The De-cluttering Has Begun

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. my husband laughed at my attempt to declutter

It’s a good start. I have to admit that I haven’t really dealt with what I’m doing with many of the items I have removed. Some are going to the cottage tomorrow (books, art supplies, some clothes) and I have started a recycling bag and a garbage bag.

Unfortunately much of what you don’t see has been pushed to the other end of the room that you don’t see. K says that we need a dumpster at the bottom of the window on that side of the room so that I can just push it right out the window. Anyway I have given myself till the end of the month and every time I have a spare minute or two I sort through more stuff. While I was waiting for these pictures to upload I managed to hang a few more things in the closet and throw some more things into the recycling bag.

My mother would be mortified if she were alive to see me post these pictures. I find it therapeutic and if it helps me get the job done, then so be it. It’s like losing weight for me. Talking about it on a blog and sharing it with whom ever reads it keeps me on track and honest.

I apologize in advance to my children and immediate family if this embarrasses you. Trust me, in the end it will have been worthwhile.

Before After

Reached My Goal and Beyond

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….yesterday I was 1/2 pound below my goal but was hesitant to share with you

As often happens when I reach a weight loss goal I go up the next day. Because of that I was hesitant to share my joy with you. I’m ecstatic today. When I got on the scale this morning I was down another pound, for a total of 21 1/2 pounds.

My next goal is another 20 pounds for a total of 40 pounds. I hope I can reach that goal by the end of the summer. It is exactly 8 weeks before my next BIG birthday, nine weeks before Labour Day and 11 1/2 weeks before the end of summer.

The last date is probably the most reasonable date to choose for my goal. With 18 1/2 pounds to go, Labour Day is also doable. I don’t want to jinx myself so I think I’ll just leave the actual timeline open for discussion.

I’m keeping today’s post short. I have to go into school to continue the clean-up and then I’m off to see a new doctor this afternoon.

Cheers!

Happy Canada Day!

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. a beautiful, hot day with lots going on in the city but very quiet at this end of town

No one was free to go to the cottage this weekend and I didn’t want to drive by myself so I started on my bedroom. I’ve even bought the paint. I think renovating and gardening are very Canadian things to do on the long weekend, next to going to the cottage. The streets are pretty quiet but Home Depot was busy.

Of course I can’t paint till I’ve removed the clutter. I’m starting at one corner of the room and working my way out. The problem is that the things I’ve cleaned up are spilling into the hallway. I need to decide what to do with the items I’ve removed and find a new home for them, preferably Good Will.

De-cluttering is a bit like losing weight. You have to stay focused and not stray from the goal. Don’t bring more things into the room than you take out (calories in vs. calories burned), celebrate the small accomplishments and don’t beat yourself up when you have an off day. Recruit help along the way. My blog family has definitely kept me on track with my weight loss. Now I need to find someone to help me remove the clutter from my life. Anyone interested?

I’ve started at the easy end of my bedroom, the side that I frequently organize so that when you walk by my bedroom it looks pretty good. The difference is that this time I’m removing even more items than I would normally. It’s when you take a couple of steps into the room when you really notice the chaos.

Oh well, I shan’t perseverate. On with the job. I’ll let you know of my progress when it’s noticeable.

Cheers!

Happy 145th Birthday Canada!

The Piece of Art I Was Gifted

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. a while back I told you about a piece of art a friend took off the gallery wall and gave to me to keep.

Sam’s gift to us. It was completely spontaneous on his part and very unexpected on ours.

The medium is acrylic paint done on a 12 x 16 canvas. Thank you, Sam!

Down 19 1/2 Pounds

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. I’m half a pound away from my goal and then it’s time to set a new goal

I wasn’t going to announce my weight loss until I reached my goal but I realized that I haven’t been writing too much about my weight loss journey in the last two to three weeks. I didn’t want people thinking that I was taking a break or worse had quit.

At the beginning of my journey I lost the weight pretty quickly but in June the weight loss slowed down. As I’ve said before, stress is a huge factor for me when it comes to losing weight and June has to be one of the most stressful months for teachers (at least it is in our school).

Now that school is over for the summer, no more excuses about stress. In fact the last pound and a half came off in the last 2 days. In the past I would have given up when the weight didn’t come off. This time I can’t even imagine stopping. I have a long way to go but setting smaller attainable goals works for me.

At school I’ve started cleaning out my classroom because a new teacher is taking it over in September. I don’t know if you can even imagine how much stuff I’ve accumulated over the last 13 years. It’s time to purge and it feels good getting rid of stuff I know I won’t be using again. I don’t have much choice because I have to move all my belongings to a small office in the library.

At home it’s time to purge as well. I want to pack up all my big clothes and give them away. I never want to wear them again. In the past I always hung on to my ‘fat’ clothes just in case and just in case always happened. Funny how I never hung onto my ‘skinny’ clothes.

Time to Treat Myself

… and I don’t mean with food. Over the years my bedroom became the dumping ground when my family members didn’t know where to put things. Laundry, papers, books, bills, etc. were deposited in various parts of my room. Unfortunately my bedroom was the one room I never got to when I cleaned the house for company.

Don’t get me wrong I did dust, vacuum, change the sheets and put away my laundry (eventually) but I never found the time to organize all the clutter. I’ve actually taken before pictures of my room and hope it will spur me on to finally organize my space.

Once that’s done I’d also like to paint my room. It’s the only room in the house that still has the original coat of paint when we renovated the house over 20 years ago. So not only do I need to purge at school but I’m ready to do it in my bedroom. My goal is to have it done by the end of July. Stay tune for the updates.

Swimming

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. a fun day for the grade 5s and somewhat relaxing for their teachers

The day started out overcast and grey despite the forecast of warm and sunny. None the less we herded 55 eager boys and girls onto the yellow ‘cheese wagon’ and made our way to the outdoor pool in Mississauga.

When we arrived the lifeguard confirmed with us that we were participating in the ‘Swim to Survive’ program with some recreational swimming. Thinking it was the same as every other year but with a new name we said agreed and sat back and watched the most amazing program unfold before our eyes.

The children were divided into 3 groups according to their swimming ability and the lessons began. What surprised us the most was how many grade 5s couldn’t swim or had difficulty swimming. In a country like Canada where we have so many lakes, rivers and cottages we all felt, as teachers, that knowing how to swim was not only important from a recreational point of view but also for safety concerns.

The good part of the program was that the children had fun while learning how to swim or improving on their existing skills. They also got a real good workout. After the formal lesson they were allowed to play in the water and use the toys and slides. Included here are a few pictures of the morning’s events.

Two More Days

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. the worst is behind me

I think that today was the last big stressor for the school year. The Farewell Ceremony! For a number of years I’ve been the MC for the event. It gets a little bit easier every year but I still have at least one stumble. Covering it up with humour helps.

I came to school this morning knowing that I had to write two speeches for the afternoon. Fortunately I work really well under pressure. The words came easily. I loved presenting the special awards. My principal cursed me for making her so emotional but she got through her presentation as well.

After the ceremony, the grade 4 parents served refreshments. I have to say that I wasn’t the least bit tempted by the cake and other sweets. After mingling with the parents and posing for pictures with some of my students I did munch on some delicious vegetables and hummus.

The report cards are stuffed into the envelopes for tomorrow, copies have been filed and I’ve signed off on the OSRs. The only thing left to do is the grade 5 activity day (Wednesday) and the Future Ace assembly on the Thursday. Friday is our last PD day which involves a staff meeting and time to clean our rooms.

At the end of the day my husband called me from the car to tell me that he had my aunt with him. She was released from the hospital and they were on their way to her house. I met them there and had a nice visit with her. We’re a little concerned about her medications and the fact that she lives alone. I think we will checking in on her a lot more often.

I’m looking forward to getting back to walking/running again once this week is over. I still haven’t gotten over that 18 pound hump. It’s late and I need some sleep before another busy day gets under way. TTFN!

Tying up loose ends!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…… 3 more days, but who’s counting?

Today was an odd day. It started with trying to deliver the prizes from Jump Rope for Heart to the children who raised money. The boxes arrived late on Friday. When I opened the boxes I realized that the spreadsheet with the list of contributors was not there.

I searched high and low for my copy but to no avail. One of my grade 5s suggested that we sort the prizes according to classes because that was one list I did have. Amidst the chaos, we managed to find enough bags to sort all the prizes but then we discovered that we had a lot of prizes left over.

Some of my students thought that meant they could help themselves to the leftovers but I quickly realized that a large sum of money had been donated online and I hadn’t yet received notice as to where the donations came from. Hopefully the spreadsheet comes soon.

Later that morning we practised walking and shaking hands with the grade 5s so that they would know what to do tomorrow for the farewell ceremony. It’s funny how many kids don’t know how to shake hands or make eye contact. Such an important skill in today’s world.

In the afternoon I opened the report card program to run off some last minute reports that needed fixing. I didn’t get very far because one of our students experienced a panic attack and it didn’t subside. I ended up going to hospital with her in the ambulance. I’m happy to report that she’s fine.

When I got back to school I went back to the report cards. Nothing goes as planned. A good friend showed up to help me with some library issues I had so I put the report cards aside and proceeded to the library. We figured out why I wasn’t able to print off a report I needed and with B’s help I finally had a record of all the overdue books. So much easier than writing them out by hand.

I photocopied the report and placed all the overdue notices in teachers’ boxes and then finally printed the report card that was requested. I finally left school at 6:50.

I know that tomorrow there will be more reprints requested. The morning will be spent rehearsing some more for the farewell, stuffing envelopes to be handed out at the farewell, decorating the gym and trying to keep the grade 5s calm and occupied before the “big event”.

I’ve had a good food day but have found no time to exercise. I’m hoping that tomorrow there might be some good news on the scale. I’ve been holding steady at 18 pounds down. Wish me luck!

Cheers!

Crazy Hair Day and a Relaxing Weekend

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. how one preceded the other

On Friday I wrote how I was getting ready for Crazy Hair Day at school. When I walked into school I felt like I had the day wrong. I don’t normally have my hair up in 3 pony tails with pink, red and black hair ties. For a change it was other teachers who had forgotten the ‘theme day’ and not me.

I didn’t feel out of place for long. When the students arrived there were a number of them who sported unusual hair styles. What surprised me was that most of them were boys.

….heading up north for a relaxing weekend!

Driving to cottage country on a Friday, after work is crazy. A trip that normally takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours took 3 1/2 hours this weekend. There’s a reason why I normally go up north in the middle of the week and that was it.

Anyway Saturday proved to make it all worthwhile. It was the perfect day, warm but not too hot, and sunny. I actually went swimming. I can’t remember the water ever being this warm so early in the season. I guess the mild winter, early spring and recent heat wave all contributed to the warm lake water.

The weekend was definitely relaxing. I had two nights of great sleep and I’m ready to face the remaining four days of school with the kids.

When I got home I made a great salad that I would like to share with my dieting friends. It’s an Italian Mushroom and Celery salad that I found on 5 and Spice. It is on the previous post to this one. Try it. If you like mushrooms I’m sure you’ll like this.

Cheers!

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Mama Cormier

Five And Spice

First, the bad. My hometown was ravaged by horrible flooding in the last two days. Just torn apart. A torrent of rain developed overhead and wouldn’t budge until it had dumped 7 inches, 9 inches, 10 inches of water in some places. The wall of water rushed down the hill toward the lake taking out huge chunks of roads and sidewalks, dumpsters and bridges with it.

Perhaps you even saw it on the news yesterday. I know the story about the seal that was swept out of the zoo by a river of water and was found stranded on the highway received a lot of attention. Many of the other zoo animals – the little barnyard animals in the petting zoo – drowned. I spent half the day in unremitting tears about this. Unfair is not nearly a strong enough word.

It’s horrifying to be reminded how powerless we are…

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