A Hodge Podge of Unrelated Information

JAD has adapted quite well to his new school... I think. He's embraced his homework duties with gusto, although most nights he's wallowing (somewhat happily) in the 3 hours that he has to complete. The nice thing is, every day that I talk to him after school he sounds HAPPY - something that wasn't happening in his last program. I'm glad we made the switch and I know he is too. Here's a pic of JAD with H - his best friend - at JADs locker. I laugh when I see this because JAD is actually a half year older than H, yet H just towers over him. My bff J (H's mom) took this picture of 'her two sons'...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today we have an indoor soccer game (I know - shocking!) that should be VERY interesting. JAD is playing on his team Barcelona and Barcelona is playing against the Vipers. What's interesting? JAD also plays for the Vipers... both indoor and outdoor. Yikes! One mom from the Vipers wanted to completely cancel this game thinking the boys would be hurt, upset, disappointed, etc because they'd be playing against their own teammates. The majority of the boys' reactions? They don't care. Just let them play soccer. As for the parents, that may be another story. Would you like a plate of anger with a side of bitterness? That's what will be served at 2:25 today. I'll keep you updated on the results.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have lost a total of 30 pounds so far. I am still following my Weight Watchers program with fidelity (99% of the time) and I am really pleased with my results. Monthly totals so far have been 19 and 10.5. I still want to lose 63 more pounds, but am on target for 50 pounds gone by the end of May.

We have a weight loss challenge going on at school right now. Many of us signed on to participate and we have been put into teams. It's fun watching and listening to people talk about what they are doing to lose weight and how much weight they have lost. It's about the only camaraderie we have in our building, which is sad, but true. The winners will get a free one hour massage at a local spa at the end of the year. My team is currently in the lead by .04%. I'm hoping we WIN!!! I did have a great compliment paid to me this week, though. Our night building engineer has lost 20 pounds herself since starting the weight loss challenge and she says that I am her inspiration (cue music here). Isn't that sweet? I love her dearly... I'm glad that my journey has helped her to begin her own journey to be healthier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week ago K was offered a great deal and called me to discuss it. We decided to take it and paid the guy the asking price of $450. The deal, you ask? A 1992 Volkswagon Passat. For whom, you ask? JAD. Yes, I know he is only 13. But he now has a car that he has to put the time and money into and once he turns 16, he will have a car to drive. K has already lined up people to help him lower the car, tint the windows, fix hail damage... JAD will have a sweet little car in two years if he puts the work into it. I was never a big fan of my 16 year old having his/her OWN car to drive right away, but reality is, we have 5 kids and they are all active and involved with various activities. I NEED another driver to help me get people places! In a couple of years, we'll probably start looking for a car for CED, too. It's all about practicality, people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MED starts rehearsal for A Midsummer Night's Dream today. She's a fairy. The rehearsals only last for this week and next and then the performances begin. The original schedule that came out said that rehearsals were every night from 4:30 - 8:30. Ummm... what? For the five year olds, too? When I did contact the conservatory, they came up with a new schedule for the little ones that is much more palatable. It's an exciting opportunity, though, and I am glad our little MED gets to be a part of this!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spring Break is only two weeks away. Thank goodness! I have started looking in earnest for a new job. Where I am currently working keeps getting more and more infuriating to be at. We have had at least four people in the last few weeks turn in their resignations either effective almost immediately or for the end of the school year. I have yet to do this as I don't want to be completely out of a job, but I was also recently told that our principal will be cleaning house and removing most everyone from their positions. Great. Good luck to him, however. Expecting great things out of a brand new staff? Yep, he'll learn soon enough....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great week, everyone. I'll keep you posted on the soccer game later today. It'll be a doozy, I'm sure!