Our Newest Additions

I am not a cat person. So, when Kyle wanted to get some kittens I was very uneasy. However, I agreed to try it out and he agreed to return them if they didn't work out. Well, they have really grown on me. They are so sweet and cuddle with me in bed every night. They are also very playful with kids and really put up with a lot of annoyance from the kids. One evening, one of the cats curled up with Tayler on the couch. It was so cute and she was just loving it so much.

Every time I sit down on the couch to watch tv, they jump in my lap and cuddle.

They are brothers and look almost identical except for their noses. One has a pink nose, one has a black nose. Pink nose is named Pongo to go along with his bouncy personality. Black nose has simple name, Burt, to go with his easy-going simple personality.

This is Pongo.

Here you can see their noses.

New blog

Hi everyone,
I created a second blog that  I will be using more for posts related to my job. If you would like to follow me the address is http://teachersheard.blogspot.com/  I will continue posting here for personal posts.

Tammy

drum role please...

Hello everyone,

It is with great excitement that I announce to you that after a very tough first year teaching, I am leaving the charter school world and going back to traditional public schools. :)

Over the last few weeks, I have been working hard to send out applications. Getting a teaching job is tough stuff. However, I landed 3 interviews, 2 of which are in the district that we live in. Of the 3 interviews, I received an offer for each! I had to make a tough decision but ultimately picked the school that met all of my needs, 1 of the schools in our district. There is not one negative thing I can think of about the school I will be working at. I interviewed for a 5th grade position, which I was completely fine with, but they have actually decided to move some teachers around and are placing me in 3rd grade. This even better because 3rd grade is what I taught last year so I will be extremely familiar with the things that I will need to teach. I will be departmentalized again which means the kids have 2 teachers... one for reading/writing and one for math/science. Last year I did 3rd grade math/science and that is what I will be doing again this year, but with many more perks since I am in a traditional school district.

The best part about working in this school isn't even the pay raise I will get... it's the fact that I can dress casual. I get to wear capris and sandals!! WOO HOO!! My legs and feet will finally be able to breathe. Wearing pants, socks and shoes every day last year bothered me extremely badly. So this work attire makes it all worth it to me.

Anyways, this is why I have been so stressed out and anxious the last few weeks. The last few weeks I really saw what stress does to me and how poorly I handle it. I have to find a way to deal with it other than staying up late, sleeping all day and eating junk. Stress makes me lazy.



I just wanted to share my excitement with you. This is something that I have been praying for for several months now and I am so thankful God has decided to open this door for me. I am hoping that as I begin to get settled into my new classroom I will feel less stressed. You may or may not have noticed I have not weighed in recently. Well, it's because I am ashamed. I let stress get the best of me. It's like it paralyzes my self control. Hopefully I can start to get the weightloss back in gear.

Tammy

What's on My Nightstand

I recently finished The Hunger Games series (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay). Before I dive into my next series, I will be reading "One Breath Away" by Heather Gudenkauf. I picked it up today as it seemed very interesting. The synopsis on the inside cover reads...

"In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the schoo, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands b y helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage."

As a mother and an elementary school teacher, I have high hopes for this book. I have also read the reviews online and many say that it is hard to put down.... my kind of book! I love suspense.

Tammy

Weekly Weigh-In

Previous (over the past year): - 21 lbs
June 3: - 2 lbs
June 10: -3 lbs
June 17: -1 lb 
June 24: -4 lbs
This Week: -2 lbs

Total weight loss =  33 lbs

39 pounds left until I reach my goal of 72 pounds.

** I am now down 2 pant sizes from 1 month ago! I tried on my pants in the "too small" section of my closet and now most of them fit! **

Last week was a difficult week for me. I can't elaborate right now, but in time I will. But I was very stressed out and also had some anxiety. I was mentally exhausted. I fell into my old habits... staying up late, sleeping in, not eating much and when I did eat it definitely wasn't the right choices. I decided to weigh on  Thursday to see how much damage I had done. I had already gained a pound. :(
However, in the latter part of the week, I picked up reading. This was a cure for the stress and anxiety that I was having a hard time channeling. Yesterday, I hopped on the bicycle while I read on my Kindle. Before I knew it, I had pettled for 76 minutes and 20 miles. WOW! I think I am finally back in the groove and going back to my clean eating. Those few days that I ate poorly, my stomache was not happy with me. I even tried to eat salad dressing and it grossed me out because I was so used to not eating it.

Looking back at this week, I have learned that I am going to have bad days and bad weeks. It's how I move on from them that is important. This week I chose to stop giving in to the old habits and make a change right then. I didn't wait until Sunday like I usually do. By doing so, I was able to lose the pound I had gained plus 2 additional pounds. It's not the mistakes we make that are important, it's how we move on and learn from them. I had 5 bad days and gained weight, but in 2 days  I fixed it and even lost some!

I would also like to add that every week I set a new goal for myself for the next week. I also set monthly goals. I am happy to announce that I came in right on target for my weekly and monthly goals. :) I need to lose 19 more pounds in the next 7 weeks to reach a going-back-to-work goal that I have set for myself. That's about 3 pounds a week. Wish me luck. :)

And if you are reading this, I appreciate it. The one thing I did not want to do was get on here and tell you I had a positive numbers. This blog really helped hold me accountable this week.
Wishing you a great week!

Tammy

What's On My Nightstand

I have never really been an avid reader. I cannot remember ever reading when I was younger. In high school I usually purchased the Cliff Notes for reading assignments. Now that I am adult, going to the library scares me. It is so huge. How do you know how to pick out a book when there are so many?
I am so used to reading nonfiction books the past few years from basically educating myself from being in online classes that I really haven't had time to even think about reading for "fun".

This last semester I did read A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. However, this can almost be classified as nonfiction because the author wrote about her own life and the events during the time she was held in captivity. Although this book was very dark and sad, I really enjoyed it.

I have really been wanting to read lately, especially since I have nothing but time and nothing much to do. I have heard a lot of people talk about 2 different books... The Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Gray. By looking at the reviews online, The Hunger Games is a hit. So, I purchased it at Wal-Mart on Wednesday evening.

As of this evening, I have completely finished reading it. Can you believe it? I don't ever read and I read a 400 page book in 3 days. I could not put it down. Each chapter had a cliff hanger and I was left dying to know what will happen next. This book was also on the dark side but very intriguing. I have had a mentally difficult week full of lots of stress and anxiety. Curling up on the couch to read has really calmed my mind. It is has only been a few hours since finishing The Hunger Games and I am already dying to know what happens in the next book. I had planned on purchasing it next week, but I can't wait. This is when having a kindle comes in handy... at the click of a button I have the book in my hand. So, I am excitedly off to begin the second book in the series...

P.S. As a teacher I now know first hand why so many kids hate to read.... they aren't reading things that are interesting to them!

Tammy

Jesus Loves Me

"Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

I have kept this verse in my mind the last few weeks. Today, I learned this Bible verse is true. God answers prayers and he loves me. :)

(I will elabortate more later when I am able to.)