Hibernation

Have you ever felt like hibernating? 

Well I have felt like that since November. I don't know what happened, but I became a couch potato when I wasn't at work. I don't know if it was a combination of stuff - my desktop computer quit, I had to order another computer (I got a laptop - still trying to figure out the darn thing), I was still teaching English at the high school (not knowing when or if I was returning to my other job), the darkness came earlier because of changing our clocks back, etc. My desire to do the normal things sort of went out the door; cleaning (I really don't like to clean on any day - but it got worse), type on blogs or on anything, depressed about money (I guess), Christmas was on the horizon, diet on and off. 

I had to think long and hard where I was going with this couch potato thing - I just was wasting my time. So I decided to rethink my time and here I am typing again and sharing weird information with you. I feel that maybe Spring might be on the horizon - no snow in the forecast for the Pacific Northwests (boo-hoo).

I have projects waiting on the sideline to work on, new adventures just around the corner and who knows what else is in store for 2015. I know this - that it is time for me to get off my duff and get moving. 

Results of my Game On Diet

Well the day finally arrived that our Game On Diet was over. YIPPEE! - I could finally go back to reality. But then I realized I missed being on an eating routine and will probably be back on an edited diet that isn't so strict. I definitely ate better and felt rejuvenated with all the water I drank, exercising and actually eating 5 meals a day. I actually can say I don't miss all the trips to the bathroom. The final weigh in was Monday. I lost another 2 pounds and I was ecstatic. The previous week some how I had gained a pound and I was devastated.

   

Our scorekeeper tallied all of our points and checked in with the other team. A miracle happened we beat them by a small margin of 104 points. Talk about close.

Next week back to the diet - I don't want to gain back what I lost by eating poorly. My goal is to lose another 15 pounds and I think I will be able to feel like a million bucks. It is a goal that I can reach with a little discipline and many trips to the bathroom and Costco for all their great deals on wonderful healthy food.

Crunch Time - Deadlines - YIKES

The past week I have been under a deadline in so many different ways. 

First - I had to get all my consignment items priced and hanged up. Next, I placed all items in tubs to tote them to the Puyallup Fairgrounds on October 14th. I had almost 400 items that I delivered for the sale. It came to 17 tubs of clothes, shoes, books and a few miscellaneous stuff (remember all those Christmas dresses and winter coats I bought throughout the year). I made about $560.00, I donated 92 items and brought home 160 items for next year.

Second - I had to exercise 20 minutes, drink 100 oz. of water, work on my good habit (decluttering) and my bad habit (not watch tv until 8:00 pm) every day. The Game On Diet is now in the last week - end is in sight. But I probably won't quit - it seems I eat much better on this way of eating - it's just getting everything done within the time frame.

Third - I kicked out 5 IEP (Individualized Education Program) for the special education English students that I am subbing at the high school in the next week. No word yet on how long I will be here at the high school (isn't this weird they have to hire subs to take over my IAES/tutoring job - while I am subbing at the high school - go figure).

Fourth - I am finally all caught up at the high school. Clean up class work into file folders. I am trying to come up with a solution for mixing work. Continue to create lesson plans and move towards classroom management strategies. 

Fifth – Decluttering is harder than it looks – I took a carload to Value Village today – they gave me a $3 coupon after spending $10 or more just for donating.

Sixth – Erika and I went couch shopping today and I bought a couch, + 5 year protection plan, + delivery, + taxes. It came to a little more than I wanted to spend, but I need the couch yesterday and it will work (keeping my fingers crossed). Now all we need to do is clean and purge and rearrange by next week when delivery is scheduled.


So that wraps up my last 2 weeks in a nutshell.

Some of the rules for the Game On Diet!

One of the rules for the Game On Diet is to make a new habit. My habit is to declutter. I have things I have kept around for quite awhile. Like my clothes - last summer I decided to finally go through my clothes and get rid of things I didn't fit into or I would never ever wear again. Some of the clothes were too good to get rid of totally so I am going to put them on eBay (hasn't happened yet - of course it's one more thing to do). I figure I can make some money to put towards my couch I need to get. Another thing I had to do was clean out the playroom book shelves (L helped by pulling the last 2 shelves of books off the shelves). So I am going through these books to see if I can make any money off of them through Amazon or if not giving them either to the Goodwill or Value Village. 

Also I feel that if I give items to friends or family is another great way for me to declutter. I have had this purple hairy bed rest for eons (it was my daughters). My friend who teaches second grade is taking it for her classroom. YEAH! - one less thing to trip over. She is also taking some lap desks that I had at school that we have not used in forever. 

I cleaned up another bookcase and gave back all the hardback books that my oldest daughter Nicole had given me (hopefully she can sell them at the consignment shop). My parents are getting all of my vitamins that I never remember to take (since they take the same brand - I thought it would help with the cost).

 

Messy bookcase.

Clean and organized bookcase.

Second rule of the Game On Diet is to give up a bad habit. My bad habit is sitting down to watch TV and then never getting anything done. So I decided I could not watch TV until after 8. Sometimes this is easier to do on any given day, since I have so much decluttering and blogging and schoolwork to accomplish to fulfill my time.

Just Between Friends Consignment Shop at the Puyallup Fairgrounds 10.16 - 10.19.14

Well it's that time of year again - the big consignment shop at the Puyallup Fairgrounds; Just Between Friends. I am busy hussling my behind getting all my clothes that I bought over the last year priced and hung. I have completed 9 boxes and I have 10 more to be priced.YIKES - what was I thinking. These boxes seem to be coming out of the woodwork. Plus the grand kids are growing in leaps and bounds so their is more clothes to price. What is a girl to do!

The drop off date is a week from today. I am wondering if I bit off to much again. This year I am hoping to make some serious dough - I need enough to buy a decent couch. 

My office looks like something exploded within it. Dresses, socks, clothes every where and books that I am selling on Amazon. Do you ever feel that you are drowning in too much stuff. I feel like that on an every day cycle. 

 Check out the Just Between Friends website for more information.

update on school change

I now have been at the English classroom for 1 week. Yes - I am still there! I noticed online today that the job posting has been extended until October 6th - so it looks like I will be there probably through most of October.

I feel that the students are ignoring me since they feel that I won't be around forever.  Why should they give me their best work. I keep telling them that the work they are working on will be graded and needs to be turned in today. Quite a few ignore the rules and expectations.

Even though these students are in high school and special ed they are lacking in sentence structure (capitalization and periods). A few students just sit there looking bored and not completing or for that matter not even starting their classwork. I am not sure how to reach them to let them know this will affect there education. Maybe they don't care. Well I care.

Here is an example: Yesterday I began the day with a writing prompt. All I was asking was 5 complete sentences - some students gave me that and even more. The majority gave me 3 incomplete sentences - maybe. Then we moved onto a spelling list (taken directly off of their school work) - students complained that it was elementary and yet this is what they are needed. I wanted students to alphabetize their spelling. From experience I decided to put the alphabet on the board - I saw every student that was following the directions look at the alphabet on the board. Next was a sheet of handwriting (do you know that some districts aren't teaching cursive any more - what a shame - what are students going to do when they need to sign a legal document).

If students would spend less time complaining about their work and just get started, they would finish it much faster. 

Today I decided to ask another special education teacher who also teaches English what she does in her class. She gave me some reading material and then I created questions to go along. Of course some students did this, but most did not. 

Tomorrow I am going to try another approach and see if I can grab their attention. Luckily I am grabbing some materials from my own classroom (the one I am finally getting students in- which is a whole another issue).

Good intentions on staying on the Game On Diet!

Ok this is what happened- had my smoothie again yesterday and brought my eggs, maple syrup and flax seed oil to school.  My plan was to make my oatmeal porridge around 10:00. Had my 24 oz of water at my side to drink my many glasses of water. This of course did not happen like I planned. My job got switched to another school and teaching job. I was afraid to take my water because I need a bathroom close by with all the liquid I am consuming.

So this is what I ate on Tuesday:

Breakfast was strawberry yogurt smoothie

Snack was 1 string cheese and carrots

Dinner was chicken (which had been marinated in garlic sauce), quinoa and steamed spinach. Then I drizzled 1 tsp of flax seed oil over the meal.

Of course I didn't eat my required 5 meals, but I have to analyze this whole diet for what I want to gain out of it. My outcome is to find some healthy recipes that kicks me off sugar and helps eliminate bad fat.

This is what I ate today:

Breakfast strawberry yogurt smoothie

Snack 2 pieces of string cheese and a handful of cashews

Lunch was another strawberry yogurt smoothie

Dinner was steak, quinoa and mushrooms with spinach.

It was delightful and quite filling.

Job Change after school has started

I went to work on Tuesday and boy I got a surprise. One of our special ed directors came by and asked if he could talk to me. Of course, my heart dropped and I felt that awful feeling that I was being sent to the principal’s office- yikes! He wanted to tell me that I was needed somewhere else in a teaching job since I didn't have any students. A high school was in dire need of a special education teacher who could do Individual Educational program (IEP's). So I said what would happen when I got students within my program and he said that I would stay at the high school until they could hire someone full time. When I get students the district would get a tutor or a sub for my position

So I head over to the high school to observe and get a feel of the land. I never thought I would ever teach in an English class but that is exactly what I am doing - wow! Of course, after observing the class I realized that I needed some material from my class. After work I went to my program and picked up writing prompts, logic puzzles, finding facts- most of my Do it Now worksheets. I think these will be a life saver.

Wednesday we used one of the writing prompts and it gave me an assessment on how students can write a complete sentence. Quite a few students start their sentences without a capital and all I's in lower case - EECK! So now I need to find some worksheets regarding capitalization and the importance of the capital I.

I am hoping that this job will be short lived so I can get back to my original job. Now in the present I plan to get curriculum for at least a couple of weeks. This way I will at least know what is happening daily. I really don’t like the unknown- but I do my best teaching by the fly of my pants.

Have any of you been thrown into a situation that was out of your control?