What's new with you?

Maybe it's because my birthday is this week. Or maybe it's because so many women asked me this morning, "What's new with you?". Regardless of the reason, this time I decided to sit down and reveal what is going on with me.

I may have mentioned that two of the teachers in the middle school are pregnant. One of them is actually my job share partner. She didn't know when she decided to take the job, of course, but she was really quiet about it this summer at the beginning of school, and I kind of felt like I was the last to know (I wasn't, but it felt like it). More importantly, though, the 7th grade writing teacher is also pregnant and due in February. Their maternity leaves overlap quite a bit (and it's only 6 weeks long), but I am now officially working full time from about the middle of February to the middle of April. I'm excited because it will get me back into the classroom and give me an idea of what full time will feel like around here, but I'm also a little anxious about it. That's a lot of time our kids will spend with their nanny. 

Our headmaster asked me last week in the hallway what my plans are for next year. Basically, he wanted to know whether or not I want to work full time. And, while it will be easier with Kennedy in school next year, I don't know if I want to do that Cade yet. He told me to think about it, and I am.

In addition, this was the first week of my Immersion Indonesia Monday meetings. I signed up to go on the middle school mission trip to Indonesia during Spring Break this year. I'm really excited about it. It's kind of a beginner trip...helping the kids see what a mission trip is and what their part is. It means giving up my whole Spring Break (which I'm sure I will need since I'll be working full time during that period), it's not cheap, and it means giving up my Monday afternoons for the next 6 months for meetings, but I think it's going to be great! I'm excited to get to know the kids in a different way and to see them grow spiritually. 

Right now I am working on my Christian Philosophy of Education in order to be certified by the Association of Christian Schools International. It means reading 6 books (3 of which are essentially textbooks), and writing a paper, but my goal is to have it done by the time I have to start working full time, so that I don't have it hanging over my head.

Lastly, I am working on applying to grad school so that I can get my master's degree online while we're here. Many of you know that YISS is willing to help us pay for a big chunk of our degrees, so we feel like it's an opportunity we have to take advantage of. Since school started, I have been trying to narrow my choices for what I want to do, and this week I was finally able to get answers from OSPI about what schools and programs will work for us while overseas. It has been a headache, but I feel like I'm finally making progress!

I know it doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it's keeping me busy! So, what's new with you?!