Saturday, September 26, 2009

It's autumn

This morning as I rode my bike in the YMCA Sprint Triathlon, tears rolled out of the corners of my eyes. The cool breeze shot through my body and invigorated me! I LOVE THIS WEATHER. I love nothing more than to walk hand and hand with my husband at a fair or festival wearing jeans, sweatshirts and boots. I purposely dodge towards leaves when I run to crunch on them. The bills are low because you don't have to turn on the heat and the air conditioning is off. The windows are open and the nice crisp air filters in. It's just a beautiful time of year.
I am hoping the mild weather is motivation to get me back into my running routine, this time with my canine partner in toe. Moose is getting big. He loves to run and play and the vet said 5 months is the time he is allowed to start running. After he gets nuetered on Tuesday and has some time to heal, it off to the rail trail we go. I can't wait. I miss running. I need to get my cardiovascular system back into shape. And even though my blood pressure still tests low, I feel it slowly rising with every day I teach and learn the ropes of Special Education.
So here's to a happy fall filled with memories and motivation!

Monday, September 21, 2009

How do you eat an elephant?

...one bite at a time. I heard this wonderful analogy at a recent new teacher meeting. I am trying really, really hard not to freak out. I am trying to stay positive and remember why I left a laid-back writing career in the features department for the high-stress loveliness of special education, it's piles of paperwork and regulations.
I rarely have time or energy for the exercise that I love, and it makes me feel guilty. I feel pulled in many directions, and I just want to be good at everything. I feel like I am falling short at it all.
Yet, I try really hard to smile. I try really hard to be happy and jovial so that the people around me don't start to hate being around me. I want to be a good wife who keeps a clean house, dinner on the table and food in the fridge. Something always gets left out.
I am trying to prioritize. I look at what NEEDS to be done versus what I WANT to be done.
Just like with spending and saving money, I am learning to budget my time. If the hamper is full, the laundry doesn't have to be done. If we have no clean underwear...the laundry needs to be done. If the dog is eating trash and running around like a wild mut, he needs to go to the park, and I have to skip my bike ride.
I have given up reading. I make it through a paragraph and fall asleep. Instead, I choose books on CD that I can listen to in the car on the way to and from school and class.
Like my mom always says, it's a matter of positive thinking. If I think like is crazy and hectic, it will feel that way. If I can take life one bite at a time, it won't seem so big and overwhelming.
So, even as paperwork piles up and the calendar fills with meetings and projects...I will remember that it's about budgeting time and tackling the most important tasks first.
And hopefully, that way of thinking will keep me sane!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Just about me

I haven't posted in forever. I feel like I am consumed with school, and with little free time outside work, school and puppy play time, I am forgetting who I am. And, I don't even have kids yet. I must say though, my job combines what I like with a pay check. Today, I spent time helping students edit their creative writing, which was very therapeutic for me.
So, I decided to do a little creative writing about me in my blog tonight. Not only to help me rediscover what I love about me, but to do something else I love to do, write.

I love Sheetz iced coffee, filled Maple Donuts and pizza shops that serve their subs on homemade bread. I think I love sharing the stories of my athletic adventures of triathlons, half marathons and long bike rides just as much as I love participating in the events. There is no substitute for exercise. Even though my long runs and bike rides have been replaced with doggy walks filled with, "no" "head up" "don't eat that worm" and "what the hell is the matter with you today", I have hopes that some day soon I can pick the pace back up.

I love to shop, but have been trying to refrain from it. I am always on the hunt for the best bargain, which means I end up with a lot of nice things, without the nice price tag.

I love books. Volunteering at the library was the best move I ever made. I love to be surrounded by the dreams and adventures that the books hold. It brings back memories of when I used to volunteer with my mom at the library. When I step into the children's area, I am bombarded with a flood of moments. I feel so happy when I remember a book from my childhood. My mom made the best decision ever when she decided to read to me as much as she did. It created a fascination with books that I will never let go.


I love to be creative. Crafts are a great way to express my creativity and create something that I can give as a cherished gift or decorate my house with. Just like my athletic adventures, I like telling people I made it, just as much as I love making it.

Friday, September 4, 2009

So tired

I am constantly thinking about what I should be doing. I stay at work hours after I am supposed leave and have to fix a lot of mistakes because I am so new. I have 5 million things to do and not enough time to do them. I have 5 chapters to read for my master's classes and when I sit down to read, the dog starts beating up the cat. So, I put him in the crate to get some peace and quiet to read, and he barks out of control because, guess what? He has diarrhea again. It's a lovely way to spend your time, running the dog outside every few minutes to let him relieve himself. Poor dog. I wonder what a quiet life would be like. And I wonder how I will ever handle children. That is just unfathomable. I wonder if the black circles under my eyes will ever go away. Or if the extra pain in my stomach of nervousness will ever subside.
But click here to see my awesome dog, warn out from a long walk and an evening at the park with his puppy buddies and it's all worth it.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

I love teaching, but it takes a lot of time

I never thought I would stay past my 8 hours day and not be bothered by it. I actually don't mind sticking around school when everyone has left for the day and getting my paperwork done. "Paperwork?" you question. I know. Teachers aren't supposed to do paperwork. But special education teachers are buried in it.
I do mind that I miss time with my husband and dog, but they are understanding, thank goodness.
IEPs are time consuming. Having a caseload of students, calling parents and checking up on them is also time consuming. Not to mention that I teach, have duties and want to spend time with my students.
The thing is, I really love this job. I don't mind getting up early and going in to get work done. I enjoy looking for activities and plans to do with my students. I like hearing about their day and how they are doing. It's still the beginning of the year (well nearly two weeks in), but I am looking forward to an awesome school year!

Ask and you will recieve

I needed books for my classroom. SSR is a great way to get my readers to read independently. If I had planned ahead, I could have spent the summer hitting yard sales and thrift stores for 10- and 15-cent books. But, I didn't even think about it.
So, I sent out an e-mail, thinking that people like me like to purge their books and maybe they were getting rid of some I could use. And, my request was answered. My wonderful neighbor scoured the book sale her employer has and pulled out some great titles for me. And, a wonderful person donated $30 for me to go shopping for books that I would like for the classroom library. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to shop. I plan on hitting up a few fall yard sales and thrift stores. I also plan to head to some of the used book stores. It saved me a ton of money by asking for help. Imagine if I had gone to Barnes and Noble to stock my classroom library. That would have costs a fortune!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Back to school so soon


I was supposed to get so much done this summer! And I've already been back to school for a week and I think I have gotten more done in that week than I did all summer. It seems that when you have a schedule it's easier to stick to. When I get home at 4 p.m., I feel like I have hours and hours of time to get stuff done.


I got really into beading again. I spent tons of money on beads at A.C. Moore and Michael's. I got matching colors in all different shapes and sizes with outfits in mind that I wanted to make them for. But then I hit a creative block. I had all beautiful beads, but no ideas. If I have a pattern, I am a whiz at beading. When I have to come up with own ideas, I never like what I do. I attached some photos of what I ended up making on my beading spree. Since school has been back in, I have been trying to make great use of my large collection of jewerly by wearing different stuff everyday that matches my outfits. After a summer of living in cotton shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops, I so ready to get back into nice clothes again and wear makeup and do my hair. What a relief.