Support Groups - Teachers Successfully Losing Weight/happy New Year Edition!!!

Robyn- hope you are feeling better! Hopefully this cold will be a short one-aw you know my mantra, take your vitamins, drink lots of water and tea or clear soup and be a vicious crab to Ds's case manager!!:D Ain't I a *****???
Today is Friday my dear, hang in there!

Quiet am....got a real walk in (so windy but it felt great). Atrilla was in one dilly of a mood........oh I hope it does not hold over thru the weekend!
See ya!

Thank goodness..........this darned week is over!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woo hoo!!!!!

Hey ya'll! Came home from work ..... told dh I was going to get into bed just for a few minutes to get warm ....and I woke up at 8:30... they had a veggie sub waiting for me...ate that and went back to sleep..woke up in time to get to WW...where the scales LIED! They said that I'm up .2 .....I just don't see how I could be UP....I'll go for a no loss....but dagggon..... So...today, between sneezing and wiping my nose...I've been figuring out how to be a TRUEBLUEww girl...... at this point, I'm doing great! ...with the exception of breathing... hehehee! I need to move this body...but I ache too much to do that...excuse number 45532857!

Anyway, Gin, hope Atilla has moved on...and NOT south to live with me! Glad to see that you're able to keep your walking going in spite of cold windy days! You rule! :)

Got a message from Summer that their trip to Florida was lovely! :)

gonna go move some of this junk around in the house! ::ick::

take care,
Robyn

Hey Robyn-
Don'd despair my dear..........the scale lies from time to time. Get it back next week! (and usually this means you are in for a big weight loss week this week!). Keep your chin up. How ya feeling?
Thanks for the card......I am so appreciative having your friendship- and you know I mean that!
Gotta go get dinner on and then do some shopping. Nite

Hello everyone!
Yes, it is 6:17 am SUnday morning. Why am I up? Well, the snore train is making it's way through my bedroom. Might be room for one more to go with me on the cruise. I may have to murder, maime a certain someone....
Gotta a busy busy day ahead of me....Started packing a little yesterday. Was going into the livingroom to write my sub plans for next week, but alas, there are two boys sprawled out on the couch. Ughh. Have to take the oldest grocery shopping today so he will have some food while we are gone. I have already told him that I am not buying food for his army of friends....So, atleast my grocery bill should be cheaper...Thinking of getting my hair cut. I don't know I am having such a great debate about it at this point. I want to get it all cut off....I know I will regret that...So....

Ginny: Sorry you guys have illness running around up there. I feel like I am losing my voice. Won't my kids at school love that tomorrow? How is dd?

Robyn: .2 pounds? You'll get rid of that when you pee.....Sorry you are sick. I have so far managed to stay well.. I thought I was getting a cold. But, I have managed to not be sick....Except for this voice thing. I am a little sniffy, but nothing major......

Mouse: Class...Bluck....Are you feeling better?

Gotta get going. Talk to you all later...

Pam

Hi! I too was up at the a$$crack of dawn.... the hamster died during the night. (THE last hamster this house will ever house!) ...and for some reason the oldest felt the need to announce it at 6:03..... The early morning announcment did not sit well with the others in the house who DID feel horrible that the 3+year old hamster had finally gone to the great hamster wheel in the sky HOWEVER, we did NOT roll out to prepare a funeral for the sweet late WHATEVER (I never did get the name of this one straight!)! In fact, I told them (after getting up at an acceptable hour....AND preparing a delightful Sunday BRUNCH (ahem!)..) that I would NOT be attending the services as it is just tooooooo darn cold out there...and they would have to do it without me! So. Hamster is dead. Cage/tank and equipment is out in the shed waiting for nonfrigid days for a proper scrubbing. ...and hamster is out of the house. I did not ask for details. ...and for your piece of mind...Dh did help them! Poor fellows! I will miss her too...EXCEPT, now I'm RODENT free! ONE less battle to fight! Whooohooo!

Cold temperatures OR runny noses or not, I made our food plan for the week, made my list and headed out to WallyWorld! YippeeeSkippeee! I didn't take the time to do my hair because, well, I just didn't care....and so, of course, I saw no fewer than 6 families or folks that I knew! I used the cold as an excuse for looking so badly! ...THAT and the hamster's death, poor thing! hehehe

HOW are you standing this Pam?! What day do you leave? I'd forgotten about the party I mean your oldest staying alone for a week! WhooHooo! Party at Pam's! I'm glad to hear that your youngest is feeling better! I would NOT cut your hair right now..... However, once the trip is over... it will be up to you! I began cutting my waist long hair the year I was 38. It now doesn't touch my shoulders...I've not ever regretted it...and will NEVER have long hair again! (At this point, I'm too gray and too poor to pay for coloring long hair!) (I do however keep what hair I have colored! I tried to not color it when DH first lost his job.... OMG, it is so bad, I looked 100 years older and felt 10000 years older!) I hope the lost voice thing doesn't hurt! I'd love to lose mine for a day or so...just as an excuse to NOT say a thing! ...to anyone! :) I'll take your snoring machine's place on the cruise! :) Pick me! Pick me!

Gin, How are you doing this weekend? Hope Atilla has been more pleasant to be around! Baseball tryouts were this weekend and next. Yahoo! Dh went to take the youngest yesterday and the truck started acting weird...so they came home and will have to do tryouts next weekend! (Also got truck issue resolved!) Fingers crossed for an easy week for you and your big yellow fellow this week!

Mouse: Hope that your father is doing ok. I'm worried that we've not heard from you in days. Please check in with us just to give us an update...even if it is very quick!

Kerry and the others: Hope all is well with everyone!

Gotta run... need to finish up my homework and get on with STUFF!
take care,
Robyn

Sorry to be brief.....Robyn, so sorry about the hamster. I hope that all the frazzled nerves from her passing have calmed down. Hard to lose a pet and kids are not too good at handling that. One of those times that I want to strangle the psychologists who recommend having a pet because it teaches life lessons!

Well, had to tell Atilla that I was not going to listen to him on the particular subject he was ranting and raving about. Think it is only the 2nd time I have ever told him (or implied) to shut up.....think he felt humbled. Yes he deserved it. No I don't care. Yes I have a wicked headache. No it is not PMS time..........

Being that I am such a ray of sunshine here I am going to say good nite!

Are we having fun yet????? Did not sleep for beans last nite. Got up early and did my WW tape (gotta love those 4 AP's). My eating is shaky.....I wish I could get my act together and stay OP. Oh and BTW, Robyn- you even without your hair done, I can imagine your smile must be something.......lights up the world. Who cares about hair!
How are you feeling?

Gotta go.....back to work. Ugh.

Hi, guys.

Sorry to have disappeared. After I posted that, I promptly got sick... 3 or 4 tiImes, until there was nothing left. Now, mind, I throw up on a regular basis anyway from the meds, but this wasn't the same... I dragged myself to the school because it was already 7:00 by this point. I managed to do some sub plans, get the IEP ready, the forms for my student's who are going to the vo-tech center and such done... And then went and told my supervisor I was going HOME. I did go back for the IEP meeting; our dean ran the whole thing for me, which was good. I managed to stay upright for that, and got myself to my 4:30 doctor's appointment. In the past, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor for something like this, but I'm slowly learning. I had the gastroenteritis. AKA, The Stomach Flu! YEA! Don't you love working with kids who don't wash their hands???? Blech!
My doctor pulled me off the meds for my endocrine disorder (especially the insulin sensitizing drug because if I don't eat when I take that I could get really low blood sugar, and I was definitely NOT eating!) until I could start eating again. I was out of school half of Thursday, all of Friday, and all of today as well. I'm going back tomorrow, but only because interim grades are due by 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. My grades are mostly in the system, but there are no grades after February 17. Not a huge problem, but I'd rather get it taken care of. Today was the first day I ate food: rice, and some lobster sauce (as in, 'shrimp with lobster sauce') because that is all egg white. I had mac & cheese for dinner. I've been drinking regular soda on the advice of my doctor, becuase the diet soda was making me sick too. It was awful, let me tell you! I'm utterly exhausted now...
I'm trying to figure out how to take popsicles to school, because I'm still iffy on solid foods, and popsicles sit best. If I have time or energy, I'll stop at 7-11 or a 24-hour grocery store to get some jello. I'm also drinking Pedialyte. The adult electrolyte solution tastes horrible, so they got me the kid's stuff. ;) I mix it with the ginger ale.
Oh, and there is no justice in the world. For days, I've been eating 500 calories, keeping very little of it in me, and have lost NO weight. :(
I'm not sure I like regular soda anymore: I don't even want to drink it. But, I'm going to follow my doctor's advice... soft diet/clear liquids for a week. She also refilled my anti-nausea drug which has been a huge help, but I can't really take it during the day because it makes me sleepy.
My father is home, but angry with me. He called me Saturday after I had a not-so-nice surprise that involved having to change and wash the sheets... while I had a 101 degree temp. He couldn't understand why I didn't sound good and why I didn't want to talk.
I have my car back, thanks to my wonderful mother. She drove my car more than halfway to Virginia for me, picked up the rental, and drove it back. She left her own Saturn at the dealer so they'd know they were getting their car back. But, I really want the dealership locally to refund some of the money I gave them for doing the maintenance they said they did. The dealer in Lancaster found the following wrong: right wheel bearing, bad water pump, broken vaccuum hose, broken break light, and an engine mount replacement. The beginning of February, I paid the dealer near my school $500 for an oil change and 90,000 mile check. That check includes tire rotation, alignment, fluid top-offs, engine and transmission cleaning, basic over-see. They found nothing wrong with the car at that time except the engine mount. There was only a 2 week period between the time they had the car and the time the dealer in Lancaster had it. I want somebody to explain to me how they missed ALL of those repairs... the Lancaster dealer found the bad water pump because the coolant leaked out on the tires; however, the coolant reservoir was full. That means somebody filled it. How do you miss a wheel-bearing problem when you rotate the tires? Especially when the customer made a point of asking about the rattling noise and was told it was the engine mount. On some level, they owe me money. I doubt I'll see it though.
:mouse:

sorry to hear that you've been ill, mousie! glad to hear that you went to the doctor! your mom is a dear for helping you with your car like that! we have a saturn (OLD!) and have NEVER had that kind of trouble....did you talk to the managment? maybe you even need to go higher...ie. Saturn themselves! Good luck!

hope you slept better, gin! thank you for the compliment about my smile! i am trying to stay OP like a good girl! so far so good....altho my day yesterday nearly did me in!

The great part of my NEW day so far is that I get to wear jeans because it is payday! Whooohooo! I'm sure that today will be better!

:) take care!

Hi and BYE YA'LL!
This is it a Bon Voyage..........Ok, so I may check when I go up to my mom's tonight. But, we're headed to Miami tomorrow. And yes, I have a &^##$#@$ cold. I have been taking Zicam. I'm really nervous that I am forgetting something...BUt, it will have to be ok. I was at work until twenty til five trying to get all my work done....Stuff that's due while I'm gone etc....I think I'm set. Let the partying commence.........I'm sure there are binoculars watching the house to see when we pull away tomorrow. Tonight it's off to Virginia Beach to drop the little one and his eighty pound bookbag off. Then we're coming home.....And we fly out of Raleigh at 4:47. Flying American ......just incase you needed to know........
Mouse: Sorry you're sick. Seems like all the teachers and the kids are sick at my school. I hope you get to feeling better.
Ginny: You're so right about the foods we eat...Junk.....So, far his diet is ok. We'll hope it continues.
Robyn: Too late, already cut it.......Love it......It's right below my chin all the way around. Sort of like a bob...I don't know. The lady who cuts my hair, said let's not get to hasty....We'll thin it out, and trim it. Then we'll see how you like it. Well I still wasn't liking it, until she blew it dry. Works for me. SOrry about your hamster.........:( Hope you're feeling better. When you hear about Oz Fest 2006, I think he is playing at my house next Saturday night. Free Admission.....

Talk to you next week....

Pam

:woo:BonVoyAjjjjjEEEEE! (said in my *BEST* Bugs Bunny!) :woo:
:hat::flow1: Have a wonderful time! Enjoy your trip! :flow1::hat::woo:
Don't forget your sunscreen! :hot:
OzFest06 begins tomorrow! ;):D
Don't forget to send me a postcard! :)
(((Hugs)))
Robyn

Is it Friday yet...for those of us NOT about to go on a wonderful cruise??? Sigh! What a flippin day..... I swear if I could homeschool my oldest, I would! Enough of my mouth!

take care,
meeee

Nope my dear it ain't Friday yet.......and we have a snow day here in NY.
I needed this SO badly............
Ds is irritable, I made him help bring in wood for the wood burner (poor baby....) Gotta go, hope all the sickies out there (Robyn and Mouse) are feeling better!

You had snow and we had a beautiful spring day sandwiched right between 2 horrible winter days.... or at least that is what they are calling for tomorrow! I hope that the weather man is OFF again!

TGIF! TGIF! TGIF! :)

77 yesterday...woke up to 34....brrrrrrrr
wi tomorrow....tonight they are having a happy hour after school....i'm going to go....I will have to get something to eat on the way..because where they are going has very few (if any!) healthy choices..... I guess I could eat a salad! That just SCREAMS happy hour, doesn't it? NOT!

:) just out here talking to myself!

Robyn-Of course a salad screams happy hour......you will be so happy tomorrow if you have that salad. Lots of luck with the WI.........hope it is a good one (think you expected to be down after last week, right?). Sorry about the crummy weather...for me,this is just normal March in NY. Hang in there........ oh and BTW- as far as fishing goes on Hatteras, I know there are charters (not interested in them, usually too much $$$$), and surf fishing (Dh can kill months doing that) but are there any piers? (Ds asked). Thanks again for being your usual helpful self!

Thank good ness this week is over! THought I was going to strangle all my kids this afternoon. Complete monsters.
And I also read my first Evanovich book "Manhunt". A super quick read...doubt I will read any more of her though. It was funny and cute but at least that book was too predictable. On to another author.....

Got lots of workouts in today. Now if I can just control my mouth, or should I say what goes in it.

Better go see what Dd is up to.....I am one tired puppy. Thank goodness it is Friday!

NO! NO! NO! Those books with "man" in the title are HORRIBLE! I've refused to read the last 1 or 2 as I dislike them SOOOOOO much! Please read "One for the Money".... it is a Stephanie Plum book (main character!) Before you leave the 'E' row of the library...try just 1 Stephanie Plum book! ...for MEEE!

I have sent you a link regarding the fishing piers of Hatteras Island. Dave is not home right now to ask him about how the piers are AFTER the hurricane! The one down in Hatteras Village took quite a bashing...but I think that they are all up and functioning...(open to the public) Weve fished the one in Avon..... years ago.... you know...I've gotta have sand in between my toes and I can stay for hours...put me on a pier...and viola...I'm DONE! :)

What a week it has been at school. Didn't get to go to the Happy Hour..... it was an ok decision in the end! Didnt really want to drink any points ANY way......... I'm anxious to see how the WI goes. I have done much better this week....but STILL far from perfect! The STRESS at work is KILLING me!

I've got progress reports to get done. a million other things for school too. housework, ..........oldest is camping with boy scouts....2 hours away...will have to go get him on Sunday...2 hours up...2 hous back! on a weekend??? NO FAIR! :)

I'm going to bed.......I can't keep my eyes open! gotta get up at 6 for my wi....sighhhhhh

take care,
meee

Thanks Robyn for the info about Hatteras and Evanovich. Like and idiot I am starting at the beginning of Cornwell again with Postmortem. And took out another book out by Karin Slaughter. She is not quite Cornwell but keeps my interest.

How did the WI go? COngrats on avoiding happy hour........hugs with regards to the stress. Oh, do I hear ya! Great thing about WW is that even with a less than perfect week you can still lose. Keep up the hard work, Robyn. You are doing great!

Gotta go....life might get sane someday.

All by myself...............waah, waahhhhhhhhhh:(

This week is going to be so busy......hope I can get here from time to time.
Hope everyone is ok and just up to their eyeballs (as opposed to having difficulties). I miss the old daily banter.....but then have little time for it myself.
See ya!

sick kid....... own head throbbing for days now.........
this week is going to stink!

Hey!!!!!!
I'm back! I came back kicking and screaming cause I wanted to stow away......WHAT A BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Omigod, I have never had so much fun. The wedding was beautiful...It was in Key West at President Truman's "Little White House". It was A HUGE SAILING PARTY....WAHOOOO.
Let's just say that I managed to gain four pounds while I was gone. I don't even care. It was so worth it. My only complaint about the whole trip was that I didn't like the pillow....So, all in all I would say it was excellent. Here is a quick run down on our trip. We got to Miami on Wednesday evening....Went to Bubba Gump Shrimp for dinner.....We got onboard
Thursday around 11:30. They gave you champaigne and took your picture...
We drank a bahama momma....Dinner's were excellent. It was appetizer, soup, salad, sorbet, meal and dessert every night....Very fancy....Went to Cozumel Saturday. So, we rode Dune Buggies around the Island, made an attempt at Snorkling....Sort of freaked us both out, so we stayed closer to shore, but still got to see beautiful angel fish....Then, went to the beach, they fed us a mexican buffet.....Drove back around the island and went through these little shops, and caught the tender boat back to the ship. Sunday, we laid in the sun......Went gambling at their little casino....I only did nickel slots...Won, two dollars but lost it right back....
Anyway.....It was absolutely incredible.....Made some great friends then came back home yesterday. I was sort of freaking out going through customs because of course I had my birth certificate, but nobody told me to bring my stinkin marriage certificate.......SO, of course the names didn't match....I was like great, I won't be able to get back in....But, after a ten minute lecture, he let me through.

Robyn: Sorry about the postcard, I didn't get the pm until today. I will mail you the postcard I actually bought there! Won't be postmarked but I'll mail it anyway......

Ginny: Hope all is well with you.... I am so tired this morning...Hubby still sleeping at 8:47. Tons of clothes to wash. Bluck.....Still haven't unloaded the car. SO guess I better get to that.

Mouse: Hope you are over your sickness.

Talk to you all later....

Pam

So glad that you had a great time, Pammy! :) Missed you!
Gin, where are you this week? Got your PM! thank you!

Oldest kid is recovering from a round of the flu..... DH has it now....and doesn't have any time to take off from new job.... I'm having YET ANOTHER week of a million and two stresses! I am so weak and unhappy with myself... I am wallowing in my emotional distress and the cookie jar all at once.... I can't keep my mouth closed.... Tonight...I go back on my Wellbutrin.....I can't do this anymore without some sort of help! It is coming from 1000 directions at me... NOTHING is right......... Gees I'm just a regular ray of sunshine!

Left a post the other day........guess it is lost in space. I welcomed Pam back...wishing her lots of luck with the mountain of laundry. Pam-you come back to reality yet?? Nasty question, when do you go back to work??? Robyn- you feeling better (get rid of the headache from you know where???)Hope that you do not get the flu....sounds like the last thing you need!!!!!! I'll be praying for you, ok? Hang in there.....and hope that the Wellbutrin does not take days to take effect. Hope the flu leaves your house quickly!

This week is awful......just too darned busy. And MIL is coming over on Saturday......anyone want some company that day???? From me?????
Went to WW yesterday...down 2#. Someday I will get to goal........I hope.

Quick question for your opinion.....next week (during my WW meeting) there will be a memorial service at the long term care facility that my FIL went to during the last week he was alive. (he was only there 5 days). Dh HATED the place...blames it for FIL's death (not so....he had so much wrong with him). Anyway- MIL will I am sure put pressure on me to attend the service (it is not a service just for FIL, others will be in it too). Honestly I have no desire to attend.......am I being a creep here? (SIL will be going with MIL, Dh is not attending because he will be at work)

Gotta go......maybe this post will stick!

Hey Gin! Sorry to hear that your week is as great as mine! I'm waiting for my wellbutrin rainbows to show up....so far...um, NOT! Re: the service...I'd ask your husband what he would like you to do.... since it was HIS father...I'd do what HE would like you to do. It mustn't mean too much to him as he will be working...so chances are you might get out of it! :) Good luck!

Robyn- so your week still stinks too eh?????? Aw please, if you find a rainbow........hope it comes to you soon! (how many days does it take for the stuff to kick in?). Other than that...you doing ok? Ds and Dh feeling better? Hugs....hang in there.......longer day light hours have to help, right?
Thanks for the input on my question. I wanted other opinions in case he clams up on me, which could happen (or he rants and raves about how bad the facility stunk......which BTW it did not, it is just a convenient recipient for his anger).

I want my thumb and a blanket and a corner to crawl up into....and a couple of good books......:dizzy:

Good Morning,
We have a optional teacher workday today. So, I am opting to stay home with my son and clean house. Fun FUn Fun.... We are having dh bro and his new wife over tomorrow and her brother since they will be in the area. I was like oh great now I have to clean my house..:D No excuses, I am off today.
I am so sorry everyone is having such a bad week. Going back to work was definitely a reality check. My kids were horrible.... Oh well, what can you do? I have a stack of papers to grade...Still sitting in the bookbag. Atleast the weather is supposed to be glorious here. In the 70's today and tomorrow and I think 80 on Sunday. Well, back down to 166 today. Hopefully by the end of next week, I will be back to my pre cruise weight.

Robyn: Hope you see your rainbows today.....Poor thang.
Ginny: I agree with Robyn: Definitely see what your dh wants you to do.

Gotta get busy.

Pam

Pam-how nice that you had the day off.......ok cleaning is no fun, but there is something therapeutic about getting ones house in order. Hope your family visit is great! Sorry that your kids were so bad....just like your weight, they will whip into shape in a few days. Happy weekend! Oh, thanks to you too for the input on the memorial service. Now if I can get a straight answer out of Dh.....one that is not tinged with anger cause his Df has passed.

Today made up for this miserable week- well sort of. Did my computer teacher thingy this am.......that stunk. Kids were awful- I am attempting to teach something and they insisted on doing it their way. Not too happy about that.......but then this afternoon. My HS had a 1/2 day- so I drove a lot. They had me do a public HS/MS (because my HS kids went home at 12.).Long story short, I got to drive my former elementary kids (now MS age) and see them- some for the 1rst time since they left my bus. For a MS run they were WONDERFUL......what a joy....made me feel great- most actually smiled when they saw me- and that they were so incredibly good- forgive me for boasting, but can I take a wee little bit of credit for that?????? I was the crab who whipped them into shape as little kids...and they turned out so great. It got me in a good mood for their little brothers and sisters (me elementary) who were monsters:( .......ok not quite that bad, just real wound up.

Nuff from me.....got a busy weekend...MIL coming over (noone took me up on my offer for company!:mad: , just kidding). Lots to do. Robyn- good luck at WW tomorrow. Hope your household is getting healthy.

Well. I disappeared again. I went back to work, and was really tired for several days and didn't have the energy to post. We had mid-terms to do, and I also have an alternate assesment binder for the state due the end of this month.
My kids were brats while I was gone. You have no idea how disappointed I was with 3 of them: my chronic absentee didn't come to school because I didn't, my kid with ED slept during his classes and refused his reading class, and my kid that speaks Spanish got sent back from community instruction and threw paper all over the room. I read them the riot act, and now I have another kid on a point sheet.
Robyn: Sorry the flu visited you. As for Saturn: I've been dealing with corporate. They paid for my rental car for the 5 days it took to get my car fixed. But, they won't get the local dealer here to refund any of my money; they say that I would have had to pay for my repairs anyway. I don't deny that, but I think I should get the money I paid for the routine maintenance back because it is supposed to find problems with the car. Clearly, they didn't find anything wrong, and in fact, broke a piece of my car. Its also really likely they didn't replace something they said they did, since the part was bad again. I need to write a letter, but who has TIME?!?!??
I'm going to disappear again; I have a REd Cross training class all weekend, but when I'm not doing that I intend to sit outside on my balcony and read one of my new books: I joined Borders' Rewards, and its seriously dangerous!
I also haven't been swimming: there is a public health law that you can't swim within 2 weeks of various intestinal issues. I did guard all last weekend for another guard who had the flu... The interim director paid me an extra hour, plus an hour of overtime for working the whole weekend and closing without breaks.
I did manage to switch my computer lab shifts, though, so I should be able to swim Monday, Tuesady, Thursday, Friday and Saturday next week. Do you guys think its cheating if I adjust my goals for the month downward because of being sick??
:mouse:

Sorry that you've been ill, Mouse!

Yippeee....Skipppeee.... It is Monday AGAIN!

Robyn- now what were you doing online at 1:13 am today!???? (ok, I have nites like that too!). Hope your day goes ok.....and your week. You feeling ok...? Get to WW?

Mouse- nope, I do not at all think it is cheating if you revise your goals due to illness. Somewhere in all this, reality has to set in and you will get back on track next month.

Pam.......you still alive out there?

Ok weekend, too darned busy.......had to work with Dd on science fair stuff, trying to teach a 4th grader the concept of pH without going into basic chemistry and valance electrons was interesting but I think she got it and found the experiment fun. Guess that is what it is all about.

Got a workout in today...so far my eating has been ok......bad girl this weekend.
See ya!

Survived today. Got a miserable headache and the beginning of a sniffle- sure hope that this is not the lousy bug that I think it is (hear it is a really bad cold....)
Kiddies were ok, I guess. Have a problem with one gutter mouthed 4th grader. Personally I think she is a fetal alcohol syndrome kid- has little ability to recognize right from wrong and always (almost) makes the wrong decision......guess we have to have a little chat tomorrow.
Nite!

Evening, everybody.

I got to swim today for the first time in a month, and it really showed that I'd been missing because of being sick. Usually, if I miss, I can jump back in and that's usually a really good day (a day I can swim for more than an hour at a shot!), but today I was really stiff. It didn't help that I was under a time constraint (needed to be home by 7), and there was a lady who didn't want to share the lanes. The pool can really only hold 14 people at a time, and that's pushing it. 3 people in each of the 3 lap lanes (impossible, especially since one of the lanes is a wall-lane with ladders!), and 5 people in the slow-swim/exercise lane (again, a wall-lane with ladders and steps). Its almost always super busy when I'm there, which is annoying because I asked that question... I was told its not busy in the afternoons. HA! Anyway, usually the walkers will walk around those of us who get stuck swimming in their lane. I was one of those today, and in view of how stiff I was, it was the appropriate place for me. This lady started screaming about how she should get this whole half a lane to herself, and I should swim with the other person who was using it. She's a decent swimmer, can do flip-turns and such. I can't swim behind her, and because the yeller wanted that other half a lane we couldn't circle swim (down one half, up the other, repeat). I was just going to leave, but the other woman called the guard over and he talked to all of us. She said that I refused to share with her... but she got out and then went and got in a lap lane to walk, and screamed at those people, so the guard had to talk to her again. All in all, I'd only have 40 minutes to swim, and only got 25-30 of those straight because of that woman. I was so annoyed that she wasted 15 minutes of my time! Because that is what the pool time is: Its MOUSE time. No pager, no cell phone, nobody can reach me till I get out! :mad: I hate people that feel they have the right to be nasty to others to get their way.
And, although I'm ticked by it, I am highly qualified to teach my students now. I only need 3 credits in Math to be fully HQT, and if they'll take my reading class from Hopkins, I'll be considered highly qualified in English at the Middle and High school levels. So, my kids who are working for a modified diploma can earn credit in the English class with me because the school can call it "English 12" or whatever. It still drives me up a wall to hear that I'm not highly qualified to teach the kids that I have in my classroom and to know that ONLY the teachers of kids with mental ******ation have to be HQT in every core subject and every grade level from K-12. What good is it going to be my kids for me to be highly qualified to teach Math at the high school level????
:mouse:

Hello you all! :)
Gin, Yeah, I've been not sleeping right again.... went to bed last night before 11 tho...so perhaps I will start a trend! It has been really warm here for 2 days...kids wearing shorts and all! Trouble is...that by the end of today it is forcasted to be down in the 40s.... from 80s yesterday to 40s today! Yikes... AND the poor kids who were in shorts yesterday will be in them from now on... cold temperature or not! Sighhh! No, I actually did not go to WW on Saturday. Last week was HORRID...in so many ways. I slept in... DH was in Hatteras alone! (creep! ;) ) and well...the whole queen sized bed..... AND well....the rest they say is history! Is the moon full or getting there or just finishing or WHAT is up with my kiddos? It has been rather rough lately! I've managed not to get the CRUD yet. Even with it in my house....fingers crossed! The "PukinPoopin" is making its rounds now.... and I'm too mean to get THAT! :)

Mouse, sorry that you had issues in the pool once you finally got there. Congratulations on being HQ! I'm trying so hard to hang on to being OLD and grandfathered in on everything! I'm TOO old to learn new tricks and go thru all that! A collegue is doing the National certification thing. Ha. Not on your life! I've taught in only 2 schools less than 30 miles apart...forEVER. I'm NOT in need of a National Certification thing! The "honor" (ok..the stipend MIGHT!) doesn't interest me at all! :)

as Cyndi Lauper said..."Money changes everything!"..... and my added comment..."Lack of Money changes everything!"..... this "poverty" is getting to me girls! Things ARE better than they were....but MANNNNN! I miss the $$$$$

gotta run.......school you know! ;)
take care,
meeee

You guessed it Robyn, tonite is a full moon!!!!!! Between the cat and monsters on the bus, I could have guessed it. Glad you got the whole bed to yourself......you deserve it from time to time! Hope Dh's trip was nice and that you got a chance to recharge those batteries. BTW, the meds kicking in? And how long before Dh's pay goes up....I know you mentioned that they started him out low.

Mouse- oh, I hear ya! My walk time is totally ME time....same thing, no phones, no kids, no job...I feel bad for you that your time was violated. Well, at least you did get some time in. Congrats on being HQ too! Not too sure what the math certification will get you.....at least not in your present position.

Well, the kitties woke me up early, so I did get a 2.something mile walk in on the treadmill. Now am desparately trying to unshovel from the darned bills (still catching up with filing etc...from FIL's illness and passing). Perhaps SOMEDAY I will be organized.......don't hold your breath though!
Oh well, gotta go prepare for my pm. Can't they walk home today?:D
See ya!

The whole highly qualified teacher thing is totally bogus. I have met the licensing requirements of 3 states, for advanced certification in ALL states. The same agencies that tell me I'm not highly qualified, appointed me to a committee that determined the cut score for the test for NEW teachers in my field. I was also just invited to join (I'd expressed interest a year ago) the professional standards committee for teachers of kids with developmental disabilities with the Council for Exceptional Children. But, I'm not highly qualified. 1.5 master's degrees from Johns Hopkins also doesn't have me highly qualified (the 2nd one will be a certificate of advanced graduate study, and the state regs for REGULAR teachers say that a CAGS in their field makes them HQT automatically. Doesn't float for special ed teachers!).
And, as I said, only teachers of kids with mental ******ation are required to be HQT in all 4 core areas in all grade levels K-12. NOBODY ELSE! Other teachers might be required to be HQT in 4 core areas, but only at the grade levels they teach! But, because of what we do, and that we might reasonably have some kids doing life skills, and others doing some credit courses, we have to have both! Otherwise, my kids get sent to a teacher with a degree in the subject area. It does a couple of really bad things: One, it forces schools to place my kids into mainstream classes if they don't have enough self-contained LD classes or teachers, and Two, if the kid can't handle the standards in those 4 core classes at that level (state testing), they can't get anyhting but a IEP diploma. They have no chance at anything else... whereas, if they were with me, I could modify it but remain within state standards. Most regular ed teachers and teachers of kids with learning disabilities don't have those skills!
I got to swim today, but I'm plaing "track your package" with FedEx again. They still refuse to leave packages at my rental office if they require a signature. I've told them that if they can get the cat to open the door, he might sign it for them, but it was probably unlkely. He can open the door, but he's not good at signing his name. I called them, and was even told my package was at one place, but when I got there, I found out the package was more than 35 miles away from me in a whole different city!
:*( :mouse:

Well, Mouse, the whole HQ thing sounds confusing to me, and well, a bit misguided. But then that would not be the first time that something like that seemed out of whack. Guess what does not make sense is why the spec ed teachers need more.....but then I am not an educator, so what do I know. Anyway......sorry 'bout your Fed EX woes. At least you got a swim in (was the lane hog there?)

Survived another day...up 2.4# at WW, some of that was winter clothes (it was much warmer last week). Aw, I am SO sick of this.....wish I could just get rid of these #'s and be done with it!!!!!!!
Monsters were ok, I guess. Very loud.
Off to make dinner. Nite!

Well... it has certainly been an interesting couple of days...
I finally managed to liberate my package from FedEx, but not before they called me foul names on the phone. They insisted that they could NOT leave the package at the rental office, so I finally convinced them to re-route it to my school... but even then, they insisted I be called out of my classroom to sign for it!
While I was doing that, I heard that the paid staff person with my Red Cross chapter (Disaster Services) left... That was a shocker, because I saw her on Sunday. I haven't been out to the chapter in at least 2 months (during the workday... I was there one weekend for a class, but didn't see anybody), so I had no idea. I do remember thinking that the behavior at the holiday party I walked in on (by accident) was strange, but other than that, nothing. The person that our paid staff person replaced had left for Arizona, and is now back in the area, so she has re-taken the position. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this yet.
You might remember that one of the reasons that I was more willing to move here and work where I am was because of that particular chapter. Now, though, I'm worried: if there are unethical or things I can't support going on there, I can't stay. I have been worried that this is the only chapter I've ever been with that hasn't welcomed my students with open arms... but I tossed that one off to the lack of a youth services coordinator and my being new. I also don't have much time to make a decision: I'm one of the team managers, and my team is on in April. I also do not have a local chapter to go to, because I really don't like the person that runs the chapter for the county I live in.
I'm also swamped at school: lots of IEPs due, summer school stuff, testing, etc. I have managed to get swimming twice this week: although, everytime I go that lady that screamed at me on Monday is there... and glares. Its always REALLY crowded, with 2 and 3 people to a lap lane. I am having the MRI on my ankle done tomorrow. I called today to make the appointment, and she had an evening appointment for tomorrow open. I took it: she had 4:00 and 5:30. I was really surprised, because I figured it would take a couple of weeks to get in. It is an enclosed MRI, but my head will stick out, so I'll be okay, I think. Of course, it means I can't swim... unless I go after the appointment, which is unlikely. It'll take an hour they said. I won't have to leave school too early, either: its in the same building as my endocrinologist's office, so I know I can get there from school in minutes. I'm going to try and bring my iPod with me. I know you can't have metal in the machine, but if my head is sticking out, maybe I can have the iPod.
:mouse:

Off for another exciting day in pupil transportation..........wonder how many a**holes I will meet on the road today. Hope everyone has a great week, though......

Mouse- good luck with the MRI........hope you can use the IPOD, but I doubt that it will be allowed..no metal at all I think is the rule and although I am no computer whiz the magnetic end of this could just end up screwing up an IPOD. It is a very strong magnet.

Survived today........miracle of miracles, made it thru a day w/o some screw up passing my reds! And if I am a good girl and stay out of the kitchen I will be well within plan for the day.
Nite!

I'm just going to say that since I last posted the only good things that have happened are that I got to swim Saturday and Sunday, my new swim student is pretty decent, and I survived the MRI.
The rest of it, just sucks. I'm having issues with a student & his parents over an IEP. Its too long to go into. I had to abandon an entire research project on the disabilities that the kids have becuase it "upset them". :(
At least my administration is being fair about it. I was meeting with admin during my entire lunch period, so that meant no swimming because I hadn't eaten since 7:30 this morning.
:mouse:

Mouse-
Sorry things are going so badly.....sounds like the week that Robyn and I were having (miles away from each other of course!) last week or so. On the bright side, the MRI was ok and you did get some swimming time in....did you get the test results yet?

Me, I ended up writing a letter to my parents about the stupid moron who passed me at 60 mph. I did get my supervisors blessing on this one.....both she and the dept head read the thing and gave me an ok to hand it out.
(I am terrified that a kid will get hurt). So now, somehow I annoyed the principal (I have not even spoken to her) because the parents are calling her asking what she can do about some crummy drivers.......and of course she called my dept head......shoot me now.
WW tomorrow and tons of errands....I hate to shop. Hopefully the darned scale will be down.
Nite

Well... I'm not sure if it is good or bad, but the kid is off my caseload now. He's not my responsibility or problem anymore. He went home yesterday and told his mother that I "scared him again". Mind, now, this apparently happened after I gave him the lollipop I got in my mailbox. The staff was asked to help the Junior class by filling in and participating in one of those DataMatch (you get matched up with other staff; kinda like a dating game). I have 2 juniors, so I said I'd do it. They gave us the candy as a thank-you. WEll, I'm not a huge lollipop fan anyway, shouldn't eat it because its sugar, and it was a green-apple one. It it had been grape or something, I' might have saved it. Instead, I offered it for grabs to the kids. One kid was in chil time, so he couldn't have it. The other two included this kid and another. The other didn't want it, this kid did. So I gave it to him. He took my lollipop, ate it, but I scare him??? I sat there and thought, "Gonif!". A gonif is a thief. Depending on how you say it, it could be a joke or it could be a really bad kind of thief; the kind that talks about you behind your back and still eats at your table.
I made my TA stay in the room with us the whole time yesterday so he wouldn't be able to say I did anything. He still did. I had to dump an entire research project because of him and my chronic absentee. And that one is going to go home tonight and tell her father another lie about me. She's mad because I made her do work today... they were stuffing envelopes for a local golf company. The company pays the kids with free miniture golf games, which is really cool. By state law, they're not allowed to pay tem for the work because its a training set up. She feels, apparently, that stuffing envelopes is beneath her... Never mind that both myself and my TA as well as all the adults in the severe disabilities class stuffed envelopes. Oh, and I made her use a pencil for her crossword puzzle in the Transition class today. I asked them to use a pencil because they often get the words wrong and she scribbles it out. She didn't have one, so she just sat there. Then she got out her pen when she thought I wasn't looking and I said, "I asked you to use a pencil." "I don't have one." "Well, what can you do about that?" (I had a pencil sitting right in front me, and two more on my desk!) "I don't know." "You don't know how to get a pencil if you need one?" "No". So the other kid in the class told her to ask me for it. But, she's mad about it.
And then, to top it off, she was supposed to go to vo-tech for assessment today and purposefully didn't get on the bus when she was supposed to.
I swear. This child's birthday is Thursday, we're going to lunch on Friday... and I so want to cancel the whole trip!!! She doesn't DESERVE anything special! I already told the Dean that she told another kid in the class that she was going to tell her Dad on me. I feel like I'm dealing with 2nd grade tattletales!
:mouse:

Aw please is it Friday yet???????????? Today was horrible...........

I wish it were Friday. Actually, I wish it were June. So, now, all of my kids swear they are scared of me, and they are repeating that their parents are saying that they don't want me to come back. :(
I'm too "expressive". Apparently, the kids think I hate them because I have high expectations and they think I yell at them when they can't meet them. Nobody has asked my TA if this happens...
Okay, so I'm completely paranoid now. I'm afraid that they're going to do the same thing the last place did; just make up stuff. I don't know what to do. I've tried talking to the kids, but they can't/don't/won't answer me. :(
And if that weren't bad enough, I totally missed my class because they insisted on having this discussion right before I left. I couldn't leave the building till 3:50, and there is no way I can get there by 4:30 with the traffic around here. I barely make it somedays hwen I leave at 3:30. I didn't even bother to try, because we have to "plead our case" to be allowed to take the quizzes if we're late and be part of the class.
:mouse:

Hang in there Mouse........the weekend is coming. Perhaps with a few days off tempers will cool. Must be something in the air, my kiddies gave me a real run for the money too yesterday.

Tomorrow I am actually going out for breakfast with a coworker!! Doing something for myself!!!!!:D Gee, this is rare! After that the whole darned weekend is , alas baseball.

I'm hanging... hanging... trying. Its hard, let me tell you. I'm hard enough on myself when I make a mistake; to think that the administrators are watching, again... and over stuff that isn't even happening. I was told that my student that speaks Spanish has improved SO MUCH this year; my ED kid has improved his behvior SO MUCH this year. Can't I... shouldn't I... get credit for developing a program that has reached those kids?
:mouse:

Well, it is Monday....but at least Monday is over. Drove a trip mid day (I really wanted to clean up my messy house, but the trip came up, and we needed the $$$$. The one good thing about the trip is that I had about an hour and a half to kill while gone......went for a nice walk...up a massive hill and my legs will kill me tomorrow!

Mouse- hang in there ok?! Yup, I would give you credit.......sounds as though you work in a system that does not allow individual credit (or the moron at the top takes all the credit).

Sorry to be short......gotta go. Tomorrow is another busy day. Have to take Ds to the Dr.
See ya!

running in for a fly by posting.....
I'm trying to reel myself in........ I'm struggling with my own 2 children currently. The end of the term is this Friday. So I have junk going on within my own class as well.... gotta finish all the end of the marking period testing and get grades and report cards done... and try not to go NUTSo on my two ds who are not doing what I want them to do which makes me nuts! (WHOOOO gave them the right to have their own opinion??? That and grow chin whiskers???)

Hope you're hanging in there Mouse..... How frustrating.
Gin, You're a saint to drive that bus! Our bus driver for the field trip was a riot!

gotta run, the kids are fighting... yet again!
take care, ya'll!
meeeeee

Will this week PLEASE end! Can't wait for a normal week........might actually get something done.
Robyn- you are a saint for teaching all day. My exposure is short in duration.....but I do love the little buggers. BTW-there lovely adolescent age and hormones gave them the right to an opinion- it don't get much easier as they get older either!!

Gotta go return to the tin can. See ya!

I sent a man to work and got Atilla the Hun back. And it is not even Friday yet! Kiddies at work are getting spring fever. I need a ton of patience for that.
Nite!

Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!
The Atilla the Hun syndrome! It has a name. There was an article in the paper yesterday, and seriously, it is callled Irritable Male Syndrome. Described the dear man I married perfectly (he was not that way then). Of course getting him to do something about it is another story........

Anywasy, somehow was down a # at WW yesterday. Today has been ok- crummy work day (detours and road construction all darned day and the kids were wired). Just glad it is all over. Tomorrow is Friday.....Yes!

(Robyn, I would be happy to send you the link for the IMS article. LEt me know

I am SOOOOOO glad its Friday tomorrow. But! Saturday is April 1st, and my Red Cross team goes on-call.
I got an A on my paper for my grad class, which was good... Things have been pretty calm and quiet at work and I'm trying to keep it that way... but that one girl just drives me up the wall! She cut LUNCH today... of all things! Didn't report to the cafeteria. She says she was in the library, but she didn't sign in and our regular librarian was out... the substitute, of course, doesn't know her. And then when we came back from the community, she went to the bathroom. Didn't ask anybody, didn't wait, just went. I understand she's 18... she doesn't think she should have to ask to go to the bathroom. I certainly chafed at that myself... but it drives me up a wall!
And my Spanish speaker refused to wash his hands to help us make rice krispy treats for the SD teacher. Her birthday was today, and so we decided to make her rice krispy treats since she loves them. My TA and I also got her a water bottle from Hopkins (she's the lacrosse coach... and Hopkins is one of the biggest lacrosse schools in the country), and a gift certificate to Chik Fil A (her favorite restaurant). He spent the period mucking up the teacher computer (not really, but its the one computer that when the teacher logs in, the media options like burning a CD show up, and the gradebook program).
And I'm afraid I'm going to really disappoint one kid tomorrow: he earned (finally, after 9 weeks!) a perfect week award... lunch at Subway. And I find out that the Subways in this area do NOT sell gift certificates!!!!! :(
I can't wait till spring break! Let me tell you: I plan to spend the week swimming, reading, and sleeping. I haven't been able to swim all week because this idiot mouse left half her swim suit in Baltimore at the other gym!
I've taken steps to prevent such a problem from happening again (ordered some cheap bike shorts that match the suit tops... because of the endocrine disorder, I can't do a one-piece suit: if I buy to fit my top, the bottom doesn't fit right! And the two-piece chlorine proof fabric suits are sOOOOO expensive!!!), but they didn't get here till today even though I paid for fast shipping!
:mouse:

Hey YALL! WHOOO HOOO TGIF!!!! and YES, I'm SCREAMING it! :)

Yup, thank goodness it is Friday!!!! How come this all seems to get tougher and tougher???? (no brainer here, it is life in general!)
Sort of a sane weekend ahead- tomorrow I think I am going to hang out at home- Sunday another double header at Dd's school (so that makes an all day affair). So far and if I behave myself, my eating today has been ok. Yesterday had its moments, and I went over points but there was no collossal disaster blowout....maybe I can salvage this week.

Gotta go- lots to do online( like pay Dd's tuition).

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
I only have 2 kids in my morning classes on A days. One of them has been out all week with the flu. The other is my former chronic absentee who threatened to drop out when she turned 18. She didn't. She's still there. And hating every blessed minute of it. She spent all morning refusing and ignoring my requests for her to do her work... and when she did finally get work at to do, everytime I asked if she needed help, wanted me to check it, offered to help, she refused. The one assignment is designed to be done on the computer. She got all the pages out of order, skipping through and doing what she wanted to do. I offered to help, asked, asked and asked again... and kept being told no. I knew she wasn't doing it right, or doing what she needed to do... she spent 90 minutes copying 20 words on a list she didn't need to copy, and that the directions didn't tell her to copy!
She became mad when I told her she spent the whole 1st period doing something that she didn't need to do, that she couldn't get credit for, etc. Then, 2nd period, she shuffled papers for 60 minutes, and I told her she had work for me to do... I'm trying so hard not to make things WORSE because she just goes home and tells her father that I've done this stuff to her and I haven't... But her dad believes every word she says. Everytime I ask if she needs help she either ignores me or says no. If I go over and try to help, she gets madder.
And my Spanish speaker walked up to one kid and slapped him on the rear. I had to take him to the office because he was with the other teacher, and she was alone with the kids in the cafeteria. The ***'t principal was less than thrilled to see me, even though I said that I wasn't there, he wasn't with me. The first thing he asked me was, "why were there together without an adult!?". And I said they weren't... the other kid just walked up to him and did it! But it wasn't even my class!!!!!
:mouse:

Oh Mouse! How frustrating! Hope it all works out... and I know..easy for me to say, BUT... Hang in there! Have you had spring break yet? Hope not! That way you have something to look forward to! Days with only Mouse and those that YOU choose to be with! ...ahhhhhh.... :)

Gin, hope you salvaged the week! :)

Gotta get kids moving towards baseball practice! Yahoooo! DH is working again this Saturday! Work is good.... but on Saturday??? Mannnn....

Ya'll take care!
meee

We'll see. I spent some time this afternoon with a friend of mine who also has training as a mediator. She was the paid staff person for my local Red Cross, but isn't anymore... but being just friends is better. I was telling her this, and also that I'm not that easy to read in terms of body language. I never have been because I don't follow the rules. Especially now, since I'm always cold (yesterday, it was 80, and I was wearing a turtleneck! Today, I had on short-sleeves and culottes, but had to put my fleece jacket on!), I tend to sit with my arms crossed. That is usually a signal that you're mad. Not for me. I've known my friend off and on for several years (although, as with a number of people I am friends with through Red Cross, we didn't know we knew each other. You meet people on national assignments from other chapters, and never know where you might see them again), and she's been my supervisor on at least one national assignment (Katrina). She told me that she has noticed that when I'm frustrated, I can send off signals like I'm mad. I'm also guessing that I'm quieter in school than I am with friends or in other situations... I'm not very loud to begin with most of the time, so hearing me "raise my voice" might have confused the administrators. Finally, I do have a very strange sense of humor. I can often laugh at the irony of a situation that most people don't find amusing. For example, I find it rather amusing that the local Red Cross (as have several other local chapters) sent me a 5 year pin for service. I've been a volunteer for 19 years now. ;) This is the 2nd or 3rd 5 year pin that I've received. I also find it funny that it seems like whenever I'm on-call, we get a definite spike in responses (and in Baltimore, I was the dispatcher the weekend of more than one multi-unit apartment fire, Hurricane Isabel, and the Blizzard in 2003!). But most people don't understand it! So... her advice is to talk to the administrators and try to explain it. I'm less confident that this will be successful, but I'm thinking I'll give it a try. Logically, I can recognize that I'm having issues with this because it is hurting the kids I'm working with/for, but also because of what happened at my last school. I've been waiting all year for the administrators at this school to act like the ones in my last school... so now that they have, I'm not surprised. But, are they really acting like the people from the last school or is that my perception based on what has happened? If so, then I'm as guilty of making stuff up as the students are!
I finally finished my March goals. Not bad, since I wasn't allowed to swim until March 11th... and I left my swimsuit in Baltimore last week! This is a 4 day week for the students, so we should be okay... then, SPRING BREAK!!!!
:mouse:

Take me out to the ball game..........;)
Be back to chat later!

Survived today......Dd's team won both games, she pitched the first and DH'ed in the second. Even Atilla said it was a good (but nerve wracking) day!
See ya tomorrow.

7 more days till spring break!!!!!!!!!!!! And that is about the best thing I can say about today!!!!!!!!! Thanks to a ton of stupidity with Dd, tomorrow I am off to register her for a summer course at the community college....so going to WW tomorrow instead of Wed. (not ready for this, but I am so hopelessly behind in my housework that I have to combine all my errands in one day or NOTHING gets done......so tired I could scream. Maybe I should scream...

I can't wait till spring break myself, Ginny. Our students are off Friday, we have a teacher workday. But then we're off for the whole blessed week... and I'm actually finished with 3rd quarter grades, and my progress reports are turned in. I have both my IEPs that were due finished (one meeting tomorrow, one after spring break). I might survive the week.
I have a cold... and am thankful it is just that because we have had 2 kids out with the flu. One of them was the kid that said I scared him to pieces (he hasn't been gone for quite 2 weeks yet), and the other is my ED kiddo.
Speaking of which, that kid has had TWO perfect days this week. I might buy him lunch on Thursday anyway, even though he is supposed to have 5 of them... and he did miss 1 point off his sheet for something silly. I think he was goofing off instead of paying attention. If he makes it through tomorrow, I'll buy him lunch on Thursday... and crow to the world that he had a PERFECT week!!!! WE have worked SO HARD on his behavior this year.
He had only 2 office referrals during the 3rd quarter, and the point sheet totals have been climbing steadily during the whole quarter.
I can hope it stays that way!!!! Anyway, I got to go swimming on Sunday, but because of the cold haven't slept. So, I'll have to wait till Friday or Saturday now. I have class tomorrow, and a parent meeting that will probably go very late on thursday.
Oh... and I found somebody to clean my apartment! HUZZAH!!!! WOO HOO! I'm so excited! I'm never, never home, and when I am, I don't want to clean!
:mouse:

Mouse, Hope you do survive the week. Sounds as though things might be a bit calm for you - between sick students and being caught up with your report cards etc... Hope the cold passes quickly.

Another stupid week. Barely getting anything done, or so it seems. Got to WW yesterday (long story why it was Tuesday instead of Wed but I was combing errands.) How I did this I don't know but I stayed the same. Exactly. Oh well.......clothes feel looser.......I'll catch up on the scale next week.
Have to sub on a HS/MS this afternoon. Not looking foward to that.......hate MS routes.
Gotta return to the salt mines. See ya!

Well, this MS route lived up to all expectations.........loud, bratty, out of control. Had to threaten to pull the tape and pull off road to get the monsters to behave. Things are pretty bad when I am actually happy to see my elementary.....aw you know I love them.......so glad today is over.
See ya tomorrow.

Pam and Robyn- where ya hiding?! We miss you!

Another repeat of yesterday..........HS/MS........want to strangle the assistant super. who dished this out to me. Bring on the advil!

All by myself here?! The weather stunk here yesterday....and besides Dd and I were/are fighting some sort of cold/bug. We were both pooped- she has some sniffles and a wee bit of a sore throat. We went to see Ice Age 2 yesterday- pretty good for a sequel although not nearly as good as the original. Got to church this morning (despite that I felt pretty miserable). Attempted 15 minutes on the treadmill. Still feel pooped. Oh well.....guess I should attempt to rake outside being that the weather is nice. I am not an inspired person here!

Ok day- did get out and rake/clean up the yard a bit. BTW, have I mentioned anytime recently that baseball s***s? Gee the season just started and I am SO sick of this already..........just a massive money pit in my book.

Hey! :) This week found me down .8 at the WI.... spent hours at baseball in the cold and drizzly rain! My nose won't stop running now! Came home with steamed shrimp for dinner....yummmm! Left an hour after dinner to join a dear friend for some socializing.... two mom's wanting to escape! Sat in a mexican restraunt's bar laughing our butts off at the Kareoke! Didn't get up to sing, but, of course, we sang at the tops of our lungs at times right at the table! My nsv was sitting drinking water with lemon and NOT eating or drinking ANYthing else! :) Got up, showered and then decided to go back to bed this morning! I cooked a huge brunch (which I didn't eat!) and read the paper, made the menu and plan for the week, made a shopping list and went off to face the crowd at walmart...... What a day! :) I guess going to school tomorrow will be a relief! :)

Gotta run now.... laundry in dryer and I am NOT ironing!
take care,
meee

Hi Robyn,
I was just starting to think that I was going to be chatting by myself for a long time, or looking for some new friends here. :( Great to hear from you, and I know what a busy time of year this is. Sorry you had/have the sniffles. Dd and I have been fighting something similar. Are you feeling better, I hope? And get all that laundry done too? Glad you got out for some socializing. Bet it felt great. Congrats on the .8#loss. Down is better than up and all those .8's add up.........;)

Busy here- got some gardening done yesterday- Dh went to another double header of Dd's. LOTS of baseball/softball this week......and spring soccer started too. I have no life.
Better go.

I got the bug the kids had, so I haven't been around. I took Thursday off, but went to school Friday because we had parent-teacher days. None of my parents showed up... I'd seen two of them that week anyway, but I was kind of hoping that at least the one I don't get to talk to very often would show up. That's the parent of my Spanish speaker, and we need a translator. My school gets extra translators on these days, so we would have been able to talk.
I gave in and went to the doctor after work, and while I was sitting there, my pager went off. My Red Cross team is on call this month, and I just sat there shaking my head. I had to go down to my car and get my stuff. When I got in my doctor's office, she said that I have exactly what everybody else has had all week long. She gave me a script for cough syrup, and an inhaler. I'm avoiding the inhaler for now, though, and she was okay with that. Today is the first day I've felt human. Sunday was really icky.
I'm hoping to feel better enough that I don't have to cancel my dentist appointment on Wednesday. Its just a routine, but I like my dentist and she's in Baltimore. I never bothered to change since she's right near my old gym and I only go twice a year anyway.
I'm off to try out a recipe for ground-turkey stroganoff. I forgot to buy the onion though. Its ground turkey, low-fat cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, and fat-free sour cream... with low-carb pasta. ;)
It'll be nice to actually COOK!
Tomorrow I have to go over to the Red Cross to get orientation materials for my students; we're going to volunteer at the national convention! We're working at a local airport as greeters. That is going to be a lot of prep work for the kids, but I think we can handle it. I'm not sure if I can arrange it, but if I can, I'd like to take them over to the airport at least once before we go work there. I have to check with airport operations on having a school bus on the property. We almost lost the opportunity, because our Transition teacher was going to help us and was really enthusiastic and then backed off for some reason. I was going to dump the whole project, but when I was talking to our department chair, she said she would support it and go with us. So, I'm going to give it a shot. I figured that when the transition teacher said no, she was speaking for admin, but the department chair said she was not... and that if the Dean or the Prinicipal thought we shouldn't go, they'd tell us. I'm so used to people having hidden messages and not saying what they mean that I really second guess myself. I was trying to explain that to the department chair on Friday. I felt really silly, but I like this school and I really do think the administrators are sane... but I'm still worried because of what happened with those two kids who told all those lies.
And then I also have to go to my endocrinologist's office. I'm not sure I understand the message from her secretary. They have the prescriptions for my quarterly testing, and my primary care doctor added some stuff. My endo and primary care doctor work together and share test results... so I need the endo to combine 'scripts so the lab doesn't get confused. I think. I tried to tell the receptionist, but I don't think she understood me.
I also have that bamboo plant for her. A year ago, it was a great idea... but now I'm kind of scared to give it to her.
:mouse:

What was that I said about getting to cook???? I just got paged! Now, I have to wait and see if they do a second call for Red Cross support. Its a brush fire, so I may not know for a few hours. Of course, I'll find out quicker if I start cooking!!!!!
:mouse:

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

Lucky you! :) I posted a longgg (wait...I tried to post!) a longggg note...that has gotten lost...twice... I don't have it in me right now to type it all again. So, this is going to be short....but my heart WAS there!

Mouse, hope you're on the mend.
Gin, lucky you! Spring Break! I am 2 days away...and I can TASTE it! :)

gotta run for now....take care!

Take me out to the ball game .................:( ;)

BTW, guess I am officially plateauing here- someone PLEASE tell me how I managed to stay EXACTLY the same weight 3 WI's in a row?! Huh?????
Couldn't stay for the meeting yesterday...they handed me a bunch of literature on plateauing.......I'm bummed. And Atilla is in mode- ok I realize that he is still mourning his Df and in the anger phase of that (ticked at his Df for dying) but he seems to be taking it out on guess who...... Robyn you are in for one dilly of a PM when I get around to it.

Gotta go make breakfast. Happy day.......(double softball header)

Hey!
Greeetings from NC! Sorry I have been such a stinker. Been so busy. Have been painting my livingroom all week. Got new loveseat and couch Monday.....Got it home, it was ripped....Took it back Tuesday....Got different one. Seems good. People were very nice about it. It's beautiful weather here. Going to Va Beach sometime today. The rest of my house is in disarray. Big time. But, atleast it's spring break.YIPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE.. AMEN.........
We have a case of whooping cough at our school!:o Yikes, what's up with that? It was actually a teacher who teaches one of the afterschool programs....I thought whooping cough was a thing of the past.....
Ginny: How have you been girl? Still being the baseball mom? Will you survive another season of neglect from hubby? I finally found my watp dvd...Yesterday. All of these videos fell out of the cabinet when I was rearranging. There it was...I definitely need to get started on that...ASAP.
Well the way I look at it at this point, not losing sucks, but gaining is worse....So, hang in there.
RObyn: School crazy as usual? How is weight watchers? Big plans for spring break? I have to get my teacher of the year portfolio done....Yuck...I have been putting it off for to long...It's quite tough...Maybe I will get inspired. ONe day is taken up with a doctor's appointment for my son...Finally......We have to go an hour away....I have no clue how to find this place...
Mouse: SOrry you are sick. The thing at the airport sounds nice for your kids...Everyone here has had some sort of crud too.....

Well, six am...Got to go to Walmart and pick up a few things...Fill up my car...Get ready to go to my mom's....Happy Easter and have a good weekend..

Pam

Pam

Evening, everybody.
Spring Break went WAAAAAAY to quickly! I enjoyed being home for 2.5 days (had to leave a bit earlier than planned because of some bad weather we were supposed to get down here that didn't show up till last night, but I did get to go to the farmer's market with my mother!). I did NOT enjoy getting yet another car repair bill. I called the lady that I typically deal with at the dealership and asked her to start looking for a car for me. I owe less than $1500 on my car now, and its not worth it to keep repairing the thing.
The kids were well behaved, although my ED kiddo was a bit more squirrely than usual, and my Spanish-speaker took first opportunity to go to sleep! Then, got mad when the TA woke him up to participate in the lesson.
My student who has gone over to the Dark Side of the Force (a friend's phrasing... he refers to her as 'Darth Student') cut school again, and was also absent 2 days before the break. I'm having trouble being disappointed... Especially since I had a mega-lesson to do with them on volunteering today. I think I mentioned we're going to do some stuff for the Red Cross, like other classes have done. Well, I can't ask them to work for a group they know nothing about or ask them to volunteer if they don't understand what volunteering is. I expected the lesson to really drag, but it didn't! They almost finished the graphic organizer, and watched a short video about what Red Cross volunteers do. It just goes to show what an effect Darth Student has on the other kids (that's how she earned the nickname; I was talking to my friend one night and noted how she seems to exercise powers of mind-control over them to get them to say or not say what she wants!). The kids were even able to explain, briefly, what we'd talked about when another teacher came in the room to ask me a question. I was very impressed!
I captured the attention of my ED kiddo by letting him use my Palm pilot to fill in the graphic organizer. Inspiration makes a version of their software for the Palm, and this kid loves technology! I made another student feel important by letting him do the activity on the desktop that is hooked to the TV so he could do the typing. ;) We also have an awesome timeline of the history of the Red Cross that I'll show them on Wednesday.
I almost didn't make it to the pool after school, but the traffic was so good, I did get there. And was rewarded with a 'near the door' parking space!
I can only hope the rest of the week goes as well, though I'm still really nervous whenever I hear the principal and our dean together. I hate thinking I'm paranoid, but I guess I'm a little shell-shocked by my last experience.
Oh well: I'm off to look and see if I can't find some new pants. I hate the knit pants that I wear, but no other pants fit well because of the lump.
:mouse:

I have been officially on Spring Break since Friday at 4:00! :) Since then, I've gone to a baseball game and HatterasIsland! We went down on Saturday after the game and came home yesterday late! DH had work today and our baseball player has a game tonight! I do LOVE our friends who own the beach house who offer it freely to us whenever we can get down there! Sighhhh! We spent time on the beach on Sunday (it was a bit cool!) and most of the day on Monday! (The boys spent time in the water! IT wasn't THAT warm..... They are insane....and I didn't stop them from having fun! They are no worse for the wear..... altho the oldest did learn a lesson about not forgetting to put sunscreen on the tops of your feet! We pulled in puffer fish and sand sharks all day on Monday. I'll have to direct you to the photo of me kissing the shark when I find a home for it! :) We had a wonderful time!

I've got a lot of damage to "fix" with my eating...it is amazing what 1 trip to my favorite bakery down there will "fix" in my head and waist! I have NO control around what the bakery calls "apple uglies"........sigh! (The good news is that they are ALLLLL gone!)

Gonna run!
Take care!

Long and short of my life.......baseball sucks.........see ya later!

Painting finished.....Mother coming today...Yikes....I am up so early because I have to do a super quick run around the house and clean like a maniac.....I have a headache....Miss ya'll....
Pam

Hi Pam! Gee you should have painted my house......Dd's room needs it badly.
Hope your visit with Dm goes well.
Robyn- glad all those apple thingamagicies are gone.......hope they do not stay around for WI time. You have lots of time until Saturday. How has spring break been treating you?
Mouse-shoot, you are back to school already? How did the meeting go with the principal and dean go?

Me, just busy. Tuesday, Dd and I took my Dm's cat to the vet (fat kitty!) then went off to Dd (19 yr) softball double header. A pleasant day, but WAY too much softball for me, and then we went out for dinner with Dd, her roomate and her parents. I was SUCH a good girl. Had 13 points going into dinner, and had one slice of pizza and a diet coke......Dd's roomates dad ate one whole pizza......boy would my WW leaders ever have been proud of me for nursing that one slice during his pizza orgy. Had WI yesterday- down 1.8# FINALLY- after 3 weeks of the same exact weight. Today, just some gardening, yard work. Tomorrow Dd and I are going into the city to the museum of natural history. Should be fun. Dh and Ds are around Annapolis- some dumb baseball tournament. And they went to the slugfest at Camden Yards last nite. Dh called me today........actually said he missed me :carrot: and that he was "sick of baseball and softball!".:carrot: :carrot:
Methinks he is finally coming around......about a week ago, I sort of laid it on the line- regarding how we really need to keep our romance going (largely due to me swallowing all kinds of crow I have been turning up the heat recently on him). Maybe, just maybe he is getting the message. I've told him we need to get away on an overnite for our anniversary (late May)...think it is starting to register with him. Maybe I can stop looking for that negligee with baseball stitches on it afterall....... (believe me I am not getting too optimistic here).
Babbled enough here........this stinks that the week is almost over.
Take care everyone.

I must be insane.......pray for me my friends.....going into the city.........and I can't decide between driving there :dizzy: and I HATE driving there and with the gas and parking it will be so expensive or taking the bus......which will take forever, but at least be relaxing.
Have a fun!

Good morning.
I came home last night to a nice clean apartment. I found a college student to clean it, and she did a pretty decent job. I apparently need a new vaccuum cleaner, though, because the one I've got is dead. It couldn't have died a few months earlier when it was still under its contract, could it???? I'm not buying a cheap one this time. I need a good one that will pick up the dang cat litter!
The school week was okay, although Thursday my ED kiddo was very much his oldself... likely due to schedule changes. He had an early dismissal for a doctor's appointment one day, and forgot his meds another, plus forgot his glasses 4 out of 5 days (on purpose). We call Mom for meds and glasses, so she had to come over here twice this week.
He had earned lunch from me, but wanted to go to the library instead, so I let him come with us for community instruction on Friday, and he did pretty well.
I haven't had the meeting with the Dean and principal yet; they just tried to set it up on Thursday. I have to admit to being more nervous than I should be, and so I didn't deal with it Thursday. I waited till Friday to answer it. :(
We had a career fair this week, and two of my kids went... both picked up job applications. :)
I'm seriously considering going out for breakfast this morning; I have been pretty good all week... and breakfast foods are things I can eat since I avoid the potatoes and biscuits. I have a paper to write for my graduate class, and we have group presentations next week. The professor is rather disorganized, though, so the group presentations aren't much. I only have one IEP left to write... We did my Spanish speaker's IEP on Thursday evening. I don't know what I did, but when I copied it, half of it didn't wind up where it was supposed to wind up. It was very strange.
:mouse:

Mouse, I have news for you- the expensive vacuums are no great improvement. Parts break just as much.......I think we are dealing with "planned obsolesence" here on the part of the manufacturers. Stinks for us consumers.......

Made it back from NYC and I even drove. Dd and I had a blast.....see ya later.

But... do the expensive vacuums survive longer? The cat litter keeps killing mine! I just want one that is going to suck up cat litter, and clean the carpet!

Only thing new here is that we could have had swimming lessons outside tonight!
:mouse:

Hey yall! :) I'm heading back to the salt mines after a GLORIOUS week of being on Spring Break! Didn't mean to ignore you folks.... I just have been busy doing ...I'm not too sure what! :)

So. Here I am. This week is going to be crazy..... after school hours! DH has to work nights all week..... and I've got something to do EVERY day this week after school. Tuesday, is DH's day off and I have a hair appointment so..... He is going to make pizza for the boys that night.....The rest of the week is all planned out. I just have to finish living through TODAY! I'm REALLY over points..... but hey... it is my birthday afterall! Tomorrow I face the real world a year older ....and measuring EVERYTHING.... while eliminating some of the tastier treats that have been served to me today by my meaning well family! (I COULDNT let them down by not eating their hard work...now COULD I???) hehehehe...

Gotta run.... will check in tomorrow!
take care

Happy birthday Robyn!!!!!!!!! (sorry I forgot to check my calendar.........)
You aren't older, just like fine wine my dear, much better!!!!

Mouse- I have an expensive vacuum that had parts fail on it within the first year. My cheapo bissell picks up cat litter just fine- got it for $40 at Walmart.

I am going to start a new thread.....see ya'll there.