5 on Friday... It's Time

July 31st is the end of the summer.  Oh, I know the hot days will still come and that, "technically", I am still on vacation.  BUT... It's time to face the music and start thinking about what I want to wrap up at home and what needs to be done for school.  August 21st is the first day; I can get back into my classroom on August 12th.  That is soon.  Too soon. Oh, the painful reality of it all!

Five professional goals I have set to get me organized and back in the groove  (because, hey, I have to start somewhere!)...

1.  I actually did something school related this week.  I signed up for the annual Alphabet Exchange over at First Grade Found Me.  I LOVE this project and can't thank Chrissy enough for organizing it each year.  It's a fabulous way to kick off the new school year.  The kids just love it!

2.  National Board Certification... I am trying for re-certification this year.  It's overwhelming to look at all the paperwork.  It's overwhelming to think of the work that goes into what needs to be submitted.  It's overwhelming to just START.  I have not been neglectful in thinking about what I have to do, but I need to take the plunge and begin.

3.  Oh, the book bag?  The one I carried home six weeks ago and has sat beside my office chair patiently waiting for me to unpack it?  Yeah.  I should probably do that.

4.  Same with the pile of manuals and books under my desk.  Things need to be done with those.  I forget what things, but I'm sure I dragged them home for a reason.  

5.  Back to School packets.  I need to update and print a copy so I am ready to go when I have access to a copy machine.  I am hoping this is the least challenging thing on the list.   

So that's it.  A list of things that will carry me through the next few weeks.  There are more things to be done, but I should start with those.  I'm going to need some serious time management if I plan on accomplishing even half of what I have going on here.  It could be time for an August "bucket list"!

Hazy, Hot, and Humid

Hot.  It's hot.  I thought I would beat the heat by going out earlier in the morning. 9:30am?  Not early enough.  It had already reached 84 and oof... The Humidity! I think it capped out at 100% today.  Sweaty, very sweaty. BUT... I did it!  I kept my "date" with Jeff and completed Day 3 :)  I'm liking it so far.

As I went through my neighborhood, I couldn't help but notice all the great touches people add to their properties to make them stand out.  I'd love for my yard to look as good...

Perfect little archway

Cute weathervane!

Love the pops of red

Rain and thunderstorms are rolling through tonight...Hopefully tomorrow will bring slightly cooler temps!

Oh, Alright.

So far, this has been a great summer.  I LOVE being able to sleep in, eat out, and make my own schedule.  It's not to say I don't have stress, because well, that's life and life can be stressful.  During the summer, I try to be "breezy", but the "back to school" talk is starting.  Real life is waiting just around the corner.  There is "stuff" needing to get done.  Monday, I made the decision to be concerned about my weight again.  It's been a good ride, I've had my fun, but in the interest of getting back into my work clothes, it's time to put my big girl panties on and face the badness.

9.2, y'all.  The badness is 9.2 lbs gained since the beginning of June.  That's just rude.  It's amazing how fast it found me after I worked so hard to lose it!

So, where am I going with this?  Well, one of the reasons I go to Weight Watchers is because of the leader.  She is funny.  She gets it. I always leave the meetings with "something".  A new recipe, a funny story, a new product to try, etc.  Monday night, I left with this...

This is so true!  I should have it tattooed on my body.  This single sentence sums up what I struggle with All. The. Time.  Enough excuses, just get it done.  Make the plan and stick to it!

Priorities.... It's all about priorities.  Yesterday, I tracked my food for the first time in months and "scheduled" some time with Jeff Galloway (sure, I'll try ANOTHER 5k program, why not?).  I am sore today but feeling positive :)  I'll leave you with some pictures from my "wog" (walk/jog). 

This is the beach area that is just a mile or so from my house.  I've mentioned it before... It's one of my favorite places to go.  

So pretty!

I hate this hill!

My favorite part... a walking path that is shaded and peaceful.

A refreshing place to cool down a bit... even when it's HOT out!

Today, I am going back out there.  Jeff and I are on a break until tomorrow, so I'll just walk... I know it's only day 2 of my "life style change", but I'm going to try to keep the momentum going :)

A Crafty Week (AKA Getting it done!)

This week I decided to tackle some things from my list of "Poo 2 Do".  I have been inspired by all the bloggers out there and friends around me who have been working on summer projects.  My office has never been finished.  Not in the twenty years we have lived here.  It's sad really because we just ran out of steam (and money) as far as actually completing each room in the house.  The finishing part just hasn't been a priority.  To say I am SICK of half finished rooms is an understatement!  So... I decided that I would like to see some progress.  Which means staining and painting.  Neither of which I love to do.    

I am NOT neat when crafting!

Lots of boards to stain!

These boards will "someday" be the wainscoting in the office.  Originally the boards were bought for the front foyer but I made the executive decision to use them for a project that may actually get done (finishing the foyer is just a dream and may never actually happen).  I stained the five packages we had (80 boards all together!) and need to go buy another five or six packages to go around the entire room. 

Yes, this is "better"

The office walls are were in tough shape.  Several years ago, we hired a "professional" to rebuild our porch.  To make a long story short, those white spots are the areas that had to be patched due to him cutting through the interior wall with a Sawzall from the outside.  Good times.  The fact that they have now been patched, spackled, and primed is nothing short of a miracle.  I have the paint and plan on finishing by the end of this week.  I am looking forward to looking at undamaged walls for the first time in years!

This was my fun project for the week :)  My cousin is getting married in a couple months and she asked if I could make her a brooch bouquet.  Since I am a fool always game for any new crafting challenge, I said I would try.  I think the final result is pretty darn good!  The brooches hold many special memories since they were collected from family members.  It was fun showing it off to the bride and our family this weekend.  I am glad she likes it and I can't wait to see her walk down the isle!

 The FINISHED project :) 

So, how about you?  Do you have plans, big or small, to get a summer project done?

Home Again, Home Again... DC Wrap Up

Sadly, "vacation" is over (it was a working vacation, involving a conference... but it was a vacation nonetheless).  We had a GREAT time.  It was exciting being with friends who had never been to DC before.  There is so much to do and see, we could never have fit "everything" in, but we tried.  After flying in on Sunday, we had the afternoon to sight see.  Being that we knew Sunday would have the largest block of time, we walked to the National Mall.  I love visiting the monuments.  They are such a moving tribute to those who have served our country (whether it be as president or through the armed forces).

With Monday being a little tighter on time (and with a little drizzly weather), we went over to the Museum of Natural History and The Museum of American History.  We buzzed through a couple of floors in each building... I could have spent days WEEKS just poking through all that the Smithsonian has to offer.  Fascinating, just amazing!

The First Ladies' Dresses... Love this display!

Tuesday was lonnnggg.  The work sessions began at 8:00 and we were booked solid through 5:30.  (We bunked the last session.... shhh, don't tell!).  We decided to go to the Holocaust Museum since the majority of us hadn't been there before.  There really are no words.  Moving?  Humbling? Overwhelming? Haunting? Emotive?  I just don't have the words to capture the experience.  There is a "Permanent Exhibit" we were unable to see (you need a pass to get in and there weren't any passes left for the day) that I would be very interested in getting to "next time".

Even though Wednesday was our return to reality day, we were able to sneak in some time at the Zoo.  It was a little drizzly, but totally worth it.  Again, we didn't see everything there was to see, but enough to say that we went and did enough without over doing it.

Obviously THE Boss.

I won't bore you with pictures of all the AMAZING food we ate, but I do have to share one picture....

How cute is that?  We went to a corner cafe and our coffee was served with animal crackers and this teeny picture of cream.  The perfect way to end our stay in DC!

And now this...

Catching Up...

It's been too long (Again!) since I posted!  Ugh, no excuses!  The past couple of months have been BUSY ones (not an excuse, just a statement of truth)....  Without further ado, here's my life in a nutshell...

1.  Girlie graduated from High School!  I couldn't be a prouder momma!  She has done so well and has a bright future ahead of her :)  It's been an exciting time with ceremonies and parties.  It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that she is off to college in just a few short weeks.  What people say about time flying by is the truth.  Wasn't she a baby in my arms just yesterday??

2.  I'm on VACATION!  The school year came to a hectic close at the end of June and since then it's been a fest of day trips, eating out, and visiting with friends.  Just within this week, I have gone to the beach, been to Mystic Village to walk around the cool shops, had lunch with a friend and visited some local consignment shops.  Tonight I am meeting up with friends to try a new restaurant in town.  Life is good :)

Love having the time to actually look at what's going on around me!

3.  Every once in a while I try to squeeze in being a responsible adult.  My washing machine broke down on me last weekend and I've been playing catch up all week long.... Now, there are baskets of clean clothes everywhere.  I hate folding clothes!  The motivation behind piling it all up on the bed is... We have to sleep there...Folding must happen in order for us to go to bed.  Along with doing more loads to add to the pile... You are looking at my adult mission for today :)

4.  Shamefully, I have fallen off the fitness wagon.  I definitely started the downhill slide in May.  More time in the computer chair doing correcting, report cards, and other "end of the year" paperwork resulted in a struggle to meeting my set goals.  In June it just didn't happen.  School, family commitments, life in general... The goal of 5.5 miles a day became just a dream.  Now, in July, I have NO EXCUSES.  I've been LAZY and I need to get it back together.  Tomorrow.  Maybe tomorrow.  For now, I am following this advice...

5.  Looking forward to a great weekend.  A family get together planned for tomorrow and then I leave on a jet plane for Washington, DC on Sunday for a work related conference (YAY!)  My family is starting to wonder if I am still living with them, but they will survive me being gone (I am only a taxi service anyway!)