Evening All,
Just a quick note to tell you how my wi in went. I am up a half a pound. Everyone said they thought it was muscle since I started working out again. But it is still a little discouraging after all the hard work I did about watching what I eat last week and even eating healthy at three parties over the weekend. But I am still going to try and kick butt. My mini goal for June is to be down below 200 by June 30th. So that is dropping off 12 pounds. I think I am up for a challenge.
Hope everyone had a wonderful day back at school after that nice long weekend.
Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry

Evening all.
I got home really late from the convention last night. I did manage to get a swim in during the morning. The Convention was in Baltimore, so I was near the gym I work at. That was nice.
My friend from NY that came down for the event had asked if I wanted to try and set up a dinner for one of our mutual friends down here, and then my other friends that I introduced him to last year. I did it, and so we went to dinner after the convention. I had to drag him out of there at 6:00 Monday evening. Fortunately, there was no traffic and we were there in less than 90 minutes. Then we had to pick up one of the people, because her car was dead. I got lost. We had a stunning lack of communication when she tried to give me directions.
We wound up doing dinner much later than I thought, and we actually ate in the restaurant. Given how I typically react to food, that isn't something I do very often. This is a restaurant I like, but never go to because they don't let you do take-out. The results last night were predictable. My friends wound up taking the other girl home and getting my friend back on the road toward New York so I could get myself home.
School today was pretty decent... My ED Kiddo wound up going home with asthma or something similar. I hope he doesn't have asthma... that's the last thing I need! Its hard enough to keep track of his glasses and point sheets that are shed all over the building. I can't imagine doing it with an inhaler. Darth Student didn't come today. Probably because we had the slide show, and she would have had to go with the group to the auditorium. I'm going to guess the same thing will happen on Friday because we have the student awards ceremony that day.
I was supposed to have a class tonight, but there was a major traffic incident going into where the class was supposed to be held, and I just couldn't get there. I used the time to work on a slideshow of this year's pictures for the kids.

Hiya!
Well.... it is done! I have now have from May 31st to the 8th of July to get my fanny in gear and shrink it a bit more! I am meeting my dearest friend in Orlando for the National I Teach 1st Conference on the 9th of July! We will "do" the conference together and then head back to her house for the remainder of the week! Gasp! I'm so darn excited about going with her to this conference! I approached the principal back in early April with the.... "I know that this is a LONGGGG shot, but....do you have any money to spare?" The school is paying for the conference itself...and I am responsible for the hotel and airfare. While we don't have a bunch of money stacked around in the corners (after DH was out of work for nearly a full year.....) I have been cutting things here and there and "finding" money and moving little bits, etc....

So. Tomorrow. I go hard core WW! I KNOW that I can do this! I have made my menus for the week.... this isn't THAT far from what I've been doing...except I can't go rationalizing that afternoon chocolate buzz that I so horribly crave! I'll just figure in the points!

Beginning next Monday, our school is having a 6 day (yes! 6 FULL DAYS!) MultiCultural Fair. I must make srue that I have NO access to junk food! 6 days! Grade 1 is responsible for teaching everyone in the school about Mexico. Funny, Mexico isn't a first grade standard of learning....and they outlawed hobby teaching years ago..... hmmmm??? I'm so confused! My kids are loving singing "Cabeza, hombros, knees y pies" in Spanish!

Kerry, hang in there.... you know that your successful weekend will find its way to your scale! Patience!
Mousie, Glad that you got to see your friends and enjoy the convention too!
Gin, We haven't had any baseball since last Thursday! and we don't have any until Thursday! WhooooHooooo! I'm psyched... until Thursday night!
Pam. Yo' dawg! Live near the Charlotte airport? Can't remember where you are! You can come see me while I wait for my planes!

Gotta run....... it is nearly midnight ONCE again! Dang where do the hours go?! Take care ya'll!
meee

Ok... I'm a bit concerned regarding dealing with the stress of the end of the year, the stress of the MultiCultural ExtravaganZA, the stress of irrate parents (don't ask), the stress of being an irrate parent (don't ask!...but I bet you know that it is with my 8th grade son's teachers!), the stress of the darn new adorable puppy, the stress of hours spent at baseball, the stress of dh's swing shift, STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS....and I'm supposed to do this on HOW many points?! ....AND without chocolate??? Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

.....I burned my arm with a hot glue gun....and then like a fool (as an immediate reaction without thinking...) I pulled the glob of glue off my arm and along came MORE skin than was truly necessary... For the record, I didn't say anything other than "Ouch!" (I was surrounded by 8 7 year olds who were listening to my "this is very hot speech!") BUT I did nearly wet my pants and pass out... (In that order!) My friend next door was "in charge" for the next 20 minutes as I sat trying to breathe with the Fred Flinstone throbbing arm thing going on!

Well, hope everyone is doing well! I've got two more report cards to carefully positively write! Ya'll take care!
meeee

Hope all is well with everyone. Busy day filled with school "fun"...busy night filled with baseball "fun" and now 8th grade project "fun"....

Hey Gin....guess this is what it feels like to talk to myself, huh?!
take care,
meee

Hi Ladies,
I am happy to say that I am done teaching school for the 2005-06 school year. Today was my last day with students and I didn't have any students show up. Yippee! So I got all my work done for tomorrow. Now I can show up for work and just play and goof off with my school pals before lunch. After I eat I am out the door, not coming back or looking back until August. "Schools out for the summer" is now my current theme song.
Robyn how is your arm today? I hope it is a little bit better. Have you been putting aloe on it to keep it from getting an infection in it? Other than stress, how is your life? Just remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So how much more school do you have?
Mouse, sounds like you are having easy school days with very little or no kids. Your slideshow sounds nice. Is it just for your class or are you sharing it with the whole school?
Hi to Pam and Ginny. Hope things are going well for you both. Is the countdown on for the end of your school year?
I must say that I think I have done a good job eating at school parties here the last two days. Tomorrow is a carry-in lunch and I plan on walking in the morning and then going to workout right after work at Curves.
Well I must check out the want-ads for a part-time job for this summer before heading off to bed. Chat with you all later.
Have a great Friday!
Later taters,
Kerry

Hey ladies.
Ok, three more days with the kiddos. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can......Sorry haven't been on this week. We have been working like dogs, both at school and home. I am soooooooooooooo pissed off right now. We were getting ready to get our pool out. Well, it bit the dust. So, we decided to go and look at permanent above ground pools. Way out of our price range. So, we got a 24 foot metal rail wall pool at walmart. SO, we spent the better part of the week, trying to level the stupid slopey back yard. We worked until nine oclock every night. THought we had the stupid thing level. Put the pool up. Which in itself was a pain in the butt. Filled it, it has taken two days to fill it. NOW IT IS NOT LEVEL....................WE HAVE TO DRAIN IT AND TAKE IT DOWN AND LEVEL IT AGAIN...........OMIGOD.....I AM SOOOOO PISSED.............I have developed a soreness unknown to me, by hauling lifting 1800 pounds of sand and top soil. NOt to mention raking, tilling, digging. I don't even want to know what our dagonne water bill is going to be. Dang.......So, I guess we will start over. My hubby is supposed to be going deep sea fishing tomorrow, so I guess I will be stuck doing all this myself. I am serious when I say I did it the first time. It's making me crazy. I have not lost a single pound have not tried. I'm burned out, tired and CRAZY. I worked so hard. It's disappointing.
Kerry: COngrats on being done. Lucky dawg. OUr kids have decided to lose their minds. I am holding my breath. Grades are due Monday, atleast most of that is done.
Robyn: Live nowhere near the Charlotte airport. Actually, I think I live closer to you. Now, if you were stopping in Raliegh, I'd be there. I am in ROcky Mount.
Ginny: How is everything going?
Mouse: Hope you are doing ok.
Gotta clean...
Pam

OMG. My shoulder, butt and neck. WHO knew that I also must have jarred something within that whole system. Old fat women were NOT meant to fall.

In other news, my report cards are done! Except for attendance. Can't do that until the very end. I've got all the other testing done at school. Now *ALL* that is left is making sure all the "stuff" is entered into the proper spots and filed correctly. The giant paper push. As if THAT is *ALL* that I truly have to do!

Tomorrow is the begining of our Cultural Fair. 6 school days of "sheer pandelirium" (as that redneck comic calls it!) 6 days of not being away from the children at ALL. 6. SIX. 6. Lunch in our classrooms on plastic trays over carpet owned by me! (NOT! We're rolling that puppy back!) SIX. 6. SIX days! Tomorrow, our first day, is 3rd grades day to teach the school ALL about Greece. The schedule kinks will be fixed out tomorrow as it works or doesn't. 1st grade presents on Thursday. OH we have 532 kids in the school and each gradelevel was given $0 as a budget for this little *SIX DAY* soiree.

AND to top ALL THIS OFF.........I'm not supposed to be eating anything that isn't on my plan. PLAN? WHAT PLAN? I wonder if I just plan for all my WW points to be chocolate........... man that won't be much!

Someone needs to get back in here before I just break my fingers complaining myself into cyberspace. I'm guessing that you've already figured out.... I'm not excited about next week! (The next SIX days!)

take care,
meeee

Good afternoon all.

I am not quite sure where the week went, but I can't say I was disappointed. I was out Friday, and all the kids showed up. My poor TA. We went bowling on Thursday for the Red Cross... and nobody brought their money except 2 of my kids. But we had fun anyway... I bowled over 100 for the first time ever. 144 was my final score. That's not bad considering that I forgot my ankle brace (shhh! Please don't tell my doctor!), and was wearing sneakers. They won't let me wear the high shoes because they'll mark up the floor. I see a pair of high ankle sneakers in my future so I can bowl more often. Its cheap as anything to take the kids there, its good exercise and they enjoy it.
After we bowled, and school was over, I went to my mom's house overnight. I had to get my NEW CAR!!!! Yes, everybody, Mouse bought a new car. Okay, its a new to mouse car, but that's okay. My mom saw it before I did, because I bought it at the Saturn dealer near her house. I've now bought 4 cars from the same person. Anyway, I was told it was "silver blue". Its not. Its NEON blue! That thing is bright! At least I won't lose it in the parking lot! But it has really low milage (32K), and the price was right. Its a 2004 Saturn Ion2.
Saturday I proctored for the SAT I at my school. Got paid for it, too. I thought I was proctoring, but turns out I was a test administrator. I think that means I get more money. I don't think any of the kids tried to cheat, but the room was so packed with desks that there was no way I could get to the back of the room to make sure...
I ran errands after that, and its a good thing I pushed myself to do it yesterday because so far today I haven't done anything but cough. That cold I had a few weeks ago with the cough that was lingering? The cough is back. And its my own fault because I kept swimming while I had it... I guess I'd better go see the doctor tomorrow or Tuesday. Get rid of the damn thing once and for all.
We're going shopping tomorrow for the travel items for the project graduation. I picked up some beach buckets, and some little woven beach bags to put the stuff in. Also bought some of those magic towels. I figure we can make 6 nice gift baskets for the Graduation party folks to give away. I'd said we were going to go to Target to buy stuff, but I'm wondering if we shouldn't go to the dollar store... The only problem is that we have a tiny little dollar store near us, and they don't have a huge selection. They mostly have standard dollar store stuff.

ok, forgive me for being a crummy friend and not posting...this has been such a long week. Last weekend Dh and I got away for a night alone.......in a hotel room......we drove up to Sturbridge, Mass and spent the day at the restored area and ate out and relaxed......I actually got back the man I married for a few short hours. It was wonderful. Wish it did not have to end.

I have been driving in my yellow submarine/yellow tin can too darned much. Trips galore.....not all for me, but someone has to fill in for the drivers on trips- well the only good part of it is that it will make for a large paycheck.
This Wed, I am driving some kiddies to West Point, and from what I gather I will have an armed MP on board conducting the tour as I drive. (thought that was at least an interesting trip). And lots of baseball.....lots and lots of baseball. The HS season will be over by the end of this week- if they make it past Tuesday's game. Ds's team won today.

WW??? Well I was up a few #'s last week, down this week. Oh- Robyn and Pam (my fellow WW'ers) you MUST try the WW smoothies......I was not such big fan of them until my leader told me how to doctor them up. Add a drop of almond extract and a drop of coconut extract to either the chocolate or vanilla smoothie with some ice cubes anda cup of water. Wow. It is that good. And just one point. Big yum.
Mouse and Kerry.....you ladies ok? (I mentioned Pam and Robyn above, don't want to leave anyone out.)

Sorry to be so brief, things slow down after Wed when Dd has a HUGE report due. (someone please tell me what kind of 4th grade teacher assigns a massive report due this time of year? Huh?)
Gotta go proof read.......sorry to be so terse.

Evening Ladies,
Sounds like everyone is busy with the end of the school year stuff to do. I still can't believe that Ginny and Robyn your children's teachers assigned massive projects due at the end of the school year like that. Do they hate their students and parents? Not to mention the fact that they have to grade them.
I signed up for some tanning sessions at my Curves, so I could get rid of my farmer's tan and my lily white legs. Plus I have to go to a TOPS Area Recognition Days in two weekends from now. So I want to sort of look good for that. Had a busy weekend. Yesterday, I attempted to clean house, until the sweeper bag busted. Needless to say I blamed it on my dh since he was suppose to buy more bags like two months ago and hasn't yet. So I guess that is what I will be doing tomorrow. Took the boys to a minor league ball game last night, since their ball team and all the other ball teams from our city were represented there. It was a lot of fun. Even got a chance to win a free diamond after the game, but I didn't have the right envelope. Today my dh and I mowed the yard for the first time at our new house. Talk about fun. It took me about 2 3/4 hours to push mow it. It is on the side of a hill and now my legs, back and arms are very sore. Then my dh and I went to Dakota's for dinner. So now it is time to relax. Maybe I jiggled some fat off while I was mowing. LOL
Robyn, I am soo sorry that you fell yesterday. Are you atleast feeling a little bit better this evening? So after the 6 days of Cultural Fair items how many more days of school do you have? That is great that you have your report cards almost done. Isn't that a great feeling? Hope you are able to stay on plan and lose some weight over the course of your Cultural Fair. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Mouse, congrats on the new car. Sounds like a nice car. So you enjoyed going bowling with your students. I enjoyed going bowling with my class back in Dec. That was our Christmas party. Plus it was a gift from our PTO, since they paid our way. Hope your cough goes away soon and you start to feel better.
Pam, did you get your pool straightened out? For your sake, I hope you did so you can start enjoying it. So just a few more days of school left for you. How do you plan on spending your summer? I have read more in the last few days, then I have all school year. So I am guessing that I am going to read quite a few books over my summer vacation.
Ginny, glad that you were able to get away and spend some quiet time with your dh. Sounds like you had a nice little getway trip. I wish my dh and I could do that someday this summer. But I don't think it is going to happen since we are watching his kids during the day while his ex-wife is working. So maybe I can talk him into going to a concert with me instead. Sounds like you had to spend too much time driving in your big yellow tin can. But the trip to West Point does sound like a lot of fun. Enjoy!
Well I am tired. So I think I will go watch some tv with my hubby and then go to bed. Talk to you all later.
Have a great Monday!
Take care,
Kerry

I see I left out gobs of stuff earlier.

Robyn: Sorry to hear about that fall. I totally understand how that kind of thing goes,a nd really hope you didn't break the toe!!!!!!!!
Pam: Hope the pool gets set up; when it does, I'll come swimming.
Ginny: Nice to hear about the little break from baseball and Attilla.
Kerry: Mowing. Blech. Hate it. I hate yard work, period, of any kind.

We have 4 days this week, then exams start. Our kids aren't supposed to be there unless they have an exam, so I'm not sure what is going to happen. Most of my kids don't have exams except for some that are in regular classes. My one senior doesn't really have to take them at all, because her grades don't count for anything and she's missed so much school its pointless. 47 whole days, and with all the cuts and half days, probably 50% of the school year is gone.
I need to put in 2 weeks worth of grades, but that's it. Shopping for graduation and making the gift baskets... Then, finishing the DVD.
I need to ask the kids how they feel: do they want a real DVD, or are they okay with the video CD I made for Prom. A real DVD is better quality, but we don't have a DVD burner at school. If I'm going to buy one, I want a Lightscribe one that does the labels... and I can't have it delivered by this Thursday (which is potentially the last day I'll see them). I can do the Video CDs on my computer now.

Well. HEY people! Glad to see you folks! I was a bit jealous that you were off having great weekends without me!

Mouse: New car! Cooooool! Have fun with it! Is it the color they call "laser blue"? ...cause WHOOOOHOOOOO that is BLUE! I drive a Jeep Cherokee that is FIRE ENGINE RED! Had to get used to it a bit ...but now the color doesn't bother me. High top sneakers would be good for your ankle....AND you could bowl more! Bowling ranks up there with a trip to the dentist for me... but I do it when the family wants to go.... the way I look at it....at least it is airconditioned! They like it. I put up with it!

Kerry: Mowing the lawn is great exercise...and it lasting for 2+ hours?! Wow! Did you move to a farm? What town do you live in? My arm abrasion, toe, left hip and fanny oh and knee are all still screaming over my fall yesterday. The toe and abrasion are going to be issues tomorrow at school as we travel to Greece and try to enjoy the diversion in our regularly structured schedule.

Gin: For a second I was concerned about you needing an armed MP on the bus with you. Thought for a second that you were driving around some of the kids that were at my old school! ...but then, duh, I figured out that you were JUST traveling / touring a military base....and well...THEN it all made sense! Glad to hear that you and your dh had a moment away! I am our resident "Attila" currently....8 school days and then I will resume my usual sweetness.... maybe! Dh and both DS went on a Band Trip to Kings Dominion (amusement park) on Saturday. This was scheduled in September. Dh and DS missed a baseball game to go. DH was an official chaperone for the band. Dh told the head coach about this at the beginning of the season as well as reminded the coach's wife at the last game (Coach wasn't there....) He called DH on his cell phone and was nasty that they weren't at the game. Oh the drama of it all! He then apologized mid drama because he remembered his wife telling him earlier that morning. 2 more games. THAT is all I have to deal with!

The poetry project is finished. He has 4 hairs left on his head that were not pulled out. I have developed a bald spot where I kept pulling out my own hair..... I seriously considered just not forcing him to do this project. BUT then...what would that serve. This had best not turn out like the last ditch project from last year...where we never did get the thing back nor did we hear anything about a grade on it. Ha! Try it, buster!
Youngest kiddos project was completed and turned in. Did I mention his comments about how the presentation went? "They liked mine the best mom." "They did? How do you know?" "They laughed the most at mine!" I'm not too sure that laughing during the presentation of a project on "bacteria" is a true measure of how good the project is/was.... But... sounds as if he might have gotten a bit of my mouth from our shallow little gene pool.... OOPS! He was thrilled that they laughed. Lets hope the Evil Science Teacher was thrilled as well!

I'm off to figure out the schedule for our "travels" to Greece..... Sheer pandelirium, I tell you! PanDeLirEUm!

Talk to you all...or to myself...tomorrow!
take care,
meeee