My Life in Numbers

14- number of months my baby will be on Monday

5- number of years I have been married

8- number of years I have been with my husband

153- number of college credit hours I have (aah!)

24- number of college credit hours until I complete my M.Ed

51- number of college credit hours before LPC

12- average number of hours my baby sleeps per night

45- average number of minutes my baby spends fighting me while I am trying to get her to take a nap.

59- number of days my baby has been a biped

0- not to 'jinx' it, but the amount of debt I have outside of my mortgage : )

28- number of years I have graced the planet

10- years since I graduated high school and went to college

2- number of sizes I am down from my pre-pregnancy weight and the number I'd like to go down from here. Feeling impatient!

2- number of times I have left the country- Oh, I love Europe!

4- number of years I have completed teaching

6- number of cities where I have lived

1- number of states where I have lived (I feel like I am missing out)

35- number of pounds I have lost in just over a year

4- number of cars I've owned

9- number of teeth my baby has

5- years since my father died

27- years old when Claire was born

4- number of TVs in my house (should I admit this?)

6- number of 'fake' teeth I will have as of the eleventh- however-

0- number of cavities I've had (again hoping not to jinx)

5- number of years since my mother had cancer- she's cured now

10- number of months since I lost my stepmom

0- number of siblings I have- however-

4- number of step siblings I have- and-

1- number of brothers in law I have

3- number of wisdom teeth I had

277- days of gestation before Claire was born

3- average number of times I check on Claire before going to bed

9- years since I began attending my church

6- years since I graduated from college and became engaged to Michael

64- number of ounces of water I strive to drink in a day

22- number of pounds I think Claire weighs now; she was 7lbs 14oz at birth

4- number of high school students who have 'friend requested' me on Facebook and are waiting for me to accept them after they graduate

180- number of days in a school year

3- number of school weeks wasted on end of instruction tests

Things I cannot count: number of food items Claire drops on the floor, number of times I say 'no no- don't touch that', number of times I'd die for a nap, number of items of clothing cycling in and out of my closet due to weight fluctuation, the amount of joy I feel during the summer, number of Diet Cokes I consume in a day (mostly because I don't want to own it- it could be worse though), but most important, first and foremost, the blessings I perceive and appreciate in my life. I will close out my twenties this year and can attest that life is better as time passes. The most impossible thing to measure of all is how much I love my baby girl.

xoxo,
Lindsay

Summer Agenda

Summer is finally here! It is my favorite time of year, by far! I feel like there is so much I want to do and by the time I accomplish any of it, we will be counting down to fall again!

WORK GOALS:

Yes, you read that right. Teachers totally work during the summer! We just have the option of doing it poolside- jealous?

1) Complete my research presentation and supplemental materials. I want better papers and think that the kids may step it up a notch if I do it first. I also want to redo my rubric. I was unhappy with it this year.

2) Spend a couple of days at school cleaning out my cabinet / organizing my materials. I am tired of being a scatterbrain! I am sure my kids will love this goal.

3) Go through school materials in my garage and closet. See if any need to be simply purged or can they be used?

4) Outline my year, highlighting units. My idea is go by quarters 1- vocab emphasis, 2- Greek / Latin root emphasis, 3- spelling emphasis, 4- commonly confused words emphasis. Yes, we will hit these things all year round and grammar everyday, but I will do focus units during these quarters.

HOME GOALS:

1) Stain kitchen cabinet (pain in the rear, but needed maintenance.)

2) paint and patch living room ceiling. (would like to get this done, but fearful it may wait)

3) Clean out garage!

PERSONAL GOALS:

1) Sew neat things. (clothing may be on the agenda- as well as home decor!)

2) Spend time poolside.

3) Read some classic literature I have missed.

4) Put the jogging stroller to good use, maybe learn to actually jog!

OBVIOUS GOALS:

1) Spend LOTS of extra time with my gorgeous baby girl! Love her.

What are your goals? I am interested in knowing!

Gratitude Lesson.

I think what I need is a gratitude lesson. Sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in what you want and where you think you should be that you have to work to avoid becoming self-centered. I think, it takes a lot of guts to admit that I feel selfish at times. It feels awful.

Lately, opportunites have passed by and dissolved, and I am still on pins and needles waiting to learn about scholarships- praying for money to pay for college. Sometimes, I get frustrated and want to scream. Why does it have to be so diffcult to make ends meet? Why can't I do what it looks like other people are doing? Ugh! Comparing self to others is so human, yet so futile! Now, I should admit, I was giving a gift that I did not expect. A gift from heaven that took care of my car payment and my student loan! Another blessing, I do not have to pay for summer child care. Why is it so easy to take these little miracles for granted? Why is it still so easy to focus on the 'want' and not the 'have'?

My blessings are pretty obvious: number one, I have a beautiful, healthy baby girl who makes my life complete (funny how it sounds like such a cliche, but I could just gush, really!), my husband and I have our health, somehow, our house still stands in the face of numerous tornado, hail, and fire threats, we are employed in an uncertain economy, we own our cars, we have no debt. That sounds much better than any thoughts of what we DON'T have.

My goals in gratitude are simple:

1) give more- be charitable with money, time, efforts, and creativity. Changing focus matters.

2) consider the other side- remember how many people may be struggling with the same things you are, but think you are the person who has it all.

3) distract yourself- do a project that interests you- I need to sew or create somehow.

4) get over yourself- I don't know how to do this all the time... We'll see.

How do you fight the 'I want's? How do you remember to stay grateful?

I love comments, so let me know your thoughts, please.

xoxo,
Lindsay

What's in a blog?

Admittedly, I have been much slower to post new blogs than I would like. I love keeping up with friends blogs and get excited when new pictures and stories are posted. I should be returning the favor a bit more, as I know, everytime I think no one is reading my blog, someone tells me they are. I am considering changing it up a little- maintaining the focus on my beautiful daughter, Claire Alexandra, but maybe adding a little of myself. I am thinking I should meantion what I am doing as a momma, what I am doing to maintain my sense of self in a busy life, and things I do for fun. I am welcoming any suggestions! Let me know if there are things you'd enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy what many of you post!

Blessings,
Musing Momma