Hello Tough Thursday.  I am so glad we made it through the day.

I have been beating myself up all day.  And I’m pretty exhausted.

I was in slow-mo mode today.  I got up a bit earlier than usual — but because I’m not good at judging time, we didn’t leave any earlier than usual.  The mad rush out the door this morning to make it to the donut shop and school on time left me feeling uneasy.

Then some unpleasant actions and words that were exchanged in the car.  And then at school.  And then I find out that my sisters got into the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco.  (Earlier this month, I told my sisters to sign up for the race — thought it would be a nice thing to do together.  Somehow, between telling them and now, I dropped the ball and forgot to register.  They found out this morning that they have been accepted (the whole registration thing is part of a huge lottery process so getting in is a really big deal) and me — well I didn’t even sign up!)

Today was one of those days where I just went through the motions — not really putting my heart into anything (except for playing with Samuel).  I did what I needed to do at school — which was to give the CST and follow simple instructions.  I keep my cool but my heart ached.  Definitely an uneasy feeling that made me tired and nonproductive.

This project + my camera helped me move through the day.  The whole process of setting up self-timer shots gave me focus and kept me calm.  Several laughed at my attempts but I just shrugged it off and moved on.  Surprisingly, my students are fascinated by this process and a couple are thinking about documenting their life next week.

Here’s a look at life on this tough Thursday …

Morning.  I am not quite ready to greet Thursday yet.

Stretching + eating breakfast.

Getting ready.  Liking my new do.  A little change makes a big difference.

Studying his new ride.

Helping with breakfast.  Exploring the coldness of the freezer.

Hello coffee.

Goodbyes are hard.  (This photo is blurry but I love it.  It shows how Samuel has been feeling lately when we say goodbye.)

Carrying too much in this morning.

Testing today.  Complete and utter silence throughout the campus.

Fighting an eye infection.

Getting ready for Friday.

Waiting to turn in tests.

Needing a change of scenery.  Waiting in the conference room.  Thinking and writing about the day.

Napping.

Asking for more snacks.

Excitement … Ooooooooh, a big truck!

Waiting for dinner.  Keeping him entertained.

Dinner – hot bowl of pho.

Shopping (and playing) at Target.

Dinner-on-the-go.

Exploring outside.  We go outside at least once a day.

Beauty in my backyard.

Reading.  His second reading corner in the house — one in the bedroom and one out in our living room.

Time for milk.

A little play before bedtime.

Watching.  Fans are rad.

Bath time.

Stories with dad.  Jamberry is a new favorite.

Baking.

Laughing and giggling before bedtime.  So refreshing to hear the chuckles, laughs and giggles radiate throughout the house.

An unexpected visitor above the stove.

Wrapping up the day.