Two posts in one day! I thought of this in the car this afternoon while running errands... I could wait until September (when school actually starts) but I thought I'd take these next few weeks to share some of my favorite moments from my first year.
**Near the end of year, I was a little bit lax in my iPod policy. I found that in certain classes, the students worked better when they only focused on their music and the book in front of them.
One day after the lecture part of class, the students set to work on the assignment and got out their iPods. One student put his large green headphones on and took to work with a couple girls near my desk. He turned to me and asked, "Mrs. Leitman, do you want to be a millionaire?" Without missing a beat, I replied, "So freakin' bad," which ellicited the exact response I wanted... surprise and amazement... Thanks Travie McCoy! One student reacted by saying, "Oh my god, that made my week!"
My students so often forget that I am not that much older than them... I actually know who Katy Perry is and I've seen (and LOVE) The Hangover. I can hear their conversations when I'm not right next to them... and I see their cellphones even when I don't take it from them!
Tuesday, July 26
Granny Visited Seattle
About two weeks ago, David's grandma made a stop in Seattle before heading off for an Alaskan cruise with her neighbor. It was great to see her and exciting to show our house off to her.
David had to work both days so I was the entertainment... She arrived on Thursday afternoon, and I picked her up at the hotel. We had lunch and headed south toward the house we made a stop in Olympia at the Capital Building. Next we headed to the house... she was very impressed. She couldn't get over the ceiling in the great room. We waited for David to get home so she could see the second floor. We went to dinner and just enjoyed our visit.
Friday, I met up with Granny and Mona Lou for a bus tour of Seattle... According to them, I was the only reason they were allowed to go without one of Mona Lou's daughters... meaning I was the 'babysitter'. As you'd expect, the bus passengers were mostly comprised of the older generations. Although I've lived her over a year and visited the city several times, I learned some stuff and tried to look and listen for interesting things to share with future visitors... For example, the outside of the hospital in Grey's Anatomy is an insurance building across the street from the Space Needle. Pretty cool! Here's some pictures I took from west Seattle and Queen Anne Hill.
After the bus tour, Mona Lou went on a second tour (without a 'babysitter') and Granny and I sat in traffic on the way to meet David. The most annoying things about Seattle vs. St. Louis: the traffic! With one highway, it's horrible.
Not the most exciting post, but that's what we've been up to lately... I'll be back in STL at the end of the week. Looking forward to seeing the Cubs play the Cardinals, spending time with my friends and family, and experiencing actual summer... Some days I miss the heat.
David had to work both days so I was the entertainment... She arrived on Thursday afternoon, and I picked her up at the hotel. We had lunch and headed south toward the house we made a stop in Olympia at the Capital Building. Next we headed to the house... she was very impressed. She couldn't get over the ceiling in the great room. We waited for David to get home so she could see the second floor. We went to dinner and just enjoyed our visit.
Friday, I met up with Granny and Mona Lou for a bus tour of Seattle... According to them, I was the only reason they were allowed to go without one of Mona Lou's daughters... meaning I was the 'babysitter'. As you'd expect, the bus passengers were mostly comprised of the older generations. Although I've lived her over a year and visited the city several times, I learned some stuff and tried to look and listen for interesting things to share with future visitors... For example, the outside of the hospital in Grey's Anatomy is an insurance building across the street from the Space Needle. Pretty cool! Here's some pictures I took from west Seattle and Queen Anne Hill.
Not the most exciting post, but that's what we've been up to lately... I'll be back in STL at the end of the week. Looking forward to seeing the Cubs play the Cardinals, spending time with my friends and family, and experiencing actual summer... Some days I miss the heat.
Tuesday, July 19
Training Update
For the past 8 weeks David and I have each been working with a personal trainer. We've talked about how happy we are with our choice to hire personal trainers. I actually use more than the treadmill and elliptical with confidence now. I'm feeling better and stronger even if I don't feel like my clothes fit differently. The scale at home hasn't shown any change, so I wasn't too excited for my first re-evaluation on Saturday.
SURPRISE! When I stepped on the scale, I lost 3.5 pounds! Success... sure it took eight weeks, but like I said I was at peace with the fact that I was starting and maintaining a healthy routine. I nearly doubled the number of sit-ups I was able to do the first time and my seated leg press went from 165 pounds to 225! The best part of it all was the inches lost... 2 inches on my hips, 2.5 inches on my thighs. And I gained an inch on each bicep!
So now the focus in our house has shifted to our diet... A few months ago, my friend Denise told me about an iPhone app called my fitness pal where you can record calories, water consumption and workouts (both cardio and strength). My goal over the next four weeks is to really focus on my calories, especially when I go home next week. I know it's going to be super hard at home so I'm mentally preparing myself... and planning to take time to workout while I'm away.
So all in all, I love my trainer! Never doing the same thing from week to week is great. After yesterday's workout, muscles in my arms and lower legs are sore for the first time. Here's to another good 8 weeks ahead.
SURPRISE! When I stepped on the scale, I lost 3.5 pounds! Success... sure it took eight weeks, but like I said I was at peace with the fact that I was starting and maintaining a healthy routine. I nearly doubled the number of sit-ups I was able to do the first time and my seated leg press went from 165 pounds to 225! The best part of it all was the inches lost... 2 inches on my hips, 2.5 inches on my thighs. And I gained an inch on each bicep!
So now the focus in our house has shifted to our diet... A few months ago, my friend Denise told me about an iPhone app called my fitness pal where you can record calories, water consumption and workouts (both cardio and strength). My goal over the next four weeks is to really focus on my calories, especially when I go home next week. I know it's going to be super hard at home so I'm mentally preparing myself... and planning to take time to workout while I'm away.
So all in all, I love my trainer! Never doing the same thing from week to week is great. After yesterday's workout, muscles in my arms and lower legs are sore for the first time. Here's to another good 8 weeks ahead.
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