Goals

So its time to think about what goals I want to accomplish during the Ready for Summer Challenge. This will be my first challenge, so I want to make sure I'm realistic about this. :)

***All goals are subject to change***

1. Weight
In 10 weeks I'd like to lose at least 20 lbs. I dont think that is unreasonable during this journey.

2. NSV
Be down at least 1 clothing size. I also need a new bathing suit, and I'd like to get one 1-2 sizes smaller.

3. Exercise
This will be my biggest problem area. Although I might have found a motivator... My first thought was to say I'll do some sort of exercise 3X/week. I figured I'd start walking next week when my girls start softball. Since its in the next town over, I just stay for practice anyway, so instead of sitting on the bench, I'm going to go for a walk (at least during the older dd's... might wait a few times until my youngest gets comfortable...this is her first year of softball). But in addition to that, I'm thinking about doing the C25K program again. I saw on Kristy's blog about the Color Run. That looks like a ton of fun, and there's one semi-near me in mid June... so I'd have just enough time to prepare. I have a couple weeks to think about it before registration opens. The one down side is the cost to enter. Its not really all that much, but for me its a pinch, especially at the beginning of April when I have other bills due and my quarterly ones due too. :( So we'll see. Might still do the C25K and do the Race for the Cure in September.
I'd also like to do the 30 Day Shred in there too!

4. Nutrition
This is one area I finally have under control. I've been trying to stay between 1200 and 1500 calories (counting faithfully every day but Sundays), and its been working. I'm really happy where I am with this right now. I also gave up sweets for Lent, and its probably the best decision I've made. Not sure I want to say I'll give them up for the whole challenge, but I might really consider that. When I have to be accountable to someone, its easier to stick with it.

Now that I have some of these things in place, I really need to find a new pair of tennis shoes really soon. That has to be a top priority if I'm going to start walking/running.

Looking forward to getting to know more of you, and seeing some great results.

Lots of Stuff on the Mind...

Maybe thats the reason I'm not sleeping well??? I'm guessing I will sleep better tonight because I dont have to work tomorrow. We'll see...

There's been so much going on at school. I dont think I ever remember so many elementary kids being suspended in a year. It seems every week or so another kids is out for one thing or another. Add 3 more to the list today. Sixth graders this time saying and doing really awful things to their female classmates. Hopefully they'll learn something from all this, because one of the ones suspended has been giving me much grief in the last 2 weeks. Sigh...

When I have cafeteria duty, I walk around and chat with the kids. One day we got on the subject of eating fruits and vegetables. I told them I think its important, and I make my kids eat 3 spoonfuls of whatever vegetable we have for dinner, whether they like it or not. It doesn't kill them, and hopefully will make them understand the importance of a varied diet.
Anyway, this conversation was with my daughter's class (4th grade). There is a girl in her class that must weigh between 150 and 175 lbs. She said her mom never makes her eat veggies, and only fruit if she wants to. Um, yeah, I would have guessed. But I dont feel like its my place to say anything to her. I can just talk about a balanced diet and being healthy. I do it to hopefully keep my kids from having to struggle with their weight the way I have my whole life. And so far it seems to be working. Dont you think every parent would want that for their child? The mom of this girl is terribly overweight as well. So of course that would lead us to believe its their lifestyle. And she's passing that lifestyle on to her kid...who will probably pass it on to her kids someday because thats all she knows. Its sad. I know what its like to grow up fat. She's going to be ridiculed. She's not going to fit in. She's going to suffer with self esteem issues. It breaks my heart.

I know I cant save the world. (But thats my personality type) So I'm just trying to make a difference.

Tonight it was my youngest (7) who didnt want to eat her cauliflower. Sigh... She knows the consequences...no veggies, no snack. So before bed she's telling me she's SO hungry. She really wants something to eat. But she made the choice not to eat her veggies, so she chose not to get a snack. I told her to have a glass of milk, but thats all she was getting. I want her to learn to make the right choices.

Its hard. Its hard for me to lose the weight. Its hard to teach my kids to make good choices. I have to remind my oldest more than the others about choosing what, when, and how much to eat. She could end up like me faster than the others, and I just dont want that to happen.

I'm trying. I hope its enough.

Mmmmm

I try to always ask the girls what they'd like for dinner during the week when I'm planning the menu. It usually helps with the griping when they have a say in what we're eating. Well, this week B decided she wanted chicken fajitas. Doesn't seem too hard, but when you've never made them before, its hard to know what to do. I'm not all that creative in the kitchen...I'm afraid I'll ruin stuff, and thats just money down the drain. But, it couldn't be that hard, right?
I cut up the peppers and onion to saute in just a bit of oil, and told B to look up what seasonings to use. She said garlic, chili pepper and oregano. So a few shakes here and there, add the chicken (already cooked and cut into strips---bought it that way), and dinner was done. I ate mine on a low carb wrap with a Tbsp of sour cream. The girls also had shredded cheese with theirs. Oh my... what a great low cal dinner for sure! I'll be making those again and again...I hope they dont get tired of them! ;)

In other news...still plugging away. Every bit I lose now is a new low I havent seen in I dont know how long. It feels good. And so do I with the healthy foods I've been eating. (Like blueberries---they're not my favorite on their own, but I had them with strawberries for lunch today and that was a great combination.)

But, daylight savings time is kicking my butt. I haven't felt as tired as I did this morning in quite some time. I usually get up and get in the shower (never hit snooze---really!). This morning I had to almost literally drag myself to the shower. Its been really rough.

So I am heading to bed now. A little before 9pm. Sigh...

Good Week

This was a good first week back on plan. I lost 5.8 lbs overall! I know that wont last, but it was a good start.
Sundays are hard for me. We have dinner with extended family after church. When I have it here, I can control what we have and keep track of things a little better. But when its somewhere else, its so hard to know how many calories are in things. So I just try to make good (decent) choices. I know I ate too much for one meal today, but thats the main meal I had, and I probably wont eat again. (I had a good healthy breakfast this morning.) So I'm pretty sure I'm still under calories, but there's just no way to tell.

I joined a challenge. (See icon on side) I'm a little nervous about this. Its the first one I've found before it actually starts, so its my first attempt at checking in each week with others. Yikes. ;) But it lasts for 10 weeks, and I think it will be good for me to stay accountable to get ready for summer!

I hate daylight savings time. I hate that when I get up, its dark (or still dark for a longer time). I hate that I'm putting my kids to bed when its light outside. I hate that it messes with my sleep and I have such a hard time getting back on track. (I dont have as much trouble getting back on track in the fall...that is more my natural sleep cycle) So I'm tired. I have a headache. And its going to be a long week starting out like this.

Friday Five

My weekly reflections...

1. I'm back on track. After faithfully counting calories this week, I've lost 4.6 lbs.

2. When I plan ahead, I can make good choices when eating out and stay within my calorie budget. After looking at some nutritional values from different restaurants, I decided there are some I just need to stay away from, or I'll use my entire day's worth of calories on one meal.

3. I still need to add some exercise into my days. It was really nice on Weds (70), but I had to work, then had errands after school. Of course, on Thursday when I was off, it was near 60 but pouring down rain. Sigh... I want to start the 30 day shred soon.

4. I need to figure out how to get a good night's sleep every night. Or at least more than 1 night a week. This is getting out of hand.

5. But, I'm finding even when I'm not sleeping well, eating healthy makes me feel good. I'm not dragging around, I'm clear headed, less headaches, more alert. And it feels good. So why do I have such a hard time keeping it up??? (I think its definitely helping that I've given up sweets for lent.)

Positives

Finally a post where I can say things are back on track and going well. Started faithfully counting calories again on Monday, and so far this week I'm down 4.2 lbs. I had to run to the store last night, so we grabbed Wendys for the girls. I passed, and instead got a Lean Cousine pizza to bring home to make. A much better choice.
It doesn't hurt that I've given up sweets for lent either. Our janitor brought cupcakes to school yesterday for everyone. She told me she brought them yesterday because the PE teacher and I would both be there. Then I felt bad for telling her I couldn't have one, but thanked her for the thought. They looked good, but weren't really that hard to resist. I'm amazed at how easy its been to pass on the sweets.
______________________________________________________________________

Just got back from lunch out with a friend. I'm so very proud of how I handled this today. I picked the restaurant, looked over the nutritional information before I left to choose something that will fit into my calorie allotment, and then stuck with my decision once I got there. So lunch out was 380 calories. (For the record, I looked at Applebees first and found nothing that would work there. Nothing. Can that really be?) Great step in the right direction for me!

Time to get serious

My dad came to visit over the weekend. We picked a time in May to head to Cedar Point. Its been several years since I've been there, so I cant wait. But---I have to have more weight off by then. Its a little over 3 months away, so I'm pushing for 30 pounds. It really has to be at least that by then. This will get me just about to my second goal for the year (50 lbs by my b-day, which is the end of May). I missed the first goal (20 lbs by Feb 16th) by about 6 lbs. So I must work harder.

Its supposed to get nice again by the end of this week (so I think I've heard). I'm really thinking about having the girls meet me at the school on days I work so we can walk on the trail for a bit after school. On days I'm off, I can do it myself during the day, or just pick them up at the school and go after. I know it wont happen every day, especially with softball starting soon, but I'm hoping our home field is somewhere I can walk during practices. I just need to add this piece in.

Since I had company over the weekend, the house is in pretty good shape. I'd really like to start back on the 30 day shred. Only I think I'm going to approach it differently this time... Last time I couldnt walk after just a few days. I was hobbling, I hurt everywhere, which I know is the point. But then I couldn't give it 100% because I just hurt too bad. So I think I will actually do the 30 day shred in 60 days, and do it every other day instead of every day. Might take a little longer to get the results, but I'm hoping then I can give it 100% every time.

And I'm back to measuring and counting calories. I'm going to try my plate at Livestrong to help me keep track. They tell me around 1500 calories will let me lose about 2 lbs per week. I'm hoping adding exercise will up that just a bit, so I can hit my 30 pound goal.

Motivation

I'm still sitting here at about the same place I've been for a couple weeks (again). But...I got a compliment at church today that made me feel good. Someone told me they could tell I'm losing weight. Honestly, I'm pretty sure it was just because of the shirt I was wearing, but it did give me the motivation to keep working. Sometimes I guess thats all we really need...

Still plugging along

I just dont feel like I have anything to say.

We went to Kalahari last Thursday and Friday with a friend and her 2 daughters. It was the first time there for me and 3 of my kids. We had a blast! It was so so so very fun.

Spent Saturday cooking and baking for the b-day party on Sunday. I did cupcakes this time... cookie dough cupcakes and brownie bite cupcakes, both of which I found on another blog. Gave me ideas to try my own concoctions though. :) I'd love to be more adventurous with cooking and baking.

But, it wont be for awhile. I gave up sweets for lent. I'm not catholic, but I find I stick to things like this better when I do it for lent. I guess I feel I'll be breaking a promise to God if I cheat. Thats bigger than breaking a promise to me or something like that. So, day one has been fine so far.

And that could be because I had a growth taken off my chin today. It was ugly. He asked me if I'd had any trauma to my chin, because it was a group of veins that had gone haywire, and they usually see that on hands after some kind of trauma. I cant think of anything that would have happened, but who really knows. At any rate, its gone now, and I'm left with a bunch of little stitches. Thankfully I'm not scheduled to teach the next 2 days. :)

We got all of Mom's apartment painted on Sunday and Monday. I think she and Ali are getting excited. Its really coming together.

Back At It

and doing better again. Yesterday being my weigh in day (and not really knowing what I was at last Thursday), I can finally post that I'm back on the losing train. I'm down 14.2 pounds! Thats probably around a 4 pound loss this week. I've been working hard again.

But---yesterday was also my oldest daughter's 15th birthday, so I took her out for dinner. And where did she pick??? A buffet! Ugh! I did really well though, and am happy with my choices.

I have 6 pounds to lose by next Thursday to make my first mini goal of the year. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do that, but at least I'll be close, and I can be happy with that.

Something New

First of all, I'm still here. I just really dont have much to say. Still hanging around the same place I've been for awhile. Sigh...

But, I have a friend who sent me a whole box of nutri-system food....a month's worth. While I would never spend the money to do it myself (who am I kidding---I dont have the money even if I'd want to), I'm thankful to have the opportunity to try it. I'm going to start Monday and try really hard to stick to it 100% at least 5-6 days per week. Thursday I'm taking my oldest daughter out for dinner for her b-day (she's turning 15---fifteen!), so I'll just make good choices then, but otherwise, I really want to put the effort into this. If it works for me, I can have one more box (month) for free. Then its all up to me again. If anyone has any helpful hints or experience with this program, I'd love to hear about it. I'm going in a bit blind.

In other news, they should start drywalling the basement on Monday, and he said we should be able to paint down there next weekend! Its really moving along. And I'm LOVING my new washer and dryer. I just cant believe how much they hold.

Sigh...

Sigh. I do that a lot. Still hanging at a 10 lb loss so far this month. While that may sound good, its not all that great when I lost almost 9 of that the first week. I get to this point every time and just sit. And sit. And sit. Nice to know I can maintain, but I'm not ready to do that at this point! Grrrrrr.

On a happy note, the new washer and dryer are coming tomorrow! I had to make some calls this evening, as no workers showed up today and I have no outlet in the bathroom for the dryer yet. So I should have everyone here tomorrow that I need before they bring the dryer. I cant wait to use it. Since the old stuff has been unhooked since Monday, I'm in need of a laundry day for sure!

Plugging along

I stopped counting calories this week and have tried relying on portion sizes and healthy choices. So far so good. We'll make sure of that tomorrow when I weigh in. If it continues to go well, I'll keep it up. I still measure some things, and will take a suggestion I read somewhere to measure everything the first 3 days of every month to make sure portions stay the right size. Portion control is my biggest issue for sure (followed closely by my sweet tooth).

Feeling a little off today...I have just a bit of a headache, and just a bit nauseous. Not sure what thats all about, but I sure hope I'm not getting sick!

Bad weekend

I'm not beating myself up over this weekend. Some choices weren't mine, and some were bad choices I chose to make.
Saturday we had a going away party for my cousin's daughter who is leaving for the navy tomorrow. The food was good. I dont particularly like potato chips, but we have a local company that makes the best french onion chip dip ever. So I had some with chips. And a little hot chicken dip with tortilla chips. And some creamed chicken with no bun. I also had a piece of cake. And full sugar soda. There was deli turkey, that I passed on. There were no veggies. Oh, I did have some water. So while I didnt eat healthy, I also didn't stuff myself silly with bad foods.
Today we had a birthday party. Ugh. I had a donut at church before the party. Then I had a coney at the party, a few baked beans, and some apple sauce. And a piece of cake with a scoop of icecream. Again, not healthy choices (but thats all that was there), but I also didn't stuff myself. Now today is over and I'll start fresh tomorrow.

I'm tired of counting calories. I don't think this is something I can keep up with forever. Tomorrow I'm going to start an almost-phase-1 SBD week. I dont know that I'm going to weigh and measure everything, but I'm going to try to follow what I've been doing and see what happens.

A Good Day

I feel good about today. I didnt get any exercise in so to speak, but overall today feels good. I think part of the reason is I ate well. The kids were good at school. I have my lunch packed for tomorrow. The dishes are done. Homework is done (the kids, not mine). :) Meat is browned for tomorrow's dinner.

Feels good!

Today:
B: english muffin, egg, RF cheese
Sn: yogurt
L: mixed greens, turkey, RF cheese, LC dressing and a brownie (small)
Sn: RF cheese stick, clementine
D: chili, light sour cream, RF cheese
Sn: mixed berry crisp, 1/2 c vanilla ice cream

Total: 1400 AND (drumroll please) 80 oz of water! I haven't done that in awhile!

The basement is still coming along. We had an interesting day yesterday. They were using a gas powered concrete saw and the house filled with exhaust. The carbon monoxide detector was going off in the basement, so we decided to leave early (we were going shopping). I left the back door and kitchen window open, even though it was cold. When we came home, they came up right away to tell us not to use any water. They had hit the sewer pipe. Ew! So we decided to go see a movie. (Beauty and the Beast in 3D) By the time we got home from that they had fixed everything. It was a fun day out anyway.

There is some sad news though. A lady I've known for a long time (she went to college with my mom and I went to school with her son) died unexpectedly on Sunday. They think it was either a massive stroke or a heart attack. Three of her family members work in the district I do, and her DIL worked at my school last year.
And a member of our church died today. He was older (80s probably) and had cheated death before. This one was expected, as he's been going downhill rather quickly lately.
They will both be missed.

Day 2

I dont think the shred can be getting easier by day 2, but I dont feel like dying tonight like I did last night. I'm still doing a couple things modified---like push ups. I hate those. Hate. But I'll get there...

I went appliance shopping with my mom again today. I ended up with a new washer and dryer. This was so not the plan when we started this whole process, but mine will not fit anywhere on the main floor of my house. And we've measured everywhere. So, I will sell mine and will be the proud new owner of stackable front loaders in about a week or so. My mom got her stove, microwave and dishwasher. We weren't so lucky on the shower and sink, and the shower is probably at the top of the list of things we need (or at least have measurements for) by Monday. So we'll probably be heading out again tomorrow after church and lunch.

As for today, we went out for lunch for Mexican. It was soooo good. I love mexican food. Love it. I'm sure I ate too much, but I havent been hungry since. I did eat a greek yogurt after working out, and that will be the end of my food for today.

Sarah's Giveaway

I just found her blog today and am enjoying it. Go check it out and see what she's giving away...

http://fatsosarah.blogspot.com/2012/01/fat-so-sarah-giveaway.html?showComment=1326581727654#c4552231723836132436

Tired

We got snow. Lots of snow. And lots of wind. So now there are lots of drifts. If today hadn't been a waiver day, there would have been no school. But since it was a waiver day, I still had to go out and to the meeting. Fun times. Oh well, I got paid for it and got to sit and chat with the other librarians.

Once I got home I was (hoping to be) in for the weekend. But no such luck. The contractor and plumber came back this afternoon. That led to discussions for my mom's bathroom, but also for what to do with my washer and dryer. They cant stay in the basement, but they won't fit in my bathroom. So my mom and I are going shopping tomorrow. I think I'm going to have to get a stackable. That means a reconfiguration of my bathroom...moving the toilet and putting the stackable in the alcove. He said it really wouldnt be much trouble.

I did get to spend the afternoon in the family room with the girls in front of a fire. Maybe tomorrow night as well (without my girls :( ). But then I decided I'd waited long enough, and really needed to start the 30 day shred. So I spent 22 minutes of pure Jillian hell, and when I was done I was really hoping I can force myself to do that again 29 more times. Its gonna be rough.

Today:
B: english muffin with egg and cheddar cheese
L: (at my meeting) pizza, chips and salsa, cucumbers, chocolate chip bar (I feel I did really well here today)
D: english muffin, grilled chicken breast w/chipotle sauce, spinach and tomato, carrots and broccoli
Sn: yogurt

Not sure on total calories today since lunch was a little out of my control. But I think I did ok. And my other comment on food today would be Chobani pineapple yogurt is the best stuff ever. I think I could give up all other yogurt for that (after I wasn't sure I would even like it)! (And no, its not a review, I didnt get paid or compensated to say that, or anything else, lol. I actually prefer Oikos most of the time, but Chobani has some different flavors I've been trying. Pineapple is my favorite of all so far)

Now I'm tired and I think I'll head to bed to read until I fall asleep.

It's started!

The construction workers started on the basement today! Heard the knock on the door at 6:39 am! Ugh! Good thing I was expecting them (at 7). I thought they were going to take measurements and get materials and such. Well, he told me they couldn't deliver the materials until tomorrow, so they went and got them. They have my mom's room and the bathroom framed! I was amazed they got so much done after emptying the basement and going to get the stuff. I'll post progress pictures as I take them. (I dont have the cord for my camera here at the moment.)

I've been wondering how some people can eat so few calories for dinner. I'm now discovering the secret. Tonight we had roast beef. I had no clue it was only 120 calories for 4 oz. Then, instead of having mashed potatoes, which would be a staple with roast beef, we had brown rice. And carrots. 260 calories for my entire meal. I know I'm low on calories tonight. I really needed another snack tonight, but I just dont feel like it and had too much going on.

Today:
B: english muffin with egg and cheddar cheese, clementine
Sn: yogurt
L: tuna salad (tuna, egg, onion, celery, mayo) on cucumber slices
Sn: cheese, apple sauce
D: roast beef, rice, carrots

Total: 1050

Just Another Day

Still nothing exciting to report. Oh, except maybe that they're starting on the basement remodel tomorrow! Its not ready for them, but he said he'll be here anyway. :) Nice to have that underway.

As of right now I'm off tomorrow, so I'm going to straighten up the upstairs, then start bringing up boxes from the basement to go through. I think I need to start with the clothes...some need packed up for my step-cousin, some are probably still good for the girls, some need donated... I just need them not sitting around the basement. Once the washer and dryer get moved up here, I'll have to be more organized about it.

Today:
B: oatmeal, PB, orange juice
Sn: clementine, boiled egg
L: salad with turkey, tomato, feta cheese and RC dressing
Sn: yogurt
D: Chicken, brown rice, cabbage
Sn: cottage cheese

Total: 1340

Tomorrow will be my first official weigh in. Week 2 is not being as nice as week 1. Thankfully I was fully expecting that. :)

Tired

I was so tired today. I had a hard time falling asleep, then woke up a lot through the night. At least today wasn't too bad.

My mom and brother came just as I got home from work. They stayed til 9pm, so no exercise for me tonight. I will start the shred tomorrow! I want to be done before I go to the waterpark!

Today:

B: oatmeal with banana and PB
Sn: cheese stick (had a clementine too but ran out of time)
L: salad with ham, tomatoes, cheese and RF dressing/grilled cheese from school
Sn: yogurt
D: fish, cauliflower with cheese sauce, unsweetened applesauce
One square of my dad's homemade fudge
Sn: egg and apple

Total: 1050 plus the grilled cheese and fudge

I learned something today. When you are eating clean, your body rebels when you eat something it doesnt like. After I ate the grilled oozing cheesy melty goodness that was from the school cafeteria, my stomach grumbled, churned, and cramped all afternoon. Lesson learned.

I hate titles

I never know what to title each post....

Just a quick one tonight. I tried to up my calories just a bit today because I think I've been on the low side.

Today:
B: Oatmeal with PB and banana
Sn: yogurt
L: salad with turkey, egg, tomato, vinegar and oil
Sn: cheese and cutie
D: chicken corn chowder
Sn: cottage cheese

Total: 1325

Adjusting

Sundays are going to be my struggle days. Almost every Sunday my extended family gets together for lunch after church. We've been doing this as long as I can remember...and I love it. However, I cant say we have the most healthy lunches. And when one is very consciously watching what they're eating and trying to lose weight, this is not a good day for lunch with family. Right now I'm doing modified SBD. I'm not really doing a strict phase one, but doing more of a lower carb/higher protein/counting calories kind of thing.
Lunch today consisted of lasagna, garlic bread and salad. Oh my it smelled good at my mom's. But, I resisted. Not even a bite. I knew we were having salad, so I took turkey to put on it. My aunt brought boiled eggs to add. I was fortunate to find reduced calorie dressing in my mom's fridge because I forgot to take mine. It was a good lunch for me.
I was in charge of dessert today, so I thought I'd try to find something maybe I could try. My first thought was something fruit based. So I searched for some recipes and found a mixed berry cobbler that looked good. It had no sugar (sweetened with apple juice) and only 1/2 C whole wheat flour. So I baked that up this morning. I had planned to figure the calories into my day, and possibly even add icecream.
After lunch no one was hungry for dessert, so we decided to go see my grandpa. Since no one had eaten any dessert, I decided to bring it home and freeze it for next week. So I dont know if it was any good. Smelled and looked good though! I really think it was God's way of telling me I'm not ready for anything that sweet yet. :)

Sundays are hard for another reason too. Nothing is on schedule. I ate breakfast at normal time, but that means I should have my first snack during church. I'm not so sure the pastor would appreciate that, lol. So I talked to my mom right after church and she wasnt sure if we were eating right away or visiting my grandpa first, so I didnt snack. We ended up eating at 1, which was WAY too long for me to wait (breakfast at 8) and I was starving! I've gotten used to eating every 3 hours now. But the rest of the day went ok.

I'm still running just a bit on the low side on calories. I think I might throw a banana in my oatmeal when I have that for breakfast. Maybe something else in there somewhere too.

Today:
B: oatmeal with PB
L: salad with turkey and egg, reduced calorie dressing
SN: apple and cheese stick
D: 2 scrambled eggs with turkey sausage crumble, cauliflower with cheese sauce
Sn: cottage cheese

Total: 1005 Calories

Tomorrow is on to week 2. :)

TGIF!

No joke, I couldn't be any happier that today is Friday. Considering this was only a 4 day work week, it was a looooong one for sure. Tuesday and Wednesday were good, but Thursday and Friday were never ending stress days. Sigh...

I guess its good I kept busy though. No time to sit around at home and look at the leftover goodies from Christmas. Tomorrow I'm going to package things up and put them in the freezer for when guests come. I've been good though and had nothing at all. And since my dad's homemade fudge is sitting on the counter taunting me, I'd say this is a huge accomplishment! (That's the only chocolate fudge I really like.)

Today:

B: oatmeal with PB
Sn: string cheese and cutie
L: salad with turkey, tomato, drizzled with vinegar and oil
D: tuna with egg, mayo, onion, celery, tomato on cucumber slices
Sn: popcorn

Total: 1010 calories
And good again on water (Still need to do a bit better, but at least its progress)

Tomorrow I'm hoping to start the 30 day shred. I really wanted to start tonight, but I havent been this exhausted in a long time. I dont think I could give it even half my all, lol.

This is Hard

Overall this isnt so hard, but today was hard, and tomorrow will be as well. When I'm on my schedule, I have time to sneak in my snacks. When I'm subbing, no such luck. (At least not in the class I'm teaching today and tomorrow.) The kids have their special first thing in the morning, and I've basically just eaten breakfast then, and I dont have another break until lunch (12:20). So no snacking. I cant really be reading to them or asking questions while eating. I was quite hungry by lunch today. Ugh! Like stomach growling hungry.
The afternoon wasn't quite as bad because it was only about 3 hours from lunch until school was out, so I could have a snack then. So we'll see if I can figure out something for the morning tomorrow. (The kids are taking a test, so maybe I can sneak something at my desk.)

Today:
B: oatmeal w/1 Tbsp peanut butter
L: salad with turkey and tomato drizzled with vinegar and oil
Sn: boiled egg and apple
D: tilapia with brown rice and vegetables
Sn: cottage cheese

Total: 1095
I did really well on water today finally!

So glad tomorrow is Friday!

Still Trying

I think I need to add a few calories to my day. The thing is, I'm eating 6 times a day, not getting hungry, and eating healthy. So.... ???

Today:
B: 2 eggs scrambled with 1/4 c turkey sausage crumbles, diced onions/peppers/tomatoes
Sn: Yogurt
L: salad with turkey and tomatoes drizzled with vinegar and oil
Sn: RF string cheese and an apple
D: Turkey burger with tomato, brown rice, green beans
Sn: 1 C cottage cheese

Total: 1100

Also did 60 minutes of dancing with Michael Jackson on the wii. ;)

Hoping I dont have more to add to my worries than just what I eat. Went out to leave for work this morning and the van wouldnt start. Sigh... Went and got a new battery tonight, and I hope that fixes the problem. Please let that fix the problem...

Headaches

I hate having headaches. I get them regularly enough as it is, but this is day 2 of the detox headache. I know its all for the better, but I sure hate feeling this way.

I also hate when I do stupid things like get completely away from what I know works. I was having my salad for lunch today, and it just tasted soooo good. So why do I get away from that? Probably because I get lazy and just grab whatever is easy. I know eating healthy takes a bit more time, but its so worth it. I just need to keep plugging along.

Today was another pretty good day. The kids were actually really good at school, so I didnt feel the stress I thought I might being the first day back from break.

And food was good too. Its really a struggle to resist temptations. I realize how much I snack and pick here and there. Like taking a fry off Livi's tray at lunch. Or eating the crackers and dip in the workroom. It all eventually adds up, so I avoided it all today. That being said, I really have to plan breakfast better. Its probably the hardest meal for me to eat healthy. I need some new ideas that are SBD friendly. (I did have oatmeal with PB today, which was good and not too bad on calories.)

B: oatmeal with 1 Tbsp peanut butter
Sn: boiled egg
L: salad with turkey, drizzled with vinegar and oil
Sn: yogurt
D: steak, brown rice, broccoli and cauliflower
Sn: popcorn

Total calories: 1110 Still a little low. But I ate a TON for dinner and it was only 375 calories!
I still need to do better on water.

Happy New Year

Its been awhile since I posted, but with computer issues, school functions, holidays, etc, time just got away from me. We took down the Christmas decorations today, family has all gone home, holidays are over, a new year has begun, so its time to get this thing back up and running.

I always hear lots of talk about resolutions at this time of year, but I'm not going to set any for myself. Resolutions tend to get broken, or pushed aside, so I'm just going to set some goals for myself.

In the past, I've always started with weight loss. I never set a number though. I figured it was just better to eat healthy and exercise and see what happens. Well, nothing seems to happen. So its time to get a bit more specific. This first week is pretty much a detox. I have felt so so so crappy over the last month or so...I've gotten away from the healthier eating, and I've noticed so many of the bad side effects creeping back in. I have horrible headaches for 3-5 days during TOM. (I know I wont get rid of these entirely, but they were markedly better when eating healthier.) My face is breaking out more, and never fully clearing up. My skin is dry. (I'm not getting enough water.) I have no energy and feel run down all the time.
Today was a good day. I'm trying to stay on a slightly modified SBD phase 1 program for 2 weeks. Then I'll go from there. I will have a bit of brown rice, and maybe a little fruit here and there, but I really want to get the crap out of my body, and get rid of the cravings. I'd also like to stay around 1200 calories each day, but will be ok to go up to 1500. I might reconsider this plan in the near future though.
And I'm picking a number. I have some events coming up and I WILL be (a little) thinner and healthier by then. The first is February 16th. I will lose 20 lbs by then. Not I want to or I hope to, but I will. I think having a number to shoot for will tell me how much harder I have to work, and will keep me from slacking.
The second number is 50 lbs lost by my birthday (end of May). I know these wont be easy, and hopefully not impossible. But they're where I'm starting my goals for this year. Once my birthday gets here, I'll set the next goals based on what I accomplished by then.
I dont usually put things like this out there, but I feel like it will help me be (and stay) accountable. I tend to fall off the wagon way to easily. I've told some of my family about this too, since we have Sunday dinners together and I may be bringing my own food to some of these lunches. Those are by far the hardest days for me, so if I'm prepared, I should do better.

I also want to start the 30 day shred next week. The February goal is because I'm going with a friend to an indoor water park, and being down some pounds by then will help. I think the shred will help tone by then too. I wanted to start today, but I figure I'll have a detox headache most of this week, and I just cant exercise with a headache. At all.

As far as other goals go: Move more. Not just exercise, but get out from behind this computer! I love my computer, but I need to break the bond we share.
Keep up on the housework. I hate when I find out someone is coming over and its a major undertaking to get the house in shape. I also expect my kids to do better at this too. I want to start doing a once-over before they go to bed to keep things picked up and put away. Same with the car---when we get home, grab something that needs to go in the house.

One other big goal: I'd like to have my teaching license reinstated by the end of the school year. At this point, realistically I'm not sure thats possible, but if not, then at least by the end of the year. That should be doable (provided I find somewhere to get the money for classes). I just really need to get that part of my life in order too.

Edited to add my daily food. Just wanted to see where I stood for today:
B: Greek yogurt 130 (normally I'd have something else too, but this was late today)
Sn: String cheese 60
L: Tuna 100 Egg 70 Mayo made with olive oil 90 (onion and celery) all mixed and served on cucumber slices 20 Total: 280
D: pork 260 and sour kraut 20
Sn: more pork and sour kraut 280
Total for Monday: 1030 Yikes, a little low for me. I dont feel hungry though, but will add a little more tomorrow.

Until next time, have a good one!

That Time Again

This weekend was the annual quilters/crafters retreat with my friends from elementary school. Its always such a good time...laughing, eating, scrappin', meeting new people... just relaxing, fun and time to get caught up.
For the most part, this year proved to be as fun as past years. There were a few differences though. Two of my friends have developed a rift in their friendship. (They probably spend the most time together.) There are some things going on with P that H doesnt agree with. To be honest, neither do I, but these are her decisions to make, and she'll have to deal with the consequences. What I do agree with is that H was in the wrong when she told numerous people about what is going on with P. Its very personal, and really no one else's business. Because of this, P has stopped going to church. She's afraid she's being judged. But that is the place she needs to be most. She and I had a good heart to heart talk Saturday night. I'm not always one to say what people dont want to hear, but I felt like God was guiding me in telling her things she needed to hear, whether she wanted to or not. I wasn't mean or hurtful, just truthful. It was one of the only times the words just came effortlessly, and I felt I said a lot of what needed to be said. I hope she really listened. I hope she's willing to make the changes she needs to make. I hope they can mend their friendship, and get back what's been lost.

I also talked to my friends about whats been going on with me and LLG. We had some good laughs about some things, lots of questions (most of which I dont have answers to), and I even blushed once at a comment that was made (which rarely happens!).

So while this weekend was fun, productive, soul filling.... there was just something missing this year. There wasn't the cohesiveness with the 4 of us like there usually is. You could feel the tension, and that just took a little something away from the weekend.

On the down side....I snacked waaaaaay more than I had planned or wanted to. So, back to the grind tomorrow. Unfortunately I havent been to get groceries yet---just entirely too exhausted this afternoon when I got home. So I must go tomorrow to get some healthy and fresh food back in the house.

Still Busy

Tonight was the last football game. :( I sat on the bleachers for 3 quarters and watched our team build a 48-0 lead, so we came home. It was so cold. Sitting on metal bleachers.
The senior band show was pretty good...they wore "M. C. Hammer parachute pants" and danced while the band played Cant Touch This.

Seems like we've hit another transition point. Football is over, so no more marching band. We've had the fall choir (and this year, band) concerts, so practice for the Christmas concerts have started. Even though Halloween isn't until Monday, I feel like its over since trick-or-treat was last night. The girls had fun.

As far as everything else, I guess its the same old same old.

Sigh...

The new start is not going so well. I seem to have lost my motivation.... :(

I have so much I need to do. I have to edit the photos from the wedding last weekend. I've started, but I just hate doing it. Must. get. it. done. Doesn't matter how much easier the new program is, I dont think I'm going to like editing any better.

We're down to the last week of football season. I've enjoyed having a reason to go this year, not that I needed one in the past. But its fun to watch the band and support Alexis.

Today was the last day of the little girls soccer. While its also fun to watch them, this year didn't qo quite like other years. The older kids started with 4 teams like always, but after the first or second day, only enough kids for 2 teams showed up. So I think they've just been mixing the kids each week to play each other. They still had fun.

Less than a month til the musical now. That means just over a month til Thanksgiving. How can that be? Time is just flying by! I've been trying to grab a few smaller Christmas presents here and there, because I just dont have much money to put towards it. If I do a couple things each trip, hopefully they'll still have a nice Christmas. I worry about that...

Back...

I finally have my computer back! Oh how I've missed having my own computer---for a month or so. I'm going to try to keep up with less time on it...I didn't have a choice when I was sharing, lol. But I got so much more done. Tonight however, I sat down after dinner and dishes, and just put my feet up for the evening. They really hurt, and I've been so so so busy, I just needed a night to rest and do nothing.

The weekend was loads of fun. A friend came down Saturday and we photographed a wedding at my church. I've done a few others, but it was his first. I think we got some good shots.
We came back here to start looking through pictures, and about an hour later my dad, stepmom, sister, and aunt came. We had pizza, sat around and chatted, and then Rock Band started. So fun. Sunday was church and lunch out, then more Wii, this time dancing. What a sight! Then the family headed back home.

I've lost my motivation to keep at the weight loss. The dancing Sunday was the most exercise I've done in ages. It felt good...it lasted about 1 1/2 hours, and I was sweating! But I cant make myself do anything on a regular basis. Part of the reason is I'm so busy...its really been crazy! But part is that I just dont want to. I need a workout partner...someone to be accountable to, so that if we have exercise planned, I cant bail. But I dont know who.
And my eating is off too. I know I'm doing bad, but it doesn't stop me. I just need to get back at it. I was finally seeing some differences, and that should be motivation... Sigh...

Tomorrow is a new start.

Too much to post

I feel like I have so many thoughts running around in my head, but just dont have the desire to put it all out there at the moment.

Things are still moving along. Last week Alexis was sick. She missed 3 days of school and the football game, but she's feeling better now.
This week Brenna is sick. She missed yesterday (and the choir concert) and I'm taking her to the dr today. This is more than enough sickness for this year now.

My friend made it down Saturday to check out the church. We went through all the details in the sanctuary, then walked through the basement where the reception will be. I think we're ready now. I'm going to the rehearsal Friday night just to get the final details and such.

A to Z of me

Saw this on a couple other blogs and I thought it might be fun.

A. Age - 40

B. Bed size - King and love it!

C. Chore you dislike - Cleaning the bathroom

D. Dogs - Someday I hope

E. Essential start to your day - Shower.

F. Favorite color - Red

G. Gold or silver - Not real sure on this one. Always used to be gold, but liking silver more as the days go by

H. Height - 5'5"

I. Instruments you play(ed) - Piano, Clarinet and tuba

J. Job title - librarian and intervention help

K. Kids - 4 girls

L. Live - Amish country, OH

M. Mom's name - Deb

N. Nicknames - None really

O. Overnight hospital stays - Tonsillectomy, Appendectomy and having 4 kiddos

P. Pet peeves - Bad drivers

Q. Quote from a movie - May the force be with you

R. Righty or Lefty - Righty

S. Siblings - 1 brother, 2 half brothers, 1 half sister....all younger

T. Time you wake up - 6 am M-F

U. Underwear - Yes please

V. Vegetables you don't like - Brussel sprouts

W. What makes you run late - Others

X. X-rays you've had - ankle

Y. Yummy food you make - cream cheese chicken

Z. Zoo animal favorites - Bears

Quick Update

So tomorrow is my "official" weigh in day, but I decided to check things out to see how I've been doing. I was sick over the weekend, drank a lot of orange juice, ate carbs, etc. And today I dropped into a new decade! I'm so excited. After sitting in the last one for months, this feels so good! No wonder my long pants from last year are fitting better!

Down

Well, today certainly didn't go as planned. My friend called to say he was on his way, and called a little over an hour later to say he was stuck between his house and mine with an overheated car. He had gotten to a car shop, called his dad, and I'm not sure what else after that as our phone call got cut off. So I went to the church myself to find out the details about the wedding in 2 weeks.

So now I'm not sure if we'll try again next weekend or what. Maybe it was a good thing he didnt come today, and then he can come next weekend and go to the hayride with us. I would really really like to get him to a function like that with me once... I think if I could, maybe, just maybe, I could get him to church occasionally. So I'm going to try hard on this one.

I came home from there and fell asleep in the chair. I'm just exhausted. I know thats why I'm sick. I get stressed and my immunities go down. So I'm trying hard to keep it at bay. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good night sleep tonight. I'm sure that will help...along with my orange juice and neti pot... I hate feeling so run down.

I did make apple crisp and lasagna today. We'll take the apple crisp for lunch tomorrow, but had the lasagna for dinner tonight and it was quite good. The other good news from today is band-a-rama was cancelled. Its been cold and rainy and windy all day. I told Alexis I wouldn't be going even if they did have it. Feeling the way I do, the last thing I need to do is going sit in the cold wet night. I'm glad it was cancelled. I would have felt bad for not going.

Hoping for an all around better day tomorrow.

Zzzzz

I'm so tired.

The weigh in wasn't so bad..a gain, but just .8. Then today I was down 1.2, so I'll be happy about that. Another thing to be happy about is when I went to buy new jeans last night, I got a smaller size! And I didnt have to squeeze into them, lol. Even after washing and drying them last night, they fit great. Keeps the motivation going.

On the downside, I'm so tired. I'm also feeling a bit of a cold coming on. Between that, the stress of the last couple weeks, working then subbing this week....I need some sleep.

Mom is back in the hospital for a couple days. They're starting her back on her TPN (IV feed) and want to make sure she does ok with it before they send her home. I went in to see her this evening and saw the most beautiful rainbow out her window. Hope thats a sign of good things to come.

Sigh...

It took me almost a week to post the last post. Gotta love technology. I still dont have a computer. We had no internet at home for 4 days. I had no computer at school for a week. (Thanks tech guy for making it a priority to let me log on the computer at school!) We're now back online at home, and even wireless as of tonight. (I'm so behind on blogs and everything else!)

Things in the healthy eating area have not been good. I'm expecting a gain tomorrow. I wont be surprised if its significant even. Not only have I not been eating well, its also TOM. Add up the stress of the last 2 weeks and it cant come out to anything good. I will accept it and move on.

I'm skipping the football game this Friday. As much as I love going, I just feel like I need Friday off. Its supposed to rain, its supposed to be cold, and its away, so I have to pay full price for us all. Instead, I'm letting all the girls have friends come over to stay. Maybe I'd be smarter to go to the game, lol.

On Saturday the little girls have soccer. Their friends are also in soccer, so they'll go home with their parents after thats over. My friend is supposed to come down so I can show him the church where the wedding will be that we're going to photograph in a couple weeks. Then Saturday night is band-a-rama. I haven't been to that in a long time.

I'm really tired. I'm feeling an early bedtime again tonight. I was asleep by 9:30 last night. I just need things to settle down a bit. Wont be tomorrow, I'm subbing then and Friday this week. Looking forward to seeing the extra money on the paycheck for sure!

All in a week...

First off, with everything crazy going on, I managed to lose this week. I'm not exactly sure how much, but I think about 1.8 lbs maybe??? At any rate, I know it was a loss.

(I had this whole entry typed and then lost my internet connection. :( )

Anyway, I went to school last Monday morning, and after 45 minutes I got called to the office. My aunt was standing there crying. I knew something was up with my mom. They had taken her to the hospital in the squad. Her home health aid had come and found her lethargic and not really responsive. So they took her in. When I got the the ER, she was talking and stuff, but really tired. Her BP was really low. They diagnosed her with pancreatitis. They also found her to be anemic, and she had a UTI. She was in until Thursday afternoon. Friday night she went to the football game to watch the girls march. She stayed through halftime.

My grandpa also went in the hospital last week. He was in from Tuesday til Friday with pneumonia.

>:(

I. am. pissed. off.

Today is not off to a good start. I've really been trying...really. And I'm making NO progress at all. None. I'm hanging around at the same weight I've been at for weeks. There is no way I've hit a plateau. I just dont know why its not working. I'm tracking food, exercising, and nothing. Its no wonder I always quit. I'm not doing it just to lose weight, I also want to be healthier, but I NEED to lose some weight, and I'm frustrated. And ticked. If you put in the effort, you should see results...even if slow. But none?

Now where did I put those brownies?

Back at it

I indulged a bit over the weekend at the fair, but today is back to the grind. Thankfully it wasn't really all that bad...I had a few french fries and a french waffle last night, but that was it. Saturday was even less fries and part of the funnel cake, so again, not bad. But I want to get back to eating clean again this week. So far today has been good.

I also ran today. I kinda liked doing my own thing. I only followed C25K for 2 weeks, but I dont have the next podcast since my computer died. So today I warmed up with a 5 minute walk, then ran for 2 minutes, walked for 2 minutes, ran for 7 minutes, walked for 3 minutes (was supposed to only be 2, but lost track of time), ran for 4 minutes, cooled down with a 5 minute walk. I did 1.25 miles. I feel like I'm ready to run for longer periods of time, and I did just that today. So I might just keep doing my own thing for awhile. I feel like I can push myself right now. I feel good!

I'm also doing really well staying off the scale. It was really getting discouraging not seeing what I wanted to each day, so I dont step on it until Thursdays. I think I'll be able to stay motivated more if I keep it to one day a week for the time being.

Fun Times

Yesterday I finally had a bit of a chance to relax. I didnt waste the whole day though...I did w2d3 of c25k. This time I did 1.3 miles. Since my computer is in for repairs, I'm not sure what I'm going to do for running now. No one had itunes on their computer here, and I dont really want to put it on their computers for only a short time, so I dont have the next podcast on my ipod. I'm really thinking about just doing my own thing, at least once. I'd like to see how long I can jog without stopping. Once I got past the initial 90 second run this week, it seemed like I could have easily gone a bit longer...not sure how much, but I think it would be interesting to know. Then I could decide what to do from there.

Last night was the football game. Olivia is liking the chance to run around with her friends. We won, 30-0.

Today was the fair. We had a lot of fun. Maddy spent most of the time riding the "big kid" rides this year. She couldnt ride the ones that were 48" or above, but that didnt leave many she couldnt ride. She rode the motorcycles in kiddie land, and when she got off she said how boring it was, lol. Guess we're about done with kiddie land. :( I'd like to go back one more time this week. We didnt go through any of the animal barns. We were just too tired.

I did really well eating there. I usually get the chicken fajita---oh so good---but I thought the flatbread was probably a lot of calories. They also offer it as a salad, so I got that instead. It was yummy! I watched them make it so I could see just how much stuff they were putting in it, and it wasnt a lot of ranch, so that was good. I really think overall it was a pretty healthy choice. Then we all shared a funnel cake. I only had a few bites. It was a good time.

On and on and on...

So it continues. Last night my aunt called to tell me my mom had passed out a couple times yesterday. They had someone come look at her (vitals and such) and her BP was really low. They thought she should go in to be seen, but she had an appointment this morning, so she stayed home. Her dr said to push fluids and food and make sure she got lots of rest. I took her to the dr today and she ended up with a bag of IV fluids there. Then we had to go to the hospital for IV potassium. She's still there, but should be getting done within the next 30 minutes or so. I really hope this helps, because her BP was still pretty low when she left the dr office. I'm not supposed to be worrying about my mom yet!

Today is weigh in day. I lost a little over a pound. I hadn't been keeping track of the decimal part of the change, but I think I'll start. I'm only .2 away from the next pound down. :)

I started working out on the total gym tonight. I hate that my whole body isn't at the same place, so some things are really hard at the incline I have it set at. But I dont think I should put it down any lower. So I guess I have to work up to it being too easy.

Lots to do in the next couple days. Looking forward to the fair on Saturday!

Working hard

If its not one thing, its another. Sigh.......

As if its not bad enough that the van has sucked so much money lately, now my computer is following suit. I'm almost positive it needs a new hard drive. Lovely. I'm hoping its done by the weekend...really hoping! Until then, I'll have to borrow the kiddos.

Tonight we're sitting here relaxing after a day of shopping, and we hear a loud boom, while at the same time the power goes out. We all come running from different directions to see what happened. I thought someone hit a pole, but nothing was out there. The neighbor was outside looking at the pole between our houses, and said there was a dead squirrel on the ground. Seems he was messing where he wasn't supposed to be (the squirrel, not the neighbor) and tripped the transformer. Thankfully it was back on in a couple hours. (Sure makes you realize how much earlier its getting dark these days.)

I'm starting to write down what I eat now. I'm still thinking I might be a bit low on calories, so I want to track for awhile. But I still cant find my kitchen scale. I almost bought one at Walmart today, but decided to wait. I have no idea what happened to mine when we moved. I also bought the wrong kind of sausage links for breakfast. Sigh...

With all the negatives from today, I'll end with a positive. My aunt got the girls some new clothes at Kohls today. They got some cute stuff. Cant wait til its me buying cute new stuff!

Running

Yesterday started week 2 of C25K. After the first 2 sets, I felt like quitting. Its not really that I'm tired, or that its awful, it just sucks. :) In my mind I keep telling myself that if I quit, I wont be any closer to my goal...that things will never get better. So I keep plugging along.
I must admit that there is one good thing to getting up early to run. Its dark. I dont turn on the lights when I run, just the tv. So I cant see the timer on the treadmill. I kinda keep track in my head about which number run I'm on, but I cant see the actual time. Yesterday I ran later in the day, so everything was right there for me to watch. I think I will take someone else's advice and cover the timer so I cant see it.

I'm also a bit frustrated. This is going in to week 5 (I think), and while I'm really trying hard, I'm not seeing results. I lost a lot the first week (typical), but since week 2, I'm just kind of sitting in the same place. Maybe I'm not putting enough into it. I just started exercising last week, so I was hoping for something to change, but I guess I need to give it time. I know I need to add something with weights too, but I havent yet. (I also cant find my kitchen scale. It has to be in the basement somewhere still packed up, but it must be in the box with my mini food processor, because I cant find that either.)

I've been spending too much time reading other blogs :), but it has given me a bit of inspiration. While I'm hoping to pick up more subbing days on the 2 days I have off a week, if I dont, I need to do something productive. I think I'm going to get my bike out and start riding on some of those days. I cant always just run or do the same things...I'll get bored (and I know it will happen fast for me)... so maybe I just need a ride on the trail.

As for today...tonight is the town homecoming. The kids are eating at their dad's first, so I wont be eating there either. I'm meeting up with friends later, and might have some homemade icecream, but thats all I'm planning. Should be a fun evening. (Now if the heat would just break before then!)

Good Day

I wasn't sure what my exercise was going to be today. I really needed to go to the bank, but my car was being worked on. So I decided to walk to town. Its just about a mile to the bank, so 2 miles total. The bad thing: the whole walk back is uphill. The walk to town wasn't bad. The only thing I dont like is the first half of the trip there is no sidewalk. People drive crazy on this road. I was going to stop to check on my mom while I was in town, and saw that she was home when I went to the bank, but by the time I finished at the bank, she was gone. So I just came home. That was a workout! By then the sun had come out, I was completely dressed in black (what was I thinking?), and was sweating bullets by the time I got home. Felt good though. I should do that more often.

Food was pretty good again today. I did have a candy bar today, which is really not normal for me at all. (I bought them for some kids at school that helped me out, but didnt see them yesterday to give them the candy. I better hide the rest!) Oh, and I might change my weigh in days to Thursdays. I think I need that extra day to recover from the weekend, not that I do really bad, but with family dinners on Sundays, it will help. I was back to the lowest today, so its all down from here. :)

I just feel really good that I got a workout in today. I've been doing nothing on my non running days. I have the ipod all loaded for week 2 tomorrow. The good thing is, if I dont get a call to sub, I dont have to get up early to do it. I can wait til the kids leave for school!

Weigh in Day

So I'm up a couple pounds from my lowest. This is the first week I'm weighing on Wednesdays (officially), so I'm not really surprised.

I got up early again this morning to run. I hope someday I can be a morning person again. Its just so hard. But, its done.

Today:
W1D3: 1.33 miles.

I'm getting ready to download the music for week 2 so I have no excuses to keep going.

I had a good day with food today. I've seen some blogs where people take pics of everything they eat to keep them accountable. I'm considering it, but I'm not sure I have that dedication. Would make the blog more interesting though, lol.

Today was a busy day at school. I dont have kids in the library, but I picked up more intervention times, so I was on the go almost all day. I really should get a pedometer (or at least find the cheap one I have around here somewhere). Might be interesting to track that for awhile.

No work tomorrow (so far), so I think I might try to do some weights. I seriously feel I need to add that back in.

No Title Comes to Mind

I didnt get up early today. Not because I felt like being lazy, but because I'm not sure what I'm going to do on my non-running days. I need to check out the videos I have, or get the total gym out and see if I can put together some kind of routine. I think thats the best choice. I need some weight training in my routine.

I also havent looked for a dress/outfit for the Christmas challenge. I just keep forgetting. I keep thinking I need to find one, print it out, and tape it to the treadmill. :) Maybe that will keep me motivated.

I also need to post my distances so I can keep track. I'd like to see how my pace is varying from run to run.

W1D1 - 1.3 miles
W1D2 - 1.27 miles

Pretty consistent so far. I hope tomorrow will be just a little more. My legs felt kinda heavy today though (I mean--they are, lol, but they felt muscle tired heavy today). :)

On the plus side---I remembered to turn on the crock pot this morning.

Change is a good thing!

I got up this morning at 5:50...that would be 5:50 in the morning...as in the hour that comes before 6---in the morning. And what did I do with that time??? I got on the treadmill and did day 2 of C25K. Who is this person?

I did day one on Saturday and felt pretty good during and after. Today, not as much. I struggled just a bit as I was running today, and seriously thought about quitting early...but thats not going to get me results. So I stuck it out and finished.

I would like to think I can keep getting up at 5:50 to workout before I go to work. I used to be a morning person, but not so much anymore. Six a.m. is not my idea of a good hour to wake up. So we'll see how long I can keep doing it. (I felt I didnt have a choice today...I had to work and then have a meeting tonight at 7, so I didnt think I'd have any other time to do day 2 today.)

Food has been going today, besides the fact I forgot to turn on the crock pot when I left for work this morning. Ugh! Thats the second time I've done that. Sigh.... Guess I'll have to start putting a note on the door.

Still plugging, still struggling

I was reading some blogs this morning and came across one that piqued my interest. She's putting together a Christmas dress challenge. The idea is simple: pick a dress (or outfit) that is a smaller size than you're wearing now, and do the 14 week challenge to fit in to it by the Christmas festivities. While I would love to sign up for this challenge, I'm not going to this time for a couple reasons. First (and the biggest reason)---she requires you to post your weight. Yep, thats going to stop me from joining on her blog. I'm not ready to reveal that at this point. To anyone. You cant just post your weight change, you have to post the number. If this was an anonymous blog, then maybe...even probably. But since its not....

The second reason is because I have absolutely no clue what size I could realistically be wearing in 14 weeks. (Actually a little longer, as their challenge doesnt start until Sept 11) I know at my size, it takes longer to drop a size that it does when you're smaller. So just one size? Maybe 2? I dont want to go too low and then not make it, even though what I did accomplish might be good.

So, what am I going to do instead? I'm going to join the challenge. Here. Without signing up anywhere. Just me. Doing what I know I need to do. And what is that exactly? A weekly weigh in. I've usually used Friday or something like that, but I think I'm going to pick Wednesday as my weigh in day. Why? Not sure...just seems like a good middle ground. Then I will post actual changes (good or bad) for all the world to see.

I will also exercise at least 3 times a week to start, and add something more each week or 2. I know this is part of what I'm lacking. I hate to run, but for some reason, I'm still drawn to running. I want to do it. Maybe its just to prove something to myself. Maybe its because I really want to do a Race for the Cure (and not walk). I dont know, but I want to start again.

I will also count calories. I'm going to aim for 1200 a day. I know its a little low, so I'm going to give myself a bit of slack to change it up from day to day. What I'm really shooting for is a range of 1200 - 1500 per day. Along the same lines, I need to find some good nutritional information. I'd like to find some kind of eating plan.

So how am I going to accomplish all this? As soon as I'm done with this post, I'm going to go put on some workout clothes and do day one of C25K. Its already loaded on the ipod. Its going to suck big time. :) But I'm going to do it. I'm going to go down and see if I can find my kitchen scale that is still packed up in the basement somewhere. Its a necessity if I'm going to count calories. I need to invest in a new pair of shoes. Mine are really wearing out, and my feet hurt by the end of the day, so I know they're not going to give me the support I need to run. (This will have to wait a bit, as my financial situation is struggling more than my weight at the moment.) I'm going to set up the Total gym to get some weight training in. And I'm going to write down everything I eat so I can be accountable. Oh, and water...I'm already drinking a minimum of 80 oz a day. I'll keep that up at minimum.

Let see where I can be by Christmas.

What to say

I feel like I should write more often, but I sit down and dont feel like I have anything to say.

I didnt do any of the goals I set for last week. No exercise. No kitchen scale. Way to stay accountable....

School started Monday. Can I just say this has been a downright awful week, and when it rains it pours doesnt even do it justice.
I went out Monday morning to go to school, and the van tire was flat. It wasn't that I ran over something, it was that my tires were just that bad. So, I ended up with 4 new tires this week. Can you say ouch?! I dont get paid for 2 more weeks, and since summer is over and I didnt get paid all summer...that hurt. Thank goodness for credit cards, even though I hate hate hate to use mine. At least it gives me the option to make payments.
After the tires, I also had to have a new oxygen sensor put on. Another $100 down the drain. All I can say is I'm thankful my ex and I are still friendly, because he put it on for me so I dont have to take it somewhere to have it done. And lastly (I hope) with the van---it needs a new power steering pump. Its been a frustrating week for sure.

And while the van has caused all that stress, school has been no piece of cake either. They told me when they moved the bookshelves that they would take the books off and put them back on just how they took them off. I never looked that close when I went in last week, but this week I realized they're all out of order. It was a mess! On Monday I had the 5th and 6th graders help me move the books. One word---nightmare. It just made things worse. So I spent the entire day yesterday putting books in order. I have one set of shelves left to do.

The kids are also pushing the buttons. They will not shut up. I cant believe how disrespectful kids have become. I'm trying really hard to make sure my kids are not that way. I think its working, as when I had Maddy's class in the library, she was pretty good and didnt really sit with many of the other girls. She has a class of talkers, and they're also pretty catty already... making mean faces at each other and saying mean things. Its awful. So they'll have assigned seats when they come in next week. Sad I cant even give the older kids the option to sit where they want.

Yes, the stress has added up.

I had today off. I needed it sooooo bad. I got the house cleaned up and even took a little nap. I have just been exhausted trying to get back into a routine. I hate hate hate 6am. I know I shouldnt complain, because I know there are many people who get up a lot earlier than that, but my body clock just does not like that hour. Plus, I cant go to sleep at 10---I'm just not ready. So I'm struggling to get the sleep I need. Which doesnt help my mood...

Tomorrow I'm subbing kindergarten. Not sure if this is good, or if I'm crazy. I love that I have the opportunity to sub this year to make some extra money, but I also like being in the library because I only have each class for 40 minutes at a time. :) At least tomorrow night is the first football game!

There is one bright ray in all of this... I'm finding there are still some wonderful people out there. I dont really want to elaborate at this point, but it sure is nice to know there are some good people in the world.

Oh, and only 1 more pound lost since the last time I posted. Sigh...

Sigh........

I now stand at 12 lbs lost. Things have really slowed down, even though I'm not really doing anything different. Maybe thats the problem...I'm not doing anything different.

My timing is not going to be the best on this, but my goals for starting week 4 (Monday) are these---
1. Exercise
2. Count calories (at least for awhile). I think I need to make sure I'm in the ball park I think I'm in. Over the weekend I need to dig out my kitchen scale and look up some calorie counts on the foods I'm eating frequently. (I read a blog about someone who doesnt count the calories in fruits or veggies...maybe I could do that for veggies, but I think I need to count fruits.)

Now that school starts on Monday, I need to be better again at planning menus and having the stuff on hand. (Another thing I need to do this weekend.) I've been pretty good about it, and our trips to fast food are minimal. I told the girls we're going to try a few things in the next months---like no fast food at all in October. (It wont count if they're with their dad unless there is another option. But there wont be any for me period.) Not only is eating at home a healthier option, it will save money as well. I know its going to take awhile for the girls to get used to not having as much processed food in the house, but I'm hoping if I start now, they'll learn to make better choices than I did growing up.

I understand that all of this is not going to be a quick fix, or overnight success. But I'm in it for the long haul this time. There are things I want to do, and I'm tired of being tired and feeling bad and having no self esteem.

The change is now.

2 Weeks Down

After 2 weeks, I'm down 11 lbs. Only a couple tenths from 12. While I wish it was more, I'm really happy with that. I'm doing it right (and forever) this time. No fads, no pills, no shakes, no "fake" food. Just healthy eating and good choices.

I think that first week of headaches was my body detoxing. I've felt really good the past week. I've been reading some other blogs, and really thought the physical feelings might just be in their minds, but I really can tell a difference. I dont feel as sluggish. I've had minimal sugar in the past 2 weeks, and I really can tell a difference. Makes me want to continue.

My goal for this week is to work in some exercise. I'm having such a hard time just thinking about it. I know it will make things go faster, make look better, and help add to my feeling better. I need the nike slogan---just do it (already!).

I also need to find more healthy options for lunch. Salad is going to get old fast. I'm going to be a bit more limited now that school is starting (ugh!). I start back Friday, and they decided to do something different, and will be feeding us lunch as a district. This is NOT the way I want to spend my entire "welcome back" day. Oh well, at least its just once a year.

Off to make the grocery list.

A new week

Starting week 2 today...9 lbs down! Two thumbs up for a highly successful weekend.

We went to the movie today. I did have some popcorn, but also took my own lunch along too... trail bologna and swiss cheese, and cucumbers. Breakfast was a pineapple-mango smoothie. I'm just not all that fond. The mango leaves an awful after taste for a long time. I think on my smoothie days, I'll stick with berries and bananas.
Dinner was leftover green beans/potatoes/ham and cornbread. I also had a few carrots with a wedge of laughing cow cheese, and tried hummus. Cant say I'm all that fond of that. I might try another kind, but I think laughing cow will be my go-to "veggie dip".

No exercise again today, and a headache pretty much all day.

Day 7

I'm going to have to come up with better titles to these posts. :)

So its been one week, and I'm 8 lbs down. I know it wont keep coming off that fast, but I really need to keep it up. I've been doing really well, and am proud of the things I've passed up (donuts for breakfast for my company, donuts at a church meeting, etc). I did have a couple things that could have done real harm---mainly pizza. It is by far the thing I could eat every day and never get sick of. We had it Friday for dinner, and I had 2 slices. I had one slice for dinner Saturday. But thats it. No going back for more. Saturday evening we also had chocolate fondue made with dark chocolate, with bananas, strawberries and pound cake for dipping. I had a bit (my first sugar of the week), but did not over do it. This whole life changing process will not work for me if I cant indulge a little now and then. Moderation is the key.

Tomorrow my aunt is taking us to the movie. She wants to stop to get candy before we go. I will either A) not eat anything while we're there, because we're going fairly soon after lunch, or B) take some nuts and/or fruit for me. I'm going to really really try to be 100% on eating during the week. (Might be a little hard this week on Tuesday since we'll be visiting family out of town and having at least one meal away from home.)

School starts 2 weeks from tomorrow. While I really need the money, I'm so not ready to go back yet. This summer didnt go at all as I had hoped. :(

And just so I'll have things on record, this was not a good week for my mom either. She started chemo again this week, but also found out they see 2 more spots on her liver. I'm not sure what will happen there. She's in no shape what-so-ever to have surgery. They also found some abnormalities in her bloodwork. She ended up with an EKG, which also showed something abnormal. They think she could have had a couple small heart attacks. Just one more thing she doesnt need!

We need a vacation.

Day 4

Another day down...another good day. I think I might need to log my calories for a few days. I have a feeling I'm not getting quite enough, but maybe I'll be surprised. My day today looked like this:

Water when I woke up
B: Smoothie: 1C ff greek vanilla yogurt w/fresh pineapple and mango (Will do again, but needs tweaked just a bit)

L: Romaine and spinach salad with southwestern grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, sprinkle of 2% cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Sn: almonds and fresh cherries (mmmmm)

D: Leftovers. A small portion of cream cheese chicken with balsamic rice, turkey on a low carb wrap with a bit of mayo and lettuce

Tons of water and some iced tea sweetened with splenda. (Its a mix of regular and green tea)

Maybe I'll try to do a quick calculation of calories. It will be an estimate, because at this point, I'm not measuring anything (except the yogurt, since it is so calorie dense)

I decided I needed some exercise tonight, so I did Just Dance 2 on the wii. I set out to do 30 minutes, and 60 minutes later I was done. Time just flew by. Thats the kind of exercise I like... fun and fast. :)

Tomorrow I'm hoping to find a farmer's market around here that has something other than the "basics". I'd like to try something new. If I let the kids pick something, they'll be more likely to try it. They're doing pretty good choosing fruit for snacks this week. I'm not making them give up everything processed, but if they can start making better choices and choose the produce more times than the granola bars, I'll be happy.

I know it works

So why do I have such a hard time staying with it? No, I haven't fallen off the wagon, but I have many many times in the past. I know what works. I eat healthy, watch portions, move more--- guess what happens.....I lose weight! Today is day 3, and I've lost 5 lbs already. And I'm not starving. (Well, I was today after I took the girls to the movie, but I didnt quite have all the tools in place yet. I didnt make a bad choice though.)

In my mind I keep wondering, how long until I fall off? Sundays are a downfall for me. I mean, the whole family is together, there is always dessert, and its just a matter of how long my willpower will hold out. The longer I see results, the longer I'll stay motivated. I'm not on a diet, I'm changing my life. So I just need to get into better habits.

Its Time

I'm starting---again. But this time its for good. I'm starting my healthier life tomorrow. I've been reading some things, and I found a blog tonight that really spoke to me.

I have one life to live. Is this really how I want it to be? There are so many things I'd like to do, but dont because my weight holds me back. I'm not comfortable. I'm embarrassed.

I'm tired of living like this.

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. I need to go to the grocery store, which is a blessing. My kids are going to rebel. They're going to complain. But they're going to do this too. Fresh fruits and veggies are going to become what they see first when they open the fridge. (They are usually in there, just not out front and prominent.) I'm not buying junk. Maybe occasionally, but not regularly. They're going to have to learn to snack on healthier alternatives.

I'm going to move more. I have the equipment here...treadmill, total gym, elliptical, wii... I'm going to put them to use. I am lazy. I've let that become the norm here. I dont like it. I dont like the way I feel. I dont want to be tired, have headaches, have achy joints. I dont like to be winded running the bases in softball. (And I'm sure I look foolish just doing that!)

So I'm done. I'm done with excuses. I'm done with sitting more than moving. I'm done with making the wrong choices with what I put into my body. I'm done watching. I want to do.

And so I will.

Sigh...

How do you know what to say to a friend who is going through a rough time? I'm so bad at that. I have ideas going through my head, and feel like I have some good suggestions, but I'm not sure they ever come out quite right. Or I'm not sure what I have to say wants to be heard. So I try, and hope I am somewhat successful at helping the situation.

I'm frustrated with a couple things in my life. I'm really trying, but not having a lot of success. The add the heat and humidity this week, and I'm a bit irritable. Must find something fun and cool to do.

Ahhhhh....

I LOVE my bathroom! I still have a few things to finish up in there, but I'm where I wanted to be by the 4th. I was still putting up the towel bars and such the morning before the party. It came down to the last minute.
I still need to sand and paint the vanity, and the cabinet beside the toilet. I'm still debating on whether or not to paint the trim around the window. Its dark brown (weathered, I believe) and kinda matches the shower curtain and such, so I'll see. I'm sure white would crisp it up though.

I started exercising again this week. I just have to keep it up. The girls and I walked on the trail one day, and I even ran a bit. Another day of treadmill, and last night softball. Today I'm going to clean the house (vacuum and mop), and then do a bit of Just Dance on the wii. That sounds like much more fun than the treadmill. :)

Summer seems to be flying by. We're trying to decide on a couple things to do before volley ball and band camp start. The zoo is at the top of the list...probably next week, and then maybe canoeing and/or camping. Then it will have to be evening activities cheap and close to home.

Seeing the Light?

I am going to try really really hard to finish the bathroom tomorrow. Its just been one nightmare after another, but I'm finally to the painting part, and even bought the "accessories" (bath mat, hand towel, towel bar, toilet paper holder, etc) tonight. I have to send a huge thanks to my dad for dealing with the toilet installation nightmare and new exhaust fan nightmare, and to Will for helping me with the beadboard. I'm just afraid to know what I would have done without their help.

On top of finishing the bathroom, I'm trying to get ready for the party Monday. (The rest of the house is seriously suffering.) Looking forward to that as always. Tomorrow is the hotdog roast/hayride/fireworks at the farm. Cant wait for that either. Rumor has it this could be the last year. :(

Still Plugging Along...

I finally started on the bathroom floor today. I've been procrastinating, then when I went to take the toilet out, there was no shut off valve. So Mike came and put one in for me, but in the process, cut the wrong pipe, leaving us with NO toilet in the house that worked. So he came back and fixed that, only for me to find out we had no cold water in the only usable shower today. So thats now fixed. Hopefully by morning, ALL the cold water faucets will be functioning again.

The tiling is going ok. I sure hope it looks ok (and is ok) once I'm done. I think I got the hardest part done today. I even took 2 tiles with me when I took the girls to get their physicals, and stopped by Lowes to have them cut. The rest I can handle. (Thanks to the Hendersons, who have graciously let me borrow their tiling tools.)

Tomorrow morning I'll finish the tile, then Friday morning I can grout. Saturday morning I can put up beadboard (I hope), and reinstall the toilet. I need that bathroom functional by Saturday because my dad, Sis and Eric are coming to stay til Monday. Ahhhhhh.

To top it off, this week is VBS (which has been a blast for the kids), so I'm down there every evening and lose those hours working on the house!

Update and Goals

The house progress is coming along. The accent wall in the entryway is painted (3 times!). I still need to touch up the edging, but I think the rest is done. Now to accessorize.... :)

The front closet is emptied, and some things have been tossed, others in a bag to donate. Everything else is still on the floor in the hallway. (We got a late start today) That will be done tomorrow.

Most of the tile is off the bathroom walls. I still need to do around the sinks. I've also peeled most of the wallpaper off the top part, and wow to the color I found underneath! I dont remember it ever being that color. Hopefully I can make more progress in there tomorrow...

So things are moving along, even though it seems like a slow process.

I was reading another blog, and I decided to try an idea she did on hers----40 things I want to do while I'm 40. (Hers was much easier---she was only 21, lol.) I've tried doing these things before, and I'm really bad at it, so here goes...

1. Reinstate my teaching license (or be well on the way to doing it)
2. Have a yard sale
3. Remodel the main bathroom
4. "Decorate" the house (pictures/art, etc)
5. Finish Ali's room
6. Start jogging
7. Cut back on junk food
8. Learn to use the Smartboard effectively
9. Renew a friendship
10. Go on a date :) (stole this one)
11. Finalize divorce (I guess this one should come before #10, lol)
12. Try Zumba
13. Take more pictures
14. Go see a real movie (not a kid movie)
15. Try a new fruit or vegetable every couple weeks
16. Let someone know I care
17. Go on a mission trip (if offered)
18. Go to Cedar Point
19. Camp out with the girls
20. Be a better housekeeper

Ok, half done. Its taking a long time and a lot of thought, so I'll finish another time. Right now, #20 is calling my name---by way of the laundry.

Plugging Along

The yardsale didnt happen---yet. Still planning one this summer, but I have a few other things to get done first.

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. There are so many thing I want (NEED) to get done. I dont know what should take priority. Here are just a few things...

1. Paint the front entryway and hall. (I will do the accent wall tomorrow!!!) I want the rest done and decorated before the 4th.
2. Main bathroom. Tile off the walls, walls scraped and holes filled. Pick paint. Pick tiles. Paint. Tile floor. Redo (or get new) counter. Again---done before the 4th.
3. Empty front closet and organize and purge.
4. Clean spouting.
5. Spray weeds (soon!)

Those are just the things at the top of the list. Then there's the basement, the kitchen, my bedroom and bath....its never ending!

And I havent done anything about classes yet. ***Sigh***

Lovin' Life

I am happy. Really, genuinely happy.

I dont remember the last time I could really say that, and honestly mean it. I've had happy moments, but I dont know when I've been happy clear to the core. And I'm enjoying it. A lot of it is because a big part of the stress is not here anymore. It took time, and a lot of soul searching and praying to finally know---really know---that this is the right thing...for me, and for the girls. It doesn't bring me down to hear the negative comments or digs from him anymore. (If he was truely happy, I dont think he would need to do that anymore.) A big part of all this is because of my growing relationship with God. I have been more open to listening, and letting him really get into my heart.

I'm ready to start dating. (Yikes, did I really say that?) Nothing serious or anything at the moment, just someone to hang out with (especially on weekends the girls are with their dad), go for walks, cook dinner together...(cheap things, lol). But I'm not exactly where you meet single guys at my age. I'm also not out looking either, lol. I'm not in a hurry, although Maddy told me today that I need a boyfriend. Thanks Maddy, lol.

In the meantime, I'll keep working on the house...I want to have a yard sale Saturday...need to go to the Habitat store to check out flooring...need to price drywall for Ali's room... So much to do....

Celebrate!

Tomorrow is Grandpa's 89th birthday. We're going down to visit for awhile. Its also the day my friends are taking me out to celebrate my 40th birthday. We're going out for dinner, and then maybe to a movie. So looking forward to that!

Workday is still on for Saturday. I'm meeting Pam in Wooster to get the shower stuff, then check out the Habitat store for bedroom stuff. Woohoo! Really looking forward to more progress.

The heat finally broke, and if all summer would be like today, I wouldnt complain at all. It was gorgeous!

Memorial Day

Sending many thanks to those who have served, given their lives, and/or continue to serve today. I cant express enough appreciation for that.

We had a very fun day. We went to Pam's mom's house like we usually do. It was soooo hot. I'm not ready for it to be this hot! But, we had lunch, went swimming, and cooled off. We spent a lot of time in the pool! Then we got out, had dessert, and played a little softball. By then we were all exhausted, so we came home. Alexis fell asleep, and the rest of us just sat around trying to stay cool. (Several days in the 90s...not ready for that!)

I cant say how excited I am to not have to get up for school tomorrow! But, that doesnt mean I have nothing to do. We're having a work day here Saturday. We're going to try to get the shower done in the big bathroom. I'm SO excited. That will make such a huge difference around here. Depending on how much time that takes, or how much help Chris needs, Pam and I might work in the basement. I'd love to have Ali's room done this summer...plus paint the basement and maybe get a carpet remnant to put down there so we can have a somewhat usable living space when its so darn hot like this. It has to be at least 30* cooler down there. Would be nice to just go down there to hang out and watch tv or something. So we'll see how things come together.
I also need to get things together for a yard sale. Maybe if I can find enough stuff, and get rid of good stuff, I'll have enough to do some kind of mini vacation or work on the basement....

Done.

Woohoo...school's out for summer! (everyone sing along!) :)

I made it. First year down, many more to go. It was fun. I hope I have everything done that needed done. If not, I told someone to call me.
We also had a close call with the Reading Tree books. I ordered them a month ago, and they still weren't here. So I had no books to hand out at the awards assembly this morning. I check the status of the order online, and it says its been shipped and is on a truck for delivery. They showed up at 1:30. That worked out. There are 2 books back ordered, but at least the majority of them are handed out.

Now its on to summer. I still need to get some classes in. I haven't decided where to take them. I emailed Stark State but havent heard back. :( I think that will be my best bet.

Other than that, I dont think we have any plans. Relax, have some fun, maybe take some pictures...

Yes, I'm counting

EIGHT more days of school. And I have to have everything done by then because I dont get a work day at the end of the year. Or the beginning of next year. But, I emailed the superintendent, and he said if I think I'll need a work day, I can talk to my principal and she can put in the request for me. So I think I'll skip the end of the year one, but have her request one for me before school next year, as I'm going to have SO much to get in place with rearranging and all.

I'm so tired of all the rain. The kids havent had any time to play outside. Somehow we've been lucky to have recess outside, but then the rain returns, and we're stuck inside all evening. Games and practices have been cancelled, and one game we played half of in the rain. It was not fun. To add to it, its cold again now. It didnt make it out of the 40s yesterday (after being in the 80s the previous few days) and only in the 50s today. Brrrrrr.

Happy Mother's Day

to me and all the other mom's out there---especially my wonderful mom! :) Besides the littles getting up entirely too early, today started out great...breakfast in bed made and served by my wonderful girls. (Sorry about the quality, my phone was the only camera close)

We spent the rest of the day with my mom and family...a nice relaxing day doing not much of anything at all.

I love my girls...being a mom is the best thing I ever decided to do. My girls are the greatest, and I'm super proud of the young ladies they're becomming.

Making Some Changes

...to the blog anyway. I've been reading a few other blogs, and they really are a lot more interesting, mostly because they include pictures. I'm going to try to do that more often. I'm hoping for a small point and shoot camera for my birthday (but not sure thats gonna happen), and I think I'll be more apt to take pics. I just hate to drag my big camera out all the time for quick pictures. So we'll see what I can come up with.

Still checking in to the schooling. Not sure I'm going to be able to do it all this summer. But I'll get there.

Also working on healthier eating...trying to make better choices for the family. They're not always receptive, but they wont starve, lol.

And the best news---3 weeks (15 days) of school left. And yes, I'm counting!