I've lost count

Well, I have finally finished The Book of Fred. It was about a young girl being separated from her family and being placed in a foster care family. Mary's family belong to a cult and her little brothers die because her parents refuse medical help for a routine illness. Mary is then taken away from her parents as they await trial and placed with a foster family of three. Mary learns to fit in with her new family and the family learns quite a bit from Mary as well. The details about the fictional cult were interesting. I liked the way the daughter of the foster family, Heather, learns to acccept Mary and how they become friends. The story is told through the different characters point of views so it fills you in on a deeper level when it switches around. It was an interesting read, better if I had actually read it consistently throughout a few days instead of ten pages at a time spread out over 4 months. But that is what happens when you have to go to work everyday and cannot stay home and read all day long.

I am adjusting to my teaching job. It is actually going pretty well. I think I am doing a pretty good job. There are many things I need to do to get more organized, but that will come, I think. I am looking forward to spending 2 full weeks at home with my girlies and husband enjoying the Christmas holiday break. So much left to do between lesson plans, shopping, wrapping, making gifts for teachers and friends, and reading Harry Potter to my girlies. We started the first book back in August and have been progressing straight through when we can at bedtime. We are almost finished with The Prisoner of Azkaban and the girlies are getting anxious to find out how it all turns out. I just love reading to them and sharing a favorite book of mine with them.

I'm not sure what I'll pick to read next for myself, but to hoping I can get at least one book read over the holidays. I just love to read!

looking forward to the holidays

Hey, I'm still trying to read through The Book of Fred. I get a few more pages read here and there, I'm planning on finishing it off over Thanksgiving Break. I am looking forward to it, relaxing with my girlies, baking Christmas cookies, going Christmas shopping, decorating the house. My husband doesn't know it yet but I am planning on putting up the tree right after Thanksgiving. I think I'll need the reminder of joy and happiness this December. The calendar is filling up and it is still November! I hope we manage to slow down a bit and really enjoy this season. I don't want it to fly by in a blur. I want to savour every detail of the holidays and remember how my girlies are still in awe of the whole wonderful time. Lists to be made, gifts to make and wrap and deliver, cookies to eat, parties to go to, Christmas books to share, snuggle time, traveling to Grandma's house, playing with the cousins... it just goes on and on.

2 weeks

2 weeks into the new job and already I'm exhausted:) I had forgotten about a lot of the paper-work type things that can often get in the way of time for teaching and planning to teach. I guess I just need to get organized and make a plan for carrying out all my new duties. So, I had better go and get started....

race day

OK, so no PR for me but I ran a good race. I finished in 43:31 - just one minute and 6 seconds off my PR goal. Not bad considering all the chest congestion and stuffy sinus stuff. It's too bad I got the cold, I think I may have done it otherwise. Maybe that is just being optimistic but something has to carry me through the next year of training and try again in the 2010 race:)

When I started to breathe hard and sent my running buddies ahead. They did an awesome job and if I would have been able to keep up with them I would have done awesome too. They finished just under 40 minutes. So, either I have been really slowing them down all summer, or I would have done great today without the cold symptoms. I choose to believe I could have finished better without the cold:) I'm not using it as an excuse, just motivation for next year.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

new job

Wow, so it has been a crazy 2 weeks. I interviewed for my seventh job this summer and finally got one! So I am returning to the classroom and teaching first grade again! I am very overwhelmed with the amount of information being given to me at the moment but I did enjoy teaching my students today. So, maybe it will all even out. Eventually I will feel like I know what I need to know and in the mean time I'll just concentrate on the kids and do what I think is best for them.

My own children have been wonderful little helpers. They have changed buses to accommodate me and have asked to help clean up the classroom and help decorate for me. Hopefully their enthusiasm over the whole situation will continue long after the novelty wears off. Maybe I'll be more organized soon and we won't have to be at the school as long. I'm trying to be optimistic:)

My 4 mile race is in the morning so I hope it goes well. If you are awake at 8:00 am tomorrow, wish me luck! I'll let you know how I do. Remember, my goal time is under 42:26. I just want to beat my old record. I have a little bit of a cold so I hope that doesn't interfere. Doesn't if figure, just a half day in a school building and I get a cold! At least I feel better than I did on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyway, I'm off to bed to get enough rest, tune in tomorrow for the results....

yet another one

Yet another interview tomorrow. I am getting tired of this. This may be the last one for me for a good, long time. The constant up and down, the emotional roller coaster. The trying to imagine rearranging my whole life to fit in a job at this point in my life when I really still want to be super mom and not just another working mom. I know it takes a lot of determination and balance to pull this off gracefully; I wonder if I have it in me. I think about the things that will be for the better. The paycheck, the extra money to pay off and pay for things we haven't been able to do in along time, maybe even ever. The pride in teaching yet another group of little people to read and enjoy school. The hugs and expectant faces looking to for all kinds of information. The stories to be read aloud. The science experiments to be demonstrated.

It seems to me the good is all about helping other people and feeling good about it. The bad is the more selfish side of me, wanting to make sure I don't give away the best of me to other people's children and not save any patience and love for my own wonderful girlies. Guess I'll just have to wait and see...yet again, what happens next. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

first day of school

Well, my girlies are off to start another year at school. They were very excited this morning and had no trouble getting ready. We carefully picked out our outfits last night, all the way down to socks and shoes and jewelry choices. They ate quickly, brushed their teeth and hair, and were standing out at the end of the driveway waiting for the bus in record time. I am so excited for them and hopeful that another school year will be fun and challenging for my little girlies.

Personally, I am so very sad. My treadmill cannot be fixed! The belt has torn so far this time that it cannot be reattached. No more super glue, hot glue, or staples will bring it back to life. I have been running outside with a friend this summer preparing for a 4 mile race that is in 2 weeks. But when the weather turns colder, I am going to miss that treadmill. I hope that I will be able to get another one soon so I don't use that as an excuse not to exercise. I know the running/walking I do on the treadmill is good for my heart and my stress level. I feel better after I exercise even though I really don't "love" exercising. Maybe I'll be able to find a part time job very soon to help pay for such an expense. I would like a treadmill that has programmed routes/circuits this time. One that automatically speeds up, slows down, does hill intervals, etc. depending on which plan you choose. I haven't researched them much lately but I think I will start, so I'll be ready when we have the money to splurge on a new one. Wish me luck and if you know anything about treadmills, please share!