School Lunch Toddler Edition: August

School days are in full swing around here. Our 3 year old began preschool this year and is loving every minute. With three of us needing to leave the house by 7am so that I can drop off baby boy at the sitter and G at her preschool, I needed to find a way to shave off some minutes in the morning so that we aren't running frantically out the door. My friend was telling me how she has started prepping her kids' meals for the week. The week! I typically try to do them each night, but if I'm too tired, I convince myself that I can just get them done in the morning. This clearly has not been working...so I decided to give this weekly meal prep thing a go.

I try to carve out about an hour of time on Sunday evening to compile all of the meals. It does not typically take this long unless I need to make muffins or something else that needs to bake so that it can be frozen for future meals. We are going on week 3 and I like the way things have been playing out. The prep takes a little time but it is well worth it. I have chosen to rotate out the same 5 meals each week for the month. G eats breakfast at home before heading to preschool and N eats at the sitter. Their breakfasts vary but are quick (and I try to keep them generally healthy-protein packed and full of whole grains- as much as possible.)

Here are the meals that I've been rotating out for August. I hope this will help you save a little sanity in your crazy, beautiful life.

The Pumpkin Muffin recipe can be found here.

Linking up for Mommy Moments

Currently: August 2016

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I apologize for my absence. Life lately has been nothing short of chaotic. Over the month of July and into (now) August, we have been going non-stop. We went on vacation in mid-July. We returned to find out that an opportunity for us to move from our house into a rental had presented itself. This will prayerfully make our selling of the house easier. Because of this opportunity, the last 2 weeks solid have been filled with moving, unpacking, and working on the old house…I go back to work for Teacher Work Week August 8 and our daughter will start preschool for the first time that day as well.

I’ve also been presented the opportunity to serve as an instructor for some local art projects at a new art studio in town. The Makery is my friend’s dream and she has done an amazing job putting it together. I am so proud of her!

So…here’s what we have currently…

Thinking About: The lengthy to-do list that we have to finish before putting our house up for sale.

Working On: Projects at the old house, unpacking at the rental, stressing over lesson plans and School Open House this week.

Learning: God’s timing is ultimately perfect despite whatever inconveniences I might perceive.

Watching: The Olympics…and old videos of G when she was smaller. How is it that she is going to preschool already?!

Listening to: Anything Lauren Daigle

Trying: I’m trying to feel less overwhelmed…but seeing as I’ve been doing a lot of stress baking lately, that’s not happening. While the change is good, it brings with it a lot of upheaval. I’m ready for our new normal and getting back into a routine.

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Loving: I’m loving that Fall is right around the corner. I’m so over these summer temperatures and Fall means football!!!

Linking up with Mommy Moments

Mourning My Maternity Leave

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Monday...back to being my least favorite day of the week. This Monday in particular is very difficult. After a wonderful 8 weeks of maternity leave, I will be heading back to work. I'm so envious of places that offer longer and/or paid maternity leave. If I could have afforded to take the remaining four weeks I most certainly would have. But such is life.

Checking emails is already a bit overwhelming. Meetings, deadlines, and concerns regarding next year's budget (already!) make up most of my emails. I love coming back to discussions of whether or not more teachers will lose their positions for next year (insert eye roll). Because of my maternity leave, I'll be 20 days shy of being able to earn tenure this year, which only adds to the stress whenever budgets are involved. I'm walking into a classroom of students I have met once, not to mention have very little working knowledge of their academics. I have a whole new set of parents to get to know and I can only imagine how many times I'll hear, "That's not how Mrs. ________ did it."

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Honestly, I want to cry. Packing my babies' bags for the sitter was agonizing. I know to some this all sounds melodramatic but seriously, my heart aches at the thought of going back to missing so much of their little lives each day. I was fine when I was in the daily grind and I was kind of numb to that reality. It's all very fresh right now. Add to that hormones and limited sleep,  I can be classified as a hot mess.

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Now...the flip side of this is that I serve an awesome, gracious God. I wanted N to be at least 3 months before I had to return to work and he turned 3 months this past week. I do love my job. I feel I am a good teacher and I have a passion for what I do. I just have to learn to give myself a little grace. Fortunately I'll be coming back to a very loving and supportive group of friends and coworkers. I don't have the luxery of working outside the home as an option and since that is the case I consider myself quite blessed to have a job I love, with people I treasure at a school that I embrace as my second home.

While this week, and many days to come, will prove difficult,  I am so grateful for both the time I've had with my babies, God's provision and a job that I know I am called to. It's easy to worry and stress but that does nothing for anyone. Besides...now I can start the countdown to Christmas Break ;)

Linking up for Mommy Moments

Hello Teacher Work Week

Teacher Work Week is the week before school begins. It is a leisurely time of labeling, organizing and decorating your happy little classroom. You have limitless funding for supplies and your unchanging class list is full of compliant, sweet little ones.

I think I actually dreamed this once.

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In reality TWW (not to be confused with the Two Week Wait lol) is filled with multiple, time consuming meetings, continuous revisions to lists and expectations/responsibilities and prep work as you can squeeze it in. It's challlenging. Most teachers have begun preparing for the school year long before the work week begins. For those who make snide remarks about teachers and their summers off...1. You could have chosen to go to college for a teaching degree and 2. We're never really off. We're constantly trying to find ways to better our students and to make our classrooms more learning friendly. This is no easy task. Just check out our Pinterest boards haha.

I learned to have an appreciation for all that goes into preparing for the school year a few years ago when I became a teacher. Prior to that I had worked as a CPS social worker and a behavior specialist. Teaching is a completely new and different set of challenges.

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I am currently home on maternity leave as this new school year begins. However, I have put together engaging lesson plans, completed some prep work and will continue to check in on my class until my return. It will definitely be odd not starting out with everyone else though.

All of this leads up to my primary point. I love what I do. I love it despite others' negativity. I love it despite chaos and constant changes. I love what I do because it is my calling and I have the amazing and humbling privilege of helping shape the future. I don't take what I do lightly and I look forward to seeing the progress of my students.

So as things begin to pick up pace, I want to wish good luck this week to my fellow educators! May this school year be better than the last!

Monthly Weight Loss Update

Well, August has been another month of maintenance. I still weigh less than I have in over 5 years but I still have a ways to go. It's definitely been a journey. 

September is PCOS Awareness Month and I'm no stranger to the struggles it can bring. I was diagnosed in 2011, although looking back the symptoms were evident even in my teens. Before my diagnosis I was unaware that there was a "real" problem. My symptoms were my "normal" and no one had ever told me different.  As a teen I was told things would eventually even out or that some things are just genetic. No to the first and yes to the second. While looking at me you would never guess the battles I face...this is true for most women with PCOS.

We get pretty good at wearing smiles. I generally pride myself in being open and honest but this is one area of my life that I've kept pretty quiet until recently.  In order for me to not deal with this alone and to offer support to others I've had to learn how to talk about it. One of the hardest things to talk about aside from our infertility struggles is that of my weight/weight loss.

PCOS...it makes it so much more difficult to lose the weight. My doctor sympathized and was pleased with my progress at my annual exam. She encouraged me to keep going...even though she knows I'm up against a lot. Unfortunately I have to work a lot harder than most at losing the weight thanks to the way my body breaks down the food I eat and produces insulin. This in turn causes various hormone imbalances that lead to weight gain and/or difficulty losing weight and in my case, infertility. There is always something out of whack.

However, I refuse to use that as an excuse. I know I need to amp up the exercise and continue adding more fruits and veggies to my diet...because when you hit a plateau, that means you are in need of a change.


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August held a lot of highs and lows. We made an offer that was accepted on a piece of property with a beautiful view. We'll be signing on the dotted line tomorrow and then we can really begin planning our forever home. This has been a wonderful distraction from the disappointment of yet another unsuccessful month of trying to conceive. From a health perspective, I'm waiting to hear from my doctor about our next step. I've also been checking with my insurance on what they offer in regards to a dietitian. I've found a local dietitian who has worked specifically with women with PCOS. I'm hoping something will work out. I feel like I'm at the point where I could really benefit from an expert's advice.

With all of that being said, I'm trying to make some changes this month. I'm not a huge snacker but I definitely did my fair share over this past month. I'm a stress eater and with work beginning again and some of the other things we've had going on...I've not always considered all that has made its way to my mouth.

Being at work has definitely helped with my snacking issue, but I also need to focus on snacks that work for me, not against me. One of my friends gave me a great suggestion for my sweet tooth. Chocolate milk is seriously one of my most favorite sweets. Milk, while good for you, can hold a ton of calories...and then when you add the chocolate...well, you might as well have just had dessert. She recommended I try dark chocolate almond milk. I've converted to almond milk and must say I really like it. I've used it in both my cereal and baking/cooking and don't notice a major difference and with the low calorie/high nutrition content, I feel good about my choice. Now back to the sweet stuff. The dark chocolate almond milk is A.MAZ.ING! It tastes delicious and for 100 calories I can enjoy a full glass without the guilt. (I've only tried the Silk brand...and I've not been endorsed to recommend it.)

I hope to have better news in my next weight loss post. I've got the reasons for motivation, I've just got to get my act back together. I've only got this one life. I need to live it right and care for the skin I'm in.

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What are some of your healthy, go-to snacks? I'm looking for grab and go...

Linking up with Home of Malones

Back to Class

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Well our Teacher Work week was not as productive as I had hoped simply because of obligations that required us to be in other places besides our classrooms (e.g. in-services, trainings, etc.) I am glad to say however that I had a pretty successful Open House. 14 of my 16 students showed up and most of those came with their supplies. This allowed for me to get everything put away prior to Monday morning.

Thanks to Reagan at Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits, I came up with a new system for my families. For the most part, the parents complied with my instructions and the sorting and structure worked fairly well. Of course you'll always have those who choose to do their own thing and well, I worked around that.

I altered a couple of her stations, but overall kept the same idea. I believe I'll learn from this experience, tweak the system and use it again next year.

Here was my setup:

Station 1: Student Folder
Parents picked up their child's folder, filled out the remaining forms, and compiled all of their signature pages into the folder. (Most parents did this...some had to be redirected despite my GIANT sign.)

Station 2: Supply Drop Off
This worked pretty well. It was an easy way for me to get the new students involved while their parents filled out paperwork. The students seemed to enjoy sorting their supplies and for me it was a big help. A couple of parents wanted to simply put all of the supplies on the counter or their child's desk...::sigh:: However, once redirected, this was corrected.

Station 3: Backpacks
Students found their backpack hook. It was here that they left their backpacks and placed their binders.

Station 4: Meet the Teacher
At this station the parents asked any questions they had, handed in their folders and were offered a little treat.

Overall this was a successful evening. Like I said, I have a few tweaks to make but ultimately I'd say it was a positive experience for everyone.

I'm always trying to make improvements. As a parent/guardian, are there any particular things you like to see at your school's Open House? Any ideas for making a "meet the teacher" night more successful?

Thoughts for Thursday

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It's very probable that I'll be preparing for and/or in the swing of today's Open House at the time you're reading this. It's the day when I meet my new little ones and meet the families of those I'll be interacting with throughout the year. I'm very blessed to work for such an amazing school. While I know you'll think I'm biased (and quite frankly I am), I can't help but feel I work with one of the most wonderful groups of people that could possibly exist. Our administration is unlike any other and the sense of family and community are felt from the moment you walk in the door. It's this feeling of pride that gets me heated when our ability to educate is attacked. The saddest part is that we're not even battling the national politics. The damage is being done on the home front.

This evening we've been asked to attend a very important meeting where we'll find out the results of an exhaustive Efficiency Study requested by our town's board of supervisors. I am still in awe of how little some of the members and some of our own community think of the importance of education and the funding that is necessary to ensure that our children have what they need.

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I don't know what this evening's meeting will bring but I've prayed for our county and our school system. It's hard to see something I'm so passionate about being 1. taken for granted 2. underfunded and 3. under scrutiny. It's as if these people have forgotten that these children are our future and it's quite evident that they have no regard for the fact that someone, at some point in their lives, took the time to teach them, guide them, and encourage them to become something.



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I apologize for the rant...it just hurts my heart. However, I will proceed on. Come what may we are educators. Our hope lies in the future of these little faces that enter our doors. Our joy comes from revelations and the smallest of successes. We are blessed to play such an important part in the lives of those that have the potential to go on and change the world.

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I want to thank those of you who are invested in your child's education. I thank you for supporting your community's schools and teachers. Thank you for promoting, advocating, and hoping for a future. (And thanks for tolerating my vent session.)

I'm linking up today with Natalie and Annie for Thoughts on Thursday. I hope you'll join us!

Oh Hey Friday!

::tears:: My summer is over. ::more tears::

I've had some wonderful memories with my itty bitty and I'm slightly grieving all of the time I'm away from her during the day. I hate the thought of how much I'm missing...so I try not to think about it.

I love my job. While being a mom is the most important job I'll ever have, I also know that I've been called to teach. I feel so blessed to be able to do so many things that I love.

For this week's Oh Hey Friday! I thought I'd share a few reasons why I love what I do (this is actually reinforcement for me as I get back into the swing of things but hopefully you'll enjoy them as well.)

OHF 1
Ever since I was a little kid I loved buying new school supplies. There is just something so nostalgic about a brand new box of crayons. I've made a couple of trips to the store, and while I'm trying to really limit the amount of money I spend on teacher/student supplies this year, I can't help but add some things to my classroom supply arsenal.

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OHF 2

I love new ideas and great resources. I adore TeachersPayTeachers.com and the amount of free resources that can be found there. This week the site was running a sale and I purchased two great products. I have some foot work to do but once I get this "All Done!" center completed I'll be golden. I bought the remaining supplies I'll need and I am slowly getting it put together while putting my own spin on it. A huge shout out goes to Miss Kindergarten for making such a wonderful resource! (Hopefully I finish this sooner rather than later and will be able to show pics of my completed project.)

OHF 3

Not only did I enjoy buying new school supplies as a kid, but I loved going school clothes shopping. We were given a modest amount to spend and it was ours to do with as we saw fit (with parental guidance of course...they refused to let me spend $100 on one pair of shoes.) It's been a long time since I treated myself to some new clothes. I figured now would be a good time since I've not only lost weight but I've been cleaning out the closets as well.

You can see some of the items I purchased here. I'd still like to add a "teacher" shirt to my wardrobe...here are a couple of ideas that I'm considering.

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OHF 4

Another project I look forward to at the beginning of the school year is coming up with a simple little goody for the kids at Open House. This year I ran across this cute (and inexpensive) idea and ran with it. I made up my own label and stapled them to the gummy packages.

OHF 5

Finally, I adore my school and I adore my kids. I take my teaching very personally and I hold myself to high standards. I not only teach academics but I teach social skills, self confidence, self-worth, compassion, mercy, etc. Academics are very important but I take a personal interest in also cultivating good citizens out of these tiny people. They are our future. These first grade little minds that I help mold each day have the amazing potential to make wonderful, beautiful change in this world. After all, I see some of these kids more in one day than their own parents. Every moment I have with them is important and precious and every year I go into the new school year with this in mind: Each one of these students were placed in my room for a divine purpose. I am the teacher that has been chosen to impact their world and what I do with our time together means something.

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Linking up with September FARM and The Farmer's Wife for OHF.