045/365: Valentines

No need for flowers, candy, jewelry or dinner. I have my gifts right here....

Alright, so they're a little warped, but you gotta love 'em. I do!!!!

Until next time....love away!

044/365: Pooped....

I wish I was where he is....

SRR went to the neighbor's birthday party today. When I went to get him, he put on a horrific show: "You're mean! I'm NOT ready to go! I want to stay! You're not nice.." ad nauseum. He didn't let me say that I was going to hang out with the family for a bit before we went home. Thus, he blew it.

I calmly told him he had five minutes and after the pinata, we were going home because his behavior was unacceptable. He was about to pitch another fit about missing the cake, but I warned him that another fit would cause us to go home immediately. He thought better and went to do the pinata.

After SRR's time out, he came to me and apologized for his tantrum. He knew he blew it. After the reconciliation, we ate dinner, played and read together and had a relatively calm, yet fun, evening. Hopefully his decompressed self will be calmer tomorrow.

As I took this picture, I wondered just how many times I "jumped the gun". How many times did I pitch a fit before knowing all the information? How many times did I blow it? How many times should I have taken a "time out " for my own tantrums? Maybe I need to tattoo "Think Before You Speak / Act" on my arm as a reminder. Goodness knows I don't have enough hours in a day for time outs!

Until next time....think away!

043/365: Let the REAL games begin!

This picture does not capture the real reason for the boys' excitement. A Subway commercial had just graced the screen. And the crowd goes wild....

Yes, they are VERY excited about the Olympics. Between the anticipation of the Opening Ceremonies and the Valentine's Day parties at school, they've excited themselves into a coma. Nighty night!!

Until next time...watch away!

042/365: To schedule or not to schedule...

I am prepared to switch careers to a professional scheduler. I spent most of my day trying to reschedule lessons and trainings missed due to snow. The poor classroom teachers are trying to makeup benchmark testing and the music teachers are trying to squeeze in extra rehearsals before the scheduled performances. Understandably, I'm on the back burner. However, I need to make the schedule work for me.

Trying to be understanding and efficient simultaneously is a challenge. But I'm giving it a whirl.

Until next time....schedule away! (And reschedule, and reschedule, and reschedule..)

041/365: Surprise!

When we went to bed, it was raining. When we awoke, it was raining. When we were getting ready for the day, it started snowing. I mean, SNOWING! Hard, fast, horizontal at times. I had flashbacks to Potsdam days, seeing white out conditions forming.

MGR went out to clear the cars. In NY, this would be a normal winter morning. However, we were worrying. No schools were closing. It was past the usual announcing time. Would they at least delay opening? Close for the day? The forecast wasn't definitive about the snow's starting and stopping times, so that wasn't helpful. Then came confusion:

The middle and elementary schools that start after 7:30 were on a 2 hour delay. All the high schools will open as scheduled (buses were out and about and trying to get the HS kids to school already). Then, the decision came to close whatever schools were on a delay. Cars and buses were sliding and / or stuck. It was a messy morning!! No one predicted it would be this bad.

Needless to say, it was stressful day for the HS kids and parents. Many of these young people drive and did not have enough experience to drive in the storm. So far, I haven't heard about any tragedy. Hopefully, everyone arrived home safe. Knock on wood....

On the bright side, it was a nice surprise. I finished up the paperwork for my online students, tweaked a lesson, played with the boys, started a book and took a nap. A well balanced day! I could use a few more of these!

Until next time...balance away!

040/365: Reality Check

Today was a turnaround day: up at 4:30, at the gym by 5, almost figured out my lesson, had a wonderfully cleansing chat with a dear friend, ate within my points. A good day all around. However, the best was yet to come.

The boys and I spent the evening with 36 men. These gentlemen are guests at our church for the week, courtesy of CARITAS (Congregrations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter). Yes, these gentlemen are homeless.

We served drinks and desserts. We ate together and prayed together. JOR and SRR enjoyed themselves with friends, both old and new, and had nice conversations with the guests. I was very proud of their behavior and genuine excitement to be with these men.

As I absorbed the scenes tonight, a tsunami of gratitude came over me. Yes, I felt down yesterday, but do I have to eat my dinners in a church hall? Do I have to sleep on a cot? Am I alone? As Cher beautifully screams in "Moonstruck", "Snap out of it!" And I am trying to. After all, my situation could be much worse. Thank God for these reality checks.

Until next time....check away!

039/365: Done...

I have one word to describe my entire being today....BLECH!

The body is not motivated to move. So much for being the "fearless leader" of my work fitness team.

The willpower is not in existence. The snow days, tagged onto the Super Bowl, have given me an excuse to hold an Eat-a-Thon.

The mind is not functioning (OK, more so than usual). I spent most of the day working on a lesson that just isn't coming together.

The spirit is definitely in the gutter. More scuttlebutt flew about our pay cuts and job cuts.

There was a bright side tonight. "Mommy, can we play with you?"

Thank God for those two.

Until next time....





....and so am I.

I'll try again tomorrow, God willing.