cut down on some of that time. i try to get done as much as i can while they are napping so that i can spend the time that they are awake playing and having fun with them. that's been hard lately too because i have been exhausted and i just want to nap when they do, but i feel like i can't because then i don't get anything else accomplished. honestly, there just isn't enough of me to go around and sometimes that makes me feel like i'm failing at one thing or another. i am a person who thrives on balance in every aspect of life and when it's not present, it throws me for a loop. i also miss my friends tremendously. i have not been feeling well lately. i know it's because i'm so stressed out. anyway....i don't mean for this to be a downer post. i have just really needed a chance to vent.

on a lighter note, i just got 200 pictures and two 11x14 poster collages for $1.00 plus shipping!!

exciting isn't it???!!!

here are some pics from this past week....i can always count on my kids to brighten my days!! :)