About Me:

Aloha! I'm Wendy Kennar. I'm the mother of a seven-year-old son and a wife living in Los Angeles. I was a public school teacher for twelve years until a chronic medical condition made it necessary to leave my teaching career.

I've always been described as "quiet" - really, I'm just biting my tongue. I've got lots to say, and lots of thoughts to share, I just prefer to write them. That's the purpose of this blog. Each Wednesday, I post a personal essay offering my observations and thoughts.

A few fun facts about me: I've wanted to be a writer since second grade, when my teacher, Mrs. Jones, made me a "book" with a yellow construction paper cover. I have never learned to whistle, have always preferred sunflowers to roses, and have spent my life living within the same zip code.

Through the years, my writing has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, United Teacher, GreenPrints, L.A. Parent, DivineCaroline.com, RoleReboot.org, XOJane, and Brain, Child Magazine. Additionally, my personal essays have been included in several anthologies, including: The Barefoot Review, Beyond the Diaper Bag, Lessons From My Parents, Write for Light, Being a Grown-Up: A User's Manual for the Real World, Ka-Pow!, How Writing Can Get You Through Tough Times, Breath and Shadow, The Grey Wolfe Storybook, and Sisters Born, Sisters Found.
I am a regular contributor at MomsLA.com, and you can also find me at Goodreads.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Feel free to comment and share my blog with others!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Needing a Break from Spring Break


   My kindergarten son just finished up his first spring break.  Which means I just finished up my first spring break as a stay-at-home mom.  Up until this year, my spring breaks were always experienced more from a teacher’s point of view.  And, I can now say, there is a difference between experiencing the week as a teacher/parent and a parent.

   As a teacher, spring break was like the long-anticipated intermission.  You know, when you’ve been holding your pee, and you are about to burst but you have to wait for the intermission before you can get up and relieve yourself.  That’s how spring break felt for me.  Each spring break would arrive with me on the brink of exhaustion, needing a rest from the daily toil of teaching:  completing paperwork, attending meetings, sharpening pencils, hanging up bulletin boards, grading papers, and of course, teaching.

   Spring break would arrive, and I would be granted a reprieve.  The alarm was turned off, my daily to-do-list was drastically reduced, and I had time to spend with my son.  It was a treat.  

   Now, though, as a stay-at-home parent, spring break took on a different meaning.  The week still provided me with alarm-free mornings and a shorter to-do-list:  no lunches to pack, no backpack to check each day, and no homework to complete.  But, because I am a stay-at-home parent, I am fortunate to have a lot of time with my son each day, every day.  So spring break just meant even more time with my son.  Which translates into a more-tired Mommy.

   I love my son.  But, let’s face it, he’s six.  I’m thirty-eight.  And to complicate matters, I go through each day dealing with the unpredictability (in terms of fatigue and pain) of an autoimmune disease.  So even on my “good days” my son has more energy than I do.  On may bad days, it’s a struggle to remain upright.

   The conclusion of this year’s spring break actually left me more tired than I started out.  We filled our days with fun, and fun is tiring.  Walks and trips and games and projects and inside time and outside time and dancing and singing and reading and building and tickling and playing.

   When I was teaching, spring break also provided the desperately-needed light at the end of the tunnel.  I had made it this far; I could hold on until summer.  Now, as a stay-at-home parent, spring break provided me with a sneak peek of what our summer break will look like.  I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
  

4 comments:

  1. I know you are worn out from the week of spring break.You really had very full days,and I know Ryan enjoyed every minute.I am glad you were able to have the whole week with Ryan,but I also know you over did yourself and you were in excessive pain each day.I love you and I am very proud of you.
    love,mommy

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  2. I know you enjoyed your week with Ryan. He is a wonderful little boy. I also know you were worn out. Your mother & I are proud of you.
    love, dad

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  3. Honey,
    You are a wonderful mother to Ryan and I know you always give a 110% in everything you do. He does run non-stop! I Love You two!
    Love,
    me

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  4. HAHA. I loved reading about your Spring break as a parent!!! I bet you are exhausted. You are such an amazing mom! I am so proud of you, for all you have done, overcome and who are you. I love you so much!!!

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