Weekly Goals 12/1

The three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas Break are always nuts.  There are MAP tests to be taken, essays to grade, assemblies, concerts, etc.  I'm making a real effort to stay more organized this year, and to make sure that I really grade authentically (another post on that soon!).  I really find that setting goals for each week, both with my students and my own life, help me stay on top of things.  This week my goals are:

1.) Have all my students' essays graded by Friday-MAP testing should allow me time to do this so I don't have to spend all my free time grading.  

2.) Get a tree topper for the tree- I didn't think my tree was that big until we got it home.  Needless to say, we have to find a bigger one.  You can barely even see the one I bought a couple years ago.

3.) Speaking of trees....I need to put up my classroom tree and set out all my decorations

4.) Finish the bulletin board outside of my room

5.) Clean out my desk!  The sub for my maternity leave made my desk her own, which is totally fine...but my OCD can't handle it.

 

I think that's about all I can handle this week.  Oh, and I want to be sure to track on WW every day.  My big goal is to lose 30 pounds by my 30th birthday in May.  I got this!

The Gimmes

Something about this time of year always gives me the "Gimmes".  As in, gimme all the things; I must spend all the money.  This year it seems to be especially bad because it is Lilly's first Christmas and I feel the need to make my house "perfect", whatever that means.  Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram are not helping.  I see people dressing their kids up in super expensive outfits and I feel like I have to keep up.  People are putting up Pinterest worthy trees and I think I have to as well.  It's maddening.
During my maternity leave I had nothing better to do during the hours-long nursing sessions Lilly required, than fiddle on my phone.  I spent countless hours on Instagram and Pinterest and found so many cute shops to follow.  I felt like I "had" to have that $40 Christmas sweatshirt and Lilly really needed that $25 onesie.  Did we really need any of these things? Absolutely not, but I definitely got caught up in a vicious cycle of Mommy blog envy.  Why hadn't I bought my child a $600 stroller?  Did that make me a bad mom?  Heck no!  Plus, that lady probably didn't pay for that dang stroller.  The company gave it to her to shill to newbs like me.  I realized that I was definitely comparing my behind-the-scences life to someone else's highlight reel.  So what did I do?  I hit the unfollow button on all the shops that had the cute clothes that no one really needs.  I signed off of Pinterest and played with my already cute daughter.  I realized I didn't need the crap that everyone was shilling in order to live a perfectly happy life.
As weird as it sounds, I feel as though a weight has been lifted.  I didn't realized that social media could influence me in such a profound way.  I'm sure postpartum hormones didn't help the situation either.  So if you find yourself making a major list for Santa this year, I encourage you to step back and evaluate the things you "need".  There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting pretty things, but don't let the gimmes ruin your holiday season.

A Day in the Life

5 a.m.: My alarm clock goes off.  I get up and get ready while Lilly sleeps.

5:40ish: I get Lilly up, change her, and she eats

6:15: leave home to take Lilly to my Mom's house.  I'm so lucky that Lilly doesn't have to stay in daycare!

6:30: Drop Lilly off at my mom's and head to work.

7:00: Get to work and pump for the first time while I sit in the dingy closet in my classroom.  I can usually pump around 2 ounces at this session.

7:35-10:47: Teach, fuss at kids, grade papers if I can, teach some more, fuss some more.

11:00: I pump again on my planning period.  I try to pump for at least fifteen to twenty minutes and usually end up with two-four ounce bottles for the next day.

11:30-3:00: I eat lunch, teach, etc.

3:00: leave school to pick Lilly up at my Mom's...or stay at school to finish up one of my 2342542 projects I have going on (that's usually the case)

4 or 5: finally get home to let the dogs out (Matt lets them out on his lunch so they don't have to hold it for 12 hours), clean bottles, pick up the house, and try to start dinner.

6:30: Matt gets home from work

8:00: Lilly gets a bath, eats, and Matt rocks her to sleep.  While she's getting a bath I pack all my crap up for the next day: lunch, school bag, pump bag, diaper bag, etc.

9:00: If we're lucky Lilly goes right to sleep and we are in bed by 10.  Whew!  The days are long but the years are short.