step updownupdown...1,000!

aaaaaand DONE! for this week. the reading/science will be sneaking up on us shortly!

today i had to think about what in the world to do to remain active while monitoring the test. i was going to slip into walmart and get some of those little bitty dumbell weights to carry around, but i was running a little late. so i looked around the room for awhile until my eyes landed on a mini step stool...about 6 inch i think...so i grabbed a small rug and took it with me to the room i was testing in, and i set it up in the back of the room so that while the kids were testing, i could do steps in between my rounds! (it actually gave me a better view of them as well!) 

i started with sets of 25 per leg, then as time was ticking by, i went to 50

i was getting really worried that i wouldn't make it to 1000, but i got there while the last 5 minutes were ticking down (i kept getting interrupted by students finishing their test, and having to pick them up and check to make sure everything was filled in correctly.

then, i was planning on going over to the rec center-you may not remember, but that was one of the things i won during our biggest loser contest-i went in yesterday after i had my oil changed (i only got it changed because i needed my windshield cleaned-stupid green pollen trees)...so i have the membership until sept of this year.

only i decided not to go to the  center this afternoon because i stopped in to talk to another teacher for awhile after school.

so instead i went home to the apt gym and worked on some weight machines for a little while. the entire time there were two other nurse-types in there discussing their jobs and who was being fired and what masters they were pursuing and what to do after their contracts expired....no music was on, no t.v. no background anything and i forgot to take my headphones, so i was stuck just listening to their conversation. epic BOO. (they weren't even really working out)

there's also this intense self-defense training-krav maga- i want to find out more about. it's legit, but i need to find out what the cost will be and see if i can work it into my budget! it would for sure be a great work out!

i forgot to stop by the store earlier, so i must go now to get some laundry detergent and truvia...off i go.
julie

it's not every day that you want to be called a loser. but today was the day.

i am sooo tired! i got to school early and finished some more of my telpas papers (checking out my students' english proficiency)...i didn't finish all of them, so i will be working on some of that this week. i did run across one funny thing in speaking about math, one student wrote: someone invented numbers his name was herold, but he's not with us right now. not sure where that came from, or what our math teachers are teaching our students....smile.

 i ended up walking the school during planning period to help dr. hughes  map out where all of the murals will be so that she can let the primer people know! i've got lots of drawing to do this week as well.

today was the last weigh in for our biggest loser contest, and our school out-lost junkins by about 40-some pounds! i ended up losing 29 lbs since jan 17, but i still have about 25-30 to go...ugh. more eating well and exercising and moving around! we are going to start a new contest starting when we get back from break. my biggest goal is to not gain any weight before we go back and to keep on losing-but we all know how difficult that is when traveling and playing. our nurse is pretty amazing at getting special prizes for these things. this year it was dickey's barbecue sandwiches, special wellness book, as the winner i got a 6 month pass to the farmers branch rec center and a gift certificate at nuevo leon-mexican in case you weren't certain, plus the money in the pot (which will be good for the trip to ok)

fun stuff

a little sacrifice makes the pants a little baggy.

anyhoo, i had to run home to the office to get my package before the office closed because i won't be able to get it in the morning.

i followed the tracking, so i knew that it had been delivered!

my coffee and flax grinder arrived! yippee!

and after i had secured my package, i went over to agave azul to meet with some teacher friends that i don't get to seevery often because we're all in different parts of the bldg, and one doesn't work at cabell anymore. it is always good to get together with these ladies to catch up!

now i need to get to bed because i have an early morning ahead so that i can get up to oklahoma to visit the crew!

will try to keep updating over the spring break!
julie

just kidding (the book) is not nearly as entertaining as JUST KIDDING, with judy grimes on snl. just sayin'

today was a pretty good day. i'm so glad that no one from our school participated in the 'don't go to school day.' teachers who really care about the students' best interest don't leave their students hanging.they aren't the ones driving politics in the district. it was very thoughtful of our principal and assistant principal to have floats of appreciation after school let out-i did have one, but it didn't sit well, and i know i won't crave one next time.

i wouldn't have wanted to miss today because we had visitors from ibm come in to read to the students about bullying...or rather about NOT bullying. it is always interesting to hear what the students have to contribute. the book was called just kidding and it was really a great book, the kids were engaged, and it was pertinent because they are always saying something mean and following it with "just kidding" to try to stay out of trouble, but they don't realize that it is hurtful.... but the best part was that ms. brooks, our volunteer, left heat sensing pencils for the students! woo hoo!!

i'm so glad they get something new to distract them and play with. yippee.

when she came in, she saw my big bloom's task wheel and i explained it to her and how i want my kids to start thinking about their level of thoughts and deeper logical thinking and she said, "i pay for my daughter to go to a private school, and i know she isn't getting this kind of stuff!" yea for public schools!

i've been going through the green tea pretty quickly these days, so today i stopped and purchased 3 boxes..i've cut back a little on the coffee; i just drink it as a comfort drink now every once in awhile when i need the robust aroma to pick me up!

well, i think that i will be hanging out in dallas for most of spring break (i might try to make a quick run up to oklahoma for a long weekend at the beginning to go bowling and painting...) but i think i am going to try to schedule my interview for the latter part of spring break and then plan to work up at the school, outlining the murals for our volunteers from mary kay. smile. bringing new life to our school. lots of plans, lots of work!

about 9 days until the school biggest loser is over- it's been a good jump-start, but i am pretty sure that when it ends next friday, i will still have at least 20 lbs i want to get rid of, so it's going to be a long spring. but hopefully i will be at my goal weight by summer! work.self-control.work.self-control.

have a great evening...self-control.work.
julie

i'm glad ms m is keeping track of Jesus' schedule.

today i found out why things seem to go to hell in a hand-basket at school right around 10 a.m. at school...

but i do take comfort in knowing that ms. m is keeping tabs on him.

our books finally came in and the kids will get to read them and leave comments starting on wed. when they return to school. only my last class saw that they were in, but i kept them busy so that they couldn't pester me about it. smile. hopefully we can set up a 'meet the author night' on a PTA night so the  kids can show off their books to their parents! they should be proud of themselves!

expository writing...

today was the beginning of 'the biggest loser contest' at our school. which i was not going to do, because i was going to just do my own thing, but i decided to go ahead and do this for accountability's sake. but as i was looking through the information i found this:

from overweight, you just become obsessed.

so to celebrate, i went ahead and had fish...at glorias...with chips. and i got some grading done. not all of it, but some of it. i observed as some guy (must've been the owner) was chatting with some designers or contractors about changing something there at the bldg on beltline. something about making salsa night spicier...they were looking over blueprints and measuring stuff, and then the hostess sat a lady in the table in front of me and she was facing me, waiting for someone else. she ordered hot tea (which seems a little strange for a friday at gloria's). but it was awkward because the other person hadn't arrived, so you know how it is when you look up and you can't avoid the other peoples' eyes...i left.

only, when i got to my car, SOMEONE next to me parked a little too close.

i DID leave a note.it was NOT nice.

look at that-the spaces are small, but you at least have to stay out of the white zone!

so, yeah. i had to get in on the passenger side. jerk.

anyhoo, i'm excited that i will get to hang out with one of my ok friends (oklahoma, not like i level my friends, in that case it would be one of my amazing friends) tomorrow. smiles. probably go downtown and find some fun things to do...or something.

julie