Rearranging

Home:

Meredith came over yesterday and we rearranged my bedroom. I LOVE it! Thanks, Mere, for all your help. Joel and I are for real looking forward to our summer together. I hope we get to travel. I know this isn't in the realm of possibility this year, but I dream about going to Spain.

School:

I looked at the master calendar today at school and realized that the EOGs are about 2.5 weeks away! That is ridiculous. Summer is so close I can taste it.

Anyway, as the weather is getting warmer, my students are getting...fussier. There's no other way to describe it. They just fuss at each other all day. And I have very little patience for it.

Today, when a student left my room to bang his head on the wall, I almost cried. Thankfully, the BED teacher was there to talk me into some semblance of calm.

I do love the content I'm teaching: fractions, fact/opinion, historical leaders. So that's a plus.

I have this desire to rearrange my classroom again, but with the end so close, I don't think it's a good idea.

Weight Watchers:
Has been a struggle this week. Last week, I gained a pound after having worked my butt off. I know there are lots of reasons why that happened, but this week I haven't been as motivated. I've also been EXHAUSTED today, so working out hasn't been my priority. I hope I can pull it together this week. I really want to meet my goal by the end of the school year. So far, it's not looking so good.

Seems like I gotta rearrange some priorities here.

Please please please pray

I can't go into details but please pray for a student in my classroom who is having lots of difficulty in life. The situation has worsened. Pray for safety and for me to be a loving and also a firm teacher.

Sorry for the vagueness.

Ugh...so many things are going on in my head! Thank you for your prayers.

Words words words

Today a couple of teachers jokingly said they didn't know whether I was pregnant or not because I have a tummy. It hurt my feeling so much, although I didn't let them know. I was having a not-so-cute day anyway (horrible hair, yucky outfit, bad makeup...the works) and that was just icing on the cake. I've thought about it ALL day and I know that it's so silly that it affected me that much...it's just I've been working hard for a few weeks now. I was hoping the comments I'd get about my weight would be how it was DECREASING. Oh well...

I've exercised everyday for a week. I'm really proud of myself. I've been eating good foods and counting everything. It's such a big help to have friends that are doing it too. It makes me really excited for all of us to be healthy together!


This week at school has been really low-key. In my effort to not be a sluggard, I stayed behind today and filed away a ton of papers. I even asked my students to hold me accountable. I said that if my table wasn't clean by tomorrow morning, I'd buy them candy. They were excited, but I cleaned it! I guess I'll buy them candy anyway :)


I really want to reorganize my classroom. Things that are on my wish list:
-magazine files
-plastic drawers
-file folders
-letter organizers

If you have any extra that you'd like to donate...you know where to find me!


I'm also asking for prayers for my job next year. Without going into details, there are lots of cuts going around the county. My principal is working hard to save my job but I have no idea what's in store. I'm trusting the Lord with whatever He has planned, but I also want to be proactive and a "steady plodder" during this time of uncertainty. I know He will provide for our needs, and I want us to be good stewards. Thanks friends!

A good day!

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Today was a great day!

My "difficult" student was an ANGEL today. I got to make lots of good connections with my other kids, including spending 10 minutes at the end of the day "modeling" for some girls that are learning how to draw portraits. It was hilarious.

I am starting to teach fractions which I really love to teach, I think.

I found my Patty Loveless CD and got to sing "Shady Grove" at the top of my lungs on the way home.

Praise the Lord for this!

This verse has been resonating with me today:

Proverbs 13:4

⁴ The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

At small group last night, we discussed being "the sluggard" and "the ant." I feel like an ant in some areas, but a sluggard in others.

'Scuse me. "Lose Yourself" just came on our random playlist. Joel and I need to jam out.

Mkay. Done. As I was saying, it's hard to find that balance between working hard and not overworking and making relationships a priority but not falling short on my responsibilities. And with that, I have a tendency to be discontent with my sluggard-ness and not do anything about it. So I came home and clean the house right away. I am now satisfied there.

Someone needs to ask me on Friday if I have filled out my profile cards, please.

Thank you.

New favorite

Flat out wraps. 1 point for each one!
Last night I wanted to make a pizza, but all the dough at the grocery store was way too many points. I used Flat Out Wraps to made a flatbread pizza with mushrooms, green peppers, and roma tomatoes. I used a fancy and yummy pizza sauce that was 0 points. My grand total for each pizza was 5 points, 4 of those being the cheese I used. I served it with salad and the whole meal was 6 points and very filling.
It also made me happy because it was vegetarian, and I don't make the best vegetarian meals!

Today I'm excited about the new lawn furniture I bought last night!

Wow, you look about a pound thinner.

When I told my brother I had lost 1.2 pounds last week, he joked with me all afternoon that I looked about a pound thinner. But now I can say that I've lost about 4 pounds!

I feel like I've been talking about WW all week, but it's been a very positive change in my life. I feel really motivated, and that I'm finally in control of my health and trying to lose weight in a healthy way. I've been really good about being active and staying within my daily points, but I also have been using my flex points to splurge a little. Yesterday I had the first piece of chocolate I'd had in 10 days! A sweet girl in my class gave me a piece of Ghiradelli chocolate, so I couldn't resist. Considering normally I ate 3-4 pieces of chocolate a day, I never thought I'd be able to give it up!


This first week back has gone pretty well. I've actually laughed a lot more with my kids, especially today. It's been nice to let loose a little more.


This weekend I'm looking forward to:
-buying some lawn furniture and plants
-going to the Red and White game
-grilling out with friends
-earning lots of activity points at the gym with Christie!

This has made me cry twice today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

First day back

Last night I woke up at 1am, thinking it was 6am and time to get up. Joel is on spring break, so he was staying up late. But in my sleepy stupor, I thought he had slept in the living room! I stumbled down the hall, and I don't really remember what I said, but Joel said I was very confused about the fact that it wasn't wake-up time.

The morning started off rough. My kids had forgotten a lot of our procedures. One very difficult student definitely didn't want to start off 4th quarter on the right foot. I got observed by my principal (which was actually ok...)

But now that the first day is over, I don't feel so anxious. I have a college student coming to tutor some kids this week (yay extra help!!). I had lunch with some of my students. At the end of the day, two girls brought me little bouquets of flowers they had gathered at recess. One boy brought me macadamia brittle from Costa Rica! I started tutoring a new girl today who is a sweet as sugar.

I am ready for the day when I don't feel like throwing up when I go back to work on Monday. It's more the anxiety about what this one student will do and how I will handle it. It's that unpredictable behavior that throws me off.

Oh well. There were high points and low points, but all in all it wasn't so bad.

I am loving Weight Watchers. I know I'm only supposed to weigh myself once a week but it's hard to resist! I am going to the gym now with Christie-such an encouragement to not do this alone! AND I have 5 points left for the day. Helloooo pineapple cake :)

PS: My new favorite "WW" foods are: frozen grapes (0 points), turkey burgers (4 points!), roasted veggies (most are 0-2!) and angel food cake, strawberries, and fat-free cool whip (2 points!)

20 pounds from my goal!

It's been a while...I know.

Last weekend some friends and I went to the beach to visit Laura and Grace Elizabeth. It was such a refreshing girls' weekend...the weather was amazing and we were so relaxed.

I have a couple of friends on Weight Watchers, and we talked about it a lot over the weekend. They totally inspired me to join! I have been struggling for years with an extra 10-15 pounds. I felt really good before the wedding, but I still didn't feel super healthy. Since then, I've gained a little weight and I'm just sick of it.

It's been pretty good this week. I've been on Spring Break for most of the week, so I've been able to cook a little more. Even with Easter lunch today, I've been tracking all my points. It's hard to write it all down, but I don't feel like I'm dieting. I just feel like I'm not getting seconds, making some better choices, and keeping better tabs on what I eat. This week, I've lost 1.2 pounds!

Tomorrow is a teacher workday and I have 9 more weeks of school before SUMMER! Too bad spring fever has already started-it's gorgeous outside!

The third kid???

So this morning a boy in my class told me that today was his last day. His parents are divorced, and he let me know that he was moving in with his dad for good.

I was so sad all day because this is the THIRD kid that has moved away this year. I just got really attached to this kid.

I was extremely concerned because the divorce was messy, and I know he loves our school. I was especially worried because I had just seen his mom yesterday and she hadn't said a thing. I pulled him aside and asked him when he found out. He said that his mom had told him this morning and that it was a surprise. I wasn't sure he had gotten all the details, and the first kid in my class that said it was his last day ended up staying 4 more weeks.


Today was Career Day, so my class was in presentations all day long. They were really bored, and after lunch, they were bonkers. We third grade teachers weren't exactly thrilled with our students by the end of the day. It got to be ridiculous how much they were talking and how embarrassing it got.

We got back to the classroom at the end of the day, and I had to lecture my class about how disappointed I was. I had them read quietly for a while.

I was quiet for a while, and then before the bell rang, I announced, "Today is apparently Chris' last day. We're really going to miss him so..." The kids were really surprised...and then Chris yelled out:


"APRIL FOOLS!"

Honestly, he got me good. I had to laugh. I was so impressed that he had kept it up the WHOLE DAY, even when I ask him really teachery-concerned questions about his home right now.


I got suckered!