08.10.11 Into the swing of things.

Howdy folks.  I have been terrible about keeping this updated.  It IS "one more thing to do"- BUT, I think that if I keep up on it, it will help me in several areas.  So here I am.  :)

So.  Let's see.



KIDS:
The kids are great.  Alex is a BIG boy- I mean size-wise.  He is nearing the height of my friend's three year olds.  And he'll be two in a few weeks.  Goodness.  He's talking more and more (not that I can understand it all, but quite a bit).  He's going to "school" with my friend Amy, and he loves it.  There are other little boys his age to play with, and he's loving learning new words, painting, reading books, and all that.  :)  I'm planning his second birthday party and it's sure to be fun!  (And exhausting.  LOL)
Abby is Abby.  <3  She is loving school- 2nd grade.  Craziness.  She is loving her "Challenge" (gifted) class as well.  She is a read-a-holic (gets that from me, I suppose) and reads EVERYWHERE.  The other day, she read through the store.  I would grab on to her and steer her.  LOL  She's also a bit obsessed with animals.  Pets have not worked out for us, so she's going to have to admire them from afar.  The girl makes me smile every day- she amazes me.  And then she makes me laugh, too.  :)

THE HUBBY:
Chas is doing well, still writing at CNNi.  We've been making a point to have a date night at least once a month- and it is wonderful.  I highly recommend it.  :)



SCHOOL:
School is good.  Today was the 8th day of school.  Yes.  Really.  LOL  I have said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE MY SCHOOL!  It is a truly awesome place to work.  I love Abby's teacher and they go really well together.  I am enjoying the teachers I work with.  I'm working hard to prepare for my ESOL Open House in a few weeks.  Good stuff.  It's going to be a great year. 

WEIGHT LOSS:
I have done a crappy job of counting calories/points and a crappy job of getting to the gym.  BUT, I HAVE been aware of what I'm eating.  I've been on the scale every day.  And the numbers are going down.  I've lost almost twenty pounds this year.  And truly, for the first four months or so, it was just yoyo- so the loss was really over the last few months.  I'm noticing in some of my clothes- I've not lost enough to hop down a size- but I am more comfortable in my clothes, and some are loose.  That's always nice.  :)  I've been complimented twice at work- and it feels good.  (Complimented by coworkers.  Two kids have asked me if I'm pregnant.  But that's ok- all the more motivation.  LOL)  I am doing this baby.  I'm going to add the gym to our daily routine- just trying to get used to school first.  :)


MONEY:
We're trying to follow the advice of Clark Howard and Dave Ramsey.  :)  It's hard being on a money-diet, I'll admit.  But I'm back on track with my student loans, and have been following a budget.  OK, I've been making a budget and trying to spend within it.  I've also jumped right into couponing.  I've started following a few blogs that I love- my fave being www.MoneySavingMom.com She is FABULOUS! Her "30 Weeks to a better grocery budget" video series is incredible.  I found her a few months into the year and I sat and watched a bunch of them to catch up.  LOVE LOVE LOVE her. 

GIRL SCOUTS:
We're still doing Girl Scouts- Abby will be a Brownie this year (our troop currently has 5 brownies and 2 daisies).  We haven't had our first meeting of the year yet- still trying to sort out schedules, but we're excited for a new year of fun!

Alright.  I think that's everything for now.  And I swear.  REALLY going to try to keep up with it this time.  :)

Catching up...

OK, so a friend of mine was teasing me for NOT blogging all summer- what can I say, I do better when I'm on a schedule and in a routine!! :)

So, to catch up:
We had a super busy summer- lots of fun!! We went to museums, playdates, farms, parks, beaches, and grandma's houses. :)

My big girl turned five, had an awesome birthday party, and danced her heart out in a very cool recital.

My boy went from bump on a log to motor-scooter, crawling ALL OVER THE PLACE. Chubbers holds his spot in the 95th percentile. Yes, looks like my 8 pound 35 weeker is staying at the top of the charts! Can't believe my baby is ONE YEAR OLD!!

Abby started kindergarten, and after 3 days was splitting her time between K and 1st grade. Two weeks of this and she's now a full time first grader. My barely 5 year old, a first grader. WOW! Doesn't time go fast enough as it is?? So super proud of her though!

I'm teaching at a new school (new to me, that is). I'm happy to be back in an elementary school, excited to be in the same building with Abby, and thrilled at the camaraderie of the folks I am working with. The energy in this building is FABULOUS! I couldn't be happier. :)

I've blogged a lot about my journey to healthy... well, I must say that the train has derailed. I find it easier for me to control my eating when other parts of my life are out of control (like, I can control this one thing, KWIM?)... Well, things are going well, and I'm having trouble pulling the healthy thing back together. I'm embarrassed to say that I've gained back most of what I lost over the last year. :( I'm happy at work and in my family life right now, and it's hard to convince me to go to the gym, when I'm so looking forward to rehashing the day with my hubby, helping Abby with her homework, and snuggling with my baby. Miss an hour+ of this at the gym? :( I know I *SHOULD*... I know I *CAN*... Just gotta get there. *sigh*

If you've read this far, GOOD FOR YOU - and THANKS!! <3

Updates all around

Life has been hectic lately. :) SO here are a few updates.

OH, and not sure if scrappy Sunday will happen today- I'm busy working on Abby's birthday stuff!

ME:I've been super slack in my quest to be healthy, lately. After losing 25 pounds, I gained 5 back and have been bouncing that 5 pounds around (yo-yoing bad) for about 2 months. I'm back on the wagon- joined LA Fitness last week and have made it three times so far. Gotta get back in the hang of logging my food- I've definitely let that go out the window- and then I'll be losing like I was before. ;) I've got to get back on the "budget" bandwagon, too. Between furlough days and the fact that I used up all my sick days and now all days off are unpaid, my check isn't stretching as much as it used to. By time I pay insurance, student loans, formula, diapers, and maybe one trip for gas and groceries- I'm out. *sigh* Hopefully this summer I'll be able to kinda start over.

CHAS:Found out that he'll get to switch schedules soon. I don't know how he handles the night shift- I don't think I could do it- but this new schedule will let us see him more. He'll still be working nights, but now he'll be working true nights- working while we sleep- and he'll be home during the day- sleeping while we're at school- then we'll be able to have dinner together and actually feel like a family. :) Like I said, I don't know how he does it, but it sure will be nice to actually see him every day- and while we're both awake at that!

ABBY:She's doing well. Reading like a true bookworm. She's reading chapter books now- though I must say, her attention span hasn't quite caught up with her reading ability. She can read for hours on end, but if she puts the book down, she doesn't have the pull to pick it back up the next day- she often reaches for a new book instead. LOL Still loving school (though she's looking forward to all our adventures this summer!). She has a dance recital the first weekend of June and she can't wait. It's going to be great. :)
ALEX:
The chunky monkey is sitting up strong and can get around, though we've got no true crawling yet. :) Found out today at lunch that he likes refried beans just as much as his sister does (and did at that age, too). I can't believe he'll be one soon! Time goes WAY too fast.

We had family pictures done last week. Lori took them as a fundraiser for our mommy group. It's always nice to get to actually be IN some of the pictures!! :) I posted them on facebook, but here they are again, because I love them so much. :)

This week... and last week... :)

It has been an incredibly frustrating few weeks- thanks to work. I've had tons of people breathing down my neck- or at least it felt like it. Three administrative observations this week, two days of county-office folks checking up on me, three meetings with my county-level department supervisor (two of which the principal attended as well). NOT FUN AT ALL. The most recent meeting had me in tears (I really HATE that my defense mechanism is to cry. It sucks. I cannot help it, and it sucks. Anyways.)... Then, I am told quietly that it is not *my* work that is being questioned and that I am doing a great job. WHAT??!!! If that is truly the case, why couldn't you have told me before I was a nervous wreck for two solid weeks?? (And if you're just saying it because I was in tears... well, that's not cool.)

Luckily the week has ended well. :)

I had an all day training today, that while not superb, was enjoyable. :) Abby's "Fortune-Telling Meatball" (don't ask) correctly predicted that the meeting would be long and boring, but that my friends would be there and my lunch would be yummy. LOL (She was insisting that I ask the meatball yes/no questions on the way to school this morning- LOL).

And the BEST part? I've reached my first weight loss goal!!! I am down TWENTY FIVE POUNDS! WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! On to the next one! :) :) :) :) :)