5 weeks today!!!

I have had my surgery exactly 5 weeks ago today. Every day I feel a little bit stronger, a little bit smaller, a little bit more energized. Each day that goes by is a new day to Thank God that I have chosen this new journey in my life. I feel FANTASTIC. I have so much energy it is like I am zipping around all day long. I am still at 28 lbs lost because I do not weigh myself until Sundays. So this weekend I will post my new weight loss. I am almost in need of clothes shopping. All of my clothes are getting really really really baggy. Especially my pants. It is funny. I have never had that before. Usually they fit just right or they are a little tight. Now they are so baggy, the girls at work are starting to say hey you need some new clothes. When they get too baggy they really don't look right. I go to a support group once a month for this surgery and they have a clothing exchange. When I go again, I will see what kinds of things they have. I really don't want to buy clothes because I won't be in a size for very long until I am done with the weight loss. Well I also have plenty of friends that said they have some clothes they can pass down to me. That would be fine too for a little while.
So on Sunday, I will update my weight loss. I have no goal so anything is great.

A Day In My shoes at work

So as I mentioned in the past, I work in a school with Children with disabilities. Well, I haven't told you about my kids yet. This year we have the biggest class we have ever had. I have been in the school 13 years now. And this is going to be the toughest year yet. We have 19 kids, 2 teachers, and 5 paraeducators (teacher's aides). Well this year, we have 10 children in wheelchairs who need help with every aspect of their day. Bathrooming, feeding, positioning, communicating, everything. Then we have 9 kids who have "other disabilities" who walk but still need help with feeding, bathrooming, and communicating. Well the kids that walk like to escape and hide and pull all kinds of things off the shelves. We are constantly running after them and trying to keep them in the room and not knock things off onto the kids that are laying down on the mats on the floor. So when we get there in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon, we are humping our buts off. Constantly changing diapers, putting children in different positioning equipment, feeding, doing art, music, gross motor activities, fine motor activities; all while trying to keep them safe and engaged. Man does our day go by super FAST. We have to be on our toes all day long, we are constantly "counting" kids. It is so funny to see 7 adults with their fingers in the air counting heads. But this year we have to do that. We have such a big group of kids and not enough hands to handle them.
BUT I would not change it for anything else in the entire world. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my job. I love every aspect of it. I LOVE the kids. I love the time when you can see the accomplishments that they have made and the how their face lights up with delight when they know they have done something special. Or when we have been working on a goal for months and they finally master it, man is that exhilarating.
So although I do come home from work tired on many occasions, I chose this life and I am so glad that I did. This is what I have been placed on this Earth to do, this is MY PASSION, this is why I wake up every day and go to work. It is not about the money, it is not about the contract, benefits or anything else you can name. I go to work because I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!!!! How many people do you know can Honestly say that???? I live by the motto: If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. Isn't that the truth.

I Love Routines

So the boys and I have been back to school now for a few days. This has been the first full week of school. I love routines and consistancy. We all get up around 6 in the morning. Go to school, do what ever during the day at school/work. Then come home, each of the boys get some time to unwind for about one hour. Then they get their homework done, dinner, then they get some time on the game for a litte bit. Then shower, get ready for the next day and in bed by 9:30. It goes so smooth when we have a routine, they know what to do, where to go, when to do things and it makes life so much easier to deal with. Maybe it my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder kicking in but routines are so much nicer then chaos. Now, don't get me wrong, chaos happens quite frequently in our house especially in the summer when it is more relaxed and not so consistant in our scheduling. But I function better with a routine, so I know the boys do too.
So CHEERS to routines and consistancy.

One Month has passed!!!!

Well, here I am. It has been exactly one month already since I have had my surgery. I am doing fantastic. Loving life, very energentic and happy. I have lost 28 lbs to date and steady going down from there. I do not have a goal at all. I just want to stay healthy and feel better both outside and inside about myself.

So I promised pictures of me monthyly when my month is up. Which will be the 25 of every month. So here I am before and after. What do you all think?

Day of Surgery 7-25-08 ---------------- One month later- 28 lbs lost!!!!

OH yeah forgot to mention, I got a hair cut too. Wanted a change. You can't really see the hair cut but it is shorter.

4 Weeks Today!!!

So today is Friday and it has been 4 weeks since I had my surgery. I am back to work, back to life as normal. I am exercising on the treadmill every other night, I am lifting (small) weights every other night. I feel fantastic. I have lost 25 lbs so far that I know of. I do not weigh myself every day like I was doing because that was getting me crazy. So I have decided to weigh myself once every week. So I picked Sunday to weigh myself each week. So after this weekend, I will update on my weight loss. I KNOW my clothes are getting really really loose, my wedding rings are spinning around my finger all the time. I am eating all the right things and being back to work, I know I am burning calories working and being on my feet most of the day. I have so much energy and the girls at work say that I am glowing and can't stop smiling. I think that is a combination of being happy with myself with the weight loss and beginning a new school year with all my kids at school.
Monday Aug 25 will be my one month anniversary. I am going to take a picture of myself and post it on here again. I have decided to post a picture of my journey every month. So a few more days, you will see the changes that I have made in one month.
I couldn't be happier that I decided to do this for myself. I am loving every minute of it.

My Kids Started School!!!!!! YEAH!!!!

Yeah, I was so excited yesterday. My kids (Cody & Tyler) started, they were so excited. I got up at 5:45 to take my shower and get myself ready, then was getting ready to get them up at 6:15, well, Tyler was up and dressed and had his shoes on before I even got out of the shower. He knocked on the door and about scared the hell out of me to tell me he was ready. I was like OK. Go play with toys in the living room quietly til everyone else is up. Needless to say by the end of the night last night HE CRASHED. He was so tired. Not only was he up before everyone else, he didn't sleep very well the night before, because when Sam got home at 2:30 am from work, I heard Tyler telling him all about tomorrow being his first day of school. So I know he was up with Daddy for a little while. So Tyler's first day was wonderful. He loves turtles and his team's mascot is turtles. He is so excited about school this year.
Cody, he wasn't as eagerly awake in the morning of the first day of school. He is my sleeper, if we let him, he can sleep til 10,11, 12 whatever. He hates mornings and as the school year progresses it gets worse. So I have my work cut out for me. He is riding the bus for the first time ever. And I am making him walk to the bus stop which is at the end of our development. He needs some exercise. So not only does he have to get up earlier this year cus the school he is in starts at 7:30, he has to walk to the bus stop so he leaves the house at 6:45 to catch the bus for 7:00.
Sam started school today, he is a sophomore in high school. He is the easiest kid I have ever known to wake up in the morning. I go into his room at 6:10 and then I do not have to ever worry about him at all. He is ready to go by 6:45 and I tell him goodbye and that is it.
So they are back onto their regular school routine. I will let you all know how their school year progresses.
I, myself, am absolutely ecstatic about seeing my kids at school. More on them in a different post, this is getting lengthy. So till next time my blog buddies.

MY BLINKIES---I DID IT!!!!!

LOOK I made some blinkies. I learned how to do them. Aren't cool???. Thanks Peg for showing me how to do it. I love them. Do you all like them?

I am back to work YEAH!!!!!!

I went back to work yesterday, YEAH!!!!! I have been off all summer and I was so very excited to be going back to work. In case anyone doesn't know, I work with Handicapped Children for 23 years now. Anyway, I have been off all summer, had my surgery, chilled out with my boys, rested a lot and been home being bored. Well, I am now back to work and I am loving it. I got to see all my friends and co workers. They all said I look great. I feel wonderful, but I still don't see a weight loss on myself, I guess that will come in time. I am not worried about it. So the kids start back to school on Thursday, I CAN NOT WAIT. I miss my kids at school so bad. I get really really attached to them and I really can't wait to see them. I work in the preschool room ages 2-5. So we get to keep the kids for a few years and we definitely get attached. So only 2 more days till we get to see our kids. AND only 2 more days till my boys go back to school too. YEAH!!! They have been with each other 24/7 and they are getting tired of each other. Sam got to go away a little bit. But the other two, lets just say, Thursday can't come soon enough. LOL!!!
I absolutely LOVE my job!!! I have been working with Children with Disabilities for 23 years now. It is what I have been placed on this Earth to do. I can see what our kids can do and help them accomplish even the littlest things in life. It is amazing to see their faces when they know they have accomplished things that sometimes takes months to do. Like the simplest things we take for granted, feeding our self, our kids at work sometimes take months and even years to accomplish that. It is truly an amazing feeling to know that I help a child accomplish that and now he/she has the self esteem in them like they have done something amazing. It makes me so proud to see that. So that is why I miss my kids. I love them with all of my heart and they know it. What a connection I have with them.
So I am back to work and LOVING IT!!!!!

Glorious Sunday!!!!

I have decided to go back to Church. I went last week and today I went too. My Gram would be so happy to hear that I went back to church. I went to the funeral of my grandmother's a couple weeks ago and it brought back so many memories of me going to catholic church all the time. I went to catholic church my whole life. I went to catholic school too my whole life. So as an adult I kind of got like bored or burnt out with it. Well since I have had this surgery and it is a new beginning in my life, I have decided to go to Church again. So I went to Holy Cross in Dover. It is a big Catholic Church with lots of people. I decided to thank God for this second chance I have been given at a better, healthier me. So That is what I did today. It was really really nice. Then when I came home, I took a little nap. I have been staying really late at nights watching the Olympics till like 1 in the morning and I am not a night person. So I have been dragging all day. But after my nap, I feel great. I am doing laundry again, just got done cooking dinner and now I am on here playing and chillin.
Tomorrow I start back to work again. I can't wait to see my friends and all my kids again. YEAH!!!

Saturday's Words

Today, Kimbirlee came home. She was visiting our aunt in NJ. She came home with lots more stuff then she went with. We had to clean out some room in Sam's closet just so the can put her clothes away. Aunt Liz bought her some clothes and shoes and all kinds of things. Then we took Sam's entertainment center out of his room and put it in the shed. So now her dresser is in Sam's room along with Sam's dresser and the tv and all is just on top of one of the dressers. Next week we are going to register her to take classes at Del Tech to get her high school diploma. She is excited about that.
School starts Monday for me and Thursday for the boys. I am SSOOO Very excited to be starting back to work. But the boys have different feelings. They got used to staying up late and sleeping in the morning. They will be fine. We took Tyler to see his classroom yesterday. Tyler absolutely loves Turtles, well he is on the team where the mascot of the team is turtles. He is so excited. The whole classroom has turtle things in it. He has 4 different classrooms for the subjects that he has to take and all of them have turtle stuff in it. HE was so ready to start school.
Sam is now a Sophomore in High School. I can not believe it already. So my boy will be driving this year. He will have his licence by the end of this school year. That is something I am trying to wrap my head around. I remember when he was just a little boy and trying to ride his first bike. Now he is going to be driving.
Cody is in 7th grade. He is nervous, because 7th grade is Jr. High School and he is nervous about going to a new school. He is on 7 Red team and Red is his favorite color, so he said he will like being on the team. What ever that means. LOL. Since I have been exercising on my treadmill again, I have been getting Cody on it too for a few minutes. But we are going to do this all the time. HE is a big boy and I don't want him to end up like I am and be a big adult. Also, I have been cutting his food intake and not making him things special. I know I created a monster but now that I am eating better, I am making him eat better too. He is not liking it but he is going to deal with it.
As for me, I have decided not to weigh myself every day. I have hit a slump and I seem not be getting out of it. I went to my support group meeting the other night and they said do not weigh yourself everyday because it will be discouraging and it is. So, so far I have lost 24 lbs and I am not going to weigh myself until I am one month out of the surgery. I feel wonderful, my clothes are definitely getting looser, I have more energy, I can do more things and I feel FANTASTIC. SO I know I am loosing weight but the numbers are not showing it. They told me that my body has to adjust to the weight loss and then it will start to show the numbers again. I am learning all of these things. The next weigh in will be on August 25th and then I will let everyone know how much I have lost then.

I have some questions??????

Ok, so, I have been doing this blog now for a few weeks. I am still learning how to do it and I love it. I just post every day what I think and feel for the day.
So today, I have some questions that maybe some people can help me with. I see my sisters and my moms blog all the time and other peoples blogs. How do you get those thingys on the side that are little sticker things that blink? Mom has one that says "I love my husband" Peggy has one that says "I love my children" you know those things, How do you get them on there? And then there are things like a count down to a certain event, how do you get them on there? And how do you add a link to other people's blogs on to your blog? How do you put music on your blog for people to hear it when they come to your site? I am so new to this, I don't want to mess anything up and I don't know where to go to try and find things like that.
So, if anyone has any answers to my questions please help me, so I can make my blog more personal and visually appealing too. I'm jealous LOL.
Call me so I can go through it while I am talking to you. Or email specific directions. Thanks everyone and next time I post hopefully it will be with some cool thingys on the sides too. I love this blogging thing. It is totally awesome. Thanks Peg for showing it to me.

Thursday's words

Not too much going on here today. Garrett and Patrick are still here they are all playing the XBox game. It was like they were being punished, I do not allow my boys to go on any games system at all until after 10 in the morning. There are too many other things they can do besides play games. So Garrett and Patrick did not like the waiting this morning. But they are over it now. Then when they get on it they only get one hour each and that is it.
School starts soon. YEAH!!! they will not be home playing stupid games and fighting with each other and eating everything in the house all day long. Man, boys can EAT!!
Nothing else is happening today. I am bringing the two boys home around 3 then Cody and Tyler have an appointment. Then that is about all. I will come home and do more laundry. The never ending job of a mom.

My Man (in my dreams)

MY Man ----LL Cool J

He is fine as HELL!!!!

Thoughts of the Day!!!!

My Buddy is home. Little Sam came home late last night. I sure did miss him. He was gone for two weeks and he had so much fun. But it sure is good to see him again and have him back home. It was like he grew up even more while he was with his Aunt Peggy. Thanks Aunt Peggy for having him there.

Tyler is a happy camper tonight. His best friends Garrett and Patrick (brothers) came home from being with their dad all summer. Tyler has not seen them since school let out and now that they are home, he wanted them to come over. So they are spending the night. So now I have 5 boys here in this house. OH the testosterone!! LOL. No they are being good. They are all playing nice and getting a long good.

Cody is such a Drama King. He tried to answer the door tonight when they got here and he tripped over something that was on the floor. OMG you would of thought he like broke every bone in his body. What a mess. And now he is like babying his foot. Everything is so dramatic with him.

As for me, I am kind of stuck. I have lost 23 lbs so far and I have not lost anything else in like 6 days. They said it happens almost monthly where you would be stuck on the same weight for a while and then all of the sudden it kicks in again. But I feel like I have done something wrong or hurt myself. For the very first time since I have had this surgery, I actually got sick last night. So I thought I really hurt myself internally. So I called the Dr's office today and she said it happens if the food is too dry, didn't chew it enough, or too hard. I think it was a combination of all of the above. But I am ok now, and I asked her about the weight thing and she said it happens and don't get discouraged. SO I was happy to hear that I didn't mess anything up. This Friday, it will be 3 weeks that I had it done. And I feel absolutely FANTASTIC, I would do it again if I had to and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering it. I had to be mentally and physically prepared for it, or else I would have done it years ago. But I wasn't and now I was and I am so glad I did it. Check back frequently for my progress and my journey.

My Life is back to Normal

Today is Monday, I am very excited. It is 8:00 am and My life is back to normal. I am all healed from my surgery, I am cleared from the doctor to resume normal life. So I took that and ran with it. I have a meeting this morning. I have something going on every day of this week and I start back to work next Monday. I LOVE to stay busy. I always have work, meetings, appointments or things going on that keeps me busy and that is just the way I like it. I can not stand being home all the time and being bored. I LOVE to have a full calendar and keeping busy. It means that I am a productive person. Being the President of my local union keeps me busy and being involved with my state union really keeps me busy. So today I have a meeting from 9:00 til 3:00. I learn so much by going to these things and I also get to meet new people and experience new things. I get to do a lot of traveling to different places and I love that aspect of it because You know I haven't been anywhere. This July, I went to Washington DC for a National Education Association Convention. It was my first National and there was over 18,000 people there for the same reason I was. It was AWESOME. This school year, I get to go to San Diego, California. I am REALLY EXCITED about that one. And I have the chance to go to Charlotte, NC and Orlando, FL. If I get picked to go to those places then I will be going there too.
So as the new school year is about to begin, I am in my glory. Being busy and staying busy, just the way I like it.

Busy Saturday

Well today, Kimibirlee left to go to NJ to visit with my Aunt Liz and Uncle Chris. She will be gone for a week. Lil Sam is still gone till Tuesday, I miss him a lot. So it is just Cody, Tyler and Daddy and Me home and it is a busy Saturday for us. School starts in about a week, August 18. So I am going through closets and dressers and figuring out what they can still wear for school, what I am getting rid of and what we need to buy for school clothes. Tyler (being the youngest) doesn't need a dam thing. He has more clothes than any other person in this house. And all are still really really good because they mostly passed Cody up. Cody is a big boy and most of the clothes never even fit him. So far I am done with Cody and Tyler's closet and I need to buy Cody some clothes. I am done with Lil Sam's closet and he doesn't need anything either. Thanks to Aunt Peggy and Uncle Scott buying him more school clothes. Kimbirlee will come home with more clothes then she went with because Aunt Liz always takes her shopping. So this school year is going to be easy on my pocket, I only have to get Cody about 3 more pants and then we will be all set for school. As for clothes for me, I am going to wait till I loose more weight. I have plenty of clothes right now and I do not want to buy any more. I usually do buy some for when school starts but I decided not to this year and wait till I get smaller. Which, by the way, I hit a slump. I have not lost any weight in three days. The doctor says that will happen and to stop weighing myself everyday. So I am going to just weigh in every other day.
So I only have my closet left to clean out and then I am done. Then I am going to vacuum and dust and wash the kitchen floor. I think that is enough work for one day. So that is my day in a nutshell.
I start back to my usual working self come this Monday. Every day of the week, I have a meeting or appointment or something going on and then I start back to work on the 18th. So I will be back to my busy little self. And I Love every minute of it. I can not stand being home, bored, and nothing to do. I am an active person and being home is for the birds. Thank God the doctor released me to be able to drive again. I would be going crazy.

I talked to Sam today

I talked to my buddy, little Sam today. I miss him so much. I know he is growing up and almost an adult but he will always be my baby. He has been gone for over a week now and I miss him so much. We talked on the phone for 1/2 hour today. That is the most he has ever talked to me on the phone. Usually it is only like less than a few minutes. So he told me all about Aunt Peggy's house, how nice it is, how big it is and how he looses people in it. He told me about the friends he made there in her neighborhood and they have been skateboarding. He told me about how Aunt Peggy and Uncle Scott took him to Hooters for dinner one night and he has a Hooters Girl picture on his Phone (the boy is really growing up now). He told me all about Aunt Peggy and them going shopping for school clothes. Well, I am just really glad he is having fun there because in the beginning he was homesick and wanted to come home. But now he doesn't want to leave. But he has to cus I miss him. Besides he starts back to school in less than two weeks already.
That I can not believe, we start back to school in two weeks already. I, personally, can not wait because I miss my little kids so much. I usually work all summer, but this year I didn't cus I had my surgery. So I really miss my little people. I can't wait to see everyone when school starts again.
I went to the doctor today and he cleared me for driving (YEAH), and I can start exercising now (another Yeah). Friday will be two weeks already and I have lost 22 lbs so far. I can not believe it. I don't feel it or see it on myself but others say they do. I am so glad I did this.
More on my progress later. I have to go finish laundry.

Home from NJ

So we are now home from NJ. We went to the funeral, it was ok as far as funerals go. What is there to say about them. Anyway, I am very tired and going to call it an early night. I drove both to and from there. I am not supposed to because of surgery but I do not take any medicines any more and I feel wonderful so I thought I would be ok, besides I really missed driving. So I did great. No problems at all. I am a horrible back seat driver and my sister Angela Hates to drive so that was a bad combination. So I drove took care of all the problems.
Tomorrow I go to my doctors appointment for 2 week check up. I am feeling wonderful, having no problems what so ever. So I think the appointment will go great.
I am really missing Little Sam right now, he is at my sister Peggy's house in VA he has been there a week now and I am really starting to miss him. He was homesick a few days ago now I am "Samsick". He will be home next Tuesday.
Going to watch tv now catch you all next time.

Todays Thought!!

Today is Sunday. I have to go to the Pharmacy to pick up more of my shots that I give myself. I really don't like doing that to myself BUT I don't want to get a blood clot even more. I have been so bored staying home all the time. I am so used to just going and doing things all the time that this is driving me crazy. If I could clean then staying home like this would be fine. But I can't even do that. I have closets that can really use a good cleaning out and organizing but I can't do that. SO I have been watching tv, movies, and playing on the computer. I was so out of it yesterday. I was like blahh all day long. It is driving me crazy. But Wednesday I go back to the doctor and I am going to ask him when I can drive again, at least then I can get out of the house for a little while. Monday, my sister Angela and I and the kids are going to NJ for the funeral. So that will be something to do for a few days.
So that is that. I have NO pain. I have no complications. I feel wonderful. I am healing great. But I know me, I don't want to over do it. So I will just deal with this staying home thing and being bored. Things will be better soon.

A Sad Day in our Family!!!

I just found out yesterday that my "Nanny" died. She is my Dad's wife's mother. So my stepmother's Mother. I loved her so much. She was so gentle, kind, and loving. She was so easy to talk to. And that SMILE!!! When she smiled, she brightened up the whole room. She had that twinkle in her eyes. I will always remember her smiling and being so happy especially when she was around family. And man was her family big. When my dad married Maryann, they all accepted all of us as part of their family with open arms. We all became family. There was never "Step" Children, or "his" Children, or "her" children. it was always their children. So Nanny was 80 years old and Poppy died just 2 1/2 years ago and I know she was missing him a lot. They were married over 50 years. Tuesday is the funeral up in NJ, I really really want to go. I don't know if I should with me still recovering from surgery. I won't have to drive because Angela is going too so I can go with her. But I am not sure if it will be too much for me to handle. We'll see. So Nanny, I love you. May you rest in peace and keep on smiling on all of us.

Friday --- 1 Week has passed already!!!!!

Well, exactly one week ago today I was a ball of nerves as I was entering the hospital to have my surgery. Sam and my friend Donna was with me and Mom and Dad came in a little bit later, just in time for me to go in thank God. I know mom was nervous for me too. I remember being so very excited and nervous all at the same time. I was wheeled in about 9:30 and the place was so cold. I had to go through what they called Prep and Holding, it felt like forever. Then they brought me to the OR at around 11:00 am. I know I came out 1 1/2 hours later but I don't remember anything after that. Sam, Donna, Mom and Dad said I was funny. I was like all drugged up and out of it, trying to talk to everyone. I bet I was funny. I got to my room, it was a private room. And then I slept for what seemed like forever. Donna ended up staying overnight in the hospital with me, but I know I wasn't too much company. She said she like the fact of being able to catch up on her favors she was making for her friends baby shower. Poor thing, she didn't sleep though because the chair she had to sleep in was so uncomfortable. I really appreciated it though. I was actually up and walking around the same day as surgery. They don't play around over there. Each hour, I was in the hospital I got a little stronger and better. I felt fine by Sunday and then I was sent home. And now it has been a week from the day of surgery and I feel wonderful. I am albe to do all that I was doing before surgery. I still have retrictions, like lifting, bending, stretching, and driving. But I am doing great. I hit the 20 lb loss already. I use the date of the my last doctors appointment before the surgery because that is the weight the doctor said they were going to use too, so that is the weight I am going by. SO today I hit 21 lbs lost already and that is from July 9th. AMAZING!! I will keep on going.
So that is my thoughts for today, a lot has happened in a week and a lot more is to come in the next week, weeks, months and years. I am just so excited and happy that I chose to do this.