Mrs. Frogster, Firsthand

I'm sitting at the dining room table with a protein shake and bulletproof coffee, a familiar place after my garage workouts.  Earlier, before I hit the weights in the garage, I was sitting here too, eating a little and reading my Bible.  These are routines that have not changed for a long time, and I don't plan on changing them, either.  There is a comfort in routine and schedule and "this is the same every day."  However, when it comes to working out, I admit that I had gotten into a rut.  I was going through the motions, which I suppose was better than doing nothing at all, but I was bored and definitely not seeing muscle growth or definition.  I knew that that had to change.  I needed something to motivate me, challenge me, force me to grow in my workout space. (pull-ups and push-ups, I'm looking at you!)  (in my "gym", complete with refrigerator and tool bench, haha) A few months ago, when I was still on social media (yep, Instagram an...

We have reached the end of the school year!  Our grand finale came much more quickly than I anticipated!  Despite my super excited face in the picture above, I was actually a little sad for this year to be over already.  I have really enjoyed my group of students this year.  Still, summer is here!  I am greatly looking forward to warm days spent with my own kids reading and riding bikes and exploring and making a million crafts and eating s'mores by the fire pit. The last day of school is always chaotic.  I feel like I have so many things I want to do, and then I turn around and it's dismissal time already!  This year, I had a memory activity for the students to work on that ended up taking up most of our morning.  I have seen ideas for making memory books for the school year on Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers; so I figured I could take the general idea and make some simple books for the kids.  To make the books, I used a sharpie a...

Once upon a time, there was a tired mom who just gave up on trying to be healthy. She stopped caring about what food she put into in her body, and she started choosing the tv and sedentary activities over exercise and outside activity.  When her jeans got too tight and she had to go purchase new, larger ones, she shrugged her shoulders and sighed.  She really didn't care anymore.  She didn't have enough energy to care. I wish I could say exactly what happened that changed her apathy towards health and fitness.  I just remember that one day (for indeed I was this mom), I looked at myself in the mirror, and I cared.  I cried at the circles under my eyes and the exhausted, sad face.  I despaired that I was again close to having to get new, larger jeans.  I decided that enough was enough.  I was going to change; I just didn't know how. A bright, flashing ad for a new gym in the area called OrangeTheory Fitness popped up in my Facebook feed that ...

Summer break is really just around the corner.  Here in Oregon, the dismal rains have disappeared, and warm temperatures and intense sunshine has happily filled the void.  Here's a math problem for you:  take these full days of sunshine, add distinct knowledge that we are almost in the last month of school, and multiply by 12 hyper students whose energy and general motivation are compounded by the throes of puberty, and what do you get?  Well, I'll tell you.  Children whose minds are anywhere but learning and whose feet are quick in running to mischief! (bonus points if you know what Scripture verse that reference comes from!)  Yes, students that once actually listened in class and completed their assignments in a timely manner are suddenly off in la-la land without a clue as to what their assignments even are.  Cries of "Do we have to?" and "Couldn't we just go outside for this class?" fill the air.  And even though you've been drilling your ...

Today marks an entire year since God called my mom home to Heaven.  Although I know in my heart that she is pain-free and in the presence of Jesus, I miss her more than I could ever put into words.  I found a voicemail that I had saved on my phone from her and cried.  Pictures make me cry.  Family memories make me cry.  Everything is making me cry today.  There is a certain heaviness to everything I do today.   Last year, at this time as I packed a bag and boarded an airplane to Nebraska to be at my mom's funeral, I purchased a new journal to write my thoughts and feelings in during that very long and difficult week.  I knew that much of the time would be very overwhelming, and I figured writing down what I was going through would help me remember it all.  I looked over the journal this morning for the first time since she passed.  I haven't had the courage to face the memories before today.  The very beginning of my jou...

I thought it might be fun for you all to take a short virtual tour of my classroom!  I just changed the theme to "Cactus Makes Perfect," and there are adorable bulletin boards and growth-mindset posters throughout the room to carry out this theme.  I filmed this on a Wednesday morning before school started.  Since it is already halfway through April, we are getting close to the end of the school year.  I have tried various set-ups along the way; we have finally hit a desk arrangement and classroom set-up that makes sense and works for my particular class. So enjoy the tour!  Here is the link to the Cactus and Succulents Growth Mindset Posters.   Also, the math cards for the ratios and proportions can be found here.    The idea for the desk towers came from this blog. And seriously, hit up Dollar Tree for the best containers and trays and baskets!  It is such an inexpensive way to organize the classroom.

I had always assumed that I was just one of those people who naturally had a lot of energy.  I was quick and eager to wake up in the mornings and get on with my day.  I taught at school all week, invested time in my hobbies, and generally had a positive attitude to go along with it.  And then came the children.  In 2006, God blessed us with our first child who apparently did not like sleeping.  Deep in the throes of new mommyhood, I discovered when Gabi was just five months old that I was pregnant again with our second child.  Tired does not even begin to describe how I felt during that time.    Imagine how I felt when the pregnancy test showed positive again at the end of 2007!  Having three kids in three years was the most exhausting experience for me.  I ran on little sleep, lots of coffee, and less-than-healthy food grabbed in my spare moments.  I learned very quickly that my three little ones needed structure and routine,...