Yesterday was a fun day at school (I am subbing for seven days for the secretary). We have a lice problem, so someone from the county health department came out to help us do head checks of all the students and staff. I was part of the five-person team that checked all the kids. We didn't find any live lice, but we did have a few kids with nits who had to be sent home.

It happens. Put that many kids in close quarters and there are bound to be a few things passed around. What surprises me is that it isn't worse.

I've had some incredibly long days this week, with meetings scheduled every night. On Tuesday, I left for school at 7:30 a.m. (after having gotten up at 4:30 a.m. to get some other work done), worked until 4 p.m., then went to town and ran errands for a couple of hours. I stopped at the school on the way back to meet DD#2 (who had stayed to watch the basketball game). She and I had to attend a meeting for kids who are heading to the high school next year. I know most of this stuff because I've already had a kid go through the system, but the meeting was mandatory. We finally got home a little after 8 p.m. I just don't have the stamina for those kinds of days any more.

I had a meeting scheduled for last night, too (it's a regular weekly meeting), but I called the person in charge and said I wouldn't be there. I've managed to get to a place in my life where I know how much I can give and now I am quite comfortable with saying, "Sorry, I am all tapped out and I need to recharge." I came home, did some transcription homework, made dinner for the husband and me (DD#2 was at a friend's house for the evening), watched TV and knit, then went to bed at 7:30 p.m.

Truly, I don't know how working mothers do it sometimes. The husband is home this week, so he's picked up the slack around the house, otherwise things would be in a pretty sorry state. And I'm not getting any knitting done. I have a friend who only needs to sleep about four hours a night. I envy her. I need my nine hours a night or I am worthless the next day. But oh, I could get so much more done in those extra five hours.

Like check myself for lice.