Sunday, May 31, 2009

Nice Day

Ben did most of the cleaning of his place. My back started to bother me yesterday afternoon, and I didn't think it would be wise to be on my hands and knees scrubbing.

At dinner we ran into an old friend I used to teach with. It was great introducing her to Ben, and she complimented me and said, "Look at you Skinny Minnie." :)

Since we (I mean Ben) had cleaned, we rewarded ourselves by going to see "UP" by Disney Pixar. It was great. There was a touching love story at the beginning of the movie that had me in tears. The wife had kept an "Adventure Book" from her childhood. There was a page that said, "Stuff I'm Going to Do." When she had passed away, he was sad and regretful for all the things they didn't get to do. He looked through the rest of the book and she had filled it up with the memories they had made over their lifetime. On the last page is said, "Thanks for the adventure, now go and have another one. Love Ellie." I cried then too.

My back started to really hurt during the movie. I am telling you that roller coaster really took my back to the next level in pain. Ben took me home because I needed help with the stairs. I slept with a pillow between my legs, and I feel better now.

I am happy tonight because I get to go to DAYS! I love my Peanut Butter TRAIN! Kristin has me addicted. I can't wait to hang out with her.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Loving the Weekend!

Friday we had another field trip. It went pretty well, especially when we were separated from the other two fifth grade classes. I am very strict about many things, and when my kids are around the other classes, it is as if they unlearn all the things I have taught them.


Many times as a teacher you often don't get to see the rewards of teaching, but I love when I get little glimpses. Here are a few I've had recently:

* Thomika reading over Holly's shoulder because the book was "too good to wait for."

* Emmitt asking if we can have a longer silent reading time.

* Two different adults complimenting Trenton on how polite he was at the amusement park.

* The discussion my students were having about the resilency of Emmanuel (from the documentary Emmanuel's Gift).


I went to the chiropractor yesterday, and I've got to work on unlearning one of my FAVORITE habits: crossing my legs. I was never able to cross my legs. I was always too heavy to do it. I remember that was one of the things I wanted to be able to do on my skinny list. I was delighted the day that it happened. I felt more like a woman. It was awesome. I was talking with the chiropractor today, and she (I wen to the other person in his practice) said that crossing legs is a bad thing to do. When I am seated, both of my legs should be on the ground. This is going to take some working to do.


Ben and I had a great dinner at an Italian Cafe in Old Louisville. We were going to dine alfresco, but settled for semi-alfresco (seated in front of a large window that was open). A couple outside was smoking, and I didn't want that while enjoying my dinner. I had an amazing cheese tortellini with chicken. Afterwards we went to see Night at the Museum. It was very funny. Although I realize I have become OLD, because I actually like to watch a movie unlike the teenagers sitting around us who viewed it as a social gathering.


We got two tour books on Washington, D.C. We will be there for two weeks, and the time is getting closer and closer. We are now at 54 days! :)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

One Field Trip Down

I survived the amusement park. Actually, Ben and I ended up with 16 kids from my class, and it turned out very nicely. I forget sometimes just how few "childhood" things my kids get to do. Seeing them at Holiday World having fun brought a smile to my face. I only rode one roller coaster. These have never really been my cup of tea. After the first one, I felt like my back had been jarred. I didn't like that feeling. Ben was a true sport and went on all the roller coasters with my kiddos.

One thing I noticed at the front of each roller coaster (before the line even began) was a model seat, complete with seat belts. There was a notice about how this was the actual size of the seat, and for the safety of all passengers, you must be able to sit in here with the belt locked. While waiting for my kids to finish one of the roller coasters, I sat down in one just for a break, and man it was SMALL. I still don't completely have the fat woman mentality out of my head, but I certainly WAS expecting that seat to be a bit bigger on me.

I was in bed at 8:30 last night, and probably fell asleep before my head hit the pillow. I slept until 6:15! What sweet rest I had!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Another LARGE Step!

The move is complete! Yep, my living room is full of boxes, and a few pieces of Ben's furniture are now in my (our place come July 24th). The bad news was that the cat bite caused Ben's hand to swell up pretty big, and he had to go to urgent care to get shots and antibotics. My dad came up to fill in with the movers.

We got official notice yesterday that there was a case of the swine flu in my school building. Enough said there, don't want to dwell on thinking about this.

Today we are taking our kids to Holiday World. I am pretty excited about this. I know my kids will be pretty good for things, and I can enjoy riding rides and being silly with them because I am not morbidly obese.

This Time Last Year

Another Post From Last Year

Monday, May 25, 2009

Pictures and a Story!

This boy makes me smile big time. He gets to come to my room each afternoon at the end of the day as a reward if he has had good behavior. I'd take him home in a heartbeat. I have found it is always good to have a teacher who can be in that child's corner. Sometimes, this is not always possible for the child's homeroom teacher. I like being that person for this boy.

Ben is on a mission: a mission from God. We have to put the cats inside the bathroom because the movers are coming tomorrow. Sprinkles is always easy to get in the bathroom, but Lilly has always been difficult the few times I have had to get her in the bathroom (usually for a service worker to come into the house). We could not get her in AT ALL. We finally resulted to the big guns: a net that Ben is holding, and a hammock net. We got her trapped, and got her in the bathroom, but she did not go quickly or quietly. WOW!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Getting Things Done

* Bridesmaids gifts purchased
* Wedding piano music picked out
* Wedding announcements for both of our local papers filled out
* My part of the packing complete
* Found the shoes I am wearing under my wedding dress :)

It feels good to be getting these things done, while overall small, all these small things add up to a whole lot of time.

We had a nice picnic after church, then went down to meet with the pastor who is going to marry us. We have one more meeting with him next month. That will be to finalize the wedding order. Tomorrow we are going to a Memorial Day cookout with our new friends Alex and Rachel. Rachel gave me a very pretty beaded necklace that she made a few days ago. I would love to learn how to do that!

I am ultra excited that we will be going to Rivue on June 5th! This is an ultra cool restaurant that rotates around while you eat. We are going there to celebrate two things: the end of my school year and our one year anniversary (which is the 25th).

Saturday, May 23, 2009

My Chiropractor Visit

I went to the chiropractor yesterday after school. He took two x-rays of my back, then did some scans with another device. I learned an interesting fact about my body: my right hip and right shoulder actually sit higher than my left. He could see how I was having problems with my lower back, but also noticed a lot of problems in my neck and shoulders. While those do bother me, I was going by what hurt the worst. I'll gladly take him making both better. :) I am going back for my first adjustment on Tuesday.

Pack. Tape. Repeat.

I will be doing those steps quite a bit later. Right now, I am going to relax on my sofa, and watch some 24!

Ben got my car fixed last night. His friend John worked on my brakes for four hours. We had a late dinner at Outback.

Off to kick up my heels. :)

CURBING THE FAT TALK

This is a very worthwhile video, check it out and listen to the message!

Friday, May 22, 2009

On The Job Market Being Super Morbidly Obese

I wanted to write about two different experiences I had interviewing for jobs when I was super morbidly obese.

The Job I Didn't Get:

I was very burned out by a previous employer, and I decided to interview at a private school where the boys I watch attend. It was for a fourth grade position, and my resume was stacked with positive things. I had good references, including a glowing reference from my former graduate professor that was two single-spaced pages. The interview went very well. There were two positions open for fourth grade. I don't know how many candidates they interviewed, but I did not get either position. Later on that year, I started looking at their school website, particularly at staff pictures. I noticed that very few of their staff were overweight. I specifically looked at the two teachers they hired for fourth grade, both of these teachers were thin. I am not trying to puff myself up, but I truly feel I was not offered this job because of my weight. (I was probably 330 pounds at the time.)

The Job I Did Get:

When I left the classroom for a year and a half as a literacy specialist, I was around 365-370 pounds. I know that they interviewed many people for this position. I also know they did a lot of resume weeding out before interviewing. My interview had specific questions, in which I had three minutes to answer each one. There were two obese people on the interview committee. I certainly had all the credientials for this position. I got called back for a second interview with the head boss, and was offered the job.

I am a 20/20, 48 Hours, Dateline News junkie. I watched a special years ago where they set up interviews for groups of people who had the same credientials, dressed professionally, interviewed well, with one distinction: several of the people were normal weight, and several were heavy. It was sad how often (very overwhelming majority) the job went to the thinner person. When they would go back and interview and ask, "What made the person stand out?" that you hired? They would say all kinds of things like credientials, etc, but it was all a bust because these people truly were evenly matched. In the end, they opted with what looked more pleasing to the eye.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

A Few Pics from My Sister's Graduation Last Monday


This one is my favorite:

With my Daddy:

This is Our Life (In Pictures)





P.S. I have linked the fat talk video a few times, not sure why it is not posting yet. :( I am trying!

God is Great, Starbucks is Good, and People are Crazy

I couldn't think of a title, so that is a slightly altered title from a country song I like right now. :)

Today is my bridal shower at work. Ben cannot be there because he will be preaching at the nursing home. I'm really not sure how many people will be there. It is the end of the year, people are tired, have kid obligations, etc. I am also slow to make friends at a new workplace. I try to be polite, but I really do keep my guard up for some time. I've been burned before, so that makes me more hesitant. One exciting bit of news is that my best friend Wendy from another school will be there! :)

I hope you get a chance to watch the YouTube video I am linking. Several health blogs I am reading are talking about "stopping the fat talk." I'm just as bad about it as other women. The world is hard enough on us, and we really need to find support in ourselves and other women.

Question:
How do you "fat talk" about yourself? Is it worth it?

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day Right?

Last night we took my sister out to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. She passed her state board test so she can officially go back to work as a respiratory therapist. Then, it was time to pack.

I got four and a half boxes packed. I also had Ben move some things from the closet to under the bed. Ben assembled our new vacuum cleaner, and I took it for the first spin (not even going to admit when the last time it was I vacuumed!). Ben also made two big trips out to the dumpster. The move is still rapidly approaching.

Bring on the three day weekend! :)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

???

Who is accessing my blog via an Iphone? I have nonstop hits from this person. Sorry to sound weird, but it has been some time since I've had so many hits from one source repeatedly.

MeMe

ChiTown Girl has tagged me, so here goes!

What are your current obsessions?

* Counting down until my wedding/honeymoon! (66 days)
* 24 (I'm on Season Six now)

Which items from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

* A red fleece jacket because I always feel so cold in my school building.
* My cute Crocs high heel sandals.
* dark jean jean trouser pants from Target

Last thing you bought?

* Starbucks
* Study Cards for National Boards on Amazon

What are you listening to these days?

* I love Pandora.com, and play it on low almost all day in my classroom.
* I love Amos Lee, Joe Purdy, and Andrew Byrd.

Favorite kid's film

* The Labyrinth
* Stone Fox

Favorite Holiday Spots

* I love traveling to new places on holiday. If I had to pick a favorite it would be tied between Asheville, NC and the Outer Banks, NC.

What are you reading right now?

* Right now with work craziness, not too much.
* Google Reader has opened up a whole new world, and I am loving being able to somewhat keep up with the blogs that I like. The downside is that I have not been as good of a commenter on blogs as I want to be.
* Once summer starts, I want to do this study (Me, Myself, and Lies).

Four words to describe you:

* Christian
* Passionate
* Punctual
* Napper

Guilty pleasure?

* That would be the dessert I order almost every single time Ben and I go out for dinner.

Who or what can make you laugh until you are weak?

* Ben
* Things that kids do in my classroom

Planning to travel next?

* Lots of traveling going on here....
June: Jamestown/Colonial Williamsburg
June: Charlotte
July: Washington, DC
November: Orlando, FL
December: Ben's hometown

* I am also hoping to go to Argentina in the summer of 2010.

Best thing you ate and drank recently?

* Chicken Salad (my mom's friends recipe)
* Starbucks (Always.a.winner.)

When did you last get tipsy?

* I'm not a drinker.

Favorite ever film?

* With Honors

Care to share some wisdom?

* Don't try so hard to fit in. You were created to stand out.
* It is never a mistake to love someone.
* Don't let the scale or the mirror rob you of your self-worth.

What is one special talent that you have?

* Organizing things :)

What are the TV shows you absolutely CAN NOT miss these days?

I am really into watching things "by season" on Netflix.

* Heroes
* The Office
* Ugly Betty
* 24
* Criminal Minds
* Without a Trace

Skeletons Are Out....

Well, Ben's family knows about my surgery. I told his brother and sister-in-law via email at the beginning of last week. Ben told his mom yesterday per my request. I said that I wasn't really ready to talk about it, but if they had questions, they could send them through Ben, and I would answer. Ben's mom did worry about me getting too thin. I did directly answer that question with her last night saying that my weight has stayed ina very stable range for the past eight months.

I have the most concerned friends on a side note. My friend Mandi was worried that perhaps I had an eating disorder. It took me about twenty minutes of talking with her, but I did convince her that I didn't have one. Ben, who understood her concern, still laughed because he knows how much I eat.

Last night we watched Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler. That was really funny. Tonight, not so much fun is on the agenda. PACKING. In one week, Ben's stuff will be moved in my place, and I am no where near ready for it. Hopefully, we can ge a decent amount done since this is my early night work wise.

Monday, May 18, 2009

I Sure Know How to Party (Not for the Faint of Stomach)

This weekend was my bridal shower that my family was throwing for Ben and I. We decided to spend the weekend in my parent's hometown, since Ben's mom was coming in, along with a few of my friends. All week long I had been feeling not so hot. My stomach would start to constrict, and as the week progressed, it became difficult to keep foods down. At first I thought it was because I had fried food, but by the end of the week, I was throwing up baked fish. It finally hit the fan when I was throwing up WATER.

On Saturday, the day of my bridal shower, I feel miserable. We are supposed to meet Ben's mom that morning to pick out some of the flowers for the wedding, and I making him park the car so I can throw up. I laid down two hours prior to the shower. Once we got there, I faked it as best I could, all along feeling like I was going to hurl any moment. Ben was very animated opening our gifts, and I just politely smiled. Towards the last few gifts, I left to go to the bathroom. My cousin who is a nurse practioner followed me, and said that I needed to go to the ER right now. We walked back in, I quickly went around to each table to tell them why we were leaving.

On the way to the ER, Ben stops at a gas station to let me change clothes (I was wearing such a cute dress, hope pictures will soon follow, my mom took them). From that point I emptied lots of nasty brown liquid into a plastic sack. After gettting to the ER, I go back they take blood and urine. They determine that I have a urinary tract infection. I had to drink 32 ounces of solution for them to give me a CAT scan. I told the lady that I hadn't been able to keep liquid down, her advice was crazy, "Think happy thoughts." It took me almost an hour to get that stuff down. The CAT scan determined that I didn't have anything else wrong with me. I was happy about that. I didn't know you could be sick to your stomach as a side effect of a urinary tract infection, but now I know.

When I got to bed on Saturday, I slept for twelve hours straight. I took another two hour nap. I could not believe how much I was sleeping, but was so happy to do it! I was finally able to eat some yesterday.

Nice side notes:
Ben gave me a lovely PEARL necklace and earrings. They are for my wedding, but I wore them on Saturday. He was so sweet and right by my side the entire being time I was sick. We also got lots of nice gifts.

Today is our second to last day of state testing. I walk around the entire time with a clipboard, doing something behind it. Today, I will be writing thank you notes.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Sugar Shack



Hey guys, check out this website! The visual on this incredible. They have many different examples of sugar comparisions, but these two inparticular really hit too close. I loved coca-cola, and I still love T.J. Cinnabons.
I made an appointment for the chiropractor for next Friday.

Back Pains

I have had lower back pains for a long time. I talked with Ben about it, and I think I am going to try a chiropractor. The pain is not intense, but nagging and constant. I have put out two emails to friends that have had successful experiences with their chiropractors. I am hoping to find some relief SOON.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Wedding Solo Song?

We need a song for our singer to sing at our wedding...here is one I was thinking of. What do you guys think?

Monday, May 11, 2009

The Test

The state test starts today, and continues for the next seven school days. This means seven days of absolute BOREDOM for me. These days drag by. I have my list of things that I can "work" on while proctoring the test, but it is still boring. When my students finish the test, I am letting them watch a movie about a girl growing up during the great depression. We watched a similar movie about a girl growing up during the American Revolution around Christmas time, and my kids really enjoyed it. They will have deserved it.

After school, Ben and I will be going to my sister's graduation.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

I'm Not Who I Was....

Sorry that these two pictures are blurry. They were hard copy pictures that I just snapped a picture of with my digital camera. While cleaning out the office closet tonight, I found these. These pictures are from my sister's wedding in July of 2006. I know I was over three hundred pounds, and I kept trying on that bridesmaid dress because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to fit inside of it. (I came pretty close too.) I had to wear a girdle to make things zip. It was the largest size that the bridal store carried. I look at these pictures and realize how out of place I looked in my family. I was the only one who was as big as a tent. Now I look at my sister beside me in the picture, and I can't wrap my brain around the fact that I am SMALLER than she was on her wedding day.

These are pictures from last Friday when we took one of my students out for lunch and ice cream. She had read 100 chapter books this year so we were celebrating at a fun little place.







Who knew that happiness came in pills? You too can buy your share at Vitamin Shoppe for $0.99 cents a package!

My granola came in! I ordered it from MixMyGranola. Talk about lightning fast service too....I ordered it Thursday morning and received it Friday afternoon!This is the bottle I decided to open first. It is really a yummy mix. :) I am putting it into smaller containers for portion control. I could see myself getting carried away with this. This is a healthy treat, and makes me feel better about what I am eating verses putting a candy bar in my mouth.

I got five boxes packed up from the office las night. I am going to try to do some more this weekend as well. It will be moving day before we know it. Of course I will be at work while all the moving is taking place, but I will be happy to have it done. Ben will be moving in with a friend on his campus until we get married. We are in the 70s now on the marriage countdown.
Off to lunch with my momma...

Thursday, May 7, 2009

A Whole Lot of Latte Love...

I met Ben at Outback for dinner after he was finished preaching and I was done with my meeting last night. He got me a gift for Teacher Appreciation Week. He said that he went into Starbucks to find out how much my favorite drink cost, which was $5.04. I thought it was cute that he got me a gift card for $5.04 for my favorite drink. Then he says, "So I had them put $504 dollars on the gift card." He is such a sweetheart. :)

After dinner we went to Wal-Mart to get duct tape for the upcoming move (May 26th). I was so pleased to see the wide variety of colors that duct tape comes in. Ben said, "Duct tape: It's not just for men anymore." I ended up choosing aqua. The goal is to pack up my office on Friday night.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Oh So Much To Do....

Last night, I got seriously stressed thinking about how much I have to do in the next month. There is SO MUCH to do. It is not just one thing I told Ben, it is a combination of everything. I am feeling a little bit better, but I am going to have to be at school every day at 7:00 in order to pull this off. I was writing an end of the school year to-do list yesterday, and I made myself stop once I had reached twenty-five items. Ben was sweet and really wants to help, but there is nothing that he can do.

I was thinking about an interesting point Ben and I are at in our relationship: he has known me longer at the size I currently am than any other size. This is a strange thing for me, because no one has ever known me to stay around one particular size.

Ok, I seriously can't think straight right now, so I'm ending this post.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Do You Show Yourself Some Grace?

I had a bad eating day yesterday where I made some choices that I know I shouldn't have. This brings myself to the question, "Do you show yourself some grace?" I know when I hop on that scale it will be up. Yet, if I choose not to get on the scale, I would show myself some grace. I guess how you answer this question comes from the background you grew up with. Were you fat since you were a little child? Were you skinny until you became an adult and then packed on pounds after childbirth?

I've been pretty big since going down this journey about NOT giving myself any grace. Why? My background was that I climbed and climbed weight wise, and I couldn't afford to give my body ANY headway. On the Refuse to Regain website, the author talks about her "SCREAM WEIGHT," which is a number where she won't go past. If I choose to ignore the scale, what if I am rapidly approaching this weight, or have even surpassed it?

Knowledge is power. As GI Joe says, "Knowing is half the battle." I'm going to get on that scale, and even though I know I won't like what I see, I PROMISE that number will make me reflect on what I put into my mouth today.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Monday Mornings

get me down....nah, I'm ok. That is a line from a song, and it popped into my head this morning. I will be updating on the 30 for 30 challenge soon.

Yesterday Ben and I got some formal engagement pictures made. They will be ready to pick up on May 14th. I am supposed to be getting an online password where I can email pics, etc. O am hoping that I will be able to post them to the blog.

We had dinner with some friends from church. The guy who took some awesome pictures of us at Christmas agreed to take some pictures of us at Cherokee park. I am really excited about this. The location is fabulous, and he is an amazing photographer.

I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

A Rower I'm Not...

This weekend has buzzed by so fast! Yesterday, I babysat the boys I normally watch. I did the 30 for 30 at their house. I did ten minutes on a rowing machine, but that was all I could do. I can sure feel it! After that, I switched to the treadmill to finish the challenge. One thing I did a lot of yesterday was climb stairs, and I didn't even think twice about it. This is something I've grown to take forgranted.

Something I really thought about today is wanting to be a healthy mom. I don't just mean while my kids are young, but when they are in their twenties...I want to be able to keep up with them. My friend and her mom go walking every Saturday. I wish that I had that to share with my mom, but I don't. I want to be active with my kids when they are young, but also as they get older.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Google Reader

I was asked yesterday about Google Reader...Here is a link that explains it well and helps you set up your own.

Our First Dance

Ben and I decided last night to dance to "At Last" by Etta James as our first dance as husband and wife. :)

Mainly a Photo Post...

I did day three of the 30 for 30 Challenge yesterday. We have a three day weekend here, so I am not at work now. I am getting ready to do day 4. Tonight I will also be going ballroom dancing, so I will get in an extra workout. Some people are much more casual about ballroom, dance a song sit ou for 4 or 5 and socialize, I am all about being there to DANCE.

I am including the final fitting of my WEDDING DRESS pictures!!! I was stressed that when I went back after the alterations that my dress would not fit. Seriously, this has been way messing with my mind the past week. My dress fit fine, and I really DO love it. I feel very skinny in my dress.