I actually got flowers from my daughter! I think this may be the second time ever, if not possibly the first (the other time I'm thinking of is so long ago, it might be my own wishful thinking.) Usually, it's just a card. Of course, flowers were easy for her since she picked them from her garden. Besides, she paid for my food at the brunch my family went to, which was nice considering I know she's been a little short herself, having to carry the weight of her mortgage while she arranged for a new roommate. My son called me from Phoenix, which is about all he has the funds for, so I am more than satisfied with that.

Do I want to teach a summer camp in June? I can't decide, so I need the hivemind to decide for me.

Pros: It would net me an extra $500 for about 20 hours of actually working with the kids (4 hours/afternoon for one week), not counting planning/prep time. There are only 5 kids signed up, so not a huge number to herd. (More kids could sign up between now and June, which would mean an extra $100 per kid.)

Cons: I will be eight months pregnant and I am already so fucking tired all the time. It would mean doing a bunch of prep work in the next couple of weeks, when I have a ton of other stuff to finish up at work. It's only a week, but I only have a few weeks between the end of school and my due date, and I could really use the time to rest and take care of stuff that needs doing at home.

I'm torn! On the one hand, the extra money would be nice, especially since several weeks of my maternity leave will be unpaid. On the other hand, we have enough in savings that we don't really *need* it. Just thinking about doing the camp makes me tired, but I hate the thought of turning down the money. Argh. What should I do?

My thoughts, Kate. It sounds like you want to do it and are trying to talk yourself out of it.

How far ahead of your due date is the camp? Second kids have a tendency to come before due dates, so allow for that. If it is something you would enjoy doing, I'd say go for it. If the only reason you want to do it is the money, then don't.

If you would enjoy doing it I say go for it. FWIW, I found I had the most energy in the last trimester. No heat tolerance, but more energy. It ideally should be a decision based on your interest in doing it rather than the financial, but extra $ often translates to less stress.

Ha -- I'd say, if anything, I don't want to do it, and am trying to talk myself into it.

The camp is June 1-5. My due date is July 9. So it's very unlikely that Seabiscuit will arrive that early, but I do want to make sure that I get enough time to get everything ready AND have some time to rest and relax before the baby comes. Also factoring into this decision: M will be out of town from June 7-14.

If you are trying to talk yourself into it, stop. Don't do it. You have lots of other things on your plate, including rest and relaxing. Enjoy that time in whatever way works best for you.

FWIW, I found I had the most energy in the last trimester. No heat tolerance, but more energy.

Definitely not the case for me right now, though the low heat tolerance is part of it too. I'm just really tired all the time. (Part of this is also probably due to low iron levels, which I am doing a few things to improve, so it's possible I'll feel more energetic in a few weeks.) But I also remember, when doing this same camp last summer, that it was kind of a bummer to celebrate the end of the school year and then have to go back to work the next week.

Would it be fun? Well... it wouldn't suck? I mean, I like the kids, but it's a lot more hands-on time than I usually have, with kids who are younger than I usually work with (ages 8-9ish). Last year my co-counselor and I were running out of ideas to keep them occupied by the end of the week, and this year I'd be doing it on my own.

Ah so it would be 2 weeks of extra effort then. But, but, but, all that extra financial cushion. I am no help at all, am I?

If you are trying to talk yourself into it, stop. Don't do it.

Ahhhhh. Thank you, that's what I was hoping to hear.

Seeing your last post really sends me over to the skip it side. Handling it alone would be quite a lot of work, in particular if even more kids sign up. Put your feet up and relax a bit.