The Unbalanced Chronicles: Teacher's "Break"

I'm so sad that Thanksgiving break is almost over, I know Christmas break is around the corner, but that just means more work to place into a three week time span. Most of my family and friends always comment to me: 'I bet you enjoy your break and time off as a teacher.'
The answer is YES, I love being with my family more, but there is really never any "time off" for a teacher.
Education has changed for the harder. The workload is insane.
My young second grader brought home a 15 page packet to study for a math midterm!?!? When Darren saw my distraught look, he said he would help do it with Connor. Connor?? Hard work isn't going to hurt my son (maybe my patience) but I feel for his poor teacher! After all, she has to grade and review this packet with all those seven and eight year olds!

A typical weekend or vacation involves me unloading my bags and spreading out my "things to do" over the dinner table or counter top and I just try to grab and work in between the cooking, cleaning, family time, outings, church, etc. There are some days I would much rather nap or watch mindless reality TV or look at pictures of George Clooney (and sometimes I cave). Actually right now I need to unload the dishwasher instead of doing this activity.
For now I haven't met an educator who has found the perfect balance.

An example of a teacher's "break":

completing a 10 page PBIS (positive behavior support) inventory due before December...

lucky my partner ensures I take a break for snacks...

registration and sub plans for a two day workshop training...

fixing eggs with a side of apple pie and a red crayon...

Yummy

updating my webpage...

taking care of the doggy ballerina and her new baby....

going through THREE huge notebooks of information to create a wiki...

time for Maisy (500 times while the pages turn faster than I can read them)...

and creating an amazing makeover (more ice cream please)...

Facebook Check...

and back to work....

two invites and an IEP plan....

scanning in twenty documents for wiki (10 documents in the scanner quits for NO good rotten reason), unplug, replug, restart, unplug, hit the scanner, andddddd we are back in business....

..break for a drink...and a cool new hair style...

write a predictable text in smart notebook...

...create a phonics game for small group reading next week...

and time for birthday dinner (shameless selfies)

Thanks for rescuing me J.

I celebrate my birthday all month.

Hey, someone is stealing my shameless selfie pose...

finishing up with lesson plans and vocab. list for language development!

And what do you know...it's MONDAY morning.

Now there are other people (who I shall not name) who makes more money and doesn't do a bit of homework:

For years Darren thought I was just an overachiever, until his son started school...

I think his words to me this week were:

"why do you do this? go get a job at McD's."

I'm a teacher honey, I can't help it.

What can I say? Behind every good teacher is a tired husband.

The boys had a relaxing break.

Connor got to go to his FIRST college football game!

Go UNC! (they lost)

He was so excited. Darren said he had a TOTAL meltdown over the fireworks after each touchdown, but Darren (being a man) handled it a little differently. He told him to dry it up because they paid for the tickets. I think by the end of the game Connor was "drying up his tears". The poor fellow hates NOISE.

I asked Darren to take pictures. He took five.