Mel's Box of Chocolates

In case you didn't know, it's officially the weekend. During the last few weeks of school the weekends are even more vital in maintaining sanity. Let me tell you that the last days of school are absolute chaos. There are assembly's, parties, concerts, showcases, and kids are going here, there, and everywhere. Oh and of course there is trying to find time to get in the last end of the year assessments so we have some evidence that the students actually learned throughout the year. But, it's the weekend and I'm not thinking about school. Today the kids and I are heading to Philly for a Picnic with a Purpose. Jo-Lynne has worked with the Motherhood and Hebrew National to organize a picnic where local blogger are getting together to have a great time, but also impacting our community. We are taking donations for the Home of the Sparrow to help women and kids. Last night I went out and picked up some household products, plus some bags of outdoor toys for the ki...

The other night we took a walk after dinner and found a patch of honeysuckle. They smelled so sweet and it brought back memories of my childhood. Growing up there was a patch of honeysuckle near the woods by our house. My brother and I would visit frequently, pinching the bottom and sucking out the sweet ambrosia. Of course I had to show Zoe the trick. The honey suckers, as Zoe called them, were a great treat. Isn't it wonderful how something so small can bring such great pleasure?!

I don't handle three day weekends and four day work weeks well. What can I say? I thrive on routine and structure. I've been completely exhausted the last two nights which is why it's a bullet post today. Memorial Weekend: Had a blast on three day weekend spending time the kids, eating at bbq's, lounging on the beach, and finally dusting the inches of pollen that has came in through the open windows the past couple weeks. Tuesday: Back to school, but excited that only 7 days left. Couldn't get into my groove and by the afternoon was a space cadet. I totally needed a nap. However, I went out to dinner with the girls to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday. Chips, salsa, and a mojito...life was much better. Wednesday: Met with a Dean at the University of Delaware to discuss a teacher education program, had a party for my student intern whose last day is tomorrow (I'm going to miss her), got my student's test score results, and found out that I'...

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I finally did it. I went grocery shopping and remembered the reusable bags. This was the first time I went grocery shopping with the bags I've been collecting. The room that was in the bags was amazing. At least three plastic bags of groceries fit into one reusable bag. This made me very happy because I loathe unloading groceries from the car, lugging all the bags in. I was a couple bags short and had to resort to a few plastic bags although I do reuse them for my recyclables and the cat litter so I didn't feel too guilty. I will be keeping an eye out for some more bags though. Just doing my part to save the world! SUBSCRIBE to never miss a piece of chocolate Be Sweet, Follow Mel on Twitter

SUBSCRIBE to never miss a piece of chocolate Be Sweet, Follow Mel on Twitter

Yesterday, was a great day. As I shared with you, I took the time to just live. The kids and I headed to the beach where we proceeded to freeze our butts off in the cool breeze blowing from the ocean, but somehow I still managed to get a little red. Dylan braved the 57 degree water, but Zoe and I were content to sit on the sand. I enjoyed watching them build sandcastles, tunnels, and see them put their imaginations to work. I also enjoyed having the freedom to just sit and read a couple chapters in a book. Every summer as the kids have gotten older the beach has become easier. This year is going to be the best yet because they are old enough to help carry items, occupy themselves, and know better than to start wandering away. I can't wait for our beach days. Last night, we went to a bbq at a friends house and had a wonderful time. My friend went all out with the food as we had hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, mac n cheese, salad, pretzel salad, baked potatoes, and I am sur...

Why yes, there are... dirty dishes in my sink toys on the floor laundry piles dust on the shelves bills to be paid cluttered counters and believe me I could go on and on. But, for today they will remain as they are. Today, I'm choosing to be the fun mom. If you need me, you can find the kids and me at the beach for the afternoon and then at our friends for a bbq tonight. Life's too short. Time to live it. SUBSCRIBE to never miss a piece of chocolate Be Sweet, Follow Mel on Twitter

One of the things I was looking forward to the most these next three days was sleeping in. But, for some reason my body isn't cooperating. Sleeping in on spring mornings with the sun shining in, a breeze blowing through the windows bringing with it the smell of cut grass, flowers, and fresh air, and the sound of birds chirping good morning was as good as it got. I'd finally roll out of bed around 10:00 to grab a cup of coffee, some toast, and slowly begin my day. It was my norm to not shower or dress until after lunch. Now here I am today with the sun shining in the windows, the fresh air blowing through the house, and the birds chirping outside, but instead of being snuggled in my warm, soft bed, I'm sitting on the couch blogging. Did I mention it's only 7:30am?? In a way I suppose, I did sleep in considering during the week I get up at 5:30am for work. This morning I woke up, saw it was only 6am and was determined to go back to sleep so I could sleep in. Of course I w...

It's Friday, It's Friday...and if you could see me through this here computer you would see me doing my happy dance. It hasn't been a bad week, just very hectic as the end of the year comes to a close. Even better than it being Friday, is that it is the start to a long weekend with Memorial Day. Oh Yeah! Oh and it gets even better because it is a long weekend with not much planned. After last weekend being so busy with the circus, March of Dimes walk, and my 5K it will be nice to have a quiet weekend. We do have a couple bbq's planned with friends and family, but the great thing is that they are at other peoples house! Of course, I still have my regular weekend chores of laundry and trying to put the house back together after a work week, but you can believe I will be sleeping in late and enjoying my pajamas. How will you be spending your long weekend? Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

Part of Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge was that by the end of the challenge participants would register for a 5K. A few weeks ago I shared with you my experience of running my first 5K and after successfully finishing it I couldn't wait to sign up for my next one, which I ran Sunday. This time, I ran with my friend Lynette, who just recently began running. She was training at a much faster pace than I run, but would also stop to walk so I figured we would even each other out. We were a great team because she pushed me to run faster as I didn't want to slow her pace and she said I encouraged her to keep running so we could run together and she wouldn't get lost on the course. Although I don't think I'm the one to follow when it comes to staying on course. Speaking of course, let me just say that this was not just another road race, but we are talking all-terrain racing. We tackled sand, grass, mulch, and gravel. Oh and did I mention that it was raining. At first j...

I swear these challenges at the Sisterhood go faster each time. Today is the last weigh in for the Shrink into Summer challenge. When I posted my first Weigh in Wednesday on April 1st, I weighed in at 143lb. This past Saturday when I weighed in, my eyes were astounded as I saw something I had not seen in a very looooonnngggg time. A number that began with 1 & 3. Yes, my bloggy friends I saw 139.5 on my scale. Hoorah!!! I'm officially in the healthy weight range for my age and height. So this week I bid farewell to the Shrink into Summer challenge and also to 3.5lb that I loss over the weeks. Now I only have 4.5lb to go to reach my final goal weight. I can do it! So can you? How was your week? Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

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I almost single-handedly ruined somebody's career today! Since February I have been sharing my room with a student teacher, we'll call her H, who will be graduating next week. Never in my four years have I ever had such an awesome student teacher. H is just a natural! My only hope is that she has learned as much from me as I have from her. So it is with much sadness that I confess that it was her career that I almost squashed. Whenever my student teachers begin applying for positions they ask me for a recommendation. H was no different and I was more than happy to write one for her. I spent a lot of time writing my recommendation carefully choosing my words so that it would highlight exactly how highly I thought of H and her effectiveness as a teacher. Then today she asked me to complete a professional reference paper for a school district who for some reason had not received the first one I completed and H sent through the mail. The school district wanted us to fax the...

Here is a little eye candy just for you. Zoe had her pictures taken on Sunday for her upcoming dance recital. They are doing a routine from Enchanted, one of Zoe's favorite movies of all time, so they get to dress up as princesses. Is it Zoe or what?? Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

You all know how much I love my weekends. It pretty much ranks right up there with an ice cream cone covered in sprinkles (which I will be begging hubby to go get with me tonight!!) However, this weekend is so jammed pack that I'm not so sure I won't be thankful when it is Monday and I go back to work. Well okay probably not. Our busy weekend kick off actually started early on Friday. Yesterday, Dylan had a field trip at school so Dave took off to chaperon the trip. This meant that by 6:30 in the morning we all had to be showered, dressed, have eaten breakfast and in the car for our regular 45 minute drive to school. Oh and of course it was Zoe's Trike-A- Thon at school which meant we also had to have her bike and helmet in the car. I did think ahead and the night before had everything by the front door, my lunch packed, and the coffee set. It actually wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be getting out. I had about 4 minutes to spare before the bell rang ...

**Update - My walk is this Saturday and I would really like to be able to meet my goal. Please consider sponsoring me as I walk in hope that "one day... all babies will be born healthy." Any little bit will help and be much appreciated!! As a mom, one of my biggest fears is something happening to my children. I am very blessed that both Dylan and Zoe were born full-term and healthy as can be. They have remained this way throughout their childhood so far and other than routine well-check appointments we seldom have to visit our pediatrician. However, I know for some other families this is not the case. My dear old (in years we've known each other, not age, of course!!) friend had twins prematurely in 2005, but sadly only took Abraham home. Her angel Moses, instead went to live with his Father in Heaven. Last year, Beth was pregnant one minute and the next discovered that she lost her twins, James and Jake . I imagine that they are now making many people laugh as...

This week I decided to try something new and vlog about my progress with the Walk-It Challenge this week. Enjoy! So what did you think? Do me a favor and leave me a comment letting me know if you like the vlog or prefer the post? Is it clear enough? Too long? Any vlogging suggestions will be much appreciated. Oh and don't forget to share your walking/running/exercising goals for this week! Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

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Julie over at A Day in Our Life tagged me for a short meme and today seemed like the perfect day to play along. The rules are: 1. Mention the person that tagged you. 2. Complete the lists of 8's. 3. Tag 8 other bloggers. 4. Tell them that they have been tagged. 8 Things I Look Forward To Summer vacation (only 19 more school days) The month of December - I like decorating/shopping/baking all month and then ending with Christmas and of course winter vacation Family vacation over spring break The weekends My birthday Seeing my kids and husband at the end of the day Girls night out Beach days 8 Things I Did Yesterday Had Muffins for Mom at Zoe's daycare Taught 19 3rd graders Attended a meeting for a special education student Cooked fish tacos for dinner - my first time making and eating them! Got mad when my new HDtv receiver stopped working which means all my recorded shows are now GONE Was somewhat happy again when the nice lady at DirectTv said they would send me a new one pron...

The great thing about being a teacher is being able to hear everything that comes out of kids mouth. Of course some things can be quite horrifying, but others...well you just have to laugh. Student E - Are we going to plant our Mother's Day Flowers today? Me - Yes. Student E - Good because those Merry-Go-Rounds are very pretty. Me - I'm glad you like the Marigolds ! Student A - I wasn't here on Friday. Me - I noticed. Were you sick? Student A - My body wasn't sick, I was just school sick and needed a break. Student K - I'm not going to be able to sit still today. Me - Is everything okay? Student K - I'm going crazy because of the rain and I can't stand it anymore. Me - I know exactly how you feel! (This was after about 2 weeks straight of rain, which meant no outdoor recess, which definitely makes everybody, kids and teachers , crazy!!!) Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

Mother's Day started off with hubby making me this... and while I enjoyed breakfast the kids gave me these... Then I did do some dishes, laundry, and cleaned the bathroom, but I didn't really mind. After my breakfast settled, I put on my shoes and enjoyed the absolutely beautiful morning by doing this... I was just 8 seconds away from running a 5K in under 40 minutes! Considering I started at a 5K taking me about 48 minutes, I'm pretty happy with this. I am determined to get into the 30's this week. My ultimate goal would be to run a 5K in less than 30 minutes. The afternoon was then spent with the Dave, the kids, and me. One of my favorite ways to spend Sundays since they are the only day we are all home together. We first visited a new park, where Dylan tackled a rock wall and a very tall rope. Zoe went for something a little less strenuous and enjoyed the huge slide that was there. Before we left Daddy was nice enough to take a picture of me with the kids. You know,...

In an effort to put last week behind me and look forward to brighter days ahead I'm kicking off the weekend with a positive post. I'm thinking happy. Bullet-style. There are only 19 more school days until summer vacation! Not that I have a huge sign on my front board counting down the days of course. Cassie brightened my spirits by telling me that she thinks I'm awesome and even giving me an award!! I'll be passing on the award soon. PTO treated me (and of course the rest of the school staff) with an absolutely delicious lunch on Thursday. Mmmm, those brownie bites filled with cream cheese were oh so tasty. Two students brought in gifts today for Teacher Appreciation week. One gave me a gorgeous Lily plant and the other a huge coffee mug (yes, she knows me!!) filled with pencils, notecards, and a notepad. Dylan couldn't wait to give me his Mother's Day gifts he made at school. He wrote a couple poems filled with things he loves about me. I found out that I'...

I honestly don't know if I've ever been so excited for Friday to be here. This has been a week straight from the place down under (and I'm not talking Australia...although I've always wanted to visit there). Usually I'm okay with the whole juggling game. Work, kids, daycare, house, bills, the numerous other "balls" miraculously just keep on circling. But, this week? They all came crashing down. It started with Zoe being sick, then Dylan hurting his finger and having to be picked up from school then computer troubles at work incomplete paperwork for a meeting medicines forgotten in the morning, afternoon, and night no clean sheets/blankets for Zoe to take to daycare, missing Muffins for Moms at my school and disappointing Dylan failure to wear red at school when the whole state was doing it to make a point waiting all day for Fish Tacos to realize the topping needs to set for 3 hours (this was at 6pm) a soggy pretzel salad that was dumped in the sink and an...

I feel like a broken record when I write my Weigh In posts. It seems like it's been months of me saying the same old thing. Poor choices, over ate, no points left, then comes the weigh in. One week I'm up and then the next right back down to the infamous number of 142! Sooo frustrating. I get so tired of my scale not moving. Of course that leads me right back into the circle of overeating, poor choices, and wasting my points away. Or worse yet, I may see a change and then treat myself with (I know close your ears) FOOD. I thought I had broken that habit, but with the summer like weather last week I found myself eating a few to many scoops of ice cream. I'm stuck and it just seems like I can't get out of this cycle. Okay enough whining. Have I ever told you how much I CANNOT stand whining? Saturday was the end of the 16 week Biggest Loser Blog Edition that I've been participating in. Over the last 16 weeks I have lost 8.5lb. Obviously for all my whining o...

Give me some credit because I usually do keep my pictures wordless on Wednesdays, but these pix deserve some words. They were all taken inside my in-laws garage on our visit to Florida. These are the neighborhood ducks, which my son promptly named, Aflac 1 and Aflac 2. I know, so smart...my son not the ducks!! Well then again maybe the ducks are pretty smart too considering they make their way into all the residents homes and patiently wait for treats. So wrapping up this now very wordy, wordless Wednesday, I present the feeding of the twin Aflac's Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

Since the last time I ran was for my 5K I thought it was time to get my butt back on the treadmill. So today I was all set to go. I changed my clothes. Put on my running shoes. Grabbed my Ipod. Even had my armband for it. Went to plug in my Nike+ sensor... Gone. Disappeared. Hidden. After moving all the end tables and dressers upstairs, looking under the bed, under the cushions on the couch, and everywhere else I could think of I was resigned to the idea that I was going to be buying a new Nike+. Then I decided to look under the ottomon which is where I last saw it and lo and behold there it was. Of course this was 40 minutes after I was inspired to run. I was determined though so upstairs I went and off running on the treadmill I began. I ran 1K, then another, and then my motivation tanked. I ended up only making it halfway through my 5K program. I'm thinking though that perhaps I'll go fold some laundry, tuck the kids in, and give it another chance tonight though. So h...

The title could most definitely be describing our weather lately. I'm beginning to forget what the sun and blue skies looks like. You would think we live in Seattle the way our weather has been. Even worse is that it doesn't look like it is changing soon enough. But, I digress. This post is actually an update to my earlier post . That one where I told you I was home with a sick Zoe. Remember I said I was okay though because quite frankly I was enjoying our quiet, cuddle time watching Cinderella, drinking coffee, and of course having the warmth of the laptop on my lap. I even was able to sneak in half of a 5K after searching frantically for my Nike+ sensor for my Ipod. The day was progressing nicely I thought. Until a bit ago. Zoe and I had just finished lunch and were about to take our shower and bath when the phone rang. "Mrs. T, this is Mrs. S, the school nurse"...uh oh. I was all ready for it. I could hear her next words in my mind, "Dylan just thr...

Every week I am astounded at how quickly the weekend goes by before a new week begins. I would have thought this weekend would have even gone especially slow as it was rainy and dreary allllll weekend. My parents came to visit for a couple of days on the end of their week long vacation. But, other than a walk to the park Friday afternoon and swim lessons on Saturday we just enjoyed relaxing at the house. I didn't even get any weekend pictures!! Yesterday Zoe came down with something. Her temperature soared and she complained her belly was hurting. Other than some breakfast yesterday morning and ginger ale throughout the day she didn't consume anything. She pretty much drifted in and out of naps on the couch all day. Last night she ended up sleeping in our bed, which leads for a very long night of tossing and turning for me. So this week begins with Zoe and I sitting on the couch cuddling. With all the swine flu talk her daycare is being pretty strict on sick children a...