tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21594023697919024852024-02-19T11:27:26.712-05:00Lovin' Life with LeaLovin' Life with Lea is a blog by a 40-something woman who had weight loss surgery (gastric bypass surgery) and lost over half her starting body weight. It is full of support, recipes, and more!Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-33027388846084746852013-11-10T21:51:00.002-05:002013-11-10T21:51:20.453-05:00What's YOUR naughty habit?<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wow, about a year since my last post... Sorry! Bet most of you wrote me off as done! LOL</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A friend's post today pointed out that November is National Health Blog Post month... SO, an update seemed necessary! Life is WILD here... No real health issues for me, but many for the other half and the world's greatest grandson... School is crazy too--teaching 6th AND 7th grade, social studies AND language arts. Let me say that I've never taught language arts before and had no real intent to ever do so, so you can imagine that it has been challenging! AND, I have a 6th grade class of language arts AND a 7th grade class. Both use a different curriculum and I get zero time to plan with the other folks who teach it. NO fun! But, we're not here to listen to me whine!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I thought I'd ask those of you who still click over to see if I've come back to life whether you have any of those naughty little post-op habits--using straws, drinking soda/pop, taking NSAIDs, etc. You know--all those things that the doctors and other post-ops told you that you could never do again after Weight Loss Surgery?? My habits are drinking caffeine--lots of it in the form of about a gallon of unsweetened iced tea per day. And, to make it worse, I drink it through a straw--all of it! And, in the evening, I use it to wash down my Mobic (an NSAID) for the arthritis in my knees and the inflammation caused by the degeneration of the discs in my spine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As a result of my knee and back issues, I don't exercise much at all. I really want to, but simply can't get past the pain of the first few days to get into the habit. Last year, the paraprofessional who worked in my ESE classroom with me got me into the habit of walking each day after school. We stuck with it for a good while, but eventually had to stop for some reason and I never got back to it. I bought a TREK bicycle with the pedals farther forward to make it easier for me with the knee/back issues and rode it some, but not enough to really get in the habit. Anybody else ever managed to overcome this obstacle in a successful way?? Want to share what worked for you?</span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-16976840783870586422012-11-07T18:43:00.001-05:002012-11-07T18:43:07.269-05:003 months...almost!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some of you may be wondering how I am liking my new job... Well, I am here to tell you that I love it! Sure, there are days when you just want to crawl back into bed and not face the world, but I had those when I was not working at all! It has nothing to do with middle school or middle school kids! LOL I am really enjoying the atmosphere of middle school... The kids are still hormonal teens with attitudes, and they still give you grief. But, it is a much younger and still somewhat respectful grief... The attitude you see is just kids being kids, as opposed to the high school attitude that often stems from their incorrect belief that they are "an adult" despite the way they act and that teachers disrespect them merely by expecting them to work! LOL</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After teaching social studies for years, it is funny to find myself in a mostly MATH classroom every day! I always said I wasn't a math person, but I find it is not bad...not bad at all! If I posted this on Facebook, Joy from LHS would "like" it! The only bad part is trying to make these kids, who struggle daily with math that is far below their grade level, understand that they CAN do it if they patiently try and work to build their skills. So many of them are frustrated to a point of what seems like no return... There are times when you sit working one on one with a student in my room and when the bell rings to note that your time is up you just want to give them a hug and tell them to keep trying...it will be fine... I've got a couple who I know may never get it...may never pass that danged standardized test. But, they plod ahead day after day with the thought that maybe...just maybe, it will happen. Some of my kids try soooooo hard but seem to fall flat each time a new skill is introduced. It was great this week to see a couple of them get to new skills that, when explained better, were concepts that they "got" and could be successful at. It is awesome to see them smile and say "ohhhhhh, NOW I get it!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also on the school front, Matt is loving preK. He's come so far in this 3 months! His speech is better. He is progressing past the not-sharing, getting in arguments at school stage and becoming an easier going kid. After suffering for so long with the separation anxiety due to being taken from his parent (mommy OR daddy) every 8 weeks for years, his potty training is finally progressing to the point that he can wear undies most of the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Check out his first "school pic" below!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHire5Bx9gqWb-fgty7Rp4lNe3d8tZD0JirX_DCm0jtMA3oeoRz86CKHCEJqxxY5Ai_w0EoYItCXmLm8AKYnKc4agqfj-16gZj0xK40yY_yajeIcCT-k8TOnED1jDapgSXqE8toKdinw/s1600/Matt+VPK+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHire5Bx9gqWb-fgty7Rp4lNe3d8tZD0JirX_DCm0jtMA3oeoRz86CKHCEJqxxY5Ai_w0EoYItCXmLm8AKYnKc4agqfj-16gZj0xK40yY_yajeIcCT-k8TOnED1jDapgSXqE8toKdinw/s320/Matt+VPK+small.jpg" width="255" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> And the whole class shot!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhH5aKBNzxsikIr9Dw9RO3XKumpH5ncp-3DXMaYyVyEu3JTD8cTsZCqInGCcu78lXrfbfdA44yoUYNVejiEjvKbP8zqDSMqx_KQxFltkhXPe3KM9zp3nnSahJ-H4UkKK-e44nPMtYnMU/s1600/VPK+group+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhH5aKBNzxsikIr9Dw9RO3XKumpH5ncp-3DXMaYyVyEu3JTD8cTsZCqInGCcu78lXrfbfdA44yoUYNVejiEjvKbP8zqDSMqx_KQxFltkhXPe3KM9zp3nnSahJ-H4UkKK-e44nPMtYnMU/s320/VPK+group+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And, did I mention that I'm the new President for our local GFWC LaBelle Community Woman's Club??? </span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-65583721602256306742012-08-19T15:06:00.001-04:002012-08-19T15:06:30.763-04:00The start of a new stage of my life...<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
3 months again...how does that happen? LOL</div>
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What does that mean--starting a new stage of my life, you may wonder... Well, after more than 10 years of adult education and advocacy in special education, and 3 years teaching high school history, this year I am switching things up again! Last Monday, I began the "middle school" phase of my life again! And, it is at the same middle school I attended as a teen and the same middle school where I did my student teaching all those years ago....well, sort of--the same school but in a newer building at a new site all the way across town!</div>
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SO, what is this new middle school phase? After all those years in advocating for the rights of children with disabilities, I am now a full-time ESE (Exceptional Student Education) teacher for 7th and 8th grade here in LaBelle. That means that I am the "special ed" teacher for all of our LaBelle Middle School students who have a 504 or IEP (Individualized Education Plan)--whether in an ESE class or not. I am the one who helps keep up with/monitor their IEPs. I am the resource room teacher and the one who does the consults on the kiddos who don't spend any time in an ESE classroom, but have special needs. We had our first round of IEP meetings this week and everything went great! The Staffing Specialist for our side of the county (the ESE person from the Board of Education) is an old friend and teacher of mine. She was a science teacher when I was in Middle School. She was a CHADD member when I founded the first CHADD Chapter of my CHADD career (anybody remember the "duck tape" story?), and she's a great friend and parent of 2 pretty ADHD kiddos...well, young adults! We've worked together over the last 3 years while I was the "regular education" teacher for lots of children with special needs at the high school. Now, we'll be working together a bit more and with a new focus--for me at least!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On other fronts, I need to get my butt moving--literally... I spent too much time on the road and eating out this summer. I need to lose about 20 pounds to feel the way I used to feel... I know HOW to do it and I know I have the tools to do it. What I am lacking is motivation. Snugly fitting clothes is about to do it though! I refuse to buy new clothes instead of taking the weight off! The bike tires are pumped up...I just need to get them rolling!</span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-10840803669026212332012-05-19T20:15:00.003-04:002012-05-19T20:15:25.766-04:00Nothing new...just an update!And it hasn't even been 3 months! LOL I thought I'd take a minute to let you know that I am still here and kicking! No further medical issues other than going in for an iron infusion. My numbers were crappy again and we decided to head it off before it bottomed out... Thank you to my employer for providing me health insurance so that this is possible. <br />
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Our school year is winding down...last day for the kids is June 7th. Teachers work one more day and get out on June 8th. No big plans for a great vacation or anything, so not much to say there! I will be traveling to Peoria, IL for a few days to attend a program called "Congress in the Classroom." That should be fun! I'm currently participating in a National Writing Project workshop on Web 2.0 technologies that finishes up on June 18th with a presentation day for the summer institute portion of the National Writing Project at Florida Gulf Coast University. And, I may go to FSU for a week this summer for a 4-H Legislature workshop... That is a trip with some local 4-H members who will be the actual participants. And, there's the possibility of spending 2 or 3 weeks on the truck with hubby... We'll see what actually happens! <br />
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Note to potential home invaders--there's plenty of folks going to be home even when I'm gone! I just can't seem to get those grown children (and now grandchild) to move on and find their own place! Oh well....one day!! Maybe then we can afford that fancy vacation! LOL<br />
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And, the world's greatest grandchild will be home tomorrow after he spends the day at "Goofy's House" again... (Disney World!) So, things are looking better by the hour!Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-73077211342959115892012-03-13T15:00:00.003-04:002012-03-13T15:44:39.550-04:00WTF?<span style="font-family:verdana;">Just shy of the 3 month mark... UPDATE!<br /><br />On Saturday, Feb 25th, I was sitting in a movie theater with my hubby when I suddenly felt pressure in my abdomen. It wasn't bad--more like the feeling you get when you need to find a bathroom soon for a BM. But, after leaving the theater and finding a restroom, it rapidly got worse. It went from a bit of pressure to feeling like food poisoning in less than 5 minutes. We'd just come from lunch at hubby's favorite fish place before the movie. We both had the same thing, so I'm starting to think that hubby may be in the same situation soon...<br /><br />It rapidly went from bad to worse and I was hit with the worst pain of my life. I'm talking within 40 minutes I was having abdominal pain that trumped the pain of labor and delivery! After about 20 minutes in the restroom, I finally made it back to the theater and sat down next to hubby. He was getting anxious and would have come to find me if it weren't for all my crap I left in the seat next to him. He said he was about to walk out when I showed up... He asked me what took so long and I gave him a simple answer--I don't feel good. He asked immediately if I wanted to leave. I told him yes. He then asked if I wanted to go to the hospital and again I responded with a yes. Now he KNEW something really bad was wrong because I have a very high tolerance for pain and would never go to the hospital if it weren't serious. We were less than 5 miles from the hospital. He went to the parking lot and got the car and picked me up in front of the theater as I couldn't make it to the car. We went to the hospital and they took me back within 20 minutes, which NEVER happens at this hospital! After that, they left me in a room waiting, and waiting, and waiting and all the while the pain was intensifying. By the time I was writhing on the gurney and had tears rolling, all the while breathing like I was breathing through a contraction, hubby ran one of them down and told them that they HAD to give me something for pain. A few minutes later, they gave me a dose of Dilaudid which relieved most of the abdominal pain, but didn't touch the pain I had across my lower back.<br /><br />They then did a CT scan to see what there was to see. Because I've experienced sensitivity to iodine, they did it without contrast and could only see that I supposedly had some unexplained fluid in my abdomen. Next, they did an ultrasound to see how much fluid and checked my gall bladder and assorted female parts for potential clues. Nothing to be found there, so they told me they were admitting me for observation. At this point, it had been 2 hours since the Dilaudid, so I asked if it was possible to get something for the back pain. They got me up to a room before that happened. Once in the room, I asked again and they brought me something, but didn't tell me what it was--just put it in the IV port and left. Shortly, the back pain was finally letting up. I thought they'd given me more of the same drug and that all I'd needed was a larger dose in the first place.<br /><br />After all this strain and stress and combined with the narcotic pain meds, I was getting sleepy and it was getting late. Hubby had my daughter drive over with things I would need and then they both left about 9:30. I passed out with the next dose of pain meds. When they came to give it, they asked if I wanted the Dilaudid or the morphine again. Apparently the second dose was morphine and it worked so much better than the Dilaudid had, despite the fact that I was told it was much stronger than morphine. I stuck with the morphine and passed out for about 3 hours of much needed rest.<br /><br />They kept me on the morphine ever 4 or 5 hours for over 2 days. Over that time, they redid the CT scan with the contrast and yummy (ugh!) barium. Though he doesn't normally use this hospital, my bariatric surgeon showed up Sunday evening to see me. He said that the CT scan showed nothing out of the ordinary. The abdominal fluid was a very small amount and nothing to be concerned with--not the cause of my current issue. He checked my tummy and found that I do have a hernia deep below the belly button--again not the cause of this. He told me that their best guess on this was that I had a kink in my bowel. That was the cause of the great discomfort and the pain. Over the time I was in the hospital and on the morphine, it straightened out and the pain was decreasing, but not gone. This he said was due to the fact that this was a strain on the bowel and that LIKE ANY OTHER MUSCLE, when strained, it bruises and will take time to heal. Bowels as muscles...never thought of it that way! He went ahead and ordered a full round of bariatric labs ("since you're here anyway...") and told me he'd see me in the AM.<br /><br />SO, the outcome--it happened, we don't know 100% why and it could happen again. Their instructions? Don't eat any meals that are too large as it could cause the bowel to strain again... Uh, hello! I had an RNY and don't eat large meals. I don't normally eat till I feel full! I hadn't eaten till full the day this all happened! I don't really know what happened. I don't really know what caused it. I don't really know how to keep it from happening again..... Double UGH!<br /><br />I can honestly say though that this is the very first time I've had any sort of issue since my RNY in August 2006. I was in the hospital from Saturday evening till Monday afternoon. Thank the school district for United Healthcare! As a teacher, my health insurance doesn't cost me anything, and it sure saved me on this one financially. Preliminary billings show a bill of more than $15,000 so far. I will have to pay my deductible of $1000 and they'll take care of most of the rest.<br /><br />Long story short--sudden extreme pain led to a hospital stay of 2 1/2 days and no real answer/explanation.<br /><br />Other than this incident, life is good. We've had the world's greatest grandbaby home since Jan 28th. He's a handful, but so much joy. He's growing like the proverbial weed... He's currently quite obsessed with the WWE--particularly John Cena, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, and Sheamus. He finally learned how to ride a bike with coaster brakes. His first bike had pedals that would pedal frontwards and backwards alike. Now, we get a bike that only goes forward...what's up with that? LOL<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU97xkSX99UnVpLP6tdSLzEuHG94IebfbP_wh0NR_B9CdMe6RRJklF1gcv3pnQbpQKVr8CTRaP8ja9bLQCbhHLunu7mHkt969sKadZZEdpMELrKprAhOtzk5ZDXb78lMglb6uDtkzhQa0/s1600/2wheels.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 368px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU97xkSX99UnVpLP6tdSLzEuHG94IebfbP_wh0NR_B9CdMe6RRJklF1gcv3pnQbpQKVr8CTRaP8ja9bLQCbhHLunu7mHkt969sKadZZEdpMELrKprAhOtzk5ZDXb78lMglb6uDtkzhQa0/s320/2wheels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719467749103233282" border="0" /></a>We only have him till March 24th... Then he goes back to WV for 8 weeks again. The BEST part though is that he comes home on May 19th and won't have to go back to WV till Christmas! He would go back on July 14th, but school will start in August and he is to start school in a pre-K program this year. According to the divorce decree, once he starts pre-K at age 4, he is home all year. His father only gets him for a week of his Christmas break, a week of his spring break, and 8 weeks in the summer. We want him to know his father...don't get me wrong. It is just that all this back and forth every 8 weeks is a huge mental strain. He will be 4 in July and is still in pull-ups as they don't work on potty training while he's there. We get him almost trained and it is time for him to go back to WV. He comes back totally back where we started... His speech is still not where it should be. I want to cry sometimes when I am out in public and hear some kid talking to his mom or dad and their speech is SO clear. When I ask how old they are, I get answers like 2 1/2... Matt's speech starts to be clearer and more developed each time he's home. Then, while he's at his father's home, he regresses. I honestly don't think they TALK to him there! Oh how I hate this cruel situation he's been put in. He's so smart. He deserves better. Now, he'll finally get a chance to live a normal life. Granted it is the normal-for-a-child-of-divorce life, but he'll finally be fully potty trained. His speech will grow in leaps and bounds. He'll be in pre-K and socializing with others his age, not just adults. <br /><br />BTW, thanks to Randy for nagging me to post!<br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-50379079593481298882011-12-30T17:22:00.002-05:002011-12-30T17:26:20.105-05:00Nothing since MAY!Wow, I feel bad! I have been crazy busy this last 7 or 8 months! Work is, well, work. I love teaching and it is what I want to do for the rest of my "work" life. I've been teaching only world history this year and if you are a teacher, you know how great it is to be able to focus your planning time this way! <br /><br />My Mom passed away at the end of July and started another crazy ride in my life. Between working towards settling the estate and refurbing the house I grew up in so that my family could move into it, the last 3 or 4 months have been a struggle. Just when you think you've got something fixed and finished, something else pops up to drive you insane! Don't even ASK about the hot water heater! LOL<br /><br />I wanted to pop in and say hi and let you all know I'm not dead! And, I'm going to repost an old favorite recipe as it's what's for dinner tonight! The recipe is Frank's Buffalo Chicken Dip and I hope you all like it!<br /><br />This one is actually a repost of a repost... I am making it tonight, so when I thought about it, I thought I'd reshare it for anyone who may have missed it! This is an awesome bake and take dish for covered dish stuff--especially with WLS postops! Tasty and full of protein! I double the recipe, but I only use about 2/3 cup of the buffalo wing sauce as no one here really likes too much spice! I've made it with the canned chicken AND with freshly cooked chicken breast that I shredded myself. Either way, it is delicious, nutritious, and a hit with any group--family or potluck!<br /><br /><br />FRANK'S® REDHOT® BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP<br />Servings: 3 1/2 cups dip | Prep Time: 5 min. | Cook Time: 20 min.<br /><br />INGREDIENTS:<br />8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened<br />1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing<br />1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce<br />1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese<br />2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast<br />in Water, drained<br /><br />DIRECTIONS:<br /><br />1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.<br />2.MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.<br />3.BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.<br /><br />Tips:<br />1.Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.<br />2.Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken.<br />3.Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir.<br />4.Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-60508790110154982512011-05-20T19:40:00.003-04:002011-05-20T20:21:52.323-04:00Nag, nag, nag... LOL<span style="font-family: verdana;">Do I know how long it's been since I posted??? Yeah, I do! A friend from WV (hey Randy! hey Alice!) emailed that he and his wife have been watching here for some sort of update... It is great to know that folks still think about me from time to time! But, life has been too crazy to get here very much. It will be 3 months since I posted on May 21st! SO, I guess it is time?? LOL<br /><br />I'm still teaching high school social studies. As you may recall, I got handed a class of Advanced Placement (AP) world history students this year--literally the week before school started. This meant that I got NO time to prepare for teaching this college level class and I had to start doing it without even the time to read and get a chapter or two ahead of the kids. It is a challenging course to teach under any circumstances. THESE circumstances made it more so. I have spent every week from August 16th till last week running just a few days ahead of the kids. There is so much to read and learn as you go through the course for the first time. And, there are no answers to anything to help you be sure you've come to the "right" conclusion yourself! I've found many valuable resources as the year has gone past. The largest of those has been a group of other AP world history teachers who offer support and resources via an online listserv. I can't tell you how much of my sanity those folks have saved this year! And, it will continue as I've been informed that I'll have 2 classes of AP world history next school year. I've got 51 students registered now, so that will be classes of 20 to 30 students each. That is a WHOLE lot of essays to score each week! <br /><br />In addition to learning how to teach the course, the course itself is a race from the first day of school to the world history AP exam in May. You have only so many weeks to get them through 10,000 years of history and then review it all in the short time between finishing the covering of the material and the exam date. We had 2 weeks left for review. We'd originally planned about 3 1/2, so we lost over a week due to various things. <br /><br />All in all, I think the year has gone well. My evaluation by my principal was awesome and I am looking forward to doing it all again next year. The good part, though, is that I will be attending a College Board sponsored AP world history workshop for a week this summer. The workshop is conducted by one of the well-known names in the AP world history game--Bill Strickland. He's been a wonderful fount of resources this year and I look forward to this face to face chance to learn more. Even better, the workshop is 2 hours from home in the lovely St. Petersburg, FL area and the funds were available to cover a hotel room, so it is like a mini-vacation with the workshop!<br /><br />BTW, we won't find out how the kids did on their exam till July some time...UGH!<br /><br />The AP world history that I taught was in addition to various other social studies classes--American history, regular world history, and American government. I also taught a whole trimester of reading back at the beginning of the year. Next year is supposed to be (fingers crossed) the two sections of AP world history and 2 sections of regular world history, which will run sort of parallel to the AP world history if I work it right... Plans are underway!<br /><br />Life... Well, it has been crazy as I said! I'll celebrate 5 years since surgery on August 29th and I must report that my weight is up as a result of not taking enough time to take care of me... I did have my annual labs done in April and those were good. My iron is holding in the low range, not slipping lower. I'm sitting uncomfortably in the 240s these days. That is a gain of about 35 to 40 pounds over the past 2 years. I maintained between 205 and 210 for a very long time--like a year and a half. Then, the pounds started slowly creeping on about the time I started teaching full-time. I know that part of the problem is that I am not eating protein snacks like I did when I was home all the time. And, I can't blame anyone but myself. I haven't taken time to exercise. I haven't addressed the food choices and schedule. I do an okay job when I am at home, but the carbs have sure creeped back into my diet. And days when I forget to bring lunch to school means eating the school lunches. I swear those kids probably have feathers sprouting in their armpits from all the chicken they eat, but it is always breaded... Ugh! And, the school lunches are always carb-laden... One that they do regularly is terryaki chicken (which isn't too bad), but they serve it over white rice with a roll on the side and it is accompanied by either broccoli OR black beans AND a syruppy fruit cup. I hate paying $4 for some chicken and some broccoli or beans! I can tell them to keep the rice and the roll, but if I am hungry, I don't always do it. If the roll is whole wheat, I choose that. Otherwise, I eat some rice... <br /><br />Good choices? No, not so much! I still keep sliced cheddar cheese in my mini-fridge. I still keep pepperoni slices in there, but it isn't the turkey pepperoni because it isn't available in a store brand here like it was in WV where we had the Kroger brand... I still keep my iced tea unsweetened and add Splenda. I don't drink ANY water...just the tea and I know that this can be a factor for weight loss/maintenance. I've gotten back to keeping protein bars in my desk again--just the Atkins Advantage chocolate peanut butter ones, but they're affordable and better than some out there. If I get hungry mid-morning OR if I fail to get breakfast before school, I can grab one of those towards the end of my second class and get me through to lunch. <br /><br />What can I do about this weight gain? What do I plan to do? Well, school gets out on June 9th and teachers' last day of work is June 10th. Then, I have 10 weeks to figure it out! <br />Step 1--cut the carbs! I'm working on it, but every time I have a really good day, I cave in at night to the salty cravings... <br />Step 2--get back to exercising. Hubby's been home lately and I've got him talked into getting back to walking in the evenings... He was up to almost 2 miles per day at the time he was 3 months postop from his quadruple bypass. Then, once he was back to work full-time, he all but stopped walking any further than from the tractor-trailer into the truck stop and back again... He feels like crap and he's gained the 30 pounds that he lost right back again. SO, he's getting on the bandwagon with me when he's home. I got a new bike back before Christmas and haven't put 15 miles on it I bet... That is going to change! Between walking in the evenings and some afternoon bike rides, I hope to see that scale start to dive again.<br />Step 3--Planning a protein snack regimen for next school year...and finding some stuff I like to keep it going. I also need to get back to eating more salads... I like salads. I missed them SO much during that first 6 months postop! I'm going to get those back into my diet again and keep them there.<br />Step 4--More of the same! Getting the stuff back in place is one thing--keeping it there is another. I know that I learned all this stuff during my weight loss. I kept the weight off for a long time by just staying on track. I wasn't dieting. I wasn't going out of my way to not eat anything, but I was EXERCISING and I was getting the protein in...everyday, no matter what... Before my surgery, I was clueless how to lose the weight and keep it off. I can't say that anymore. I know what I have to do. I know how to do it. I CAN DO IT! I will do it...<br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-67104644473301575972011-02-21T17:22:00.002-05:002011-02-21T18:08:51.653-05:00Cha Cha Cha Cha CHANGES!!<span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, for the changes I made to my tortellini soup recipe tonight....<br /><br />Instead of ground beef, I used turkey meatballs cut into four pieces.<br />I added a can of black beans (drained).<br />I used stewed tomatoes instead of just plain diced tomatoes.<br /><br />And, as I'm back in LaBelle, I added a dash of Everglades Seasoning!<br /><br />It is done and it is AWESOME! Pic on my Facebook page!<br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-13883545526946132472011-02-21T13:21:00.002-05:002011-02-21T13:23:55.987-05:00Tortellini Soup....It's what's for dinner!<span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a repost from a recipe I shared a long time ago... I bought some 3 cheese tortellini the other day to make it again. I actually haven't made it since the time I posted it!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I tried a friend's Tortellini Soup at a gathering for work. It was yummy, but it was intended to be eaten as part of a meal and not the whole meal as it didn't have a lot of protein to it. SO, I played with it a bit and love it!</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Here's what I actually did...</span><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">TORTELLINI SOUP</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Ingredients:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 1 pound ground beef, browned</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 3 garlic cloves, minced</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 1 small yellow onion, chopped</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 1 stick butter</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 3 cans broth (vegetable and beef were what I had on hand)</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 1 can kidney beans</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 1 large can (or two small) diced tomatoes with juice</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 16 oz bag frozen spinach</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> about 7 or 8 ozs of DRIED three cheese tortellini</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> grated parmesan cheese (no romano here, but that is what the orig recipe </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> called for!)</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Cook onion and garlic in butter </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> for a couple minutes or till the onion is softened. Pour in broth and </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> canned tomatoes (don't drain tomatoes). Pour in kidney beans (don't </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> drain those either). Stir in ground beef. Bring to boil. Add frozen, </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> chopped spinach and return to boil. Then, turn heat down and cook for 20 </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> minutes. Add dry tortellini and cook till they are as done as you like. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Grate in fresh parmesan cheese to taste. Serve with another grate of </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> cheese across the top!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nutrition info per 1 cup serving:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Calories--225</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Fat--10 grams (3.6 saturated, 0 trans)</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cholesterol-</span>-44<br /><p style="font-family: verdana;"> Sodium--600<br />Carbs--13.3 grams (2.5 fiber and 1.5 sugars)<br />Protein--17 grams<br /><br />It is yummy!! Can't wait for dinner! Going to serve it with some warm<br />garlic bread...<br />Lea</p>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-82634599026265459542011-02-21T12:50:00.003-05:002011-02-21T13:21:29.488-05:003 mos again!Recently, a dear WV friend pointed out to me (by email...) that I hadn't been posting to my blog. Well, all I can say is that life has intervened yet again. My last post was titled, "Has it really been almost 3 mos?" Well, that was in December and here we are almost to March! SO, I guess the same question applies.<br /><br />Lots of stuff can happen in 3 months time! My weight is up--20 pounds or so more than I want it to be. My comfort zone is in the 205 to 215 range. Moment of truth--the number is more than 235 right now and it is entirely my fault. All those things we learn in the first couple of years postop would do me a world of good right now. Cutting back on the carbs, getting back to high protein, and doing some exercise on a daily basis would help me get right back to where I want to be. My clothes are fitting poorly, so I don't have a choice now. I refuse to buy a new set of clothing in a larger size range! Just NOT going to do it! SO, I got a new bike for my anniversary. I need to actually start riding it though. I live in a rural neighborhood, so no excuse for not walking. The carbs part...not quite so easy to break, but the exercise would certainly help with that too. I did stop by Vitamin Shoppe and stock up on protein bars the other day. I just need to purge the bread from my diet again.... It is awful to know exactly what to do to turn the situation around and to still struggle to find the motivation to DO it!<br /><br />My grandbaby gets to come home next Saturday! Woohoo!! And, I got him a new bike too, so I'll have the baby wanting to ride as a motivator if nothing else works! He will be SO excited to see that bike! He's only had baby bikes till now and this is definitely a big boy bike!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKq54xNvb_APzAkEReZKleqiyzaNurcHEog98KRPsJUi4OjnqbWn5Ij2CiXO8Kk02CDWtbEwUq1G1BMVzn8GqO0fp44D6XSQNWEdMgFSy19ZjVICJp3GhaNljbGTU_GTaVP1h6we06yc/s1600/BigBoyBike.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKq54xNvb_APzAkEReZKleqiyzaNurcHEog98KRPsJUi4OjnqbWn5Ij2CiXO8Kk02CDWtbEwUq1G1BMVzn8GqO0fp44D6XSQNWEdMgFSy19ZjVICJp3GhaNljbGTU_GTaVP1h6we06yc/s320/BigBoyBike.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576207742546560290" border="0" /></a>Hubby is working 3 weeks at a time lately, so he's only home for 3 or 4 days every 2 1/2 to 3 weeks...bummer! And, he spends the first couple of days at home just resting and taking care of honey-dos! This means that more of what needs done around here falls to me. I am also still working full time as a teacher. I have 3 different classes to teach, which means lesson planning for 3 completely different courses. I was told this week that I may get to teach all AP World History next year. That would absolutely rock! 4 sections of the exact same class ALL YEAR LONG! Only one course to prep for is totally awesome, though only a teacher can appreciate it fully... And, AP world history is new to me this year, but I am starting to get in the groove with it and would absolutely love being able to devote all my time to this one course and being able to better develop my ability to teach this one class as opposed to trying to split my time amongst the 3 classes like I'm currently doing. If I want to read something to learn more, I have 3 classes competing for my time...which is most important? What can I read to help me in all 3? This makes it hard to choose!<br /><br />Mandy is still working, but not going to school. How do you convince someone who graduates with a 3.8 cumulative GPA that they should go to college? We "made" her go for a semester after graduation and she totally blew it off, got all Fs and now has a 0.75 GPA. She had a previous college class as a dual enrollment student, so isn't a total 0.0 GPA. BUT, now she has money to payback in order to retain her scholarship AND she has to go a full semester without Pell grant before she can get it back too. That means paying back about $1200 for the classes she flunked and then managing to go without the help of Pell the first semester back. She gives no sign of any interest in going back yet... UGH! She turned 19 this month and gives NO help at home. We're basically like someplace she rooms for free. She pays no rent, does no chores, helps in no way whatsoever, and we're supposed to provide her a vehicle to run around in as well. NOT!<br /><br />Eliza will turn 22 next month... She's still taking classes and she is starting to grow up, finally, we think. She's more respectful of what we do for her and for the baby. She is more helpful around home and when a vehicle needs maintenance or repair. She is doing better with helping her grandmother when she needs errands run or just someone to visit with her or ride to a doctor's appointment with her. She's just plain more adult than she's ever been. AND, to top it all off, she and her ex-husband are finally on speaking terms and can have a somewhat adult conversation without him just hanging up on her.... He's got another child already--born in January. Matthew got a little brother in January. Will this make things better? No, probably worse. But, perhaps--with this new focus--things will smooth out a bit on that end of this struggle and we'll get more cooperation. Matthew is supposed to start a 3 year old pre-K in August, but we are waiting to see what his Dad has to say about it...<br /><br />That is pretty much the state of things here now... I'm going to post a recipe that is actually a repost from at least 2 years ago. This is what we're having for dinner!<br />Hugs till next time!<br />LeaLea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-47657728460864220262010-12-04T12:05:00.003-05:002010-12-04T15:56:26.735-05:00Has it really been almost 3 mos?Wow, Sept 19 was my last post.... Really? I can tell you the time has flown! SO many things have happened in that time! In August, I went back to work, but changed subject areas... I am a social studies teacher. That is where my heart lies. BUT, our school district went though some budget cuts and my social studies position was gone. So, as of June 9th, as I posted before, I was unemployed. I did find a new position, at the same school---my own high school, class of 1985--but it was in Reading and ESE. I was also given a class of AP World History, so not totally out of social studies, but it was only 1/4th of my day. AND, it was a brand new class for me too as I've taught world history, but not at a college level like AP (advanced placement for those wondering--an honors course that can qualify a high school student for college credit if they pass the AP exam at the course end).<br /><br />Then, in late October, I was called to the principal's office! I was a good kid, so this was new! LOL Anyway, she told me that one of our social studies teachers was leaving to go back to teaching at the elementary level. And, as I'd helped her out quite a bit this past year, she said she felt like she owed it to me to offer the position to me before she posted it. Wow! THANKS! I was so excited to get the chance to go back to social studies! She still posted a position, but it was my reading/ESE position, not the social studies slot. SO, I finished up the trimester in reading and went full-time social studies again as of the start of the new trimester--Nov 17th. I am teaching American History (2 classes), World History (non-AP, 1 class) and still have my AP World History kids as well. BUT, this also meant changing classrooms--AGAIN! I had to move all the way across campus for the reading position as teachers are clustered together--reading in one area, language arts in another, math another, etc. Reading and social studies are about as far apart as any two subjects can be. This position change meant moving all that way back to the social studies wing...again! This added flavor to the month of November!<br /><br />Also in November, I attended the CHADD National Conference in Atlanta and got to hook up with old friends who live all over the country--Pam from Washington state, Belynda from Louisiana, Loretta from North Carolina, Linda from Michigan, Marie from Pennsylvania, Karran from Louisiana, Fran from Michigan, Lew from California, Melanie from Utah--YOU get the picture! We're all CHADD volunteers and we only get to see each other when we make it to conference! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLWnuyVZFPcOYJUt4ZfGU3LXDTSrYnB6I9ULJQDZIEsK-jsAorgOItTZBMAkCBCBZefGpoG3HKV8CyzUr1eRNJ-EwYcWrUe7OKPXANcdzQWLx8h17W3soYrtCM5gG54OPRABja4ZTkc8/s1600/Matt_Morgan.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLWnuyVZFPcOYJUt4ZfGU3LXDTSrYnB6I9ULJQDZIEsK-jsAorgOItTZBMAkCBCBZefGpoG3HKV8CyzUr1eRNJ-EwYcWrUe7OKPXANcdzQWLx8h17W3soYrtCM5gG54OPRABja4ZTkc8/s320/Matt_Morgan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546906000106449410" border="0" /></a><br />I also met pro-wrestler Matt "the blueprint" Morgan at conference. He spoke about his own childhood as a child (and now adult) with AD/HD. It was very moving for all who were there and he drove the cameraman NUTS as he walked back and forth on stage! It is great to see these big, strong, successful guys admit that they, too, suffer with the same things as everyone else.<br /><br />Matthew (aka world's greatest grandbaby) has been home since Nov 6th. He has to go back to WV on New Year's Day--not the greatest time to be traveling... Next court date in the custody battle is Dec 16th. Fingers crossed and prayers going up for a positive outcome there. He has grown SO much! He went right past 24 mos size clothes and straight into 2T and 3T stuff... He's tall and slender, so often ends up with what we call a "cheerleader roll" to the waistband of his bottoms as they aren't long enough if you buy the size that fits him around his tummy! LOL<br /><br />Life in AP world history land is stressful at times. These are 10th graders (15 or 16 years of age) and they are not really ready for the rigors of a college-level class, but they selected this option and are now having to give it their all to stay caught up. Grades are lower than they'd be in a non-AP class and they have to live with that too. Those grades are weighted though, so a C is a B when you figure GPA and a B is an A... It all comes out in the wash for the diligent students. The rest know where they let it slide and have only themselves to blame.<br /><br />Christmas is just 21 more days away! I'm making fudge today and may get some baking in tomorrow. I've entered a cake contest next week at school and will be making my turtle cheesecake.... Judging is a week from Monday!Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-6115285442987889852010-09-19T15:24:00.003-04:002010-09-19T15:31:54.914-04:00A post WLS first for me....actually, first time in over 25 years!<span style="font-family: verdana;">So, yesterday was a teacher open house day at <a href="http://buschgardens.com/Bgt/">Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL</a>. Teachers who signed up in advance were given free admission to the park for the teacher and one guess, plus free parking (which is $12 normally, by the way). Even as a resident of Florida, admission to <a href="http://buschgardens.com/Bgt/">BG</a> is still $69! SO, this day was hard to pass up... Hubby and I went and took our oldest with us. She posted to her Facebook that she was having fun with her "parental units!" It is good when your 21 year old child still finds you fun--even if only for brief stints!<br /><br />I checked in at each of the teacher stations, heard their spiels about the field trip programs they offer for students of different ages, got my sheet stamped... You know the drill! Then, the three of us had the rest of the afternoon to do whatever we wanted in the park. We saw sooooo many different kinds of animals! And, to culminate the events of the day, my daughter and I rode <a href="http://buschgardens.com/Bgt/Explore/Rides.aspx?id=594">KUMBA</a>! This is a huge, fast, wild roller coaster. It was the first time I'd been on a roller coaster since the summer of 1984! I tell you, it is amazing the things you will do when you weigh 200 pounds that you won't dare try at 400 pounds! <br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-56377061496720542862010-09-04T14:49:00.004-04:002010-09-04T14:55:49.387-04:00The Perfect Boiled Egg...A fellow postop shared the following egg boiling info on the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-lowcarblifestyle">Graduate-Low-Carb-Lifestyle group</a> over at Yahoo. I'm no Martha Stewart either, but this is how I have boiled eggs for years and it DOES work and works well. There are so many people who say that they can't boil eggs that I thought I'd post this for the masses!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodegg.com/boiledegg.html">http://www.goodegg.com/boiledegg.html </a><br />Extremely fresh eggs will not peel easily. In fact, an egg that is just a day or two old is almost impossible to peel. As eggs age, the shells will peel more easily. It is advisable that eggs used for hard cooking (including Easter Eggs) be at least 2 weeks old before cooking for easiest peeling. Hard cooked eggs that are cooked slowly over low heat (and not `boiled') will be more difficult to peel.<br /><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/boil-a-perfect-egg"><br />http://www.marthastewart.com/article/boil-a-perfect-egg</a><br />Despite its name, a boiled egg shouldn't be boiled (which will yield rubbery results) but rather immediately removed from the heat once the cooking water comes to a boil. Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to accommodate them in a single layer. Fill pan with cold water, covering eggs by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 90 seconds to 2 minutes for soft-boiled eggs, 1 minute 45 seconds to 2 minutes 15 seconds for medium-boiled, and 11 to 12 minutes for hard-boiled. Once the hard-boiled egg is cooked, transfer it to a bowl of ice water (this will prevent discoloration and facilitate peeling); let stand 2 minutes, then crack by gently pressing egg against a hard surface. Peel under cold, running water.<br /><br />Read more at <a href="http://marthastewart.com/">Marthastewart.com</a>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-59376294279401824702010-08-01T15:10:00.000-04:002010-08-01T15:13:42.906-04:00THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BUT PROBABLY DON'T<span style="font-family: verdana;">THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BUT PROBABLY DON'T </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 1. Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp (marijuana) paper. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 3. The dot over the letter 'i' is called a 'tittle.' </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 5. Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller .. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 6. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 7. 315 entries in Webster 's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 8. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 9. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 10. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 11. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small-sized dog. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 12. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 13. Most lipstick contains fish scales (eeww). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 14. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 15. Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as medicine. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 16. Upper- and lower-case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the Upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters. </span><br /><div style="font-family: verdana;"><p class="MsoNormal"> 17. Leonardo Da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time, hence multi-tasking was invented.<br /><br /> 18. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.<br /><br /> 19. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.<br /><br /> 20. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before! <br /><br /> 21. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver.<br /><br /> 22. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa 's lips.<br /><br /> 23. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death<br /><br /> 24. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original 'Halloween' was a Captain Kirk's mask painted white..<br /><br /> 25. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar (good to know.)<br /><br /> 26. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless).<br /><br /> 27. The phrase 'rule of thumb' is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.<br /><br /> 28. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.<br /><br /> 29. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples.<br /><br /> 30. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!<br /><br /> 31. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.<br /><br /> 32. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.<br /><br /> 33. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it.<br /><br /> 34. George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart, "Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O. J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the ONE woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and they haul her off to jail."<br /></p></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-58541168734416318802010-07-23T19:38:00.001-04:002010-07-23T19:42:26.585-04:00Are you getting the right LABS done??<span style="font-family: verdana;">Lots of people get labs done after WLS. Do they get the RIGHT labs done though? Some yes, but most NO. </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/vitalady/">Vitalady Michelle</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> created a thorough list of post-op labs that any WLS postop should take to their doc (whether their PCP or their WLS surgeon) and request that they be run AT LEAST every 6 mos. If you have insurance that will cover it, go for every 3 mos. Do not go more than a year without a complete set of labs though! I'm borrowing the list via copy/paste, but this is the list that </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://vitalady.com/">Vitalady</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/aullberg/">Andrea</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> both share regularly with fellow postops:</span><br /><br /><p style="font-family: verdana;">*80053 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Comprehensive Metabolic profile:</span> (sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose,BUN, creatinine, calcium, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase) (10231)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84134 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pre-albumin:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 7600 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lipid profile:</span> (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, chol/HDL ratio)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 10256 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hep panel:</span> includes ALT (SPGT) & GGT)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84100 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Phosphorous – Inorganic:</span> (718)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 83735 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Magnesium:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84550 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Uric Acid:</span> (905)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 7444 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thyroid panel:</span> (T3U, T4, FTI, TSH) (84437; 84443; 84479; 84480)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 85025 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hemogram with platelets:</span> (1759)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 7573 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iron:</span> TIBC, % sat</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 83550 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ferritin:</span> (457)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84630 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Zinc:</span> (945)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84446 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin A:</span> (921)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 82306 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin D:</span> (25-hydroxy) (680)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84052 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin B-1:</span> (Thiamin) (4052)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84207 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin B-6:</span> (Pyridoxine)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 7065 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin B-12 & Folate:</span> (82607; 82746)</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 83970 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serum intact:</span> PTH</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 83937 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Osteocalcin:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84597 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin K:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 85610 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">PT:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 85730 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">PTT:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></strong></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2<sup>ND</sup> GROUP</span></strong></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 593 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">LDH:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 31789 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Homocysteine, Cardio:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 83921 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">MMA:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 367 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cortisol:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84255 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Selenium:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 84590 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vitamin E:</span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* 82525 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Copper:</span></p>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-55330026557004521412010-07-23T17:52:00.004-04:002010-07-23T18:23:38.994-04:00Recipe: Frank's Buffalo Chicken Dip (sort of a casserole...)This one is actually a repost... I am making it tonight, so when I thought about it, I thought I'd reshare it for anyone who may have missed it! This is an awesome bake and take dish for covered dish stuff--especially with WLS postops! Tasty and full of protein! I double the recipe, but I only use about 2/3 cup of the buffalo wing sauce as no one here really likes too much spice! I've made it with the canned chicken AND with freshly cooked chicken breast that I shredded myself. Either way, it is delicious, nutritious, and a hit with any group--family or potluck!<br /><br /><br />FRANK'S® REDHOT® BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP<br />Servings: 3 1/2 cups dip | Prep Time: 5 min. | Cook Time: 20 min. <br /><br />INGREDIENTS:<br />8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened<br />1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing<br />1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce<br />1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese<br />2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast<br />in Water, drained<br /><br />DIRECTIONS:<br /><br />1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.<br />2.MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.<br />3.BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.<br /><br />Tips:<br />1.Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.<br />2.Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken.<br />3.Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir.<br />4.Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-70709573078982119192010-07-21T16:54:00.005-04:002010-07-21T17:20:17.461-04:00Even Jillian Was Fat As A Teen....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jillianmichaels.com/images/publicsite/img-jillian-hp-main-rot1-1.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 500px;" src="http://www.jillianmichaels.com/images/publicsite/img-jillian-hp-main-rot1-1.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98XORK4SV2YMO1AHSG67hBajTLWSJFS2Pj_MYzdUwWkFWWriV9zMAepIstqu1PKqOquNvGB1eXlV_28oA7ehNCkYoX9_-nO1iW4t_U1qsm4fpjkWiAuV6DkOEpv9GGKvbmhg521LeOis/s1600/jillian.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98XORK4SV2YMO1AHSG67hBajTLWSJFS2Pj_MYzdUwWkFWWriV9zMAepIstqu1PKqOquNvGB1eXlV_28oA7ehNCkYoX9_-nO1iW4t_U1qsm4fpjkWiAuV6DkOEpv9GGKvbmhg521LeOis/s320/jillian.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496466096396546274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Most WLS postops can tell you a tale of woe that goes way back to their early childhood. I know I can. And, if I had them handy, I could scan pics that go back to my childhood and show you proof. I have them, but they are packed away at the current moment (project for the future!). I was a fat kid. I was a fat teen. I was a fat adult. It all lead me to become super-morbidly obese and 410 pounds! Well, in a Redbook article, well-known fitness guru and hotbod Jillian Michaels<br /><br />reveals just the same story! At age 14, she carried 175 pounds around on her five foot two inch frame... Who'd have thunk it to look at her now! And, she lost the weight before the skin got all stretched beyond return. Good for her!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.redbookmag.com/fun-contests/celebrity/jillian-michaels-interview">She tells Redbook</a> that her mom noticed that she'd gained weight (she was 50 pounds overweight) and enrolled her in martial arts classes. If only it were that simple for some of us! If only our moms recognized and dealt with the problem. If only.... If only my mom had pursued my health issue (I was not diagnosed at hypothyroid till I was married and having my second child). If I, myself, had known that help was available and that I wasn't just a fat loser.... Well, that is how you feel when you try for years to lose weight and nothing works. Every time you see a doctor, you get the butt-chewing about your weight, but no suggestions as to what you can do about it other than "go on a diet...." Yeah, been there, done that!<br /></span><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Lea/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-8.png" alt="" />Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-25939550552304024202010-07-20T13:06:00.003-04:002010-07-20T13:16:45.445-04:00I missed it...<span style="font-family: verdana;">My 25th high school reunion that is... It was last weekend and was right here in town too. But, for various reasons--including $$, I didn't get to go.<br /><br />I saw pics taken at the reunion on friends' Facebook pages... They had a blast! Sure wish I had been there. It would have been so awesome winning that award for having NOT gained the most weight! I am at least 50 pounds lighter now than I was in high school and I'm probably 200 pounds lighter than at the last reunion in 2005 as I was near my highest ever weight just then. I remember when we were packing to move from WV back to FL last summer and I came across the pics from that reunion. OMFG I was huge! When I can get to that stuff again (still packed away till we buy a house again), I will scan and post that pic. Ugh! Never, EVER, again!<br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-56016941778862697302010-07-04T12:43:00.001-04:002010-07-04T12:47:21.797-04:00Countdown! 9 days to grandbaby hugs!<span style="font-family: verdana;">World's greatest grandbaby is in WV currently with his father. He was supposed to be coming home on 7/17 (his 2nd Bday!), but as his mom and dad have a court hearing (regarding the contempt charge mom filed against dad) on 7/13 in WV, his dad SAYS he will let mom have him back on 7/13 after court. His motivation to let him go 4 days early??? MONEY! He won't have to drive from WV to South Carolina for the exchange... Money is the only motivating factor for that man. UGH!<br /><br />BUT, that means we are counting down the days till we get him back home! We (my older daughter and I) leave FL for WV on 7/12 at the crack of dawn--well, probably before the crack of dawn! It is a 15 hour drive and we need to be there for a reasonable bedtime on 7/12 as she has court at 9 am on 7/13. Then, after the hearing, we get to pickup the world's greatest grandbaby and head home!<br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-89918723365164305172010-07-03T10:56:00.003-04:002010-07-03T10:59:50.720-04:00Glad that is over!<span style="font-family: verdana;">So my knee work DID get done this time... June 29th, I had my left knee scoped again. I had already had it done back in August 2009, so not quite a year had passed and it has been painful for a long time already. The orthopedic surgeon thought I might have had a bone chip floating in the joint (my knees are both bone-on-bone) and that this bone chip was chewing up the meniscus that I have left each time it was caught against the bone in the joint... Well, he didn't find any bone chips, just more shredded meniscus. I see him on the 9th for the "full report" but it doesn't sound like he really found a cause for this new damage. <br /><br />On another front, I had my full labs done on June 22nd and will get those results today or tomorrow in the mail. I'm hoping my iron is at least 100 or higher (ferritin level). I won't be on it because I'm pretty certain it won't be, but we'll see!<br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-22732564015210663432010-06-20T10:54:00.002-04:002010-06-20T11:01:20.062-04:00Knees......take 2!Back last fall, I had both my bone-on-bone <a href="http://lovinlifewithlea.blogspot.com/2009/09/knees.html">knees scoped and cleaned up</a>... Once they healed from the scoping, they were pretty good. The right one was painful and clicking for a long time, but is pretty good now. The left was good for a while, but hurts like a beeyotch lately. I went back to the orthopedic surgeon a couple of weeks ago and got cortisone shots in both knees. Then, he said, "you know, what you have going on is probably a bone chip floating around in there chewing up the cartilege...." Wow, doc, thanks for that imagery! SO, due to the bone-on-bone rubbing in my knee, he thinks that I have bone spurs/chips floating in the joint and chewing up what teensy little bits of cartilage I have left! Great! That leads me to believe that this scoping/cleaning may be a regular thing till I get to the point that they just replace the whole joint(s). How's that for incentive to keep the weight off and take it as easy on those knees as you can?<br /><br />I am having the left knee done again on Tuesday (6/22). Wish me luck!Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-31608748318949597662010-06-19T19:16:00.003-04:002010-06-19T19:32:11.361-04:0010 ways to include healthy carbohydrates in your diet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Images/Products/Sliced_WholeGrain_HealthNut.png"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Not sure where this came from as a friend passed it on to me... The list is pretty simple and some are no-brainers for a postop WLS lifestyle... See what you think! How many of these are you doing already? How many could you try now that you have them in mind?</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Choose corn instead of flour tortillas.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 2. Use whole wheat pasta instead of refined white pasta.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 3. Opt for whole-grain breads instead of refined white breads.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 4. Choose brown rice instead of white rice.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 5. Eat slow-cooked oatmeal or steel oats in place of processed or "instant" cereals.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 6. Snack on whole, fibrous fruits instead of artificial sweets and candies.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 7. Opt for yams instead of white potatoes.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 8. Choose whole wheat snack crackers over butter crackers.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 9. Try making your own pizza with whole wheat pizza dough.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 10. When eating baked goods, opt for muffins or pastries containing whole grains, nuts and berries instead of processed and refined white flours and sugars.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">I have a wonderful </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://lovinlifewithlea.blogspot.com/2009/03/recipe-leas-whole-wheat-pizza-crust.html">whole wheat pizza crust recipe</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> here on this blog... I only use the Barilla Plus pasta these days. There's a little Mexican grocer at the end of my street that makes fresh corn tortillas EVERY day and you get about 15 tortillas in a foil wrapping for $1! When I want tortillas, this is what I use--even for my </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://lovinlifewithlea.blogspot.com/2008/04/recipe-burrito-bake-casserole.html">burrito bake recipe</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. I don't eat many potatoes--of any type or color. Just don't crave them anymore. Crackers--my fave these days is the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?brand=134&product=5693&cat=">multi-grain Club cracker</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. But, I don't eat them without cheese! I haven't had a slice of white bread since July 2006. My favorite these days is </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Products/Description.aspx?sSku=7341001365">Arnold's Health Nut bread</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Images/Products/Thins_MultiGrain_XLG.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 392px; height: 321px;" src="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Images/Products/Thins_MultiGrain_XLG.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Images/Products/Sliced_WholeGrain_HealthNut.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 237px;" src="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Images/Products/Sliced_WholeGrain_HealthNut.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">but we usually use their </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.arnoldbread.com/Thins/DescriptionProduct.aspx?sSku=7341013547">Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. Those are awesome and nice and thin so not too filling and leaves room for lots of meat and cheese. I never eat oatmeal. I love fruit as a snack, and I make my own sweet goods with Splenda and healthier flours. If I have to make it, I won't eat it as often!</span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-6982706565511640212010-06-19T16:28:00.003-04:002010-06-19T16:44:27.589-04:00Crisis Averted!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvp8d1aNRYkW8hL3-PGN5tj0Hd0ingpFHDTvlCnydYxv7740p6V3UGAAwT7Nvs4PH6tv8KJRm8SGvto4gsEa11K6Q50gI-ZFCpr9K5cSBJnMamVlH3aNGiBOrmFoEbEV_dwao3mWyK2w/s1600/meGradparty0610.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvp8d1aNRYkW8hL3-PGN5tj0Hd0ingpFHDTvlCnydYxv7740p6V3UGAAwT7Nvs4PH6tv8KJRm8SGvto4gsEa11K6Q50gI-ZFCpr9K5cSBJnMamVlH3aNGiBOrmFoEbEV_dwao3mWyK2w/s320/meGradparty0610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484588363788364354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As I informed you back in May, my position as a teacher was reallocated to the language arts department and I was unemployed as of June 9th. I've been job hunting since the end of April and there are just SO many teachers out of work right now due to budgetary cutbacks that I was really worried about finding something before school starts in August. I'm qualified to teach so many things, but there are just more applicants than there are jobs. I am certified to teach Social Studies, grades 6-12, Exceptional Student Education (special education or ESE) for grades K-12, and can teach any subject for 5-9 as I carry the Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum 5-9 certification as well. Was all of that doing me much good? It didn't seem like it!<br /><br />BUT, my principal found me a position after all! It will be a hectic year, but I will be strong and "just do it!" I will be teaching ESE (learning strategies class), 2 classes of "level 3 reading" which is 11th grade reading--I think, and then 1 period/class of 9th grade physical science. Yes, me--the social studies teacher--teaching science! I've never done it before, but I passed the test and am now qualified to do it. This year, I get a chance to see how I like it! Our school is stretched really thin in several areas this year due to financial restrictions. We don't have enough science teachers. We did get another language arts teacher (due to my lost job being shifted to them). We don't have enough reading teachers or ESE teachers. The math department is stretched a bit thin AND the social studies department is going to be very thin with losing my position and adding several AP courses to their offerings... Just not enough teachers to go around and the school board doesn't get it!<br /><br />I'm happy to have secured a full time position so soon in the summer. I'll have 3 different classes to teach, so that allows me more time before school starts to familiarize myself with the course materials, get moved into my new classroom (not as nice as what I had, but I'll make due!) and get started for this new position...<br /></span>Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-35920757650274553422010-06-05T18:25:00.002-04:002010-06-05T18:44:52.478-04:00It's Official!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKfnSfthpUr74k_cWGK3cbEuqAJQIe-wieMQFQWn3Rwg7sVIb_AHuv9Rggf1-5y37zHjamQzkpaoeY97PGLpzjnjizFBURvouf1XbBV4exBGKUht3kk81yRSczxOD-DDNcexHNzhM_4U/s1600/mandymom.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKfnSfthpUr74k_cWGK3cbEuqAJQIe-wieMQFQWn3Rwg7sVIb_AHuv9Rggf1-5y37zHjamQzkpaoeY97PGLpzjnjizFBURvouf1XbBV4exBGKUht3kk81yRSczxOD-DDNcexHNzhM_4U/s400/mandymom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479419669219752802" border="0" /></a>It is official! My baby, Mandy, is now an official graduate of LaBelle High School--with honors! On May 31, 1985, I graduated from LaBelle High School. My graduating class was 85 graduates. Today, June 5, 2010--25 years later, my daughter graduated 39th in a class of 237! It was a beautiful day for their outdoor graduation and the people came out in droves! The stands were full and people were standing down front too.Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2159402369791902485.post-53434276780075843602010-05-30T13:53:00.002-04:002010-05-30T13:58:56.457-04:00Sorry for the delay!So sorry to say that before today it had been three months again since my last post.... Lots has happened in that time...<br /><br />As you may remember, I started teaching Nov 11, 2009 at my old high school here in FL. I have had a great year and have worked with some awesome kids. Graduation is next Friday and my own baby, Mandy, will be one of the kids crossing the stage, accepting their diploma, and moving into the next stage of their lives... Definitely going to be a kleenex moment! But, life goes on and theirs is just starting!<br /><br />I was informed a few weeks ago that my current teaching position has been cut for next year. In other words, "It has been wonderful having you here this year, but we're really sorry that we can't keep you for next year....." SO, back to the grindstone of finding a new job. I had really hoped that my life was finally taking a turn for the better, more level road... Apparently that wasn't the case just yet! And, in today's teaching force here in FL, there are a lot of folks looking for positions because they've been cut just like me. Fewer positions + more applicants means a harder time finding something! My principal wrote me a great letter of recommendation. We'll see what happens.<br /><br />Yesterday, I went and took a test ($200!) to get qualified in a new certification area--Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum, 5-9. The passing score I received (yeah!!) means that I'll be qualified to teach language arts, social studies, math, or science in grades 5 through 9. I was already certified to teach social studies to grades 6-12 AND exceptional students (ESE) for grades K-12. I am hoping that all of this is enough to find something great and close to home. Cross your fingers for me, okay??Lea Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12512170990208151782noreply@blogger.com0