Kontan’s Place

at home? vs at work?

so which is better at home or at work? ? ?

see, i get the “best” of both during the year. although there are school things to do in the summer for the most part i get to be at home. ahhh, the life of a stay-at-home (sah). you get to sit back relax. maybe watch tv. no responsibilities. just enjoy the kids. take a nap each day. wow, this is the life….right?

OMG eh eh, NO WAY! i swear life is just as crazy. now maybe it wouldnt be so if i didnt have grad school hanging over my head as well, but none of that stuff i described is part of my life as a summer time sah. i gave up tv months ago. i just cant find anything that i want to sit still that long for. i’d rather read a good book…that’s on my agenda for spring ‘06 (you think i’m joking, i’m not! haven’t had reading for pleasure in 2 years!) no responsibilities? HA. enjoy the kids? to a degree…but mostly i just keep them from killing each other or self! nap? A WHAT! yeah. that’s funny. i tried that the other day. no one was home…ahhh, nice and quiet. *RING!* snot a bug. i hate the phone. if you want to talk, send an email. j/k! sort of.

what about work? when school is in session i am up in the mornings (i said up, not alert…do not mistake the two). i head out the door depositing whichever child i am responsible for where she needs to go. i head off, battling traffic, coffee in hand. i’m ready to face my kids and instill the desire to learn within each and every one. i am excited about the contribution i am making to society. and then the coffee kicks in, i finally wake out of my dream world to deal with excuses for missing homework and complete disregard for classroom civility. my ideal is not gone, but it is sometimes taxed by the day to day. i love my job…that is clear if you have read my edu posts or my teaching rambling. i wouldnt do anything else…except maybe law or archaeology. (wow, how cool and me that would be! outside, digging in the dirt and history too!)

so which is better? honestly that depends on the person. i love my job, but i sometimes need a break. however, that transition from work to home is very difficult for me. i dont know what to do with myself when i stop juggling that work plate. it takes a good week (or two this year) to figure out my direction, and actually enjoy being at home. my summer is still busy. i have grad-work to do, that keeps me physically and intellectually busy. i still have to go to my school and do this or that for staff development. but i also get to enjoy the daily responsibilities of being at home. taking care of my kids, the home necessities, and just a tiny bit more time to complete this or that research paper. i will never be “domestic”. i think steve has come to accept that. i wouldnt be me if i was “suzy homemaker”. but i can strike a balance, and even like it.

during the school year i do everything that a sah does, and i balance a job and grad school. for that i am proud of me. as a sah, i acquire a respect for those who have made it their choice to do it full-time. it isnt easy, and it takes a special type person to do it and do it well. it’s just like anything else, if it is your thing, do it! if it is not, make the best of it and do it anyway. so for me, i am doing what i need to be…experiencing both worlds and appreciating the time and commitment both require.

that’s my rambling for now….

kontan jou!

First post!

ever wonder why people choose the name they do or the avatar they do or whatever? maybe i’m just odd that way, but i do. lemme explain me.

first, why type in all lower case? well, just because i want to. i have to be formal in so many other aspects of my life, i just like not conforming to the rules when i ramble on about this or that.

second, what about the name? kontan? well, most know that i am happytchr on dj. not too difficult to figure out. well, i got tired of using that name so wanted to do something else. i was going thru a journal i kept and ran across the word kontan. kontan is haitian creole for happy. hence kontan jou that i often post…it means happy day. why haitian creole? several reasons, one i like languages and haitian creole is just fun. two, i went to haiti several years ago and it really had an impact on life. three, kontan is just a fun word and it fits me. i really try to be happy and seek the positive out of life. life is a lot more fun that way. so kontan it is.

third, why the butterfly? that just sort of happened and then escalated. at a motivational conference i had to attend with teaching the story of the monarch migration was told. wow, what a determined creature! butterflies are symbols of life, happiness, hope, and determination. all of these things i hold to. so butterfly it was. besides, they are pretty. i’m not too “fru-fru” so it is just one of my few “girlie” things.

that’s enough for the first blog attempt. who knows if i will keep this up. i get in moods to ramble sometimes so i just might! lol

kontan jou!