Teachers Successfully Losing Weight/Back To School Edition
 

Crap!!!

Man was it a short summer. July was HEAVEN. August has been so so. And now we are going back to school. :p The inevitable is upon us. :p

On the positive side...is there a positive side? Anyway, the structure of a schedule will keep me on program more...and who knows? Maybe by next summer, I will be closer to where I want to be.

So, here we go. Best of luck my comrades. Let's knock 'em dead!

Evening Ladies,
Sorry I have been missing in action. On Friday I went school shopping. I was glad to be able to buy one of my new shirts in a smaller size. Yeah!! Then it was off to teach my last evening of VBS. Saturday, I worked on school stuff in the afternoon and the evening went to a scrimmage football game with the family. Yesterday we had a family reunion to go to and then played ball with some friends in the evening. So I have been keeping busy and hopefully sticking close to my diet and excerise plan.
I can not believe school starts tomorrow for my district. I can't believe how fast the summer went. It just seems like yesterday that I was hoping for summer to get here. I am looking forward to having a wonderful year with my students. I just hope that they can all get along with each other this year.
Mouse good luck on your interview. I am so glad to hear that your clothes are fitting differently. That must make you feel good.
Robyn, here are some (((hugs)))) for you sweetie! You are going through a move to a new environment and it is just a little scary. But you will be fine. Enjoy your week of new teacher inservices.
Summer so are you already for school to start? What are you going to do with your dd during that 1st week of school? I hear you about being back on a schedule. I know that way I am granted my time for sure.
Ginny, are you ready for the wheels on the bus to go round and round? When does your dd leave for college?
Well I need to go and get my lunch packed and look over a few last minute things before my big day tomorrow. Talk to you all later.
Kerry

I received devastating news today that puts all else into perspective.

One of my little darling girls from this past year died on Thursday night. She was very sick and was given amoxicillin (at least that is what the bottle said). She immediately turned blue and later died. Unfortunately the adults (her uncle and grandfather) watching her didn't help her fight for survival since instead of taking her straight to the hospital, drove across town to the mall where her mother works to get the insurance card. Then instead of driving to the closest hospital down the street from the mall, drove across town to another hospital. That child never had a chance.

She was not allergic to amoxicillin. The hospital ran a toxicology report but haven't gotten the results yet. It looks as if the pharmacist made a mistake when mixing the medication.

I went to the wake tonight, and it was just awful. Seeing her lying there made me so ill. She was only 4 years old with her entire future full of potential ahead of her. I will never understand why things like this happen. There are people who would say, "it was meant to be" or "it was her time." When I see God, I have a multitude of questions for him, and at the top of the list will be, "Why did she have to go so soon?"

Oh, boy, Summer. I have been so lucky not to ever lose any of my students while I've had them. In my inner-city school, we regularly lost students due to the violence on the streets. I can't even imagine losing a student, really. I mean, I can... I usually have this speech I give them about not wanting to see their names in the paper. And I mean it. Its bad enough getting the notes in email that soandso has been committeed to the state prison pending trial or probation decisions.
Staff goes back tomorrow. And I did the interview today. I think I did the right thing: The district really wanted to hire me, and it was so hard! They offered me more money, tuition reimbursement, a chance to be near my mom and grandmother again... and I said no. I just pictured the looks or lack of looks and comments from my former students, and remembered how they reacted when the classroom assistant went on vacation for a week. They thought she left, and wrote her notes. Last year, when I hurt my ankle, one of my most seriously disturbed students used her free time to make a card in MS Paint for me. How could I leave them without any warning?
I don't care about the administration: they can find somebody else to replace me, and if it were a business job without the kids, I'd be gone.
Robyn, Summer: my thoughts are with you...
Kerry: Good luck tomorrow.
Me? I'm going to go buy a book for my iPaq so that I can have something to do during the intermible staff meetings. Last year they were 4+ hours long each day!
:mouse:

Oh my. (((hugs))) Summer! I am so sad to hear about your student. How sad that those who were caring for her didn't understand or see the "emergency" part of her reaction to the medication. How sad that they let the concern over the bills and the insurance card over ride their concern to save her. How sad that they have to go thru all that is to come. I'm sorry that this has been added to your plate.

Mousie, you will know when it is right. I changed jobs without any second thought because I knew that it was right. ....of course we don't count or talk about all the tears! LOL I'm sure you looked wonderful in your new outfit! I thought of you this morning as I was digging around in my jewelry box looking for JUST the right shade of blue beaded bracelet to wear to the meetings today! :)

Kerry, you sound busy! :) Keep up the great work! Celebrate that blouse in the smaller size, girlie! :)

Ginny... did I miss a message from you, hun?! Hope all is well with you and your family and that you and your dh enjoyed your teenless weekend evening that I last heard you looking forward to! :)

Me? I was in meetings all day today... go to more meetings all day tomorrow! I'm packing my lunch tomorrow so that I make better food choices! (Today was a mandatory luncheon...so I was *FORCED* hehehe to eat whatever they put out! Dessert and all! hehehehe...*FORCED* they had knives and forks pulled on me...what was I to do?! And the dessert was CHOCOLATE! AND IT TASTED GOOD!!! I didn't eat it all! I left a tad.... a small tad.... but it was a tad! he!) Tomorrow I'm back to doing right...or someone will have to get the OoompaLoompas to roll this BadBlueBerry out to the Squeezing Room! ;) OoompaLoompa dwiddly dee, if you're wise you will listen to me.... Why does the fat chick eat all of that when she knows it will make her FAT?! Is she inSANNNNE?! I'm telling you....they had weapons...what WAS I to do?! AND...they were strangers... I couldn't go refusing the food of my new employer now, could I???? It would have been rude!

take care, ya'll!

Just a drive by visit here.....Summer- I can't imagine how awful you must feel. And how sad, that maybe- had another individual seen her and got her the care she needed she might still be here today. Do you have a special memory of this little angel that you would like to share?? Hugs to you.
Robyn- with all you have been up against, how are you holding up? Love your sense of humor, girl!
Mouse- sounds like a tough decision......it did all along. I agree with Robyn- when the time is right it will feel right. Congrats on getting that over with.
Kerry- congrats on the new blouse size!!!!!Bet that feels great. Sorry that the music has started for you.....how did the first day go?

Me, I am still hung up in back to school stuff....trying to get a life set up for my 18 yr old who is old enough to be out with her friends all day......all over the place but not be here to get herself set up for college (bank accounts, etc........aw leave it to Mom...grrrrrrrrrr......) So I am busy. One week left.....we go back 9/2. And won't finish up till much later than all of you who are already back.
Gotta go pick up Ds from bball practice. See ya later!
Ginny

Today was the funeral. The funeral was in Spanish, so there was an interpreter. Those of us who didn't understand Spanish didn't get the same impassioned sermon as those who did. The interpreter didn't speak English very well, and from what I could tell, a lot got lost in the translation, and she spoke very "matter of factly." In spite of the sermon, the music was beautiful, and the woman who spoke for the family was wonderful. My principal went with me which helped. She usually keeps her "professional distance," but today, she broke down that barrier, put her arm around me and cried and prayed right along with me. The superintendent (the one who was ousted) came too. She was surprisingly gracious and actually expressed her sympathy toward me. I guess my red, swollen, and tear gushing face brought out her sensitive side. I couldn't help it, I was beside myself. Both of them sent me home for the day, and the superintendent suggested that I take the week off. At first, I tried to tell them that I was alright to return to school, but after walking in the building to retreive my things, and hearing people laughing like all is well with the world, I realized that I couldn't handle being there right now. So, I left.

Tomorrow, I will return to school. I need to move on. I have 36 children excited to begin school for the first time. I need to give them every ounce of what I gave my little angel. Over the next couple of weeks, I will plan a memorial garden for her and a ceremony for her friends to attend. Hopefully, I can plant a butterfly bush before it gets too cold. Then in the spring, I will add other butterfly attracting plants. To make it really special, my classes can "grow" butterflies and release them in the garden when they are ready.

Ginny, I will always think of Keylyn with her best friend, Abreanna. Those two were inseparable. They were two of the smartest girls in my class. They wrote and illustrated "books" together.

Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts.

Mousie, always go with what your gut tells you..."what the heart knows today, the head will understand tomorrow."

Robyn, I would have handled the luncheon situation the same way. No guilt.

Kerry, take care girl.

Onward and upward.

Evening Ladies,
Well I made it through the first day. I love my new class this year. I have six boys, 4 returning ones and 2 new ones. I think I will be able to do a lot of neat things with them, since none appear to be a behavior problem. That is a good thing.
I went to TOPS tonight. I gained a pound and a half. But I am okay with that. I had three staff meetings where they feed us really great food, but not suitable for a person on a diet. SO I know how you feel Robyn. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just enjoy!! Plus I had my dh's family reunion on Sunday with lots of starchy foods and great desserts. But I have been given a challenge by one of my fellow TOPS pals. She challenged me to take off the 1.5 pounds and an extra one by next week. So I am going to try very hard to accomplish this goal and then some. So I started by dong a walking video tonight. I did 2 miles. Then tomorrow morning I will get up and do another walking video. Plus I will go to Cuvres after school tomorrow evening. Plus I start packing my lunch and taking in iced tea to drink with my lunch. Plus my water through out the day. So I have a plan and hope to stick to it since I am slowly getting back into a set schedule. Enough babbling about me.
Summer, I am so sorry for you sweetie. I can't image the pain and suffering you are going through losing such a young student. You are in my thoughts and prayers, plus your student's family. I think the idea of planting the tree is a great way to keep her memory alive. Plus it will help you get over your suffering. I have never had an exact student die in my class, but I have had a couple parents die and a sibling die during my time as an inner city teacher. Keep your chin up and enjoy your new students in the coming days! :)

Mouse I think you did the right thing. You seem to have this very well planned out. Did they say anything about a possible job opening for you next school year? Don't get too bored in your staff meetings tomorrow. :)

Robyn, other than them feeding your really good food and desserts, how are your meetings going? Have you meet some new friends yet? I am thinking about you making a smooth transition and having a wonderful start to a new school year.

Ginny, sounds like you will be very busy your last week of freedom. I understand what you mean about getting your dd ready for college. I have had to help get the kids ready to start school. So I know what you are going through. Do something fun for yourself before school starts next week.
Well I best be off to bed. I want to be energized for my students tomorrow.
Talk to you all later.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!!
Kerry

Evening Ladies,
I am so proud of myself. I got up this morning and did another 2 mile walking video before getting ready for school. I felt more energized and was able to make it through the day without being as tired. So I think I might attempt to do this all year long. Then on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays also go to Curves and workout. I have also decided that this is going to be the year I grow smaller and more professional. Can you tell my contract is up at the end of this year? I want to please my boss this year so he is not on my backside all year long. Lord knows he would have enough fat to hold onto. LOL
So how was everyone's day today? I hope you are all doing well and staying on your diets.
Well I better go and watch a little tv before going to bed. Talk to you all later.
Have a great Thursday.
Kerry

Hi, All. I'm just going to try to respond in a batch because I didn't read last night and its already after 8 pm here.

It took less than 2 hours (1 hour and 5 minutes exactly) before the administrators and the winging of some of the staff ticked me off and made me truly regret my decision. I keep saying I'm doing it for the kids, but the few staff I told said I made the wrong decision and they can't imagine why I'd ever want to stay in the place. :rolleyes: :cry:
The pool is closed this week, so I can only go upstairs... and I found out yesterday and today that no matter how hard I work, just being upstairs doesn't burn enough calories! Yesterday I worked out, lifting weights and some cardio with the bike and the upper body bike, and only burned like 600 calories in an hour. Today, I did the same but added a bunch of new weight machines and stayed exercising for an hour and 15 minutes. And STILL only burned like 600 calories! And my ankle hurts from the extra biking! Admin keeps changing homeroom lists, so I've gone from seniors (my kids that I've had the last 2 years) to juniors (never taught them, but do know the ones we picked out pretty well), to sophomores (and again, I know them because I had them for Tech Ed last year). But this group of sophomores won't have me for any classes: they've mostly already done survey. And I teach mostly freshman. These guys are not the ones I would have picked to not have a case manager/homeroom teacher as a subject area teacher. They're disorganized, some behavior issues, and two of them are fresh out of self-contained non-rotating classes. And three of them seriously disliked either myself or my TA or both of us by the end of last year.
Oh, and Kerry, my administration is always on my butt too. I don't kiss-up, so I don't ever get the better things or the plums. The plums are reserved for the kiss-ups, and most of them can't teach. Drives me absolutely nuts. The whole homeroom thing is a prime example. If I were a kiss-up, I would have gotten to keep my seniors without a question. We had an issue with the database administrator and grades as well... she was very unprofessional, and yet I was the one that got my head handed to me.
:sigh:

:mouse:

Today was a better day. I had a preschool workshop on oral language. The presenter had a great sense of humor which helped hold my interest and pass the time. Most of what she talked about I agreed with. Some of it was b*llsh*t, but all in all it was relevant. It was certainly better than most of the workshops I have to sit through that just don't apply to my grade level. It also was very good for me to be intellectual today rather than focus on Keylyn's death. Yesterday and last night I couldn't get her off my mind, and when I woke up this morning, I wept some more. Today's workshop was just what I needed. After the workshop, I walked in on the tail end of our staff meeting. Why the principal scheduled it when she knew that not everyone would be there, I will never understand. Nobody could really tell me what was covered, and the agenda was so friggin general. Just watch...in a couple of weeks I will be asked where such and such is or if I took care of this or that. I will ask what she is talking about, and she will tell me that it was discussed at the staff meeting. I'm just waiting. Anyway, after the meeting, I tried to finish my bulletin board when several families came to either register or drop off forms. Everybody needed help filling out the forms which wasted more time. I essentially got very little done. So, school is starting tomorrow, and I'M NOT READY!!! If these f*ckers would have just left me alone, I could have been ready. But, all those days I worked in my room, I hardly had a moment of peace. Next year, I'm going in earlier in August, and staying away from school at the end of August. Maybe that way I can prepare without parents and teachers bugging me. I'm so grouchy, but being anal retentive and a perfectionist, I wanted to be really prepared for tomorrow, and I'M NOT!!! And, before I had a chance to record necessary info from the physicals, i.e., allergies, etc., the nurse has confiscated them. It will be really hard to get them back now because of the whole friggin confidentiality thing. I had them in my hot little hands for weeks, and planned on recording the info yesterday or today, but because of unforeseen circumstances, it didn't happen. Now, I will have to fight with her. I'd better stop.

Kerry, keep up the great attitude and the hard work.

Best of luck to all of my fellow educators, bus drivers, paras, lunch ladies, and school secretaries!!!

Hello people!

I've been sitting in InServices......... with my brain on the REAL subject at hand....
what I'm going to do at school REALLY..... not on what I'm sitting listening to....Which isn't good...but, well.... you know! Today I finally got to hang out a little bit with my new gradelevel friends! :) What a fun group! They have the same sense of humor (somewhere between "Far Side" and "Beavis and Butthead") as I do! AND They have the same nasty mouths as I do! (We discovered that we all have the same favorite curse words! Yahooo!) AND They were really informative about stuff in general!

AND..... There are 2 who go to the Wellness Center which is RIGHT AROUND the corner from our school which I happen to belong to but NEVER go to because I have NO one to go with! Now, HOW COOL IS THAT???! I'm sooooooo excited! Also one of the two, the one MOST like me.... hehehe....also goes to WW! NOW.... Do you think that this could be destiny?! This is going to work! :)

Well.......... gotta run. More inservices tomorrow. I've got to get a few things made for the room and printed before I turn in for the night! Kerry, LOVE your plan! You can do this! :) Summer, how are you feeling? I've had you on my mind! Ginny and Mouse, hello! ((hugs)) to all!

I'm off to do my school work! Yipee! Just like old times!
take care!

Hi!
Sorry for being MIA here....just up to my eyeballs in college land. Tomorrow we take Dd there- parent orientation for us while she sets up her room. Then some seminars for all of us.....we will be bugging out early to get home to the remaining troops (Ds, bless his crabby adolescent heart does NOT want to watch his little sister..... :( oh, gimme a break). So no long posts for me here today. My heart goes out to all of you back in the trenches-meetings, students and all of that. Part of it feels good to be back, I am sure- the kids can really get you excited......and then part wants to stay on vacation. I think of each of you - and know that I'll be in the same boat next week.
Summer- thanks for sharing your memory of Keylyn, her "books" and the service for her. She sounds like one of those special students who you will never forget.
Mouse, Kerry and Robyn- I wish I could get personal now....have a tired and impatient 8 year old who has not seen too much of her mommy the past few days due to college prep stuff for her sister. Better go take care of her!!
See you tomorrow. G'nite.
Ginny

Hi, all! I sat in meetings about stupid stuff like food services and where to park all day. I traded with my TA: She hates meetings the way I hate copying, so I had leverage. I said, "I'll sit here... but YOU have to do all the copying for that first unit!" It says to copy this on that paper and this on that cardstock, but we have 30 something kids doing it, and guess what: I ain't doing it! :P
So, I sat there and read my e-books (finished all but the Princess Diaries IV)... two of them were really good... Mouse, which is about a girl who is living with her aunt and winds up homeless on the streets of Orlando and writes to Mickey Mouse about what is happening to her, and "Mars is No Place for Children" which was a novella about a girl growing up on Mars, and who doesn't want to leave when she finds out she is sick and she can't be treated on the planet.
Been at the gym every day, and did the Red Cross thing tonight. Can't wait for the pool to open!
:mouse:

Heyyyyyyyy ya'll! Miss me??? Whew. Week 1 down! TGIF!

The inservices got better.... but I'm about inserviced OUT for now! I spent most of today on my feet working in my room.... my legs, knees, ankles will recooperate in time for me to go back on Monday....

Monday... Monday.... BACK to ww on Monday! I have to prepare this weekend.... I've got to go hardcore again or I'm gonna have to get bigger clothes.......GASP!

I'm soooo tired! I'm thinking of turning in for the night! Tomorrow I go to a wedding.... it is on a huge sailing ship out on the Bay. Sunscreen and hairspray are MUSTS! :)

take care.....will return when I can write coherent or nearly coherent sentences! :)

I HATE FALL!!!

Yes, I know that it technically isn't fall yet, but it may as well be for those of us who are back to school. Besides, my trees are already beginning to turn orange etc. :(

It sounds like Mouse and Robyn are living the same life as me right now. Ginny, good luck balancing the needs of your college-bound child, your teen, and your little one as you prepare for back to school. Kerry, I'm guessing you are buried deeply in school.

I got my kids on Thursday. Guess who was two hours late for work? Yes, my aide. So, here I have 15 (3 were absent) 3 and 4 year olds with there parents touching everything in my classroom. Two cried hysterically and both were "flight risks," so every time somebody opened the door, I had to run to catch them. Half of the children in the AM class don't speak English. Five have behavioral problems. One vomited all over the gross motor area. And, I was all alone. All I needed was the state inspector or NAEYC to walk in, and my accreditation would have been gone. There was nobody available to help me until 45 minutes later. I have a set of twins in both sessions. The twins in the AM are horrible!!! They speak only Spanish, and even with a translator, refuse to behave. When I read a story to the class, they just laughed hysterically. (The story was, The Kissing Hand. It isn't a funny story.) The PM class is better and brighter (I only have 3 boys in that class, and two of them are hops in the a*s.) They all speak at least some English. One girl, a twin, had diarrhea all over herself, then went into the bathroom and had it all over the floor and walls.

Thursday, I was EXHAUSTED after the day from ****. But, we had tickets to the Beach Boys, so I had to get it together and go. We had to take a shuttle bus from the high school to the amphitheater. We waited almost 3 hours for the show to start. Finally at 8:45pm, on a week night no less, it started. By 9:30pm, DD was thankfully ready to leave. But, then we had to wait 30 minutes for a shuttle bus to take us back to our car. DD's principal was on the bus with us. And, my gastroenterologist was with his family on the bus too. His wife was rude. I just wanted to hide from him, but, it was impossible, so I just said, "hi." We got home really late.

Friday was pretty much a repeat of Thursday except that my aide showed up. Basically, the AM class will need A LOT OF WORK. I am a strong behaviorist, so I shall get them to bend to my will. I have at least one referral to make from that bunch if not more. The PM class will be a joy to work with once they get in the routine. The couple of naughty boys will have no choice but to behave.

I had my last chiropractor appointment which I really needed after carrying around all these crying kids. It is too bad my insurance won't cover any more appointments. I think I am gonna need them.

Last night I crashed. This AM I was up early cleaning my house for an appraisal for a home equity line of credit. Please pray that we get the HELC. It may save us.

Now, I'm off to try to enjoy some of this weekend and do some school work. Tomorrow is church, a sunday school meeting, and a Longeberger party...then some more school work.

Have a great weekend, and remember, a three day weekend is just a week away!

Hi all,
Sorry I was MIA for a few days. I was just completely worn out from school and trying to get back in a routine. Sounds like everyone has been doing well. Busy getting ready to start or already started school.
Summer, I can relate with you about the naughty boys in your class. My class is all boys again this year and they try to push their limits daily with me. Plus I have to do morning bus duty. Some of those kids look like angels getting off the bus and then you see them in the hallway 30 minutes later and they are little devils. :) I hope next week goes better for you. Sounds like you have a busy weekend planned. Enjoy your self and don't get too stressed out about stuff. :)
Mouse, when does your students start back? Sounds like your staff meetings go alot like mine. Half the time, I don't get much out of them since they are most generally geared for the regular ed. teachers. So I sit by one of my other special ed. friends and we either write notes back and forth or I work on my lesson plans for the following week. Glad that you were able to get your TA to make the copies for you. That was very sweet of her. Sounds like you are really getting involved in your exercise plan. Keep up the good work!! :)
Robyn, glad to hear that you made some grade level friends. I bet that eases your mind now. So are you going to start going to the Wellness Center? Hope everything goes well for you on Monday. Enjoy your wedding on the bay today. That sounds like it would be a lot of fun! :)
Ginny, so are you recovering from going to college yesterday? Sounds like you have your hands full right now. Hope you are able to find some time to relax and regroup before starting school next week.
Well I better go and get some housework done. Then I think I will do a three mile walking video, before getting ready to go to tonight's first football game for my town's high school.
Talk to you all later.
Hugs,
Kerry

Well, the first week is over. We had MORE in-services on Friday... behavior management, nursing, and clinical. The majority of our students have emotional issues and get therapy, so they all have a mental health specialist and a academic specialist. They've changed my homeroom AGAIN, or did I already tell all of you that I was demoted to 10th grade? I'm NEVER going to graduate! :grin:
My TA and I have had our first power struggle: she hates my calendar system. The kids have to fill it in daily, and it has little sentence fillers for 'Today is', 'Yesterday was', etc. I think its important for our lower functioning class to do as a way of getting them used to a schedule. They can't follow a schedule for a job if they don't know the days of the week! She thinks that their regular classroom teachers should teach it, but none of them do... well, one teacher probably does... I insisted that the calendar stay up, and she finally gave in.
Oh, and here... I bought some new stuff for my classroom, mostly instructional materials (which was another power struggle: I have 50 kids, and $1000 to cover an entire year of instruction... that has to include renting buses for the 8 required field trips in the vocational curriculum. My TA wants to spend some of the money on decoration for the room! NO WAY!!!!!). One of these was a book I've had my eye on for years called WorkBoxes, which is a set-up to teach kids with significant disabilities various manual office tasks like sorting, filing, matching, collating. I finally bought it this year because I figured it would fit in very well. Well, first I had to convince the other teachers and my TA it would fit. None of them like it. But then I divided it up by our various industry areas and they started seeing how it would work. I meant to bring it home over break because a lot of the materials need to be made: please see my plea at the bottom of this message. Anyway, I forgot the book. It was the last day of summer session, they let us go early, and I was buried in those reports!
Over the 10 day break, the lead teacher for the certificate classes came in my room and TOOK STUFF OUT! She took that book, and some other stuff. I've been going crazy looking for it all week, she never left a note or anything! I finally sent out a 'if you've seen this book' to the whole high school, being VERY embarrassed. I thought I was going to have to repurchase it with my money! Nope...she had it the whole time! Oh, I was livid! Especially since last year students kept stealing software from my computer literacy program and leaving it all over the school or the memory cards from the digital cameras and I got knocked on it during my evaluation! Never mind that there wasn't a single place to lock anything up and I was in the basement which had NOBODY else in it!
So I have all this work to do for this program, and can't do any of it because this twit took the book and gave it to another teacher. She coudn't figure out why an industry teacher had it, and what I was going to use it for... and now she wants to know what I'm teaching in the classes the kids in her program have with me so that her teachers don't have to teach it again. These kids NEED reinforcement badly! Just because *I* teach them food words and grocery store sections in industry so they can shelve products at a store doesn't mean that their other teachers shouldn't do it too!
I mean, these kids didn't know the food pyramid and thought eggs came from a COW! :moo: I'm not kidding.

Anyway... here's my plea: the program calls for something like 200 coupons of varying amounts from 1 cent to $3.00. Its VERY HARD to find all these coupons. Would some of you be willing to send me coupons? Please? I'll give you my address in a PM or email.

:mouse:

wedding on the sailing boat was wonderful. (if you want to see the boat go to AmericanRoverDotCom!) got just a bit too much sun. had THE most delicious wedding cake that i've ever eaten....EVER! (and i ate it!) i have a blister on my big toe the size of my teeniest toe. it is huggge! and it hurts horribly! waiting for the laundry to finish so that I can put it in the dryer and go to bed. DH is taking the boys to Water Country USA tomorrow. i'm not going. for various reasons... the least of which is that I don't swim and/or that I'd hate to walk around all day in lycra! my new blister would NOT be happy hanging out at Water Country!

gotta run..... i'm thinking that the clothes are done spinning!......... take care! meee

tell me what to do and where to send the coupons to Mouse! I'd be happy to help you in any way I can! :) meee again!@

Robyn: Your choice: Do you want to scan them? If so, all you need is my email address. If not, I'll PM you my snail-address. And THANKS!!!!!!! I've got my whole family and others involved. My grandmother is going through her collection of Women's Day and what-not for me! :) I found GOBS of $3 coupons for Hatteras, too... I finally figured out that I could hit the touristy sites on-line to find coupons. Some places were better than others, and of course today I picked up both the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun. Then I asked if the copies of the NY Times had its filler, but it didn't. :(

:mouse:

Coupon Update, 5 hours later... I've spent all afternoon buried in the Washington Post, and the Baltimore Sun, plus various things like Smartsource.Com... Anyway, I'm making definite progress.
I'm now most in need of the following values: .01, .05, .10, .25, .30, .35, .40, .45, .60, .65, .85, 1.50, $1.60.
There may be others: I think the 2nd set of sorting requires $2.00 coupons, but since the twit took my book, I can't be sure.
I know, for exaple, that Pathmark (for those of you up North) has 1 cent off coupons lots of times for specials in their stores. I'm probably insane insisting that all the coupons be different, but...

:mouse:

Evening Ladies,
Sounds like you had a very productive afternoon Mouse. If you pm me your address, I will mail you some coupons. I can go snag my mil newpaper and get the coupons out of it. So did you workout any this weekend? Is your pool open yet?
Robyn sounds like you had an enjoyable time at the wedding. Sorry to hear about your blister.:( I would offer to kiss it to make it feel better. But I have a problem with kissing people's feet. LOL Hope you enjoyed your day to yourself.
Summer and Ginny how was your weekend?
For a week now, I have been getting up in the mornings and doing a 2 or 3 mile walking video. Then on M,W, S I went to Curves to workout. So I am hoping that by boosting up my activity level during the school year, I will continue to lose weight. I don't want to pack around my extra weight for another school year. :)
Well my dh just asked me to go for a walk with him. So I best be off, before he is standing over my shoulder bugging him to go. Talk to you all later,
Have a great work week!
Kerry

Mousie, I would be happy to mail you coupons. Does the product matter or just the monetary amount?

Robyn, so sorry about the blister. I was in your shoes, no pun intended, one month ago in Disneyworld. I'm left with all this dead skin under my toes. Yuck!

Kerry, you sound like you are in really good spirits right now.

We had our appraisal yesterday. I'm concerned that our house won't be appraised for what we need it to be. DH is sure we will get the loan and is already starting to relax too much. I'm so terrified of things getting out of control financially.

In the morning, I have to have a second mammogram. :( Am I scared? I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't. My sister and aunt are breast cancer survivors. My brother is a cancer survivor. My parents died of cancer. So, yeah, I'm sh*tting my pants right now. I've always said that I will never get cancer since everybody else in my immediate family already got it. And if I did get it, I would beat it. It is just frightening to be a mother of a young child and have to face the possibility. The radiologist will be there at the time of the second mammo, so I should know right away if things are okay or if I'm in trouble.

So, please pray for me. Pray that the radiologist just wanted a different angle and there is no cancer inside my body. The mammogram is at 11:30am.

Well, my weekend of torture has ended.....Dd is safely at school and hopefully not too homesick....now if Dh would JUST STOP WORRYING!!!!! :( (got to admit, I wish he cared this much about me.....) Anyway, I have only skimmed the posts- will be back to read tomorrow. But, I'll address Summer.
I will absolutely be praying for you!!! Are you going to a large breast imaging center/hospital??? If you find yourself uncomfortable with the results- you might try that-a facility where they only have breast imaging.
You are going to be fine no matter what- we won't be given anything that we (and He!) can't handle, right?
I'd better go- a tired Dd is yawning next to me. I'll be back tomorrow.....Kerry, Mouse and Robyn- sorry not to get personal tonight.
See you tomorrow.
Ginny

Another shortie from me.......
Mouse- let me know if you still need any 1cent coupons. There is no Pathmark by me, but my Dm lives near one- and I can get some from her.
Robyn- how is the blister.....did you get a day of peace and quiet??? Hope so!
Summer- praying for you........let us know how all goes. Are you working today also? (at least the am class is troublesome enough to keep your mind off your woes.)
Kerry- hope you got your walk in! Your activity plan sounds good- I am happy for you making the time for yourself to keep yourself feeling good! Keep up the good work with all those workouts!

I am here this morning.......because Dd called....she can't find her schedule! :dizzy: I know I packed the darned thing- can even see it with the other stuff I packed......She can get her schedule online- but has not yet hooked her computer online yet....Oh, bother! Dh is still in freak out mode- don't know when he will calm down, if ever.

On a brighter note.....I started my seating chart....how to keep 29 sticks of dynamite away from 29 matches is an interesting challenge.....they told me last year that they were going to change my route to reduce the number of students......and I am back up to 58. That means I will still have over half of my bus squashed 3 students per seat......9, count em!, 9 kindergarteners..... which means that the gang that I used to keep in the front rows because they could not be trusted (remember my buddy the flasher?) now have to sit back in rows 5-6-7! (Lord, give me grace). The good news....the camera focuses best on those rows- the bad news is there is little I can do about their behavior while driving. My run is short on 5th graders- and they were my big helpers last year. The other good news, although it is bittersweet- my little guy- the one who the Principal and I were positive was going to be classified.....well it looks like he is in a special program now, although I do not know which. He is off my run- on a special ed run. What a sweet kid, although a major handfull. (he is the one that I had 2, 5th graders trained to assist with- a sweet child but very unable to communicate well, or care for himself- the monitor who rode with me a few times in the spring was shocked that I "put up with" him all that time)
I have to find some sort of blank tiles that I can mark the seat numbers on- got the magnets to hold them up.....guess that is one of my jobs for today.
And I have to finish my "welcome back" letter. Hopefully that will help soothe some of the nerves of the new mom's......and keep things on a positive note for the toxic mother stop.
Summer- I'm thinking/praying for you.........
See ya later~!
Ginny

Ok, I know I am talking to myself here....and I know I am rubbing it in (which is NOT my intent......you have to realize how sick my summer was!)- but today is just wonderful.......Dd is at school, Ds is just hanging out and not crabbing and Dd is at a buddie's house.....I have time off and almost do not know what to do with it! :dizzy: Of course the house is trashed.....and I have tons to do.....which I will. (Ds left the computer on).
Hope everyone is doing ok- Summer, how did the mammo go this am??? My thoughts and prayers are with you.
See ya later.
Ginny

Evening Gals,
Summer, I hope your test went well today? My sister had the same thing happen to her. She needed to go in for a second mammogram. The radiologist said that in larger breasted woman it is hard for the machine to read through all the breast tissue. Her's came back fine. So I am praying that is what happened with your first one. Did you work this morning to take your mind off your test?
Robyn, was today the day your first day with your new angels? How did it go? What did you do on your day of rest yesterday?
Mouse how is the coupons coming along? Just PM me and I will mail you some. Did you get to go swimming yet this week?
Ginny, sounds like you were able to survive your hetic weekend. I know what you mean about your dh worrying about your dd so much and he doesn't seem to do that for you. My dh is like that too sometimes. It use to drive me nuts. But I just have gotten use to his weird ways I guess. :) So are you going to join Curves?
Well I better go and grade some papers tonight. I have decided that this is going to be the year that I am better organized. I don't want to be running around at the last minute trying to complete everything.
Have a great Tuesday!
Kerry

Hi, all! Wow, I was in meetings and then had to go to the gym, and after that I had to go over to the Red Cross. PM coming to Kerry and Ginny, for the coupons... I'm still in need of most of the list that I gave you, and got my book back from the twit late today, so I have to look up that second set. I forgot to do it.

Don't have time for much more... Summer, how was the test???? We're all praying and hoping you're okay!

:mouse:

Well, today was a pretty awful day. The mammogram did not go well. After I was done, I waited only for the technician to return and put me through it all over again. Then, after waiting an inordinate amount of time, the radiologist came to tell me that there was a problem. I have to have an MRI on each breast. I was pretty devastated. I really hoped that they were gonna just send me on my way. The receptionist couldn't schedule my appointment. She gave me a card, and I had to go use a pay phone to do it. Don't you just love the compassion? So, as my whole body was shaking and the tears kept flowing, I attempted to make an appointment. Luckily, my phone card worked. I had to make two separate appointments...one for each breast. The first one was supposed to be tomorrow morning and the other on Thursday afternoon. Well, while my insurance company thought about whether or not I need to find out if I have breast cancer, the place doing the MRI cancelled my morning appointment. They needed immediate authorization. So, now I can't go till Thursday and then the following Wednesday. I tried to fight it, but nobody gave a sh*t. Nobody had the compassion to help me find out sooner. So, here I wait...absolutely terrified. Honestly, I don't care if I get a serious illness. I just don't want my daughter to suffer. I want her to have a healthy mommy. Heck, I want her to have a mommy, period.

I really need your prayers.

Oh Summer! How horrible. I'm soooo sorry for so many things! You are most certainly in my prayers! I wish that I could help make that appointment come sooner, the insurance company to give you the ok to go in the morning.... a receptionist with some compassion and some heart.....and of course...NOTHING to find on the MRI's! ((((hugs)))) You can and will get thru this! Please feel the support from your friends here! ((((hugs))))

please take care...hang in there!

Summer, my heart goes out to you. Lord bless you and keep you....make His face shine upon you and give you peace. I will keep praying for you. Hugs..........and do what you have to to keep yourself sane for now. It will be ok, one way or another.
Take care....we love you here! And feel free to vent whenever.
Ginny

Quiet here......hope everyone is doing ok.
Got to my WW meeting, I sure needed a kick in the can. No WI, I chose to use a skip the scale coupon.....I was horribly off plan at the end of last week. But the past 2 days have been good, so I am marching to a good WI next week.
BTW- I will not be joining Curves- just too expensive for me. College tuition, the school tax bill came ($400 increase over last year! ouch!) and just clothes for the kids....car repairs......the list is endless. I hope to invest in a Leslie Sansone stretchie, that will be my big purchase.
Ds wants the computer, and I think I will take myself out for a short walk. I'll stop back in later to say hello.
Hang in there Mouse, Kerry, Robyn and Summer. I'll be in the thick of it in just 2 more days.......
Ginny

Evening Ladies,
Summer my heart goes out to you. Here is a couple ((((hugs)))) from me sweetie. I will say my prayers that you will find out the answers sooner than they orginally planned. Keep your spirits up and think postive thoughts. :)
Ginny, Robyn and Mouse hope all is going well with you.
My boss came in today to say that we are getting another student tomorrow morning. She is in a wheelchair and needs a one on one full time aide. We don't have the aide yet. So that should make for an interesting day.
I went to TOPS tonight and lost a pound. So I am back at my lowest weight. But everytime I get here I put the weight back on. So I am hoping to break through that barrier this week.
Well I better go and get some work done. I need to read this girl's IEP before tomorrow morning. Talk to you all later.
Hugs,
Kerry
I might check back in with everyone tonight.

Hi, everyone.
Oh, Summer! You're definitely in my thoughts and prayers. You've been hugged almost to the squash point, but here are a few more... and some of my extra special LOW-FAT brownies! I am known at work for these brownies: they're homemade, and I use applesauce and egg whites so they're low-fat. I wish I could give you some real ones, but the virtual ones will have to do!
If you need to vent, let me know.... PM or Email. I'm not you, so I can't know how you feel, but I know how I felt just a few short weeks ago going through this! I sure didn't expect the ultrasounce, hidascan, and all that mess... And my insurance company also refuses to pay for the surgery that my endocrinologist recommended.

Kerry: Good luck with your new one. Don't you love that? I get that stuff all the time. "Oh, we're adding a new kid to your class, but he can't be near two of these other kids! He needs to sit away from them." Yea, and I have 16 kids in the class already!!!! Or the student in the powerchair that I got, who also needed a 1:1 aide, and I'm on the second floor of an ancient building with a constantly broken elevator... And we have one lift bus for the whole district, so he has to come in with the elementary kids at 9:30 instead of with the middle school kids at 7:30. That or he comes with the high school vo-tech kids at 6:50.

Ginny: I hope your bus is calm!

Me? Well, I was at work at 7:15 and left at 5. I don't have kids yet, either. I almost skipped the gym, but then made a decision for MY benefit, and grabbed dinner at Noodle and Company, then went swimming for an hour and a half! I skipped the weights, but I just needed to SWIM!
And now... I need to go do more work. I have two things to get done before I can go to bed, and I took my meds a bit ago so I'd best hurry or I'll be asleep!

:mouse:

Hey a real quick drive by.... I've been up since 5 doing school work....I don't even have kids yet and it has already begun! There is so much to do! ...and the rest of my "stuff" just doesn't disappear so I can do School junk! Anyway....

Summer, you've been on my mind and in my prayers! Just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you!

Rest: you are in my prayers as well! This time of year is sooooo stressful for us! Everyone hold it together! :) I'm trying....

Kerry:Whooohoooo for your loss! YOU are doing soooo well! I'd be jealous if I didn't realize that your loss is due to EFFORT...and well, lately, I've made LITTLE TO NONE! sigh!

Mousie: Good for you! You did your swimming! You decided that YOU were important! :) Tell us more about the brownies..... type slooooowwwwly! hehehe

Ginnie: There is much (yeah, I know it....just, ahem, not doing it currently!) that you and Leslie Sansome can accomplish in your living room! BUT, I am sorry that you're purse is being pinched! (Mine is also...and I've got no one in college! EEK!) :) I have her stretchie.... make sure that it is the same price as other stretchies...ie, her's isn't all that and a bag of chips (no fat, of course...) ...it isn't worth paying $$ more just to get it from HER....does that make sense?!

Gotta run..... it is nearly time to get ready for school..... everyone now...scream, "HOTDIGGITY!" (Cause that isn't close to what I want to yell!) hehehe!

take care.......

A quick good morning..........
Kerry- congrats on the 1# loss......I am at the same plateau, have not been able to get below this weight for years literally. Let's break thru our weight barriers together, ok!!! Sorry about the extra student! They did that to me~ told me that they were going to shorten my route, make it easier.......and well I went from the low 50's a month ago to 60 as of yesterday. No monitor.......and I checked my seating chart last nite, there are very few 4th and 5th graders......mostly 3rd, 1rst and K's. Anyway, I know you are a professional and will do wonderfully.

Robyn- do you know a good price for a stretchie?????Where do I pick up such a thing (found one in Walmart, but it was with tapes that I do not need) And, Hon, when you get done screaming "Hot Diggity", please let out a hearty "Aw Sh**!!!" for me, cause that is how I am feeling about starting tomorrow. Keep up your wonderful sense of humor.

Mouse- GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!! It was great to read that you took the time out for you and got that swim in. It is an inspiration to us all, and even when I can't always find the time for me, well if at least one of us can then I do not feel so bad.

A busy day- Ds needs transporting to everywhere.....bball practice then his gf's soccer game. Got my seating chart almost done, almost finished the welcome back letter and finished the seat marker tiles (long story, but these I can take down... and do not have to deal with cleaning up a mess from tape/tacky tack etc... been wanting to do this for 2 years). I WILL get a walk in. And Dh is driving me insane. He is in mourning over Dd leaving for college.......spoke to his parents last night on the phone and sounded as though he had just attended her funeral. Please do not think I am a calous person.....I mourn the loss of her young childhood too....but I am one of those life has to go on types, and we still have two at home who need us. (and I fess up that a wee part of me wonders if he gives that much of a hoot about me).
Nuff bellyachin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer-still praying for you.....I think of you a lot and wish I could give you a hug for real. I wish I could say something to take the fear/hurt away......but please know that we are all pulling for you.

Take care......stay strong and keep smiling! June is coming sooner or later! (aw shut up Ginny!)
Ginny

First: Summer, another hug... hope you're doing okay.
The brownies are done. They're cooling on the stove (the only place the cat can't get to them... I have a chocoholic cat, so I need to keep the brownies away from him until they're cool enough for me to put the lids on the pans. And the cat's mad because I wouldn't give him any batter!).
Today was a rotten day, but I'll spare you all the details. It involves me losing my mind b ecause I can't find materials I KNOW I have here somewhere (this is new, and I hate feeling like I can't find or remember things. Its probably from lack of sleep today), 3 broken elevators and my inability to do stairs because of the ankle, and an almost ticket from the Baltimore City police.
The latter was just so humiliating... A friend had to pick me up and bring me home from work because of the elevator issues at my apartment, I couldn't get to my own car. On the way home from school, we hit a traffic check. They were checking for seatbelts. I didn't have mine on because it didn't fit. My friend has a SAturn, and normally they fit, but his passenger seatbelt is in an odd position... plus the pannus is larger on that side. I tried, but I'm hardly ever in his car. I usually drive my own, or the one time I was in his car, I was driving it! The driver's side belt fits fine.
So the officer pulled us over, of course... I had to SHOW HER that the seat belt didn't fit. I was so humiliated and embarrassed. It was terrible, especially when she lectured us that you can buy seat belt extenders and he should have one. She thought I was his wife. He has a son that is only 8 years younger than me. At least my demonstration kept him from getting a $100 ticket.
Top all of that off with today being one of those days where the mere thought of food made me sick, and I didn't eat all day today. Between that and no car, I skippe the gym... made me even gladder I went yesterday.
Brownie description: They're low fat brownies... I cheated tonight and used the low-fat mix from Betty Crocker. They had one with Splenda in it, too, but they wanted more oil and more eggs than the other kind, and I didn't feel like experimenting with my egg whites and applesauce tonight to make them moist enough. Then, of course, I ruin the low-fat benefits by putting in chocolate and peanut butter chips (one batch), and mint extract and white chocolate in the other. The brownies are very popular with everybody that has had them, and even my student's liked them... the mint ones! You know how teens are about different foods!

I'm going to bed now, though. G'inght all.
:mouse:

You, all of you, are the best. I so appreciate all the hugs, prayers, and virtual brownies (my favorite). Tomorrow is my first MRI, and miracle of miracles, my insurance has authorized it. It is constantly in the back of my mind, but I have found some peace by handing it over to God. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a very supportive faculty. It is funny...I have very little in common (besides teaching) with most of these people, and my only real friend out of the staff left in June after giving birth. Yet, even though we aren't really friends, the majority have approached me offering supportive comments. (There are so many gossips...so my bad news got around fast.) I don't care that they are all talking about me, especially if they are wishing me well. I need all the positive energy I can get right now. My DH called our minister who then called me. We had a good talk. Right now, I am just keeping busy with school and DD. I'm trying not to dwell on the negative. If I do have breast cancer, I will fight harder than I've ever fought for anything before. I must live long enough to raise my child, period. So, no matter what my diagnosis, I will live. I refuse to give up.

I'm sorry I haven't responded to all of you personally in a few days. I'm hoping you understand that my emotions have been all over the place. Mousie, I'm sorry about your extremely stressful and crappy day. Ginny, you crack me up...thanks for the giggle. Robyn, you are rubbing off on Ginny. Kerry, congrats, and I sure hope you get through that invisible barrier. When you figure out the answer, let me know, because I'm at the same point.

I will hopefully be back here tomorrow night to tell you that at least one of my breasts is in the clear. I just can't think any other way right now.

Thanks again for all your support!!!!!!!!!!