The week everything happened at once.
Last day of school, a period that had no chill, a hair saga with actual casualties, a surprise puppy, and a scale that mostly stayed put. Here’s the full breakdown.
185.8
That’s where we landed. And honestly, given everything this week threw at me, the fact that the number barely moved feels like a win I didn’t earn but I’ll absolutely take.
We started Monday at 187.4. Heavy period day, fully bleeding, scale doing exactly what scales do when your body is in the middle of something. I wasn’t panicking because I knew what it was. By Friday we were back at 185.8. Same place we were last Saturday. Up and back down, right on schedule.
That’s not a bad week. That’s just a body doing its thing.
Watch here:
The Period Week Nobody Warns You About
Monday was 187.4, heavy bleeding, cortisol through the roof, and the last chaotic week of school all at the same time. I want to sit here for a second because I know a lot of us see that number and immediately go to the worst place.
I didn’t. And here’s why.
I knew my period was coming. I knew the week was going to be a lot. My body was holding onto everything it could while managing something big. The 187 was not about food. It was not about failure. It was just biology doing what it does.
By Wednesday it dropped to 186. By Friday, 185.8. If I had spent Monday spiraling I would have wasted real energy on something that was never actually the problem.
If you are in a period week and your scale is up right now, just wait. Your body is working. It will come back down. It almost always does.
The Last Day of School
I have been pretty open about my teaching burnout. But I want to be clear about something I don’t say enough.
The burnout is not about the kids.
This group of sixth graders was genuinely one of the best I’ve had in 12 years. Good parents, great community, kids who actually showed up. I am going to miss them more than I expected. The burnout lives somewhere else entirely, in everything that surrounds teaching that has nothing to do with being in the room with kids who make it worth it.
Thursday was the last day. Half day. I cried. Jude broke my glasses the night before which is a whole thing I’m not getting into. And I walked out of that building feeling something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Relief. Real relief. And I think my body is going to feel it too.
The Hair Saga (There Were Casualties)
Okay so.
I took the weft extensions out because the beads were uncomfortable. My texture aversion is real and the feeling of them against my scalp was just too much. Then I tried to put them back in. Then I tried cutting them while they were still in my hair. Then I accidentally cut some of my actual hair in the process.
Then I went and got a professional haircut and hated it. Then I came home and cut it myself while Jason was at Walgreens.
And honestly? It’s better now. Not perfect. But better. The awkward in between length is genuinely my nemesis. I love it super short or I love it long and this middle phase has always made me want to lose my mind. Tape ins are probably the real answer when I can afford them. The beads were never going to work for me.
The saga continues but we are surviving.
We’re Getting a Puppy
I almost didn’t say this out loud because I was scared to jinx it.
One of my coworkers had a litter of mini Aussies at school on the last day. Jason happened to be there helping me move out. I made him hold one on purpose. It worked exactly as planned.
Her name is Isabel. We’re calling her Izzy. She’s eight weeks old and we get her June 5th, as long as everything goes according to plan. Fifteen hundred dollars that we absolutely cannot afford right now but there is no real price on a puppy and I refuse to feel bad about it.
She is going to be in the vlogs and I cannot wait to introduce her to you. More walking, more movement, something to look forward to every single morning. My cortisol is not ready for what’s coming.
What I’m Thinking About This Summer
I want to actually learn how to cook chicken in a way I like it. I know that sounds small but if you have been watching for a while you know I eat like a picky eight year old with texture issues and zero apologies. I am not forcing chia seeds. I am not pretending I like steak. But I want to find a few simple whole food meals I can actually repeat when school starts back up without dreading them.
Drop your ideas in the comments. Be honest if I tell you I might not like yours. I’ll try. I just can’t promise anything.
Coming in June
I’m doing a daily food awareness thread in the Substack community for the entire month of June. Every day I’ll post what I ate and everyone can add theirs. Not obsessive tracking, not measuring every gram. Just paying attention together and getting ideas from each other.
We also do a Sunday weigh-in thread in the community every single week, which honestly has become one of my favorite parts of this whole thing. There is something about posting your number alongside other women who are in the exact same place that makes it feel so much less heavy.
If you want to be part of June, you’d need to be in there before it starts. It’s $3 a month. That’s it. Link is below and I would genuinely love to see you in there.
The Number Doesn’t Always Move. Sometimes That’s the Point.
185.8 on the last day of school. Same as the Saturday before. A week that included a heavy period, a hair incident with scissors involved, a surprise puppy, twelve years of teaching wrapped up in a half day, and cortisol levels that should be illegal.
The scale held. That is not nothing.
Summer starts now. Cortisol drops, Izzy arrives, and we keep going.
xo Nyk
The June food thread starts soon and the Sunday weigh-in is already waiting for you. $3 a month over on Substack. Come find us.
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Congrats on making it through another school year. This one was tough, I had a huge case load. Picked up preschool they are so cute but nothing like running around trying to provide services to 3 and 4 year olds. Love my kids, not a fan of politics! I will miss my 4th graders moving to another resource teacher as I have had many of them for 5 years. So glad to see them grow and move on to new challenges. Have a great summer.