You've Got to Give Everything a Second Chance

Last week, I decided to try a new blog post idea that I copied stole borrowed from Draz (an amazing blogger).  It was called Ten Things Thursday.

I've borrowed several blogging ideas from Draz.  She just has a knack for writing, and then when I read it I get this delusional idea in my head that I'll be able to pull off a similar blog post just as well.  That's never the case, but I do usually always enjoy writing the posts.  Until last Thursday.  It was hard coming up with ten random things to write about - and I'm a very random person!  I think I struggled so much with it because I was still at my parent's house, and consumed by everything related to that.

Well, I've been back for almost a week now.  I thought it was only fair that I give Ten Things Thursday one more shot - just to see if I still do as bad as I did last week...

1.  I am now officially licensed to teach in the state of Missouri!  Got my email on Monday telling me that the Department of Education in Missouri are going to trust me teaching their youth and issued me a teaching license so that I can teach Pre-K through 6th grades.  It was a great bit of news to start my week.

2.  In the state of Arkansas, where I did all of my schooling to become a teacher and received my initial teaching license, I am only certified to teach up to 4th grade. I think it's crazy and very cool that I jump to another state, and earn the certification to teach two additional grades - just by submitting some paperwork.  Not that I ever had nor probably will have any desire to teach higher than 4th grade... but who doesn't love freebies when they can get them?

3.  I'm on a role with my teaching stuff today, so I'll go ahead and mention that the board notes from the last board meeting were published this week...announcing that I'd officially been hired by the school board.  Phew!  That's a relief.  Getting a teaching job isn't as easy as hearing the words "you're hired" by a school principal.  They offer you the job, then the superintendent has to OK it, and then the school board has to OK it.  Check!  Check!  Check!  Now, a month after receiving my job offer, I am now officially an employee of the school district. 

4.  This weekend, I'm planning a couple of kid-free outings for myself.  One being a night out with Sanity and possibly Hope.  We haven't had a girls' night out in so long.  Too long.  We need to celebrate the summer, celebrate finally getting teaching jobs, (Hope already had one, but she is more than willing to celebrate with Sanity and I) and celebrate anything else we can think of celebrating.  I am a firm believer that you're just never too old to go out for a drink with friends, make complete fools out of ourselves, and laugh until our sides hurt. 

5.  My other kid-free outing is another day at Bingo.  I'm starting to feel like a 60 year old woman... but dang, I love me some bingo.  I have no interest in any other form of gambling.  Plus, I'm due for a win.  It's been a couple of months, now, and my palms are getting a little itchy.  I need to come up with some extra cash for a down payment on a house somehow...might as well try my luck with an afternoon at bingo.  Please keep comments about how I should be saving my money to yourself..m'kay?

6.  I showed the kiddos in my nutrition class, yesterday, the picture of me before I started losing weight.  This picture...

They were genuinely surprised, and I was genuinely relieved that they were so surprised.  One girl said "you were fat in that picture, now you're just chubby".  I never thought I'd want to hug a kid so much for calling me "chubby".  It made me realize that even though I've gained 35lbs in the past year, I have still lost a considerable amount of weight since that photo was taken.  Enough to shock the crap out of a bunch of kids.  And then I realized that if I had still been at 212lbs - my lowest weight - that shock would have probably been about 10 fold.  I promised myself that I'd volunteer to go back to the camp next year and teach a similar class... but this time be a lot less "chubby" than I am now.

7.  I have been shocked at the amount of kids I can out-run and out exercise the past two days.  No joke. Seriously.  Stop laughing!  I haven't been able to run much, and I couldn't remember the last time I tried to do sit-ups or push-ups.  But I did them the past two days...and could do more than several of the small kids in my classes.  At first, that made me happy...then realization sunk in and it made me very sad.  If I can out exercise a bunch of kids that are less than 10 years old at my current size and condition - something is seriously wrong.  My lesson plans suddenly switched from the importance of staying hydrated to the importance of not spending your life in front of a TV or computer and ending up being me in 20 years. I heard after that several kids had opted for water with their snack both days rather than the juice and sweetened drinks that were being offered.  That's a start, I guess.

8.  I'm not one to stand on a soap box and preach about the health of our youth or the "obesity epidemic" but I've now decided I'm going to start.  But first, I have to change some of my current situations.  I will NOT be a hypocrite.  Or anymore of a hypocrite than I'm already being teaching a nutrition class while weighing 250lbs.  I personally believe that kids should be able to enjoy pizza, candy, and soda... but the kids have to learn moderation.  Or at least learn how to get out and exercise every once in a while.  I'm starting to feel that this summer camp class was somehow a sign that I've been given.  Yeah, there I go with my signs again - but it's true.  If nothing else comes out of it but myself getting a swift kick up the rear, and taking some of the wisdom I've learned in to my own classroom, that's good enough - for now.  

9.  I think it's high time I got my ever-growing behind back to the gym.  My gym offers free personal training, and now is the time to start taking advantage...while I have the time.  I can get up early every morning, head to the gym for an hour, and still be back home in time to spend some quality time doing stuff with the kids.  The twenty pounds I want to lose this summer aren't going to magically melt in the heat...no matter how much I try to convince myself they will.

10.  Ten Things Thursday is still really hard.  I want it to be funny, random, and upbeat... but that didn't happen today.  I gave it a fair shot.  But, I failed.  I got out some stuff I wanted to say - but I've somehow lost the ability to be humorous when I write posts like this.  Sorry, Ten Things Thursday, may you rest in peace.

Till next time. ;)