It's The Final Countdown!

     It's our final week of school! We are getting out early every day this week, and it's a blessing. I have had NO kids since Monday. I've been busy getting the end of the year stuff done. It's like I'm in a holding pattern until school is over.
     Saturday I'm throwing a wedding shower for one of my best friends. She is getting married in Key West in June. I'm super excited to get down there and spend a whole week in the Keys. :)

     My heart has been in Oklahoma since Monday. I can't put into words how much I ache for those parents and families that lost members of their family. And as a teacher, I can't imagine the fear of being responsible for all those kids when you know you can only protect a few. Everyone seems so surprised at how heroic those teachers are... and as a teacher, I know that it's not heroism. It's our duty. It is what we signed up for. We knew coming in to teaching that if ever our students were in danger that our lives would be laid down first. Teachers undergo a lot of scrutiny... parents seem to always go on the defensive side.. which in all fairness, that's good. Parents should stick up for their kids. But there is consistent and constant blame on teachers when a lot of the time it's because they expect us to be teachers and parents at the same time.... and that is not our job. I am by NO MEANS saying that all parents are bad and all teachers are good. I know there are some really awful teachers out there. I also know there are lots of amazing parents out there. But next time you speak to a teacher about your child, understand that while we make mistakes, and we are human, we love your child. Each and every one of them. And understand that if we had to choose whether someone took their life or ours, we would lay ours down every time. Or at least the good ones would.

     The terror of the Oklahoma storms scared the mess out of me when we were under a tornado watch almost all of Tuesday. The pups and I were scared and daddy was at graduation. Luckily, we were all just fine. Yesterday I went and picked up some supplies to send to Moore. Our community has come together, as so many have, and we collected two 18 wheeled trailers full of things to take. It makes me emmensley proud of where I live. I wouldn't pick anywhere else!

     I'm going to just dump some pictures on you... tomorrow is my recap of the school year.


Ellie is the little black dot peeking out of the covers... wimpy



My brave puppy during the storm... She's on daddy's side laying on a pillow

My baby brother's preschool picture... he's so big! He turns 4 in October

A gift from one of my first graders... with THREE bags of M&Ms...

Kris

The Feel Goods



Weighing In...

     This weekend was much needed. The next month and a half is going going going for us. Friday was my band awards banquet at school, which I think went great. Wish I could post pics... but can't without parent's permission.
     Saturday we layed around for a while. I made turkey burgers for lunch and I'm pretty proud. They were great. I ate mine with tomato, pickle, lettuce, and avacado. Then I mowed the yard for the hubby. Because I am awesome like that. And got my ankle COVERED in fire ant bites that now itch like there is no tomorrow. *sigh* We had our friends over for dinner and cooked burgers and played The Battle of the Sexes. It was a BLAST! But the boys won... only because Ryan reads celebrity gossip sites every day and has pretty much downloaded Wikipedia to his brain. Damn it.
     Sunday we started laundry and went to our neices dance recital. She didn't do all of her dance... but that's okay. She normally gets stage fright and cries, but she stayed on stage the WHOLE time, so we will call it a win! She's only three... and that takes guts! :)

Sweet little puppy!

     After the recital, we went to see the new Star Trek movie. I LOVED it! I remember mom taking me to see Star Trek when I was little... I've always loved it. I love the new casting they have done. And Chris Pine is beautiful. And I love Spock. It was just a great movie. A little cheesy at times, but that's okay.

239... body fat 40.3%

     And this week, I'm weighing in. This is what I saw on the scale this morning.... now I'm also being visited by the monthly bitch train. But it's still time to get back on track... Hardcore. It's a long way from the smallest I've been... but it's still a long way from where I started. Let's see how much ass I can kick this week.

Kris

The Feel Goods

Weight Loss Goals

     Today I am going to set some weight loss goals for myself. It's important to have small victories to celebrate. It keeps you going. :) Before I get to that, I want to talk about my workout from yesterday.

     The hubby had the bright idea to run to the gym (1.5 miles) do spin class and then run back home. So off we went. The run there wasn't great, but it was alright. Then came spin class...

I really like spin class, but we had a new instructor. His workout was MUCH harder than our normal instructor, which is fine with me. I was just working my little booty off. Then, while we were standing and pedaling, my left foot slipped out of the pedal and I hit my shin on it. That wasn't the bad part... the horrible loud noise it made was bad for starters. Then the teacher asked if I was okay... I said "yeah" very quickly. I DO NOT like attention. That was not fun. THEN he asked me what happened.... In front of the entire class. I felt like I was in 3rd grade awkward phase again and was being pointed out when all I wanted to do was blend in. I just blurted out something about my foot slipping and thankfully he went on. And then came the tears. I could feel the lump in my throat... and the lights were off, so I just let them flow. It wasn't ugly cry, but just absolutely embarassed tears. It's ridiculous, I know. I am twenty five years old. Why am I still so insecure? Why did I have that reaction? Should I just brush it off? Probably. But after those tears, I kept going. I talked to the teacher after class about how I liked his music choice. We all laughed and talked for a little bit. And while I was embarassed, I didn't run. And I stayed in class. THIS IS PROGRESS!

     I remember being in college. I had a class on one side of campus and then ten minutes to get to the other side of campus. If I was ever late to that second class, I would not go. There was no way I was going to walk into class in front of everyone and have them stare at me. I ended up failing that class. Because I was too self concious. Because I didn't feel good about myself. Because I didn't know or understand what I was worth. So even though I cried... and even though I felt bad momentarily, it didn't consume me like it use to. So we're calling it a win.

     We ended up walking most of the way home, but that's alright. Then hubby cooked some awesome grilled pork chops and broccoli! And we watched The Voice. Which you know I love. :) Little boy from Arkansas, Josiah, did really well last night. I LOVED the Swon Brothers song. I normally don't like them, but they impressed me last night!

This is how Daisy sits every night during dinner...

     Tomorrow I'm weighing in. I think I'm going to include measurements too. But for today, here are my goals:
1. 220- When I hit about 225, my body gets really comfy and doesn't like to budge. 220 will be good. I'll buy myself a new shirt.
2. 195- This will be the 100 lbs lost mark. I will get a new dress! I almost hit this once... I will get there again!
3. 180- This is my goal weight for the end of summer. I think it warrants a pedicure.
4. 160- My lowest weight in High school. My sophomore year. Momma needs a massage!!
5. 140- GOAL WEIGHT. And I will throw myself a party. With hats. And streamers.
Even after just writing these down, I feel like it's more attainable. Breaking it into steps really helps! Until tomorrow!!

Kris

The Feel Goods

Only One More Monday!

     Only one more Monday of the school year!! Thank the Lord! I love my kids, but I don't know if I could do much more than 2 weeks. I keep hitting snooze extra times and run later and later. We have our end of the year concert on Thursday, then it's all downhill from there!

     Friday night we were supposed to play softball, but the monsoon came, so we didn't. We stayed in and I read and Ryan played a game on Xbox. I know that sounds boring, but we love it. He loves games, I love to read, and we can do them in the same room without disturbing each other.

     Saturday we got up and went to a festival downtown. If you ever visit El Dorado you HAVE to go downtown to the square. It's the best part of our city. So cute! They had Bugs, Bands, and Bikes festival this weekend. So a bunch of bikers, Crawfish (bugs) and music. Along with lots of cute little shops set up. AND Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty was there. I didn't meet her but heard she was real sweet. We had lunch at a Mexican place. I got a taco salad with chicken. The guacamole was amazing! Here is my sweet lunch date...

He's so handsome :-)

     Saturday night we spent 4, count them FOUR hours cleaning our house. I'm talking on my knees scrubbing baseboards cleaning! We also were reminising our college days. :)

     Sunday was, of course, Mother's Day. I am blessed with an amazing mom, step mom, and mom-in-law. They are all amazing. I missed my mom a lot yesterday. And I cried during church when the children went and handed out roses to all the mommys and one little boy tried to hand one to me. Just emotional I guess...

Top is my Mom, left is my step mom Sandra and right is my mom-in-law Carla

     Also got a text from my mom yesterday that my baby sister was in the ER. She had slipped in the bathroom and busted her chin open. Poor little thing! And she doesn't get to play in her end of the year band concert tomorrow. :( Makes me sad for her. She's such a trooper.

Wednesday I am going to start weighing in. I'm finding myself not being completely honest with myself about how much I need to kick my booty in gear... so I'll just force myself to be. Tomorrow I'm going to post some mini goals (an idea I stole from Jenn over @fatchicktofitchick).

Kris

The Feel Goods



Subway is my Gateway Drug....

     My workouts have been awesome this week! I'm very proud of all the work I've done. But... YOU CAN'T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!! Dammit.
     Our refrigerator has been out for two, yes TWO weeks. We have a mini fridge at home. That is all. So it's been really hard to cook. Needless to say, we've been eating out a lot. I'm all "I'll go to Subway because they have healthy stuff." I go, order my 6 inch on wheat with turkey, spinach leaves, tomato, and a TINY bit of honey mustard. No chips. Go me!
     "Would you like any cookies to make that a meal?" ..............
     Hell yes I want cookies. One won't hurt.

     ONLY IT WILL WHEN YOU HAVE ONE EVERYTIME YOU GO TO SUBWAY!!! I need an intervention. Or just a refrigerator so I can food prep. Whatev. We were supposed to get one today. Hubby took off work so he could be there when they brought it. (Which is like the umpteenth time one of us has had to take off for this damn thing to get "fixed" or looked at) Then I get a phone call saying that our refrigerator didn't come in and it will be next week before we get it. WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE?!?!?

     So after several phone calls... we still have to wait until Tuesday. Hubby even asked me to call... which to him is bringing in the big guns. (In all fairness, I do have a way of convincing people that shit needs to get done NOW) But even channeling my inner Dixie Carter didn't help. So this weekend, the plan is to go places that don't serve cookies and just order friggin' salad.

     All that being said, it's still a good day because it's Friday! And we have NO, ZERO, NADA plans this weekend. Praise Jesus! So ya'll have a good weekend! Add me on Instagram @kristynriley and post good shit on there so I can feed my technology addiction!

Kris

The Feel Goods

Link Up with Holly and G-Unit!

Today is another Link Up with Holly and Jake- I read their blogs every. friggin. day. They're are amazing. So when I get to link up, I am, by association, amazing. :)  

1.Unlike my sibling(s) (that I love very much).... I am freakin’ brilliant. The prettiest. The most talented. My mom’s favorite. If I were a Kardashian, I’d be Kim… Okay, not true at all. I’m most definitely a cross between Khloe and Kourtney. Loud and says what’s on her mind and is usually right. My siblings are quiet. NOT ME!! Oh, and I’ve hit puberty, unlike this little squirt here… this is my baby brother. Try not to die.

My baby brother Alec... isn't he precious?! This was at our wedding in January.

My brother (who is now 2) and sister (who is now 12)

2. My best friend says... I hate her for it… but I’m just like my mom. And don’t get me wrong… I LOVE my mom. She is amazing. But I hear myself saying crap she said to me and I’m like “damnit… just let them do what they want… don’t be mom.” But I am. And my BFF LOVES to remind me of it.

3. People call me... Is this a nickname segment? I’m confused… Nicknames- Kris, Krissy (by mom only… she only gets to call me that because she birthed me), K As far as words they call me... Caring, mothering, bitchy, moody, happy, it just d epends on who you ask!

4. I most often dream... I don't normally have good dreams. I blame it on Ryan. He makes me watch Zombie stuff... so I dream about that a lot. That and world peace. (You see that Jake and Holly- I win. I gave the right answer)

5. The best part of my day... 3:10 when the chillrens go home…. Okay… maybe not. But some days that’s absolutely the truth. Other days its usually bed time. The hubby and I usually lay in bed for 30 minutes and just talk. I love that. (all together now… awwwwwwwww)

6. I really don't understand... A whole lot of really friggin stupid people. That and physics. I’m more of a Penny than a Sheldon.

7. I get really annoyed... Parents who don’t parent!! I’m a teacher. Please help us out a little. If they get in trouble, take. Away. Their. Shit. In all honesty, it’s your shit to begin with! YOU paid for it. Take it away. A phone, tv, computer, xbox, food, clothing, shelter… all privileges, not rights! (*side note* in all seriousness, you don’t feed your kid, I think you deserve the death penalty- now please continue)

8. There's nothing like a... An* hour long massage. Oh. My. Lord. If I had all the money in the world, I would have a personal masseuse. Nothing chills me out like a perfect stranger rubbing muscles I didn’t know I had!

9. Lately, I can't get enough... Of The Voice. I am in love with the little rivalry between the coaches and how they interact with each other. Proof that you don’t have to have Nikki Minaj and Mariah kind of drama for a good show. Also, I LOVE a lot of the contestants this season.

10. One thing I am NOT is... Skinny? I’m not very good with money… I let the hubs handle all that. If I want to buy something, I just make sure he knows I’m buying it and we have the money for it. I’m not “asking permission” because believe me, the minute he flat out said “no” instead of “we can’t really afford it,” I would own 5 of whatever it was I was asking for. I just check in to make sure I’m not breaking us.

11. I spent too much money on... Our wedding. We paid for a lot of it ourselves. I wish we had done a quickie. I LOVED our wedding (don’t get me wrong, it was in no way fancy) but I could have really saved us a lot of money. Damn Disney and their fairy tales! 

12. I want to learn.... How to sew. I mean, I know the general idea… I can sew a button on. But I want to know how to make stuff. So when I have kids, I can make them the cutest clothes known to man, open my own Etsy shop, and spend all the extra money on buying myself clothes. That and I love homemade outfits. They’re prec.

13. If I ever met _________, I would... This sounds weird… but Ryan’s grandparents, I would hug them and tell them thank you. They died his freshman year of college… within 6 months of each other. And they helped raise him and did such a great job. I would really just love to meet them. And hear his Papa’s stories about playing minor league baseball and learn his Granny’s recipes.

14. I can't stop... Believing. Journey told me not to. In all fairness, I also have a hard time staying off my phone. It passes the time when I’m bored. Facebook, instagram, FML, pinterest, whatever.

15. Never have I ever... Been arrested. Tried illegal drugs. Yeah… I’m boring.

16. Reese Witherspoon... Needs to get it together. She’s such a class act and I’ve always loved her and she’s making me sad with her craziness. I mean honestly, who has kids and gets in the car with a drunk driver? What if she would have died. Not that she can't let loose and have fun... just pay for a driver. I would be sad if anything happened to her... and her world should revolve around my feelings… Doesn’t she know who I am?!?!

The Day I Worked Out Anyway

     Yesterday would have normally be an excuse for me to miss a workout. I stayed at work a little late and Ryan had his concert at 6:00 last night with a banquet after that. Normally, I would say that it will just be my off day. Not yesterday.

     I got home, our cable was out, internet wasn't working, and I was tired. But I knew I needed to run. Then, as I was lacing up my shoes, a lady knocked on our door to try to sell us a home securriitttyyy system. I politely declined. :-) I really was nice, but was ready to get on the road. It was already 4:30... I needed to roll.

     I finally got set off running. This, in no way, was an easy run. For some reason, my shins and legs were just tired. I cramped. But I kept pushing. Did I ever feel good during that run? No. My body never felt good. But was I proud that I did it anyway? Absolutely. Was I in a better mood after my run? Yes. So much so that when I discovered that my house key had fallen out of my case during my run that I didn't panic. It didn't put me in an awful mood. I just called my mother-in-law and she brought me her key. I did have to rush to get ready for the hubby's concert. But it's okay, because I got my workout in... and it felt good. So was it worth it? Every friggin' step.

Trying to smile.. I need a bradyband or something... that hair is a MESS

     It also doesn't help that I'm seeing some improvement in muscle tone. Is it amazing? Um... far from it. But it's progress. I think I came to a realization about my motivation... I've really struggled with staying on the band wagon. I focus too much on how far I have to go, not how far I've come. But who cares? Yeah, I've got a long way to go. But doing something about it will only make it better. Doing nothing about it will just put me right back where I was. So I can either do something and be happy and see progress, no matter how long it takes, or I can have a piss poor attitude and see no results. So I'll continue to try. And I will succeed. No matter how long it takes.

Kris

The Feel Goods



Spin hurts my lady parts...

     Yesterday I did spin with the hubby for the first time. He is training for a triathalon, so he has been going for a while. I absolutely LOVED it. I really really did. However, my lady parts are SORE this morning. I feel like someone threw my in a prison full of life sentenced men for a night. O.U.C.H. But, it's worth it. I loved the class so much that I want to go to it again even during the hurt of the whoee (as my neice calls it).

     After spin class, I did some weight circuits. Here was my workout...
     Fly on ball (works back) x15
     Wall squats with ball x15
  
      Tricep pull downs x15
      Bicep curls x15

      Dead lifts with 60lbs x15
      10x10x10x10 ab exercise (basically 40 crunches 4 different ways)

     Each one of these was a super set, so I did them back to back 3 times, then moved on to the next set. I'm not going to lie to you... I like it when people watch me at the gym. I was ALWAYS so figgin' nervous and paranoid everywhere at the gym. I literally use to wish I could be a mind reader so I could hear what people were thinking. Now, I love how the guys look at me when I waltz into "their section" of the gym to lift weights. (Don't get me wrong, they aren't checking me out by any means, they're just wondering what I'm doing in their part of the world) This came to mind yesterday because there was one guy in particular that was watching what I was doing. Looking at how much weight I was lifting. Basically, he was looking to see if I actually knew what I was doing. And I did. And he was impressed. And that felt awesome! After my last set we made eye contact and he smiled a big smile and just nodded at me like "alright, you do your thing." I just smiled back. I'm a total women can do anything men can type of girl. I compete. And that was an awesome non-scale victory for me. 

     Tonight the hubby has his spring concert, so I'm going to try and squeeze in a run before that. I've been doing a lot better on my eating. I hope his banquet after the concert doesn't screw that up. :-) 

 Kris

The Feel Goods

Monday, Monday, Monday

     Yay Monday! I am seriously excited for Monday. Because after today, only 2 more Mondays until SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! (a little Alice Cooper for you this morning)
    
     Friday, I judged color guard auditions. (Not like the ROTC color guard...like the flag line that marches with the band) It's always fun to see how awkard those little ones look when they first start trying to spin a big ole 6 foot flag. So cute. And awkward.

     And to those of you with no kids or a husband that isn't a kid at heart, Iron Man 3 came out this weekend. And you bet your last dollar we were there on Friday night. I thought the movie was fantastic. My hubby thought it was "okay, but not enough Iron Man in it." I liked it because I enjoy the development of the characters. And lesbiahonest... RD Junior is a hot piece.

     Saturday came and we got up early. We both had functions at our school that we were responsible for. Can I just say that I know for a fact that I am not the best teacher in the world. I know  that. But my kids are awesome and have improved so much. And I'm figgin' proud of them. Because they rock.

     Along with Saturday came the worst headache of my life. Absolutely. The. Worst. I've had headaches for the past 2 weeks. But this was it. Not only did my head hurt, but my skin was crawling. Like that flu kind of feeling where if anyone touches you, you want to stab them. I was in tears. And I'm not a cry in pain kind of girl. So Ryan made me go to the ER. Where they told me that I have stress headaches. And gave me more medicine. So now I'm up to 7 pills a day. And I woke up this morning with a damn headache... But in all fairness, it feels better now.

Some of my pills...

My company all Sunday

     Sunday was my day of rest. I slept for over 13 hours. And I had some awesome company. :-) Today has started with a bang... already had a kid pass out in class. Which is a big deal, but it was an even bigger deal when they started kind of acting like they were having a seizure. Scared the mess out of me. But they were okay. No seizure. Pretty scary moment though.

     This week, I have GOT to be back on track with my food and workouts. Our refrigerator has been out (we are FINALLY getting a new one) so last week was a fast food fest. This week, I will be strong. My goals...
Water, water, water
No heavy carbs past lunch (bread, etc)
Workout 6 of the 7 days
Eat breakfast

     These should help get rid of some of my recently aquired water weight. Go away, damnit!!

Kris

The Feel Goods

Another Link Up!

     I've been gone for a bit... being a band director, the end of the year brings a really busy time for us. Getting the kids ready for their spring concert... getting them ready for band camp (which is absolutely nothing like the movie- I will NOT stay in a cabin without air conditioning!!)... to just getting things ready to shut down for summer. It's a good kind of busy... but busy none the less!
     I've also been having some pretty awesome headaches. I went to see my doctor and she said that because of how long they have lasted and the fact that they aren't continious means they aren't migranes, which is good. She gave me some HUGE ibuprofen pills, a steroid pack, and some hydrocodone for pain. Amazing! Bad news? They haven't gone away. So what we are looking at now is a CT scan assuming they don't go away by the weekend. So if you think about it, a quick prayer wouldn't hurt.

Now on to better stuff!! Time to link up!

1. Go to the doctor! There is nothing like a swift kick in the ass from an MD telling you that you need to lose weight. That, and they can also provide you with several important numbers... like BMI, Cholesterol, Blood pressue, Blood sugar... things you need to keep in check. Then when you go back, you can see how you've improved. These provide for some pretty awesome non-scale victories. Before I started to lose weight, the Dr. wanted me to go on blood pressure meds. My blood pressure is now on the low side of perfect. BOOYAH!

2. Drink Water! Water helps flush all the gunk out. It doesn't cause a crash. It makes your hair and nails healthy. It boosts your metabolism. Just do it! The benefits are endless. I try to drink my weight in ounces of water every day.. however, 100-125 oz is a good number to shoot for.

3. Pictures! Put up pictures EVERYWHERE! Whether they are pictures of how you use to look, how you want to look, your medical stats, your measurements, outfits, or just words of motivation, put them up. Put them in your closet, your fridge, your door, your mirror. They will movtivate you every day.

4. Avoid eating out when you can for the first bit. It's really hard to make healthy food choices when eating out, so when you first get started for the first few months, avoid it. If you HAVE to- look for healthy choices. A grilled lean meat (chicken, fish, salmon) with a salad or a green veggie. That's a pretty safe way to eat. Ask for the salad dressing on the side. I always dip my salad into the dressing. I use WAY less that way.

5. Get a trainer. I'm not talking sign up for a freakin' trainer every day, but most places offer a 1 time session with a trainer. Our gym offers 2 free ones. One session with a trainer can show you how to put together a good workout routine. If you can afford one full time, by all means. But if you're a normal person... pay the money for one session. Let them know your goals and they can help you.

6. Set and celebrate small goals! Set an attainable goal. My end goal is one that I have a hard time wrapping my mind around... even after I've already lost 80 lbs. Take it a little at a time. 5 or 10 pounds. Making it to that goal is A LOT easier than the BIG goal. Reward yourself. Whether it's with a manicure, pedicure, massage, one piece of dessert (don't put those 5 lbs back on in one sitting) or a new shirt or something. It doesn't have to be huge, but make it enough.

7. Have an accountability partner. Mine is usually the Hubby. However, it's good to have more than one. Have someone you can't argue with and that you don't want to let down. I know if I don't go to the gym that my hubby will still wanna get busy love me. I know that I may not stay super close with a "gym friend" if I skip seeing that person all the time.

8. Find enjoyment in it. Whether you have to set goals for yourself, like completeing a 5k or even just running for a full minute, when you complete that goal, you will feel better about it. I know that I HATE the ab machine at the gym, so I don't do it. I still work my abs in lots of ways, I just don't use that machine because it's straight from the devil. If you absolutely HATE it, don't do it. Now that doesn't give you an excuse to not do something- find another way to get the same effect.

9. MUSIC!!!  I am a music teacher. I love music. I want music that pumps me up and makes me GO! I listen to music while I'm runnning and when I'm strength training. Find the stuff that makes your internal skinny bitch say "I'm amazing and I can do this." And play it. Get shazaam on your phone. If you hear a song, either write it down or download it right then and there. Change up your music. But have fun!

10. Love yourself. Love yourself where you are at. Love yourself for who you are. Love yourself for trying to better yourself. But love yourself in your present state. Be proud that you are working to be amazing. Know that the decision to try is a hard one. And you won't regret it. Be proud of yourself. Post your stuff on facebook, instagram, whatev. Because you deserve to brag. Because you're being a bad ass. And if people get mad because you post how awesome you are doing, it's probably because they aren't being as awesome as you are. Or as disciplined. So they can kiss your butt. Don't let yourself feel bad or good based on your looks. Base it on your progress. And love yourself either way.