Paranioa

I always thought as a child that adults would behave like adults. Now, I know that not all are capable of doing so. As a matter of fact, often times, adults act just like or worse than teenages. They are spiteful, vindictive, and (sometimes) completely unprofessional.

I don't know that if working at a school is what causes adults to act like children, but I am tired of feeling like I have to look over my shoulder at work. No person is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. But I don't understand why people feel the need to run and tattle to the superintendent about things. It leaves me with a feeling of paranioa, even when I know there is nothing that I have done wrong. Even worse than the teachers are the people who are higher up in the administration. The spying in the classrooms to see if the teachers are doing any thing wrong, the talking one way to your face and another behind your back, and the vindictive nature of hurt feelings... it has no place in the educational world.

It is enough to make a person want to look for a job in another field. I am tired of going through the day afraid that I am going to get in trouble for something that is minor. No person does their jobs perfectly, but I am working to ensure that I am professional. I hate the constant knot in my stomach at work... Other than being perfect, I am not sure what to do. Any suggestions?

Return to Xanga

It has been a good while since I have last posted, but I think I am ready for the return to the world of Xanga. So much has happened, and there are new directions that I want to go in my life, so this could get a little lengthy.

At the beginning of last summer, Dan and I gained primary custody of Juliana. While we have been overjoyed by that, it has turned out to be much more difficult to deal with than I had originally anticipated. The first couple of weeks Juliana spent all of her time screaming and crying that she wanted her mom and her nanni. Everytime something would not go her way, it would be a screaming fit that would literally last hours. Over time, the temper tantrums have decreased, and they are rare things now. Another issue we were having that Juliana was trying to assert her control of the household through her refusal to eat the food we gave her. She wanted fried foods, pizza, taco, and hamburgers. Dan and I tend to eat pretty healthy, and Juliana was not getting on board with that. Every night, dinner would be a fight. Juliana would sit at the table and try to get out of eating, we would tell her that she had to do it. Then the fit throwing would begin. Juliana would literally sit at the table for hours and cry about having to eat her food. That, too, has since stopped, but it was very difficult for Dan and I to get through.

The next big issue came with the fact that Faith and her mom Rose are irresponsible and do not know how to raise a child. They have no concept of the fact that a child needs boundries and that you have to implement rules. They also have no idea of what the term "age appropriate" means. They will go out and buy Juliana a bunch of clothes that she can not play in, or that costs too much. For instance, in the batch of clothes that they bought Juliana for school, they bought her a dress that cost 153 dollars, and a top that cost 99 dollars. And she can't wear either one to school as they are both against the dress code! Furthermore, Faith keeps trying to squirrel away Juliana's clothes from us so that all that is left are the inappropriate clothing from her. It is such a headache and I wish there was a way to get Faith and Rose out of Juliana's life.

Dan and I made it through our first year of marriage. There were a lot of ups and downs, but it has been such a blessing. The hardest part was all the changes that came with becoming instant full-time parents to a five year old who needs a lot of behavior correction. However, we will make it through and I look forward to many more years. I just pray that they get to be a little bit easier.

Answered Prayers

Lose Weight in 08 Without Even Trying

1. Build a Better Breakfast- A well balanced meal at the start of the day is a key part of any stay-slim plan. Research shows that breakfast eaters typically consume about 100 fewer calories during the course of the day and weigh less than those who forgoe food in the morning. An extra perk of eating nutrient dense morning meal: It supplies glucose to your brain to help you think clearly and function optimally until lunchtime.
2. Pile on the Produce- To speed up weight loss, consider doubling your intake of fruits and vegetables every day. Produce is made up mostly of water, so its low in calories, meaning you can eat it wihtout putting on pounds, and high in fiber, which helps curb hunger.
3. Upgrade your Greens- A monotonous vegetable menu will have you quickly reaching for more fattening fare. So experiment a little. Some colorful suggestions are: yellow and orange peppers, purple cabbage, spinach, kale, arugula, eggplant, asparagus, Brussle sprouts, snow peas, and alfalfa sprouts. Your scale will thank you. A six month study led by Pennsylvania State University showed that people who filled up on produce at up to 511 fewer calories each day, on average, compared to thaose who consumed less fruit and veggies.
4. Sample some Seafood- Follow a low-cal diet that includes fish, and chances are you'll drop more pounds than you would eating the same meal minus the seafood. One possible explination: ounce for ounce, fish has fewer calories than almost all cuts of beef, port, and skin-on poultry. It can also help you burn fat even when you are snoozing. Dutch researchers found that consuming nearly a third of your day's calories as lean protein could speed up your metabolism when you're awake and asleep. Protein can also curb your appetite.
5. Doubel your Dairy- Dairy products are loaded with calcium, a mineral that may be nature's own weight-loss elixir.
6. Add Kick to your Dishes- Swapping fattening butter, oil, and cream for zero-calorie spices and herbs is an instant way to slim down a dish. Some fiery flavors such as cpsaicin can be a powerful appetite suppressant, metabolism buooster, and a fat burner.  A Canadian study found that people who ate appetizers made with hot pepper consumed 189 fewer calories at their next meal.
7. Go With the Whole Grain- Whole grains are digested slowly so they keep your blood sugar staedy and your hunger in check. You need 48 grams of whole grains a day.