Today, I am thankful that I have been fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time.
Tonight, I went to the football game. It was the last game and I wanted to see my kids play/perform. Plus, I needed to keep an eye on Mr. V. He likes to push his limits - always has, always will - in spite of the fact that he just had back surgery a week ago.
During half-time, toward the very end, a student comes running up to me to let me know that a classmate is really upset but she has been told to go away. My students are my babies so I ran up the steps, through the stands, down the steps, and, upon seeing the kiddo in question, called out to her. When she turned, she didn't look like herself at all. Part of it was the braids she had in her hair for the football game but the other part of it was something wild. I gave her a big hug, because she had been crying and sometimes, you just need a hug. I reassured her that she's a junior and she'll perform again. That's when she told me that her bus had been slow and she had to take another one. That one took her to the school. But we weren't at the school. We were at the football stadium five-to-seven minutes away by car. She had walked all the way. I'm sorry, did I say walked? I meant run. She ran from the school to the stadium. It took her 45 minutes to an hour to get to us. And she had forgotten her coat.
And she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Thankfully, the drill team sponsor came up and found us and offered to buy her food. She refused it, feeling a little ill. Everything so far worked out but I am so thankful that I could be there to give her the comforting hug that she needed at that moment. She clung on tight enough that I knew she has meant it these weeks I've known her when she has said that I'm like a parent to her.
I cannot tell you how often a kid at my school needs a parent to be there for them but doesn't have one who fits their needs (at that moment or at all). Being a teen is incredibly rough and some of my students have it hard. It is amazing the number of broken hearts God has sent my way this year. I am so thankful that he has chosen me to be His instrument, mending, comforting, encouraging. And I'm thankful that He gave me favor with the football people tonight because I'd otherwise have run off to Starbucks to do a bit of grading and I'd have missed out on being there for Miss T.
Keep on finding reasons to be thankful! It's only November 4th - we have miles to go before we sleep.
Mrs. V
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
30 Days of Thanks 2011 - Day 3
Oh, the things that I could say today! It has definitely been a long one. A really, really long one. But I am still here and I think it may be an early night for me. Once I finally eat my delicious tacos, that is.
Today, I am thankful that I have a job. Sometimes it frustrates me and sometimes the days are incredibly stressful but I have a job to go to and coworkers that are supportive and understanding. That is not the case everywhere. I've experienced various work environments and know how bad things can get. Even on the days when I'd like to pull my hair out, I know I can look outside of my classroom and find someone who will make me smile.
It may be small, but it's incredibly important and I am so very thankful for the work that I am able to do, the people I work with, and the goals I work for.
Mrs. V
Today, I am thankful that I have a job. Sometimes it frustrates me and sometimes the days are incredibly stressful but I have a job to go to and coworkers that are supportive and understanding. That is not the case everywhere. I've experienced various work environments and know how bad things can get. Even on the days when I'd like to pull my hair out, I know I can look outside of my classroom and find someone who will make me smile.
It may be small, but it's incredibly important and I am so very thankful for the work that I am able to do, the people I work with, and the goals I work for.
Mrs. V
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
30 Days of Thanks 2011 - Day 2
Today, I am thankful for:
The pasta dishes that Mr. and Mrs. K brought us - delicious! - and the brownies. Oh, wow, the brownies!
The advice that Mrs. K, studying to be a physical therapist, gave to Mr. V about getting out of bed without bending, lifting, or twisting. We're going to have to try that tomorrow! She also told Mr. V that his meds were making him feel better than he actually is and he really should take it slow. I'm so incredibly thankful that she said that because it's exactly what I've been trying to tell him to little effect!
I'm thankful for Mr. M who came by to lift a very heavy (to me) old lawn mower out of my car and ended up able to help me carry in the new fire pit that arrived on our doorstep today, one day ahead of schedule. And I'm thankful for Mrs. M who lent me her husband for some heavy lifting work.
I'm thankful that Mr. and Mrs. R came by a day early to drop off dinner for tomorrow night. After two pasta dishes in a row, I had secretly been craving tacos. Imagine my surprise when they actually brought in all of the fixings for tacos! Amazing!
I'm thankful for (and excited about) the cold front that we're about to experience. And because the cold is coming, I'm thankful for Mr. R, plumber extraodinaire, fixing our fireplace so we have a nice, warm fire when it is chilly.
I'm thankful for my friend, Miss H, who is celebrating a birthday today. May it not be the last one you can enjoy, in spite of what some may say. I fully intend to celebrate and enjoy each year of my life because we never know when it may be our last. I wish for all of my friends to worry less about the number of years in our lives and be more concerned with the life in our years.
Happy November!
Mrs. V
The pasta dishes that Mr. and Mrs. K brought us - delicious! - and the brownies. Oh, wow, the brownies!
The advice that Mrs. K, studying to be a physical therapist, gave to Mr. V about getting out of bed without bending, lifting, or twisting. We're going to have to try that tomorrow! She also told Mr. V that his meds were making him feel better than he actually is and he really should take it slow. I'm so incredibly thankful that she said that because it's exactly what I've been trying to tell him to little effect!
I'm thankful for Mr. M who came by to lift a very heavy (to me) old lawn mower out of my car and ended up able to help me carry in the new fire pit that arrived on our doorstep today, one day ahead of schedule. And I'm thankful for Mrs. M who lent me her husband for some heavy lifting work.
I'm thankful that Mr. and Mrs. R came by a day early to drop off dinner for tomorrow night. After two pasta dishes in a row, I had secretly been craving tacos. Imagine my surprise when they actually brought in all of the fixings for tacos! Amazing!
I'm thankful for (and excited about) the cold front that we're about to experience. And because the cold is coming, I'm thankful for Mr. R, plumber extraodinaire, fixing our fireplace so we have a nice, warm fire when it is chilly.
I'm thankful for my friend, Miss H, who is celebrating a birthday today. May it not be the last one you can enjoy, in spite of what some may say. I fully intend to celebrate and enjoy each year of my life because we never know when it may be our last. I wish for all of my friends to worry less about the number of years in our lives and be more concerned with the life in our years.
Happy November!
Mrs. V
30 Days of Thanks 2011 - Day 1
It has been a couple of years since I first posted my 30 days of Thanks in honor of Thanksgiving. I have decided (albeit a bit late tonight) to go ahead with the project once more as I have tons to be thankful for.
For those of you who read my blog, my facebook, or just my face, you know that lately things have been a bit topsy turvy at the House of V. We're recovering from back surgery. Well, Mr. V is recovery from back surgery. I'm recovering from him having surgery AND trying to recover from his recovery (to be completed, I'm sure, within days of his completed recovery - and a spa treatment or two).
After Mr. V's surgery, he slept a little, ate a lot, and then lost his lunch. Well, dinner. He had just taken his pain pills and wanted to know if he could take more. I hadn't realized just how frazzled I was until I called Mr. T so I could talk to his wife, Dr. T. Dr. T had an early shift at the hospital the next morning but I didn't know it when I called. Mr. T handed the phone to his wife and I explained the situation. She broke the news to me - he would have to wait a bit longer, just until his next appropriate dose, to take his pain pills again to avoid the risk of overdose. She then handed the phone back to Mr. T and (I hope) went right back to sleep.
Having woken her up made me really upset. I felt awful for having woken her up on a Friday night to ask her about pain pills. I got choked up. Mr. T assured me it was fine, no worries on their end, but still I couldn't pull myself together. I hung up and sobbed softly. Which Mr. V found ridiculous. As did Dr. T (though she'd NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS SAY SO BECAUSE SHE IS AMAZINGLY SWEET) when she called to check up on the patient the next day.
So on Sunday, when a new church friend, Mrs. P, asked me if she could do anything, the only thing that has been in my head was "dinners." I told her dinners would be amazing when we went back to work because a) Mr. V isn't supposed to be at work yet but he is anyway; b) I am so far behind at work due to doctors' appointments and the surgery/recovery that it isn't even funny how much I have to catch up on; and c) Mr. V and I make up a team - I cook, he cleans. But he's relieved from household chore duty until further notice and I can't catch up and cook and clean. After tomorrow, I'm out of work clothes and I have to add laundry to my list of things to do. It just keeps piling on.
And it is so incredibly hard for me to ask for help when I need it. I have a stubborn pride that keeps me from reaching out for help even though I yearn to help others.
All this to say that I am so thankful for Mr. V's surgery going so well that he's regaining the ability to walk comfortably (not normally) bit by bit. I'm incredibly thankful that I have such a great friend in Mr. T and that he married an amazing, good hearted woman who has her MD and is used to calls in the middle of the night. And I'm so in awe of the servant hearts that are coming to take care of us this week. What abundant blessings I have!
Take care!
Mrs. V
For those of you who read my blog, my facebook, or just my face, you know that lately things have been a bit topsy turvy at the House of V. We're recovering from back surgery. Well, Mr. V is recovery from back surgery. I'm recovering from him having surgery AND trying to recover from his recovery (to be completed, I'm sure, within days of his completed recovery - and a spa treatment or two).
After Mr. V's surgery, he slept a little, ate a lot, and then lost his lunch. Well, dinner. He had just taken his pain pills and wanted to know if he could take more. I hadn't realized just how frazzled I was until I called Mr. T so I could talk to his wife, Dr. T. Dr. T had an early shift at the hospital the next morning but I didn't know it when I called. Mr. T handed the phone to his wife and I explained the situation. She broke the news to me - he would have to wait a bit longer, just until his next appropriate dose, to take his pain pills again to avoid the risk of overdose. She then handed the phone back to Mr. T and (I hope) went right back to sleep.
Having woken her up made me really upset. I felt awful for having woken her up on a Friday night to ask her about pain pills. I got choked up. Mr. T assured me it was fine, no worries on their end, but still I couldn't pull myself together. I hung up and sobbed softly. Which Mr. V found ridiculous. As did Dr. T (though she'd NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS SAY SO BECAUSE SHE IS AMAZINGLY SWEET) when she called to check up on the patient the next day.
So on Sunday, when a new church friend, Mrs. P, asked me if she could do anything, the only thing that has been in my head was "dinners." I told her dinners would be amazing when we went back to work because a) Mr. V isn't supposed to be at work yet but he is anyway; b) I am so far behind at work due to doctors' appointments and the surgery/recovery that it isn't even funny how much I have to catch up on; and c) Mr. V and I make up a team - I cook, he cleans. But he's relieved from household chore duty until further notice and I can't catch up and cook and clean. After tomorrow, I'm out of work clothes and I have to add laundry to my list of things to do. It just keeps piling on.
And it is so incredibly hard for me to ask for help when I need it. I have a stubborn pride that keeps me from reaching out for help even though I yearn to help others.
All this to say that I am so thankful for Mr. V's surgery going so well that he's regaining the ability to walk comfortably (not normally) bit by bit. I'm incredibly thankful that I have such a great friend in Mr. T and that he married an amazing, good hearted woman who has her MD and is used to calls in the middle of the night. And I'm so in awe of the servant hearts that are coming to take care of us this week. What abundant blessings I have!
Take care!
Mrs. V
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Laughter - it's not always the best medicine
Everybody loves to laugh, right? Not if you're Mr. V these days. Almost two weeks ago, he was playing Ultimate Frisbee with some of the high school kiddos he teaches and when he finally slowed down, he realized his back was hurting. By the time he got home, he was huffing and puffing just trying to walk around. Sitting down helped. He needed to get into the shower and get back up to the school for a parent meeting. I asked two friends who would be up there to help out and sent him with a pillow for his back. Or bottom. Whichever one would help him more.
When he got home from that meeting, he could barely stand up to get through the door. He tried to sit on the couch but that no longer helped. He hoped to recline but that didn't help, either. So he tried to find a position on the floor that would feel better. He couldn't lay in one place for longer than about 10 seconds (if even) before he shifted to try something else. I couldn't watch it so I called CareNow and started getting things together so we could go.
We went to CareNow and got in almost immediately. I should mention that at this point, Mr. V was on crutches. And I was considering a wheel chair. After ambling down the hallway, we got into the room, and after the nurses asked a few questions, the doc came in and said he wanted to do an X-ray. We already knew he'd want this. We also already knew it wouldn't do anything - which is what Mr. V told the doc. But he also told the doc if he thought that's what we needed to do, that's what we'd do. Upon returning from his X-ray, he lay back down and I tried to talk to him a little.
This was a mistake.
He told me, "Stop being so adorable," through a chuckle.
"How am I being adorable? I'm asking you a question!" My reply just brought on more laughing. And wincing. Turns out, laughter brings pain. I tried my best to stay silent because I had no idea what would make him laugh next and I can't stand to see him in pain.
The next day, Mr. V stayed home and called 20+ spine specialists. You see, Mr. V has had this pain before. And it was just the same. They tried physical therapy, chiropractic services, "wait and see," and steroid shots. They tried it all for a year and a half. None of it worked. Well, the steroid shots worked for about a week and then he was back to square one. I think that counts as "not working." He didn't want to go through it again. You know what happened when he called all of the doctors? The same thing. No one could see him until November. NOVEMBER! This was October 19th for crying out loud! November was just too far away.
His sister-in-law had a great idea, though. She works for a group in Southlake that specializes in spine care. "Spine" is in their name. We got an appointment for the following Monday. The doctor was really nice and they treated us really well when we went but they were certain that surgery wouldn't be necessary. We were set up for a nerve test because his right leg was numb. Driving home, we talked about our options. We had a card for a surgeon that came recommended by our sis-in-law. The plan was to call him after the nerve test, as recommended by the doctor we had just seen. But we were also going to let my dad still try to get us in with his spine surgeon, one that has been consistently recognized as the best in our area by D Magazine from 2000-2010. The fact that he has already successfully performed surgery for someone in our family and comes with all sorts of honors attached to his name made him the first phone call when Mr. V initially got hurt. Mr. V and I agreed that if my dad could get us in, we'd see him.
I got a call during school on Tuesday telling me that they had a last minute cancellation and therefore had a 1pm opening that day if we wanted to go. Of course, we jumped at the opportunity.
This doctor impressed us a ton. He knew, without asking, the symptoms that Mr. V was experiencing and added, without checking first, that he was probably experiencing some weakness in his right calf. Sure enough, his right calf was considerably smaller than his left. And that pretty much sealed the deal. The doctor told us that we could wait it out or just live with it if we wanted (um, no thank you!) and the weakness would never improve. He'd be limping forever. OR we could do surgery and get the pressure off of the nerve so that his leg would function normally again.
In the car on the way home, we decided to go for it. It's surgery that Mr. V had wanted from the beginning.
We weren't 10 minutes from the hospital and we called back to schedule ASAP. Friday at 11:30am.
Friday morning, we got up and got me breakfast. Then we met Mr. V's mom at the hospital. Let's fast foward to after the surgery, shall we? It took an hour longer than they had said. This didn't surprise me too much since my dad's surgery took longer and he didn't have the scar tissue that Mr. V had. But what did surprize me was hearing that his disc herniation wasn't nearly as fresh as we had thought. Well, it was and it wasn't. There was a part that had been herniated for a long time, a part that Mr. V had probably just gotten used to. It was "baked" onto the nerve. BAKED! Good grief! Doc said he couldn't even move the nerve when he initially got in there. It was more difficult than they thought it would be - he had to shave off the old herniation. He got about 85% of the old herniation out of Mr. V's back. Any more than that and he would risk rupturing the dura, a sack that's filled with spinal fluid. The scar tissue already put Mr. V at a higher risk for spinal fluid leaks than with my dad's surgery. They got all of the new herniation because it was fresh and supple, like crab meat instead of leather (these are the doctor's actual comparisons).
We got to go home that day but goodness I wish I had video taped Mr. V as he was waking up. He was hilarious! He asked me once if he'd ever dance again (like that was something he did before the surgery) and, as I was coming back from grabbing some hot chocolate, I caught him asking his mom the same question followed closely by "did I tell that joke already?" Oh, and the jello. He was in LOVE with his jello and wanted to know if I'd gotten any yet. Just the cutest half-conscious man ever.
Our sweet, sweet friend, the gorgeous Miss F came all the way from Addison to bring us dinner and watch the Rangers lose it before heading all the way back to Grapevine. Mr. V was "sleeping it off" when she came and Miss F and I had gotten all caught up when Mr. V decided he wanted to eat. And boy, did he eat. And a few hours later, it all came up again :(
Sleeping was difficult - for some reason, his pills make him hiccup. And his hiccups shake the entire bed. He waited up until 2:30am to get rid of the hiccups last night.
Today, it is hard to get around and it has taken some time for us to figure out the comfortable chairs and positions. We'd say the surgery was a success, but his legs are weak from the surgery. He was supposed to be up walking around for most of the day and he was supposed to walk around every 30 minutes. We didn't read that until later but I took him to the grocery store with me and he did fairly well. But the laughing thing came up again (who knew that telling him I was watching him on my left when he seemed to be drifting toward the right for no apparent reason was funny) and he had to grab ahold of the freezer bin to steady himself so he wouldn't collapse. We were finally finished with our shopping and came upon a chair so I asked if he wanted to sit but the up and down really gets to him so onward we went to check out.
We are relaxing at home, enjoying some of the tv shows we missed last week when we were at various doctors' appointments this past week.
Thank you to Mr. and (especially) Dr. T in Cincinatti for helping us out with a late night call and the follow up call tonight, thank you to Miss F for the delicious meal that I would not have survived last night without. Thank you to my family for the love and support you continue to give - my brother woke up from a dead sleep (he has a 4am shift at work) to call Mr. V the night before his surgery to wish him luck, and my Aunt K has called and updated my other aunts. It has been unbelievable how you have welcomed Mr. V into our family, caring about him as you would any of us. Thank you to Mr. V's family (I count you as family, too) for calling and showing your support. Thank you to all of my friends out there in Facebook land and those from our new church. We are in awe of your dedication. I am overwhelmed by it all in a very good way. And thank you to our school family who have asked me about this entire process and continue to offer to help in any way they can. I love you all so much and think that I am so blessed to know you.
We are open to visitors as long as you can stand the interesting furniture arrangement that we've set up for Mr. V's convenience!
When he got home from that meeting, he could barely stand up to get through the door. He tried to sit on the couch but that no longer helped. He hoped to recline but that didn't help, either. So he tried to find a position on the floor that would feel better. He couldn't lay in one place for longer than about 10 seconds (if even) before he shifted to try something else. I couldn't watch it so I called CareNow and started getting things together so we could go.
We went to CareNow and got in almost immediately. I should mention that at this point, Mr. V was on crutches. And I was considering a wheel chair. After ambling down the hallway, we got into the room, and after the nurses asked a few questions, the doc came in and said he wanted to do an X-ray. We already knew he'd want this. We also already knew it wouldn't do anything - which is what Mr. V told the doc. But he also told the doc if he thought that's what we needed to do, that's what we'd do. Upon returning from his X-ray, he lay back down and I tried to talk to him a little.
This was a mistake.
He told me, "Stop being so adorable," through a chuckle.
"How am I being adorable? I'm asking you a question!" My reply just brought on more laughing. And wincing. Turns out, laughter brings pain. I tried my best to stay silent because I had no idea what would make him laugh next and I can't stand to see him in pain.
The next day, Mr. V stayed home and called 20+ spine specialists. You see, Mr. V has had this pain before. And it was just the same. They tried physical therapy, chiropractic services, "wait and see," and steroid shots. They tried it all for a year and a half. None of it worked. Well, the steroid shots worked for about a week and then he was back to square one. I think that counts as "not working." He didn't want to go through it again. You know what happened when he called all of the doctors? The same thing. No one could see him until November. NOVEMBER! This was October 19th for crying out loud! November was just too far away.
His sister-in-law had a great idea, though. She works for a group in Southlake that specializes in spine care. "Spine" is in their name. We got an appointment for the following Monday. The doctor was really nice and they treated us really well when we went but they were certain that surgery wouldn't be necessary. We were set up for a nerve test because his right leg was numb. Driving home, we talked about our options. We had a card for a surgeon that came recommended by our sis-in-law. The plan was to call him after the nerve test, as recommended by the doctor we had just seen. But we were also going to let my dad still try to get us in with his spine surgeon, one that has been consistently recognized as the best in our area by D Magazine from 2000-2010. The fact that he has already successfully performed surgery for someone in our family and comes with all sorts of honors attached to his name made him the first phone call when Mr. V initially got hurt. Mr. V and I agreed that if my dad could get us in, we'd see him.
I got a call during school on Tuesday telling me that they had a last minute cancellation and therefore had a 1pm opening that day if we wanted to go. Of course, we jumped at the opportunity.
This doctor impressed us a ton. He knew, without asking, the symptoms that Mr. V was experiencing and added, without checking first, that he was probably experiencing some weakness in his right calf. Sure enough, his right calf was considerably smaller than his left. And that pretty much sealed the deal. The doctor told us that we could wait it out or just live with it if we wanted (um, no thank you!) and the weakness would never improve. He'd be limping forever. OR we could do surgery and get the pressure off of the nerve so that his leg would function normally again.
In the car on the way home, we decided to go for it. It's surgery that Mr. V had wanted from the beginning.
We weren't 10 minutes from the hospital and we called back to schedule ASAP. Friday at 11:30am.
Friday morning, we got up and got me breakfast. Then we met Mr. V's mom at the hospital. Let's fast foward to after the surgery, shall we? It took an hour longer than they had said. This didn't surprise me too much since my dad's surgery took longer and he didn't have the scar tissue that Mr. V had. But what did surprize me was hearing that his disc herniation wasn't nearly as fresh as we had thought. Well, it was and it wasn't. There was a part that had been herniated for a long time, a part that Mr. V had probably just gotten used to. It was "baked" onto the nerve. BAKED! Good grief! Doc said he couldn't even move the nerve when he initially got in there. It was more difficult than they thought it would be - he had to shave off the old herniation. He got about 85% of the old herniation out of Mr. V's back. Any more than that and he would risk rupturing the dura, a sack that's filled with spinal fluid. The scar tissue already put Mr. V at a higher risk for spinal fluid leaks than with my dad's surgery. They got all of the new herniation because it was fresh and supple, like crab meat instead of leather (these are the doctor's actual comparisons).
We got to go home that day but goodness I wish I had video taped Mr. V as he was waking up. He was hilarious! He asked me once if he'd ever dance again (like that was something he did before the surgery) and, as I was coming back from grabbing some hot chocolate, I caught him asking his mom the same question followed closely by "did I tell that joke already?" Oh, and the jello. He was in LOVE with his jello and wanted to know if I'd gotten any yet. Just the cutest half-conscious man ever.
Our sweet, sweet friend, the gorgeous Miss F came all the way from Addison to bring us dinner and watch the Rangers lose it before heading all the way back to Grapevine. Mr. V was "sleeping it off" when she came and Miss F and I had gotten all caught up when Mr. V decided he wanted to eat. And boy, did he eat. And a few hours later, it all came up again :(
Sleeping was difficult - for some reason, his pills make him hiccup. And his hiccups shake the entire bed. He waited up until 2:30am to get rid of the hiccups last night.
Today, it is hard to get around and it has taken some time for us to figure out the comfortable chairs and positions. We'd say the surgery was a success, but his legs are weak from the surgery. He was supposed to be up walking around for most of the day and he was supposed to walk around every 30 minutes. We didn't read that until later but I took him to the grocery store with me and he did fairly well. But the laughing thing came up again (who knew that telling him I was watching him on my left when he seemed to be drifting toward the right for no apparent reason was funny) and he had to grab ahold of the freezer bin to steady himself so he wouldn't collapse. We were finally finished with our shopping and came upon a chair so I asked if he wanted to sit but the up and down really gets to him so onward we went to check out.
We are relaxing at home, enjoying some of the tv shows we missed last week when we were at various doctors' appointments this past week.
Thank you to Mr. and (especially) Dr. T in Cincinatti for helping us out with a late night call and the follow up call tonight, thank you to Miss F for the delicious meal that I would not have survived last night without. Thank you to my family for the love and support you continue to give - my brother woke up from a dead sleep (he has a 4am shift at work) to call Mr. V the night before his surgery to wish him luck, and my Aunt K has called and updated my other aunts. It has been unbelievable how you have welcomed Mr. V into our family, caring about him as you would any of us. Thank you to Mr. V's family (I count you as family, too) for calling and showing your support. Thank you to all of my friends out there in Facebook land and those from our new church. We are in awe of your dedication. I am overwhelmed by it all in a very good way. And thank you to our school family who have asked me about this entire process and continue to offer to help in any way they can. I love you all so much and think that I am so blessed to know you.
We are open to visitors as long as you can stand the interesting furniture arrangement that we've set up for Mr. V's convenience!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week 1 of the Great Meal Plan - it's a go!
This whole meal planning project has been enormous. I know that when it's all finished I will be a much, much happier person. Until that day (when my originals of everything are all printed out and sorted in a three ring binder), I will be a nutcase. I sat down on Thursday last week, my one day of sanity left between moving into/setting up my new classroom and the official back-to-work date set by my school district, to finish my weekly menus. I had already painstakingly typed up my own versions of recipes found in cookbooks along with the necessary ingredients for my weekly shopping lists for weeks 2, 4, and 1. Why that order? I have no idea. But they were finished and I was ready to type up weeks 3, 5, and 6.
Or so I thought.
My laptop gobbled up my recipes for Week 1 AND Week 4, particularly upsetting because Week 1 included, among no-brainer recipes for spaghetti and hamburgers, a detailed recipe for delicious Pulled Pork and a really long recipe with instructions for making pizza dough!
I was in a tizzy, to say the least. So I did what any logical girl would do. I started over. Now, I have, for the moment, skipped the recipes I know by heart. I will add them back later. But it was imperative that I get my grocery list together so that I could shop on Sunday. The result was more than incredible.
I made a chart for my recipes that included several columns. One for each of the 3 stores near my home (so I can put aisle numbers in later - helpful when asking my hubby to run to the store for me), one for checking off when I actually have the item in my house at the moment (helpful in not having hubby upset that I bought things we already have), one for when I've put it in my cart at the store, and another for the Sale Price/Location when I have the time to check on those things beforehand. Today, I did not. But I did all of the above today before I ventured out to the store.
Since I had already determined my ingredients list, all that I needed to do was alphabetize and put them into my chart. On my chart, I left room for a few extra items that we need around the house.
Following the sorting, I printed my list and went to the kitchen to check on what we already have. From my list of 23 ingredients, I only needed to buy 8. EIGHT!!! The hubster and I added 8 more before I left. I highlighted the 8 original items and their blanks so I'd be sure to check them off when I went. Highlighting gave me greater focus.
While there, I cut down greatly on impulse buys and focused instead on items on the list or items that would easily supplement our planned meals. I picked up some Capri Suns for our lunches this week and some peaches for our snacks. This means we're healthier and hopefully happier.
I also managed to cut down our grocery bill from $125 to $67 by buying the items I needed that were on sale instead of buying items just because they were on sale. Buying items just because they were on sale in the past led the V household to throw away items that weren't actually used.
I still haven't told you the BEST part, though! My actual in-store time was 30 minute. That includes having the butcher cut out the bone in my pork shoulder, the wait as the cashier rang up my items, and asking the customer service clerk about whether or not they have a store map/list of items by aisle (I was at Tom Thumb today - they don't have these at my store anymore)!
I am so happy knowing that now I have an entire week's worth of meals ready to go and can't wait to see how much easier my year is going to be now that I have a plan.
Happy eating, everybody!
Or so I thought.
My laptop gobbled up my recipes for Week 1 AND Week 4, particularly upsetting because Week 1 included, among no-brainer recipes for spaghetti and hamburgers, a detailed recipe for delicious Pulled Pork and a really long recipe with instructions for making pizza dough!
I was in a tizzy, to say the least. So I did what any logical girl would do. I started over. Now, I have, for the moment, skipped the recipes I know by heart. I will add them back later. But it was imperative that I get my grocery list together so that I could shop on Sunday. The result was more than incredible.
I made a chart for my recipes that included several columns. One for each of the 3 stores near my home (so I can put aisle numbers in later - helpful when asking my hubby to run to the store for me), one for checking off when I actually have the item in my house at the moment (helpful in not having hubby upset that I bought things we already have), one for when I've put it in my cart at the store, and another for the Sale Price/Location when I have the time to check on those things beforehand. Today, I did not. But I did all of the above today before I ventured out to the store.
Since I had already determined my ingredients list, all that I needed to do was alphabetize and put them into my chart. On my chart, I left room for a few extra items that we need around the house.
Following the sorting, I printed my list and went to the kitchen to check on what we already have. From my list of 23 ingredients, I only needed to buy 8. EIGHT!!! The hubster and I added 8 more before I left. I highlighted the 8 original items and their blanks so I'd be sure to check them off when I went. Highlighting gave me greater focus.
While there, I cut down greatly on impulse buys and focused instead on items on the list or items that would easily supplement our planned meals. I picked up some Capri Suns for our lunches this week and some peaches for our snacks. This means we're healthier and hopefully happier.
I also managed to cut down our grocery bill from $125 to $67 by buying the items I needed that were on sale instead of buying items just because they were on sale. Buying items just because they were on sale in the past led the V household to throw away items that weren't actually used.
I still haven't told you the BEST part, though! My actual in-store time was 30 minute. That includes having the butcher cut out the bone in my pork shoulder, the wait as the cashier rang up my items, and asking the customer service clerk about whether or not they have a store map/list of items by aisle (I was at Tom Thumb today - they don't have these at my store anymore)!
I am so happy knowing that now I have an entire week's worth of meals ready to go and can't wait to see how much easier my year is going to be now that I have a plan.
Happy eating, everybody!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Meal Planning, Phases 1 and 2 done!
Last (school) year, I didn't eat well. Getting married to a fast-food and TV dinner man kind of messed with my nightly routine of eating something that took a little longer to prepare. In addition, we moved further away from work leaving me exhausted at the end of the day, unwilling (most nights) to venture out to our neighborhood Tom Thumb. Also, being underfed or nourished left me too tired to properly deal with the challenges of teaching a more difficult group of teenagers than the ones by whom I was previously blessed AND it made me crankier than I like being. (By a show of hands, who, honestly, likes being cranky? Not me! Seriously!)
I had to take action. I am a firm believer that if you have a problem you aren't willing to go about solving or at least make an effort toward solving, you revoke your right to complain about it. So I decided that this summer, I'd come up with a 6 week meal plan that would rotate throughout the semester (maybe even the year) so we wouldn't get bored, we'd always be fed, and I'd have only one trip to the grocery store per week, making all of my necessary purchases at one time so I'd be ready to go Monday through Friday!
I broke my project into three distinct phases. Phase One included identifying all of our favorite recipes, asking friends for other recommendations, and typing up the titles of the recipes along with the ingredients I'd need to have on hand. This was necessary as Phase Two involved comparing recipes for similar, perishable ingredients, matching them up and sorting them into weeks, determining how many times we can get leftovers out of each, and putting them into a sort of calendar. That calendar is below.
Now that the first two phases are complete, I'm onto Phase 3: Recipes and Shopping Lists by Week!
I am in the process of typing up all of the recipes I've collected tweaking them to fit our family of two, and adding the grocery lists beneath all of the recipes. Each recipe gets its own page in the file as does the grocery list. I'll be saving an additional, editable grocery list file which will include columns for where I should get it, extra spaces for other things we need (toothpaste, trash bags, popcorn) and, of course, the ability to cross through it for a week if I'm all set on items.
If I find that I have time or am exceptionally bored in my final days before I go back to school (yeah, right!), I'll make a master list of items I can get for all five weeks that won't go bad.
I know I didn't really leave room for us going out or anything fun. It doesn't happen a ton during the school year according to the way we've been doing things. I'm hoping that it will change this year with the new system and other changes I'm trying to make in my life. But in the event of something special going on or our date night happening (we don't have one set night, especially during high school football season when games are often on Thursday nights), we will not eat the leftovers that night. Maybe they'll be on my much simpler, soon-to-come lunch calendar instead!
Finally, I'd like to say that I am totally inspired by my friends who are going natural and making so many things on their own. I am hoping that once I get into a rhythm of dinner-making, I'll be able to do fantastic, healthier things like make my own jars of diced tomatoes. Until then, I am going to be proud of my accomplishment in planning for five weeks at a time. It has taken a lot of out of me and tested my sanity at times but I think that the rewards will far outweigh the frustrations and the result will be a healthier, happier me (and Mr. V)!
I had to take action. I am a firm believer that if you have a problem you aren't willing to go about solving or at least make an effort toward solving, you revoke your right to complain about it. So I decided that this summer, I'd come up with a 6 week meal plan that would rotate throughout the semester (maybe even the year) so we wouldn't get bored, we'd always be fed, and I'd have only one trip to the grocery store per week, making all of my necessary purchases at one time so I'd be ready to go Monday through Friday!
I broke my project into three distinct phases. Phase One included identifying all of our favorite recipes, asking friends for other recommendations, and typing up the titles of the recipes along with the ingredients I'd need to have on hand. This was necessary as Phase Two involved comparing recipes for similar, perishable ingredients, matching them up and sorting them into weeks, determining how many times we can get leftovers out of each, and putting them into a sort of calendar. That calendar is below.
Now that the first two phases are complete, I'm onto Phase 3: Recipes and Shopping Lists by Week!
I am in the process of typing up all of the recipes I've collected tweaking them to fit our family of two, and adding the grocery lists beneath all of the recipes. Each recipe gets its own page in the file as does the grocery list. I'll be saving an additional, editable grocery list file which will include columns for where I should get it, extra spaces for other things we need (toothpaste, trash bags, popcorn) and, of course, the ability to cross through it for a week if I'm all set on items.
If I find that I have time or am exceptionally bored in my final days before I go back to school (yeah, right!), I'll make a master list of items I can get for all five weeks that won't go bad.
I know I didn't really leave room for us going out or anything fun. It doesn't happen a ton during the school year according to the way we've been doing things. I'm hoping that it will change this year with the new system and other changes I'm trying to make in my life. But in the event of something special going on or our date night happening (we don't have one set night, especially during high school football season when games are often on Thursday nights), we will not eat the leftovers that night. Maybe they'll be on my much simpler, soon-to-come lunch calendar instead!
Finally, I'd like to say that I am totally inspired by my friends who are going natural and making so many things on their own. I am hoping that once I get into a rhythm of dinner-making, I'll be able to do fantastic, healthier things like make my own jars of diced tomatoes. Until then, I am going to be proud of my accomplishment in planning for five weeks at a time. It has taken a lot of out of me and tested my sanity at times but I think that the rewards will far outweigh the frustrations and the result will be a healthier, happier me (and Mr. V)!
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