Bob the Builder

Can we do it? Yes, we can!

That's the way I feel this evening. Why? Well, I actually managed to DELEGATE some work. By 4pm this afternoon I had managed to finish ALL my marking AND entering said marks into my own spreadsheet, the Life Sciences spreadsheet and the school's mark system AND writing all my comments for all my kids. This is no mean feat, let me tell you. Everyone else has a whole extra week to finish some of it plus ANOTHER week to finish the rest of it. This means I am TWO weeks ahead of everyone else.

What I didn't manage to finish was the moderation. While moderation has little to no bearing on the school, the education department has started jumping up and down about how we HAVE to do internal moderation of all our work - from projects to tests and exams. We have to moderate it before it's printed (does it match their standards on about 6 different areas), and then afterwards again, AND then we have to moderate 10% of all the learners' actual scripts/ work. We have to be able to prove that we've done this.

(Of course, there are no real consequences if we don't do all this, except that they can refuse to sign us off from each year's process if we don't. However, the principle of moderation is a good one, one I agree with, even though it's a lot of PT.)

So, the only thing I haven't finished sorting out is the moderation process for this set of exams. BUT - at 4pm today, I took the executive decision to delegate this to two or three other staff members and go home. I'm very proud of myself. Me. Miss I-have-to-do-it-all-myself-because-it's-my-responsibility-and-God-forbid-anyone-should-be-able-to-point-a-finger-and-accuse-me-of-slacking-just-because-I'm-pregnant. Yes folks, she CAN be taught. Just call me Bob. And what's even better is that I'm not AT ALL stressed or worrying about whether they will do it 'right'.

I'm really quite impressed with myself that, now that my maternity leave has officially begun, I've actually managed to disconnect from work. It's NOT MY PROBLEM anymore. (It will be so again in a few months, and I'll probably kick myself then, but why borrow trouble from 5 months' time?) No, now I have only 2 goals to achieve.

1) Get the house unpacked and as sorted as I can by next weekend.
2) Give birth to a live son.

I think I've mentally found the space called 'work-life balance'. Who would have thunk it?! What a blessing.

So - now I will have plenty of time (ha ha ha!!) to blog and email and twitter and 'do' lunch and be a Mommy. Speaking of which, Nellie asked me yesterday: "Can you play with me or do you have work to do?" Hmm... profound, and scary. I know that these past 2 weeks I've been working flat out to get all my work done. Now it's time to be a proper Mommy. Starting tomorrow morning with taking her and the dogs out - weather permitting (OMW did we have a thunderstorm and a half last night - the dog was desperately trying to get under the duvet with me!).

Can I do it? Yes, I can. I can switch off from work and switch onto my life.
Can I do it? Yes, I can. I have. I have managed to get to this time without losing this baby, despite everything I have been feeling physically.
Can I do it? Yes, I can. I will. I will be a good Mommy to Nellie and a good wife to Graeme again.
Can I do it? Yes, I can. Not because I'm Superwoman. Not because I'm Mrs Incredible. Quite the opposite: because I'm finally able to recognise my frailty and humanity.

And because God is faithful and good and generous. I couldn't have got here without him.