A week of affirmations!!

While this week has been completely idiotic and insane, I have had three lovely things happen which have re-affirmed me in different ways.

At work I recieved an email which informed me that I had been selected from my region to attend the Positive Partnership Facilitator Training. Positive Partnerships is a government initiative which focuses on working with children with Autism and helping them to achieve. I attended the teacher training late last term and loved it. My Head of Campus and Principal are very pleased that I have been offered this opportunity and have approved my professional development request! Yay!!

Then I received a phone call from a lovely lady called Robyn from Family Planning Queensland - who I had corresponded with early in the year regarding puberty programs for special education students. She rang to ask me if I would like to be involved in the regional network project she is starting next year. She said that over the course of the year she has visited a lot of SEUs and that my puberty program is the best she has seen and she wants my input (another pat on the back - and no my swollen head did not prevent me from leaving the building at school, we have quite a wide doorway...lol

The third and final exciting thing that happened this week, also happens to be my favourite. I received an award at the gym presentation night! My first award ever!!! So it is no secret that I'm very overweight and have been working hard this year to overcome some of the obstacles which have been stopping me from losing the weight. I have persisted at the gym, although I am not very fit and have felt my fitness levels and strength improve. The break through for me was the book Women Food and God by Geneen Roth, but that isn't the point of this post.

The lovely lady who originally got me going at the gym was Elise Franks. Sadly, Elise passed away 5 months ago and her sister has taken over the running of the gym. When it came time for them to do the awards, her sister decided to name an award after Elise. It is called the 'Elise Franks Inspirational Award' and as she was introducing the award she said that the intention was that the award would go to someone who was not used to going to the gym, was not a gym junkie or fitness fanatic and someone who had persisted and was coming to the gym regularly. Obviously I am very proud to be the first recipient. I was told that all the staff at the gym all nominated me when asked who they thought should get the award, and one of Elise's close friends told me that she was positive Elise herself would have picked me, because she had commented so many times over the year how proud she was of how well I was going.

Well, needless to say half the people there were in tears, and I had tears in my eyes too. I was incredibly touched, excited and just plain awestruck that they would see fit to give an award to me. I am starting to make some ground and I'm really feeling good about going to Zumba rather than doing weights.

My darling hubbie also won an award (a certificate and a voucher for a massage) for consistent cardio workouts. Yay for us!!

If this coming week wasn't the last for the year, it wouldn't have a hope of beating last week. Marko cleared his old cricket trophies off the top of the tv cabinet and put mine there instead. He is so proud of me (and I am too!!)

Emily xoxo

Week 9 - finished

The school year is coming to a close (just finished week 9) and things just keep getting busier!! You'd think they'd be slowing down, but there is just so much to cram into these last couple of weeks. I'm finished my reports (thank goodness - what a nightmare they were) and so I have been able to focus on the other things we have had planned.

On Tuesday we held a Christmas Party for all the teachers, admin staff, cleaners and grounds staff who work with or do things for those us who work in the SEU. My students wrote and made the invitations and we have been busily baking all term (and filling my deep freezer) in preparation. The kids spent the day before wrapping and putting tags on the individual Christmas cakes they were going to give out as gifts and the two hours before the party cutting up fruit, making dips, heating mini quiches, making sandwiches, heating cheerios and putting sweets onto trays. The party itself was a HUGE success. I have had emails almost every day congratulating us on the party.

Then we did it all over again on Wednesday for the parents of our students. That party was a little more relaxed but just as much food had to be prepared,  so Wednesday arvo I was already exhausted. We had a pretty low key days Thursday and Friday trying to recover.

This week coming will be insane too. On Wednesday we have to move all the furniture off the wet area floor so the cleaners can scrub the floor on Thursday - while we are at the Bowls Club for Barefoot Bowls. Then on Friday we move all the furniture and resources from the carpet onto the newly scrubbed wet area floor so that the carpets can be cleaned.

A busy few days still to come..


 Emily xoxo

Getting healthier...slowly

Remember back when I took a photo of myself in my gym gear a few months ago? Well 8 kgs later I decided to take another picture.

Can you spot a difference?

Photo from a few months ago

 Today's photo

Honestly, I can't. Maybe the shirt is a little looser areound the abdomenal area, and maybe there isn't as much lumpy padding on my side under my arm now.... not sure. I do know that I have lost 8kgs and I know my clothes fit better. I did measure myself a month or so ago, but my home computer has died and I can't access the file with the details, at this time. Apparently I can try starting up in safe mode to access photos and data. I'll try on the weekend.

I had my third Zumba class this week, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. It has certainly proved to me that I'm fitter than I thought and can push myself a little harder when I do my normal workouts.


Today... I JOGGED.

For the first time in years. I jogged 1 minute, walked 1, jogged 1, walked 1 and jogged 1. How great am I!!! So I'm slowly making progress. I keep looking at the gorgeous pants I bought from Entitled online and can't wait to fit into them.