The end of an era

Today marks the first day of the last week of my last maternity leave.  This time next week, I will be teaching my first class in 13 months!  I'm returning when the twins are only 11 months (which is the same time I went back after Jayna).  I will be starting to coach basketball soon, so I figured that I may as well get paid more than EI pays me!

People are asking me if I'm happy to be going back, and mainly, the answer is YES!!!!  I love hanging out with the twins (Jayna's in daycare full time and has been since July), but I'm really looking forward to missing them.  I'm also looking forward to the challenges of work as well as spending my days with adults who I really enjoy being around.  At work, I constantly get to laugh as well.

Having said that, I know things are going to be absolutely crazy and Derrick and I are going to have to be really organized, which isn't a bad thing.  I couldn't even think of going back to my job, coaching and running my own business if I didn't have such a great husband who is both helpful and supportive.    It also means that after Christmas, we will be bringing cleaners back (I'm pretty fired up about that).

Looking back, it has been a crazy 13 months.  A year ago, I was off work already, but just waiting for the twins.  It was odd, because I knew they shouldn't be here for a while, but being twins, you never know.  We were prepared pretty early and as prepared as we could be for the unexpected to happen.  We were fortunate enough that that didn't happen.  I ended up having to be induced at over 38 weeks.  Born at 6lbs 2 oz and 6lbs 12 oz, both Mara and Davin were healthy and never had to go to the NICU. They have done nothing but grow and amaze me every day.  They are crawling everywhere, pulling themselves up and walking along things as well as standing on their own.  It's only a matter of time before they walk.  I'm well aware that I could miss those first steps while I'm at work, but I know they'll be well taken care of and loved at their new daycare.  I also think that even if I didn't go back to work, I could miss those steps while someone else watches the kids for a bit.

There are many moments when I think that having twins is the most ridiculous and mean thing you could do to someone, but there are even more moments when the dynamics and interactions of twins astound me.  While Mara is crying right now, Davin is smiling at me and melting my heart.  It makes it pretty easy to ignore the current sucky poo.  Meanwhile, there are other times when they're both screaming and I want to pull my hair out.  

There are also many times when people ask why they're such good kids when we're out, or they don't know how I do I manage to take them out regularly and not want to lose my mind.  With all my children, I've taken them out from a very young age.  Yes, there are times when it doesn't go perfectly, actually most times aren't perfect, but we make it.  I guess I could have chosen to stay home all the time, but that doesn't sound like fun at all to me.  I also think that they are well behaved when we are out, because they are used to that and we have expectations.  It's all in what you make of it.  Yesterday I met friends for breakfast with all three kids and Jayna went in her PJs.  I didn't feel like fighting about it and she was no worse off.

In the end, I look forward to sharing the joy of my babies with someone else while they're at daycare.  They are fortunate enough to have one more person to love them!  I also look forward to being a better mother because of work.