So I have found that it’s incredibly bizarre to not be teaching or starting a job that requires gearing up for the academic year. I have jealously been watching all of my teacher friends begin their school years and while I know that the combination of this pregnancy and Mark’s traveling for work would have made it challenging, if not close to impossible, to work, I miss doing something worthwhile and bringing in that paycheck.
The other night Mark and I were walking around Office Depot, gathering things to make his sister’s wedding programs, and he called me a nerd as I lusted over what was left of the school supplies. Its the first year I haven’t had to buy any since I was in kindergarten. It’s the first year I haven’t headed off to school since I was three…thirty years of being in an academic environment. Crazy!I’ve watched my first class at Seton and my St. Mary’s boys head off to college via Facebook. It’s amazing how different their experiences are compared to mine because of the advancements in technology in just the last fifteen years. My only bit of feeling like I am still involved in a school year is that I finally received a course at Regis University, so that’s helping a bit. (It’s a directed study course for Methods of Secondary Education Social Studies. I have just one student and I’m learning the challenge of being in a correspondence course…I’m going to have to lay down really specific due dates and expectations with her.)
So, in an effort to stay busy while not working, I’m trying to teach myself or take classes on things that I’ve always wanted to do (in addition to, of course, reading baby books and preparing for the baby that is supposed to show up in six and half weeks.) For my birthday, Mark signed me up for the beginner Wilton cake decorating classes. My grandma always decorated these extravagant birthday cakes for us. Grandpa would bake it, and grandma would make it special. As we got older, we didn’t like the richness and sweetness of her frosting, but her technique was impeccable.
In my class, I learned a lot. We started practicing on cookies and then moved to the cupcake cake. I made the cake from scratch and didn’t like the flavoring of the cake or frosting, even though the consistency of it was good. Week three we decorated cupcakes and even put a filling in them. Since I don’t really like fruit fillings in my cupcakes, I used this awesome peanut butter frosting recipe that I have, and it tasted pretty good with the butter cream. The final week was making another double layer round cake, learning how to do roses and frosting. Roses were easier for me than the writing. I really need to practice that. I don’t know how grandma made it look so easy. I did learn a good tip regarding writing though…mix the frosting with the gels you can buy in the baking aisle. A teaspoon of the gel will make the frosting a better consistency for writing.
I need and want to practice my techniques more, but I learned a lot of tricks of the trade. I signed up for the second class, but it was cancelled due to low registration, and I decided it’s probably best to put it off until the new year since I’ve been slowly losing the control of my hands due to pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome.
I’m channeling my mom and my grandma for my other big projects; I’ve continued with my crocheting, and I’m hoping to have a blanket for the baby to show off soon. (Granted, this is a bit challenging as well with the cranky hands I have lately.) I’ve also bought a sewing machine and am teaching myself (with the help of my mom and Skype) to sew. I’ve hemmed some curtains, and I made a tapestry for our music room, but my first more challenging endeavor was to make a pillow cover. We upgraded the bedding in the Cardinals room and I wanted to cover the decorative pillows, so I had bought some black and white material at Hobby Lobby way back in July. I’ve been dragging my feet, worried I wouldn’t be able to figure it out. Mom was kind and send an old pillow cover we had. (We’re talking old…it was Care Bears.) While it was no where near the right size it was great having something to look at while she talked me through the process. Next projects will be to cover the pillows on the bench that we got years ago from Target and to make some pillowcase dresses for Miss Emma even though she won’t be big enough to wear them until springtime. 🙂 I think Grandma Bev’s visits are going to be private sewing lessons for me since it’s going to be challenging trying to take an actual class once the baby is born.
I’ve learned staying busy and not wasting away the days is key to feeling useful and functional even though I am not working…the closer we get to the arrival of Miss E, the more doctor appointments I have, which will help pass the time. To add to the doctor appointments, I’m also going to physical therapy twice a week. I also fell down the stairs a few weeks ago and have PT a couple times a week to help my meniscus in my left knee heal. I can’t go walking yet, but if I continue with my exercises then I should be completely functional again by the time the baby comes. I guess I should have believed all of those pregnancy websites and books when they said that my center of gravity would be off and that I would off and that pregnant women are clumsy. I even told myself, “Don’t fall”, seconds before I tumbled down three or four steps at 3 a.m. sacrificing my left knee to keep Emma safe. I’m sure it’s just the first of many.
