back at it

some of my kiddies--8th and 9th

christiane, one of 7th 

Mohammed, one of my 7th graders  

Batman! 

Well, I’m officially back to work, back to the routine, back to life in Kati. I’m flying solo, Kat is in Bamako on medical hold because she has malaria (and yes, she did take all her medicine) and suddenly the house is quiet and I am alone.

Luckily, the internet at my house has come back. I know I am very spoiled in that respect, but it’s a bonus I enjoy and one that keeps me sane with the ability to skype home, email friends, and keep up with everyone on Facebook. For the month of November it was out, and that did not make me a happy camper. Now that the magic is working, I’ve been able to talk to friends and family and fill them in on post-IST life and all the stories that come with it. Having internet also means that I have to get my butt in gear and work on planning and organizing the next trimester’s lesson plans for my art class. Thankfully the creative juices have been flowing and it looks like I have a pretty solid outline for the rest of the year, it will be the daily planning that will need to be worked on.

I’m back at school. Today will be my first day back in art class. It’s 9^th grade and they are supposed to have abstraction projects to present to me, so that should be fun and from what Moussodije tells me, it should be diverse. We have people singing, dancing, and then those who drew. I’m excited to see what everyone has been doing, and to get back into the groove of being in front of the classroom.

It’s funny. Before IST I felt like I had finally gotten into a solid routine. I was doing well. I was also probably getting super excited about IST and so those happy feelings may be based on something other than work, but I still think I had worked really hard to get to a place of contentment. And I’m sure you got the impression from all my other blogs, but IST was a total high. It was awesome to be that happy that consistently, and coming down from my fantastic cloud nine is taking some time, and really, I’m just trying not to crash and burn. 

But I’m hanging on. Winter break is right around the corner (I think, I haven’t been told anything officially) and with that comes full immersion into the holiday season. Sure, I have a lot to do, and a lot I want to do in those two weeks off, but the break in structure will be different and creating my own schedule for a bit will be nice. Plus, the added bonus is that some of the Goodfellas will be here for Christmas. YIPPEE! They will probably save me from myself and it will be good to see them all so soon.

In the meantime, I just wait. I keep going. I am trying to enjoy the cooler mornings, the influx of candy I got yesterday, being back in my own bed and my own bathroom. I’m going to attack my to do list and be patient as people work on Malian time when I need them to be on New York time. I’m going to clean and organize, decorate and watch Love Actually too much. I’ll hang out with my neighbors, reconnect with my girls, and get back to a happy Kati place. I may even find time to read!

And then, before I know it, it will be 2012. School will kick up as we battle the full six months ahead of us. I’ll be planning my summer and figuring out what the rest of the year will look like.

Time will pass. Days will mesh into one another. I just have to remember to live it all, to enjoy all I can, and to remember that the struggles make the joys that much sweeter. And there is nothing chocolate can’t fix. 

P.S. The pictures are from our December 1st World AIDS Day assembly with the entire school which was a lot of fun and a good welcome back to school in general.