Discouraged.

I want to run. I want to get healthy. I want to have that time to myself to think, or maybe even *not* think. I know that most effort is not easy. I know that I should not give up. I'm not giving up. I'm pounding the pavement slowly, but surely. It is HARD. Especially when I am such a determined, routine-loving, driven, and stubborn person. I want my family to get healthier. I am trying, but meeting serious resistance. I'm also trying to get my family MOVING more. Again, it is hard. But I'm trying. I'm really REALLY trying. I'm just so discouraged. I'm leaning toward the "NO EXCUSES" approach, as I'm the "all or nothing" type. I've always had the "black and white" mentality, never fully accepting the shades of grey as being OK. But I'm learning to accept those shades as perfectly alright. Sorta. I still made myself get out and jog this morning, because it was ONLY 92 degrees. For as intelligent as I am, that was one of the DUMBEST decisions I've made. Forgetting to factor in the humidity, and the blazing sun, which made the temperature SEEM like 150 degrees. (NOAA said it actually felt like 100.) I think I actually cried some tears during the run, or maybe that was just sweat. I'm not sure. But I felt like crying. It was miserable. I only was out there for 26 minutes, jogging 16 minutes, walking 10. But I made it. I completed c25k w5d2. I'm more than halfway through the program. When I got inside, I cried for real. For two reasons. One, what a dumb decision it was to run right then, and two, because I was so proud of myself for not giving up. Even though I wanted to. Seriously though, the fact that I completed the run outweighs the negatives.

I don't know if anyone will even read this. But whatever. I feel better for writing the words.

Finished my first "Community College" class! Lol!

*May 2000, graduated with my Bachelor's Degree.
*December 2002, graduated with my Master's Degree.
*May 2010, my teaching license went "inactive" because I wasn't currently teaching.
*April 2012 I decided I'm ready to reactivate it.

Do you know what is involved with getting my license reactivated? Here's the short of it.

Call Missouri. All I have to do is "complete a 2-3 hour college course that pertains to the degree."
((OK))
Call Arkansas. Have to have "Arkansas History and a current license OR have Arkansas History and retake the Praxis I and II." ((WHAT THE WHAT??? I **HAVE** my original Praxis scores in my files...))

So I enroll in the local community college (they wanted my High School transcript and ACT scores. I laughed, thinking I'd never find them. But guess what? After 15 years and 8 moves, I DID FIND THEM! Thanks, OCD!), take Arkansas History online, finish the 8 week course in a matter of 24 days (yay, me!), get my Transcript printed with my 100.18% A for Arkansas History, (I missed ONE point in the entire course, but ended up with 5 bonus points!) prepare to mail it to Missouri, along with my fingerprints in REAL ink for Missouri's database, even though I already have them digitally scanned in the NATIONAL FBI database, but whatever.

So I mail all the necessary stuff to Missouri, and wait for those precious ACTIVE pieces of paper to arrive at my house.

Then I will take those active pieces of paper, another community college transcript proving I took the AR History course, and all the necessary stuff up to Little Rock and hand deliver them to the man in charge. (Who happens to be friends with my father in law, so I can do that.) ((Thanks, Freddie! ;-) ))

Then I'm sure I'll need to wait a few weeks, and then, THEN I will have my perfectly active, precious pieces of paper in my pretty little hands..... so I can wait for the perfect teaching position to open up!

((And teach alliteration to my students once again.))

Note to self: Don't let your license go inactive again. Stay on top of it every 5 years for the renewal!

You know, even though this reactivation process has been a hurry up and wait, sometimes superbly frustrating, let's see if I can find it, mountain of paperwork process, I'm loving it. I love a challenge, and the organization it takes to get exactly what I'm looking for!

I'll post pics of the precious pieces of paper when they arrive. :)

The Power of Pinterest

Sponge balls. Took awhile to make them, but wow. They were "water balloons," grenades, and best of all, cleaning devices! The kid wash, aka the sprinkler, is also an idea from Pinterest! We are having a great summer! Good mixture of coming, going, playing and relaxing. :-)
PS, E and K had friends over. I didn't pick up two more kids.