This is the outfit I was wearing on that fateful day.

(dress, sweater, & wedges: Old Navy, necklace: Forever 21)

We’re all friends here, right?

So I can share about poop and no one will completely die? Because I’m going to. Turn away now if this is something you can’t handle. I shared some dressy pictures today and that can be enough for some of you. I promise, it’s going to get weird so it’s best you just go now.

Okay, good, it’s only the weirdos left. My kind of people, really. Today I’m going to share a gross story and some people won’t be able to handle it.

First up: teachers don’t get paid enough money. You’ve heard people say that before, right? We have to be parents, counselors, disciplinarians, nurses, mentors, coaches, entertainers, secretaries, receptionists, as well as a bunch of other jobs I didn’t learn about in college. Oh, and teach. I have to teach, too.

Because I chose to teach, I’ve lost range of motion in my right thumb from breaking up a fight. I sleep-yell at my husband about being in the wrong seat and not taking his test correctly in the middle of the night. But the worst thing that I’ve ever experienced was a few weeks ago during my lunch break. As I was exiting the bathroom, one of my students busted through the door with her hand over her mouth, throwing up. I immediately got hit with throw up and as I was trying to hold the door for her to come in (and screaming “get to the toilet!“), she rushed past me with what I thought was throw up coming out the back of her shorts.

Oh, you see where this is going?

Because I didn’t.

I was so shocked at getting throw up on me that my mind didn’t register that what was coming out of her pants and sliding down her legs AND SPLASHING ON ME wasn’t throw up. It wasn’t until I had left the bathroom and was trying to tell the nurse what happened that my brain caught up with the images and I realized she was shitting her pants and I had shit on me and I was going to die.

Teachers don’t get paid enough.

And have a great Friday.

I’m starting my fourth week of school today. It’s no longer back-to-school time for me, it’s just the plain ole school year.

The thrill of new school supplies and new outfits is gone. My students are showing more of themselves and less of the pretend-to-be-good first weeks. I’m finally getting used to the 5:15 AM alarm clock (just kidding, that’s never going to happen).

It was very fall-like for a few weeks here and I got all cozy thinking about hot chocolate and bonfires, scarves and boots. But this week is supposed to be hot and sunny and I’m ready for that again too.

My goal for the week is to be at the pool by 3:15 at least one day after school. Just me, a book, and a few cute pool boys.

I’m penciling it in right now…

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P.S. That necklace above? It gave off a quiet clanging sound every time I walked. Sort of like a cow bell. Not sure how often I’ll be wearing that one. It kind of messed with my head all day.

I found my mojo last week.

Of course, it happened to be in the middle of the first week back to school and new students and papers to grade and tons of copies to make.

All summer my desire to read devour books has been gone. I read during summer break, don’t get me wrong, but I normally consume books over my two-month break. But this summer I couldn’t get into anything. I didn’t stay up all night reading or sit on the floor next to my kids and “pretend” to play with them while really focusing on my book. I didn’t spend any time sitting by the pool with my next-favorite book.

It kind of bummed me out.

I love to get wrapped up in a book. I love the consuming nature of a good book that I can’t put down. I thrive on that shit.

And then it happened, out of no where, I couldn’t stop reading.

So now I’m in the middle of busy August where there’s too much to do and not enough time and I’m staying up until 1:30 AM reading books, completely ignoring the fact that soon (5:10 AM, to be exact) my alarm will sound and I’ll have to be up teaching and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.

And all I want to do is read.

Seriously, has no one created a job yet where I can just stay in bed all day and read? That’s dumb. Someone get on that. Now.

And now a real life moment: This is what all my pictures look like before I edit them. Mom life at it’s best. Also, can everyone just LEAVE ME ALONE FOR A MINUTE??!

This is it.

My last day of summer break.

What I did: attended weddings like it was my job. Well, one of them kind of was and it was exhausting and fun at the same time. Lost ten pounds. Started calling myself a runner. Finished redoing Elliott’s room. Mowed the grass once. Lots of sun and swimming. Read good books. A little bit of laundry. Laughed a lot. Avoided blogging. Washed my hair approximately seven times. Camped.

What I didn’t do: potty train Harper. Redo Harper’s room. Clean my house. Take many naps. Write letters. Lose 20 pounds. Sleep in. Find a new job. Pay off one of my student loans. Visit my grandparents. Plant things. Grow pretty flowers. Stop procrastinating. Write the next great American novel. Sleep.

Until next year, summer.