News at Home: April Already !?!
I could swear I just started March, and it’s April? It’s really not fair how fast life is flying by on me! April will undoubtedly be a long month though. We have STAR testing, I need to finish my application to SMU, I have to take my GRE and we have NO DAYS OFF. That’s right, not a single day for the kids and teachers this month 🙁 I don’t need lots of time off, but I just have never understood packing all the time off into the fall and early parts of the school year when it’s the end of the year where we all really need a break. *sigh* I’ll make it, like I do every year.
If my kids keep doing so well, I’ll make it easy. *knocks on wood* I’ve had 2 really great weeks in a row now – and really, it’s been getting better since that one student was removed from my class. Night and day. I still have my challenging students, but the difference is incredible. I might just get to enjoy this class yet!
On Wednesday I got a text message from my uncle at around 5 am. You know NO good text messages or phone calls come at 5 in the morning, right? Well my grandfather is in hospice care since Wednesday morning. This is an awkward time for me, more than a sad time. My grandfather and I have spoken exactly 1 time in the past 15 years – when my grandmother passed away. My entire family disowned me when I was 19 years old, due to religious disagreement. They are Jehovah’s Witnesses and I consider it a cult and count myself very lucky to have escaped. I’ve since regained my brother and my mother, but that’s it. So when you go 15 years with only 1 conversation with a person, your relationship kind of disintegrates. Yes, we were once close. But I mourned our relationship 15 years ago. So there’s not a lot to mourn right now. And it’s awkward as hell because my family (with the exception of my brother, who’s also been disowned for several years) don’t get that I don’t feel this big loss. So there’s been more contact from them in the last few days than normal and this expectation that I will reach out, make amends, etc. And I’m sure there will be an expectation that I’ll attend the funeral. Not to be heartless, but I won’t attend the funeral – knowing that I’ll be ostracized in person as opposed to at a distance, not to mention the significant financial expense since he lives in Florida (but the funeral would probably be in New York…) but either way, I live in Dallas. So it’s been awkward and surely will be for a little bit. Thankfully I have my brother and we’re weathering it together. We called grandpa together on Friday and had a five minute conversation, he was too weak for more honestly. But we did our due and hopefully we won’t be the topic of too much hateful conversation. *sigh*
Thursday was Kiko’s birthday – he’s 44 now 🙂 We went out to dinner and I bought him a shot, which he SUCKED at drinking. He gulped about 2/3 of it and then sipped the rest. Seriously, he needs to relearn how to drink shots. And it was a lemon drop y’all! Nothing serious! I got him a sound bar for our TV for his birthday – it’s the main thing he likes to do (watch tv) and our tv didn’t get loud. So he’s been enjoying that.
Other than that, it’s basically been life as usual, with Friday off, which was quite nice 🙂 I’m meeting a friend this morning to see Ready Player One. I never read the book, but oh well – I have a feeling I won’t have time anyway. Hope y’all have a great week!
Blog News
By golly, I think I’ve figured it out y’all! Maintaining a routine where I get to visit blogs AND keep up with drafting posts is a continual struggle for me. But I spent some time creating a new morning routine and I think it’s actually going to work. I do my miracle morning and get ready for work – done by 6:15 am. Then I have from 6:15 – 6:45 to visit blogs – so I don’t get to everyone everyday, but I get to several posts and that’s better than I had been doing. Then from 6:45 – 7 I do some blogging work. It’s enough time to get a post or two written every couple days. Not enough to get ahead, but enough to maintain. And then I can spend a little more time on the weekend, but not feel like I’m drowning by the weekend. Hopefully this next week will continue to work with this routine.
Can You Read a Series In a Month?
Today starts our Can You Read a Series in a Month challenge! This is one of my favorite challenges, although it’s typically one of our least participated in. I just love binge reading a series – even if I’m like the only one doing it 🙂 So far we have 3 participants besides ourselves – but it’s not too late to sign up! Join us and have some fun binge reading a series.
I started an audio book yesterday so I’m not starting my series quite yet, but it’s 3 audiobooks and the rate I read audiobooks I think I’ll be just fine 🙂
Blog Ahead
Well, I have found a rhythm and I think I might actually meet my goal this Blog Ahead. I started with 0 scheduled posts and I wanted to end with 14. I have one more week and as of now I have 9! Of course 5 of those won’t count because they’ll be gone this week. But if I’m as productive next week as I’ve been this week, I’ll make it. Yay!!!
#FitReaders Update
Since it’s a new month, it’s time to report on March and set new goals for April. Here’s how I did with my March goals:
Do yoga every Monday – Friday: I did yoga Monday – Thursday this past week. So I didn’t nail it a single week in March, but I close a few times. This goal will carry over to April for sure.
Drink 64 oz of water daily & track it!: No idea. Didn’t track my water at all. I really need to figure out a system that works for water tracking… my problem is that I have different water bottles/cups all over the place and I keep them all filled with cold water. And I drink out of them constantly. But how much did I actually drink? No one knows.
Track all food – hit goals of 37% protein, 27% carbs, and 36% fat: I tracked Monday – Thursday this week. What I’m noticing is that I’m really bad a tracking over the weekend. But I don’t tend to gain wait on Mondays *shrugs* I still want to get better at this.
Complete March #strongestwomenindallas challenge at my gym – 20 classes, 2 of each format: I finished on March 12th! Gym this week was Monday Hump Day & Spin, Tuesday Powerbelle (barre on crack as they call it), Wednesday Dance club Cardio, Saturday powerbelle and dance club cardio.
Lose 20 lbs: Umm yeah, not even close. As of writing this, Saturday afternoon I’m down 9.2 pounds for the month. I realize that’s not bad, it’s just so far off my goal.
My NSV for the week: At my doctor’s visit this week (not surgeon, just OBGYN) she told me that she’s seen lots of patients do this surgery and she can tell I’m the text book example of how it’s supposed to go, because I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do. She said she can see that I’m not just losing weight, but I’m taking care of myself and getting healthier every day. That felt good, to have a medical professional see my hard work and verify that it’s paying off.
Days since surgery: 234 days
Total weight lost since surgery: 137 pounds (56.48% of weight loss goal)
Weight loss total (since 2010…): 264 pounds!
April Goals:
I’m going to maintain several of my March Goals:
- Do Yoga Monday – Friday
- Drink 64 oz of water daily
- Track food and hit goals of 37P, 27C, 36F
- Take 40 classes at GRIT (I took 37 last month, with a week off for hurting my back)
- Lose 10 pounds, and only weigh every 4 days (I’ve become scale obsessed)
- Find one NSV (non-scale victory) a week
Last Week on the Blog
- [26 Mar] Just a Few Good Books I Should Have Reviewed A Long Time Ago
- [26 Mar] The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher ★★★★
- [26 Mar] F*ck Club: Con by Shiloh Walker ★★★½
- [26 Mar] Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by John Tiffany, J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne ★★★★
- [27 Mar] Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay ★★★★★
- [28 Mar] #bingewatchersclub ~ Observations about Bones
- [31 Mar] Just a Few Wicked Reads #audioreview #MyTBRL
- [31 Mar] Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout ★★★★★
- [31 Mar] Torn by Jennifer L. Armentrout ★★★★★
- [31 Mar] Brave by Jennifer L. Armentrout ★★★★
- [31 Mar] Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo
- [1 Apr] Sunday Post with Berls | April Already!?!
Coming Next Week From Me
Sunday
Sunday Post with Berls | April Already !?!
Monday
#2018HW 1st Quarter Report Card!
Tuesday
Devil in a Black Suit #audioreview
Task it Tuesday
Wednesday
Just a Few…In Death Books… I’m an Addict! #audioreview
Saturday
Berls’s My TBR List Vote April 2018
I know I’m a week behind but I didn’t want to miss the update. Good for you getting a morning schedule going where you can fit in some blogging. Good luck in keeping it up. I’m working hard at that as well and I don’t leave the house to work! 😉 I’m so happy to hear that you had another great week with your class and I hope that continues as well. I’m sorry to hear about your family but I completely understand where you’re coming from as I haven’t spoken to my father in almost 20 years (in May) so… You do what you need to take care of you and your family. Don’t worry your head about the rest. I’m also happy about your OBGYN telling you that you’re doing exactly as expected. You are doing all that you should be doing – taking care of yourself at all levels – and the weight is coming off. Just keep it up! 🙂
Miss you!! {{{BIG HUGS}}}
Looks like I’m even more behind on replying… The morning schedule has really been working for like a month now, so I’m excited! I think it will stick. I’m going to try and maintain it once school is out so in just over a month (squee!). Thanks for the support, it means a lot! {{BIGGEST HUGS}}
Glad to hear things are better with your class and I hope it continues. I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather but I think you are handling it well. In the end you are doing what’s right for you and not what is expected of you. It is great that you were able to reconnect with your brother and mother. You are doing great with your blogging and your weight loss. I need to be better with both. I hope you have a great week!
Thanks Katherine – I appreciate the support. It’s hard to not feel like I’m being “wrong” for not having more feelings – but I’ve felt them all already once.
I hope you have a great week 🙂
Yay for things going well at school! We could definitely use more breaks at the end of the school year here too. We usually have several 3 day weekends scheduled but this year they all got used up for weather days. That’s a challenging situation with your grandfather and I can definitely see your side of it. I think at the end of the day it’s do what you feel is the right decision and what you feel like you can live with and don’t worry about what everyone else says. I know that’s easier said than done though. Relationships aren’t 1 sided and the not speaking for 15 years has as much to do with him as it does with you. If making peace with you was so important to him he could have done it. I don’t mean that in a mean way just that it’s not all your responsibility. Does that make sense? This is an internal argument I have with myself regarding some of my relatives and I get frustrated that people expect me to make all this effort even if I get nothing in return. And I will stop ranting now! Hope you’re having a great week and get some time away from the kids.
Yes! Exactly Katherine. My uncle was telling me that “there’s no one more important” for grandpa to talk to and I restrained myself from saying that if I were so important why didn’t I hear from him for 15 years? He was the one who made the decision to cut off the relationship (as did all my family due to religion), so I’ve always felt that they were the ones that could reopen it. I’m not going to beg them to take me as I am, if that makes sense. But to them, it’s all me because I won’t chose their faith. *sigh* I’ll just be relieved when it’s done and over. Grandpa is clearly suffering, so the longer it takes, the worse it is anyway.
Hope you have a great week!
It’s gone so fast this past month. Honestly I feel like it’s still January! lol Slow down 2018! A blogging routine helps so much. I’m trying to do mine mostly in the evenings now that it’s set and seems to be working. Hope yours does as well!
Thanks Anna! The morning does seem to be working out well for me. I hate that I don’t have more time – but at least I get to it. If I wait until evening, it just doesn’t happen. Hope you have a great week 🙂
I’m so glad things are going well at school! Yes, when I go back next week (April 9th) we will have 8 straight weeks with the only day off being Memorial day at the end of May. State testing, AP testing, final exams…its going to be a nuthouse!!
Sorry about your family stuff. Thats always rough when you struggle to find common ground with people who are suppose to love you no matter what. I understand. I have some family that I don’t speak to either. But, its better that way and I am much happier (which sounds callous, but…)
Have an awesome week!!
This really is the longest, roughest part of the year, isn’t it? I hope you have a great day back today – good luck 🙂
Hooray for a smooth couple of weeks in class. Hope that continues. I get the grandfather situation. It’s like you said – you mourned that loss 15 years ago. You and your brother called, sounds like you’ve made your peace, and what the rest of the family wants to think or say or feel about it is really their problem. What awesome feedback from your doctor! That had to feel good.
Thanks Tanya – I feel at peace with things and hope I don’t have to hear a lot of BS from the family for it. They will say plenty about me and I don’t care, just don’t want to hear it 🙂 Yes, it was great to hear. Hopefully this month will be a bit more successful weight loss wise than last month was.
You and me with the water! You have described the problem. *sigh* I suppose as long as we are more conscientious of water intake, we are already doing better.
Glad the classroom is better and I hope the grad school process goes smoothly.
Sorry to hear about your grandfather – but you are in a healthy place compared to 15 years ago, and it sounds like you are in a good place emotionally with the way things have gone. *HUGS*
LOL I know! The water is a constant struggle – if only I could get an app that measures the water automatically as it goes down my throat hahahaha. I bet someday food and water will be auto tracked through chips we have in our bodies or something equally sci-fi.
Thank you, I am in a much better place and thankfully I have my brother to go through this stuff with. It will be awkward when he passes, mainly because I won’t feel as my family expects me to. I know they think I should feel guilt and remorse over the years lost – but I can’t, when I know those years were good for me. Hopefully it will pass easier than I’m anticipating.
Have a great week Jen! {{HUGS}}
Glad to hear that your kids are doing so well. I completely understand how you feel about your family. I have several parts of my family that I don’t speak to any more either. I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything from not having them in my life either. I’m glad you were able to reconnect with your mom and brother. I’m having a harder time finding a routine too. I’m mostly visiting for a longer period of time, but only once or twice a week. I don’t like it, but it seems to be working best for me, so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it. Hope you have a great week. {{hugs}} I miss you. I want to see you again.
I know! We really need to find another convention we all can go to. My problem is it really has to be summer because of school and then not too expensive either lol. I’m going to Denver this summer for Book Bonanza but only Brandee and Lexxie are going to that I believe.
Yeah, when people are gone from your life for so long, you stop feeling their absence. My brother I always missed but that was different – he never disowned me, he was just a child caught up in everything. *sigh* if only my family understood!
Have a great week *hugs*
OMG, You are doing great with the weight loss! I am not sure how much I have lost as I don’t have a scale but people can def tell a difference. I am trying to get my miracle morning to be a habit but sometimes it is hard. My family is sucked in by the traditional Appalachian religion and I don’t even go to church. Most have yet to disown me though but all are convinced I am on my way to to the fiery pits..sigh
That’s awesome! And a scale is not always positive – I’m getting way too obsessed with what the scale says. So if you and others can see a difference, then that’s awesome! LOL to hell you heathen 😉 My family was pretty much REQUIRED to disown me because of the religion. Wack right?! But they thought it made sense and now they just aren’t part of my life. *shrugs* it doesn’t bother me anymore, until moments like this.