Thought I'd take a few minutes (attached to the pump) to reflect on
being back at work. In some ways, it is very awesome. I've always
liked the teaching part of my job, and I like my classes this semester
well enough. Although I am very very very introverted, I do like the
performance aspect, and honestly, I learn things from talking to
students. It's also about as low-prep a semester as I can get (writing
classes, so very high on the grading time, but I don't need to read like
whole novels after Tiny Boy goes to bed) which is a very good thing.
There's just a lot of time spent in meetings and doing various
bureaucratic tasks that I find, well, not as fun.
And the whole mad dash after class to pump milk? Well, that I'd really like to be done with, but given the whole sick baby who may have a milk allergy situation...I'm taking it slow. (Today his bottles were about 50% breastmilk and 50% "Gentlease" formula.) Did borrow a friend's pump, though, so I don't have to schlep mine back and forth to campus. Still, it means that I'm unavailable during a chunk of time in the middle of the day, so while I can get some email and other tasks done (yay for the hands-free pumping bra!) it's not like I can meet with students. I get out of class at noon and by the time I have answered questions, walked back to my office, grabbed my lunch and pumped, it is 1:00.
(to be con't)
*
Well, I started this post two days ago. Yesterday was crazy busy (two classes, office hours, back on campus for evening event) and then I got home and crashed and then had to be out the door this morning at 7:45 because Tiny Boy had a consult with the ENT. (Naturally he recommended ear tubes--more on that in a separate post.) Now it's 9:52 and he is at daycare and I am sitting down with a cup of tea. Need to do something resembling actual work. Need to write a letter of rec for a friend, which is a weird thing.
Anyway, as I was saying, I am liking the teaching. And the chit-chat with folks in the hallway, although I could do without one of the Patriarchs stopping in and stinking up my office with his cologne (ugh). I am finding that I am even better at ignoring the Politics (yes, that needs a capital letter) because who has the energy for all that shit?
That said, I find myself volunteering for all kinds of stuff (like university-wide committees) that I probably shouldn't be volunteering for. And according to my chair, he's going to make me an "offer" to direct my program. We haven't talked details, and if it doesn't involve a course release, I'm not doing it. Maybe I shouldn't do it anyway...but "mid-career" feels like the right time to do that sort of thing, if only "mid-career" didn't also coincide with the whole 14 months of sleep deprivation thing.
I feel like I had something more profound to say about all this, about my awareness of how I spend my time and how having a sick baby in the first week of the semester really makes clear what HAS TO HAPPEN NOW and what really isn't a big deal. Like I haven't actually written my students' names in a grade book yet. But, really, not much else matters when you finally have a baby and you finally have tenure. Big picture is good. Mostly day-to-day is good. Yeah.
And the whole mad dash after class to pump milk? Well, that I'd really like to be done with, but given the whole sick baby who may have a milk allergy situation...I'm taking it slow. (Today his bottles were about 50% breastmilk and 50% "Gentlease" formula.) Did borrow a friend's pump, though, so I don't have to schlep mine back and forth to campus. Still, it means that I'm unavailable during a chunk of time in the middle of the day, so while I can get some email and other tasks done (yay for the hands-free pumping bra!) it's not like I can meet with students. I get out of class at noon and by the time I have answered questions, walked back to my office, grabbed my lunch and pumped, it is 1:00.
(to be con't)
*
Well, I started this post two days ago. Yesterday was crazy busy (two classes, office hours, back on campus for evening event) and then I got home and crashed and then had to be out the door this morning at 7:45 because Tiny Boy had a consult with the ENT. (Naturally he recommended ear tubes--more on that in a separate post.) Now it's 9:52 and he is at daycare and I am sitting down with a cup of tea. Need to do something resembling actual work. Need to write a letter of rec for a friend, which is a weird thing.
Anyway, as I was saying, I am liking the teaching. And the chit-chat with folks in the hallway, although I could do without one of the Patriarchs stopping in and stinking up my office with his cologne (ugh). I am finding that I am even better at ignoring the Politics (yes, that needs a capital letter) because who has the energy for all that shit?
That said, I find myself volunteering for all kinds of stuff (like university-wide committees) that I probably shouldn't be volunteering for. And according to my chair, he's going to make me an "offer" to direct my program. We haven't talked details, and if it doesn't involve a course release, I'm not doing it. Maybe I shouldn't do it anyway...but "mid-career" feels like the right time to do that sort of thing, if only "mid-career" didn't also coincide with the whole 14 months of sleep deprivation thing.
I feel like I had something more profound to say about all this, about my awareness of how I spend my time and how having a sick baby in the first week of the semester really makes clear what HAS TO HAPPEN NOW and what really isn't a big deal. Like I haven't actually written my students' names in a grade book yet. But, really, not much else matters when you finally have a baby and you finally have tenure. Big picture is good. Mostly day-to-day is good. Yeah.
sounds like you are enjoying being back at work. And, yeah, ignoring departmental Politics must be contributing to your enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteI'm exhausted reading about your day and I teach school full time. Wow. Way to go. Want to hear more about ENT. Personally, tubes was the best decision for my family and SR.
ReplyDeleteI've not noted in a while but cant recall if you did a trial of baby Zantac or if Tiny Boy is on reflux meds? Our LO slept terribly, napped terribly until 12 months old, we tried everything, I mean everything. She sttn from months 1-3 then just stopped! It was so odd. Anyways, she never spit up, she never had weight gain issues but her breath smelled a bit acidic once when she woke that my partner pointed out, she often slept with her neck hyperextended which apparently is something reflux babies do. Our GP entertained a trial of Zantac and she now sleeps 7-6 and it has been life saving for all of us, especially as I am returning to work and have to be somewhat professional. The side effect profile is mild and we've had great results so I'm just throwing it out there as an idea ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's apparently referred to as "silent reflux" but many practitioners don't believe it really exists. I'm a believer as it worked for us!
ReplyDeleteReading one of your posts is always good for making me feel like my life is super easy! But it still involves pumping, and today that happened in a bathroom, which is gross. SIGH.
ReplyDelete