–Done a lot of work for grad school (ick, but necessary)
–Visited my family (a mixed bag for various reasons)
–Spent a lot of time in the pool
–Discovered the Spin Bike and have fallen in love
–Rediscovered how awesome Summer Vacation is by babysitting my two favorite kids for this entire week (adventures included the local county fair, a water park, and the Baltimore Aquarium)
–Continued to be completely awesome.

I am so excited for the school year to start back up!!!!! I can’t wait to meet all the awesome new kids I’ll have this year

Two thoughts:

1) The hats? Seriously? SERIOUSLY??

2) Oh Harry. Never, ever change.

Conversation with a few of my students, trying to figure out which sweet to purchase:
Me: Ok, so what’s good here? I really like chocolate.
Girl: Oh, Ms. S! You have to try my double fudge brownies!
Me: Oh yeah, they look pretty good. What makes them so special?
Girl: This time I remembered to put eggs in them.

I didn’t even try to hold in the laughter. And she laughed right along with me.

Sometimes, 8th graders are really hilarious.

This prayer for her daughter is spot on, too. I’m preeeeeetty sure that my mom has had these thoughts at least once while raising me and my sister.

From Bossypants by Tina Fey

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Sometimes, I feel bad about disliking him so much.

No, it is not for me.

It’s pretty. I really like it.