I’ll have to say that returning home from our family vacation of a lifetime last week was a bit of a letdown to say the least. Yes, I’ve been fighting that particular feeling since returning to work last Friday, the day that I was hoping would take the edge off my Monday IT-request-pounding. But it didn’t. The minute I saw my phone message light blinking, the blood pressure skyrocketed. And it didn’t stop there. Then came the painting and carpeting guys to redo my office for the new IT staffer who will be taking over the technology department after the reorganization, thus kicking me to the storage room where I’d spend my time with dusty peripherals. *hmph*

A sad way to return from such a big adventure, don’t you think?

Which leads me one step closer to: Big Announcement #3. Stay tuned.

I came in here tonight to say that I just about reached my boiling point today, feeling just about extremely ready to throw in the towel. Do you ever feel that way? Man is it a crazy debilitating feeling. It’s like an ‘Okay people, I’ve reached my limit of what is humanly possible to handle in one day’ kind of feeling. Yep, that was me today. It was ugly. *ughh*

It started with almost missing CG’s book club meeting by the skin of our teeth. Then 4 voice mail messages awaited me at the office, each with EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! type needs. And an ongoing email issue involving the highest tier of my organization tugging at my heels demanding resolution. With a pending 5th grade party planning meeting at a fellow Mommy friend’s home that I couldn’t seem to make myself attend after such a full day at the office. (You better believe I made sure other fellow Moms were there to watch out for my common interests, of course.)

Funny how school breaks seem to coincide with my almost-breaking-point times in the year…

You know the one… the neighbor with rabbits caged on the front lawn where weeds have taken over and are overgrowing into that finely-cared-for space of your own, the one where your lawn care professional continues to warn you of potential threats and then bills for additional services to help ward off the creeping neighborly weed invadors.

Not only that but you should love that neighbor with multiple teens… which means CARS parked curbside behind and beside your driveway in all directions making entering and exiting problematic, not to mention the almost impossible weekly trash removal.

And love that neighbor when they hold underage-beer-drinking parties throughout the year leaving bottlecaps, beer cans and cigarrette butts on your premises because, “WHO CARES ABOUT ‘those people’ and their property anyway?” Oh and when they play hackysack, football and/or soccer slamming balls into your PVC fence and vinyl siding of your home thinking you have absolutely no clue about the potential damage ensuing? Love those people.

Then after they all go inside after all of the outside partying, send 2 barking dogs out to annoy the neighborhood for hours on end. I mean, how else would we remember our neighbor’s actual presence otherwise???!! Right???

Screw this. I want to MOVE.

It’s me, ITCM. Yes, that’s right… I’m calling out to you Mister. Here I am volunteering as a catechist for the 5th year in a row wondering why you are putting me to the test once again this year. Just when I think, “Hey! This year will be a piece of cake! I can teach 2 classes simultaneously without a scratch!” *BAM* Nope.

Let me explain.

The first week in teaching 3rd & 5th grade classes had me fooled. Every CCD’er in attendance was on absolute best behavior leaving me to think I’d have the easiest year ever. But the next week? New students. Which is all well and good, except for the fact that one has physical limitations of which I’m completely out of my element in handling inside a classroom environment and another involving a testosterone-pumped dude who demands the run of the classroom by rolling around on a 4-wheeled chair. Excuse me???

Not one to give up easily, I’m finding myself equipped with bribe material in the way of Halloween candy on a regular basis. It is working so far. Smarties. Skittles. Dum-Dum lollipops. Hershey’s Kisses & Hugs. You name it. But I can’t help but feel like I’m in ‘cheater mode’ here, God. Not only that, but this whole setup is making me wonder if ALL CCD classes endure these kinds of challenges, which actually makes me thankful for being that proverbial ‘fly on the wall’ during my own kids’ experience in the classroom.

All I know is… I’m already experiencing CCD-itis.