A Teacher's Honest Back-to-School Week (and a Ruana That's Moving Slower Than Usual)
It’s that time of year!
Y'all, I have to be honest with you: the Creekside Ruana has barely moved this week.
I've been back at school for a full week now; students walk in on Tuesday, and if you've ever lived through the week before a new school year starts, you know exactly why this blog went quiet. Meetings stacked on meetings. Room setup. Lesson plans that somehow still aren't “done” no matter how many hours I put in. I've still been picking up my hook here and there — the ruana isn't abandoned; but by the time I get home most nights, I've got just enough energy for a few rows before I'm calling it.
The Part Nobody Tells You About Back-to-School Week
Everyone talks about the excitement of a new school year; new students, fresh supplies, that first-day energy. And that's real. But there's another side that doesn't get talked about as much: the exhaustion that creeps in before the first bell even rings. AP Seminar and Dual Credit US History don't plan themselves, and neither does anything else on a teacher's plate this time of year.
So this week, Restored Crochet looked less like steady progress and more like a few rows here, a few rows there, on the Creekside Ruana. And I think that's worth saying out loud, because I'd bet I'm not the only teacher — or the only crocheter — who's there right now.
Why I'm Not Beating Myself Up About It
Here's what I keep coming back to: crochet was never supposed to be one more thing on my to-do list. It's supposed to be rest. And this week, rest looked like slower progress on the ruana instead of no progress at all; a few rows most nights instead of a finished section.
I'm choosing to see the slower pace not as falling behind, but as proof I know my limits during a season that asks a lot of me. The ruana will still be there once the dust settles and Tuesday turns into a routine instead of a countdown.
It’s a little slow going but the second panel is getting there!
What's Next
Once we're a few weeks into the school year and things find their rhythm, I'm looking forward to picking the pace back up on the Creekside Ruana. For now, I'm just trying to get through this week with some grace for myself, and maybe that's the most honest thing I can offer y'all right now.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
That verse has been sitting with me all week. Rest isn't something I have to earn once everything on the list is checked off; it's offered right in the middle of the mess.
Here's to Tuesday, y'all. 🍎
Ariana 🧶
