.shredded.

I pulled myself off the couch and headed to the gym that is maybe 1 mile away.  As I was pulling out of my driveway, it started to sprinkle and then all of a sudden it was torrential down pours. I felt like I was underwater. I listened a little closer to the radio and they said that we would be getting huge hail and a huge thunderstorm. Do you think that would stop me from going to the gym? NO.  

Well....YES.  I couldn't find a parking spot.  Let's rephrase that. The ones that were open were really REALLY far away and I had on a white (kinda already see through) shirt with a white tank top.  Not good for torrential downpours. By the time I would have RUN to get into the gym I would have been soaked and my shoes would have squeaked on the treadmill for the 3 miles on my schedule for today.  

I headed home and broke open Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  I have probably had this for over a year, but I opened it and popped it in.  A 20 minute work out sounded excellent EXCEPT I didn't have any hand weights.  To improvise I grabbed soup cans. Now, I am not an iron woman, but I can lift more than a soup can. Tomorrow I will go out any buy new hand weights so that I actually get the strength/tone benefit.  

(This was when Jillian was telling me that I needed to not quit and suck up the 2 minutes of punching)

So, I did.  Here is my little make-shift step up.  My yoga mat came in handy. 

When I was laying down on my mat I noticed how dusty my floor was under my couch, so I think after dinner I have a job to do.  Clean and organize my house. Read 5 educational articles. Write 2 papers.  Quit "vacationing" aka blogging and GET TO WORK!

Now, at least I did my 1st day of Level 1 the 30 Day Shred. I am well on my way to be shredded according to Jillian. 

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weekend thrills

My weekend started off on a positive note with this little one working so hard all day long on Friday. 

Then, for fun (lame we know) we gathered in the library and watched a dvd on how to teach our students to become better readers. We even popped popcorn and sat in the kids chairs. Daring huh?

Not pictured: Saturday I worked for The New Teacher Project ALL day.  From 7-5:30 I interviewed potential candidates for teaching positions in CLT.  I LOVED it and afterwards I went to dinner at my adopted families house.  Oh how I miss them.  

Sunday brought church, Target, Trader Joes, and an HOA meeting.  The HOA meeting was very exciting because we are quite close to setting a date for when the good half of the street are going to redo their driveways.  YAY!  No more muddy shoes when it rains. I bought a little Oscar party something something and some new viatmins (because my SHAPE magazine told me too--and my mom too).  

And finally...wine, lesson plans, some of the georgia wives, the oscars, and lucy(the dog who likes me--a rare find).  

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Today's Wednesday Right?

All DAY I thought it was Wednesday and it wasn't until I was talking a.k.a verbally vomiting on my sweet dad who calmly reminded me in was only Tuesday and not Wednesday.  Now mind you I was driving to class (which is Tuesday) and I was prepared for class (so I must have subconsciously known) but I asked him if he was at choir (practice is on Wednesdays).  Good thing it was Tuesday because I was thankful my dad was around to listen to my thoughts and crazy ideas and tell me his calm, rational opinion. Also a plus is the commute since I needed all 45 minutes to process to my father.

Class was great and we were talking about positive behavior and reinforcements and I am NOT one to bribe my students.  I believe that they should be good because intrinsically they want to do their best, but I was reflecting on this week and it has been quick and pretty full of school pain.  Some of their lives are painful, their actions and really their words have been painful to each other.  So, since we are a family tomorrow we are having a FAMILY BREAKFAST.

We will recommit our love for each other and our pledge to be good listeners and lovers of each other and we will break banana bread together. Hence, homemade (err "store bought") chocolate chip banana bread with EXTRA chocolate chips.

\

These muffins plus 

and Miss Slagle's Scholars will be back in business.  

Plus Miss Slagle's neighbors (the georgia wives) will be happy. 

In fact a special thanks to Stephen who lent me my eggs. Again, can I tell you how much I love this street???!??!?!?!!?!?

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Today was "Monumental"

In an effort to be as sane as possible by planning and creating ahead of time (and healthy as possible) this was my dinner last night and my lunch today. This lovely concoction made its first appearance on the Ski Trip of 2010.  Annie and I loved this hot broccoli soup after a morning of skiing in the freezing cold weather.  The boys on the other hand preferred tomato.  I bet if they had seen this "before" stage they never would have tried it. BUT, it really is good and has quite the kick to it (secret ingredient: cayenne pepper).

Normally, I use emealz.com to plan out my menus/dinners, but lately my life has been a little hectic and I am lucky if I eat.  (Seriously, I may have substituted dinner for bed a few nights last week)  This is one of my favorite emealz creations.  It is garlic rosemary pork chops.  They are DELICIOUS! My veggie lasagna is also a emealz favorite.

So, today after work I dropped the kids off at the bus-fish passed out of BH and came home to meet my group for our big class presentation in my Models of Teaching class at Queens.  Before, they arrived I whipped this up.

Once she got here we got busy and this was our final product.  Oh to be El Ed.

Then before I could tell myself I was tired I went to the gym.  I think I could run forever (maybe not) if I had a magazine to read. I LOVE magazines especially fitness ones.  It makes me run faster.  I thank my parents for taking me on long car trips and making me read because I can run on the treadmill and read my magazine ALL at the same time.  It is great. Quite an accomplishment.  Thank you Mike and Krista for making it more enjoyable when I run.

Oh, but that was why my day was monumental. I am running the "Monument Ave 10k" and I am SO behind on my training (even though I had a personally crafted training regiment that should fit my schedule) and I am right on board with this week (wk 3 even though this is technically my wk 1)!

Oh and I curled my hair this morning.

A "monumental" President's Day.

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Lover's Day

Ask my friends. I LOVE holidays.  I can only think of one person who may like them as much or more than me.  That would be Michelle.  She only wins because she decorates for every SINGLE holiday.  I tend to leave up the decorations and then I am 2 months behind taking down Christmas decorations and I have Christmas, Valentines, and St. Patrick's Day all up at the same time.  This tends to make me feel unaccomplished so I just don't decorate.

For this lovers day...it all started about a week early when my cute mom sent me a package complete with presents for me and for my 18 kiddos.  I loved my new purse (and other treats) and my kids were going to love their valentine goody bags.

I went to the Wong household for a little love celebration where I ate red velvet cupcakes and played Just Dance for the wii.  Who knew that could be so addicting!

My ragamuffins showed me they loved me when my desk was overflowing with chocolate, treats, roses, and stuffed animals.  I had love notes and those always make for a great day.

I rushed home and started making dinner because the housewives were coming over to celebrate.  (One day soon I will introduce you to the infamous "wives.")

Laura and I set the table complete with all our little toys and we specifically put them in Nate's seat.  See, N works at a bank and banks don't love on their employees like kids do.  We drank wine, ate great (i hope) food, and just celebrated the Georgia love.  To top it off, N brought tiramisu from Novas (my favorite bakery)!

This is why I love to celebrate love....EVERY DAY!

Sadly, the wives didn't take a picture for V-day, but we did over the snow days. This is the most current!

Next Celebration: St. Paddy's Day and I can not wait to celebrate in the same style as last year!

Mich and I at the Parade in uptown (left) and Tam and I somewhere in uptown (on the right)                   

E wanted to celebrate the Irish on the World's Largest Pub Crawl so he made the trek to the QC.  

reflections post July 2009

Clearly, I fell off the blogger bandwagon. I don't apologize though. In the last 2 years a lot has happened! I bought a house, completely renovated it in a month, switched schools, started a few random (small) jobs, wrote grants, joined the board of a nonprofit, married off many friends but specifically my college roommate and soon one of my closest friends, developed old and new friends, traveled (and was robbed), started grad school, and saw God move in miraculous ways!

Tonight I put off my 10k training a little longer and Devan and I walked to the Smelly Cat in Noda and grabbed coffee and chatted our way through the ghetto. As I read her blog, I decided that I missed blogging (even if there are very few readers) I appreciated the self reflection.

Originally, I wrote about adventures around CLT which quickly ended in 2008.

Then, I bought this house I decided that I wanted to be like these people and end up working for Home Depot as a blogger and getting everything for free. That thought ended as soon as I signed the papers at the lawyers office (yes. very daunting).

Now, I want to write about what I do and think because I don't want to forget.

This is my favorite blog. She writes about anything and everything. I want to be THIS eloquent, reflective, and disciplined.

I enjoy reading blogs. Its almost like a temporary vacation for me.

So, here are a few pictures to bring you up to speed since my blogging vacation.

The "first" First Book Distribution. The grant donated 4400 books to our students. Currently: FB has donated almost 25k to our school!

My girls flew in for the Black Eyed Peas Concert. We. Heart. Fergie.

E and I camped out for 4 days at Bonaroo with Sarah and John!

Little Michael Lloyd graduated from COLLEGE!

I grew some grass. My finished renovated house!

My typical/current Friday dates (Paul and Devan) got married! YAY! (They should be models)

Lauren Lynn Walton become Lauren Lynn George.
Another model couple.

Michelle got hitched as well!

The Paces (plus Eric) came to CLT to celebrate Laci and Brandon's wedding!

I thought Puerto Rico may help me un"stress" but instead it provided a tad bit more...

Celebrated Halloween with the Georgia Ave Housewives.

Coordinated another Book Distribution! This one with help. Thanks Erin!

Toasted Edwards' ENGAGEMENT for New Years!

I may or may not have become pooly from reliving the past 18 months.