Summer

I've been keeping busy with ...

--Lots of puzzles, board games and indoor activities. The smoky air here last week (due to forest fires in both the Florida/Georgia border and in southern Florida) was awful! Local newscasts recommended that people go outside only if necessary and only for short bursts of time. I've been trying to keep Emma entertained as best I can...

--I am hooked on the"Gardens of Time" game on Facebook. It's a game where you both maintain a virtual garden, and go on missions to find hidden objects. I have spent WAY too much on the game. However, I find I enjoy the mental "escape" it provides---a wonderful school-is-out-and-I-don't-have-to-think type of reprieve.

--Emma's Ballet. This weekend Emma has her end of the year dance recital. Em's dance studio rents out a beautiful, enormous theater in downtown Jacksonville... (the theater where DH and I saw "Wicked" back in the day.) Because the studio teaches both dance and theater, the end of the year recital is more of a play/show format. I am excited to see how things turn out! Tonight is the 3rd night of full cast "tech rehearsals," which Em has enjoyed. (And as they require parents to drop their children off and pick up later, I've had 2 hours of HOME ALONE time for 2 different nights...which is an extreme rarity!)

--Swimming...we started our summer visits to the local swimming pool. I was surprised that after swimming independently last summer, Em was extremely clingy and requested a life jacket when we went last week...it's like we're re-training her. She was a little more independent by the end of our 1st visit...but I think it will be a gradual progression before she is truly "swimming" again.

--Books: I loved "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore, a young adult book about a girl who is born with the "grace" of being a strong fighter. She is forced (by her tyrant uncle) to kill others. She ends up on a mission to try to free a king and she finds love along the way. Fun, easy read that kept me interested from cover to cover.

-I read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini... while I am glad I read the book, it took a lot for me to get through. The book is about a man who recounts much of his childhood in Afghanistan, moves to the United States, and then re-visits Afghanistan as an adult. Due to heavy content (war in Afghanistan, and personal issues in the main character's family) I had to trudge through in parts of the book... NOT a cover-to-cover in a few sittings kind of read. I also watched the film after reading the book and was disappointed that many points that I considered vital to the 2nd half of the book were completely omitted from the movie. Sighs.

-Our dryer died. My parents bought our washer/dryer set as a present for us when we moved into our house in 2002. The washer (knock-on-wood) is still working fine. The dryer died 3 years ago, so we purchased a new one. Now the "new" dryer is dead....repair man is coming tomorrow. I hope it can be fixed, as I don't want to for out $ for a brand new one (again.)

-My younger sis, Laurel, is coming to visit! She arrives this Thursday evening! YAY! Can't wait! She teaches high school Spanish, so on Friday night, she'll be joining me in eating dinner and going to see the "Bad Teacher" movie (with some of my teacher friends from school) for some summer comic relief. Should be fun!

-Then the craziness of summer-vacation begins...

Saturday 6/25--Emma's dance recital.

Sunday 6/26 - Tuesday 6/28---beach, zoo, find some fun things to do locally

Wednesday 6/29---Laurel leaves to return to Ohio. Em and I are going WITH her to visit extended relatives. (Approx. 13 hour drive)

Friday 7/1---Laurel, Emma, and I are traveling to Wisconsin (8 hour drive) in order to be there for the extended family reunion on July 4th. (I am SO excited about this! We attended yearly when I was a kid....I haven't attended since Emma was 2. SO thrilled to be able to visit with my cousins and extended relatives from my Dad's side of the family!)

Saturday 7/2 - Tuesday 7/5 we'll be visiting with family in Wisconsin having a grand time!

Wednesday 7/6 Laurel, Em, and I will return to Ohio (8 hour drive)

Thursday 7/7 - Sat 7/9 Em and I will be in Ohio sans DH (we stay at my parents' house)

Sat 7/9 DH will arrive from Florida for his 2 weeks of vacation...we'll see my parents, DH's bro and other relatives, many Ohio friends, etc.

Sat 7/23 DH, Em, and I will return to Florida. (13 hour drive)

WHEW! Did you follow all that?

Add to the to-do list that I MUST see the final Harry Potter film at some point (probably while still in Ohio with my sister.)

A crazy whirlwind of summer...but fun, fun, fun (excluding the 32 hours of travel time in the car.) At least the smoke hasn't been too bad the past few days, so we can venture outside now!

What have you been doing to keep busy?

Books and School

School:
Did I mention that this school year has been completely ridiculous with regards to student behavior? Two issues are currently driving me bonkers--
1. Our district county policy was amended this year to allow students SEVEN tardies PER quarter PER teacher. In other words, a student can be late to my class seven times EACH quarter before I am allowed to write a referral. In addition, since we have 7 periods a day, a student can be late TWENTY-EIGHT times total each quarter with no major repercussions. What the hell? Seriously? What message is this sending to our kids? What employer in the world allows a person to be late SEVEN times without major consequences? UNREAL!

2. There was another HUGE fight and near 'code yellow' status yesterday. The short version--a student was running through the hallways, broke a glass cabinet in a science classroom, hit 2 students, 1 teacher, and 1 police officer before being arrested. What the heck is happening at my school? It's like the inmates are running the asylum. Administration alleges they will be "cracking down" starting today....we'll see if change occurs. With only 14 school days left, I think it is too little, too late. Sighs.


Books:
(I HAVE been managing to read lots! It keeps me sane and helps me "escape" from the chaos at work!) :)

Invisible Id: Written by my hubby! He finally allowed me to read an entire novel from cover to cover. Such a great read! I hope, hope, hope he gets agent representation one of these days...

The Kingdom Keepers Series by Ridley Pearson. These cool books take place at Disney World! I received the 4th book "Power Play" for my birthday, so re-read the first 3 before delving into the newest book. Great book for younger readers! Premise is about teenagers who are recorded to be hologram tour guides at the Disney Parks. Turns out they can swap places with their holograms while sleeping. Disney villains from Disney film lore are trying to take over the parks.... I don't want to do any plot spoilers so will stop there. :)

Juliet by Anne Fortier LOVED this book! Premise: After her aunt dies, a woman follows her will on a treasure hunt of sorts...and ends up exploring Italy when she learns she is related to the "real" Juliet, upon whom Shakespeare based his play. Part romance; part Da Vinci code-ish in her clue seeking; part "Water for Elephants" in the chapters switching between past and present. Wonderful read!

The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer. Another birthday gift which I read cover-to-cover. Fun read for any "Twilight" series fan. My favorite part was reading Meyer's descriptions of her writing process and her thoughts/ideas for the background history of her characters. I will say that the encyclopedia-type format made this a book I couldn't read in long intervals...I read bits and pieces between reading other books.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. LOVED this book!!!! It is about racism in the 1960's. The neat part is it describes African American woman who worked as maids/nannies for white families. Talks about how they grow to love the children they care for and the children in turn love them...only to grow up and be expected to hire black folks as the laborers in their own households. Beautifully shares the perspective of 2 different maids and one white woman who tries to take a stand for equality.

What have you been reading? Anything you've really enjoyed that you recommend?

Random Ruminations

Time for some Sunday ruminations...

Work:
--Work continues to be challenging. At our Leadership meeting this week (department heads, administrators and the principal) we were informed that there were more "Class 3" offenses at our school in the past week and a half than in the ENTIRE school year last year. Class 3's are considered "major offenses" and the recent occurrences include two students who had a knife on campus, assault of a teacher ("luckily" with fists not a weapon,) and stealing. We had a full-faculty meeting this week to discuss safety on school grounds. I am saddened that things got to this point. I fear our meeting was probably "too little too late."

--The Florida state legislature (similar to many states) is looking at several changes within the public education system. Those which currently frustrate me the most are: budget cuts and
connecting teacher pay to a "rating" given by parents. I believe I am a decent teacher who maintains frequent contact with the majority of my students' parents. However, I don't think it is fair to connect my paycheck to a rating given by people who do NOT observe me in the classroom, nor witness my work first hand. Phone calls, e-mail correspondence, conferences and open house are not an adequate portrayal of all that goes into being an educator. Seeing as MOST of a teacher's work occurs IN the classroom, I don't understand how we can be fairly evaluated by people who do not observe us there. Sighs.

--I am at the point I will give my current school one more year and then if things have not improved, I will look at transferring to a different school. This makes me sad, as my goal when I changed to this school 2 1/2 years ago was to stay here until Emma was finished with middle school. Remember, I have her on "special assignment" at the elementary school next door to where I teach. I am disappointed...if I transfer it will mean changing schools for her as well. Crossing all fingers that things get better next year. (This would require HUGE changes within our administration team.) Overall, teacher morale is very low this year. There are many people who are unhappy and who are looking to transfer schools at the end of this year.

Books:
--I recently read "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. LOVED this book! It is narrated by an elderly man who is reminiscing about years he worked in a traveling circus in the 1930's. The book toggles between his present day life and his memories of the circus. Awesome, awesome story! DH actually read the book after I did and he enjoyed it as well. :)

--I'm currently reading "Home" an autobiography by Julie Andrews. Interesting read thus far, though it has been a bit slow going due to school work and our Disney vacation.

DH:
--Plugging away on his 4th book. Entered a contest for his 3rd book...with a 1-in-100 chance of getting to have his entire book read by a book agent. How wonderful would that be? I continue to admire his perseverance. I don't think I could stay dedicated at "keeping at it" without support from an agent by now.

Masters:
--Dear Readers, what is your opinion of on-line university programs? I took several online courses to obtain my teaching degree. I am highly interested in obtaining my masters degree, but would like to find a program that is 100% online. Due to DH's work schedule (he works 11-7 every weekday and 9-5 many Saturdays) evening courses at one of the local universities would be difficult for me to attend due to needing child care for Emma.
--Do you think employers think less of "virtual" degrees than they do of face-to-face degree programs? Or once I've obtained a diploma will it really matter?

I think that's all the latest...

Random Ruminations

Ending the week with some random ruminations...

Books: We're only 21 days into the year and I've already read 11 books! Yay!


The 39 Clues:
I highly recommend the 39 Clues book series to anyone with 8-14ish year old kiddos. The series is written by a variety of popular childrens' book authors and was a super fun read! The books are about a brother and sister team who go on an around the world clue hunt. They visit many historical places along the way. I also admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed the online activities and games that correlate with the books. (Each book comes with 6 cards that can be entered online to help lead the reader as a "clue hunter".) Fun!

The only downside---the cards that come in each book can only be entered online one time. This means that families with more than one child will have to share their online account, rather than having one for each child...unless they fork out $12 per book to buy a book for each child...NOT cool in my opinion!

The Hunger Games:
An amazing trilogy I finished at Thanksgiving time and never posted about... The teen-lit series by Suzanne Collins takes place in the future. The premise is that there is not enough food to feed the citizens of the country, so every year there is a contest where 2 representatives from each district must fight----to the death---to determine which district will get food from the government for the year. Offers much to think about and an AWESOME strong, female heroine as the main character.

The Missing Series:
Cool young adult series I finished during winter break... The premise is kind of tricky to discuss. But the books include time travel,adopted children finding out who they "really" are, and are written by Margaret Peterson Haddix an author whose works I love!

The Mockingbirds:
LOVED this book which was a Christmas gift. It is a young adult novel about a high school teen who was date raped. Most of the book is about her seeking justice for the crime with a secret student-run organization called the Mockingbirds.

----------------
School:
--Today was teacher planning day.... as always I didn't get nearly the amount of stuff done that I had hoped to.
--Principal met with me regarding the quarterly departmental reports I send her. Assured me that she knew I was not at fault for not sending them (as the vice principal had alluded to.) Whew!
--Yearly observation is coming up in February. Should be interesting, as I don't have a stellar class to use this year. (Usually I schedule my observation during my best class. This year, I sadly don't have a "best" to choose from.) Doh.

Home:
--DH and Em stayed home sick yesterday. DH with cough and sinus congestion, Emma with the pukes. My FIL kindly kept Emma today while I was at teacher planning day. Fortunately, she hasn't vomited again since mid-day yesterday. And her fever seems to have subsided as well.
-DH just got home with pizza for dinner, so I'm over and out... :)

2010 Book List

Kicking myself for not keeping better track of the books I read last year, as I am pretty sure I read more than I wrote down.

Cutting/pasting the list of books I did manage to keep track of:

Total counted 65....not bad!

Can bump myself to 68 if you count TIMES read. (See #45 on list.)


65. Sabotaged (The Missing Book 3) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
64. Sent (The Missing Book 2) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
63. Found (The Missing Book 1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
62. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
61. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
60. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (re-read)
59. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (re-read before seeing movie)
58. Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne *
57. Dinosaurs Before Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne *
56. High Tide in Hawaii by Mary Pope Osborne *
55. The Knight At Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne *
54. Stage Fright on a Summer's Night by Mary Pope Osborne *
53. Good Morning, Gorillas by Mary Pope Osborne *
52. Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne *
51. Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne *
50. Green Angel by Alice Hoffman
49. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
48. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
47. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
46. Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan
45. Larger than Life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall (read 4 times! Once to prep and then 3 times to read aloud to all 3 of my block classes!)
44. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
43. Kingdom Keepers: Disney after Dark by Ridley Pearson
42. Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson
41. The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
40. Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility by Martha Diamond, et al
39. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
38. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
37. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
36. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
35. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
34. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (re-read before seeing movie)
33. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
32. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
31. Like Gold Refined by Janette Oke
30. A Quiet Strength by Janette Oke
29. A Searching Heart by Janette Oke
28. The Tender Years by Janette Oke
27. Love Finds a Home by Janette Oke
26. Love Takes Wing by Janette Oke
25. Love's Unfolding Dream by Janette Oke
24. Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke
23. Love's Abiding Joy by Janette Oke
22. Love's Long Journey by Janette Oke
21. Love's Enduring Promise by Janette Oke
20. Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
19. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
18. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
17. Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
16. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
15. Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne *
14. Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
13. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
12. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
11. Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer
10. Night World: Witchlight by L.J. Smith
9. Night World: Black Dawn by L.J. Smith
8. Night World: Huntress by L.J. Smith
7. Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne *
6. Night World: The Chosen by L.J. Smith
5. Night World: Dark Angel by L.J. Smith
4. Night by Elie Wiesel
3. Night World: Daughters of Darkness by L.J. Smith
2. Night World: Secret Vampire by L.J. Smith
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

* = books in the Magic Tree House series I read aloud to Emma...yes they are kids' books, but they are over 50 pages, so I'm counting them on my list. :)

Keep On, Keep On, Keep On Movin'

Remember the Brady Bunch episode where the kids sing on a talent show, trying to win money to purchase an anniversary gift for their parents? They called themselves "The Silver Platters" and one of the songs they sang was "Keep on Movin'." That has been my motto as of late...

School Stuff:
--I teach in the 3rd largest school district in the state of Florida. (I was also recently informed that we are the 15th largest district in the U.S. Wow.) Due to the large amount of schools, things like painting are done year-round rather than just during the summer.

Our school system re-paints the interior of all buildings every 7 years. This year my school is on the schedule to be re-painted. This means that classes have to be held in the Media Center, or auditorium or other creative areas while individual classrooms are being painted. I was fortunate because my entire hallway was painted during winter break. Thus, I didn't have to endure the hassle of teaching in an unusual place like many of my colleagues have.

However, when I returned to school after winter break my classroom was in disarray. Due to my building being painted over the break, all of my belongings were shoved on the window sill/counters and most furniture was shoved together in the middle of the room:






It took two mornings going in early and 2 evenings staying late to get my room re-organized and back the way I like it. I still don't have all of my posters re-hung....

--Our district also schedules two big "Walk Throughs" per year. These are days when district personnel from every department come to tour the school, observe in a variety of classrooms, and meet with the principal to provide feedback. Usually the Walk Throughs are held in October or November and then again in April or May.

My school had the first Walk Through this year the week after Thanksgiving. However, glitches occurred and the representatives for social studies, phys ed, and language arts were unable to attend for some reason. Thus, they bumped our 2nd visit from April to this past week. So in the midst of re-organizing after our classrooms were painted, we had to prep for visits from the big wigs.

Emma and I stayed late at my school 2 different evenings so I could get things "just so" in my classroom before the walk through. Murphy's Law of my life----for the first time ever no one came to my classroom during the Walk Through. (Usually since there are only 5 of us in the reading department we ALL get visited during district walk throughs.) Sighs...

School Reports: The 7th grade assistant principal came to me just after the visits were completed and said there was a "reading department emergency." I worried that one of my colleagues had been hurt. She then informed me that the principal was meeting with the district personnel who had finished the Walk Throughs and they were upset I had not sent her (the principal) any updated reading department reports. I explained that I usually only send reports once per quarter, and as 2nd quarter is still in session new reports hadn't been sent yet. It irked me a bit... I haven't done anything wrong or out of the norm, and didn't appreciate the insinuation that I had.

Books: I've been reading up a storm. One of my New Year's resolutions is to keep better track of my book reading this year. Last year I did not keep close track and I know I read things that did not get recorded on my "Books Read" list.

I received the 10 books in the "39 Clues" kids' series for Christmas and finished the last one this morning. What fun reads!

DH: Said I could read the last novel he finished. 90,000 words, wowsers! I am stoked---he's let me read a sentence or chapter before, but never a whole book. Yay! I will start it this afternoon. :)

Emma:

While cleaning our computer desk today, I found a few Emmaism's I haven't posted before.

9/18/10 While walking the dog with Grandpa:
"When it's hot outside, hot air comes out of your mouth."

11/11/10 On only wearing socks and underwear:
"Look, I'm a pattern: Naked, not naked, naked, not naked."

1/10/11: "I was just a little bit hot, so I took my shirt off while I was pretend cooking."
(See pics below.)





I think that's all the latest.

Autumn Update

It's been awhile again. I have been avoiding posting because I didn't want it to turn into a giant whining session. I'm going to try to stick to the basics...

School:

--This week marks the middle of 2nd quarter. And we still do NOT have all of the textbooks needed for the reading classes in my department. Ridiculous.

--The person responsible for overseeing the reading program for the entire county resigned at the end of Sept. (Perhaps this is why we don't have textbooks?)

--The 8th grade administrator is in hospital due to an intestinal rupture.

--There have been 10 fights thus far this school year, including one when a teacher was punched in the face and one where a girl had a huge gash on her forehead.

--Many teachers are feeling the administration doesn't seem to have a handle on discipline this year. (To put things in perspective we had less than 10 fights the entire school year last year.)

--The reading teachers do not have inclusion teachers assigned to our classes this year. In the past we had inclusion teachers to co-teach with us in classes with a large special ed population. This year we're on our own.
--It's making for a super difficult year!

Home:
--No TTC updates to report at this time...will update when I have new news. (Crossing fingers for re appointment during winter break, but I will probably have to wait until March.)
--We were able to drive to Ohio to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. It was wonderful to see them! I am grateful for a wonderful family and for an amazing husband who did WAY more driving than I did to/from Ohio.
--Emma continues to be my shining light. I appreciate her antics and learning discoveries.

Books/Movies:
--I read all of Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" books over the long weekend. LOVED them! Great read with interesting premise.
--I saw "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I" and "Tangled" and completely enjoyed both films.

I'll let my fall photos sum up the rest...

Emma's 6th Birthday












We went to the Magic Kingdom to celebrate Halloween at their "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween" party.


















Jacksonville had a "Boat Day"
Em enjoyed touring and photographing some boats on the downtown Riverfront.







Emma at the "Spooktacular" event at the Jacksonville Zoo


For Halloween night trick-or-treating, Emma dressed as a witch.




DH, Em and I spent the day at the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum in St. Augustine 2 weeks ago...we had a great time!

House made of match sticks.


Em and I pose next to a statue/replica of the World's Tallest Man


DH looking disgruntled in a pirate torture device.


Em and her elephant pose outside.

Updates:
--As I mentioned, I just haven't felt like writing much as of late, due to not having a lot of "positive" things to blog about.
--I seem to be on Face.boo.k more often now that I have a Black.berry...if there are any readers who'd like to be FB friends, drop me a line at velmadinkley@aol.com and I'll search for you to friend you on FB.

Nothing Too New

It's been awhile...

Emma:
The end of summer came and went. Emma and I spent our last day of summer vacation at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine. We had a great time. She was especially thrilled to be able to pet and hold a small gator.



Her un-prompted pose on this one cracks me up.


The school year began with a whirlwind. Bringing Emma's 1st day of Kindergarten...








--Emma seems to be adjusting mostly well. Though, DH and I will likely schedule a parent conference in the next month. (Her Open House is on 9/23, so we're waiting until after then.) We have some concerns that she is getting in trouble behaviorally because she is bored and already knows all of the curriculum. (No major trouble, just talking and sometimes not following instructions.)

I am NOT trying to be a snotty Mom. But I have concerns. Daily work has consisted of counting to 10. (Em can count to 100+ by 1's, 5's, and 10's.) Daily work has consisted of learning the letters and their sounds. (Em has been reading Level 1 beginner readers and some Level 2's since last school year.) We've worried about this for a while...due to her age (she'll be 6 this week, the oldest in her class) she seems to be ahead of many of the students. I don't think they do "grade promotion" at such a young age, but I need to insure that the teacher is differentiating to help Emma make learning gains, rather than having an idle year.

Work:
--I'm hanging in there. 6th grade has been WAY tougher than I anticipated. (I have one 7th/8th grade mixed class, and then teach 6th graders the rest of the day.) Thus far, I am missing full-time 8th grade! Many of the 6th graders are super whiny and tattle ALL the time. Seriously! I can't believe the trivial stuff these kids feel the need to "tattle" about. We'll be in the middle of a class discussion, and kids will raise their hand to tell me someone stole their pencil. Kiddo, you need to HANDLE IT! I am donning my frigging Super Girl cape every day...and am hating that I need it so much. LOL. (My 5 year old knows to keep her hands off property that doesn't belong to her. It kills me I have to remind these 11-12 year olds daily.)

--There are also some really great kids. I've slowly been making phone calls home trying to introduce myself to parents and compliment the kiddos who are working hard...but it can be really difficult to find "phone call" time. One perk though....TONS of hugs. Wow, these kiddos are huggers. I get hugs nearly everyday when the kids leave my class. Too cute. :)

DH:
--We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on the 5th. I continue to be ever grateful to have such a wonderful person to share my life (and Emma's upbringing) with!

--He is nearly finished with novel #3! WOWIE! Still crossing my fingers for him that he'll get agent representation to get published one of these days... He has been pretty unhappy with his job and would love it if he could write full-time someday.

Secondary Infertility:
--Went to re-scheduled OB appointment. I think I need to find a new OB. Which really bums me out.....
--I told OB that I feel like I'm in a never-ending cycle:

try to get pregnant--->not pregnant--->get depressed--->eat my woes away--->gain weight

start all over again...

I've been a plus size gal all of my adult life. However, I gained 12 pounds between my OB appointment in February and my appointment this summer. I have been depressed and eating myself silly. It's quite ridiculous. (And YES, I am disgusted with myself.)

OB's advice:
a. Semen analysis for DH (makes sense to "cover our bases")
b. I need to lose weight (I agree there is a definite need)
c. There is no C. A and B are it. Sighs.

--I am frustrated because I asked what OB thinks about anti-depressants. I have NEVER been on these nor admitted "need" for them before. This took A LOT for me to discuss. She does not recommend that I go on the anti-depressants since I'm still trying to get PG.

SERIOUSLY???????? HELLO....I haven't gotten PG in 4 years of "trying." And while a Baby's health would definitely be my #1 priority, I swear I've read things about "safe" medications to take while PG. Or I could go off depression meds once I became PG. Does anyone have feedback on this?

(EDIT: In re-reading this tonight I realized with a gulp that I did not include my miscarriage in January 2009 when I WAS pregnant.)

--My other issue is this...Being an overweight gal makes me at a high pregnancy risk. I understand this. However, correct me if I'm wrong---as an overweight woman I should NOT have issues GETTING pregnant. Weight can cause difficulty KEEPING a pregnancy, but NOT ACHIEVING it. This is a summary of what I've read and read. Thus, I was hoping for Clomid or something similar to help regulate my cycles. (And to help ensure that I ovulate regularly, as I had 2 months of the last 8 with no ovulation, and 1 month with a chemical pregnancy.) However, my OB doesn't want me to go on medication because my cycles are "mostly regular." I don't know what to think anymore.

Feedback anyone?

Books:
--Sighs, I still don't have the booklist on my sidebar updated. But I have been continuing to read. I finished (and liked very much) all 3 books of the Steig Larrson "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" series. I'm currently reading a great book (recommended by some of my readers) called, "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan. It's about a 30-something gal who finds out she has cancer and must cope with dealing with her "new" family (hubby and 2 kids) and "old" family (parents and siblings.) It's been a really great read...and has had me both laughing or crying out loud at different points.

Blog:
--My 2 year blogoversary came and went this summer. Despite my infrequent posts, I continue to be grateful for the support and advice of my blog buddies.

--I fear I've been a crappy blog-friend lately. One of my co-workers is in the hospital (taken by ambulance from 1st period last week with chest pain---yikes!) I've been pulling her lesson plan load with substitutes along with dealing with all of the beginning-of-the year and back-to-school stuff I always conquer each August/September....thus I haven't had a lot of free time lately.

I HAVE been lurking and reading blogs...without commenting much. Please know I am thinking of you. And I've been FLOORED by the HUGE amount of PG blog buds lately. CONGRATS to all of you...and may your good luck rub off! ;) (Special shout out to Marie! And Happy Bday 9/18 to Mrs. Gamgee!)

<3 <3 <3

Life Updates

Wow...I've been away for a month?? A busy summer it has been!

• Vacation: We had a great time during our Ohio trip! We stayed at my parents' house and were able to spend lots of time with them and my sister Laurel. Photos below...
  

July Fourth:


Em as we headed to the July 4th fireworks. LOVED the headband (from $1 section of Tar.get.) TOO cute! :)




Em took this pic of my sis and I as we waited for fireworks.


Grandma and Grandpa (photo by Em)


Me and DH (another pic by Em)



My Dad took this pic of us at the July 4th parade. Dad rode on the Knights of Columbus float in the parade. Emmaism: "My Grandpa is in the parade! How cool is that?" Smiles.
BTW---This pic looks cute cropped and zoomed...but I couldn't get my "edited" pics to post. Sighs. :)



Laurel took this self-portrait of her and Emma

Beach Day:
We had a great time at the Alum Creek beach! (Though the thick, kitty-litter consistency sand wasn't as fun to play with as the sand on our Florida beaches.)






Em and Grandpa didn't seem to mind the rough sand.






DH spent time writing. He's working on his 3rd novel. The umbrella cracks me up...it's the only one we could find in my parents' garage.


Self-portrait of moi.


Em liked that the sandbar went out nearly 40 feet, so she could go farther out independently, than she does in FL.





Museum Day:
We spent a day at the COSI museum in Columbus. Not too many pics...I was having too much fun to stop and take photos!

Em on a ride in the "Progress" area of COSI. (Hallways with 1880's and hallway with 1960's store fronts.)



Em building a bridge in the "Gadgets" area of the museum.


Scientist Mouse Emma


Emma and Auntie Laurel pose as aliens.

McDonald's:
We met our friends the Palus Family in Richmond, IN for a playdate at Mickey D's. The Palus' are our buddies who moved from our neighborhood in FL and now live far away in IN. How I wish they still lived near us!


Me--acting silly with the wings from Em's "Airbender" toy.


Katie and Em


Left to Right: Zack, Katie, Nick, Emma


Me and DH

Cousins Time:
Em loved being able to play with her 3 year old cousins Summy and Jack. As the boys are no longer babies or young toddlers it was the first time the cousins could play independently. (We actually had grown-up conversations while the kiddos played...yay!) The kids had a great time in the playroom and on the swing set at the boys' house.




Jack, Emma, Summy



This was the 1st time Emma ever hung upside down on a moving object independently. She LOVED the trapeze and spent lots of time on it.




Summy enjoyed going down the slide on his back, but head-first.


Jack followed the upside-down-on-the slide action.

Young's Dairy Farm:
We met our friends' the Uptons at the Young's farm. We had a great time feeding the goats, viewing the animals, playing in the play yard, and eating the freshly-made-on-the-farm ice cream.


Me, Laurel, and Emma






Shannon and I have been friends since we were in the 3rd grade.


Baby Oliver (turned 6 months old the week of this pic.)


DH and Travis are buds too.


Spencer


Karly


Emma


Ice cream time!

Sights I've never seen in Florida:






This sign in my hometown cracks me up every time I read it. Anyone want to join me for some "joint recreation?" JOKE!


Hay in the field diagonally across the street from my parents' house.


Em flying a kite in my parents' amazing, ginormous back yard. (Note the corn fields in the rear of the photo.)

• Family: --Shout-out to my sister Laurel who finished her Masters' in Ed degree while we were in Ohio. Woot-woot!
  
• DH continues to plug away on his writing. He is nearing the completion of his 3rd novel and continues to seek representation for a publisher for his books. I'm so proud of him!
  
• My bro-in-law and his family are in town this week. We had a nice dinner at my In-law's house last night. It was great to see everyone! Watching Em and her cousins play together is especially precious.
  

• School: Only 2 weeks of summer left. It always passes so quickly!
• I attended an awesome 2-day training last week. 3 other people who are on the "Data Committee" with me at school attended the training as well. It helped provide insight on what the Data Committee's role should be within our school. In addition, it helped us to set measurable and attainable goals for our committee for this year... WAY important as last year I don't feel we were effective. Now we just have to get the other committee members on board when we meet as a team after school starts.
  

• Emma: Has been swimming up a storm! She has learned how to swim independently, but still needs to master the art of taking a breath while swimming. She tends to only swim to a ladder/person to grab on to/wall, come up for air, and then swim some more. I'm pleased with her progress though. :)
  
• We went to the beach with bro-in-law and his family today and the new inner-tube Em got was a big hit. She loved to "ride the waves" and it was fun watching her enjoy herself.
• We went this weekend and spent $85 buying all of the items on her school supply list. We just need to get a backpack and she's set to start school.
  
• Orientation to meet Em's teacher and get acclimated with the school is on the 20th. I still can't believe my baby is going to be in Kindergarten. Wow.
  

• IF Issues: I was SUPER angry and disappointed this morning. Remember back in January when I met with my OBGYN and agreed to use an Ovulation/Fertility Monitor for 6 months and then return for a follow-up visit if still not PG? My appointment was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. It has been scheduled SINCE JANUARY. This morning the office called to cancel because my doc is "on vacation" this week. ARGH. I'm disappointed because I am ready to meet about my next steps. I am angry because I have been off work ALL SUMMER....and of course they couldn't re-schedule the appointment until the middle of the month when I'm back to work. GRRR.
  
• I won a book-give away at the wonderful Sunny in Seattle's blog. Yay! I am halfway through "Understanding and Coping with Infertility: Unsung Lullabies" and am really liking it (as much as one can "like" a book about an issue they wish they didn't have.) The language is easy to understand and is written by 3 doctors who have all experienced IF issues (2 of the 3 are a married couple, it's been cool to have a male's perspective included.) I felt validated...and especially like this quote, "Infertility is a trauma because it attacks both the physical and emotional sense of self; it presents us with multiple, complicated losses, it affects our most important relationships, and it shifts our sense of belonging in the world."
  

• Books: I have been reading TONS...one of my favorite things about summer! This week I finished the Kingdom Keepers III book and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I recommend both! The Tattoo Girl took nearly 100 pages for me to get into...a bit of a difficult beginning. However, once I was into the plot, it was great...and I want to read books 2 and 3 of the trilogy now. :) One of these days I'll get my list on the sidebar updated.
  

• Blog: My 2 year blogoversary was last week. THANK YOU again to my sweet readers who lend an ear, offer support, share ideas, and give blog love. I heart you!!!