...general goings-on...

...apparently this is a monthly thing for me!!!  I hope to get back to blogging pretty regularly.  This summer has been busy...not really a fun kind of busy, but busy all the same.  I can't believe that we start back to school in a little more than a week...where have the last eight weeks gone?!?!?

We have made a couple of trips to Branson, MO to visit Silver Dollar City.  We are always pleased when we go there, the park is clean, their employees are friendly and it is relatively cheap to get away for a weekend.  It is the closest to the "Disney" feeling that we get here in the Midwest!!! We have made a few trips to our local pool, we don't go as often as I'd like, but I am working a LOT more this summer than last, so I will take the few trips that I can get!!!  Mike was working the day shift at the high school, but just this week, he went back to the night shift, which means, for us, the summer has just about come to an end!!!

Just last week, I officially accepted the position to help out my friend Little Miss M in her last year of preschool.  I am still waiting to hear the details on how many hours a day I will be working, it all hinges on the services she qualifies for.  I am excited for this next chapter in my "career".

I got the "welcome" letter from Little Man's first grade teacher today.  First grade.  I can't believe it.  He is doing so well this summer.  His meltdowns and tantrums have subsided.  Of course, it is not to say that he has not had any problems.  The biggest problem was that he cracked the back of his head during a tantrum.  Yeah, two staples.  That was some fun for Mommy.  The staples lasted a week, and getting them taken out seemed to be worse than having them put in (that is not saying much, because it was not my head that got the staples!!!).

...okay, so it has taken me ALL NIGHT to write this, and it has not amounted to much!!!  Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things, but in the meantime, I will be happy just taking things one day at a time.

Love to All.

...okay, so I took a couple of MONTHS off!!!

...my last post was over two months ago, oh my!!!  A lot has happened.  Right around the time that I stopped writing, I began working more hours at the school.  This time, I was working one-on-one with a little girl in a preschool classroom.  I worked from 6:30 am - 8:00 am with the preschool group, and then 8:00 am - noon as a one-on-one.  It was so very rewarding, but so very exhausting!!!  Four year old little girls have a LOT of energy!!!

My little preschool friend, Miss M is in need of a little extra help.  I only get bits-and-pieces, but she has been diagnosed with something, and qualifies for services from the school district next year.  From my un-trained "Mommy-eye", something tells me she is on the Spectrum.  She is bright and well-spoken, just awkward socially (they brought me in because of aggressiveness toward other classmates, originally), very into routine and is kind of a loner.  Miss M reminds me of Little Man when he started preschool.

Of course, hanging out with Miss M makes me realize just how far Little Man has come.  It is amazing and inspiring.

I was working a pretty good amount, more than I was certainly used to...and like I said, four year olds have a lot of energy!!!  Some days, I would come back to school and work from 2:45 pm - 5 pm.  Combine this, with the schedule of activities that Little Man and were already keeping...and I was exhausted.  I was also falling deeper and deeper into depression.  I am not sure why...maybe I was feeling overwhelmed.  I am not certain.  I am slowly, SLOWLY coming out of it...I need to see a new psychiatrist...I must really need to be on some sort of medicine.  I freaked out so badly with the last one that I was on, that it kind of scared me about any of them.  This is something that I will work on.

When school let out, I was working 40 hours a week...yes, 40 hours!!!  That quickly changed once they realized that we did not have as many kids enrolled as anticipated.  I am working about 32-ish hours right now.  It is about perfect.

I have also been offered to work with Miss M once school starts in August.  This is good (I get more hours, and would be off work when the kids are out of school) and bad (when she goes to kindergarten, I am out of a job, and not guaranteed a position after that).

This got us to thinking.  If I am "out of work" this time next year, it sure would be easy to move back to Florida.

Yes, we talk about this all. of. the. time.

This time, it may be for real.

More on that later, I am tired.

Love to All.

...so I took a few days off...

...yes, I have taken a few days off...when I got back into blogging about a month ago, I was gung-ho about blogging everyday.  Well, life happens, and while I do spend a good part of my waking hours on the computer (far too much time), I don't always have something to talk about.  The whole point of me blogging was kind of a vent/journalling for my therapist.  I would rather take a couple of days off an put out a quality product rather than churning out something blah for quantity sake.  I am over it.  :)

As far as the housecleaning/organizing part of my life goes...I am chipping away.  I still have a LONG way to go.  Our neighborhood is having a community garage sale on 6/11...so our goal is to have the garage gutted (that is Mike's job) and a good deal of the crap from the basement. A little less than two months...it CAN be done!!!  I am getting used to daily routines...even something as simple as emptying (and loading) the dishwasher or doing the laundry.  I have to establish these routines.  It may sound crazy to some, but it is NOT laziness...it is a bit of perfectionism rearing it's ugly head.  It seems so overwhelming sometimes that I would rather not tackle it than do (possibly) a bad job.  I have to figure, from now on, that even a bad job is at least a job done!!! 

Little Man's IEP has been scheduled for May 9th.  I am excited, but a little scared of what will come out of it.  I am not sure why...

I re-joined Weight Watchers last week, and attended my second meeting this morning.  I lost 3.4 lbs this week.  Small loss, I know, but a loss is a loss...and it is all going to add up.  I am very committed this time.  It seems easier this time around, but I am also just starting!!!  ;)

I know it is not much of a blogpost, but I wanted to tell myself that it was okay if I didn't post every. single. day. 

On to the 30 Day Blog Challenge...

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

...this one should be easy, and fun!!!

Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters

What Time Is It? (Original Version) - High School Musical 2 Cast

I Alone - Live

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Journey

XTC vs. Adam Ant - They Might Be Giants

Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts

Lightning Crashes - Live

U + Ur Hand - Pink

Black Magic Woman - Santana

I've Been Waiting - Matthew Sweet



That's about it!!!  All I know for now...

Love to All.

...one day at a time...

I gotta take everything one day at a time...sometimes down to one hour, or even one minute at  time.  It is hard for a lot of people to understand.  That is okay.  I just keep doing what I gotta do.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

Little Man had a good day at school and a pretty good swim lesson. 

Tomorrow will be the end of this crazy week, and for that I am thankful!!!  I want things to get back to "normal".

Here is today's installment of the 30 Day Blog Challenge...

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

This one is pretty easy, however I had to go back to Thanksgiving 2009 to find it!!!

Must take more pictures.

Love to All.

...Wordless Wednesday...

I know this is an old photo...but the eyes had me from the beginning.  I love this Little Man!!!



Day 13 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge...


Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently



I may have to get back on this one...I have not really been hurt by anyone recently...except maybe myself.  I always beat myself up!!!  I might have to devote more time to this one!!!

Love to All.

...just another day...

...not much going on around here...worked, volunteered in Little Man's classroom, took a nap, puttered around the house, then the Tuesday afternoon routine (swim lessons and Exerfun).  Tomorrow, I work for a bit in the afternoon (heaven help me...with 4th and 5th graders!!!) and we start Coach-Pitch baseball.  I will admit, I am a little nervous about the whole being part of a team thing, but it is important for Little Man that we try...

...so, we are on Day 12 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge...

Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one

I think I found out about Blogger via Twitter...many of my "tweeps" had blogs already and I began to follow them.  I thought, why not???  The timing was perfect...my therapist wanted me to journal, and I am not a "pen and paper" person much anymore.  Sure, my blog is not exciting, but it is therapeutic.

That is about it.  The posts this week are short and sweet.  Lots going on.

Love to All.

...back on track???

Okay, so I put my big girl pants on and went back to a Weight Watchers meeting today.  I am currently at the heaviest weight I have EVER been.  I am even heavier now than when I delivered Little Man almost seven years ago.  I seriously have to look at this as a lifestyle change (I know, I have always said that).  I will have to monitor my food intake and activity for the rest of my life.  I am not a professional, though I have visited professionals, but I believe that I am addicted to food.  I don't eat if I am happy/sad/lonely/depressed, etc.  I eat because I like it.  It gives me a high.  I equate this to what a drug addict or an alcoholic feels like when they get their "fix".  Of course, you need food to live...you don't need drugs or alcohol.  This is where the struggle comes in.  I also look at the money side of it.  I spent $140 at the grocery store yesterday, and I have to ask myself "what did I get???".  I could spend four bucks at McDonalds, get two McChicken Sandwiches, a small fry and a large Diet Coke.  All that, and I don't have to cook.  I have to change my way of thinking.  I bought a lot of fresh produce and lean proteins and low-fat dairy.  Now, I have to learn how to cook/prepare/serve these things. 

Tonight, not so good.  Dinner was Macaroni & Cheese.  Kraft.  From a box.

I am getting better.  The fast food thing is going to be hard.  I am going to have to wrap my head around the new PointsPlus system.  Mike and I are committed to going back to the gym this week.  I just need to plan, and we all know how good I am at planning.  :)

On to the 30 Day Blog Challenge...

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends

This is a pretty old photo...I had to dig it out.  Again, it is me, Lisa and Lia.  I think this was taken in maybe 1993-1994-ish.  I am not good with the dates.  We may not have been 21 yet.   If we were 21, it might be just barely...or Lia and Lisa were, and I still had not had my birthday.  I remember thinking I was such a cow in this photo...oh, how I would love to go back to this weight.  I would love to find a photo of me at my thinnest...which was around 1999-2000 when I was living in Florida.  I did not know how to cook, and I did not have a lot of money to eat out all of the time.  I am not sure how I survived, but I did.  I was also very good about working out each and every day.  I will have to see if I can find a photo and scan it in. 

That is about all I know for now.

Love to All.