Well, shortly after the last post, I realized I only have 6 more weeks of summer until we start classes. I have so much planning to do for both my science classes and our classes at home. I had also wanted to paint both upstairs bathrooms, but it's not looking like that is going to happen before school starts. I spent lots of time last week decluttering my bedroom/office and updating files so I can sit down and plan. I also input many of the new students in the gradebook/roster system. Still a few classes to do that with and Bethany has helped mostly with that.
This morning I worked out (halfway through my 30-day Wii Active challenge!) and took Wesley to swim lessons. That is dominating our mornings until Thursday. In the afternoon I went running errands with my girls. I have new office supplies, a swimsuit at 50% off for aqua fitness, and birthday presents for Eddie on Wednesday. Honour and Rebecca also needed new swimsuits and we were pleased to find them all on sale now.
This evening we have baseball practice and I must come home and make some progress with the work...Maybe I can update the calendar and rewrite the syllabi. That is the first step.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Signing off
Since I have 10 minutes before I have to shut down, I thought I'd update on the day. It was a busy one. I spent the morning with my work out, then took Bethany to ACC to find out which textbooks she and Bill need for their summer classes, which begin on Wednesday. I should have done that a couple of weeks ago, to be able to order them online in time. I still did it just because it save SOOOOO much money. But they may have a class session or two before they get their books. It would have been $130 in the campus bookstore, for used... found the same used books online for only $57 total! I was pleased. And we'll find out about the fall books soon so I can order them in time.
Wesley had swim lessons, at the Y. He's in the oldest group. I just want him to learn some strokes and be proficient. He's already a good swimmer, but with limited variety. I had intended to work out while he swam but they asked all parents to stay, lucky I had a magazine. But we stayed a little longer after he was done so I could get in some time on the treadmill. TOmorrow we'll go early, and I'll take my suit so I can sit in the cool water.
Bill came home today, with lots of stories and a few blisters and bruises. I'm looking forward to hearing more about his trip when I take him to breakfast tomorrow. I finally finished up my grade reporting for the past year. If you remember, my gradebook crashed on May 1, so I have been having to put in all the grades class by class and it has been a slow process of data entry. The next step is to build a master database of the classes I teach and the assignments in each. This way I can just copy that each year and not have to build it from scratch. I have 2 of the 5 classes for next year completed in that and hope to finish the last ones tomorrow. Then I can start putting in all the new students for next year and see where that stands. I always worry about enrollment all summer and then get a flood of new students in August... but still with the recession and all.......
The evening found us scattered all over the place. Bill was at Scouts, Honour went to a movie with a friend, Rebecca was swimming, I took Wesley to baseball, and Bethany held down the fort and kept Spot company. Now, for the first time in a long time... we are all home. We enjoyed laughing and greeting Bill, then they all went off to bed. I am so blessed. And now my computer says it is 10:00 pm so I am hitting publish and shutting down for the night. Off to do devotions, relax, and breathe in my massage chair.
Have I mentioned that I LOVE Summer?????
Wesley had swim lessons, at the Y. He's in the oldest group. I just want him to learn some strokes and be proficient. He's already a good swimmer, but with limited variety. I had intended to work out while he swam but they asked all parents to stay, lucky I had a magazine. But we stayed a little longer after he was done so I could get in some time on the treadmill. TOmorrow we'll go early, and I'll take my suit so I can sit in the cool water.
Bill came home today, with lots of stories and a few blisters and bruises. I'm looking forward to hearing more about his trip when I take him to breakfast tomorrow. I finally finished up my grade reporting for the past year. If you remember, my gradebook crashed on May 1, so I have been having to put in all the grades class by class and it has been a slow process of data entry. The next step is to build a master database of the classes I teach and the assignments in each. This way I can just copy that each year and not have to build it from scratch. I have 2 of the 5 classes for next year completed in that and hope to finish the last ones tomorrow. Then I can start putting in all the new students for next year and see where that stands. I always worry about enrollment all summer and then get a flood of new students in August... but still with the recession and all.......
The evening found us scattered all over the place. Bill was at Scouts, Honour went to a movie with a friend, Rebecca was swimming, I took Wesley to baseball, and Bethany held down the fort and kept Spot company. Now, for the first time in a long time... we are all home. We enjoyed laughing and greeting Bill, then they all went off to bed. I am so blessed. And now my computer says it is 10:00 pm so I am hitting publish and shutting down for the night. Off to do devotions, relax, and breathe in my massage chair.
Have I mentioned that I LOVE Summer?????
Spent-- Day 3 and 4
So, I decided to just tread water most of the weekend, continuing the changes I made last week. Our 4th of July tradition includes Red-White-and-Blue waffles for breakfast. I had some healthy blueberry-buckwheat waffles while the kids had regular ones covered with fruit and whipped cream :) Still had my smoothie for lunch and we had a healthy meal for dinner. I had been avoiding all refined sugar but I did make some homemade limeade with white sugar and it was very refreshing. Wesley and I made Rice Krispie Treats with patriotic sprinkles and I ate a small square of that. I was feeling great and didn't want to sabotage the progress I had made.
Day 3, the new step was releasing tension. He speaks of fascia, a system of connective tissue throughout your body that is often tight and tense and the reason for many aches and soreness. He recommends a form of massage where you lay on some tennis balls. But thanks to my wonderful guy, I have a massage chair! I often sit in it to relax at night before going to bed or when I wake up achy. So, last night I made myself a little footbath at the base of my chair, and enjoyed some relaxing time there while watching a movie I had rented (Revolutionary Road). Then lights out early was easy.
So, Day 4 I haven't read yet, but it is about breathing.... will report more on that later. Today I feel so good, it just makes me want to breathe deeply. Haven't had caffeine in 4 days so that is out of my system... and minimal sugar. I do like that I can have fruit. I haven't done well in the past trying to cut 100% sugars, even fruits.
Day 3, the new step was releasing tension. He speaks of fascia, a system of connective tissue throughout your body that is often tight and tense and the reason for many aches and soreness. He recommends a form of massage where you lay on some tennis balls. But thanks to my wonderful guy, I have a massage chair! I often sit in it to relax at night before going to bed or when I wake up achy. So, last night I made myself a little footbath at the base of my chair, and enjoyed some relaxing time there while watching a movie I had rented (Revolutionary Road). Then lights out early was easy.
So, Day 4 I haven't read yet, but it is about breathing.... will report more on that later. Today I feel so good, it just makes me want to breathe deeply. Haven't had caffeine in 4 days so that is out of my system... and minimal sugar. I do like that I can have fruit. I haven't done well in the past trying to cut 100% sugars, even fruits.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Spent- Day 2
So here I am on Day 2 of my rejuvenation effort. To be clear, this is more about feeling better than actually a diet to lose weight, but if that happens in the process, so be it (she says with a big grin). I just want to have more energy again, not be achy and sore when I wake up each morning. Yesterday was not too bad. I had an almond butter on Marathon bread sandwich and fresh figs for lunch. I LOVE fresh figs! and these were especially delicious plump ones. Then for dinner we had grilled burgers and zuchinni. I know that probably wasn't purist, but I had ground beef that needed using. I had lite Swiss cheese on mine and only the squash with it, NO chips :). I felt good all day but in the late afternoon I did start to get a dull headache, probably from lack of caffeine. That lasted until bedtime, but appears to be gone this morning.
Day 2: Lipman's assignment for Day 2 is about sleep. Now that sugar is out, and breakfasts are healthy smoothies (more on that in a minute), He wants to focus on better sleep. This is one area that has definitely been a tough one for me throughout the divorce and even now. For months I had such anxiety I could not sleep more than 2-3 choppy hours a night. When it was at its worst, I took 2 Benadryl at bedtime each night just to knock me out. It was desperate measures for desperate times. Now I am sleeping somewhat better, but I often stay up too late at night, just because I'm lonely and don't want to go to bed... silly I know. And I often wake about 3 or 4 and have trouble getting back to sleep. But even so, my body wakes up by about 6:30 each day,however rough the night was. And napping is hard to do in a house with 5 active children.
So, Lipman's advice is two-fold. First, don't use the bed for anything other than sleep. That is hard for me. I have my laptop... read, watch TV in bed. It's my private oasis in the household. I'll work on that. but hie second suggestion is to turn off all electronics at 10pm, to tell your body it's time to wind down. That I can do. Last month I bought a new Emilie Barnes devotional book, so at 10 pm each night at least when home... I will turn off the "noise" and have my devotional at 10, and then turnout lights and try to go to sleep. That's my plan for tonight.
Lipman has not started exercise yet, but I began a 30-day challenge with my Wii Active Personal Trainer game on Monday. I have completed 4 workouts with that, plus an aqua fitness class at the Y. I am a little sore and tired so I will enjoy the rest day that is scheduled for tomorrow!
Today I have worked out and made my smoothie, recipe as follows:
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
1 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 avocado
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. water
juice of half a lime
1 serving scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 serving of greens powder
4 ice cubes
Blend thoroughly. I really enjoyed this one, although the "greens" taste comes through just a little bit. The texture was terrific and it makes a generous portion.
Day 2: Lipman's assignment for Day 2 is about sleep. Now that sugar is out, and breakfasts are healthy smoothies (more on that in a minute), He wants to focus on better sleep. This is one area that has definitely been a tough one for me throughout the divorce and even now. For months I had such anxiety I could not sleep more than 2-3 choppy hours a night. When it was at its worst, I took 2 Benadryl at bedtime each night just to knock me out. It was desperate measures for desperate times. Now I am sleeping somewhat better, but I often stay up too late at night, just because I'm lonely and don't want to go to bed... silly I know. And I often wake about 3 or 4 and have trouble getting back to sleep. But even so, my body wakes up by about 6:30 each day,however rough the night was. And napping is hard to do in a house with 5 active children.
So, Lipman's advice is two-fold. First, don't use the bed for anything other than sleep. That is hard for me. I have my laptop... read, watch TV in bed. It's my private oasis in the household. I'll work on that. but hie second suggestion is to turn off all electronics at 10pm, to tell your body it's time to wind down. That I can do. Last month I bought a new Emilie Barnes devotional book, so at 10 pm each night at least when home... I will turn off the "noise" and have my devotional at 10, and then turnout lights and try to go to sleep. That's my plan for tonight.
Lipman has not started exercise yet, but I began a 30-day challenge with my Wii Active Personal Trainer game on Monday. I have completed 4 workouts with that, plus an aqua fitness class at the Y. I am a little sore and tired so I will enjoy the rest day that is scheduled for tomorrow!
Today I have worked out and made my smoothie, recipe as follows:
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
1 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 avocado
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. water
juice of half a lime
1 serving scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 serving of greens powder
4 ice cubes
Blend thoroughly. I really enjoyed this one, although the "greens" taste comes through just a little bit. The texture was terrific and it makes a generous portion.
Spent
(This is actually a post from Facebook yesterday-Thursday. I have decided to move the progress here to my real blog, since it may be lengthy, too long for Facebook) I found this book at the library when I was taking the kids yesterday. The subtitle is End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again. The last two years have been monumentally stressful and I'm left feeling Spent, as he says. I have been exercising again and eating at least some vegetables :) But I still wake feeling less than energetic, and often drag through the days. So I thought I'd try his 6 week program. It is one of those Extreme programs with NO sugar or processed foods. I will not even attempt to be 100% sugar-free. But I can significantly reduce the amount of bad stuff I put in and try to balance it with lots moe good stuff. He gives daily assignments that all focus around food, exercise, habits, stress-relief. It is a total life system. I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of girl and I give up if I'm not perfect, BUT.... I am going into this with the knowledge that I don't even want to try to be perfect at this... it's way too severe for me to do while still feeding my kids. I'm going to journal the progress here for 6 weeks. May not be daily, but I hope to check in often.
Day one: The biggest change today is that he is asking us to remove sugars in all forms from our diet. I admit to being a sugar-junkie. I will give it my best effort, but not to the point of being ill. He does offer the option of taking glutamineto reduce sugar cravings. I have not heard of this so I will see if it works. For me, the biggest change from day one will be breakfast. Instead of coffee with fancy sweetened creamers and English muffins..... I'll make smoothies. I pulled out the blender and had a strawberry/pina colada one today with coconut juice, one banana, frozen strawberries, and pina colada flavored whey protein sweetened with Stevia. Stevia is the only artificial sweetener allowed, and I have used it for a while and do like it. That's a relief. It makes terrific lemonade. Wesley and I are off today to buy a few supplements he recommends from the natural foods area at HEB,... hope they have it all.
Day one: The biggest change today is that he is asking us to remove sugars in all forms from our diet. I admit to being a sugar-junkie. I will give it my best effort, but not to the point of being ill. He does offer the option of taking glutamineto reduce sugar cravings. I have not heard of this so I will see if it works. For me, the biggest change from day one will be breakfast. Instead of coffee with fancy sweetened creamers and English muffins..... I'll make smoothies. I pulled out the blender and had a strawberry/pina colada one today with coconut juice, one banana, frozen strawberries, and pina colada flavored whey protein sweetened with Stevia. Stevia is the only artificial sweetener allowed, and I have used it for a while and do like it. That's a relief. It makes terrific lemonade. Wesley and I are off today to buy a few supplements he recommends from the natural foods area at HEB,... hope they have it all.
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