let’s talk about sleep

Sleep has been a real bitch lately. 

Really. I have been trying damn near everything… chamomile tea, melatonin, no cell/iPad/Netflix at least an hour before I’m ready for bed, you name it. It isn’t working! If I fall asleep, I can’t stay asleep. If I can’t sleep, I’m dead tired all day and I force myself to make it till at least 9 to go to bed… where I fall asleep, but can’t stay asleep. It’s a vicious cycle.

This little lady LOVES her sleep.

Bedtime is hands down my favorite time of the day (aside from mealtimes). I love getting into my bed and snuggling in to read my book and drink my tea. Of course Cat comes in and we cuddle like no other. When Boyfriend goes to bed too, well that just makes it even better. I love to cuddle! I cuddle my friends, my family, my students, my coworkers…. okay maybe not my coworkers, but they all know I am basically a professional cuddler. I’m the go-to girl in my classroom to calm my kids or help them go to sleep. I have one student in particular who likes to nest when he’s getting tired. He’ll come right to me with a blanket wanting to snuggle up and fall asleep. He sleeps with his mom every night, so it makes sense that this is how he likes to fall asleep. Of course, his poor brain doesn’t always let him sleep so he tends to get a little ouchy when he’s tired and can’t go to sleep. I think Boyfriend (and everyone around me) is glad that when I am tired, I don’t bite or pinch. 

I found this on Meg Biram‘s blog:

Totally check out the link for reals. She goes into detail with each “step” and I’m actually kind of excited about it! Of course, because I am a piece of shit and it’s (almost) the weekend and Boyfriend and I are going for late-night happy hour when he gets home from work in an hour… 

I’ll start on Monday. 

 

my very own personal book challenge

So it’s one in the morning and I seriously can’t sleep. Le sigh. So I decided to make a list! I inherited this very useful habit from Mama, as she is a pro as far as list-making goes. I tend to do this when I am very stressed or anxious, as well as re-alphabetize my books and movies.

I’m cool like that.

So I sat in front of my main bookcase and wrote down the books that I have either half-read or haven’t read yet. I have challenged myself to read the 40 (!) books on my list in a year’s time. I have some pretty hefty guys on my list so if I don’t finish in EXACTLY a year, I’m not going to cry about it.

Here’s my listy-list: 

1. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (currently reading)
2. Little Bee by Chris Cleave*
3. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
4. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
5. The Count of Montecristo by Alexandre Dumas
6. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards*
7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan S. Foer
8. Marley and Me by John Grogan*
9. Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
10. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
11. Nigger by Randall Kennedy
12. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
13. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer*
14. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
15. Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
16. The Giver by Lois Lowry (reread)
17. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
18. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
19. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel G. Marquez*
20. Atonement by Ian McEwan*
21. Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig
22. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
23. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien
24. Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne
25. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
26. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling*
27. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
28. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
29. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
30. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks*
31. Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence
32. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe*
33. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
34. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
35. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
36. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
37. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
38. Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells
39. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
40. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff*

*= the books I have started but haven’t finished… 

Now that it is nearing two o’clock, I’m going attempt to sleep. Guess who gets a nap tomorrow? Already can’t wait. Woof.

how was your day?

What a fucking FROSTBITEY day… Mother-of-PEARL! it was cold! But like I said last night, staff are expected to report. What did I do?

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

I woke up and made pancakes for Boyfriend and myself.
I did some motherlovin’ yoga.
I read some of my book (currently reading: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie).
I had a great hair day.
I brought Dog with me!

He was so happy to meet all the new people. I put some fresh extra crunchy peanut butter in his bone and off to school we went! We almost froze to death on the walk from my car to the door, but luckily we made it. He had a good day and so did I. I left early for my “appointment” and took a fantastic nap with the sun shining in our room and everything. Just beautiful.

We’re getting another cold day tomorrow and staff are expected to report again. So glad it’s my week to park in the Underground. So nice and warm. I’m bringing Dog again but we are leaving so early.

hell.

I may just sleep in tomorrow. fuck it.

Let You Go.

Love.

Matilda Ann; all that i am.

This is my very first song that I have completed: notes, chords, tempo & lyrics. It needs a lot of work, but is one hundred percent mine. I have been working really hard to learn the guitar and has been a great outlet for life moments right now.

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you guys! we made a pizza!

Boyfriend and I made the most delicious homemade pizza. Like holy shit.

Let me tantalize you:
• garlic & herb crust (Trader Joe’s)
• pizza sauce
• caramelized onions
• fresh mushrooms
• BBQ meatballs (my side)
• rosemary chicken (my side)
• Italian sausage (Boyfriend’s)
• fresh mozz
• lots of cheese

Meanwhile…

All of this damn Arctic-esque weather has led to days off of work, which I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of, and tomorrow is one more of those days (we’ve had 3 thus far). The district has decided that student programming is canceled but staff are to report.

The fuck?!

I plan on showing up in yoga pants, sans boob jail. Oh, and I’m leaving early. I have an “appointment” aka nap time. That’s right… Nap time: one of the most important parts of the day.

WHAT.

breakfast with matilda

What did I have for breakfast? I had an Irish coffee and split a plate of sub-par nachos with my dearest friend “Matilda” at the most random bar ever: Bamboo Betty’s in Lexington. My time with her today was very productive, as I am finally writing my blog! It feels sooooooo good to feel inspired and motivated.

Like seriously.

What is it about Whole Foods that just makes me feel like such a good person? Every time I walk in, I just feel happy and healthy- even after bar nachos. I’ve been trying this whole gluten-free thing lately, to see if it will help with my issues. Gotta admit… I sure feel good after a gluten-free day (breakfast, lunch, & after school snack) and Boyfriend is surprisingly supportive, willing to try anything if I want to make a gluten-free dinner. I made chicken alfredo with brown rice pasta and he loved it!

But for reals.

My brain is teeming with so many ideas for what I can do with this thing:

             1.)  Library advocacy!

             2.)  Reading/book stuffs!

             3.)  CATS!

             4.)  Whatever the fuck I want!

                                                                   It’s gonna be awesome.  MEOW.