My summer "vacation" is finally here, but in name only. I actually have more work to do this summer than I can remember in recent years. So far, I've had exactly one weekend off and I am staring at my calendar for the next couple of months in disbelief. When did all these deadlines pop-up on my calendar? Where did all these meetings come from? When did I agree to lead training sessions? Something is wrong with this picture when your so-called vacation is busier than your actual time on the clock. But who the heck am I to complain, because most of the stuff coming up includes projects that I begged for my school district to start for the longest time. As I have mentioned before in a previous post, we were lagging behind in the "new ideas" and "progress" departments at my job. Thankfully this is changing, and not slowly, but more rapidly than even I could have imagined. We are testing out new applications, new hardware, new methods of sharing information and it is all way cool. For once we are not watching the other guys get all the shiny new toys. We are the guys questioning and leading the way to the next big thing.
Aside from the ongoing personnel additions, my first big calendar event will be the ISTE conference in two weeks. ISTE stands for the International Society for Technology in Education. If you are unfamiliar with ISTE, this is the big mama summer conference for all things EdTech (educational technology). I have never been because the host city is usually somewhere too expensive for me to afford even a cheap plane ticket. This year the host city is San Antonio, so a three-hour drive up the highway is nothing compared to the knowledge and exposure to new ideas I hope to gain. I also had to pay for the registration for this conference out of my own pocket. This may not sound like a big deal, but my district doles out tons of money each summer for various individuals to attend staff development conferences. You pretty much just have to find a conference worthy of attention and then very sweetly ask for your campus or district superior to foot the bill. The response is usually a quick yes on the condition that you use whatever training you receive at your chosen conference to come back to your campus and train others.
Because I accepted a new position a couple of months ago, I could not ask my old boss to pay for my ISTE registration, nor could I march right up to my new boss to ask the same thing. Call it stupid pride, but I just paid for the whole damn thing myself to avoid any awkward moments. Maybe that is the reason why I have such a vested interest in this trip because it is 100% mine. It is totally for my own self improvement, very much in the same way the yoga conference, clean eating seminars and running trips have been for my own growth and enjoyment. I did those things because I intrinsically recognized something I could gain personally and not because someone else thought it would be a good fit for me. I will be able to sit in on sessions from experts in my personal learning network, as well as sit in on meetings about the latest and greatest product trends on the market.
Also on the calendar is my Google certification exam. Everything I know about Google Apps for Education has been self-taught, as is everything else I know about instructional technology. Yes, I have my masters on the topic, but that degree was earned 10 years ago. Anything in regards to technology from a decade ago might as well have been a century ago because things change so quickly in this field. I have stayed up to date by following expert blogs and tech reviews and being just plain curious whenever new things hit the market. Thank goodness for the openness of information in technology these days or I would be at a loss as an educator. The training modules are online and I can study at my own pace. The overall goal is to get it done this summer, while I supposedly have more free time to do it. Yeah, right. Free time is not in the cards for me this summer. Any other free hours will be spent with my guys, kicking back for some family time. A weekend trip here and there will be squeezed in between the various home improvement projects we still have going on. An occasional trip to the neighborhood pool will be arranged just to remind my kids that, yes, it actually is summer vacation after all. Throw in a couple of popsicles and we will be alright.
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Sunday, June 9, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Feeling Brand New
My habit of apologizing for being away from this blog too long has to stop. I will be more consistent. Believe it or not, I miss it when I don't regularly connect with others through this forum. This time, like the other times, my absence was directly related to activities at work. Things have shifted tremendously at work, for the better, and I am more psyched than my nerdy girl heart can handle. First, I accepted a new position, in a new building, which has a newer design model to be better suited to a newer vision we are following. By trade, I am an instructional technology specialist in a large school district. By nature, I am an all around geek. You know those hopeless nerds that read tech reviews for fun? Yep, that's me. I have not one, but two big tech conferences coming in the next few months and I can't wait. Right now, I am loving my job, but it has not always been that way.
Although I got into the field because of my combined love of techie tools and working with kids, recent years kept me from enjoying both. The focus of my job was distorted by other demands that made me feel more like a 24/7 desktop repair guy instead of a certified educational specialist. That is changing rapidly because my district is adjusting it's vision to more 21st century methods of instruction. It includes such an extensive list of changes that I my fingers would be numb by the time I typed it all out here. The most gratifying of all the changes will be the addition of new personnel. Two years ago, my department suffered major cuts and several talented team members were let go as a result. Their absence was felt immediately, first because we were a very tight knit supportive group and second because others had to take up the workload that was left behind. We'd lost our friends and it hurt. We felt like chumps having to go back to our campuses and fake enthusiasm for improvements that just were not happening.
Another reason my love for my job was waning was because we were stagnant. To be the technology leaders in our district, we were not doing anything very innovative. Budget issues, "old school" thinking and fear of the unknown helped create the collective stall in which we found our department. This was the result of several interwoven undesirable factors, most of which have now been cleared from our playing field. Now it feels like we have opened our eyes from a long slumber and are energized to take on the world. We feel relevant again and being experts in our EdTech field (educational technology) is suddenly cool again. Being the nerdy computer geek in the room is now the sought after status. There are the promises of new tech toys, better applications and a vision befitting the group of innovators we hope to become. I personally plan to go after a few choice certifications and add some new skills to my own EdTech toolbox during the summer break. Doing what I do is fun again and I find myself eager to get to work to share with my staff all the new tricks I have learned.
The home front has been going through some changes as well. The hubby and I are knee deep into a major remodeling project that may span several months. The extended time frame is due to funds, not the scale of the job. I am not ashamed to say the new floors, the new paint and the new kitchen are being added one at a time so we can afford each addition in small chunks. It feels like our house has been under construction for months, but I will be thrilled to see the finished results. All of these changes and improvements even inspired me to get off my butt and start back running. I took a break a couple of months ago because I was suffering from good old fashioned burnout. Running is a purely therapeutic escape for me. I am not competitive or very serious about it, but I do love it. When it stops being fun, I stop the running and take a break. The problem is, when this self-imposed break is over, I have to start over with my training as if I am a newbie runner and the process is painful. Painful yes, but not at all impossible.
I've had the pleasure of sitting on the interview panel that is screening the new instructional technology specialists for my district. These individuals,young and not so young, are full of energy and fresh ideas. They are ready to start their next chapter in life and it has the old seasoned veteran in me pumped to get things underway. I am going to try my hardest to allow that enthusiasm to spill over into my running this season. If an old nerdy girl can learn a few tricks, then surely the runner inside her can learn a few as well. For one of the first times in my life, I feel that change is good and I am going to take it for all it is worth. If I make it through these changes unscathed, then maybe I can call on this experience to get myself through whatever hurdles are still yet to come. After all, I now understand that nothing lasts forever, not the bad or the good.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Scoreboard: Kids 1, Parents 0
Lately the celebrity news headlines have been buzzing with stories about stars that are getting pregnant or adopting children well over the age of 40. There are photos of baby bumps and critiques of maternity fashions everywhere you turn. Even in interviews these folks go on and on about their cravings, their sleep habits and the weirdly unique names they plan to give these kids. Although at its core, these stories celebrate some wonderfully blessed events, I find myself staying clear of the all pregnancy hype just in case that stuff is contagious. Don't want to accidentally catch the baby fever, now do I? There is no cure when that fever hits you. Once it develops, you find yourself laid up for months in a dizzying honeymoon of sorts, daydreaming about kissable chubby cheeks and soft cooing noises. You become so delusional that you begin to believe sweet little bouncing babies actually stay that way long term.
They do eventually grow and start to talk...and talk back...and develop crappy attitudes...towards everything...especially you, the parent that cleaned the poop and wiped the spit up and lost sleep every time they turned over in the night. Remember that series of pregnancy books we all read, "What to Expect When You're Expecting"? I have been contemplating writing my own series of advice books and calling them something like "What to Expect When Your Once Cute Baby Boy Grows Into A Smart-Mouthed Slob That Constantly Wants To Go To Battle With You Over Every Little Thing". Maybe I need a shorter title.
It is not that I don't love my kids with all my heart, but it seems like the game of parenting has just stepped up to the next level for us. Once we left the diapers and baby bottles behind, we felt like we had hit easy street for a while. The boys reached a stage of independence without much drama that made us believe we were doing an okay job. Our biggest headaches were making sure Santa and the Tooth Fairy showed up on schedule and that the food pantry remained stocked with marginally healthy after school snacks. However, lately things have shifted. My beautiful little tykes are growing into real people with real mood swings and real attitudes that can be a real buzz kill on an otherwise average day. We go back and forth over everything from clothing to food to TV, and sometimes just over general bad vibes in the room.
I fully expected these changes to occur, but much later down the line when we reached the adolescent years. My oldest son seems to have inherited his teenage tendencies several years early and his occasional not so pleasant attitude is taking up way too much space in this household. My baby boy, a.k.a. the Caveman, is the slob that leaves his mark on every corner of the house without regard for cleanliness and hygiene. If something smells or looks like it needs a cap full of bleach, it probably belongs to him. Add to this the fact that they fight each other constantly just because they are complete polar opposites in personality, hobbies and general breathing habits. The time and attention we give to redirecting and managing these two behavioral developments is dominating our every move in this house. As a parent, you walk that fine line between being a good disciplinarian and being a domineering tyrant. You want order and obedience, but you don't want to treat them like the family dog. You want to cut out those smart-mouthed comments, but you don't want to break their spirit for speaking up for themselves. You want to foster their independence and strength, but you still want them to know whose boss in your presence.
In the last few months, parenting just got really hard for us. We have been second guessing our moves and our speech around the boys, wondering if their bad habits are normal developments or a reflection of our parenting. Have we spoiled them too much? Bought too many toys? Babied them too long? Spanked them too little? Some days it feels like there is a giant scoreboard keeping an ongoing record of our back-and-forth and tit-for-tats. In a way, they are winning and we are losing. It is like there is a battle for control in this house. It started a few months ago and someone forgot to tell my husband and I that the competition was underway, allowing the kids to get an early upper hand. Can I have a timeout, so I can plan my strategy or consult a playbook? It cannot go on this way for another eight or nine years, or can it?
At this point, I cannot say for sure what direction we will take in an effort to get things back on track. I might start trolling the internet for proper bolts and hinges to lock them in their rooms for a while until we gain control on the home front. Too extreme? Nope! We will slide a tray of food and water in the room once a day. Okay I am kidding (not really), but we have decided to give them more responsibility around the house in hopes that it leads to a little character building. If you fight over a toy, we take that toy away. If you cannot get your act together by the time we are ready to go somewhere, then you stay home. If your room is not clean, then you sit there in the filth until it starts to resemble a human dwelling again.
Above and beyond all of this, we have vowed to no longer repeat ourselves when telling the kids to do something. We used to bark out an order and the boys would not react right away because they knew we would allow a few more chances before we took action. This probably made us look like chumps in their eyes, but it is changing for the better. No more we will stand at the foot of the stairs begging people to do anything. The hubby and I have cracked down on the discipline and have seen some improvement, but we won't rest on our laurels anymore. We have a few more tricks to try out before we resort to a full blown lock down. Stay tuned. Round 2 is still in progress.
I fully expected these changes to occur, but much later down the line when we reached the adolescent years. My oldest son seems to have inherited his teenage tendencies several years early and his occasional not so pleasant attitude is taking up way too much space in this household. My baby boy, a.k.a. the Caveman, is the slob that leaves his mark on every corner of the house without regard for cleanliness and hygiene. If something smells or looks like it needs a cap full of bleach, it probably belongs to him. Add to this the fact that they fight each other constantly just because they are complete polar opposites in personality, hobbies and general breathing habits. The time and attention we give to redirecting and managing these two behavioral developments is dominating our every move in this house. As a parent, you walk that fine line between being a good disciplinarian and being a domineering tyrant. You want order and obedience, but you don't want to treat them like the family dog. You want to cut out those smart-mouthed comments, but you don't want to break their spirit for speaking up for themselves. You want to foster their independence and strength, but you still want them to know whose boss in your presence.
In the last few months, parenting just got really hard for us. We have been second guessing our moves and our speech around the boys, wondering if their bad habits are normal developments or a reflection of our parenting. Have we spoiled them too much? Bought too many toys? Babied them too long? Spanked them too little? Some days it feels like there is a giant scoreboard keeping an ongoing record of our back-and-forth and tit-for-tats. In a way, they are winning and we are losing. It is like there is a battle for control in this house. It started a few months ago and someone forgot to tell my husband and I that the competition was underway, allowing the kids to get an early upper hand. Can I have a timeout, so I can plan my strategy or consult a playbook? It cannot go on this way for another eight or nine years, or can it?
At this point, I cannot say for sure what direction we will take in an effort to get things back on track. I might start trolling the internet for proper bolts and hinges to lock them in their rooms for a while until we gain control on the home front. Too extreme? Nope! We will slide a tray of food and water in the room once a day. Okay I am kidding (not really), but we have decided to give them more responsibility around the house in hopes that it leads to a little character building. If you fight over a toy, we take that toy away. If you cannot get your act together by the time we are ready to go somewhere, then you stay home. If your room is not clean, then you sit there in the filth until it starts to resemble a human dwelling again.
Above and beyond all of this, we have vowed to no longer repeat ourselves when telling the kids to do something. We used to bark out an order and the boys would not react right away because they knew we would allow a few more chances before we took action. This probably made us look like chumps in their eyes, but it is changing for the better. No more we will stand at the foot of the stairs begging people to do anything. The hubby and I have cracked down on the discipline and have seen some improvement, but we won't rest on our laurels anymore. We have a few more tricks to try out before we resort to a full blown lock down. Stay tuned. Round 2 is still in progress.
Monday, February 11, 2013
As the Stomach Turns...
My first post-cleanse Starbucks experience did not end well. My running buds and I were on the highway heading back to Houston after a quick girls' road trip to run the Dallas Hot Chocolate 15K. Since my cleanse was over and I was free and clear to eat or drink whatever I wanted, naturally my taste buds led me to my java brewing sanctuary. We stopped at a Starbucks somewhere in B.F.E. Texas and I ordered one of my signature drinks, a short soy mocha. After going nearly a month without caffeine or chocolate, the taste seemed really strong to me. I thought I drank it slowly in an attempt to savor my first decadent item, but in hindsight I might have been struggling just to get it down. Since my diet has changed so drastically, I have become highly sensitive to flavors and smells. I have also become incredibly dependent on water. My water intake was pretty good to begin with before these changes, but now I feel wiped out if I don't keep chugging water constantly throughout the day.
If that wasn't bad enough, I was wired for the rest of that day. This tiny eight ounce drink was consumed sometime around 1pm. By 11:30pm, I was still wide awake. I tossed and turned all night, sleeping in one hour increments at best. Around 5:00am, on a lazy rainy weekend morning, I finally gave up and got out of the bed in search of some house cleaning to do. My brain was on high alert and would not allow me to calm down and relax. It was a crazy jacked up feeling and I could not believe my system was still reacting to something I drank the previous afternoon. It took a full 24 hours and loads of water for my system to feel normal again. What the @#$%? Is this how it is going to be from now on? After a short hiatus away from caffeine, does this mean I "broke" my body from ever being able to enjoy another specialty coffee drink? Say it ain't so! If I can't drink my Starbucks, what ever shall I do?
It does not end there. I also tried to eat some sugar-free Blue Bell ice cream. Of course I thought I was being smart by only getting a partial scoop, less than a half of a cup. The plan was to take it slow and easy since I had not digested any dairy in so long. I opted for the sugar-free version because I did not want to bounce off the walls. Sugar was off the menu as well during this cleanse. Two tiny bites into my micro serving of ice cream and my stomach started doing flip flops. It was an immediate reaction to the dairy and it lasted the rest of the night. I wanted to bang my head up against the wall for thinking my insides could survive a dairy invasion. Oh well, scratch that off the list of acceptable things to eat for now. My love for cheesy enchiladas, queso dip and buttery popcorn was fading fast. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person. It only takes one clue or two for me to get the big picture. If these first two experiences were any indicator of what was to come if I continued to to try to eat my old favorites, then I would have to hang back for a while.
Under normal circumstances, I am margarita and wine lover. Do you think I am crazy enough to attempt an alcoholic beverage after the way a tiny amount of caffeine affected me? Not by a long shot. Just the mere thought of biting into a piece of meat right now makes my digestive system want to lock up and throw away the key. Although I did plan to continue with my vegan diet for a little longer after the conclusion of the cleanse, I fully expected to be able to indulge every once in a while if I cared to do so. However after these little excursions, it felt more like I was punishing myself instead indulging. Sticking with the vegan thing feels a little safer at the moment. When I went to the grocery store to stock up on lunch items for this upcoming work week, none of my old stuff appealed to me. I loaded up my shopping cart with fresh produce, beans and grains without really thinking about it.
My hubby commented that my face and shape were slowly changing. Of everyone in my yoga cleanse group, it appears that I may have actually lost the least amount of weight, which is 6 pounds. After chatting with others in the group, I discovered that many of them lost about 8 or 9 pounds on average. This did not bother me, because I knew my body would continue to adjust now that I would keep up these dietary changes for a while. If I end up losing another 6 or 7 pounds, I will be happy. I also plan to get back into my weight training now that most of my racing calendar is complete for the season. It is normal for me to go through this cycle of wanting to hit the weights and tone up in time for the spring weather. The difference now is that I will have to make a concentrated effort to take in enough protein and B-12 supplements. It is going to take a little practice but I think things might turn out for the best. I suppose it can't be a bad thing that my body is rejecting the junk and the toxins. Whenever my brain catches up and gets with the program, I just might be on to something good.
If that wasn't bad enough, I was wired for the rest of that day. This tiny eight ounce drink was consumed sometime around 1pm. By 11:30pm, I was still wide awake. I tossed and turned all night, sleeping in one hour increments at best. Around 5:00am, on a lazy rainy weekend morning, I finally gave up and got out of the bed in search of some house cleaning to do. My brain was on high alert and would not allow me to calm down and relax. It was a crazy jacked up feeling and I could not believe my system was still reacting to something I drank the previous afternoon. It took a full 24 hours and loads of water for my system to feel normal again. What the @#$%? Is this how it is going to be from now on? After a short hiatus away from caffeine, does this mean I "broke" my body from ever being able to enjoy another specialty coffee drink? Say it ain't so! If I can't drink my Starbucks, what ever shall I do?
It does not end there. I also tried to eat some sugar-free Blue Bell ice cream. Of course I thought I was being smart by only getting a partial scoop, less than a half of a cup. The plan was to take it slow and easy since I had not digested any dairy in so long. I opted for the sugar-free version because I did not want to bounce off the walls. Sugar was off the menu as well during this cleanse. Two tiny bites into my micro serving of ice cream and my stomach started doing flip flops. It was an immediate reaction to the dairy and it lasted the rest of the night. I wanted to bang my head up against the wall for thinking my insides could survive a dairy invasion. Oh well, scratch that off the list of acceptable things to eat for now. My love for cheesy enchiladas, queso dip and buttery popcorn was fading fast. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person. It only takes one clue or two for me to get the big picture. If these first two experiences were any indicator of what was to come if I continued to to try to eat my old favorites, then I would have to hang back for a while.
Under normal circumstances, I am margarita and wine lover. Do you think I am crazy enough to attempt an alcoholic beverage after the way a tiny amount of caffeine affected me? Not by a long shot. Just the mere thought of biting into a piece of meat right now makes my digestive system want to lock up and throw away the key. Although I did plan to continue with my vegan diet for a little longer after the conclusion of the cleanse, I fully expected to be able to indulge every once in a while if I cared to do so. However after these little excursions, it felt more like I was punishing myself instead indulging. Sticking with the vegan thing feels a little safer at the moment. When I went to the grocery store to stock up on lunch items for this upcoming work week, none of my old stuff appealed to me. I loaded up my shopping cart with fresh produce, beans and grains without really thinking about it.
My hubby commented that my face and shape were slowly changing. Of everyone in my yoga cleanse group, it appears that I may have actually lost the least amount of weight, which is 6 pounds. After chatting with others in the group, I discovered that many of them lost about 8 or 9 pounds on average. This did not bother me, because I knew my body would continue to adjust now that I would keep up these dietary changes for a while. If I end up losing another 6 or 7 pounds, I will be happy. I also plan to get back into my weight training now that most of my racing calendar is complete for the season. It is normal for me to go through this cycle of wanting to hit the weights and tone up in time for the spring weather. The difference now is that I will have to make a concentrated effort to take in enough protein and B-12 supplements. It is going to take a little practice but I think things might turn out for the best. I suppose it can't be a bad thing that my body is rejecting the junk and the toxins. Whenever my brain catches up and gets with the program, I just might be on to something good.
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