Midterm of my Madness

So today marks midterm for the summer semester.  I can honestly say I can't believe I made it!  The time has really flown by, and I am still standing.  I really wasn't sure what or how I would be feeling at this point.  Surprisingly not that bad!  Ha ha!  Teaching this summer has been a real learning experience for me. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that I can do hard things.  This was a really tough challenge for me, but I have conquered my fear (for the most part), and am figuring things out as I go.  I am working hard, and it feels good to overcome my insecurities.  It's definitely helping me to figure out what I want to do next.  It's nice to feel like the world is my oyster.  I can do anything I want, I just have to choose.  Time is still a big factor, but that will work itself out.  I figure I just keep doing what I'm doing until Parker is in school.  Then I will probably start applying to grad programs.  Hopefully I can find something with a tuition waiver and teaching assistantship.  I guess that's where I see the purpose behind me getting some teaching experience now...hopefully that will make me a better candidate to getting an assistantship, which will essentially pay for me to go to school.  Which is where I also see divine intervention because at this point, we cannot afford any more student loans.  (Aye yi yi, different subject for another day.)  Anyway, it all seems to be unfolding before my eyes.  Hopefully it will continue on that trajectory.  I feel peaceful and trusting in this path.  It just feels right. 

In other news, summer is marching on.  We've started making weekly library trips on Mondays.  What is it about libraries and summer?  They are just meant to go together...like peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies.  It's been fun.  Avery is sitting on her bed reading while we speak, and Maryn is reading her books under a tree on the west side of the house.  I read Parker several of hers while she was sitting on the potty before her nap.  (No, she didn't pee...aye yi yi!)  When it's too hot and humid to go outside, I guess this is the next best thing.

Maryn asked me an interesting question on the drive to her flute lesson this morning:  what are your 3 most favorite things about summer?

Her answer was going to Avery's softball games, vacation, and lemonade.

My answer is vacation, grilling out for meals, and watching the garden grow.  We have some early girls coming in already!!  Oh and fireflies too!! That's our favorite time to play outside lately...the fireflies come out just when the sun has first set...it's a small window of opportunity and only lasts for an hour or so.  Then they shut down for the night.  The girls chase them and capture them (they're really slow), while Mark and I watch from the porch.  Probably one of my favorite things about living where we do in the summertime.  It's really quite magical.

What about you, friends?