Hallelujah! (spell?) I figured it out!

How to finish my lit review that is. I keep trying to write one cohesive article. But what I need to do is write each individual lit review and THEN put it together cohesively. That will be much easier and quicker. It's hard because I am supposed to be thinking about my research (which while sort of easy, the logistics of doing research with a room full of kids, makes it really hard), but I keep getting hung up on this lit review that everyone else did last semester.

But I got this. I don't have the money to pay off my tuition, anyway, so I probably won't graduate until May, after income tax refunds. 

I've Lost 20 Pounds Since March!

In March, I went to the doctor and discovered my cholesterol was high. This wasn't so surprising. But since my mom had heart issues and my brother had a heart attack in his early 40s, it was concerning to me. I knew to cut out butter, but what I hadn't though about was cheese. When my doctor brought it up, I was like, Oh, that's easy!

So I went home and stopped adding butter and cheese. If something was made with butter and cheese, that was fine, but I stopped adding extra. I had been on the "real foods" diet which was pretty much eat whatever you want, especially fats and meats. Then I switched back to lowfat milk. Since the boys are so little, we keep whole milk for their brain development, but I really don't need it. I kept eating meat (how do you deal with males without making meat?), but just cut smaller pieces. A few weeks later, I cut out snacking after dinner. THIS WAS HARD! for two or three days anyway. I just kept reminding myself it would all be there in the morning, if I still wanted it. After a couple days, though, I stopped getting hungry and having cravings at night.

For some reason, I also stopped wanting to snack all the time. I just didn't want to. I felt like I could wait until a meal, and if my blood sugar felt really low, I just had a piece of fruit. I love love love fruit.

So I was down 10 pounds by summer. Then in late August, I came down with Giardia, poof! four pounds in two weeks, due to loss of appetite and food not sticking around long. But sadly, that way to lose weight was too inconvenient, ;o), so I got antibiotics. But, even after my appetite returned I lost another five pounds. Then stopped. Now, I discovered I am down two more pounds. Okay, okay, it's in my pajamas and barefoot, but that's how how I weigh myself.

Now, the plan is...I don't know. Karl and I have been talking about nightly walks, but it's hard to find the time. Maybe just keeping up what I am doing. Maybe calisthenics. We'll see.

Oh and I forgot the very best part. Saturday and and Tuesday (although this may change) I give myself permission to eat whatever and however much I want. That's fun!

Now to keep it up!

It just struck me

This title is silly since I am working fulltime. But I guess I still type blogs from home.

Gosh, I am having such anxiety about my paper! But Gabe is usually up before six, and Liam is up until at least 8, and when am I supposed to work on the darned thing? I don't want to have journal articles spread all over the place with kids. I have to figure something out.

I guess maybe from 8 until 9 I can work on it.

So I just purchased this just now:

After shipping and my $4 ebay credit it was less than $10. I hope it gets here soon!

What to do today. No money to do anything, so I guess, I will try and get the laundry caught up and hunt for dishes through the house, because we are running low on plates and forks. 

On Rainy October Saturday Morns

Isn't it nice to find a simple new recipe?

I am trying this no knead bread recipe I found.

Unfortunately, we are completely out of salt, so I am hoping the rising isn't affected..I will continue this post as it rises.

And the result:

I cooked mine in a round cake pan withOUT the salt and rosemary. The boys enjoyed their hunk with a bit of butter and honey, and I had mine warm and plain. I loved it. The taste was somewhere between a biscuit and bread, but not having the mess of kneading make it SO worth it. MMmmm.

It's already October 6th!

And yesterday, suddenly, the weather was accommodating. It was rainy, cool, and a perfect day to spend in bed with electronics. And I did spend most of the day in bed with electronics.
Last night, Karl, Tierney, Caleb, Jake, and I played a cards games (BS and five card draw), while eating caramel apples and fried green tomatoes from the tomatoes Karl's parents had picked. Sadly, Taryn wouldn't play. She seemed a bit sulky yesterday. She was supposed to go to band competitions all day, but her band leader canceled it after was pushed waaaayyy back because of rain. But she didn't really seem to want to do that, so I don't know what is up with the sulkiness. I know she isn't going to tell me!:o)

Snapshots on life.

I have no idea where this was taken.

Michaelmas. I have given up on matching dishes with my kids.

The dragon

Liam slays the dragon

Karl

Taryn's hat

Karl's gloves

Liam's hat

Caleb's birthday (jake and boys)

Madison

Patchen

Gabe was so happy to find this in arm's length.

Taryn prepares for homecoming.

Pretty Taryn

Liam spent about 45 minutes being a (loud!) tornado siren

I needs to get me a life.

This is not who I am

But overall, it's a heck of a lot easier.
My job is fairly easy. This is mostly due to the natural compliance of most elementary school students, and having a very intelligent, hard-working, dedicated para. I am lucky. As a special ed teacher, I don't expect spectacular behavior, just the willingness to get back on track when redirected for the 25th time that day (or hour). After all, I am expected to teach "the Common Core", too, even though I am part of the marginalized "special" teachers at this school.


It's so much easier to just wave bye-bye at 6:30 a.m. and skip off to my job (or rather carpool the long hour to get to the small town with suspect water). It's easier to let someone else deal with the nitty gritty of raising two little boys-the dirt, the mess, the screaming, the shrieking noises, the meals, the carseats). It's easier to not have to deal with the mess of the house until five or so.

But my purpose in life has been left in the dust... Sometimes I hear it calling, but I when I search around only the noise of daily life is there.


Guess I am just your every day average American, living on credit (we still need student loans to pay childcare costs) and and self-soothing with television.

I don't even know how I feel about that. Numbness ain't that bad, folks:o)!


Actually, I had sooooo much more to say, but edited it, because frankly, feelings are fleeting and what pulls today, abandons tomorrow.

Happy Saturday! Now that I realized I actually don't have money for craft fairs and shopping, I am not quite sure what to do today.. Park? I should work on my master's crap. Yeah, I don't think so either. That's what the last minute is FOR, right?;o).

Cider Days

So yeah, there is a good side to working fulltime...getting the (small, oh so very very small) paycheck.

The girls and little boys and I went to Cider Days, which was...okay, and then we tried Cecil's, a little drive up thing in a parking lot on Glenstone...Then we went shopping for Taryn's homecoming dress, but I had to sit out in the car with Liam:o(.

Tierney waits for her food at Cecil's..It was good!

Gabe just needs to make a quick business call before lunch.

The Raven

Liam has a little cider at Cider Days

Girls...

Gabe really liked the skirts!

Taryn picked out a new headband.

Not only did I not get to help her pick it out, but I have PT conferences the night she is going:o(.