We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to bring you...Exhaustion

Have you ever been so tired, you can't sleep? You know, kinda like when you're hungry and hours go by and you can't eat and by the time you can, you're almost too sick to eat? (Or maybe that's just me.) But seriously, all I have wanted all day is for the day to end so I can get in bed, and now I'm sitting here writing because I'm too tired to sleep.

It's been a looooong week. I'm playing New Teacher and Single Mom all at the same time. And I'm tired. Really. Really. Tired.

School was back in for teachers this week, and after 3 years of being the librarian (don't even think about starting with the geek jokes), I am returning to the classroom. For those of you who are not teachers and have no idea what it takes to get a classroom ready for 50 (yes, 50) little eager minds, here's the short version: unpack a million dusty boxes; clean roach-infested cabinets; find a place for all your Teacher Pack Rat Resources and General Essential Junk; magically turn the room into a colorful, inviting, warm learning place; attend a million hours worth of (mostly pointless) meetings; plan lessons and activities; create procedures and rules for everything from fire drills to bathroom attendance to homework collection; and fend off parents who are peeking in your room and trying to get to you early.

I've been doing all this while Hubby has been gone for a race in Utah, which means that I've been mostly on Single Mom Duty. (Shout out to the Single Moms, by the way!) I have said many times before how lucky I am that Hubby is one of those Rare Finds: he does not "help" me; he parents. Equally. Sometimes even more so. So when he's gone, I feel it. Bad. Again, lucky me, I have an amazing support system, so my dearest friend and general guardian angel has come over every night to help with The Bedtime Routine. And my other Fab Friend came over to keep me company for a couple of hours. And my parents will be dropping by to cover Baby Duty while I take the Big Brother to his school's Open House. I've got help. Lots of it. And I'm still frickin' tired. Work-wise, this is by far the worst timing for Hubby's trip, but it was an amazing opportunity, and one that I really wanted him to have. I'm thrilled he is where he is, doing what he's doing with the people he's doing it with. But I will be thrilled when he's back and it's back to Team Parenting.