Things Keeping Us Going: Blowing Deadlines Edition

Ever have that feeling that you can’t shake that you forgot something? Ever wake up in the middle of the night realizing that for the second week in a row you completely forgot to write your weekly Things Keeping Us Going post?

I have no excuses to make. I have reminder notices, a publishing calendar, and a co-editor/sisterfriend who works with me to keep track of all of this stuff. I just blew it. Twice. I have no idea why.

Except maybe I do.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, I officially achieved “fully vaccinated” status, which is awesome. It has been hard, though, to come to terms with the realization that it isn’t the end of all this. It isn’t the finish line. I knew that getting vaccinated wasn’t going to solve all the things. I did not expect it to be so tough to take.

I’m exhausted to my very soul. Aren’t you?

So, here is what I have to offer today. During these same two weeks that I failed to keep up with this post, my students and I watched six caterpillars grow fat, build chrysalises, and then burst forth as painted lady butterflies. We set them free yesterday.

6 tiny caterpillars

6 fat caterpillars

They formed their chrysalises.

The first of the butterflies emerge!

Releasing the butterflies.