La Vida Loca

One Hour!

2012-01-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

Healthy Tip #7 Would you give up an hour per day to save the life of someone you love? Love yourself enough to regain your health. Find one hour out of your 24 to exercise. You are an amazing person who deserves to be happy and healthy, it's ok to be selfish for one hour per day!

“I just don’t have time!” I hear this phrase over and over again when people ask me how I have lost weight. When it comes to exercise, most people find every excuse in the world why they cannot do it. I know, because I used to do the same thing! But the truth is that if it is something we want bad enough, we will make the time to do it. So, we have to make it personal. Ask yourself the question above, “would I be willing to sacrifice one hour out of my day if there was even a remote possibility that it might save the life of someone I loved?” For most all of us there is no hesitation in answering “yes” to that question. If our spouse, children, or parents lives were dependent on seven hours out of our week, we would do whatever it took to be faithful to those seven hours. Therefore, my challenge to you is to love yourself enough to add years to your life by exercising one hour per day. We have not had a “before and after” computer analysis of our bodies like they do on “The Biggest Loser” show, but I know that by exercising and eating healthy Tom and I have added several years to our lives.

Eat to Live, Do not Live to Eat!

2012-01-10T15:46:00.001-08:00

Healthy Tip #6 All of us use food to celebrate...we have to change our
mind set. We should look at food as something we need to survive, not for
pleasure or pastime. When you have something to celebrate, reward yourself with
something other than food. EAT TO
LIVE, DO NOT LIVE TO EAT!

As far as I know, every culture includes food as part of their
celebrations. In fact if we hear about
an upcoming event, we automatically begin to wonder what kind of food they will
serve. This is a very difficult mindset to change because most of us grew up
planning birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners and New Year’s
Eve, Super Bowl and Fourth of July Celebrations. The big question is always, “What shall we
eat?”

I love to eat food that tastes good.
I love to taste a variety of cultural dishes and I have always enjoyed
delicious desserts. However, Tom and I
decided that if we were going to live a healthy lifestyle, we should find other
ways to celebrate. We would think of an
activity that we would enjoy doing together or with the whole family.

We recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. We talked about dressing up and going to a
nice restaurant in Memphis. However, we
realized that with the lifestyle change we had made, we would probably pay for
meals that we would eat very little of and we would just be throwing our money
away. Instead, we decided on an activity
that we would enjoy doing together. So,
we went to Little Rock for the day and climbed Pinnacle Mountain! We would have probably eaten the food at the
fancy restaurant and forgotten all about it, but our first mountain climb
together was an awesome experience we will never forget! We took plenty of pictures and we will always
have those memories.

Eat to Live,

2012-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Choose wisely at restaurants

2012-01-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Healthy Tip #5 We all go to restaurants occasionally...1.) Study the menu and make the healthiest choice possible, 2.) Share a meal or if that is not possible eat only half and take the rest home for tomorrow. Not only will you be saving on your calories, but also your wallet! (If you have to do fast food, choose Subway.)

For the first several months of our healthy lifestyle, we avoided restaurants. However, we decided that if this was going to be a way of life, we would occasionally go out to eat. Our favorite food is Mexican, so we decided to go to our local Mexican restaurant. The first time we went, we tried to choose the healthiest meals possible. We decided on the plate called “tacos carne asada” which included fajita steak on tortillas, beans and rice. We each ordered a plate and in the meantime enjoyed some chips and salsa( one of the snacks we allow ourselves). After our food came, we attempted to eat our meals and realized we had way too much food. The next time we went, we decided to order the same meal, but this time we shared. Also, we asked for corn tortillas because they have fewer calories than flour. We were still quite full after sharing a meal so we decided that when we went again we would leave off the rice. Since then we have always shared a meal at restaurants. We only go once or twice per month, but we try to make a healthy choice and control our portions. If we are in a situation where we need to eat lunch quickly, we try to find a Subway sandwich shop and we share a foot long sandwich. We have come to realize that most plates you order at restaurants have enough food on them for two people. We also realize that eating half that amount is sufficient; we are never hungry when we leave a restaurant…and the good part is we usually save about ten dollars on our bill!

Choose an exercise plan that works for you!

2012-01-06T03:28:00.000-08:00

Healthy Tip #4 Find an exercise plan that is right for you. Start off reasonably. For example, if you choose to walk, start with a mile and build up from there. Don't try to conquer the world in one day...remember this is a lifestyle change, not just a short term recreation!

The first day Tom and I exercised, we walked less than a mile. We didn’t (couldn’t) walk very fast and we were huffing and puffing and complaining by the time we got home. We had been so inactive physically that our muscles hurt from that one walk. However, we didn’t let it stop us. We continued to shuffle down the streets of our neighborhood day after day. I’m sure that in the beginning some of our neighbors probably thought we were a lost cause- two extremely overweight people hobbling along –but we kept on. Soon we had increased our walk to two miles and by summer we were up to a daily four mile walk! At that point we had gained some confidence and we bravely bought bikes(cruisers). The first time we rode our bikes, we laughed the whole way because neither of us had been on a bike in 15 years. But, by the end of the summer we had added a 10 mile bike ride to our four mile walk. I imagine at that point, our neighbors were thinking these people are actually getting somewhere! We continued our biking and walking through the fall of 2010, and then we put our bikes away till spring, but kept walking. When spring arrived we decided to add a little bit of running to our walk. So, we started out by running about a tenth of a mile for every mile and gradually we increased it to running a tenth, walking a tenth and then running two-tenths, walking a tenth and so on. In the summer of 2011 we decided to challenge ourselves to what we called “Hell Week.” We actually doubled our exercise for an entire week, we did two- four mile walk/runs and two- ten mile bike rides each day. At this point our neighbors were actually stopping and telling us they had been watching us from the beginning and we had inspired them! As summer went on, we began to increase our run to longer distances. At the end of September, we did our first 5K race (3.1 miles). Since then we have done a trail run, climbed a mountain and started training for a half marathon (13.1 miles). On Sunday, January 1st, 2012 we ran eight miles (Tom has made it to 10). So we went from walking a slow mile in March of 2010 to running between 25-30 miles per week in January 2012. It has taken us 22 months to get to this point, but as I said, “You can’t conquer the world in one day!”

Choose to eat healthy

2012-01-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Healthy tip #3 Set yourself up for success. Do NOT go out and buy expensive diet food...use regular food that you and your family can eat every day. The key is to choose wisely... start reading labels!

I have heard many people say, “I can’t afford to go on a diet!” In fact, I have said myself that it is cheaper to buy junk food than healthy food. However, when I made up my mind to be healthy, I did not go out and buy all the things that said diet, sugar free or fat free on them, I decided to buy regular food that anyone in my family would eat. We chose to follow a diabetic exchange food plan. I have an example of a 1500 calorie plan below:

You can exchange or trade one food for another from the same food group. For example, you can choose 1 slice of bread instead of 3/4 cups of dry cereal, or a potato instead of a dinner roll. For other alternatives, see the lists under "Diabetic Exchange Plan."
BREAKFAST Food Groups
• 2 breads or starches, such as 3/4 cup (6 ounces) corn flakes and 1 slice toast
• 1 fruit, such as 1 small (5-inch) banana or 1/2 of a 9-inch banana
• 1 milk, such as 1 cup skim or 1 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. margarine
LUNCH Food Groups
• 2 ounces meat or protein, such as 2 ounces sliced turkey breast
• 2 breads or starches, such as 2 slices bread
• 1 vegetable, such as 1 lettuce leaf and 2 tomato slices
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. regular mayonnaise or 2 tsp. low-fat mayonnaise
AFTERNOON SNACK Food Groups
• 1 milk, such as 1 cup (8 ounces) skim or 1 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 vegetable, such as 1 cup carrot sticks
• 1 fat, such as 2 Tbs. fat-free salad dressing (can use with carrot sticks)
DINNER Food Groups
• 3 ounces meat or protein, such as 3 ounces lean roast beef
• 2 starches, such as one 3-inch baked potato and 1 medium (2-1/2 inch) dinner roll
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. margarine
• 2 vegetables, such as 1 cup (8 ounces) cooked mixed vegetables
• 1 fruit, such as 1-1/4 cups fresh strawberries
EVENING SNACK Food Groups
• 1 bread, such as three 2-1/2 inch square graham crackers
• 1 meat or meat substitute, such as 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Some of the food we include in our food plan are: Breads-whole wheat bread, oatmeal, wheat/triscuit crackers. Meat- chicken, hamburger patty, lean deli turkey or ham. Vegetables- frozen, fresh or raw- any kind. Fruits- bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe (cheaper to buy whatever is in season). Milks- low-fat (skim or 1%) milk, deli sliced cheese. Other- peanut butter (I buy Peter Pan whipped 1/3 less sugar), barbeque sauce, salsa. Snacks- popcorn, tortilla chips. Drinks- water, un-sweet tea, coffee.

We grill our meat and use seasoning or marinade. We do not buy canned foods. We read labels and we measure our amounts. I buy the small snack bags for lunch, so it helps me measure and limit the amount of food we take to work. We buy water flavorings for our water and we use an artificial sweetener in tea or coffee. Also we add sugar free creamer to our coffee.

The key is control and consistency

"Healthy" is a choice!

2012-01-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

Healthy Tip #2 Do not use the "D" word ( DIET). This is a lifestyle change, not just a fad or a health kick. Make up your mind that HEALTHY is the choice you are going to make from this day forward.

Tom and I decided that our motivation was to be healthy. Our goal was to improve our health so that we would not be dependent on medications and doctor visits. We did not drag the scale out and weigh ourselves on March 14, 2010. In fact, we didn't weigh for at least the first two to three months of our lifestyle change. However, Tom did test his blood sugar on a daily basis and I monitored my blood pressure. I believe because we made health our motivation instead of weight, we were able to get through those first few months (the hardest part) to the point where we were seeing healthy results (lower blood sugar and blood pressure) and the weight loss was just an added benefit. Now Tom's blood sugar stays around 95 and my blood pressure averages about 112/70. However, we have to constantly remind each other that we have chosen to live this way in order to be healthy. It's too easy to become obsessed with the scale and worry more about losing the next pound rather than remember the health benefits.

I won't deny that we have enjoyed sharing the "numbers" of our weight loss. However, our real reward is that we have regained our health, we feel great, we take no medications, we've had very few doctor's visits and our bodies seem to recover much more quickly if we do contract a virus or bug that is going around.

If you are ready to make a lifestyle change, let your HEALTH be your motivator.

It's Your Choice!

2012-01-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

Almost two years ago, my husband Thomas and I decided it was time to start living a healthy lifestyle. I had high blood pressure and he had high blood sugar. Now 22 months later, I have lost 120 pounds, He has lost 185 lbs and we have NO health problems! I have not blogged for a long time, but I thought I would try to get back to it this year in order to share our incredible journey with whoever chooses to read this. I will start out today by telling you how we got started. We simply made a choice. We woke up on March 14, 2010 and Tom tested his blood sugar because he was not feeling well. It tested at almost 300. He looked at me and said "I am ready to do something about this, we have to start living healthy if we want to see our kids grow up." So we did! that day we threw out the food in our house that was not healthy, we decided to follow a diabetic food plan and we took a short walk. We are still eating healthy everyday, but our short walk has turned into running between 20-30 miles per week.
Tip # 1 Make a choice, start today! don't wait until tomorrow or until the goodies are gone. purge
your house and start now...this hour, this minute!

As Tom always says if we can do it anybody can do it!

I will continue this blog weekly and share with you the struggles, tears, the joy and the victories of our journey to a healthy lifestyle.

Great Expectations

2009-09-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

Expect is a word we use quite often, in fact on a daily basis. We expect to get up everyday and go to work, we expect a paycheck for the work we do, we expect our children to do their best in school, we expect our husband or wife to be faithful to us.....
We live lives filled with expectations, in fact those who stop expecting have nothing to live for, their lives become dormant and hopeless. In my life I have heard people say such things as "you can't expect God to rain money down from Heaven" or "Don't expect God to do this or that." As I began to think about these statements, I realized that people who make them are putting limitations on God. Not only are they limiting God, but they are planting seeds of doubt in others. The God I believe in can do anything!
Since expectation ( anticipation, looking forward to) is what faith is all about, then I must expect God to do things that seem impossible to me. I used to think that God honored my faith because of who I was or how I acted, But I now realize that no matter where you are in life, if you have the faith that He is a God who can do anything, then you can EXPECT the impossible in your life. Don't Limit God....His abilities are limitless!!!!

Haughtiness and Hatefulness

2009-09-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

It's obviously been a long time since I have blogged, but I thought today would be a good time to start again. The thought on my mind today is haughtiness and hatefulness. Yes, I know that seems quite negative, but I don't mean to come across that way. I am disturbed by the amount of people who identify themselves as Christians, but have such haughty and hateful spirits. Sometimes the remarks they make (or write) leave me feeling unsettled. I don't condemn them but I am concerned that they don't realize that sometimes statements we make have a way of coming back to haunt us. I have heard people laugh and ridicule others over financial situations, or other messes they find themselves in. Sadly, the things that are said always seem to raise their ugly heads in the lives of those who never thought "it would happen to them." The words we say have a way of revealing our character. When I hear (or read) words that sound haughty or hateful I begin to ask myself, what kind of person would say something like this? I hope my words will in some way be helpful. I want to strive to be careful of my words so that I never intentionally or unintentionally hurt someone. I do not want others to question my character because of the words I say.

True Friends

2008-07-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it takes a near tragedy to realize who your true friends are. My Mother-in-law had a heart by-pass and heart valve replacement in June. One week after she was released from the hospital, she went to have some fluid drained from her chest cavity, while doing a fairly simple procedure, the doctor punctured her liver. A few hours later she was rushed to the hospital with little hope of making it through the night. We made our way 500 miles north in the middle of the night, not knowing if we would see her alive the next morning. Thankfully, she survived, but things went from bad toworse in just a few days, more surgery and procedures ensued, finally resulting in a near fatal hospital acquired staph infection. She is finally onthe upswing , but is still very critical after four weeks. Her recovery and rehab is going to be long and hard. We were in Rockford helping my father in law from June 30 to July 28. The people who brought food to show their support were friends (not family), in fact, they were people who many would call sinners, however, they had that charitable giving spirit that the Bible talks about. Of course my mom and my sister Amy called daily to encourage us and assure us that they were praying, but I found it incredible that friends from Arkansas also called daily, people were praying from every denomination in our little town. We left our home for a month, but our mail was picked up and sent to us, our lawn was taken care of and or house was checked on daily--all by friends who continually called asking if there was anything else they could do to help us. I am so thankful that God provides us with true friends. In Corinthians chapter 13 it says "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." I am thankful to all of those who were so good to us and you'll never know how much it meant to just receive a phone call of encouragement.

Great Nieces

2008-04-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

I will now add a blog with pictures of my great nieces. I have four beautiful great nieces. They live in different parts of the country, so I have not had the privelege of actually meeting two of them. My oldest great niece is Mackenzie. She is adorable and smart and has the most beautiful red hair and blue eyes. Her little sister Madison is just as gorgeous and I think she looks like her daddy, my nephew Philip. they live way up in Michigan, so unfortunately I have not been able to meet them and their mother Holly.

I also have a great niece in Rockford, Illinois. Her name is Olivia and she is as cute as a bug. She is the daughter of Tom's nephew, Noel. She is also the proud sister of twin brothers!

The newest addition is my great niece, Emma Grace. She was born on April 5, 2008 and she lives in Arkansas!. I actually got to see her and hold her right after she was born. Her mother is my niece Tara. Emma Grace is a beautiful baby and I am sure she will grow up to be beautiful like her mother!

So, now I have given equal time to all of the new little ones in the family. I guess I will have to start on the big ones. But I will save that for later!!!!

Rain, Rain and more Rain

2008-04-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I have added to my blog, but it has been a busy time here in Newport, Arkansas. As I'm sure most of you have heard or seen in the news, we have had some major flooding in our area. We were driving around today to look at some of the flood waters and it is incredible how quickly the water is rising.

As we were driving through the small town of Jacksonport which is located on the White River, I saw a very appropriate sign in front of a small church. The sign said simply "Red Sea, White River, Same God!" What a powerful message to those who are suffering the effects of the flood. This sign along with this picture I took of the rain pouring down as the sun was shining brightly, made me think about how no matter how hard the rain is , the Son always makes His presence known in our lives. For those of you who read this, please pray for the people in this area that are facing evacuation and destruction of their homes, some of them are my students and they already live below the poverty level and struggle to make it from day to day.

Great Nephews!!!

2008-02-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

Caleb Benjamin Niswonger

I just had to put this picture on here! This is my great nephew Caleb Benjamin Niswonger. I had the privelege of meeting him and his mom for the first time a few weeks ago. He is such a handsome baby and I am sure he will grow up to be good looking just like his daddy.

Since I last posted on my blog I now have two more great nephews. Tom's nephew Noel is the proud daddy of twin boys Parker and Noel. They were born February 17th. Parker weighed 5lbs 8oz and Noel weighed 4lbs 15oz. They are doing great. Between Tom and I, we now have 8 (almost 9) great nieces and nephews. Wow, that makes me feel old!!!!

Parker and Noel Lyons

I have two great nephews who live in Trumann, Arkansas. Their names are Charlie and Levi Sanders. Their dad is my nephew Jonathan. Here is their picture.

Charlie Jonathan and Levi Jeffery

January and February

2008-02-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time since I have been on here. But believe me when you teach second graders, the time flies by. Many things have happened since Christmas. January was busy. I have started preparing for my Praxis III test which is my final test before I receive my permanent teaching license. An evaluator will come to my class and watch me teach and interview me about my teaching philosophy, etc. In February, we received the sad news that Granny Hawks had passed away. We were both tearful and joyful that she could finally be pain free and reunite with Grandpa, Dad, and her other children who had gone before her. Granny was a strong lady who had lived through a lot of tragedies and I always admired her courage as the matriarch of the large Hawks family. We traveled to Illinois for her funeral. We left some very nice weather and entered the frigid north. My kids were so excited to see the snow. Despite the fact that we went for such a sad occasion, it was good to see my family and many relatives I had not seen in years. On Saturday after the funeral, we went to my sister Deb's house in Dekalb, Illinois and I had lunch with my mom and my brother and sisters. We really enjoyed being together. I am glad that we spent some time together and I hope we can do it again when it is by our choice and not for a funeral. Well now I have updated my blog for the last two months. I will try to get on here more often. I have posted a picture above af my family.

It's The Thought That Counts!

2007-12-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007 has come to an end. It was a wonderful day! My kids were so excited and they got a lot of stuff they wanted. It is always so sad to me to see the tree look so bare after the presents are opened and the paper cleared away.
We went to see Mom over the weekend. It was good to be with her. I always enjoy seeing her at Christmas time. she never has an unexpected guest. If somebody pops in, a gift magically appears just for them. She may have bought it at their yard sale last summer, but, hey, it's the thought that counts! I guess I should explain that comment. One year my mom bought a candle at a yard sale and it was brand new, so she put it away in case she needed a quick gift. At Christmas, Mom loves to give the neighbor ladies "a little something" so she wrapped the yard sale candle up and gave it to the neigbor down the street. Later she told Dad that she had given the neighbor that candle. She was so embarrassed when he told her she had given it to the very neighbor she had bought it from during the summer! Of Course Mom didn't just let it go, she wentdown the street, bearing a new gift, to apologize to the neighbor. That story, among others, is priceless and portrays what a special and unique individual my Mom is. I can see that she is aging, but she is one of those people who just seem eternally young because of her spirit and her energy. I realize that she is 71 years old, but I hope God gives her many more years.
The New Year is on its way and who knows what surprises or disappointments it may bring. I just want to face this New Year with a new attitude, a positive outlook and an expectation that great things will happen!

Christmas is...

2007-12-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

As Christmas nears, I begin to think about all of the wonderful things that go with it. I talked to my children about the miracle of Christmas the other day. I told them that wonderful things happen during the Christmas season and they should never doubt the magic of Christmas. My children, Rebekah and Luke are 10 and 8 years old. I love to see the way their eyes light up around this time of year. We have been enjoying a tradition since they were very small, "the twelve days of Christmas." I buy small gifts from the dollar store and they receive one every day until Christmas Eve. For them, this is just as exciting as Christmas day. They jump out of bed every morning to tear open their dollar gifts with great anticipation. It may be a coloring book or lip gloss, but it helps them "make it" until Christmas!
This year I felt a little bit sad, because their lists were no longer filled with toys and dolls. Luke asked mostly for electronics and Rebekah had a lot of clothes on her list. I guess they are growing up! We will stay home for Christmas this year. We used to visit family, but now the kids want to stay home and enjoy their presents. I remember how I used to hate to leave my toys and go visiting.
After reading my sister Susan's blog about all of the outrageous decorations we see at Christmas, I thought of something that happened when we lived in San Antonio. It was lonely at Christmas because we had just moved in November and we had no family there, so we decided to take a ride through some of the nicer neighborhoods and look at the lights. One particular neighborhood was having a contest for the best decorations, so of course there were alot of people competing with Chevy Chase. As we drove through looking at each grand display promoting the commercialism of the season, we turned the corner and saw a house that displayed only a simple sign with a spotlight shining on it. The sign read "Simply Jesus." We did not linger long after that, because that sign touched our hearts and reminded us that He is truly the reason for the season and the other displays had lost their glimmer in comparison to those simple words.
Let us all be reminded this year that Jesus is the Reason we celebrate Christmas!

I'm Thankful for Dr. Pepper!

2007-11-21T18:18:00.000-08:00

As I read through the "I'm Thankful For.." Placemats my second graders made to take home for Thanksgiving, I browsed through the general statements most of them made such as "I'm Thankful for my family and my food, or my grandma and grandpa. But one placemat in particular caught my eye, One of my little guys who absolutely hates to write, wrote "I am Thankful for my mom and dad and for Dr. Pepper! I laughed at first, and then I began to think about how most of us just make generic statements, even when we pray, we pray in general terms, "Dear God, provide our needs." We are many times to lazy to be specific, when sometimes God would like to hear the specifics. I imagine my student will have Dr. Pepper with his meal tomorrow, because he dared to say exactly what he was thankful for. This has taught me a lesson and from now on when I pray, I will let God know that I am thankful for Dr. Pepper!!

Balcony People

2007-11-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a Reading Conference in Little Rock. The majority of the sessions I attended were very good and helpful. However, I attended a general session where the speaker was a children's author named Steven Layne. He was not only an outstanding speaker, he was very motivational. The name of his speech was "Balcony People" He spoke about "identifying the people whose contributions to your life have altered your direction, smoothed the path ahead, or guided you across treacherous ground. Those who have helped us become all that we are - our personal cheerleaders - deserve to be remembered. These are our balcony people." He really made me stop and think about all of those who have sat in my balcony and rooted for me and believed in me even when I doubted myself. Sometimes when we are successful and we have attained our goals we become somewhat self satisfied believing that we did it on our own. However, the people in our lives such as spouses, parents, teachers, pastors, friends and others also deserve credit for their contributions, whether it be in the form of words of encouragement, constructive criticism or prayers. I am so thankful for all of those who have been balcony people in my life and I am going to do my best to let them know I appreciate them.

Happy Veteran's Day

2007-11-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, a day to remember all of those who have so faithfully served our country, doing a job that most of us would never want to do. I want to honor my sailor, Thomas Joe Samaniego, who served our country for eight years as a Navy Medic. He was part of the Desert Shield Operation which paved the way for Desert Storm in 1991. I always say that God spared him from Desert Storm because I was praying for a husband! I am proud of my husband, he not only served his country, but he has been a wonderful husband for 16 years (November 16th) and a great dad to our two children, Rebekah and Luke.

Sometimes it is so easy to pass this day over as just a day off or day that the bank is closed. But try to say "thank you" to a veteran and tell them how proud you are that they have given their time to serve our country selflessly.

Thanks Dad!

2007-11-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I have been thinking about my dad. Maybe it is because it was mom's birthday yesterday and I think every year how lonely she is without him, because he always made her birthday special. Also, I was contemplating "real versus plastic" people. My dad was a "real" person and he despised those who tried to act like something they were not. I remember mom trying to apologize for him when he spoke his mind. He would always say, "I meant what I said, or I wouldn't have said it!" That was so true about him. I guess the older I get, the more I discover how much I appreciate his realism and how much I am like him. He did not have a college education , but he had "common sense" and, now I realize, a whole lot of wisdom. He had a strong personality and a lot of persistence, he taught me that sometimes you have to keep going no matter how much you hurt or how tired you are. His inspiration was one of the things that helped me finish school. There were times I felt like I just couldn't go anymore, but I knew I was doing it for my family. There were many times as a teenager that I did not understand the decisions he made and the way he felt about things, but now I am beginning to understand as I see my children growing up. I want them to be real. I want them to understand that life is not always easy and sometimes we have to go through hardships, but we NEVER give up! Dad, I know you have been gone for six years, but thank you for the part of you that you left behind in me. And thank you for helping me to be a "real" person.

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."-- by Margery Williams, from The Velveteen Rabbit --

Mi Vida Loca

2007-11-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my crazy life...

I felt like "La Vida Loca" would be the perfect name for my site because as a recent college graduate and a new second grade teacher, my life is just that! I have finally finished school and attained my goal of becoming a certified teacher. I have discovered that the past four years of working, going to school and being a wife and a mother was just the beginning of the whirlwind that is now my life. As I write this blog, I am sitting down to relax (without lesson plans) for the first time since August 20th when school started. Being a teacher is one of the most rewarding, but very time consuming, careers there is. Many people think that being a teacher is a "cop-out" career, but what they do not understand is the amount of time and training a traditional teacher goes through continually. The training does not stop when you graduate, nor does it get put on hold so you can have three month summer vacation. Many do not realize the depth of responsibility a person takes on when they become a teacher, that is, if they are a truly dedicated teacher. We are not just training worthless snotty-nosed kids. In fact a passionate teacher sees the potential in each child- doctors, lawyers, presidents- we are training the future, our future. The teaching profession does not provide the highest paid positions, but if you think about it, those who do have the highest paid positions in our country once sat in an elementary school learning from a second grade teacher. It amazes me how little respect is shown to those in the teaching profession in the 21 century. In the days of Christ, a teacher was endowed with the title of master and very highly respected.

The students I teach may never belong to the elite group of society, however, my duty is to believe in them and to encourage them to be anything they want to be. I may be the only person who ever pushes them to reach for the stars. I must not see my students as thugs, losers or any other derogatory term. I must only see them as winners, twenty little success stories! Some may write me off as just a new teacher full of false hopes and unrealistic goals, but I hope that I never stop believing in the potential of my students. I realize that they have other influences that may pull them toward the dark side of life, but what if i can do or say something that will help them choose to be successful, what if...I know that I am rambling on, but I do hate to see teachers or "wannabe teachers" who see nothing but losers in their students. They call them ugly names (behind their backs of course) and they constantly criticize them. I hope they realize that children sense these things, They know when they are truly loved.

I have an awesome second grade class. They are not perfect, in fact, they love to talk- all the time. But they are children who, for seven hours a day come to a safe environment, have a warm meal and find some love and compassion. The remaining hours of the week are unknown. They may go home on Friday and have nothing decent to eat until Monday morning. What right do I have to belittle them when I have always been safe and loved.I guess I should get off my soap box- but, hey this is my blog and I guess there is no better place to state my opinion and feelings. Who ever reads this has a right to their opinion and as my dad always said, "You have a right to be wrong!"