Hello School Year! Goodbye Summer!

This summer was the first summer I did not have a job since I was 16 years old. From 1993 to 2007, I have been a camp counselor, a nature director, a day camp director, an expedition leader, a raft guide, and a wedding planner (for my own wedding). Even though I was not technically paid during the summer of 2007, I can personally attest that it was my most difficult summer yet. (We moved into our new house. We were married. And I wrote the first part of my graduate thesis.)

During the summer of 2008, it was wonderful to have extra time to myself. My favorite parts of this summer:

1. Sleeping in! (Which will probably not be repeated until our children are teenagers)
2. Daily walks with Brooks
3. Working out and swimming at the Prairie Athletic Club
4. Grilling out for dinner
5. Spending time with friends and family

We accomplished a lot of projects this summer. Ryan and I moved our upstairs office into our basement and created a nursery in that room. In June, I organized the office. While I was in Hawaii, Ryan moved all of the office furniture downstairs (with help from our friend, Woody). We also received a crib and mattress from Ryan's parents. When I returned from Hawaii, Ryan surprised me with the crib all set up in the nursery! Additionally, I completed 10 more graduate credits. I sold a lot of items on Ebay. There were other small projects, but they are too mundane and dull to write about. Last week, I found myself completely bored out of my mind, and I decided to wash all of the curtains in our house. My friend, Emily, told me that I was "nesting." I think washing your curtains is a sure sign it's time to go back to school.

Even though summer is my favorite time of the year, I am looking forward to the start of a new school year. Here is what I am looking forward to in new school year:

1. Meeting my students
2. Catching up with colleagues at school
3. Reading and teaching my favorite classic novels (To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men)
4. The challenge of teaching (multi-tasking, dealing with various students, creating interesting lesson plans, engaging students in active and thoughtful lessons, and laughing and enjoying myself in the midst of controlled chaos)
5. Most importantly, I am looking forward to the arrival of Baby Lobe in November. I am looking forward to spending time at home with him, taking care of him, and becoming a mother.

Hillary