Memorial Day Training

It sure was nice to get in a crazy workout with B over the long weekend. :) Despite the 95 degree weather we worked out inside and did some lunges outside with a sandbag. I'm not sure which part of the madness has my backside hurting. But I definitely appreciated the change up in my workout for the day. I didn't even run because the hour training session was intense enough to wipe me out.

Here is a short video clip of one of the 5 or so circuits we did.

Bigger Than a Bread Box

We are reading the book, "Bigger Than a Bread Box" in my classroom. It is written by Laurel Snyder. I heard about this book from my older brother. He is a children's lit. fanatic. Please see link below.

 I can't express enough how much my students LOVE this book. They beg for me to read it. There have been several times where everyone has their hands over their mouth, eyes or whole face in anticipation for the next event. I love knowing how much they love it.

The book is on a topic that is real for many of them, or at least someone they know. The little girl in the book, "Rebecca," her parents are separated. In the book Rebecca is dealing with that, as well as dealing with being a kid. If you are a teacher, read this book aloud to your students. You won't regret it.

Here is an excerpt from the book, that we will be discussing on Monday in class. I share it because it holds true for just about everyone....

 

"Honey, I mean this in a good way. If you have apologies to make, you should make them. If you have apologies to accept, I suggest you accept them. If you're  in the middle of a fight, finish it. Trust me- you'll feel better once you do."

Thank you Laurel Snyder, for giving my students the opportunity to have rich discussion about literature. Thank you for provided a text beyond a humorous diary. Thank you for tugging at the heart strings of all ages. 

On another note, as I mentioned last week...I signed up for the national review of the common core assessment and my work begins on Monday. I am doing mathematics an looking forward to it.

Looks like a gorgeous weekend ahead. I'll be at the ball field. 

-J

Pinterest dinner

I bought some pork chops a while back. As I was setting them out to thaw, I wondered why I even bought them. No recipe I knew sounded appetizing. In an attempt to salvage them I spent my time on the stair climber this morning on Pinterest. I found one recipe and I had everything it called for. Also, it was healthy.

Ingredients:
6-8 pork chops
1 packet hidden valley ranch seasoning
Paprika
Black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.
Mix dry ingredient together.
Rub both sides of pork chops with dry mix.
Place in baking sheet
Bake for 20-25 min.

These were great. I will be making them again.
-j

You decide....Lucky you

I realized something, a while ago, but it is stuck in my mind. I realized that even though the past is the past, and you don't have the ability to change it, influence it, erase it...YOU are still so very much in control of your past. Odd right? How can you be in control of something that is unchangeable. There's no need to change it dear, it's perfect just the way it is. And the very best part about the past, is you get to remember it however you want. Let me say that again, "You get to remember the past however you want." Even if the others involved put their own personal spin on it, twist it, mold it in their minds...you don't have to see it that way. You can remember for as beautiful, and hopeful as it felt when you experienced it. You are not confined by how others remember it.

We each have to remember events and people in a certain light, perhaps, in order to cope with memories, unpack them or maybe just not to deal with them at all. People see past events negatively sometimes, to explain their behavior. I think it is so very tempting to mold our own memories in a way that helps us maintain our pride, dignity, to save face. But why? Why save face for memories? Why not find the slightest glimmer of a smile amidst each memory and place that moment front and center? Why not let those smiles be all that you harbor. They are there, regardless of who is lucky enough to remember them.

 

-J 

Weekend Modge Podge

This post is going to be a modge podge. First, did you watch Private Practice? I have a love hate relationship with Charlotte King, but its more love than hate and the way she handle the situation with Mason and his mom was awesome. The clincher for the whole episode though, was when Cooper tried to thank her, and she simply said: "You don't thank me for any of that. It's just what you do." I think this is true for so many aspects of marriage. This is a TV slip I'm sure I'll revisit at length.

I also wanted to post the protein selection that disappears quickly in our home. Here is a picture:

We buy chocolate peanut butter, because I'm a peanut butter freak. But the other flavors are just as good. The things I enjoy about this protein:
1. It's 14.99 at Walmart. That's a steal.
2. It's drinkable with water alone. No need to add extra calories.
3. It mixes well, and you never end up drinking protein chunks. Which totally gross me out.


On windy Friday afternoon, B and I walked over to our neighbors, and asked to borrow their ladder. I want to say that I am so thankful we moved in next to nice people. They have been great!! With the ladder he was able to put on the shutter. I am really happy with them, and I am really happy the wind didn't blow him off the ladder like it did my dad. Oh yes, my dear old dad was putting a new tin roof on my folks barn and he fell right off the ladder. If you know him, you are not suprised by this.  Here is a view of the shutters.

Finally, and I truly hope you stuck with me until this point in the post. My clasroom goes to the library on Wed. And this Wednesday, one of my little girls walked up to the librarian and said, mater of factly, "Could you tell me where the romance section is?" TRUE story!

-J

WIAW week 1 a day late

My What I Ate Wednesday is coming late because I had parent teacher conferences last night. I'm a little let down for WIAW week one because its not an adequate representation of my day because we were out of protein. Let me explain, getting protein was B's job. However, instead of getting protein, he was busy getting two shots and 10 days of antibiotic for his infected leg. This was caused by his genious plan to slide while running bases (in shorts) at little b's baseball practice! EEK. Needless to say, I think he is in the clear.

In place of my protein powder, I got a shake at the gym cafe. I usually don't do this because they are $6.00, which is about $3.00 over what I think I should pay. I drank it in about 3 min, so here is the empty cup of the banana smoothie.

Then a few hours later I had some peanut butter on a Whole Wheat english muffin.

For lunch it was left over sirloin and green beans, corn and mushrooms. I just through it all in the tupperware and ate it.

After work, I had an apple. I was really wishing for a shot of protein about now.

I was tired after conferences as just grabbed a taco salad from the truck stop on my way home. I love this little whole in the wall.

I am fully aware this photography is for the birds. Now I just need to figure out how to link this up to the other blogs that do this.

-J

Jimmy "V"spiration

In his 1993 ESPY speech Jimmy V, battling cancer, stated: 

 

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. ... Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.

So today:

1. I laughed. Before my students could go to recess they had to complete a "ticket out the door," slip. On the slip they were instructed to write 3 things they knew to be true about a cube. After just completing our geometry unit I was expecting answers such as: It is 3D. It has 6 faces. 8 Vertices. 12 edges. Etc. Etc. One young man interpreted this assignment in his own way. He wrote, "You find it in the freezer. It freezes at 32 degrees. 12 edges." All I could do was laugh, and send him on his way out the door.

2. Time in thought: There is a national review board with open slots. This committee will be reviewing the new common core expectations and assessment that correlate. I truly think this would be a good experience for me, despite the extra work. I would meet people outside my district. Finally, it would be beneficial to hear the opinions outside of my "hub."

3. Moved to tears.

  

Jordis Unga's performance on the voice. The staging was stellar.


-J