I'm back. It's been a couple months, but not nearly as long as last time. I should be lesson planning right now, but instead I'm brimming with anxiety about the week ahead. I've taken on some leadership roles this year at work, so I'm wearing several professional hats.

My Hats:

• Teacher
• Mentor
• Tutor
• Science Teacher Leader (museum partnership)
• Safety Committee chair

There are probably other things I'm just not thinking of at the moment, but oh well. I should be most concerned about the science thing, but the negative feelings seem to be more Sunday based rather than centered on that. I think my "Sunday Scaries" are also exasperated by the fact that R and I have been travelling for the last two weekends. There are so many things I "need to get done" but really, I want to read, go rollerblading, and put D the dragon on the leash I bought for him. My house is a mess and I usually feel calmer with my space in order. That will be on the list for tomorrow. 

Books I was reading:

• The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn (Book Club choice)
• This was actually really cool. I'd recommend reading it--it really sucked me in and I wasn't able to predict a lot of it, which was refreshing.
• The Empty Mirror - Janwillem van de Wetering (Cousin B's recommendation)
• Not the most interesting thing on Earth, but it helped me chill out and care a little bit less (don't worry so much!). Actually, maybe I should skim those points again, given what I was writing about today.
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson (R's recommendation)
• This was wonderful. It was like Mark was reading my mind, describing my illogical guilt spirals, fear of not leaving a lasting impression on the world, wanting to feel special...it's okay to be a normal person and I think I need to get chapter summaries printed on posters to hang around my house or something. I want to recommend this book to everyone I know, so no wonder 

Books I'm reading now:

• The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt (A.B. recommendation)
• So far really sad, but is holding my interest. The main character seemed to start as an adult and jump back to childhood, so I'm waiting for a return to the present (sort of a mystery why he is where he is/what he is doing).
• I should start reading my next book club book (Little Fires Everywhere) and I brought a whole bag of books back from Mom and Dad's, so there's that. I also have a book from mom and a book from dad (mindfulness for teachers and something about preschoolers) which I've been pushing to the back burner for far too long.

I should write about my inventions here, as well. I'll have to remember my most recent one: face cream. 

Alright. Back to the plans. Checking things off my to-do list makes me feel better, anyway. I need a bedtime routine.

A Triumphant Return

It's been quite some time since I last logged in--6 years, actually. I'd like to think that I'm wiser and calmer now, but I think I'm mainly the same. Older me is basically younger me on a time delay--I can take a second to censor something or decide it might not be the best idea.

My truths:

• FOMO is still a real thing that I'm working on.
• I am a real teacher, and just finished my 5th year
• It's summer, so I can do whatever I want. I plan to document that here, along with my project Instagram page
• I own a (bearded) dragon
• I live with R in Chicago

Currently reading: 

• The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn (Book Club choice)
• The Empty Mirror - Janwillem van de Wetering (Cousin B's recommendation)
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson (R's recommendation)

I have a couple projects up in the air, so I'll post about them separately. I'd like to say that this blog (and my life) have one specific purpose, but that still isn't the case. Buckle up, and welcome to my inner monologue.