First Few Days of School

I started a new job this week helping 5.6 hours a day at Mary's elementary school.
I'm a Special Education Associate.
I help kids, one on one, or in the classroom, through out the day.
I am enjoying it.
My days go fast.
I get to help kids that need it.
And I'm surrounded by awesome people.
I won't get in to the in's and out's of what I do or who I help, but getting a smile or a thumbs up from one of my students is all the reward I need.

I noticed something on the first day of school that I thought was kind of comical.
You probably would notice it also if you looked at all the first day of school pictures.
Girls get dressed up in nice clothes, probably new, hair bows and fancy shoes.
Boys are in athletic shorts and Nike shirts.
Granted, they might be new, but it's so casual.
There was one GQ boy with a button up shirt under a nice sweater - but he was the only one.

Here is an example of what the boys look like the first day of school (image is not mine, I do not know these kids.)





Here are the girls: (again not my picture... not my kids)


*I'm not exaggerating...

It's also interesting to see how kids behave with each other.
I'm learning a lot and I really hope I do well at this position.
It's challenging.
It will be rewarding.


* I might be SLIGHTLY exaggerating.

The Belt - Update

As I said in a previous post, The Belt challenge got off to a good start.....then a weekend happened.
I sprained my ankle.
Mary was in the hospital.
I ate McDonalds.
It was gross....

Anywho...
We were able to find a really good deal on a treadmill and my dad helped me picked it up, with my ankle 'brace' on, and we put it in our basement.
I turn on a show, walk at an incline, at about a 3.5 pace.
I want to go faster, but need to be careful with the ankle; I would like to wear heels in the next few weeks and can't do that if the ankle is acting up.

I'm still paying attention to what I eat, and I notice a SMALL difference in how my pants are fitting.
I'm not going to lie.
The weekends kill me.
We go out to eat.
We drink.
If I could manage a 5 day a week good eating, walking on the treadmill, habit, I know I would start to see a difference, so that is my goal.
Baby steps to a healthier life style.
Baby steps on the treadmill due to my ankle.
Baby steps to buying that new belt I desperately need....

So I have....

So I have a husband that is pretty amazing.
And what I see/read on facebook is everyone's husband is pretty amazing.
I'm glad that is what most of my friends have.
There are also friends that I see that NEVER mention their husbands.
For whatever reason, that is what the choose to not post.

I, however, will brag about my husband until I'm unfriended by everyone.
Why?
Because he is amazing.
In November my husband let me quit my corporate job.
I got a part time job at my beautiful friends salon.
I made a lot less money.
I worked a lot less hours.
I got in a funk....
My husband however continued to climb up in his company and received a promotion that he longed for.
He worked for.
He deserves.

My husband....
He makes mistakes at times or gets overly passionate about things...
But in my eyes, he is perfect.....

He spent the last month and a half, 6 days a week, away from me.
Away from Mary.
To be in a play.
Not just any play.
A play about black men in the military.
About what they have had to make happen for themselves.
How hard they had to work to even be included in FIGHTING for the country that they wanted to fight for....
It's a beautiful, yet sad, and at the same time, so completely relevant in todays society, piece of work.

My husband....
He is brave.
Strong.
Loving.
Caring.
Devoted and loyal.

He plays a character in this play that even his mom said "that is not the man I raised"....
He plays his character to a T.
You love him.
But you hate him.

I have had friends and family show their support of Jerry in this play.
My Monthly Brunchly is going tomorrow.
My dear friend that I used to work with is going on Wednesday.
My family's going this weekend.
A group of us are going to the final show.

We are surrounded by loving, caring, supportive family and friends.
There are not enough words for me to explain how proud I am to have such an amazing man as my husband.

If you have not made it yet, or purchased your tickets yet, you should.
http://www.asoldiersplay.com/

The Belt = 0; The Curb = 1; The Hospital = 2 nights

Ohhhh what a long strange trip it's been....

Last week... my first week of  The Belt 'challenge', I did fairly well. I was more mindful of what I ate and I went walking around the neighborhood. Nothing crazy, but more than I had been doing, but still, I should have done more.
On Saturday I went to Ankeny Unplugged, an all day concert in Ankeny (duh), with my friend Niki.
It was a nice setting, not busy at all..., ok music for the most part, but what was really good was the conversation.
We got there about 12:30ish... we left about 5:30ish.
When we left we walked to Firetrucker, a near by brewery where we had a free drink ticket.
At one point I attempted to turn in my flip flops, on a curb..... ankle bent one way, leg stayed straight.
O.M.G. I have never sprained anything in my life, but mother f***** it hurt like a b****.
I am a trooper though...I mean Niki and I made it to the brewery for our free drink (11% beer that tastes like a Moscow mule, served in a Moscow Mule cup).
I was in a bit of pain, but not horrible... the night went on and all was well.
(The Belt = 0, The Curb = 1)

Mary's 8th birthday party was on Sunday evening at a near by park.
My ankle hurt, but I was set and ready for Mary's birthday party.
Thing was she didn't feel the greatest, had a slight fever and didn't want any food.
She wanted to lay around.
Anyone that knows Mary knows that her laying around is not something that happens.
We moved her party to her mom's house so she would be out of the heat and near a place she could rest if she needed to and she was fine for some of it.
Then... not so fine.
She threw up.
The party ended after most people ate pizza and cake and she did have enough energy to open some presents.
I went home to ice my ankle, Jerry went to play practice and Mary was with her mom and step-dad, still not feeling well.
About an hour later Amanda (Mary's mom) called and said she was throwing up and was running a temp of 103. "We are taking her to the ER, do you want to come?"
"Yes!"
They came and got me and we went to the ER....
Time went by, tests were run, IV's, meds.... etc.
Jerry came up after play practice (keep in mind he is the greatest dad ever and I told him to stay at the play as she was doing fine and we were totally going to be going home soon).
THEN....she was admitted to the hospital.
She was so sick.
Mary has a VERY HIGH pain tolerance.
This girl is bruised.
Jumps off things constantly.
Falls off things constantly.
Get's up and does it all again.
It takes A LOT to cause her REAL pain.

 

She was not her.

Mary is spunky and always on the go.

She's witty and wonderful and challenging (for me).

She's my daughter... my baby.

And there were a couple of times, sitting next to her when she was calling out in pain, that her mom and I were close to tears, if not crying, because we couldn't do anything to help.

She is the only child I have and she is my baby, even if she didn't come from me....

 

On a side note:

Jerry, and I were there.

Mary's mom Amanda and stepdad Marcus were there.

Most of the time the 4 of us were in the room.

Certain times nurses and doctors asked about the family dynamic since us 4 were there and we get along.

They were surprised, all of them, that we were ex's and steps.

That we got along so well.

At first we thought it was kind of comical.

Thought we'd say one was the mom, one was the grandma.

Thought we'd say one of the guys was Mormon and had sister wives.

And then we realized....

We.Were.Abnormal.

No one understood we were ex's and steps... because we all get along so well.

It's sad that WE are abnormal.

That the fact that we put the child's happiness before hurt feelings or bad breakups.

I have gone out with my husbands ex wife for a beer.

We talk about our daughter.

His ex has always been good to me.

Welcomed me.

We have always put Mary's happiness ahead of petty differences and we always will.

We may not look at things the same, may not have the same household or be anything a like, but we have an (almost) 8 year old that we want to have a happy, healthy childhood.

You find that common ground and the petty shit that divorced couples fight over is just so selfish.

 

 

Mary was at the hospital Sunday night till Tuesday afternoon.

No clear answer what was wrong.

Drugs, antibiotics, she eventually started to feel better.

She even helped the nurse take her IV thingy out... (yes that is the technical term).

 

 

And finally, we were able to go home.

Mary was so happy and so were we.

There is a lot of stress that comes with a child in the hospital.

I can not even imagine how REALLY sick kids and families handle it.

She was poked, had an IV, blood drawn... plus bandaids from all her 'normal' injuries...

 

But she is tough.

She is amazing.

She is sooooo loved.

So really The Hospital didn't win this round.

Mary did.

Mary = Amazing

White Person!!

Got your attention, didn't I?

I can't remember how long it's been that I have said "White Person!" when waiting to cross a road.
I stand there, looking around, big orange numbers counting down, a big orange hand motioning STOP and then... it happens!
"White person!!"
It's time to walk across the street.
I did this once with Jerry by my side and he said "What are you saying that for?"
I kinda laughed and said, while pointing at the 'white person walking' symbol, that we could now walk across the street.
In his joking way... he said "That's racist."


The other day while leaving the Downtown Farmers market and waiting for the light to change....
"White person!" and we walked across the street.
Jerry and I got in to a conversation, jokingly of course, about how racist this sign is.
I mean the hand telling us to stop is orange, but the person telling us to walk is white.
Wouldn't it actually make more sense for the hand to be RED and the person to be GREEN?
(You know...red stop... green go....)

It's just amazing how discrimination really is every where.
Even on pedestrian cross walk signs.
*sigh*

I found this picture and feel sorry for anyone that is not in love... you can't cross this street.


Only if you frolic can you cross this street....


If you like the movie Big... you can cross this street...



Yes.. this guy is GREEN... but I think he's chugging a beer.
So only if you are drunk can you cross this street.


Are you old?
Do you need a cane or another old person to lean on?
You may cross now.


My point is... I have no point.

 

****I also went to look this up on Google on who/what/when/where the signal light was invented and CRAZY enough... it was 101 years ago TODAY that the first traffic signal was used!

It was first used in Cleveland, OH.

The first pedestrian light was erected in 1868... but dates back more then 2000 years.****

Walk This Way

So in my effort to lose weight, I decided to go on a walk.
I was going to go to the Y, but decided to just walk outside around the neighborhood.
So I started out, music in my ears, and about 5 minutes in, I was hot and wanted to turn around.
But thought to myself;
"Self.... keep going. You love nature and being outside. Don't look at it as a work out, look at it as walking and seeing and being in nature."
So I kept up my pace, but took the time to look around.

A pretty fountain.

Ducks swimming.

The American Flag.




















Here fishy fishy...

And before I knew it, I had walked for over 40 minutes.
I was hot, sweaty, my heart rate was raised.
I got a nice work out in, with out thinking about the work out.
I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

The Belt

So.
I've talked about how I've let myself go.
Well I'm tired of being tired.
I'm tired of having excuse after excuse.
I'm tired of acting like this was done to me.
I have done this to myself.

Here is a picture of my belt.

I have had this for MANY years, you can tell by how it's falling apart....
I've worn it on the smallest hole and a couple times on the biggest.
You can tell where it was worn the most.
I was comfortable there.
I fit in my clothes there.
I like it there.

I don't care about what the scale says.
I'm not going to get on it.
I'm going to figure my weight loss, my getting in shape, with my belt.
Every notch back to my most worn placement on the belt.
AND at that time...besides looking better and feeling better.
I'll buy myself a new belt.