Just What I Needed...

On Wednesday, I became overwhelmed.

Midquarter reports were due, and my stack of papers seemed to be growing exponentially.  I had done less than half of my homework that is due on Saturday, my house was a mess, my laundry was not done, my car was dirty, and my dog had been neglected.

I.  Was.  A.  Mess.

I don't experience stress very often, so when it comes, I don't know how to handle it well.

So, what did I do?

I went to a student's basketball game and then went to Never Say Never 3D:  The Justin Bieber movie.

Normally, a little Bieber will cure my woes, and although the movie was phenomenal, I left still feeling overwhelmed with all in my life that was left undone.  So, I called up my friend Jeremy to see if he would sub for me on Thursday.  Luckily, he was free to do so.

I took the day off to go to school and get caught up on my work.

I showed up at my normal time wearing sweatpants and my favorite comfortable t-shirt.  My plan was to get my room ready for the sub without the kids seeing me, but I didn't escape in enough time.  The kids were way confused to see me in sweats and no make-up.

"Are you sick?" they asked?

"No," I replied, "I just need a 'me' day."

Bless their hearts, they didn't even ask any follow-up questions.

And, oh, man, what a productive day it was!  

• I stayed at school and worked for three hours on grading.
• I went home to let my puppy out and put the dishes away.
• I took a 30-minute nap.
• I took Harper for a walk.
• I went to lunch at Noodles and Company with Ashley.  Hooray for Wisconsin Mac & Cheese!
• I cleaned the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, and my bedroom.
• I cleaned up all of Harper's toys.  And the potty stains that have ruined my carpet.
• I did laundry.
• I finished my homework for my grad class.
• I took Harper to the vet to get her second round of shots.
• I washed my car.
• I went to dinner at Lazlo's (yum!)
• I spent the evening hanging out with friends.
• I came home and graded some more.

On top of all of that, it reached 71 degrees today, which is almost unheard of in February in these parts.  It.  Was.  Beautiful!

After yesterday, I feel like a whole new person!  I felt really good going to bed feeling like I was a giant step closer to being caught up on life.

Also, my family is coming to visit this weekend!  My brother is coming tonight to spend the night, and he even offered to watch Harper while I'm in class tomorrow.  My parents will be here tomorrow so we can hang out after class is over.

Cleaning, grading, eating out, catching up, and a visit from family... just what I needed!