Tag Archives: reading lessons

Ways to Cope with Difficult Reading Lessons

  Teaching a child to read is a joy.  However, there are times that joy turns into frustration.  Not all children learn to read quickly.  When this happens it can be hard on both the student and the teacher. Sometimes the only evidence of a reading lesson is tear stains on the pages.  Sometimes our hearts break when our child expresses little to no joy in reading.  Sometimes your child needs something other than defeat at the sight of “is”. Act it Out:  Using the vocabulary words, have your student act out the meaning of a word.  Connecting a word … Continue reading →

Major Accomplishments

One great thing about all of this exercising and cutting back on especially sugar is the fact that I seem to have more energy. My stamina is improving of course, but also my energy levels during the day. But first, I have to tell you about a major accomplishment I had this week. Lately, we have had more than our fair share of rain. It has been raining so hard and for so long, that the roads and our driveway looked like a hurricane hit them, a challenge for walking, even if it weren’t raining. So, I have been focuses … Continue reading →

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Weight Loss

This has been an interesting week for me with a few different ups and downs. Feel free to play some mood music from your favorite western movie, in the background as you read this. “Doodeedeedoo Wah, wah wah.” The Good I had a particularly great exercise day on Saturday. With no where pressing that we needed to be, I was able to walk and run for a longer time period, proving to myself that I could do it. I was also able to relax and not be so stressed about getting back on time in the morning to shuffle my … Continue reading →

Some Random Weight Loss Thoughts

This week, it seems that my head is just filled with all sorts of thoughts competing for attention. Those long walks/runs in the morning give me a little time with my thoughts as well as my body, and I think somewhere in there, some of my brain got turned on along with my metabolism. I was reading a blurb in Shape Magazine the other day that had some interesting news. According to a recent study, it will require more effort to lose weight if you miss exercising for a few days. In other words, if you were able to lose … Continue reading →

Overcoming Weight Loss Obstacles

The God Factor I don’t know if your are a spiritual person, but as I was sitting in church on Sunday, I absorbed the message put forth by the pastor, “Those doing God’s work will be faced with obstacles. It is guaranteed.” Now, while I am not implying that my personal weight loss is the Lord’s work, although of course I look to Him for direction in all of my life (and He is great at helping one overcome obstacles), the message did get me to start thinking about recent obstacles that I have faced so far. Week Four I’ve … Continue reading →

Trying to Track Cause and Effect

In my many years spent working in fundraising and nonprofit management, people were always trying to find reasons and predict why certain fundraisers or events did well and others didn’t. There were always so many variables that sometimes we could come up with some pretty good guesses, and other times we could only wonder at why people either turned out or didn’t, or we made money or didn’t. The same thing can happen in our home businesses—as we work to try to figure out what is working and what is not. Sometimes, things completely out of our control can have … Continue reading →

Diary of an Overweight Mom: PLEASE Don’t Say it’s the Stomach Flu!

Ah, and yet is WAS the stomach flu. It got my husband first. He went to play basketball on Thursday night and all was well. Then suddenly, as though he was being chased by a band of robbers, he flew in the door and made a beeline for the bathroom. The following morning, just as his sickness was subsiding slightly, my two-year-old threw up on the couch…on the kitchen floor…all over my feet. Both my husband and daughter were down for the count Friday and Saturday. I tried to keep my son out of the house some and prayed he … Continue reading →

Diary of an Overweight Mom: Finally—SICK of Macaroni and Cheese

I’ve always loved macaroni and cheese. In fact, we go way back—as far as I can remember. Nothing short of a banana cream pie has tasted so good on my lips as a forkful of creamy macaroni and cheese. But now, well, let’s just say the honeymoon has ended. After being sick for a week and dining solely on fast food or some form of pasta, I’m officially sick of carbohydrates. I feel bulked out, full, and a bit like a linebacker. Thankfully, I didn’t gain weight during my carb-fest, but sometimes weight isn’t the only indication that you need … Continue reading →

Diary of an Overweight Mom: Did I Succeed or Did I Fail?

We’re finally home from our weekend in Arizona. The kids had a great time playing in Grandma’s yard and roasting marshmallows at Grandpa’s. As promised, the Thanksgiving table was filled with yummy dishes, and the temptations didn’t stop there. On Friday night we were treated to a barbecue of burgers and bratwurst…and my mom’s delicious potato salad. On Saturday we grilled again at my dad’s and my step-mom made a delicious banana pudding for dessert. BANANA PUDDING…my favorite dessert of all (next to banana cream pie). So you’ve probably guessed that I lost all sense of restraint and dived head … Continue reading →

Diary Of An Overweight Mom: Don’t MESS With My Cheez-Its

I feel very strongly about my Cheez-Its—so strongly in fact, that I try not to buy them for my kids, because I know I’ll eat the whole box within two days. But yesterday at the store, I relented. I’d been wanting them, and even though we have a gigantic container of Goldfish crackers in the house, they’re just not the same. I think most people prefer one or the other. So today I went to pour the Cheeze-Its into bowls for my kids. I was also looking forward to having some for myself. After all, my stomach has been very … Continue reading →