We have been teaching for nearly 10 weeks and I'm beginning to have some perspective on the beginning of the school year. Gone, mostly, are the days of sheer panic of being prepared to teach five classes. Gone also, mostly, are the days of feeling completely incompetent. Most of the time now I feel ready for each class, ready to face all those eager, and less than eager, children in my care.

The flip side of that is the realization that we're only a quarter of the way through the school year! There's something about having to work so hard at the beginning of the year that doesn't allow you time to look very far forward. Now that I'm beginning to feel comfortable there's a certain drudgery that comes with the job. It's still satisfying and exciting and fun and hard too, but now there's also the sameness and predictability that comes from the familiar.

One of the nice things about getting comfortable in the job is having a little more energy at the end of the day. I got home at 4:45 today and by 5:00 Lee and I were on our bikes for an hour's ride before dinner. A month ago I barely had the energy to get through dinner before collapsing on the couch with the intention of getting schoolwork done but only managing to fall asleep. My internal clock is still skewed to the early morning wake-up call so I'm out of bed by 4:30 but at least I'm up a little bit later in the evenings.

Tomorrow we start a yoga class which will hopefully add to our sense of renewed energy. I'll let you know.