Sub Day and T-minus 2 days!

I think I only manage to write posts when I have subs or no school LOL !  My day is always so crazy busy.  The school I am teaching at is over 40 minutes from my house which gives me a lot of reflection and decompression time on the drive home.  Often times at the end of a day, I am feeling exhausted, frustrated and starving.  (and I usually have to pee!! LOL)

I made this shirt for creative con in Panama City and didn't even end up going !!!)

 The most frustrating part of it is that I always feel so mentally and physically drained at the end of a work day that I never have the time or energy to do anything else that I consider important (like running or exercise)  Of course that is why I started to develop the habit of waking up at 5 am on weekdays to get my run in while I have the energy.  But I can't do that on the days that my husband is traveling out of town for work (because I have my 7 year old - asleep )  I have tried carrying him out to the jogging stroller and pushing him for an early run (as opposed to no running) but I really cant be carrying him around anymore because hes way too big and I'm 6 months preggo!  It is also hard to push him and steer the stroller which ends up being a frustrating rather than enjoyable run.

So My hubs got us a used norditrack treadmill that we put in the clubhouse but even when I tried to get Rudy up - over to the clubhouse (with blankets, snacks and plushies) I only managed to squeeze a mile in.

FORTUNATELY this dilemma may just have a solution!  I will be starting my FLEX elementary art position with Florida Virtual School on Monday!!!  I have been trying to get a job with them for at least 2 years now I am really excited.  PLUS it may allow me to continue working after I have our little baby girl in December.  Originally we thought I would just resign after maternity leave to avoid having to put her in day care but if this position is a flexible as I hope it is- I can go right back to teaching after the leave is up.

So now I have two days left at my current school and I haven't even told my students yet.  I was hoping they would have someone hired that I could introduce to them.  I did write a letter to them but with over 130 students Im not sure if I am going to pass them out to everyone- maybe just the seniors or students that I have already developed a close bond with.

I had to get a sub today so I could go take my blood glucose test at Emerald Coast Ob gyn,  I thought I had to fast so I was absolutely starving!  So this morning I dropped off Rudy at the Guld Coast School for Autism and then came home.  I got in a nice 4 miles on the treadmill and got to practice the new body pump 107 track- warm up and squats (my butt is going to be sore tomorrow!)

The appointment went great!  Emerson's heart beat sound good around 140-150 bpm.  The last ultrasound we finally found out that my placenta moved up which allowed me to come off of pelvic rest!  I was soooooo relieved because that means:
1. Most likely wont need a C section
2. I get to run and workout at a more vigorous level than I was
3. 'Special' time with hubs!  LOL

Also at this appointment, my midwife told me that I could have the Quest protein shakes.  I kept forgetting to ask and I wanted to make sure they were safe.  So when I got home I made a nice Quest Pumpkin spice protein smoothie!!!

AND she said I could use LASH BOOST!!  I stopped using it a couple months ago because Leah, my rep, told me that it was not 'approved for pregnancy- or at least it came with a 'consult doctor' label.  The stuff is seriously amazing and with the acne, roasacea and weight gain- some nice long eye lashes will definitely boost my self image right now!!  :)

My drawing of hand- wishing it were a PSL!! But too much caffeine and too many empty calories!

So right now Rudy is at Tae Kwon Do practice- then Jamey is going to head up to school with me to try to get my potters wheel and any other things of mine in my classroom before having to hand in my keys on Friday!

I really hope the kids aren't too upset!  I'm sure plenty of them will be relieved! (I've had to call parents and crack down on some of them!)  My high school 2D classes are supposed to be finishing their FInal Hand Drawings- here is my reference photo I took of one of my students' hands.  I used the prisma app on my phone to edit it.  Honestly- their drawings are turning out AMAZING!  I am so proud and impressed with them!  My middle school classes are studying color and making an eye color wheel- and my 3D class is trying to finish their empty bowl project and the drawing a Day of the Dead Skull/portrait!

Baby and Changes!

Happy Hump Day! 

Today is a PLC day for our district- which means no students- some meetings and hopefully getting caught up on all the things on MY TO DO LIST !!!

Monday, I turned in my resignation letter.  It was SUCH a difficult decision but I had to make the choice that was best for my health and family.  I was offered a job with Florida Virtual School during our trip to Maine.  I had two interviews and then an offer for the Flex 12- month elementary art position.  I absolutely love my current school, my art room (I have a generous budget and TWO kilns) but being 26 weeks pregnant is really taking its toll on my energy and stamina.  Plus several of my classes are over what I had hoped and discussed with admin when I was hired (my middle school and other classes have over 32 students!)

Not a lot
of my students even know i am pregnant.  Yesterday some girls in my 3rd period class asked and I told them yes.  It is a little harder to tell when I wear my art aprons.  I plan on announcing or telling all my classes next week and encouraging them to keep in touch with me through my school Instagram page. 

Tomorrow is my next ultrasound appointment at 3:00- so I have to leave school RIGHT after 3rd period.  This is hard because that is my one 3D art class and probably the messiest!  This ultrasound is the 2nd one with the specialist Dr Livingston.  I was referred to him because I am over 35.  My last ultra sound with him went great- baby Emerson looks perfect and growing well but my placenta was still close to my cervix.  I am really hoping it has moved up because then I can be taken off pelvic rest and also be more confident that I can have a vaginal delivery. 
So far I have gained quite a bit of weight- at least 15 pounds.  Im worried my placenta is still low becuase I feel like I am carrying her low- I can remember feeling like Mason was crowded up near my ribs - and having shortness of breath.  I still have quite a ways to go with Em but I dont feel any crowding near my lungs/ribs. In fact - its the opposite.  I am still doing some light jogging/ running in the morning and everytime I start- I feel pressure in my pelvis and bladder.  I have to empty it before I go or I will literally leak urine the whole run!  I only do 3 miles max and never more than a 10 minute mile (its all I can muster!)  I have tried keeping up with body pump too.  I have yet to learn the new release 107 but i hope to soon! 

Which is another great thing about this virtual job- I will have more flexibility and energy to do all those things.  So I hoping for good news tomorrow- I just have a little trouble understanding the doctor ( I think he has early onset Parkinsons ) so I really hope Jamey can make it to this appointment.  He was out of town for work during the last one! 

So today my goals are:

Clean up /organize the art room
Make my hand drawing example and video of a hand with bubbles
Make a bowl on the potters wheel
Fire the kiln
Make a color wheel eye and mandala video!
Pack up some of my personal art stuff so I am not moving everything out on my last day- September 28th!

Maine 2018

I can not believe our trip is almost over- but I guess that is how all vacations go- time flies when you're having fun! 

This was my 2nd trip up to Maine with my bae for his birthday- this year he turned 40!!!  The last trip we took was 2 years ago when I was still working and living in St. Augustine, FL and we drove all the way up to his family's vacation home in Sargentville/Sedgewick Maine.  It took us a long time to get there but it gave us the chance to stop in a lot of states to visit family.  I got to see my friend Kerri in Plymouth, his uncle Jerry in Virginia, and my mom in Maryland.  We didnt take Rudy with us that time- his grandmother, Beverly, stayed with him.

This time, because I had started back to school with a new job at a K-12 school, Bozeman, we decided to fly up so we would have more time.  We also brought my son Rudy with us. 

It has been an AMAZING trip full of hiking, shopping and of course LOBSTER!!

We flew from FL to Portland, Maine and got to go to the LL Bean outlet- which turned out to be HUGE.  I had my first lobster roll of the trip which was not quite as good as some of the other ones- but yummy nonetheless.  We got Rudy a nice jacket from LL Bean and I got a cute work dress.

From Portland we drove to Sargentville Maine where his family's house is.  We were the only ones there and it was gorgeous weather.  Nice an warm, and sunny during the day and really cool- almost cold at night.  We  got there around 7 in the evening and stopped at a little store called Eggemogin- (known for their whoopie pies) and got some snacks/food.
The next day we decided to go and check out Blue Hill - there was a fair that we took Rudy to and he loved it.  He rode rides, got cotton candy- I had the most delicious Hawaiian ice and caramel apple ever! Being 6 months pregnant has its perks and I take advantage of all the desserts I can handle!  LOL

We also took rudy on his first hike up Blue hill and he did great!  We were going to go to Acadia but my friend Kerri was driving to see us from Boston and we wanted to make sure that we were back in time to meet her.

We stopped in Stonington before she got there to the Lobster co-op to get some huge lobsters right off the boat!  It was really cool to see the boats bringing in massive containers full of lobster.  I think I could have died and gone to seafood heaven.

Jamey prepared the lobsters while Kerri and I got to catch up on the deck.  I honestly had not gotten to see her since I ran the Boston in 2017.  The dinner was delicious and we had such a good time catching up.  She has lost A LOT of weight since I saw her last and I joked with her that I gained it all!
She had to leave early in the morning to get back to Boston for a pearl jam concert.  So we headed to Acadia national park which is beautiful!   We took a short hike/walk to Thunder hole but drove up to the top of Cadillac mountain.  It was gorgeous.  We could even see Mount Katahdin from there- which is the mountain we hiked the last time we were in Maine.