Freshman 15

I love to eat!! It's in my blood. When I was little my cousins and I would always go to my Grandma Pat's house. Inevitably, we would always end up at General Custard's. We joke about it all the time and it is a funny memory that we all have together!! My love for food started very young!! I was always warned about the "Freshmen 15." I was told to be very careful when I went away to college because 15 lbs. would creep up on you, bite you on the butt, and hang on for dear life! So, I made it through college just fine. I didn't actually go away to college so maybe that had something to do with it. I pretty well stayed the same weight until I was 20. Then, I got my first teaching job in Steelville. I moved away from my family, friends and my boyfriend (My hubby). It was a very stressful time in my life. First year of teaching is ALWAYS stressful! I totally understood why they say to "never get married" or "never have a baby" during the first year of teaching. Thankfully, I wasn't at the point of marriage or baby at that time in my life. Instead, I dealt with being the "outsider" in a small community, learning a new job (Reading Recovery), being away from everybody I loved, and the many ups and downs in my relationship! Instead of gaining the dreaded 15...I lost about 20 lbs. It was the smallest I'd ever been in my life. I was in my friend, Jessica's wedding as a bridesmaid and my dress was a size 4. Unbelievable to imagine that now!! HA HA!! So, fast forward 7 years...marriage and a baby... I've finally put on that "Freshman 15..." I guess I can blame it on this horrible winter...but truth is, I had no discipline at all this winter. I stopped going to the gym and had way too many snow days to bake and eat!! I could blame it on almost 30...but, I know too many people who look great in their 30's!! Ugh!! So, it's all me!! When I got home today I wanted to eat something. Instead of eating, I started cleaning. I guess that is my relief! Throw myself into cleaning and maybe I'll just forget about it. I want to know your secrets!! What does everybody do to keep their mind off of food? Drink water? Clean? I've been eating healthy (don't like to say diet) since Sunday and I'm down 3 lbs. Well, I guess I better get going. Halle is offering me McDonald's French Fries (Pretend food). How ironic?!? Gotta go play with her!! :)

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

"Actions speak louder than words"

This saying keeps coming to mind tonight and I feel the need to blog about it. In school, we teach our students Character Education. It starts in Kindergarten. I know at Central Elementary we do an outstanding job teaching these character ed words like: honesty, caring, respect, friendship, responsibility, giving, etc.

This week we had the vocabulary word "noble." My students didn't know what it meant but when I explained it to them they seemed to "get it." I'm not saying that ALL of my students apply these characteristics in everyday life but they are definitely learning life lessons that they are going to be able to take with them.

The choices we make in our everyday life are going to come with some sort of consequence. Whether it be something we buy on a credit card (hello, interest!) or forgetting to pay a bill (No water or electric...how did that happen?) or accidently posting something inappropriate to Facebook....there will be a consequence. It's time to own the choices that we make and stop making excuses!

Your actions, my friend, speak louder than your words! What you do (how you live your life) is going to speak more volume to a stranger on the street than a million words that you have to say.

So, I leave you with this...."What are your actions speaking?"