Subbing

I have been noticing a trend with me and new jobs: I don't sleep well the night before. I have a hard time falling asleep, I just can't relax for whatever reason, and I usually wake up early the morning after. I figure I must suffer from anxiety, but only new jobs. I slept just fine the night before my wedding...

Five years ago I substituted in a high school for three weeks for a friend on maternity leave, right at the end of the school year. Yesterday I substituted for the first time since then, for a half day in a middle school.

The ladies in the front office were very helpful and encouraging (I told them it was my first time subbing in the Kent School District so I didn't know what to do, etc.) and the classes were not bad either.

Unfortunately (for me) the teacher made the day a work-on-one-assignment-until-you-are-done day so that meant I spent five minutes explaining the assignment (this was an English class, so the assignment was a writing prompt) and spent the rest of the 55 minute period telling them they were getting too loud or splitting people up. Not much teaching just a lot of classroom management.

Some fun notes: I had three students ask me if I was a model... I know it doesn't mean anything, but it sure makes for a good day!

Tuesday I am substituting for another half-day in a high school math class. I am trying to rake up the days since Cam doesn't have classes for the next two weeks so he is home to watch the kids.

Poor Neglected Dallas

Last night, about 8:30pm, thirty minutes after Dallas' extremely loose "bedtime", Dallas wanted to play a game called Barnyard Bingo.

I didn't want to play with him (trying to unwind from work you know... and I was enjoying my time on the computer). Cam wasn't playing with him either, so we had Dallas go ask Jadon. Jadon was going to bed and therefore did not want to play as well.

What is a poor Dallas to do? He has Barnyard Bingo all out and ready as he sits by himself in the middle of the family room... just looking at it...

Until Dallas finds a friend.

Dallas picked up his Buzz Lightyear and asked, "Buzz you pay games wit me?" Buzz (or Dallas talking for Buzz) answered, "Yeah."

Dallas was so estatic. "Yay! Buzz you said yeah! Ok Buzz your turn." he said as he helped Buzz Lightyear take his turn by picking up a game piece. "Buzz you got boo tow (blue cow). Ok Buzz eye (my) turn." Dallas picked up his own game piece. "Buzz I got welwo iken (yellow chicken)."

Apparently playing for two is tiring, though, for that is all the farther Dallas made through his game with Buzz last night.

Part of me felt HORRIBLE for not playing with him (especially when he started playing with Buzz) but another part thought that this playing pretend would be good for him (and he did an awesome job taking turns!)

However thinking about it again this morning, I am a horrible mother and I could have played one, five-minute game with him...

Moral of the story: put your kids to bed on time.

Photo Shoot

Some family pictures! These were taken back in November (so the kids have grown up a little bit since then) but they are still as cute. It was also SUPER cold that day, so the kids were pretty cranky and a little runny/red nosed. However, thanks to the talents of Carrie Stroud, you can't even tell!

Waxing Philosophical

It just occurred to me that I have a wonderful life. My two 'babies' are great little people with their own budding full-blown personalities that I am privileged to shape and teach to be honest, obedient, good people who love the Lord and can be a force of good. I am also married to a wonderful and loving man who is a good father and works to be a better person. I have a good job where I have advanced quickly, have been given new responsibilities, and get to help people every day.

I am usually so stuck on "life will be better when..." or "I can't wait until...
Cam finishes school, we move somewhere else, we get a house, the kids are older... blah blah blah blah blah " No matter how perfect life is there is always something you can find to complain about. Lately I have been a complainer rather than a optimist that counts her blessings and does the best with what has been gifted to her.

Hopefully this post will remind me (and maybe all of us) of that when I want to be a downer.

New Year's Resolution!

I am horrible about New Year's Resolutions. So bad that I gave up making them years ago. Apparently deciding I am going to do something simply because a new year started and everyone else either does it or says you should do it, isn't a good motivation for me.

But I have seemed to found a good motivation: my kids. Cam and I are planning on having more kids (not anytime terribly soon, but probably being pregnant within the next year). I don't take the best care of my body. I tend to skip meals on occasion just because I get too busy and sitting on the computer or in front of the TV is so much easier than working out and pushing myself. When I was pregnant with Dallas and Chelane, I would get motivated to get in shape, but (especially with Chelane) the morning sickness/all around blah-ness really detoured me from wanting to do anything. I didn't start feeling good until I pretty far along, and by that time the only work-out that is feasible (for me) is walking. So this time I figured, why not be pro-active and start early?

So, this last week I have decided I will start working out, and guess what? I have actually stuck to it. Usually my goals like this fizzle out after a day or two (seriously, that is all the longer "working out" has lasted in the past if I am doing it on my own). But this time I have been sticking to it. My legs and arms have been achy from squats, lunges, and push-ups; and I have been running on the elliptical until my legs burn, and then running some more. Luckily I have my parents' elliptical and Weight Watchers work-out videos (I recommend these).

Since the kids are around when I am doing this (I do it in the morning when Cam is at school after the kids have breakfast... I could wake up when Cam does and be done BEFORE the kids get up, but as we have stated earlier: I seem to lack in the self control area sometimes...) so I either barricade off the elliptical side of the family room and put on a movie (awesome parenting skills!) or I get a little set of weights down for Dallas and try to get the kids in some degree of participation (this doesn't work at all... unless having Chelane run into my leg and not let go while I am trying to do squats counts...)

Before anyone feels that I am bragging too much these work-outs have only been 20-30 minutes a day, hardly anything amazing, but it is amazing what 20-30 minutes can do for how you feel about yourself.

If you feel motivated, try it with me. Don't have an indoor cardio-machine or workout videos? Just do a few sets of push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Even these little things make a difference!