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Just Be Yourself

Posted on October 21, 2016 by auburnchick

I saw a thing going around Facebook the other day.

People were asking Siri what they should wear for Halloween.

Sounded interesting, so I gave it a try.

Her response?

Classic.

Myself.  That’s a one-of-a-kind costume that nobody will ever be able to duplicate.

And the world exhaled loudly in relief.

:::heeheehee:::

For really, though.  Who am I?

I am an oxymoron at times…an introvert who loves posting updates on social media.

That’s the Vegan Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce I saw because I was on social media and noticed that Detoxinista had posted a much lovelier picture of it…along with the link for the recipe.

I am the girl who decides to change my life by enrolling in college as an adult to two nearly-grown children and, when the oldest starts college, begins her teaching career.  Yet, I am deathly afraid of such critters as the one you see below…

Gambit killed that snake earlier that afternoon.  You should have seen him slinging it around while I was screaming for him to drop it.  I finally chased him away from it when I grabbed the pooper scooper and went after him.

I am a Redneck.

And then, because I’m so scared of stuff like this, I waited for the Mr. to get home to dispose of it and hid behind the car so he wouldn’t chase me with it on his way out to the pond across the street.

Bravery has its limits.

I am the girl who puts on a mean face when my students won’t behave yet sheds tears when a sweet friend at work leaves an unexpected gift in my teacher mailbox.

I am the girl who is terrified of rejection after years of feeling like I don’t fit in yet takes advantage of an opportunity to exercise my teacher voice and make a difference state-wide.

Now that I’m officially back to blogging regularly, I’ll dedicate an entire post to that experience.

So, you can probably understand my confusion when Siri told me to go as myself.

I am not schizophrenic, nor am I bipolar, which aren’t jokes, by the way.

I’m just your everyday gal with very different sides to my personality.  On the one hand, I’m a shy rule-follower.  The older I get, the more adventurous I’m becoming…not enough to walk in and be the life of the party, mind you, but frustrated enough with the status quo to take steps toward change.

Whether it’s fitness or teaching, I’m always looking for a way to learn something new or improve what already exists.

I gave Siri a loaded question.  She gave me a simple answer.

Don’t be afraid to be me.

Filed under: empty nest, fitness, Teaching | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Weekend Shenanigans

Posted on October 17, 2016 by auburnchick

Besides the wedding that I attended on Saturday night, I had other bits of fun this weekend.

Friday afternoon, I could not function.  After the horrible news of my school’s student losing his battle with a brief illness, it was all I could do to climb in my recliner and pull a blanket over myself.  I slept for an hour and a half.

I don’t think we even went out to dinner.  I’m pretty sure I ate leftovers.  That’s how heavy my heart was.

My nap, though, had given me a bit of energy, and because I needed to decompress from the day, I stayed up late watching college football and practicing my calligraphy skills.

I have much to learn.  Rebecca and I chatted via Instagram, and she said that she’d been watching YouTube videos.  Her beginner work looks like what my advanced skills will be like.  She’s amazing!

Still, it was good to focus on something besides being sad.

Saturday morning, I got up and worked out…finishing Week 7 of 22 Minute Hard Corps.  I have one week left!

After a nap early that afternoon, I got ready for the wedding that I posted about yesterday.  I wound up going to bed around 10:30.  I had not slept much the night before and was just exhausted.

Sunday morning, I slept in a little.  Sundays are my rest days…as in exercise rest…so I don’t have to be up early.  I felt so much better.

We attended church, ate lunch with friends (love them!), and headed home.

I immediately went back out and did a bit of shopping.

Our Office Max is going out of business, so I picked up a bag of goodies…glue sticks, erasers, and paper to indulge in my new calligraphy hobby…

I had Bath and Body Works coupons and really wanted more Pink Chiffon shower gel.  I love their B3G3F deals!  They’ve got their holiday scents out, and oh word!  I had a hard time deciding on something!  I have to be very careful with scents because they can lead to migraines.  I’m very sensitive and can’t do anything too strong.  That’s why I like the Pink Chiffon.  It’s a soft smell that is just right.  I also snagged a bottle of Warm Vanilla shower gel because I still have lotion leftover, and, well, I just have to be matchy-matchy.

OCD anyone?

I took another nap when I got home.

Teachers just cannot get enough sleep, y’all.

And that, in a nutshell, was my weekend.  The Mr. and I didn’t go out Sunday night for dinner, and yes, I really needed to be working on figuring out why my refrigerator isn’t making ice…again.  This happened a few months ago before Rooster left for basic training.  I either fixed it or got lucky that time.  I suspect that all I need to do is make a call to Sears for a repair guy, and the problem will suddenly resolve itself.  That’s what happened the last time…before the guy came…and I canceled my appointment and saved a whole lot of money.

This is going to be another challenging week, I suspect, as students continue to grieve for their friend.  I believe that the funeral will be held on Saturday at my church.  Please keep us in your prayers.

Filed under: fitness, Teaching | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

A Month Later…

Posted on October 10, 2016 by auburnchick

Well crap.

I blinked.

Longest blink ever.

As in one month and six days.

Sheesh.

It’s hard to believe that the first grading period will be over in eleven days.

Even though this is my seventh year teaching, I feel as busy as I did my first two years.  Having an extra prep is wayyyyy more work than most people realize.

Every Monday finds me like this…

We’ve been incredibly busy.  My Intensive Reading classes are doing their thing.  We spent the first two weeks on my Brain Gardening unit.  This is where they study the science of positive affirmations on the brain.  I added in a Brainology article, assessment, and worksheet that my friend, Cinda, pointed me to.  The kids loved the lesson, as did I.

Kahoot made an appearance when I used it to review Text Features with my Intensive Reading students.  They loved it, as I knew they would.

My Honors classes are doing some seriously hard work.  They’re writing a huge essay about suicide prevention.  The ultimate purpose is to evaluate what our school is doing in this regard.  I brought in a few speakers, and my kids interviewed them.

I was very surprised when I read the following entry in one of my girl’s reading responses…

This made getting those speakers so worth the effort!!

My students just finished typing their rough drafts.  I’m taking the kids through the entire writing process.  They didn’t exactly enjoy the planning part, but one of my girls actually went above and beyond by typing her outline…

They typed their papers in Google Drive.  A friend, Ryan, who is also a tech employee with my district, came in and trained my kids on it and Canvas, an online classroom setting that we use.  I had my kids link their Google Drive essays with Canvas, and then they peer reviewed a computer-generated partner’s work.

It was some good stuff!  Yes, I am a teacher nerd.  🙂

Their papers are due on Friday.  I cannot wait to read their final drafts!!!

The second week of school found our routine interrupted when Hurricane Hermine came to the Panhandle.  We had two extra days off of school.  I’m not going to lie.  They were wonderful and provided a much-needed rest that allowed me to catch my breath.  The first few weeks are extremely tiring when you’re a teacher.

Notice my alarms…turned off?

I was able to work out…in daylight…on those mornings.

With extra classes comes extra grading.  I’m forever behind, although I did make serious headway last week.

I really take my time reading responses to my students’ books and providing feedback of their essays.  I want each student to feel like I care about them individually.

I’m also trying to evolve in my teaching practices by working on the use of progression scales.  These are measuring tools by which students assess their learning.  I used Plickers to have students answer the following question.  It was our first time using the cards.  There was a small learning curve, but eventually, I think it will be a quick way to get feedback from them.

I also adopted a new football player since the one I’d had for the past three years graduated in May.  These were some of the goodies I purchased to add to his bags over the next few weeks…

As a way to keep up with the latest hot reads, I’ve been listening to The Nerdy Bookcast podcast.  It.  Is.  Fabulous.  I think I’ve cried during every episode.  The impact that books have children is impressive.

Check out the book I ordered after listening to a book talk about it during one episode.  I already have a waiting list for it after doing my own book talk in my classroom!

Another book I heard on the podcast was The Twinkie Bin.  I ordered it immediately, book-talked it, and read the first three chapters to my Honors classes.  It was snatched up by a young lady.  Another student wrote down the title so her mom could order it for her.  It’s riveting.

Speaking of books…one of my favorite things about teaching is watching as my students develop a love for literature.  One young lady is reading Beautiful Creatures.  She looked up the lyrics for “Sixteen Moons,” the song that keeps playing over and over in the book.

I used my teacher lead money to purchase twenty five new books.  The first batch arrived early last week.

Here’s the second batch that came in…

Meanwhile, I’m still trying to maintain the boundaries between home and work.  So, I work super hard Monday through Thursday…into the evenings…and give myself the weekends to be me…no schoolwork allowed.

My life continues to revolve around my workouts.  I really like the 22 Minute Hard Corps program.  Tony Horton often refers to it as “functional fitness.”  It’s not so much lifting weights as it is building core strength and endurance, which you need for living.

I am not going to lie.  This program is deceptively hard.  I thought it was going to be easier.  I needed easier after Hammer and Chisel.

Boy, was I fooled.  I burn anywhere between 175-250 calories with each workout.

I found some worksheets online, and I love them!  They help me see which exercises are coming up, and I like seeing the blanks fill up during the week.

I did have a mishap one day when door I had the bands hanging over popped open.  The bands flew back and hit me in the head and hands.

My right hand got the worst of it, though.  My knuckle still hasn’t healed completely.

Yes, I am a klutz.

I’ve been mixing workouts with yard work.  I like to keep my heart rate monitor on while I’m outside out of simple curiosity.  Apparently, mowing, edging, and sweeping debris burns a crap-ton of calories.

The Hard Corps program is eight weeks long.  I just started Week 7.  The workouts have gotten progressively difficult.  There’s one workout every other day and two workouts every other day.  Although there are only a total of seven workouts, not counting the bonus ones, the combos vary according to the week and day.

There are still days when I dread getting out of bed…knowing what’s ahead of me in my workout…but I do get up, and I do push through.

As the weeks have gone by, I’ve started doing the workouts without the videos.  My friend, Rebecca, wrote an honest review of the program.  Her post explains how fast the videos go, and this was something I had a problem with too.  After I found the worksheets and got comfortable doing the exercises, I stopped watching the videos.  I was having to pause them frequently, because I was determined to do all of the reps.  Doing them at my own pace has allowed me to focus on my form.

I have needed a distraction while working out, though, so on Saturdays, I watch the ESPN College Gameday program.  I love the human interest stories and the picks of the commentators.

During one story, which left me in tears, I sketched out lesson plans that I hope to use some time this year.

I just couldn’t help myself.  I get ideas from so many places.

I’m seeing the fruits of my workouts…not just in my body but my endurance.  I completed the Hogwarts Running Club’s Platform 9 3/4k with, what my friend, LeAnne, said was a good time.  I was just happy to get through it!  I did walk/jog intervals.

With all of the exercising and calorie burning, I’ve been more motivated to cook.  I bought two cookbooks from Oh She Glows, a vegan cook.

I also recently downloaded her app…well worth the $4.99!

I have liked every single recipe I’ve made so far.

The 6 Vegetable and “Cheese” Soup was pretty good.  Next time I make it, I’ll leave out the cayenne pepper.

Peanut Better Balls (no typo)…so very delicious and super duper easy!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothy Bowl…oh word!!  This recipe is in the app.

Healthy Potato Soup for the Soul (in the app)…the BEST potato soup I’ve ever had!  I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers each day at school!!!

This past weekend, I made the Spiced Red Lentil Tomato and Kale Soup.  I didn’t take pictures…shocker, I know…but this soup is seriously flavorful.  The broth is to die for!

Another thing that’s kept me busy is a new hobby…calligraphy!  I recently started following Scarlet and Gold on Instagram because this shop is based out of Auburn.  I saw that they would be offering a free online class and signed up.  I ordered my supplies and eagerly awaited.

What a wonderful job they did with the video!  It was easy to follow and very polished.  I learned a lot and had so much fun!

Not bad for a first attempt, eh?

I enjoyed it so much that I ordered more resources.

Although that’s not everything that I’ve been up to, it’s quite a lot of it.  As always, I continue to crave more writing time but find it almost impossible to carve out.

I’ll keep trying, though, and hopefully will get back on the train more frequently.

Filed under: Books, fitness, Teaching | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Catching Up

Posted on August 2, 2016 by auburnchick

I haven’t done such a great job with my blogging this last week and a half.  I have good reasons.  For now, why don’t we just let bygones be bygones and play a bit of catch-up.

I’ve been doing a ton of sleeping…ignoring the alarm I’ve had set for the last week in my pitiful attempt to start getting back into a routine.  I’ve been sleeping late and then, later in the day, squeezing in a nap whenever possible.

The dogs have complied.  They’re rather chill these days.

Of course, their patience does have limits.  Gambit gets all up in my grill if he even thinks I’m awake.

I’ve been doing some knitting.

With beads.

Which I had to order more of because the gal at the yarn store I visited a few months ago underestimated the amount I needed.

I ordered from GoodyBeads, and boy, was I impressed!  My beads came in record time, and I even got a bag of free beads AND a $5 coupon!  I’ll be ordering from this company again!

Do you see a bit of Harry Potter on the TV in the background of the picture above?

Well, in case you didn’t know, Sunday was HP’s birthday! My running club, the Hogwarts Running Club, is currently hosting a virtual race, the Fantastic Beasts 5K, and the suggested run date was Sunday.

Now, let me tell you that I like doing these races.  I like that the money is given to amazing charities.  I use the Charity Miles app to track my mileage.  They partner up with sponsors who donate for distances covered by its participants.  It’s a win-win all the way around.

What’s been bad, though, is that I am behind several races.  A great thing about virtual races is that you can run them when you want to.  You still get the bling.  You’re competing against yourself and your conscience.

Well, I’m behind a few races.  Life seriously got in the way.  I’ve been working out to a grueling Hammer and Chisel program.  I’m five weeks into my second go-round.  My muscles are sore, and it’s too humid in this Florida heat to get out later in the day.

Some of the races are longer, and there’s no way I can do them in one day.  That’s hard too.

My medals have been sitting in their envelopes…race shirts unworn.

I really wanted to do this one since it was only three miles and a special day indeed.

So, I did my H&C workout (two for the day) and then went outside…at 1pm…and walked/ran that sucker.

I hadn’t run since June 13th.  I still managed to do intervals where I jogged .75 mile and walked .25.  More than once.  Go me.

I was sweaty and tired when I finished, but boy was I proud of myself!

Look at that cute Harry Potter picture (top right).  I have SnapChat and use it; however, I didn’t know about filters until I saw something on Facebook.  It took me a little while to figure it out, but once I did, oh man.  There was a HP filter just for Sunday!

Let’s just say that I’ve been having a little too much fun with filters…

Personally, I like the one above.  Makes me feel like I’m back in the 70’s.  And yes, I am a child of the 70’s/80’s.

This week has been all about 4am alarms clocks.  Ugh.  Working out at 4:45 (because it takes me that long to crawl out of bed) is tough.

Yesterday, I felt okay, though, and perked up even more when I saw my bicep in the mirror.  Call me vain.  I don’t care.  I worked hard for that muscle!

I’m really, really proud of my workouts.  I’m getting so much stronger and am going up in weights about every week and a half thanks to my new commitment to log everything on the worksheets I found online.

Yes, that is 25 pounds.

Did you just faint?

I used them last week for dead lifts, which I absolutely love.  They do so much to strengthen your hamstrings which, in turn, help you shape your rear end.  Go me.

I’m also working in the yard…edging after the Mr. mows the front yard on his RIDING lawn mower (ahem)…and using the PUSH mower to do the back yard (ahem ahem).  I wear my heart rate monitor to record the calories I burn.

Almost 400 calories, y’all.  You know where that’s coming from?  Sweeping the debris down the sidewalk.  Talk about an arm and core workout!

Something else I’ve been doing is participating in a Book Love Summer Session on Facebook.

Penny Kittle wrote the book, and I follow her on Twitter.

Her book…her philosophy, in fact…is all about helping students develop a love for reading.  I read her book last summer and felt like I’d found the validation I needed for what I’d been doing (thanks to my wonderful friend, Barb, who first mentored me) in my classroom for the past five years.

I found out, by reading Twitter, that there was going to be a study session, and I signed up.

It’s very low key.  We listen to certain podcasts, because YES, there’s a Book Love Podcast…who knew!  Then, a facilitator posts questions, and we respond.

Ok.  So, confession time.  I don’t really like to listen to podcasts.  I did way back when, but I’m just not good at processing auditory stuff.  I am definitely a tactile learner, but…this podcast.  It’s something else.

Y’all.  I feel like I’ve found my people.  There have been book talks, encouragement, and ideas for fitting too many things in to too little time.

I have cried almost every time I’ve listened to a podcast.  There are testimonials.  There are stories of students’ lives that have been changed.  I see these things happen in my classroom every year, but listening to it online…it’s just so powerful.

Speaking of school, I ordered and received a new set of Kagan mats.  I really like these because I can flip them over and use the other side for something different.  I go through about two sets each year.

I attended training yesterday and today (my reason for getting up at the crack of dawn).  My district uses Canvas, a learning management system that allows students to access class content online.  I used it last year, and my students LOVED it.  It really facilitated things in my classroom.  Students had access to all of my Smartboard files and documents we worked on in class.  Even though I consider myself a fairly advanced user, I learned so much.  The training was low-key, and we were turned loose to create our own pages.  This time allowed me to make much-needed changes.

I’m still debating about which picture to use on the home screen my kids will see when they log in.  What are your thoughts?

Or this…

So yeah.  That’s a big chunk of what I’ve been up to. Ha!

Filed under: fitness, Teaching | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Fired Up About My TurboFire Results!

Posted on April 18, 2016 by auburnchick

Because I have not blogged very consistently since last August, I have lots and lots of blanks to fill in.

As you may know, though, I got back into shape with PiYo, my first Beach Body program last fall.  I lost over seven inches and fourteen pounds.

I jumped immediately into my second program, TurboFire, which is a combination of low and high intensity cardio and kickboxing workouts.

I loved the first video of the series and then hated the second video.  I thought, uh oh.  I couldn’t keep up with the fast moves!  I persisted though, and eventually got used to the names of the different punches and kicks.

I enjoyed it so much that when the first three months were almost finished, I asked the Mr. if I could get the extended program.  He agreed to my request, which allowed me to completed two more months!  It wound up being twenty weeks long.

The reason why I wanted to do this program was because I’d read about how many calories a person can burn, and I knew I wanted to burn off the belly fat that remained after the PiYo.

What was tricky, though, was adjusting to an altered eating pattern.  On PiYo, I limited myself to 1200 calories.  The diet was very strict, and I followed it to the letter.

With TurboFire, I was supposed to increase my calories twice.  The first time I increased, I gained weight, which ticked me off.  I wound up going back down to 1260 calories and was able to maintain my weight despite burning tons of calories.  I didn’t follow the diet as strictly because I wanted things like margaritas and pasta.  I still watched my portions but trimmed back on the number of snacks I was allowing myself.

All in all, I am proud of the results.  I lost a few more inches, mainly in my waist, which was my goal, and wound up two pounds up from what I’d ended with PiYo.  That could be due to muscle weight, water retention, or just natural fluctuation.

Here are my before (the left) and after (the right) photos.

The changes aren’t as drastic as with the PiYo, but I am more toned than before, and my abs started appearing.  I have more work to do and will start my new program in a couple of weeks.

Good health, I’ve continued to find, is not something that happens to me but, the older I get, must be maintained through careful eating habits and a consistent exercise routine.

I feel so much better about myself than I ever have…evidenced by the bikini I wore to the pool yesterday…brand new…that had been hanging from my mirror as incentive.

Not only am I transforming myself on the outside but on the inside as well.  Talk about being fired up!

Filed under: fitness | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Making a Run For It

Posted on April 17, 2016 by auburnchick

I don’t know about you, but I was a busy gal this weekend.

A few months ago, I’d signed up for two virtual runs…runs that would be taking place the SAME weekend.

The first one, the Umbridge 13k (aka “The Final Inaugural ‘I Must Not Tell Lies’ Dolores Jane Umbridge Run 13k…Or Until It Sinks In”), was sponsored by the Hogwarts Running Club that I’m a part of.

Guys, seriously.  13k.  Like, I had to look that up to see how far it was.

8.1 miles.

The most I’d done was five miles.

Virtual runs are very different from in-person runs in that you do them kind of when you want.  There’s always a “suggested” date, but ultimately, you pay your entry fee, which usually goes toward a charity, get your bling, and then whether or not you actually run is up to you.  It’s you versus your conscience.

The suggested date was the weekend of April 15th (aka Tax Day…when it hurts).  I had planned on splitting up the run into two days, with four miles each, but I procrastinated, and then it rained, and then I had a good hair day, and then it rained some more.

Yeah.

I didn’t really want to run.

Saturday was the day, though.  I slept in and then headed out around 11…still sort-of planning on doing it in two days.

Sometime during my first quarter mile, I decided that I’d go for it, and instead of turning left in my neighborhood to do my usual route, I turned right and went out of my subdivision.

I had an idea of where I wanted to run…past the fire station, up to the light, past an elementary school, and through a neighborhood I’d driven through once or twice.

I kept a close eye on my Garmin watch and wound up doing about five miles before I headed back toward home, passing the fire station again.  I still had a little over two miles to go when I decided to go into the neighborhood across the street from mine.  I have a good friend who lives there, so I’m familiar with the layout.  This was about two hours into my run, and by that time, I was dying of thirst…could literally taste icy water.

It was bad, and I considered calling the Mr. to bring me water.

It was at that point that I happened upon my friend’s house, and her CAR WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY!!!

I rang her doorbell and could barely utter the words, “Water” before she let me in.  She was a gracious host and didn’t bat an eye as I guzzled down two bottles of water without stopping.  Water was dripping down my face and off of my chin even.

Once I had recovered and caught my breath, we chatted a few minutes before I headed out to finish the last two miles.

By the time I got home, I’d put in nearly nine miles!!!  I did them with half-mile intervals of walking and running.

I felt so empowered.  I had not run for a number of weeks.  I guess my most recent workout program had done its job of making me more fit aerobically.  The biggest thing that motivated me was thinking about Rooster.  I figured that if he could do all of that PT in basic training, I could crank out a run.

I passed by soccer fields my children used to practice on. I had a few tears in my eyes. It was a bittersweet moment.

On Sunday, I made sure I was up early enough to do a second run…the Run Dog Run 5k, sponsored by Gone for a Run, another neat running organization.  The suggested date for this run was the 17th.

Now, let me tell you that after eight miles the day before, I knew that three miles would be a piece of cake.

I took Gambit with me, and we set off.  Once again, I did half-mile intervals, and he kept up quite nicely.  He’s still quite young and has a lot of energy.  The weather was a gorgeous 61 degrees.  My time wasn’t great, but that was because I was training Gambit not to trip me, and I did stop a couple of times to take pictures.

Man, did I feel good when I finished, but my hips…not so much.

I still managed to get ready for church…early in fact…and then spend the afternoon at the pool.

Life wasn’t all too bad in these here parts (when I wasn’t crying randomly because something reminded me of Rooster).

Filed under: fitness | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

My Drug of Choice

Posted on January 21, 2016 by auburnchick

I have a confession to make.

I’m addicted…

To a special kind of drug.

It’s not a drug that’s easily obtained.

I have to work for it.

Hard.

I’m talking blood, sweat, and tears.

Sometimes, I think I can go a day without it, but then my body protests.

So I cave in to the craving.

My drug of choice?

Adrenaline.

My dealer?

My body.

You see, every time I exercise, I get a shot of the good stuff, and it energizes me in a way that my beloved Mountain Dews never did.

The trip I’m on when adrenaline’s high kicks in is one comprised of confidence and self-fulfillment.

It’s also one of satisfaction that I’m reaching goals I’ve set for myself.

It doesn’t matter what time of the day I get my fix…the adrenaline is always ready and willing to give me a boost.

It seems fairly harmless…until I go without it.  That’s when I realize just how much I need it.

So, if you ever wonder what drives me to get up at o’dark’30, lace up my shoes, and engage in some kickboxing action, it’s because of the natural high I’ll be on afterward.

Or if you ever wonder what in the heck I’m doing jogging on the treadmill or around the neighborhood late in the afternoon after I’ve already done a morning workout and spent a day teaching my high school kiddos, you’ll better understand.

It doesn’t matter how long the session…fifteen minutes or fifty-five…or the time of day my fix occurs.

My inner-junkie gets pacified, and I become a more tolerable human being.

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Off on the Right Foot

Posted on January 14, 2016 by auburnchick

Wow!  It’s been eleven days since my last post, and time has just flown by!

The first couple of weeks back in school went amazingly well.  Students readjusted swimmingly.  I think they were a little relieved to jump back into my very structured classroom routine.  We spent this week testing; the kids had early release yesterday and today.  Teachers worked, and I made the most of my time, polishing off the next two weeks’ worth of lesson plans.

Go me.

Since the week after Christmas, I’ve ramped up my exercise regimen, adding afternoon walks/jogs to the mix.  I’ve taken the dogs when the temperature hasn’t been too cool to go outside.  They have loved their little adventures!  I’ve loved the extra calories burned and the late-afternoon endorphin rush.

My morning workout routines have been going great as well.  It’s not as hard, most days, to wake up at 4:15.  Sometimes I dread certain parts of workouts, but I always remind myself of how accomplished I’ll feel when I’m finished.  I take daily selfies to motivate myself.  I have my “I feel fat” days, and they can be incredibly discouraging.  I’m eating about 400 more calories each day, and I worry about adding flab to my body; however, I’m burning between three and four hundred more calories with the TurboFire program I’m doing, so things equal out in the end.  Truth be told, I’m usually at a slight deficit each day.  Still, those feelings of insecurity are never far from the surface, so I struggle.  Hence the pictures, and the visuals of how I really look, not how my mind distorts my self image.

A forty-minute video sometimes yields high caloric burns, depending on my level of effort (which can be tough when the birds aren’t even chirping at that dark hour of the morning)…

Some routines don’t burn a lot of calories immediately, but my body is so worked up, that I burn more calories throughout the day simply because my body is in overdrive.

All of the exercising AND the return to school, grading, and advance lesson planning wore me out though.  This afternoon, I intended to take a short power nap.  It turned into an hour and a half of glorious sleep that I was awakened from because of a phone call.  Thank heavens.  I probably would have slept all night.

This has probably been one of my best starts of a new year.  I am taking care of my family by doing my work AT work.  I’m taking care of myself by getting up early, putting in the time, and then decompressing when I get home.

I have, literally and figuratively, started off on the right foot, and I couldn’t be happier.

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Christmas Shenanigans

Posted on December 26, 2015 by auburnchick

It’s December 26th, and after a morning spent shopping with my Chicky, I am finally sitting down to process the past few days.

On Wednesday, the 23rd, we secured the house and pups, leaving them in the care of a trusted young man…one of Rooster’s best friends…and drove a couple of hours down the road to bigger city, Florida, where the rest of our crew lives.

Before we left, though, I had to get in another workout.  Even though Wednesdays are my “rest” days, I still like to exercise.  I’ve learned that my body needs to be pushed.

I decided to do a Piyo workout.  I’ve missed the stretching and strength exercises, so I put in the “Sweat” video, which didn’t seem nearly as difficult now that I’ve “graduated” from the program and have been doing TurboFire for over a month.  I’d like to think that speaks to the level of fitness I’m currently at…not high but farther along than four months ago.

Our drive went by quickly.  I spent the time either reading or knitting (I can’t remember which).  We spent the afternoon just chilling with the in-laws.  Chicky arrived later that afternoon, but she was fighting the crud, so she went to bed early.

Christmas Eve found me up early.  I didn’t want to miss a day of my workout program, but I also didn’t want anyone walking in on me.  I’m a bit shy about having people watch me.  I’m not exactly the most coordinated, although in my mind I look as good as Chalene Johnson.  Yes, I know I’m delusional.  Aren’t we all from time-to-time?

Getting ready in the dark so I don’t wake up the natives

After everyone got up, we did our traditional last-minute shopping and picked up a few small items that were probably unnecessary but gave us a reason to jaunt around town along with thousands of other similarly-minded people.

Because we were going to eat Christmas dinner for dinner (as opposed to the late lunch time we’ve done the past few Christmas seasons), the Mr., Chicky, Rooster, and I had some time to open gifts among ourselves.  Spending time as our small family unit rarely happens these days, as is the case when children grow up and leave home.  I think it’s still important, though.  Inside jokes and whatnot continue to remind us how much we love each other.

Chicky gave me this luscious silk/wool skein of yarn, which she had picked up this past summer when she traveled to the Amish country while vacationing in Philadelphia.  I think she purchased the yarn here.  She told me that she was going to buy me more yarn until she discovered that good yarn is expensive!  Rooster reminded her of my forays to the yarn store that’s an hour and a half away from me and how much I spend before I return home.  Yes, I’m a yarn snob.  I was touched that she 1) braved a yarn store and 2) got me something so dear to my heart.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures during our present opening.  I did receive a set of measuring cups and spoons from Rooster (these items were on my list), and the Mr. gave me a cute sweater from Old Navy, night clothes from Victoria Secret, and a flipbelt.

The Flipbelt. These are not my abs…these pictures will serve as motivation though.

After a delicious dinner (I ate mashed potatoes and field peas), we pulled out Phase 10, a card game Chicky had purchased the night before.  We had a lot of time to kill before church.

This was a lot of fun to play!  I highly recommend it!

After a few rounds, our group got ready for church and headed to the 9pm service.  This was the first time we had ever attended this late program…another sign that our children have become adults.  The pastor preached a great sermon with the highlight being the lighting of candles that we patrons held as the overhead lights were turned off.  Singing “Silent Night” with the candlelight flickering invoked a feeling of reverence befitting the Reason for the Season…the birth of the baby who would save mankind from its sins.

By the time we were finished, it was late, so it didn’t take us long to head to bed.

True to form, I arose early the next morning so I could do my ten-minute ab workout followed by the ten-minute stretch session that comes after each workout session.  The schedule worked out great, did it not?

Then, I got ready and sat…waiting…for the everyone else to wake up…

Because the kids are grown, we don’t open presents at 5am any more.

I decided to call my mom but had trouble putting on makeup, straightening my hair, and talking, so I dug out my ear buds and made myself hands-free.

Go ahead to tell me how brilliant I am.

This was a great way to pass the time.  Beauty at my age takes a while to obtain.

Once the Mr. and the kids were up, it was time to dig into our stockings.  Santa was good to me.

Isn’t my stocking pretty?  I love being able to say that I made it!

Super Sis and her family eventually made their way over after they’d finished opening their gifts, and after the customary Christmas morning photos in front of the tree (during which we really noticed how grown the kids had gotten), we dug in.

We always take turns opening presents, going in age order (youngest to oldest).

The theme the first round seemed to be opening what the other sister/brother clan had gifted.

Super Sis’s group gave me the stack of three purple gifts in the photo above.  One of the gifts was a set of measuring spoons (one can never have too many).  Another gift was this bowl…

Isn’t it cute?!

I also got this neat set of hand lotions.

The ingredients are all natural.  The one on the left has a lemon scent and is very invigorating.  The middle tube has an orange scent…a bit more muted but still pleasant.  The tube on the right has a floral scent and is stronger.  It provides a deeper conditioning, so I’ll probably use it on my feet.

A lot of laughter was exchanged as explanations were provided with each gift.

I had bought Super Sis an Origami Owl necklace and six charms.  I should have taken a picture of it.  She had randomly texted me a few months ago and told me that she had decided that she wanted one.  We’d given Coupon Queen a necklace for Mother’s Day (or her birthday…can’t remember which one since both are in May).

The in-laws gave me an individual sized crock pot, 400-thread cotton sheets, Bath and Body Works lotion, an Express store gift card, and cash.

It was a fun time…one we had to recoup from afterward.  Can you say nap time?!  This is another tradition of ours.

After a dinner of leftovers, we sat down and played a new game that one of my nephews taught us…”President.”

I.  Hate.  This.  Game.  It’s played with a deck of cards that are all dealt out.  The winner of each round is called President, the runner up is Vice President, the next two finishers are Secretaries, and the last two are Scum and Super Scum.  I cannot stand the last two titles.  If you’re Scum, you have to give away your best cards to the President/Vice President (depending on if you’re Scum or Super Scum).  In return, you get their worst cards.  So, what happens is that you rarely get out of Scum status.

I don’t like the names of the finishers, nor do I like giving away cards in this manner.  It’s just dumb.  Yes, I got a bad attitude, and yes, I probably showed my butt a bit.  It’s hard to be perfect 100% of the time.  Ha!

Bedtime provided a much-needed reset.

That brings me to today.  After an early, tough TurboFire workout, Chicky and I headed out to the store.  We hit Ulta so Chicky could exchange the Urban Decay eye shadow palette we’d given her…the same one as last year (hello. brain fart).  Best Buy was next so I could exchange a phone charger I’d bought for Rooster (hello, second brain fart…wrong pin connection…duh).

Then, we went to the mall so I could try on blue jeans at Express.  I’ve lost so much weight that I’ve had to go down a size (I’m not bragging, mind you, so don’t be hatin’).  Afterward, we ate lunch, and then Chicky got her makeup done at the MAC cosmetic stand near the food court.  I’ve never heard of this line before.  What lovely stuff!

I enjoyed watching the gal expertly apply primer, foundation, concealer, and blush.  Chicky doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, but that makeup really made her cheekbones pop!  I wound up helping her pay for her goodies.  Because we live six hours apart and only see each other every few months, I don’t get to pamper her often.

Because Chicky had decided to stay in town one extra day, we were not pressed for time.  I was grateful because I miss her when we’re apart.

The game plan for the rest of the day is to relax, visit more with family, and head home first thing in the morning.  We have fur babies who miss us, gifts to put away, and another week of downtime to enjoy.

I hope all of you had a great Christmas with friends and family.

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Doing Christmas Stress-Free

Posted on December 22, 2015 by auburnchick

Look…a second post in one week!

Go Me!

So, it’s Tuesday night.  I’ve officially been on Christmas vacation since 12:30 on Friday.

I’ve got to say that I think this is going to be one of my more relaxed Christmases in a while.  I think that the primary reason is because I’ve become very purposeful about balancing work and home.  I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating because I tend to be a slow learner and, I suspect, one or two of you might be as well.  Overachievers tend to gravitate toward one another, don’t you know.

Friday evening, before the Mr. and I went to dinner, I did a little DIY project and replaced Rooster’s bedroom door handles.

The door had quit latching, and the dogs were pushing their way in uninvited and lounging in his room when he wasn’t there.  Fortunately, a couple of summers ago, I’d ordered a slew of new door handles but had not installed all of them.  This was a rather fast and easy job.

The Mr. and I spent a few hours on Saturday shopping.  Although it was very cold and our mall is outside, we were able to flit in and out of stores fairly quickly.  We lucked out on a few great sales…one-day only affairs…and picked up nearly the remainder of the items on our list.

We also visited World Market, which had moved from town to the beach a year or so ago.  I love this store but haven’t gotten to shop there ever since it relocated.  I came back with a couple of different vegan/non-dairy teas and a vegan hot chocolate mix.  The hot chocolate…delicious!!!!  Look how frothy it got in the hot chocolate maker that the in-laws gave me for Christmas two or three years ago.  The mug?  It was a souvenir I picked up during our 2011 Alaskan cruise.

I got down to work wrapping, fortified with hot chocolate and football bowl games.

I only got nine presents done before we headed out to dinner, and I was too tired to continue after we got back.

After church and lunch the next day, I sat down and wrapped…for four or five hours…while finishing up recorded episodes of Arrow.  For the record, can the show’s writers please let the good guys be happy for longer than thirty seconds?  Oh, my heart.

I finished wrapping all but three or four gifts…items we were either trying to purchase accompanying items for or items we had to fully purchase.  Still, I was pleased.  The last few years, my Christmas spirit has been lacking, as has my energy, and the Mr. has had to do our wrapping for us.

Not so, this year!  Despite fighting the crud, STILL, I’ve been pacing myself, doing what I can when I can, resting when I need to, and resuming tasks when I feel up to it.  I even managed to add pretty ribbons this this year’s packages…sparkly additions that the Mr. doesn’t include.

I finished the last few presents tonight, and everything is loaded into bags and ready to be placed in the car in the morning when we depart for Bigger City, Florida, where the rest of our family resides.  We are leaving our pups in the care of a young man who puppy-sits/house-sits when we travel.

Another way I’ve kept the last few days stress-free is by reading.

I’m feeling like a bit of a cheat because I’ve got about four books going right now.  I have NEVER done this before; however, every time I order a new book, I have a burning desire to dive in.

Two books I’m focusing heavily on right now are Library of Souls, by Ransom Riggs (the third in the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series) and Wrestling with Wonder, by Marlo Schalesky.

Library of Souls is as strange as its predecessors.  At first, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but I’ve slowly been drawn in, as I was with the other two books in this series.  I was moved when I read one thing in particular last night…

Jacob is a young boy who, in the first book, accidentally discovers a “loop” that takes him to a world unseen where the same day gets repeated over and over.  The children in this loop have special powers, and they are trying to stay hidden from such things as wights and hollowgasts.  Jacob learns that his grandfather was a part of this world.  Jacob becomes immersed in it and the battle to keep the kids, who he’s befriended, safe.

In the third book, he’s trying to rescue the kids and their caretakers, ancient women, from the people who have kidnapped them.  The process challenges his confidence in his own special abilities, which he’s discovered as the reader follows the story.

I love the excerpt above which maintains that we humans have many talents but miss out on them because we only nurture one or two.

How true is this?!  I know this is probably due to time constraints and the busy lives we lead, but I wonder how much of this isn’t also related to the lack of confidence we possess.  How many times have we thought that we couldn’t do something when, in reality, we haven’t either tried or have given up after trying once or twice?

I need to ponder on this more.

The other book that is really touching my heart right now is Wrestling with Wonder, which I discovered when I read a series of devotions about Mary in my Bible app.  I loved this devotion series so much that I had to buy the book.

It.  Is.  Amazing.

The author delves into the story of Jesus from Mary’s perspective.  As a mother, I can identify with this viewpoint.

Here’s what’s different though.  So many times the traditional stories from the Bible…the annunciation…Mary’s visit with Elizabeth…the birth of Jesus…are all told in such a way that everything is happy, clean, and all glowy.

These scenes are told in words Mary might have used.  Can you imagine being told you are pregnant…before you’ve had sex and gotten married to the man you’re engaged to?  Can you imagine traveling on a donkey or camel when you’re days away from giving birth…how uncomfortable that must have been?  I, personally, cannot imagine giving birth in a stinky barn without a person there who had some medical knowledge.

All of these events are considered blessings, though, and they are, but they happen in circumstances that are the farthest from ideal that you can get.

THIS is why I am loving this book so much.  Life often isn’t pretty.  There is so much sadness…so much heartbreak…so many challenging times.  Yet, God considers us blessed when we endure the events that hurt our hearts and test our faith.

My reading…setting goals (I want to finish both books before the break is over) and being purposeful about setting aside time to read each day…is keeping me centered and helping me indulge in activities that make me happy…that quiet my soul.

A third way I’m doing Christmas stress-free is by exercising.

I keep harping on this, but you need to hear the message.

Working out releases endorphin.  Endorphin gives you a natural high.  You get the satisfaction of having completed something that is good for you.

Although I hurt my rotator cuff when I started Piyo a few months ago, I’m pushing myself through that…through the crud that is still hanging on (hello runny nose that will not stop)…through the soreness from the crosses and jabs that I’m improving my form on.

Despite having to stop today’s video at least three times to catch my breath, I pushed through, as I do each time I work out.  This time I spend each day helps me burn calories and maintain a shape that keeps me mentally happy.

Today’s 40-minute workout…LOADS of calories evaporated…

The videos will be traveling with me, and I will be getting up at o’dark thirty to exercise before everyone else gets up.  I need this time to myself (or with Chicky, who mentioned that she wants to work out with me).

Living life purposely focused on things that are most important is becoming my mantra.  Not allowing myself to feel pressured to be all, do all, and go all places or participate in all things has lifted a huge burden from my shoulders and given me a sense of peace.  I think this is why I’m feeling a bit more Christmas spirit in my heart these days and why I’m especially able to enjoy my time away from work.

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