Yes, I want cake.

Another fabulous day of eating for this teacher!

I have been coming home for lunch a lot more than usual because I can’t seem to get organized enough to pack a lunch lately. I only have about 20 minutes, but today I made the best, BEST salad:

I actually just got excited again while looking at this picture. In this bowl was

• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 corn off the cob
• Handful of garbanzo beans
• Handful of wheatberries
• 1 Boca burger
• ½ avocado
• 1 shredded carrot
• Salt and pepper
• 1 scoop of roasted red pepper hummus.

So yums. So, so, so yums. I was heartbroken when I was halfway finished with it – I wanted it to last forever! When it was over, I ate the other half of the avocado with some salt

A perfect “dessert” before I rushed had to drag myself back to school. This has been the longest week! I felt like a little kid – I don’t wanna go back to school!

However, the rest of the afternoon was “Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy” as I tell the kiddos. We had a few more academic things and then I took them for a nice, long, Friday afternoon recess. The newest “recess craze” at my school is catching grasshoppers. I think my class caught over 100 today and I actually had to make them turn out their pockets before we went back inside to make sure none of the little critters made it back into the classroom. But I love that they love that. It brings me back to when I did the same thing in my elementary school days.

Then, as if the Friday recess/sunshine/grasshopper party didn’t make me smile enough – I found this on my desk upon returning from recess:

Two radiant flowers, a love note, and a fabulous looking cupcake. Again…gotta love the perks.

Isn’t this homemade cupcake so cheery?!

My policy on cupcakes is to take 1 bite and throw the rest it in the trash can. This one wasn’t even from a birthday in my class, but rather a former student. If I ate every cupcake/cookie that crossed my path, I am estimating about 50/year. That is on top of the sweets that I already eat (which is no small number). That could really take its toll on my waistline. So, I have one bite and toss the rest. It’s a strategy that works for me. This one was homemade through and through and so moist and delicious. The frosting was out-of-this-world. The perfect bite.

THEN…my day got even BETTER. I went to my “after school job” of answering phones and found this little baby waiting for me:

Mrs. Unger – Have a pleasant long weekend! Enjoy! xoxo

A gift card to the ONE and ONLY Sprouts.

Seriously?! This was from a mom – Jen, who reads my blog and knows my obsession with this store. She is also the mom who sent in the bouquet. My eyes welled up with tears (along with a smile on my face) because it was such a thoughtful gift. Jen – you are incredible. Thank you so much for your kind heart.

Could my day get any better? Yes.

My sweet husband surprised me with something that I was longing for while on the last hour of my “shift” –

A pumpkin spice latte to ease the grading pains I was feeling in the 5:00 hour. He sat with me for a while, and we chatted about the day and shared the drink and then he left me alone to do the rest of my grading/planning for next week. What a guy.

When I got home about an hour later, I wasn’t hungry, so I changed into my PJs and laid on the couch until I felt like dinner; which was simple and perfect.

Plain yogurt (it’s underneath), a kiwi and some pumpkin flax granola.

Sorry (for the second time this week) for the blur. I merely wanted to prove that the yogurt was there.

And a pita that I toasted under the broiler with a little butter.

I took this picture while peaking into the hot oven. So tasty. I love pitas. There is something more satisfying about them than just “bread”

My belly is pretty full and happy, but my heart is officially full from all the unexpected kindness of today. Thank you to everyone who put a smile on my face today!!