Lord Help us ALL!

If you think you are constantly screwing up as a parent, then you are doing your job right. Then again, I might be saying this to make myself feel better! I never know if I am doing the right thing. I will be the first one to grimace at parents being “friends” with their kids. On the other hand, I can honestly say that my daughter is my best friend. We share everything and it is the best feeling in the world. I don’t know if this is the best parenting style. I never meant to be friends with either one of my kids. It just happened. This doesn’t make me a “cool” parent by any means. I lay down the law when necessary. My kids have chores, rules, a curfew and bedtime.  Lucky for them (and us), they respect these things even though they don’t always agree with them. My husband has always been the fun one. Most times, when the kids were little, he was more like a third child! Now that they are older, I am happy to report that all three of them have matured! Mike is such a great dad. I cannot imagine a better man to raise these crazy kids with!

Children of the Corn

As a teenager, I always said I never wanted kids. I did not like babysitting or having anything to do with kids. After having kids of my own, my feelings changed. I loved my kids but was still not thrilled about other people’s kids. I reluctantly took my kids to play dates because that is what “good” parents did, but I would sometimes fake a phone call or emergency text and cut it short, especially if I had numerous urges to spank the other kids! When I became a teacher, I realized it’s not kids I dislike, it the parents! Don’t get me wrong, most of my parents are absolutely AMAZING and I could not imagine teaching without them. But the “others” are the worst part of my job. Their children are the ones who come to school feeling entitled and are usually unprepared and disrespectful. Neither they or their parents take school seriously. I often tell parents at Open House that my classroom is not a daycare center. I take my job very seriously and treat each child the way I would want my own children treated. Okay, rant over!

If It’s Out There, I’ve Tried It!

The latest fad diet: If it’s out there, I’ve tried it! I have done it all, Weight Watchers, low carb, no sugar, Atkins, Paleo, the 3-day military diet, juice cleanses and I’m sure there are others I am forgetting about. I have been on the weight loss roller coaster since 2000. I am slowly realizing that none of the mentioned diets work. It really is about eating right and exercising. Crap! This is not the quick-fix approach I was hoping for but I may give it a try. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I wish I could to accept being fat and just buy bigger clothes.  Then, I pass a mirror and refuse to accept this weight as my fate. I deserve better for myself!

I was thin until I started taking birth control just before I got married. It was downhill from there. A few months after the wedding, I was pregnant (so much for effective birth control!). I enjoyed eating for two and didn’t stop after the baby was born. Some days, I’d eat for 3 or 4! I never realized I was a stress eater until this past year. I changed grade levels and it was a very stressful year. I always caught myself snacking from the vending machine or eating ice cream after dinner (and sometimes even for dinner).  In the summer of 2017, my daughter and I joined Fit Body Boot Camp and I began working out 4-5 days a week and eating healthier than I have in years. After 5 months, my weight hasn’t budged at all! I don’t get it, what am I doing wrong?

I’ve recently found out that I have Hashimoto’s disease and my metabolism is shot. This has attributed to much of my weight gain and getting it off is going to be a struggle. Awesome.

The Movie Split Will Give You A Splitting Headache

So, we just watched the movie Split last night and I must say, it was not my favorite. I am normally accepting of all movies and rarely dislike one from beginning to end. I always think of the hard work and time that was put into making any movie and try to find a way to spin each movie in a positive light. However, this one was terrible. The story line was so farfetched, it was very hard to believe. When I was getting my Master’s, I learned about Dissociative Identity Disorder and was looking forward to watching it portrayed in the movie. The part that threw me off was the 23 different personalities in the main character! In my opinion, it was too much to wrap my mind around. I really enjoyed the movies Sixth Sense and Signs. This one did not follow in their footsteps.

How It All Began

I did not always want to be a teacher. I remember when I was in 1st grade members from NASA did a presentation at an assembly. After that day, I wanted to be an astronaut. Then, when I was in 4th grade, a student told me that my outfit (it was picture day) looked like something a lawyer wore. So, I thought maybe I wanted to be a lawyer. When I was in middle school, Beverly Hills 90210 was the most popular show on TV, so I wanted to be an actress. In high school, I wanted to be a manicurist, kindergarten teacher, news anchor, coffee shop owner, just to name a few. I had too many jobs to count throughout high school. When my son started school, I volunteered at his school regularly. I was active in the PTA and really got to know the staff and teachers. When he was in 2nd grade, his teacher suggested that I get my sub license. I had never considered working for the school district before that moment. The following year when my daughter started kindergarten, I went back to school and received my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. While I was in school, I got hired by the school district as a support staff substitute. Then, after a couple semesters of classes, I applied for my sub license and substitute taught until my last semester which was spent student teaching 5th grade. I was fortunate enough to get hired at the school that I student taught in for a 5th grade position and have been there ever since. I am still very close with my mentor teacher and consider her a true friend. I have changed grade levels a couple of times and am still learning what I like and don’t like. The longer I teach, the more I realize that there is no such thing as a kindergarten teacher or a 4th grade teacher. A teacher is a teacher. Period. There are pros and cons in every grade level. Some aspects of primary grades are better than others. Primary teachers don’t have to worry about administering state standardized tests. On the other hand, primary teachers are responsible for civilizing most of their students. The intermediate teachers can enjoy the independence of their students along with the hormones and attitudes. The main thing to remember is that teachers are in this together and need to work together and support one another!