Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thanksgiving: My Favorite Holiday

It's Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday!  Let me explain why I resist the Christmas decorating and music until after the feast.  Thanksgiving is a simple and wonderful holiday you can spend with your family.  It is a time to set apart from the rest of the world and have fun with the family.  It gives us time to reflect on what is really important in life and what you are grateful for.  For celebrating all of the things that God has given us.

What other holiday is only about a meal?  There's no commercialism just a pure holiday of giving thanks.  I love the aromas associated with Thanksgiving.  The turkey cooking in the oven, the smell of a smoked ham, the rolls and pies baking.  It just puts a smile on your face.  And when I think of a holiday song there's only one that comes to mind, "Over the River and through the Woods."  Oh, and did I mention there's football.  Yes, some kind of football even if it may not be the Who Dats.  Finally, we can't forget the nap.  Filling up on all that wonderful food, visiting with family, laughing, and then taking that Thanksgiving Day nap.  It doesn't matter when you take your nap because you know that a post-meal nap is the highlight of the holiday.  Life doesn't get much better than that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

My First 5K

Today I ran my first 5k!  WhooHoo!!  After 3 long, hard months of running in mostly hot, humid weather here in good ol Louisiana I entered my first race where I actually ran.  How appropriate is it that my first race was the No Excuses 5k & 10k race?  I made no excuses to myself during my training period and kept it up with pure self motivation. 

After putting myself to bed at a decent hour on a Friday night I woke up at 5:45 a.m. to begin my morning.  Actually, I do kinda remember waking up at 4:45 a.m. and looking at my alarm.  I managed to go back to sleep for another hour.  It was a fairly relaxing morning as I got ready.  No need to worry about getting kids up, fixing breakfast, or yelling at anyone to come on or I'm leaving without them.  I left at 7 A.M., stopped to get gas, and even arrived 30 minutes early.  Amazing!

Since I arrived early I had enough time to scope out my running path and watch the other runners getting ready.  At 8:00 there was a 1/2 mile fun run.  I decided not to do this because I didn't want to risk getting tired before I even started.  Instead, I warmed up by walking around and doing some stretches.  As I walked around I met some other runners.  Runners are such friendly people.  At 8:30 the race began.  I began in the middle of the pack and was quickly passed by other runners.  You would not believe the serious runners here.  I nicknamed one particular runner Speedy Gonzales.  He was running the 10K and I think he must have passed me several times.  Nevertheless, this did not discourage me.  My goal was to get to the finish line without walking. 

As I rounded the corner of the 3 mile marker and passed through a tunnel, I felt a feeling of pride as I saw the finish line and realized I did it.  I crossed the finish line in 37 minutes, 39 seconds.  My husband even surprised me and was waiting on the other side videoing my accomplishment. 

What an awesome feeling to find a new interest that I enjoy so much with an added bonus of getting me in shape.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Goal Achieved

After 3 long months of hard work I did it!  On this cool, crisp October morning, I ran 3.1 miles!  As I started out this morning I stepped out of the house, and it was cold!  I quickly went back in and changed from tank top to t-shirt.  My body has been so used to hot and humid it didn't quite know how to react to cold.  Nevertheless, my body adjusted and pushed past the 3 mile goal today.

That first mile is not so bad now.  I start out with a slow, steady pace and give my body time to warm up.  I went my usual route this morning which took me by the pond I love behind my house.  After the first mile, I begin the 2nd mile down the road past the 1/2 mile pond.  This morning I noticed 5 geese out by the side of the road looking for food.  They gave me a look as I passed by.  I came to the end of the street and turned around for mile 3.  As I ran passed the geese again they honked at me seeming to say, "You can do it!  Keep going!"  And, I did!  I kept running and pushed myself to finish that last mile.  Instead of stopping at 3 miles I went a little bit more, and then walked the rest of the way home grinning and thinking how awesome that just felt!  My goal to jog 3 miles is achieved!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Kodak Moment

One of the great things about increasing my running miles is finding new routes to take when I go out.  This week while I'm working on my 2 mile runs, I decided to go running in the neighborhood behind mine.  I go out for 1 mile and then run back.  This path takes me past a pond.   My goal used to be to run down to the end of it.  Now I can run down the end and back up the other side.  Today as I came up on the pond, I saw the most amazing sight of egrets.  Literally half the pond was covered with these birds.  It was such an amazing sight that it almost stopped me in my tracks.  They stood there in a paralyzing state.  My running past them did nothing to disturb them, and when I came back around to them they were still there.  Oh how I wish I had a camera on me or my ipod had one built into it.  This was definitely one of those Kodak moments.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Half Way Mark

I decided to get up and run at sunrise today as opposed to sunset.  The weatherman told everyone on the news last night that we need to get up at 7a.m. because it was going to be nice, but then get hot by the afternoon again.  What a difference running in the morning is!  I am half way at meeting my goal and ran 1 1/2 miles today.

It's taken me 2 months to get to this point.  I wish I could run every morning, but 7:00 a.m is a big difference from 5:00 a.m. to me and then there's work.  When I get home from work there's the kids and housework to see about.  Somehow, I have managed to carve out 45 minutes for me at the end of most days and follow the advice of a wise person.

I have been thinking about when I want to enter my first 5k and actually run.  Since Fall is just around the corner, I'm thinking that would be the perfect time.  2 months ago I thought maybe springtime, but I do believe I'll be able to run 3 miles soon.  Now, I'm off to buy those new shoes I want and some new running clothes.  As an added bonus to running, I am a now a size smaller!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

1 MILE!

It's been 6 weeks, and I'm finally able to run 1 mile without stopping!  What an awesome feeling that is!  I remember when I first started out I could barely make it down my street, and now I'm running around my neighborhood like I own it!  Well, I guess I'll share it with a few other fellow runners and maybe the nonrunners too.

I'm actually amazed that I decided to start running at all.  I have never been a runner, and the couple of times I attempted some jogging I would end up making excuses to myself and quit.  Not this time!  Maybe it was the turning 43 that did it.  I started out wanting to lose weight, but it turned into a goal of running in a 5k event.  As I train for this event, I love challenging myself to see what I can do.  Of course the losing weight and toning up is also happening.  My exercise program has completely changed my daily habits and attitude.  I no longer find myself grabbing whatever junk food I find, and when I'm stressed I take it out during my running time.  I may be running more now that school has started back.

So, on to more running and moving up to 2 miles.  But first, I think I'll reward myself by going out to buy new shoes (new running shoes)!
 

 

Friday, August 5, 2011

A New School Year

Well, here it is.  Only a few more days left until the new school year begins.  I along with many other teachers have been busily preparing my classroom for the first day of school.  I'm lucky that I have 2 months off in the summer ( I'm remembering when it used to be 3 months), but it's hard to get back in teacher mode when it's time to go back after all that time off.  This week I got it.  I step into my classroom, start making plans, and then I'm off and rolling. 

One thing that really drives me nuts is when I have to set up my computers.  It takes so much time and the next thing I know hours have passed and that's all I have managed to do.  Not only am I having to deal with a computer that's not working, but I acquired another one that was unexpected.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it was a new one, but it's an old one and now I have to figure out what to do with it and where to put it.  I decided to change out the one that's not working with the old one for now.  Hopefully the wonderful tech guy will come soon and get my newer one fixed!  This really sucks because all of my stuff is saved on that one.

On a brighter note, I also decided to do some painting in my classroom.  This was more fun, and I felt I had accomplished more once I was finished.  I painted my in and out doors, yes the doors really said in and out in HUGE letters, that was painted by the previous teacher.  For some reason my 4th grade students paid more attention and followed the signs than my 3rd graders.  I'm sure the last teacher had more success with that rule than me anyway.  I also made some cute signs for my classroom and replaced the flowers outside of my building with new Fall ones.  OK they are the plastic type flowers, but they put me in a good mood and will last longer.

Although my to do list should be getting smaller it's not!  Just when I finish one thing I think of something else to do.  I haven't even added all the paperwork that needs to be done.  That's another list and another blog in itself.  The count down continues...5 more days!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Objective 1 Achieved!

I did it!!!  I met my first objective towards reaching my running goal:  To run 1/2 a mile without stopping.  After a month of gradually building up my endurance, I am finally at the point where I can follow the 3 month plan from a book I am reading.  Not bad for someone who has never ran before!

Another surprise this evening as I was out running.  I decided to go a different route than my usual.  I usually run up and down my street, but last week I decided to drive around my neighborhood and clock the distance in another direction. As I was out running, I found some other runners in my neighborhood. 

Now on to my next objective to run 1 mile without stopping.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My I.E.P. (Individualized. Exercise. Plan.)

I have decided to design my personal I.E.P. (Individualized. Exercise. Plan.).  Hey, I'm a special education teacher! What do you expect?  I know how to modify as needed.  It was during my walking and jogging this evening that I suddenly had a plan form in my mind.
GOAL:  To jog 3 miles

As I thought about this new goal of mine I immediately thought of, what else, an I.E.P. and decided to add objectives with it.  So, objective 1 will begin with being able to jog 1/2 a mile.  I'm going on week 3 of my exercise goal and am happy to say that I was able to jog to the end of my street today!!!  Now this is not quite 1/2 mile, but it's getting closer. I know that walking up and down my street once is half a mile, and I originally started out walking 1 1/2 miles.  My entire workout always begins with a 5 minute warm-up walk and always ends with a 5-10 minute cool down walk.  During week 1, I started out by jogging for 30 seconds then walking 30 seconds and continued this for the remainder 1.5 mile stretch.  I thought I was going to die when I finished my first day as this all occurred in 90% humidity. (And, it does not matter what time it is, the humidity is always there!)  I carried on and finished the week out with this routine every other day.

Week 2 brought about a new challenge.  I was feeling so confident in my exercise plan that I decided to increase my walking to 2 miles.  I replaced the 30 second jog and 30 second walk with my ipod.  Music is a much better motivator!  Anyway, I decided to just jog as long as I could and then walk about the same distance.  I noticed that I was able to jog a little bit further this week, about halfway down the street without passing out.

I am now on week 3 of my plan.  This week I decided to increase my distance further to 2 1/2 miles.  The first day I really noticed how I was able to do more jogging than walking down the street.  Today, I was able to jog down one side of my street without stopping!  As I was jogging down the street I decided not to listen to music this time and to concentrate more on my breathing.  During this time I also became aware of different spot checks.  When my breathing became more heavier, I started paying attention to what I was running past.  My goal was to get past these points until the end of the street.  Check point 1:  Run past the house with the sprinkler and through the sprinkler.  It did cool me off for a second.  Check point 2:  Run past the fire hydrant.  Thank goodness I didn't have to pee!  Check point 3:  Run past the house for sale with the sign, Gorgeous Inside!  That made me feel good!  At last I could see the end of the street, and I ran to it with all I could give it.  I was so proud!  I walked down the other side of the street and then completed this again 2 more times! 

As I finished my cool down walk I thought to myself, I think I just may be able to reach my goal one day.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Weight Loss Update

I see it's been a few weeks since I last blogged, but as I sit here at 11:00 at night I suddenly got in a writing mood.

Here's an update on my weight loss progress.  I set out a month ago to lose some weight this summer.  It's really not going as good as I had hoped.  Let me just say that when you turn 40 it really sucks that your body does not respond like it used to.  It's not because I haven't tried, but in the last month I have only lost 4 pounds!!!   I started out with the South Beach Diet plan and then the 17 day diet.  Last time I checked there were about 30 days in a month.  So it's been 30 days and all I've lost is 4 pounds?!  Those diets officially suck! 

I haven't given up though.  While I have always loved walking I have decided to start jogging as well.  I've never really been a fan of running, but I am desperate for something to help jump start my metabolism.  I am proud to say that it's been 2 weeks and I am still at it.  I started out at a mile and a half and have now added 2 miles of alternating walking with jogging.  Surprisingly, I am enjoying my new fitness goal which is to eventually jog 3 miles and enter a 5k event possibly next spring. 

A challenge I know I will face is when school starts back up in about a month.  I know it will be so easy to get back into that routine and slack off on the exercising, but I am determined to keep it up.  If there are any runners out there reading this feel free to send me some motivation every now and then.  I'll really appreciate it!

Monday, May 23, 2011

5th Grade Graduation

Today my youngest son completed 5th grade!  WhooHoo!!!  While many schools may not recognize a 5th grade graduation, my school district does.  I'm glad that we recognize this important time as it represents the half way point to high school graduation.  As I was waiting for the 5th grade classes to enter the room, I had the chance to briefly think back over the time we spent at this school and all the events that happened since 1st grade (good and bad).  It was quite emotional as I held back the tears.  I cannot believe how fast time seems to fly.  It seems like only yesterday we moved back from California to Louisiana and Caleb began first grade.

The elementary years have come to an end now, and a new adventure awaits Caleb next year as he begins middle school.  Middle school can be an unstable time, but it is also a period of growth and new changes.  As Caleb begins this new journey through middle school I'm taking a deep breath and preparing myself for the bumpy ride.  The next three years will be gone before I know it, so I plan to stomp through the tough times and soak up the good times.

Congratulations, Caleb!  Here's to middle school, but first let's enjoy our summertime!





Caleb

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Losing Weight

I've decided to buckle down and start losing some weight.  It's amazing how fast weight can creep up on you.  Days turns into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years, and the next thing you know you've gained 20+++ pounds. 

I've lost 5 pounds this week thanks to the South Beach Diet plan.  I've cut out all bread, pasta, sweets, and alcohol for the next 2 weeks.  Basically, I've stopped eating!  Well, it seems like it and salads have taken up most of what has been deleted.  I've replaced my diet cokes and occasional glass of wine with water and also added walking for 30 minutes a day.  The only exception I made to the plan was to splurge and eat "real" food at the end of the week and to start my weekend.  Although I did come off the diet for a second, I was very conscious of what I ate and how much I ate so I did not overdo it.

So, I'm ready to begin my second week of losing weight.  Stay tuned...

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Odd Insect Behavior

It's spring time in the south so that means quickly changing weather from nice to cold to hot and humid, and back again to cold.  We have also had sunny, unusual windy days, rain, and tornadoes all of which have occurred in the course of one month.

Yesterday, I witnessed the oddest behavior from some bees.  As I was leaving the parking lot at work a swarm of bees came from out of nowhere and flew off.  It was the strangest thing.  The bees were huddled together in thin air communicating with each other the way bees only do.  I backed my truck out of the parking space, glanced out the side window, and that's when I noticed them.  I could only stare at wonder and curiosity.  I had never seen anything like it before.  At first I wasn't really sure what I was looking at.  I questioned if it were bees or something else.  This all happened in a matter of seconds.  Then they lifted higher and proceeded to fly away together.  After finally coming out of my dazed state, I drove forward and noticed some of my coworkers in the same state I was just in.  I quickly rolled down my window to ask if they saw what I did.  They did, and we left as fast as we could.

I was still thinking about those bees when I arrived home.  Something just didn't seem right, and I couldn't figure it out.  I now think those bees were a warning sign of what was about to happen that evening. 

That evening the weather began to change.  It had been cloudy, warm, and humid all day.  The rain began and turned into quite a thunderstorm.  Now, this type weather is not at all unusual around here in the south so I went about my normal evening activities.  As I listened to the storm outside I could tell it was getting worse.  An aunt called as I was finishing dinner to ask if I had seen the news.  I told her no and asked why.  She suggested that I turn on the news because it looked like a tornado was about to touch down in my area. 

Naturally, I started panicking and when I turned on the TV I discovered just how bad the storm really was.  There were tornadoes touching down all around my area.  Luckily, the tornado my aunt had called to warn me about was not coming toward my house, but I did call a friend because it was around her area.  She and her family were waiting out the storm in their closet.

In the meanwhile, I continued to listen to the weather forcast while checking my facebook at the same time.  And, facebook was buzzing with activity during the storm.  Funny how one can find out what's happening and how everyone's doing just by checking facebook.  I sometimes think I get the important news firsthand from my friends instead of the TV.

After a few hours everything outside started calming down, and my family and friends were safe.  That was one crazy night, and I have learned to never question odd insect behavior again.  So, if you ever happen to see a swarm of bees doing unusual activity, be aware and take caution because something is up.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Road Trip

Drove from Louisiana to Arkansas.  Here is a recap of my trip on the way there.

First hour:
  •  Left home at 5:30 p.m.
  • Spent first 30 min. setting up GPS, getting gas, cash, and food for everyone at Sonic.
  •  Sang off key with hubby to Footloose playing on the radio.

Second hour:




  •  Chris gets a speeding ticket in Bradley, AR.
  •  Had contest with Chris and Caleb in who could hold an atomic fireball the   longest in their mouth.
  •  Made a prediction with Caleb as to what time we would get there. I said 8:30 pm. He said 8:20 pm. 
  •  First bathroom stop.

Third hour:




  • Visited Bill Clinton's 2nd childhood home in Hope, AR.
  • Played a math mind game which Caleb started and totally amazed me that he could guess the correct number I was thinking of.
  • Sang along to Queen.

Fourth hour:




  • Realized the GPS is taking us the long way.
  • Texting with Caleb on our cell phones when we had a signal.
  • Praying that we don't hit a deer on the long, desolate, dark, eerie highway.
  • Roll windows down because Caleb is passing gas.
  • Caleb asks, "When are we going to get there?"
  • Finally arrive at destination at 9:15 p.m.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Freedom of Speech

Today I have the need to speak on the topic of freedom of speech.  "The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the rights of freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference."  The second component of this amendment targets freedom of speech and allows individuals to express information, ideas, and opinions freely in the United States of America.

That being said how does one interpret this Amendment of the Constitution when dealing with social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace?  It appears that expressing one's thoughts and ideas in writing on a public networking site has a different set of rights.  Why is it deemed ok by society to speak one's mind to others orally, but when it comes to putting those thoughts into words then all of a sudden it's wrong? 

One example of where this has become a gray area and where words can get blown way out of proportion is the workplace.  I get that some things should never be discussed such as confidential information or comments made about one's boss or even coworkers.  But, what about expressing one's opinion toward specific situations if it doesn't involve hatred or threatening remarks?  Should an individual be forced to limit his freedom of speech if another individual disagrees or doesn't think a topic should be discussed?

I find it ironic that the purpose of social networking is to do some networking and get to know people, but then you add friends and are then limited to speaking your opinion for fear of offending them.  Unfortunately, I have no answer to the ever growing issue of when freedom of speech is no longer free to speak.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Professional Paperworker

It's auditing time for the special education department in my school system.  This is the time that new forms are added for us to do not at the beginning of the year, but the end of the year.  You would think that this time of year we would be wrapping things up with teaching.  Not in special ed.  You get to find out what paperwork should be done next, and it should be done ASAP! 

I think I'm going to add to my job description the following statement: Be able to fill out an enormous amount of forms for every single thing you do during the work day with a child.  If a form has not already been made for you then feel free to make up your own form! 

Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Life That Chose Me

It all began with my birth to my parents, David and Ann, in the summer of 1968.  I'm sure I must have enjoyed being an only child for a couple of years. Two years later though my sister arrived followed by my brother 4 years after that.  Now, we were a family of 5.


Dad, Mom, and Todd




Me and Susan
Growing up, I had a pretty easy childhood.  My sister and I got along for the most part, as well as any typical sisters do.  We had our share of sibling rivalry, but we also had moments of sisterly bonding.  My brother was born with Down Syndrome.  My mother explained to us when he was born that he was a special brother that God sent to us.  Although he couldn't do some of the things we could or that a typical brother does this never mattered to me, and I grew up accepting Todd as he was. 

I have always been told that we are put on this earth for a reason, and I believe my brother was born into my family with a special purpose for me.  Unknown to me at the time, I believe the experiences I had with my brother and what he taught me (consciously and unconsciously) helped prepare and shape my future.


Prom 1986



Fast forward to high school.  I first met my husband Chris when we were seniors in high school.  We met in coach Thompson's World History class, and his pick up line was, "Hey babe, when are we going out?"  I responded by rolling my eyes and saying, "Never."  You know the saying never say never?  Well, I have learned never to say never.  A few months later our senior class had its senior party.  It was here that I finally gave in and we ended up going on our first date.  We went on a few more dates, graduated, and then it fizzled out as we went our separate ways to different colleges.  I enrolled at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches majoring in Speech Pathology, and Chris went to Kilgore College in Texas to major in Radiology Technology (Think X-rays).  I'm not really sure why I chose speech pathology as my major.  The fact that my brother had communication issues may have drove me in that direction.


A year later my days at Northwestern came to an end.  Sadly, the speech pathology program was dropped from the college, so I returned home and enrolled at Lousiana State University-Shreveport in the same program under education.  Another year later guess who I met up with?  You guessed it.  Chris had graduated from Kilgore and had returned home. 


Me and Chris


Chris and I began dating again.  He found a job at the VA Hospital in Shreveport, and I completed college with a degree in speech pathology.  Here is where things began to change.  Chris and I were married in the spring of 1992.  My next plan was to earn my Master's degree in speech pathology.  I had expected to just enroll and begin classes, but due to a waiting list to get into the program at the time my plans abruptly changed.  While waiting to get into graduate school a friend, who was also waiting to get into the same graduate program, told me about her plans to teach special education.  I'm not sure what led me in this direction.  It could have been the fact that I just needed a job at that time, but I'm pretty sure this was God's plan for me.  Before I knew it, I'm back in school taking special education classes while teaching one at the same time.  In the meantime, Chris began learning how to do ultrasounds, and as a result this changed his career.


Nicholas


Three years later, Chris and I were blessed with a son.  My son, Nicholas, was born with Down Syndrome.  I remember the day he was born so clearly.  I think the first feeling I had was shock.  I had no idea and had not even thought about the possibility of having a child with Down Syndrome.  The first few days were filled with sadness and a grief period so to speak.  The grievance of not having a "normal" child and thoughts of what would come next.  This period of sadness soon went away.  I had the chance to reflect on what I knew about my brother who had Down Syndrome, and the opportunity to meet some tremendous parents in the same situation through the support group Up With Downs.  Nicholas is now 16 years old.  I would not trade him for the world.  I don't know why God chose to place Nicholas in my life.  Perhaps it was to show what unconditional love is.  Maybe it was to teach me patience.  Whatever the reason I just feel blessed and love him more each day.

Caleb


In 2000, Chris and I were blessed again with a second son.  Caleb was born and Nicholas now had a brother.  I knew Nicholas was going to be a challenge, but little did I know how much of a challenge my second child would be.  Caleb is the complete opposite of my easy going Nicholas.  From the moment Caleb came into the world he was a force to be reckoned with.  Full of energy and strong willed, he can test my patience daily.  Despite the challenges, I can also look at Caleb and see a passionate, sensitive, and smart child.  He brings to the family his own personality and is loved for who he is. 




At the same time I was busy having a family, I was also still teaching.  Instead of going back to school and finising my speech pathology degree I finished my education degree and earned a special education certification.  I have been teaching special education now for 19 years and in that time I have also received a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction and my Reading Specialist certification.  The challenges of teaching special needs children are many, but it is also rewarding and meaningful.  Being a special education teacher requires a lot of patience.  The fact that I have stayed in this profession for as long as I have tells me that I made the right decision. Each year brings new challenges with each class.  I work hard to try and give each of my students what they need and hope that I am making a difference in their lives.

As I reflect back on the last 40 years of my life, I am amazed at where it has taken me and where I have ended up.  All the experiences I have had in the past and present have made me into the person I am today.  From the family I was born into to the person I married and had children with, all have been a meaningful part of my life.  This is the life that chose me, and one I will always be thankful for.

Monday, April 4, 2011

GIVING UP COFFEE

It's been 27 days since Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and 27 days of no coffee for me.  Yes, this year I decided to give up coffee!  Now mind you, I'm not an avid coffee drinker in the sense that I drink it morning, noon, or night, but I do like to get my mornings started with a good cup of brew.  I also like the occasional stop to Starbucks.

So, I'm more than half way through Lent and doing good, but today was really hard.  I am just now coming off spring break which meant I had a whole week to sleep in, right?  Well sleep in until the kids woke up, which thankfully was 3 hours more than I normally get since I usually get up a 5a.m. 

Today, I'm back at work teaching, and it was so hard to not have that cup of coffee.  Not only did I lose my 3 extra hours of sleep, but Nicholas didn't want to sleep at all which means mom didn't sleep.  You don't know how bad I wanted to just give in and make that pot of coffee.  I even thought of stopping at my favorite coffee place, Starbucks of course, where it was already made for me, but I didn't.  I pushed it out of my mind and went to work without it.  I somehow made it through the day.

So, this is kind of a long story to get to the point, but I'll do that now.  I came home and eventually got to sit down and talk to my husband briefly about our day.  I mentioned the coffee thing and then he told me something that just left me stunned.  Did you know that the six Sundays in Lent are not counted?  I had no idea!  Now granted I did not grow up Catholic.  I became a Catholic while dating my husband and before we were married 19 years ago.  My husband on the other hand has been Catholic since birth. 

Anyway, I looked at him skeptical and asked why, but he didn't know why.  That was just something his mother had always told him.  Today, after my long, exhausted day at school I came home and started thinking about what I gave up for Lent and about Sundays not counting during Lent.  I decided to search the Internet to see if my husband was right.  Lo and behold, I discovered that it's true!  I learned that the six Sundays during Lent are not counted because each one represents a "mini Easter."  There are other religions that observe Lent too, and the forty days of Lent may be counted different.

So I learned something new today.  The only thing I can say is that I wish it wasn't Monday!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Spring Break 2011

My spring break is coming to an end which means it's back to school tomorrow.  I've enjoyed this week with my kids.  We have slept late, went swimming at an indoor waterpark, began challenger league with my oldest son, and did some spring cleaning.  It's been a good break!

My Favorite Memories of 2019

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