SnowOwl - Just the Basics

[SnowOwl]

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to keep up with NF this round, but I'm sure going to try! Nothing flashy here, I'll just be doing my best to meet these goals and post updates.

 

Feel free to post funny things and keep us all entertained!

 

Background: I was just hired (three weeks into the school year) to teach a 5th/6th combined class in a very small rural school. This was unplanned (I started a few days after I received a text asking if I had a teaching license) and my husband and I are trying to adjust from me being a housewife to me working full-time. The first week of this challenge I will be shadowing the current teacher, the second week I will be teaching while she observes, and by the third week I'll be on my own. 

 

Goals:

 

Eat Breakfast

    Since having to be up at 5:30am this past week , I stopped eating breakfast. I grab a banana and eat it in the car. I’m just not hungry that early and my usual breakfast of eggs makes me feel queasy. So, I need to cook ahead and have some healthy things ready that I can take and eat in the car or at school in the mornings.

 

Love my Dog

    My poor baby gets left home all day now so I need to make more of an effort to care for him when I get home - a walk as soon as I get home and at least a few minutes of playtime.

 

Run

    Complete the Platform 9 3/4 walk/run (virtual) by then end of September. Sign up for another Hogwarts run for October. Plus, run at least 1 mile twice a week. (This can be “running” up and down the bottom stair inside if needed, in which case 1/2 mile counts.)

 

Prep Ahead

    Before I leave my classroom at the end of the day, everything for the next day will be prepped, copied, and set out ready for the morning. 

 

Bonus Goal: Preserve the Weekend!

Grades for the week will be done and entered into the electronic grade book by Friday at 3pm. (writing projects or other special projects excepted)

[zeroh13]

Good luck with the challenge, and your new teaching job!

[Leimanu]

Congrats on the new job! Have fun with the goals. The dog will be happy. 

[Jayniana Jones]

Following along. I think your goals are good ones to help you with the transition. Have fun!

 

 

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Sunday

 

Shark Week, so extra challenging time and I'm an emotional mess this evening, but I'm so grateful that it's this week when I'm still observing and not my first week teaching!

 

Eat Breakfast

    Yes (easy on the weekend)

 

Love my Dog

    Took him on a run this morning, but no playtime today. No points against me since I was home with him all day today.

 

Run

    I did my Platform 9 3/4k this morning! I ran half and walked half. This also counts as 1 of my 2 runs for the week.

 

Prep Ahead

    n/a

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    n/a

[SaltyDragon]

Congratulations again on the new job! Sounds like you've got a good plan. Transition can be challenging, even if it's for the better (as I'm learning, right now, too). Following for support!

[Grayspeed]

Simple challenges are the best challenges, and good luck with the new job!

[Vibrantella]

Good luck with your challenge, you seem to have had a good start!   Congratulations on your new job!  

[FatboySuave]

The teaching gig sounds like an exciting new challenge! You're going to do great!

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Monday

Tired today, but pretty good day. I’m feeling much more ready to start teaching and I started a classwish.org donation page so I can hopefully get some money donated from friends and family to buy things for my class - like new books! (How can I teach in a classroom without Harry Potter?!) Tomorrow I spend my first few minutes in front of the class surveying the kids about which books they would most like to read when we start new book club groups in a few weeks.

 

Eat Breakfast

    Yes (cold pizza - the best breakfast!)

 

Love my Dog

    Yes - Playgroup this evening

 

Run (1/2)

    no - wiped out

 

Prep Ahead

    n/a (Working on things for next week so I’ll be ready for this!)

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    n/a

[Ensi]

Cold pizza for breakfast sounds jealous-worthy! x__x I believe you could manage teaching without the Harry Potter books, but then again, why would you do that  I hope you'll get the books! The website is a good idea for getting resources

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Tuesday

I’m really tired and emotional, but I’m doing well at school. I’m not holding it together as well at home, but that’s ok it’s shark week and I have a lot of stress too. I did take my dog for a walk when I got home today and made a nice dinner. I do not have any breakfast ready for tomorrow though, so I need to think about what I could pull together quickly in the morning to eat in the car. I’m having some trouble with my eye and may need to have a minor surgery done on Thursday, so, tomorrow is my last day at school this week. I need to have everything copied and planned and ready for Monday before I leave tomorrow.

 

Eat Breakfast

    Yes (pizza)

 

Love my Dog

    Yes, walk. I didn’t really play with him today, but I did throw his toy for him a couple of times.

 

Run (1/2)

    no 

 

Prep Ahead

    n/a

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    n/a

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Wednesday

I had to leave my yoga class early because I started getting dizzy and nauseous. It’s getting worse, especially if I lie down or close my eyes. I hope I’m not getting an ear infection or something! It’s the worst feeling - not being able to make the room sit still.

 

Eat Breakfast

    Yes (cold cereal - need to work on this)

 

Love my Dog

    Yes, I took him for a walk as soon as I got home. No playtime with my dizziness.

 

Run (1/2)

    no - I won’t be able to get a second one in this week.

 

Prep Ahead

    Yes! Since I’ll be out for the rest of the week, I got everything ready for Monday before I left today.

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    n/a

[FatboySuave]

7 minutes ago, SnowOwl said:

 

Daily Update: Wednesday

I had to leave my yoga class early because I started getting dizzy and nauseous.

 

 

Yikes, that sounds kind of scary. I hope everything is OK! 

[Owlet]

4 minutes ago, SnowOwl said:

I had to leave my yoga class early because I started getting dizzy and nauseous. It’s getting worse, especially if I lie down or close my eyes. I hope I’m not getting an ear infection or something! It’s the worst feeling - not being able to make the room sit still.

Oh no, fingers crossed you feel better really soon! 

[SaltyDragon]

That's terrible – I hope you get through it quickly!

 

My go-to breakfasts to get out the door quick are plain greek yogurt with banana and/or berries and nuts, microwave oatmeal with a scoop of yogurt and same fruit/nuts, or sometimes toast or english muffin with cream cheese or butter and jam. Nothing exciting, but they're easy and reasonably nutritious. I also just discovered that you can melt a scoop of peanut butter in said oatmeal to make it extra filling! I rarely eat eggs, but if you do (and you have chickens, don't you?), keep a few hard-boiled in the fridge.

[zeroh13]

11 hours ago, SaltyDragon said:

I also just discovered that you can melt a scoop of peanut butter in said oatmeal to make it extra filling!

I did that all the time as a kid.  (Though it was more like 2 or 3 scoops.)

 

My top go-to on-the-go breakfast is also Greek yogurt with a banana. Toast is also good cause you can eat it on the way to the bus or car.

 

If I know the night before that I'll be in a hurry, or might not be hungry till later (say I leave at 5am), I might make overnight oats.

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Thursday

Feeling better today. I went to my eye appointment and the doctor wants to wait on surgery and try one other option first. I’m skeptical, but willing to try (because I have no choice, lol). So, I stayed home and lounged around a bit today and will be heading to work tomorrow. 

 

Eat Breakfast

    No

 

Love my Dog

    Yes - we went to the sandbar

 

Run (1/2)

    No

 

Prep Ahead

    Yes

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    n/a

[Lightning]

I get dizzy and nauseous throughout Autumn and Winter.  Pretty sure it's a mold allergy in my case.  I can't work on headstands for 5 months out of the year. 

 

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Friday

So ready for the weekend! 

 

My (20 year old) former foster daughter messaged me on Facebook this evening that she is going to be homeless because she broke up with her boyfriend and that she’s ready to get clean (meth) and can she please come stay with us. It’s killing me to tell her no, but she steals, she a meth addict, and honestly, she is just unsanitary and probably has staph and other communicable diseases. I sure wish I could help her and I would totally keep rescuing her and my own life would be a mess if my husband didn’t help me set boundaries. We told her if she was clean for three days she could come up next week, she didn’t respond, but her mom called. I didn’t answer. I wish there was some way to help addicts. I know there isn’t. I gave her resources and told her were to go to get help. I can’t do anything else, but I just see my sweet little girl and want to save her.

 

Eat Breakfast

    Yes - peanut butter toast in the car

 

Love my Dog

    Yes

 

Run (1/2)

    No

 

Prep Ahead

    I even got the board all set with Monday’s schedule. I’m as ready as I can be.

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    Going to do my very best not to do work this weekend. I’ll probably type up my plan for Monday in an obscene amount of detail since I’m slightly worried I’ll forget my name, but no other work.

[ixaera]

11 hours ago, SnowOwl said:

My (20 year old) former foster daughter messaged me on Facebook this evening that she is going to be homeless because she broke up with her boyfriend and that she’s ready to get clean (meth) and can she please come stay with us. It’s killing me to tell her no, but she steals, she a meth addict, and honestly, she is just unsanitary and probably has staph and other communicable diseases. I sure wish I could help her and I would totally keep rescuing her and my own life would be a mess if my husband didn’t help me set boundaries. We told her if she was clean for three days she could come up next week, she didn’t respond, but her mom called. I didn’t answer. I wish there was some way to help addicts. I know there isn’t. I gave her resources and told her were to go to get help. I can’t do anything else, but I just see my sweet little girl and want to save her.

 

How heartbreaking  It's very difficult to say no, but truthfully, it's what an addict needs to hear. The addict demon will scream and claw and bring out the guilt and doubt, but that's the addict part of them trying to survive. Getting clean is extremely difficult, in part because it's hard for family members to see them suffer.

 

(Source: Too many family members with current or former drug addictions.)

[Grayspeed]

I'm sorry about the foster daughter situation, that really sucks 

[The Borg Queen]

I bet you were a great foster parent!! And I support your decision. It's not the best time of year to be homeless, but you aren't her only option. There are plenty of places around here she can go. Also, you need to focus on you. 

 

And, speaking of you, this is going to sound like mean advice but I think you should be running 3 times a week. Hear me out! When you run less than 3 times a week you lose cardio health and it's actually harder when you do run. I'm sure there is some paper on this somewhere but I'm two lazy to find it, I just know 3 is the magic number. 

[SnowOwl]

Daily Update: Saturday

Went to an arts festival and “helped” (visited) my friend with her booth this morning, it was fun. 

Spent lots of time messaging with my foster daughter this evening. I think she is starting to understand that we are all here cheering for her, but that she has to get clean on her own. We’ll see if she really goes in on Monday and gets on the waitlist for rehab. I guess Monday will tell how serious she is and maybe she can get into the local homeless shelter for a few weeks while she waits, I think they have a waitlist too though. At least she's not screaming and crying and angry and blaming, she's listening and "talking" (messaging on Facebook) even after I told her she may not come here until after she has been to rehab, that's hopeful. I know she'll probably cycle through things like this for awhile, but I really hope she takes a solid step forward right now.

 

Eat Breakfast

    Yes - pizza (I love it, but I need to find a healthier option - since I can’t have dairy I use fake cheese and it’s really oily processed food.)

 

Love my Dog

    No, but my husband took him for a run (no points lost since it’s the weekend)

 

Run (1/2)

    No

 

Prep Ahead

    Yes

 

Preserve the Weekend!

    So far I’m doing good!

[Ensi]

3 hours ago, SnowOwl said:

 

Spent lots of time messaging with my foster daughter this evening. I think she is starting to understand that we are all here cheering for her, but that she has to get clean on her own. We’ll see if she really goes in on Monday and gets on the waitlist for rehab. I guess Monday will tell how serious she is and maybe she can get into the local homeless shelter for a few weeks while she waits, I think they have a waitlist too though. At least she's not screaming and crying and angry and blaming, she's listening and "talking" (messaging on Facebook) even after I told her she may not come here until after she has been to rehab, that's hopeful. I know she'll probably cycle through things like this for awhile, but I really hope she takes a solid step forward right now.

 

Sounds to me that you're doing this the right way, Snow, and I can only imagine how hard the situation is. Sending you a lot of strength!