She shoots....she scores!!!

There were a few instances today that I have been encouraged to set goals for myself. First and foremost, at our staff meeting today, it was explained to me that I am to write my IGP (Individual Growth Plan) by next Tuesday. The second time today that I was encouraged to write goals for myself was by a blogger (fitnessista.com).

My work goals are not the kind of goals that I like to write. I don't want to write a goal that I find difficult to attain but I also want to write a goal that will challenge me to be a better teacher. This crap is so ridiculous. Instead of the district really making sure that I am a good teacher, they leave me to write my own goals upon which to be evaluated by. Makes no sense. I say let my principal evaluate me according to the standards that she values. This is another example of how our country becoming soft by way of unions. I am setting my own goals. What sense does that make? I am only accountable to my goals and God forbid I get an "inadequately meeting standards". If that happened, I am sure some union representative will be by my side defending my inadequate performance. This is one of the main reasons I will never be a principal. They are ridiculed for poor test scores but unable to truly set the bar in their own buildings.

Even though I do not like the idea of setting work goals, I do like the idea of setting personal goals. The following is a list of goals that I can think of (in no particular order and including work goals):
-Cleaning my house (at least) 15 minutes a day
-losing 10 more lbs. by Nov. 1
-being more patient with the minihumans
-being more organized
-recycling (SYKE!!)
-reading to the minihumans more
-going to church at least 3 Sundays a month

What are some of your goals?

Taking a moment

to remember how blessed I am. I have an awesome job but I have been desensitized to the fact that children with disabilities generally have a more difficult life- I feel like I need to revisit this. I am so used to treating these children like all the other typical children (while making sure others are doing the same), that I forget that they are "different". Some of the things my students need to make it through the school day; helmets, wheelchairs, walkers, special chairs to sit in, special potty chairs for the restroom, someone to unbutton their pants and hold them up to the urinal, help carrying their tray, ventilators, leg braces, and an empathetic group of adults to make sure they are getting the education that they deserve.

Speaking of jobbie jobs, The Lawn Boy is closer to being an employee of Lively Shively. They would be crazy not to hire the "Prince of the South" (I swear that is how he described himself to me when we first met). He is strong, persistent, motivated, dependable, smart, honest, brave, and handsome (isn't that the most important quality in a fire fighter?). Good luck boo. Lively Shively (or any other city for that matter) is better off with someone like you ready to protect it.

Funny stuff..

1. mh2 snuck off to my bathroom to put "lip chap" on (if I wasn't related to her I would say, "Hey stupe- it's called chap stick") and instead rubbed deoderant all over her face. At least she won't have BO of the face

2. I pay the daycare a million dollars a week to let a toddler (or teenager) change my baby's diaper, she only fell 3 feet off the changing table.

3. The Lawn Boy feel a sleep while we were watching tv and sat up to turn it all the way down (so that I couldn't hear it anymore) and went back to sleep- even though I was still totally awake. Instead of sleepwalking he sleepremotes. He does this at least once a week and it drives me crazy, if I would have known about this habit before we got married, I would have reconsidered.

4. I got 2 more followers....oh wait, that's just my dad's alias, and my step mom's 2nd sign on. My family loves me so much they create fake accounts to add to my list of followers.

5. My Dad has an alias (see picture)

Great things about today...

1. I have an awesome job and I am lucky to be able to go to a job that I like.
2. This really annoying lady that I met today and will be working with everyday from here on out has a purple zit/mole/wart on her forehead (I just typed four head) and it is disgusting but somehow I enjoy it.
3. I burned 450 calories during cycling at the Y.
4. mh3 had 2 good days in a row at daycare (and I didn't cry after dropping her off this morning)
5. The Lawn Boy asked me how my first day of school went...isn't it sad that I was touched that my husband remembered a big day.
6. mh2 didn't pee in her pull-up last night.

More to come (pictures) of the best friend's 30th birthday. Have a great week!

On a journey with my BFF

My week has gone much better. I found my keys, ordered an awesome new phone, and put like 2 things in the house away. I went to the gym on Tuesday and Wednesday and I will be going back today. The things I didn't want to talk about are better also. God is good.

Onto more exciting things...
This is my best friend Amber and I in the summer of 2009 (Shout out to Starr, Dawn, Chrissy, Jen, and Kisha also). We decided back in March that we were getting too big for our britches (literally). So, we joined Weight Watchers. I have lost 20 lbs. so far and Amber has lost 17. I feel like the reason I have been so successful is because I have this little chubby buddy to share my journey with. (She really isn't chubby, but she did have some weight that she wanted to lose). I am very proud of her (and me) for not giving up even on the weeks when we have had gains. She is the main reason I have been losing weight (having someone to do this with is great, but having a best friend is better- she demanded at one point that I "STEP AWAY FROM THE PEANUT BUTTER), but here are the other reasons.
1. I work out 5 days a week (most weeks). I have a Heart Rate Monitor and on most sessions I burn at least 500 calories in about an hour.
2. I have tried to minimize processed foods in my family's diet. We are trying to eliminate foods with additives and such though I refuse to go organic and I am having difficulty quitting Diet Coke and the Splenda in my coffee each morning.
3. The Lawn Boy and I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), giving us plenty of fresh vegetables and some fruit each week.
4. I am breastfeeding and burn an extra 500 calories each day just from that.
5. I am intentionally eating a lot more protein than I used to eat.
6. I eat breakfast everyday (today I had 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese with 1 tblsp. peanut butter, 1/2 cup blue berries= 4 pts)
7. I cook almost every night (tonight we are having chicken, baked potatotes, squash, and green beans)
8. I read a lot of health/fitness blogs like Fitnessista.com (my favorite) and Ms. BitchCakes.

I have about 10 more pounds to go, Amber only has a couple more. We are awesome!

Messy house= messy life

I hate crybaby blogs (crybabies in general) but today I need to vent. This is how my week has gone...

1. Lost my keys

2. Lost my phone (I wasn't even drunk)

3. my house is a mess (not like when people say, "Oh my house is a mess" but it's really perfect, like my house is a mess, for real....I got the idea to take the picture while trying to explain what a disaster it is...you get the point. Also my mom showed up unannounced with 2 of her friends while I was trying to make dinner during the girls' naptime, I have serious mommy issues but this is why- I digress. Anyway, the picture is my living room, notice the kids on the couch trying to stay off the floor for fear of being lost in the abyss we call carpet...I should also point out that all those blankets have babies under them. This is how my girls give their babies "naps". Scary because their heads are totally covered and they beat them to death (pat their backs) before they are considered napping.)

4. I worked out for the first time in 9 days (at least I did today)

5. I have probably gained weight because I've eaten like a pig, while I'm trying to lose 10 more lbs.

6. My toddler continues to pee on the floor instead of in the toilet and I don't know how to handle it making me feel inadequate(beat her into submission? yell at her? planned ignoring? all of the above risk embarassment which I am not trying to do but I am also sick of cleaning up urine 3 times a day)

7. some other stuff that I don't even want to talk about

Again- I don't like crybabies so I would like to end on what's been great about this week

1. Really fun day at Holiday World with my big girls, my dad, my stepmom, and Angie