Reflection & Rejuvenation: April

From the Nikki McClure Calendar

How does each month come and go so quickly? Sheesh!

This month has been good. I appreciated Katharina’s comment about how it takes her about six months to transition to a new city. Although the impatient part of me hates to hear that, I think she’s right.

Henry started daycare this month, which was great except that he got sick and had to stay home on and off for the first two weeks of April. It wouldn’t have been a big deal except that I had planned a boatload of meetings for Magnolia Montessori For All. Our main babysitter was out of town, so Matt and I had to scramble to cover the sick days. We did a decent job of it, except that once I had to bring Henry to a meeting with me (he was still in his snot-covered pajamas). Needless to say, the woman I met with is not interested in joining our board of directors…

Although he still has a constant drip, he is going to “school” every day and he honestly seems to love it. Matt drops him off in the morning, and I pick him up at 12:30. When I pick him up, he frankly doesn’t seem to care that I’m there. He keeps playing with his friends (although he will occasionally stop, come over to give me a hug, and then start playing again). I feel so, so thankful that I was able to stay home with him full-time for an entire year, and now we’re able to transition slowly back to work and away from family with this part-time schedule. It feels perfect for our family (even though it was hard on me internally).

Today is officially my first day at my new part-time job as the Director of Operations and Compliance at a charter school opening in East Austin this fall. I’ve been volunteering in this capacity since last fall, but I am finally starting this job for real. It feels great! I’ll work five hours a day, four days a week and then devote the fifth day to getting Magnolia Montessori For All up and running. Good times!

Let’s see how I did this month:

• Complete the Vision and Business Plan for Magnolia Montessori For All: No, I have not completed these, but I did take good steps in the right direction.
• Pull together a Montessori design team to help revise the charter application: Same answer as above.
• Present at a Texas Montessori conference: Wow, was that seriously this month? Craziness! It feels so long ago!
• Get business cards designed and printed: Yes!
• Finish our taxes: Yes!
• Change our address for everything (including license): Yes!
• Completely finish unpacking the house: Oops, no.
• Run at least four times a week: Got better but not consistent.

Okay, that felt pretty dismal. There’s no need to feel bad about it, but I do need to stay focused on why I’m not achieving my goals and what I can do about it. It’s important for me to trust that I can set out to do something and then actually accomplish it. It’s such an empowering feeling.
I also want to take a second to acknowledge all the things I accomplished that I didn’t set out to do:

• Attended a training about how to start a charter school.
• Toured a Montessori school for Henry and attended a parenting education class.
• Met with friends for various lunches and dinners.
• Brought a friend a meal to celebrate her new baby.
• Had 15 meetings.

So, April, what do you have in store for me (let me go back to my yearly goals to see what I want to accomplish)?

• Read Good to Great as my professional development book this month
• Work on the book I’m writing with Kylie about cooking with children in a Montessori way.
• Work on charter school application.
• Participate in Austin Earth Day event.
• Design marketing materials for Magnolia Montessori For All.
• Submit Form 1023 to become a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
• Read either Every Last Cuckoo or Charms for the Easy Life. I need to start reading fiction again!
• Organize the garage.

All right. Off I go!
What are your intentions this month?