Big Bang Theory...

Well, if you're thinking that you'll be reading about debatable ideas, I've misled you. If you've ever seen the show The Big Bang Theory, you're quite familiar with Sheldon who is ridiculously unreasonable. However, he came into mind today while I was working out on the treadmill. 

There was one episode where Sheldon decided to leave all of his decision making up to the flip of a coin. Of course, it didn't result in preferable choices for him.

That's where the struggle of working out comes up for me. I want to work out, but I don't want to think about what I have to do. I want someone to make the decisions for me- otherwise I default back to a standard elliptical routine while watching T.V. or a treadmill run/walk. When I had a membership to the Princeton Club, I'd attend many of the classes offered there, a couple times a week. I also had a friend to help motivate me, and I knew I'd get a good workout in, with a variety of activities and muscle groups being worked without having to think about it.

Today, I wanted to do something different, but I didn't want to have to think about it. I did decide on a workout with music instead of the T.V. I feel that T.V. sucks me into a "bare minimum" kind of zone that doesn't give me the best results nor motivate me to do much after the workout.

So, I created (on a post-it) Rules of Random Run, got on the treadmill, and turned to a country station. Here are the "Think Free" rules:

Male Artist: Fast Walk (4.0 at incline 3)
Female Artist: Walk or Jog Backwards (2.5 at incline 3)
Male Group: Fast Walk at an Incline (4.0 at incline 7)
Female Group: Run Fast (6.0-7.0 at incline 3)
Mixed Group: Average Run (5.0 at incline 3)
Favorite Song: Run at an Incline (4.5 at incline 7)
Unfamiliar Song: Walking Lunges (1.0 at incline 3)

After an hour I had definitely done a non-typical workout on that machine. Thinking that I'd know all the songs and not have to do any lunges, I found myself doing two LONG songs of lunges- pretty sure I won't be able to stand up or sit down comfortably the next two days. I also discovered that there are a LOT of single male artists, so I did a lot of fast walking and only one song of an average run. I also got in a couple good lengths of walking backwards which I don't do as frequently but was definitely feeling in my legs, and thankfully got a favorite song, but didn't necessarily like the incline running (but I did it).

Anyway, if you want to try something different that makes the decisions for you, but has better results than Sheldon flipping a coin, give this a try- switch up the rules to what you're comfortable with and see if you like it. I know I'll be doing it again!

Happy Saturday!

Time Flies...

I am always amazed at how fast time passes the older you get. Where did the last week and a half go? How is it that some weeks I can "post" just about every day, while other weeks not at all. Well, here's a summary of what has been happening on my end of the world:

Watercolor Painting Class has ended. I didn't make my goal of painting a sunflower, but here are three of my class assignments. I did learn a lot about various ways you can use watercolor as well as things you can add to the paint to change the texture...

 As far as teaching goes, I'm back in action doing lessons with my students- I LOVE IT! We just finished our Thank You Card to Arena Cheese for their cheese donation on our Cheese Tasting Day. We wrote wonderful notes to the owner and cheesemakers to let them know which cheese was our favorite and to thank them for their generosity. Here's how the card turned out:

I don't know if you can rotate pictures on here, but you get the point. We wrote our notes on various sized circles to try & make the inside look like swiss cheese.

Foosball has also started back up again, so my Thursday nights are no longer free. I don't have any pictures of our team this year, but I did find one of me and Elvis/Zig/Chad - He's the one who keeps the Foosball League up and running. I also have a thing where if there's a wall behind me, I like to prop my foot up on it while I play... Don't know where that originated.

And even though I want to write more tonight, my husband just got a fire going in the other room and I'd rather play some Foosball, Dominoes, Sequence, Mille Bornes, Rummy, or Skip-Bo with him. =) Happy Friday Night!

Run Like the Wind!

We've started a walking/running club during recess at school. This is quite comparable to the marathon challenge that I give to my students in the months of April and May each year: 131 laps around the playground (26.2 miles). The number of kids that walk/run each day continues to grow.

Today, I hauled two girls around with me who typically are stirring up trouble and talking about other people. They laughed as I hooked arms with them and drug them for the first part of the lap. They happily walked with me the rest of the way and picked up their pace when I told a group of other 5th graders who were becoming a mob on the track that if I beat them, they'd all owe me recess. =)  They picked up their pace, some holding up their pants as they ran, to complete before me. A few continued doing laps as I went on to interact with a few more kids on the course.

On my last lap, I caught up with two stellar running students. One student was in my class last year, and I consider him to be the PERFECT student: Always follows directions the first time, does his classwork and homework AND turns it in on time, has a great attitude no matter what we're doing, has a wonderful sense of humor, is kind and friends with everyone, and knows how to say things that make people feel better. Anyway, they saw me coming and I could feel a race coming on...

I booked it to catch up with them and then put my "I WILL beat these 5th graders" running legs on. I didn't run like the wind- I more so pounded like an elephant as I made my legs move faster than ever, determined to beat them. Each year my students say I'll never outrun them, and every year I feel the need to prove them wrong. I did not want this to be the year that I lost. I was pretty sure I made the mistake of running a much longer distance than I normally do, but I think that's what helped me in the long run... I felt my heart pounding, my lungs about to explode, but I worked my way past those two boys running for all they had and I won. I WON!

But then it took at least 30 minutes for me to regain my breath and start feeling normal again. I wonder if I'll be challenged to a race tomorrow...

Missing...

I MISS my students. I miss telling them my stories. I miss making a fool of myself in front of them when teaching them something new and trying to come up with ways to help them remember a concept. I miss randomly bursting into song when one of them says something that can be connected to the lyrics of a song. I miss demanding their attention when I ring our bell and watching them turn and smile at me when the bell rings. I miss being the one to help them solve their problems.

I LOVE teaching. I have a student teacher. I SO APPRECIATE her. No classroom should be without two adults. Honestly, to truly reach all the children who are neglected at home, a classroom needs at least three teachers in the room at all times. This week and last week are my student teacher's full weeks of teaching. I am supposed to be "unavailable." I am having a hard time with it. I want to step in and redirect the children who are distracted. I want to be the one reading the read-aloud book and becoming the characters by changing my voice in the book while they eat their snack. I want to be the one encouraging them as they read, write, and solve problems.

So, in thinking about all of this, I AM in the right profession. I LOVE what I do. I also NEED the summers to wind down from one school year and wind up for the next. A teacher cannot work 8-14+ hours a day for an entire year- the summer is the only breath of fresh air they get.

I could do without the piles of correcting that comes home each night, the upset parent phone calls, and the endless prep work that needs to be done each day, but really, what else can I do? If there's a job opening that allows me to be creative, keep decent hours, never take work home with me, and know that I'm changing lives in a positive direction, PLEASE contact me. Otherwise, I'm where I need to be and can't wait to be back in action on Monday.

If you know a teacher, thank them for all they do to make learning FUN and MEANINGFUL!
Happy Tuesday!

SUCCESS!

I just got home from my second to last watercolor painting class feeling pretty happy. I'm happy to get my Monday nights back again, but the real reason that I'm happy is because I achieved my goal when I first signed up: To make new friends.

Mary, Yvonne, and Kathy. Three women who have the ability to light up the room when they smile, make a stranger feel welcome, and appreciate the simple things in life. Even though the conversations during class were a bit limited, I have no doubt in my mind that these are spectacular women that I hope I will spend time with in the near future- perhaps on other artistic adventures.

Even better, they all have Facebook accounts. Seriously, how can anyone dislike Facebook (except for its ability to suck you in when you first sign up)? Being able to reconnect with friends from grade school, keep in touch with friends who have moved away, and feel like a jump away from family, is priceless. Having just left my painting class 30 minutes ago, I've already found them and "friend-quested" them. I hope they'll have me.

Next on my "to do" list is either a sewing, quilting, or different art class. However, if anyone happens to have Rosetta Stone: Spanish just sitting at home collecting dust, I'll gladly take that off your hands for a bit and put relearning Spanish on the top of my list.

What is on your "to do" list?
Happy Monday!

It's Not Worth It...

Today has been a day full of practicing patience. From going to Sam's Club, grocery shopping at Woodmans, and dealing with drivers who think you can read their mind, it has been a long day. At Sam's Club I noticed a man with random pieces of masking tape on his back. I looked around and no one around him was making him aware of his sticky situation. So, I stepped up and took the tape off of his back, letting him know why I was touching him. He was probably in his 50s or 60s and was very nice. He thanked me twice and let me know that he didn't need the tape adding to his dorkiness. I liked him. BUT THEN, the guy in the check out line in front of me, started talking politics. He wasn't nice. When he found out I was buying snacks for my classroom, he commented on how kids are all messed up these days and how social workers are screwing up the system. I bit my tongue and just said that maybe some responsibility needs to fall on parenting, but there's no way we can have a perfect world. I have always found it wise not to get involved in arguing against other people's beliefs- especially with strangers in a public place.

Then I went to Woodmans. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but they need guidelines while in public places. I don't like tripping over kids who are chasing each other down the aisles. I don't like people who can't figure out if they should turn down an aisle or not, and I don't like people who block an entire aisle with their body and cart, even though they see you waiting to pass them (this doesn't bother me so much if the store isn't busy). But one thing that makes me smile time and time again, is when I smile at an elderly person who is a bit slow-moving with their cart, and say, "excuse me" as I pass them with a kind nod, and a smile. Their smile and acknowledgement of me truly makes my day. I wonder if they are sick of all the rudeness that exists in the world today.

Then I started my drive home. I'm sorry, but I cannot read your mind. If you are planning to turn, please use your blinkers. If you want to get somewhere faster, passing me at a crazy speed and then cutting in front of me, only to arrive at the same destination at the same time, doesn't help. And if you have cruise control, PLEASE USE IT! 60mph.... 55mph...50mph....60mph....65mph...50mph... Good heavens, no wonder there are so many accidents these days- actually, I'm surprised there's not more.

Then I went out to eat with my husband. We went to our local establishment which was quite busy after the Badger game. We got a waitress we didn't recognize. She wasn't good. Actually, she was pretty bad. The people behind us were appalled by her and didn't leave her a tip because of how rude she was to them. Then, we got incomplete food and no silverware to eat with. She said she'd be right back with silverware, but didn't return for 15 minutes. Thankfully, the table behind us let the bartender know we needed silverware to eat, and he helped us out before she got back. No smile, awful service, and a snooty attitude. Bah.

Then my husband and I got in the most ridiculous "tiff" ever. I'll blame it on our bad waitress. Once we got home, I took a bubble bath, knowing it's not worth being mad over, even though I kind of want to be. But in the end, I have the choice of forgetting the disappointments and frustrations of the day and enjoying the rest of the night. So I'm moving on with my day- past is the past. I'm now ready to enjoy some foosball with my husband and then play a game in front of the fire.

Why hold on to stupid stuff that happens? It's just not worth it. Oh, and BTW, Rodger, one of my husband's cats who is sitting on my lap has AWFUL breath. I guess I'll let that go too. =)

Happy Saturday night!

I want to be like Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers' mom shares a recent conversation she had with her son: (and I have no idea why my font won't change to what I want)...

"He said, 'My goals have changed, Mom,' "Darla Rodgers said." 'I don't really desire anymore to be the best quarterback in the NFL because I want to be remembered as one of the best men who played quarterback in the NFL.' " 

Seriously, can Wisconsin have a better QB representing our state? I must say that this year I, too, have changed my perspective on teaching. I don't want to be just another teacher, or a good teacher- I want my students to remember me as the one teacher who made a difference.

But how does one work on accomplishing a goal like this? Here's what I've come to conclude, which also exposes my past, current, and future goals:

1) STAY POSITIVE: Focus on what you CAN DO instead of on what you can't. Remind students of all they can do, and what they can do to be proud of themselves.

2) HELP ANYONE WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF: Whether it's a fellow teacher; past, current, or possibly future student; any adult that works in the building; I will help if I can. A few minutes to help another  doesn't put me "out" at all.

3) COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS: This is the first year I contacted all my families within the first two days of school (except of course the families who had disconnected or no-longer-in-service numbers, as well as my two Spanish speaking families because I didn't want to risk embarrassment with my broken Spanish skills). However, I did (within a week) get through to all families - except my two Spanish speaking families, who might be a little upset with me, which will make me know for future reference that I can't let language barriers stop my communications home. But because of these immediate contacts, I feel so much more at ease talking with them about anything that might be happening at school.

4) SMILE AND LAUGH A LOT IN FRONT OF CHILDREN: Attitudes are contagious. I want mine to be one that's worth catching. It's also hard not to smile when someone else is.

5) BE HONEST AND SILLY WHILE EXPRESSING A SENSE OF URGENCY: This is the time to hook kids onto school and their future education. If one can't have fun while teaching, one should not be teaching. Unfortunately, I know some teachers who never seem to smile, and I know of a past family (probably not the only one) who doesn't like me as a teacher because I "just like to have fun." Well, sorry to that family, but if you can't have fun in elementary school, there's a problem.

6) LISTEN TO UPLIFTING MUSIC ON THE DRIVE IN TO WORK: How can you not want to make a difference after listening to 30+ minutes of encouraging music on the way to your job every day that makes you want to reach out to others and change the world, one person at a time?

7) APPRECIATE EVERY LIFE YOU ENCOUNTER: Everyone was given life for a reason. If we can't see past children's problems, home life, or horror stories, we just become another person who didn't make a difference.

So, yes, I want to be like Aaron Rodgers. I don't want to be the best NFL QB, but I do want to be one of the best teachers that my students will ever remember. Every moment, interaction, & conversation COUNT.

Thank Goodness

Life is full of countless "what-if" thoughts. Typically I find myself trying to steer clear of them because you can't change the past and often "what-if" scenarios are not worth dwelling on. However, over the past few days, I've come to realize there are positive "what-if" moments.

What if I hadn't have gotten rear ended on my way to school a few weeks ago? I probably wouldn't have kept my eye on a driver flying down Hwy 14 who would've slammed into me while going at least 60 mph as I waited to turn onto the road home, most likely sending me into the oncoming car. THANK GOODNESS I got rear-ended.

What if I wouldn't have risked asking a group of women at my watercolor painting class if I could sit with them my second week in? I know I would've lost an opportunity to enjoy the lives of three very interesting women (two of which are 70- but I NEVER would've guessed it) who I am growing to admire more and more after each class. THANK GOODNESS I took a risk.

What if I didn't get a student teacher this year because I was too afraid that I wouldn't be a good mentor? I wouldn't have realized how much I've learned over the years I've been teaching and possibly never seen myself as a "good" teacher. I finally feel like I know what I'm doing in the classroom. THANK GOODNESS I opened up to a stranger.

What if the frustrated parent didn't come into school to complain about her child missing recess? I wouldn't have realized this child is not telling his parents the whole truth about not using his class time wisely, therefore never completing his assignments, and having the weekend to complete one of them (which he promised he'd do- but didn't) allowing me to address this situation right away at the beginning of the year to prevent future miscommunications. THANK GOODNESS for upset parents.

What if I had a great self image when I was younger and never struggled with a weight problem? I don't think I'd ever know what it was like to conquer something that was life changing, allowing me to be proud of myself. THANK GOODNESS for hardships in life.

"What-if" thoughts, just like the way you approach life, can be positive or negative. My goal is to continue to look at my "what-if" thoughts in a positive light, helping me to appreciate where I am in life, instead of wishing away things that have happened to me. THANK GOODNESS for the ability to choose how you react to life circumstances.

Sunny Sunday!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of discovering that one of our cats had vomited on our bed. It might have been okay if it was just on the sheet or the corner of the comforter, but no, since the bed was not made that morning, the vomit started on the fitted sheet (soaked through to the mattress protector), continued to the sheet itself and then down to the comforter that was partially on the bed and the floor, and somehow found a way to stick to the bed skirt. The only thing not effected were the pillows. So, EVERYTHING got washed. Unfortunately, the mattress protector ripped to shreds in the wash (I'm not sure how- it was a regular wash and dry item), but everything else came out nice and clean.

TODAY, I woke up on crisp, clean sheets, with the neighbor's chickens clucking, the cats sleeping beside me, and the sun shining. IT WAS A GREAT DAY! Dust and I cheated and watched church online this morning while drinking coffee, I ran into town to run some errands, came home and made a cheese spread (recipe from Alton Brown) before heading over to Dust's grandparents' house to pick some pumpkins from their patch and enjoy a fantastically filling dinner. Missed a run with my dear friend, but will hopefully make it up sometime this week.

Now I'm going to relax a little while the Brewers finish winning and then flip to the Packers to hopefully see another win. Why can't every day be this relaxing and productive at the same time?

Wonderful Wisconsin

I have a love-hate relationship with Wisconsin. The only dislike I have for it is the LONG winters. I think I could handle the winter just fine if snow didn't effect the roads or if the roads weren't full of winter-rage drivers thinking their vehicle will never spin out or lose control. I could also live without my nose hairs freezing in a funny way when it's just THAT cold outside.

But today, I felt much love for my home state. It was BEAUTIFUL today. The morning started with a leisure back road drive to and through Devil's Lake with my GPS husband behind the wheel. He has the ability to drive somewhere once and then map it in his brain so that he literally becomes his own GPS. On the drive, I saw such a splendor of complementary colors and simplistic beauty that I had to take a picture.

This is THE picture of Wisconsin.

One of the destinations during this drive was Ski Hi. I wanted to get my annual Apple Turnover and Apple-Cinnamon Donut. We got our treats, along with a five pound bag of Macintosh apples (to make Hough Apple Pie), and a gallon of apple cider, and walked through their apple orchard. We took a different route home with the windows open and I enjoyed every minute of it.

When we got home we worked outside, taking advantage of the warm weather. Today was one of the days I LOVE Wisconsin (also on the days when the Brewers, Badgers, and Packers all win).

Just keep your shoes on!

I've come to the conclusion that the key to staying productive is by first putting on your shoes and then keeping them on. Yesterday I did just that, and got an insane amount of stuff done- never feeling overworked.

I started my morning with a cup of coffee and no direction for the day. It was as soon as I walked out of the kitchen with my coffee that I looked into our 3 season porch and was horrified that I couldn't see out the windows. Were they frost covered or just really dirty? I decided that this would be the day I would wash the windows in our home. Four hours later, I had only completed the porch windows, but was very satisfied with the result. Had someone told me that morning that it was possible to actually feel a film residue on the windows left from chemical cleaners, I would have thought them ridiculous. However, as I wiped and wiped and wiped (with my homemade cleaner), trying to get rid of the streaks that kept appearing, I slowly noticed the "waxy" buildup being removed, and felt a nice, clean and smooth surface underneath the rag I was using. As I went from window to window, I found the same thing happening. You CAN feel the difference between a truly clean window and one that has clear build-up on it.

I kept my shoes on.

Then I noticed the porch needed a good cleaning, so I picked up and vacuumed, ending with a BEAUTIFUL place to hang out on this sunny Sunday.

I kept my shoes on.

While walking outside to check the deer camera for any visiting raccoons, I noticed pine cones had completed covered a part of our yard after the strong wind storm. So, I got the wheel barrow and picked them all up, piling them high and counting on their sappy exterior to keep them from falling off. After completing that task, I needed to find out how to remove sap from my hands. I googled it... BUTTER! I used butter, got sap-free hands within seconds, and looked around.

I kept my shoes on.

The kitchen needed some tidying. I cleaned the kitchen, emptied the dishwasher, filled it again, and put away the items that were finished air drying. 

I kept my shoes on.

Since it was dinner time, I decided on chicken fajitas. YUMMY! I sat down on the couch with my homemade fajitas to eat and watch a little T.V. BUT... I kept my shoes on!

With the shoes on, I didn't feel ready to call it a night. So, after eating, I went into the basement and cleaned out my workout area, put accumulated items away, and completed my coaster wall (see Cheap, Frugal, Thief blog). I hauled the vacuum down there and vacuumed up the cat hair, random millipede bodies (where did they come from?), and was proud of my clean work-out area.

At this point, I felt VERY satisfied with my day and concluded my night with a Netflix movie. With my shoes off, I sharpened about 75 pencils with a small hand sharpener, resulting with two decent sized blisters. I finished the movie and hit the sack.

A productive day all because I kept my shoes on...

Cheap... Frugal... Thief...?

I just might be all of the above, but probably not in the way you're thinking. I don't have expensive taste because I can't afford to. Having been taught the importance of "Delayed Gratification" and "Pay in Full," I have only ever had three "loans" or payment plans. The first was my student loan from college which I amazingly (and thankfully) paid off in a little over two years. Keep in mind that I worked like crazy, had no new clothes, and didn't have much of a life during that time. The second is the house loan that I share with my husband, and the third is for my car which should be paid off around this coming May.

So, what does someone collect who doesn't like to pay big bucks for anything? (Except Christmas gifts- I love giving gifts!) I'm not talking about my collection of classic board and card games, or the insanely large collection of erasers that I have from growing up, but instead a collection that began when I turned 21. Coasters. I collect coasters. When I lived in my apartment, I used them as a border to go around the second bedroom. As I added more and more coasters, I went around the room a second time and a third time. However, when we moved into our home, I wasn't sure where to put this crazy collection of miscellaneous coasters from all over the world. I eventually settled on the wall in the basement where I work out. That way, while working out, if I happen to spot a repeat coaster, I can take it down and replace it with a new one- but that's only happened once.

Tonight, I decided to put up my pile of recently collected coasters and was thrilled to finish off the wall. I figured that this would be a good time to practice adding pictures to my blog. Enjoy!