I just read an article that said that Corey Harrison from Pawn Stars, previously known as Big Hoss, now weighs 210 lbs after having lap band surgery a couple years ago and working out a lot more ever since. Must be nice.
I, on the other hand, do not weigh 210 lbs. I'm still close to 240, with my weight fluctuating a few pounds each day. I think I weighed myself a couple of days ago at 237.8. Sometimes I'm down to 236, sometimes up to 239. I don't top 240 unless I'm dressed or it's the end of the day. I usually weigh myself in the mornings so I'm as "empty" and light as I'm going to be.
Anyway, I had originally had plans to work out, either walking, swimming, or lifting, every day before my class. That didn't happen, as I discovered I needed all my non-kid time to read and write for the class. Even the week after the class, I still had lots of work to do on my final paper and portfolio, so I didn't do any working out. Over the 4th of July weekend I DID my first actual piece of exercise in God-knows-how-long: I walked a 5k with my mother-in-law. I knew she had been walking daily to get ready for it, and I was really worried about being able to keep up with her. It actually turned out way better than I thought; while I definitely got plenty of exercise in walking the course, I pushed her to her best 5k time, 54 minutes. I'm pretty sure I can do better than that. I've been meaning to try again, but I need to figure out an approximate course around here to walk. I just signed up for another one on August 24. I really should train first.
That 5k was it; I haven't done any exercise other than that. The past two weeks, after the 4th of July, I've had the boys F-M, which means no working out for four days in a row. I need to just suck it up and start getting on the elliptical or doing an in-house walking workout in the evenings after the boys go to bed. It's just that it's the only time I have to sit and enjoy my husband's presence. Also, working out in the evening makes it harder to go to sleep at night because my adrenaline is up. Working out in the morning would be better, but the sooner I get up, the sooner the boys get up, it seems. I can't count on a certain amount of time in the morning that I can work out. And the days I didn't have the boys, I had other things to do--I had my portfolio to finish last week, and this week is all about cleaning up the house for the company I'm going to have for the next week and a half. We're going to Yellowstone next week (with our company and the boys), so although I'll get some walking in, we'll also be snacking all day and sitting in the car a lot. Yuck. Not great for the weight loss plan.
By the time our company leaves, I'll have four weeks before teachers have to report for in-service and the first days of school. And it will still be having the boys for four days in a row each week. So much for my 15 lbs of weight loss this summer.
I'm just so beat-down and defeated. I hate being fat. I hurt every morning and every night because I'm so heavy. I have to wear shoes all the time because my plantar fasciitis is bad. My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my neck hurts. And I just don't know what to do to fix it. I have so many excuses, and I can't make myself stop using them. I'm going to be 40 years old in about three months, and I really didn't want to enter my 40s almost 100 lbs overweight.
I need help. I keep hoping I'll wake up one morning and be skinny. It hasn't happened yet.
Pool Time
Monday, July 14, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Same sh*t, different day...
Today's weigh-in (after breakfast): 239.0
So, I did absolutely nothing on the weight-loss front. I'm still in the same place I was in January. Today is the first official day of summer, since yesterday was the last day of school, and although I plan some "bad" eating this weekend (my younger son's second birthday is tomorrow, so I'm working on birthday cake, and we're grilling steaks tonight because my dad is in town) and really don't plan to do anything super healthy this weekend, I figured I'd go ahead and post about my summer goals.
We have to report on Monday, August 25 for the opening of the school year (which starts Wednesday the 27th), which gives me 11 weeks to work with. I am taking a writing course for the next three weeks, which means I won't have a lot of time to work out, but I will try to go in the mornings before it starts at 9 each day--I'm still taking the boys to the sitter's at 7 each morning, so I can head to the gym and get maybe an hour workout in before needing to get dressed for my class. The class shouldn't be horrible for my health; although there will be snacks each day, I probably won't eat as much because people will be "watching" and I'll be occupied in the writing assignments, and also, we will be doing some walking around here and there for the class, so I'll get a little exercise in as well. I've also committed to walking a 5k with my mother-in-law over the 4th of July weekend, so I need to get some walking in.
My goal for the summer is to lose 15 lbs. If I can lose 1.5 lbs each week, I'll lose 16.5 lbs. If I can manage 2 lbs each week, I'll lose more than 20 for the summer. I've got to at least lose 10 lbs; I can't bear to be so close to 240 lbs. It's horrible. I feel like crap every morning: my feet hurt, my back hurts, my knees have started to bother me a bit (although the squats challenge I did in the month of May might have contributed).
I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. And fat. I'm sick and tired of being fat.
So, I did absolutely nothing on the weight-loss front. I'm still in the same place I was in January. Today is the first official day of summer, since yesterday was the last day of school, and although I plan some "bad" eating this weekend (my younger son's second birthday is tomorrow, so I'm working on birthday cake, and we're grilling steaks tonight because my dad is in town) and really don't plan to do anything super healthy this weekend, I figured I'd go ahead and post about my summer goals.
We have to report on Monday, August 25 for the opening of the school year (which starts Wednesday the 27th), which gives me 11 weeks to work with. I am taking a writing course for the next three weeks, which means I won't have a lot of time to work out, but I will try to go in the mornings before it starts at 9 each day--I'm still taking the boys to the sitter's at 7 each morning, so I can head to the gym and get maybe an hour workout in before needing to get dressed for my class. The class shouldn't be horrible for my health; although there will be snacks each day, I probably won't eat as much because people will be "watching" and I'll be occupied in the writing assignments, and also, we will be doing some walking around here and there for the class, so I'll get a little exercise in as well. I've also committed to walking a 5k with my mother-in-law over the 4th of July weekend, so I need to get some walking in.
My goal for the summer is to lose 15 lbs. If I can lose 1.5 lbs each week, I'll lose 16.5 lbs. If I can manage 2 lbs each week, I'll lose more than 20 for the summer. I've got to at least lose 10 lbs; I can't bear to be so close to 240 lbs. It's horrible. I feel like crap every morning: my feet hurt, my back hurts, my knees have started to bother me a bit (although the squats challenge I did in the month of May might have contributed).
I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. And fat. I'm sick and tired of being fat.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Brand new year, same old same old
Today's weight: 235.6
So, it's a brand new year, but not much has changed. Still fat, still disorganized, still short-tempered, still depressed.
My primary goal, at least short term, is weight loss. My plantar fasciitis is back in my right foot, seems like it might be starting up in my left foot as well, and I have some other undetermined problems in my right foot too--I get joint pain near my big toe (but I don't think it's gout) with pain extending back toward my leg and also across the top of my foot near my toes. I think I've probably just been favoring my foot because of the plantar fasciitis, which has made me walk funny and has caused some of the other pain. I hope. But I'm pretty sure if I can lose ten or twenty pounds, it will improve my feet greatly. I need to try to work out at least 30 minutes a day (to start with), and I need to eat less. It's going to be a challenge; I've been trying to lose weight (or at least saying it) for years now. I'd like to be below 200 lbs by the time whatever trip we decide to take for our 15th anniversary rolls around this summer. If I shoot for July 1, which is 6 months from now, it means I'll have to lose 6 lbs per month. That's doable, but it will definitely be a challenge since I've not managed to lose anything in so long. I need to start drinking a lot of water, stop drinking soda, stop eating chips and candy...meh.
I'd like to be more patient, and more organized, and all that other good stuff, but I can really only worry about one thing at a time. :) Here we go, 2014...
So, it's a brand new year, but not much has changed. Still fat, still disorganized, still short-tempered, still depressed.
My primary goal, at least short term, is weight loss. My plantar fasciitis is back in my right foot, seems like it might be starting up in my left foot as well, and I have some other undetermined problems in my right foot too--I get joint pain near my big toe (but I don't think it's gout) with pain extending back toward my leg and also across the top of my foot near my toes. I think I've probably just been favoring my foot because of the plantar fasciitis, which has made me walk funny and has caused some of the other pain. I hope. But I'm pretty sure if I can lose ten or twenty pounds, it will improve my feet greatly. I need to try to work out at least 30 minutes a day (to start with), and I need to eat less. It's going to be a challenge; I've been trying to lose weight (or at least saying it) for years now. I'd like to be below 200 lbs by the time whatever trip we decide to take for our 15th anniversary rolls around this summer. If I shoot for July 1, which is 6 months from now, it means I'll have to lose 6 lbs per month. That's doable, but it will definitely be a challenge since I've not managed to lose anything in so long. I need to start drinking a lot of water, stop drinking soda, stop eating chips and candy...meh.
I'd like to be more patient, and more organized, and all that other good stuff, but I can really only worry about one thing at a time. :) Here we go, 2014...
Monday, September 2, 2013
Don't cry, Mommy, don't cry...
Those are the words my older son has said to me more than once this summer.
Today is the last unofficial day of summer. Sure, fall doesn't start until three weeks from now, but with the start of school for most people either the past few weeks or tomorrow, today is the last "hurrah". No more holidays until Thanksgiving. *sigh*
So, like all my other grand schemes, my grand scheme of losing weight over the summer came to naught. I simply didn't exercise the way I needed to, and I didn't watch my eating. I managed to lose a few pounds on our vacation two weeks ago, because I didn't have as much opportunity to snack, since we were doing stuff. Then last week was my first week back to work--school started Wednesday--so I haven't had the chance to snack and I've been a little more active. I'm back to my original goal: lose 20 lbs by the end of school, which this school year is Friday, June 6. That's nine months, a little over 2 lbs per month. Here's the plan:
I really am going to try to eat better. I have a pretty good schedule, three classes in the morning, lunch and prep together in the middle, and two classes in the afternoon. Hopefully that will limit the amount of snacking I'm able to do. I'm going to try to stay out of the candy, chips, and other snacks my club sells in my classroom this year. Then, I have a three-fold exercise plan. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I will drive to school in the mornings (that will make it easier to bring the concessions those days) so that I can leave right at 3:30 and go to the Y to swim. I won't swim long, 30-45 minutes, then come home. That way I can stop at the store and pick up stuff for dinner if necessary or go to the bank on Fridays to get cash for the sitter. On Tuesdays and Thursdays my club meets after school, so I'm going to ride my bike. Not much of a workout in the mornings, since it's all down hill, but it'll be a good ride home in the afternoons, and I should still be able to be home at 5 to get the boys. Not sure how well that's going to work when the weather is bad, but we'll just have to wait and see. The third step is in the middle of the day. Since I have prep and lunch together, I would like to use part of the time for a short workout. I've tried a few "challenges", mostly things I've found on Pinterest, and I think I can take 15-30 minutes to do those, or to do one of those Leslie Sansone walking workouts. Nothing that's likely to make me super sweaty since I still have classes after lunch. But if I do that sort of early on, near the beginning of the prep time, it'll give me time to cool back down before my classes come in. I hope. We'll see. I'm so notoriously disorganized that it might really be a problem for me to give up that time, since I don't get planning or grading done any other time. But that's the plan so far. Cross your fingers...
I'm sure there's a lot of other stuff I could throw in here about the boys. Brendan is well into the evil toddler stage of life; everything is "no," or "I can't," or a meltdown. Potty training hasn't gone nearly as well as I had hoped. I thought I could have him trained by the end of the summer or at least by his birthday, but that isn't likely at this point. He just doesn't want to stop playing and take time out to go use the bathroom. His sitter does pretty well with him, it sounds like, but at home he's afraid he's going to miss out on something. You can force him to go, but then he cries. We've tried bribery with toys and treats, but he just wants the toys and treats and doesn't want to do the pottying to earn them. Ian is getting a little better about sleeping. There have been one or two nights that I actually haven't heard him all night long, more because I've probably been sleeping too deeply than because he isn't stirring, and there have been a number of nights where he has awoken but put himself back to sleep without my intervention. If he's reliably sleeping through the night by December, he'll pretty much match Brendan's sleeping pattern. I just have to hang on that long. But he's getting really good at walking, and he's started climbing too. So he'll get into the destruction that Brendan has caused very soon I'm sure. He's still whiny and clingy, although not quite as bad as he was there around his birthday. He's been teething pretty bad recently, cutting some molars in the back, so he's cried quite a bit. Just need to hit him with the ibuprofen.
So, that's where we are. School started on Wednesday, and so far it seems like the year will be pretty good. It will take some time to get to know my students, as it always does, but I have a number of repeaters this year so at least I know some of the kids already. Of course, that means that some of them already know my jokes...not good.
So, on the last unofficial day of summer, Labor Day, I am trying to absorb as much rest and relaxation as I can. Here's hoping stress burns lots of calories!
Today is the last unofficial day of summer. Sure, fall doesn't start until three weeks from now, but with the start of school for most people either the past few weeks or tomorrow, today is the last "hurrah". No more holidays until Thanksgiving. *sigh*
So, like all my other grand schemes, my grand scheme of losing weight over the summer came to naught. I simply didn't exercise the way I needed to, and I didn't watch my eating. I managed to lose a few pounds on our vacation two weeks ago, because I didn't have as much opportunity to snack, since we were doing stuff. Then last week was my first week back to work--school started Wednesday--so I haven't had the chance to snack and I've been a little more active. I'm back to my original goal: lose 20 lbs by the end of school, which this school year is Friday, June 6. That's nine months, a little over 2 lbs per month. Here's the plan:
I really am going to try to eat better. I have a pretty good schedule, three classes in the morning, lunch and prep together in the middle, and two classes in the afternoon. Hopefully that will limit the amount of snacking I'm able to do. I'm going to try to stay out of the candy, chips, and other snacks my club sells in my classroom this year. Then, I have a three-fold exercise plan. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I will drive to school in the mornings (that will make it easier to bring the concessions those days) so that I can leave right at 3:30 and go to the Y to swim. I won't swim long, 30-45 minutes, then come home. That way I can stop at the store and pick up stuff for dinner if necessary or go to the bank on Fridays to get cash for the sitter. On Tuesdays and Thursdays my club meets after school, so I'm going to ride my bike. Not much of a workout in the mornings, since it's all down hill, but it'll be a good ride home in the afternoons, and I should still be able to be home at 5 to get the boys. Not sure how well that's going to work when the weather is bad, but we'll just have to wait and see. The third step is in the middle of the day. Since I have prep and lunch together, I would like to use part of the time for a short workout. I've tried a few "challenges", mostly things I've found on Pinterest, and I think I can take 15-30 minutes to do those, or to do one of those Leslie Sansone walking workouts. Nothing that's likely to make me super sweaty since I still have classes after lunch. But if I do that sort of early on, near the beginning of the prep time, it'll give me time to cool back down before my classes come in. I hope. We'll see. I'm so notoriously disorganized that it might really be a problem for me to give up that time, since I don't get planning or grading done any other time. But that's the plan so far. Cross your fingers...
I'm sure there's a lot of other stuff I could throw in here about the boys. Brendan is well into the evil toddler stage of life; everything is "no," or "I can't," or a meltdown. Potty training hasn't gone nearly as well as I had hoped. I thought I could have him trained by the end of the summer or at least by his birthday, but that isn't likely at this point. He just doesn't want to stop playing and take time out to go use the bathroom. His sitter does pretty well with him, it sounds like, but at home he's afraid he's going to miss out on something. You can force him to go, but then he cries. We've tried bribery with toys and treats, but he just wants the toys and treats and doesn't want to do the pottying to earn them. Ian is getting a little better about sleeping. There have been one or two nights that I actually haven't heard him all night long, more because I've probably been sleeping too deeply than because he isn't stirring, and there have been a number of nights where he has awoken but put himself back to sleep without my intervention. If he's reliably sleeping through the night by December, he'll pretty much match Brendan's sleeping pattern. I just have to hang on that long. But he's getting really good at walking, and he's started climbing too. So he'll get into the destruction that Brendan has caused very soon I'm sure. He's still whiny and clingy, although not quite as bad as he was there around his birthday. He's been teething pretty bad recently, cutting some molars in the back, so he's cried quite a bit. Just need to hit him with the ibuprofen.
So, that's where we are. School started on Wednesday, and so far it seems like the year will be pretty good. It will take some time to get to know my students, as it always does, but I have a number of repeaters this year so at least I know some of the kids already. Of course, that means that some of them already know my jokes...not good.
So, on the last unofficial day of summer, Labor Day, I am trying to absorb as much rest and relaxation as I can. Here's hoping stress burns lots of calories!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Six weeks until school starts
Ugh. I only have six weeks left of school. This is the official halfway point of my summer. And what have I accomplished? Nothing! This morning's weigh in was especially unfortunate: 237.4. Managed to gain weight over the weekend.
I'm not feeling especially fabulous about this week, either. The boys' sitter is on vacation this week, so I have the boys all day, every day, all week long. Considering how quickly I lose my patience with them just in the evenings or on weekends, it's going to be a rough one. The good news for today is that I managed to get the boys to take a nap. Ian usually naps pretty well, but Brendan hates naps. He's been down about an hour and a half so far. We'll see how it goes. I think I'm going to pile them into their swimsuits and take them to the spray park when they wake up. Maybe. I'm trying to figure out how these parents who take their kids to all these different activities do it. I have a hard time wrangling both boys when I'm by myself, and of course I'm terrified I'll lose one of them somehow.
I decided I would try something different today. I found a pin on Pinterest for a 30-day crunches challenge. I need to do some other forms of exercise as well, but maybe this will at least thin my midsection a little bit. I'm also thinking about picking up a step to do step aerobics. That might thin my hips and butt. I have several items of clothing that are just tight in the hips, butt, thighs, and waist but that could be worn if I can trim off some inches. We'll see.
Anyway, for the ab challenge I started, today was supposed to be 30 crunches. I did 30 standard crunches and added 15 to each side. Tomorrow will be 75 crunches! I don't know that I've ever done that many in a row. We'll see how it goes; it's gonna burn for sure.
As far as the boys go, they are doing pretty well. We went on Ian's first camping trip over the 4th of July weekend. He was really clingy and whiny, and I doubt he really enjoyed it, but Brendan had a blast. Ian did get his first 4-wheeler ride as well, but again, I can't imagine he really enjoyed it. We're planning to camp again in a few months, so maybe he'll have a bit more fun then.
The boys had another first over the weekend: their first snowcones. We went to an arts and crafts fair here in Billings. It was hot, and there weren't as many kid-friendly activities as I had hoped, but there was a playground to play on. And we got snowcones, so it was all good.
Well, I think I hear one of the boys stirring, so I'm going to change into shorts and get things ready for the spray park. Whoo hoo!
I'm not feeling especially fabulous about this week, either. The boys' sitter is on vacation this week, so I have the boys all day, every day, all week long. Considering how quickly I lose my patience with them just in the evenings or on weekends, it's going to be a rough one. The good news for today is that I managed to get the boys to take a nap. Ian usually naps pretty well, but Brendan hates naps. He's been down about an hour and a half so far. We'll see how it goes. I think I'm going to pile them into their swimsuits and take them to the spray park when they wake up. Maybe. I'm trying to figure out how these parents who take their kids to all these different activities do it. I have a hard time wrangling both boys when I'm by myself, and of course I'm terrified I'll lose one of them somehow.
I decided I would try something different today. I found a pin on Pinterest for a 30-day crunches challenge. I need to do some other forms of exercise as well, but maybe this will at least thin my midsection a little bit. I'm also thinking about picking up a step to do step aerobics. That might thin my hips and butt. I have several items of clothing that are just tight in the hips, butt, thighs, and waist but that could be worn if I can trim off some inches. We'll see.
Anyway, for the ab challenge I started, today was supposed to be 30 crunches. I did 30 standard crunches and added 15 to each side. Tomorrow will be 75 crunches! I don't know that I've ever done that many in a row. We'll see how it goes; it's gonna burn for sure.
As far as the boys go, they are doing pretty well. We went on Ian's first camping trip over the 4th of July weekend. He was really clingy and whiny, and I doubt he really enjoyed it, but Brendan had a blast. Ian did get his first 4-wheeler ride as well, but again, I can't imagine he really enjoyed it. We're planning to camp again in a few months, so maybe he'll have a bit more fun then.
The boys had another first over the weekend: their first snowcones. We went to an arts and crafts fair here in Billings. It was hot, and there weren't as many kid-friendly activities as I had hoped, but there was a playground to play on. And we got snowcones, so it was all good.
Well, I think I hear one of the boys stirring, so I'm going to change into shorts and get things ready for the spray park. Whoo hoo!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day...
Weigh in: 235.4
OK, so, yeah.
Here we are, more than two weeks into my summer vacation, and obviously little has really changed.
Well, a few things have changed. Ian turned one year old the weekend before last. We had a great time. My dad and the in-laws came into town. I made an airplane birthday cake with blue frosting (that yes, caused a little blue poo for a day or two). It looked pretty good. I don't think it looked quite as good as Brendan's Elmo cake back in October, but it was still pretty cool. Also got to use the "1st birthday" decorations that my friend had bought for Brendan so long ago that never got put up. Cake was eaten, presents were opened, and all was well. Well, except for the fact that Brendan thinks Ian's presents are his own. Ian is still too little to fight about it, but the day is coming very soon when they will start to fight over their toys. There have already been a few tug-of-wars over some items.
Ian is also big enough to finally start walking! We weren't sure if he would make it before his first birthday, but by golly he took his first few steps two days before the big day. I'm still very surprised that it took him as long as it did...Brendan was walking at 9 months, while Ian didn't really even get good at crawling until then. I know, everyone is different, but I expected Ian to be on the early side of development since he has his big brother to watch and learn from. I can't help but wondering if the potentially early delivery we suspect Ian had might have delayed some of his developmental milestones a bit. There's no way to know, really; it's just curiosity on my part. He's up to seven teeth or so now, and I'm pretty sure he's got one or two more coming through. He's also doing well with his solid food eating, and we're switching him over to whole milk from formula.
Brendan is wild and crazy, still. He's a nonstop whirlwind of energy and activity. Nothing slows the kid down. He has gotten the hang of riding his tricycle and actually using the pedals, and his sitter bought him a little bicycle with training wheels that he's practicing on. He's lazy when it comes to pedaling, and would rather run his feet while sitting on the seat, but he's getting there. He loves to play in water, whether it's a sprinkler or a swimming pool. I had hoped to get the boys into swimming lessons this summer, but I suspect it's too late at this point. We will try to take them swimming as often as we can. We are also going camping for the first time since Ian was born in a few weeks, and I'm sure at least Brendan will have a blast. Ian is still a little unsure of things that are new, different, or unfamiliar, but I hope he has fun too.
As for me, I survived the most difficult and stressful school year I've ever endured. I didn't do a very good job this year. I struggled with classroom management, discipline, and time management. I very nearly didn't get some assignments graded, and I don't think I did the instruction for those assignments very well either. I've always been very literature-driven in my curriculum, and since we've adopted the Common Core standards, our curriculum is more assignment-based. I need to do some reading this summer on doing writing instruction, since writing is becoming a very central part of our curriculum. I also have a few books to read that I am probably going to be teaching next school year. There is still some question about when I will teach next year--I will have my usual freshmen and sophomores during first semester, but I am supposed to teach SciFi again second semester. SciFi is now going to be a senior-level class instead of junior-level, and I need to review the standards and books on the senior curriculum. But there is some question in the school district as to whether or not we'll even be able to offer the class. I'm not sure about the details and why there is a controversy, but there apparently is one. I'm going to be holding my breath, waiting to see if I'll get to teach the class or not. I really love science fiction and feel very passionate about the genre. Anyway, while I'm waiting for final word, I'm going to be reading stories, writing lesson plans, and doing some research into how I want to present the coursework.
Something else I didn't really get around to doing this spring was losing weight. My weigh-in today was almost exactly the same as the weigh-in from the previous post, in March. Epic fail. I also haven't gotten any weight loss in the past two weeks. I haven't worked out. I haven't eaten well. As a partial excuse, I spent the first week of summer cleaning the house and getting everything ready for my company. Then right before my dad was supposed to leave to go home, he got sick and ended up in the hospital for gallbladder surgery. I spent the second week of my summer break helping my dad with his convalescence. Yesterday was a bit of a waste--I had taken my truck in for some mechanical work, which ended up not being done because some other work had to be done first, and the whole thing just threw off my groove. I have a few things I need to get done today, in preparation for our carpet being installed tomorrow morning, but I am determined I am going to go to the movies this afternoon. I have missed a number of movies that have come out lately. The last time we saw a movie was back in February. The newest Star Trek movie has been out for several weeks now, and I want to make sure I get to see it in the theater. I did work out today, though. I'm starting out slow, with a workout series I had found on Pinterest. It's called Shape up Size Down, and it has different levels based on your current level of fitness. I started with the Absolute Beginning level, although I did add a few extra sets in. I will try to do that workout level the rest of this week, and then step up to the next level. I now have just under ten weeks before school starts again in the fall, and I'd really like to lose twenty pounds by then, but I'm not sure if that's a realistic goal (especially since I couldn't even lose twenty pounds during the ten-month school year). Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
OK, so, yeah.
Here we are, more than two weeks into my summer vacation, and obviously little has really changed.
Well, a few things have changed. Ian turned one year old the weekend before last. We had a great time. My dad and the in-laws came into town. I made an airplane birthday cake with blue frosting (that yes, caused a little blue poo for a day or two). It looked pretty good. I don't think it looked quite as good as Brendan's Elmo cake back in October, but it was still pretty cool. Also got to use the "1st birthday" decorations that my friend had bought for Brendan so long ago that never got put up. Cake was eaten, presents were opened, and all was well. Well, except for the fact that Brendan thinks Ian's presents are his own. Ian is still too little to fight about it, but the day is coming very soon when they will start to fight over their toys. There have already been a few tug-of-wars over some items.
Ian is also big enough to finally start walking! We weren't sure if he would make it before his first birthday, but by golly he took his first few steps two days before the big day. I'm still very surprised that it took him as long as it did...Brendan was walking at 9 months, while Ian didn't really even get good at crawling until then. I know, everyone is different, but I expected Ian to be on the early side of development since he has his big brother to watch and learn from. I can't help but wondering if the potentially early delivery we suspect Ian had might have delayed some of his developmental milestones a bit. There's no way to know, really; it's just curiosity on my part. He's up to seven teeth or so now, and I'm pretty sure he's got one or two more coming through. He's also doing well with his solid food eating, and we're switching him over to whole milk from formula.
Brendan is wild and crazy, still. He's a nonstop whirlwind of energy and activity. Nothing slows the kid down. He has gotten the hang of riding his tricycle and actually using the pedals, and his sitter bought him a little bicycle with training wheels that he's practicing on. He's lazy when it comes to pedaling, and would rather run his feet while sitting on the seat, but he's getting there. He loves to play in water, whether it's a sprinkler or a swimming pool. I had hoped to get the boys into swimming lessons this summer, but I suspect it's too late at this point. We will try to take them swimming as often as we can. We are also going camping for the first time since Ian was born in a few weeks, and I'm sure at least Brendan will have a blast. Ian is still a little unsure of things that are new, different, or unfamiliar, but I hope he has fun too.
As for me, I survived the most difficult and stressful school year I've ever endured. I didn't do a very good job this year. I struggled with classroom management, discipline, and time management. I very nearly didn't get some assignments graded, and I don't think I did the instruction for those assignments very well either. I've always been very literature-driven in my curriculum, and since we've adopted the Common Core standards, our curriculum is more assignment-based. I need to do some reading this summer on doing writing instruction, since writing is becoming a very central part of our curriculum. I also have a few books to read that I am probably going to be teaching next school year. There is still some question about when I will teach next year--I will have my usual freshmen and sophomores during first semester, but I am supposed to teach SciFi again second semester. SciFi is now going to be a senior-level class instead of junior-level, and I need to review the standards and books on the senior curriculum. But there is some question in the school district as to whether or not we'll even be able to offer the class. I'm not sure about the details and why there is a controversy, but there apparently is one. I'm going to be holding my breath, waiting to see if I'll get to teach the class or not. I really love science fiction and feel very passionate about the genre. Anyway, while I'm waiting for final word, I'm going to be reading stories, writing lesson plans, and doing some research into how I want to present the coursework.
Something else I didn't really get around to doing this spring was losing weight. My weigh-in today was almost exactly the same as the weigh-in from the previous post, in March. Epic fail. I also haven't gotten any weight loss in the past two weeks. I haven't worked out. I haven't eaten well. As a partial excuse, I spent the first week of summer cleaning the house and getting everything ready for my company. Then right before my dad was supposed to leave to go home, he got sick and ended up in the hospital for gallbladder surgery. I spent the second week of my summer break helping my dad with his convalescence. Yesterday was a bit of a waste--I had taken my truck in for some mechanical work, which ended up not being done because some other work had to be done first, and the whole thing just threw off my groove. I have a few things I need to get done today, in preparation for our carpet being installed tomorrow morning, but I am determined I am going to go to the movies this afternoon. I have missed a number of movies that have come out lately. The last time we saw a movie was back in February. The newest Star Trek movie has been out for several weeks now, and I want to make sure I get to see it in the theater. I did work out today, though. I'm starting out slow, with a workout series I had found on Pinterest. It's called Shape up Size Down, and it has different levels based on your current level of fitness. I started with the Absolute Beginning level, although I did add a few extra sets in. I will try to do that workout level the rest of this week, and then step up to the next level. I now have just under ten weeks before school starts again in the fall, and I'd really like to lose twenty pounds by then, but I'm not sure if that's a realistic goal (especially since I couldn't even lose twenty pounds during the ten-month school year). Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Milestones
Yesterday's weigh-in: 235.2.
Sigh.
But on to other news: big day for Ian today. At almost nine months old, Ian finally had gotten the hang of crawling. He's doing the army crawl, staying low to the ground and dragging himself across the floor, but it's a very clear movement, and he definitely covers ground. I'm a bit surprised that it has taken so long to do this. I really thought he was going to crawl and walk early because he would learn it from Brendan. I'm glad he had finally gotten around to it, even though it does mean we need to be much more diligent about keeping things picked up so he doesn't get into anything he shouldn't. He loves to chew on things, and could easily choke on something.
Chewing brings me to milestone number 2: Ian had his first tooth break through today. It is the bottom right front tooth. That might explain why he didn't sleep well last night and kept rubbing his face on the blankets all night. Again, I'm a little surprised it has taken this long, but Brendan didn't get any teeth until about this time either.
So my baby really is growing up! And spreading of growing up, Brendan sure is. He can count somewhat reliably to fifteen. He sometimes remembers to tell us ahead of time if he needs to potty so he can sit on the toilet. We aren't pushing the potty training and are letting him sort of come to it in his own time. I know his sitter is working on it with him at daycare too. His speech is getting more clear, and he is stringing more words into sentences. He is also getting abstract concepts, such as drawing a picture and saying what it's a picture of (Christmas tree, Mommy, Daddy, or whatever).
I just wish Ian would sleep! Argh!
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