My First Weekend as a Working Woman

Now that I am officially working, I have more appreciation for the weekends (especially long ones like this weekend).  My current assignment is one that I accepted by accident.  I am still learning to properly navigate the website that posts the needed substitutes.  I accepted an assignment for Friday that is clear across town (those of you who actually live in a big city probably don't have sympathy for me because your commutes are probably just as long on a daily basis, but for me, in a small city it feels loooooong) because it was the only one available at the time.  After my day was over I was made aware that the assignment was not for one day but for one week.  This left me feeling discouraged because while I am working across town I could be missing out on opportunities to work closer to my house . . . maybe even in my girls' school.  I am also dealing with feelings of insecurity at the school I am at now.  Most of it is probably unfounded and completely in my head, but it makes me feel apprehensive just the same.  All of this to say, I really appreciated my weekend.  It was one where I felt very present and intentional about how I spent my time.

My favorite day was Monday (Labor Day).  After getting all of the laundry done (this is important to note because it contributed to my day being such a good one) we packed a picnic lunch and ate it at The Sunken Gardens.

Being that this was our third annual Labor Day trip to The Sunken Gardens, it has become somewhat of a tradition. Monday was the kind of day where all of its elements congealed in such a way that I knew it was one that I would always remember and I memorized all of the details that made it so flawless.  From the crisp fall air to the closeness we all felt to one another; no one bickered that day (at least not in my memory).  We also bumped into one of my best friends and her kids making our day that much better.

Steven promptly started doing what he does best; taking pictures.  Here are some of my favorite nature ones.

Then much to their dismay, Steven took lots of pictures of the girls.  If you are interested, you can click here, here, and here to see the previous years' Sunken Garden photos.  I think it is fun to see how much we have all changed over time.

I often find myself just staring at her and thinking to myself "where did my baby go"?  She is turning into a young lady right before my eyes.

 

Since she was born so early you would think she'd stay little longer, but sadly that has not been the case.  She is growing up right before my eyes as well.

Madeleine looks so much taller than Audrey because she was wearing heels that day.  She felt so pretty and adult-like in her heels.

She could not resist picking a flower or two.

After adequately pestering the girls with photography at the garden, we walked across the street to the zoo.  

My little goat.  I love her facial expression in the photo to the right.

Madeleine loves the penguins.  Look how the one is relaxing on his back.

We ended our trip to the zoo with a train ride and then returned home for a nice dinner followed by Darn Good Chocolate Cake for desert (that is literally what the cake is called and it lives up to its name).

With that I need to wrap this up because I have to leave for work, a concept that is still growing on me.