no place I'd rather be

| THIS MORNING |

I would have been sharpening a gigantic handful of brand new pencils, watching bits of shaved pencil dust fly onto the freshly clean carpet.

I would have written the first date for the year on the white board next to 'Mrs. Williamson'.

I would have smiled at 25+ smiling yet nervous little faces and welcomed them with open arms back to another year of school.

I would have been wearing a pencil skirt that spent the summer months on a hanger in my closet to be replaced with capris and flip flops.

I would have put an emphasis on getting to know them all day long and trying to make them laugh at my silly jokes.

I would have started my FAVORITE teacher read aloud, Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville, and smiled contently as I watched their eyes grow with excitement at the turn of every page and hear the many sad sighs when read aloud was over for the day closing the book at the best cliff hanger yet.

 I would have sat with them at lunch and asked them about their families, what they love, what they did over the summer, and most importantly, what they are looking forward to during the school year.

I would have taken their pictures so that they had something to remember this special day by for the rest of their lives.

At the end of the day, I would have reluctantly said goodbye to 25+ of my new best little friends until tomorrow while also simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief from a whirl wind of a day that first days of school always are.

I would have gotten to share all the ups and downs of the day with my favorite teacher friend across the hall.

Then I would have taken one last final glance around the room, making sure to take one last look at every child's name tag in hopes that I had every single one of them completely memorized before turning off the light, closing the door, and driving home to get some rest before I started it all over again the very next day.

| INSTEAD |

I got to wake up to the stirring sounds of a well rested baby across the hall, his drawn out cooing sounds communicating to me that 'yes mommy, I'm definitely hungry'.

I got to bring him into our warm cozy bed and snuggle him while he happily nursed beside me.

We got to watch daddy whirl around the room getting ready for work and putting on my favorite dress shirt and tie.

I got to carry Liam out into the kitchen and make both my boys their favorite breakfast, Nic scrambled eggs and peanut butter toast and Liam a half of a banana, some baby oatmeal, and a handful or two of puffs!

I got to snuggle Liam on the couch while we spent a lazy morning watching a few minutes of Micky Mouse Clubhouse in our jammies and playing with his favorite toys.

I got to rock him until his eyes drifted to sleep at nap time.

I got to be there when he woke up from his nap, his smiling face showing me how happy he was to see me as I opened the door.

We got to go grocery shopping for ingredients to try out new recipes, an experience where Liam tried his very best to swipe everything off the shelves that were in his reach when mommy wasn't looking.

We got to repeat those precious nap moments for the second time that we experienced earlier in the day.

We got to have a mommy and baby play date together with new friends at the park.

We got to dance in the kitchen and sing along to our favorite country songs as we got dinner ready and welcomed our favorite guy home from work at the end of the day. 

Teaching was my passion. I'm still passionate about it and I loved the little lives I got to be apart of and the teacher friends I made. But today, more than ever, there was no place I would have rather been then at home with my little guy. Ever since I've had Liam, my heart is wherever he is and while teaching was my favorite job outside the home, I'm so grateful I don't have to leave my heart behind anymore. I hope he always remembers these special days with me filled with snuggles, slow mornings, endless smiles, and dancing in the kitchen. Because I know that I always will. Today I got to live my dream job and I get to do it again tomorrow! I've never felt more lucky.