Total Weight Watchers weight loss: 22.2 lbs. I’m no longer considered overweight for my height!

Three more days of clinicals and I am done! Then, off to Chicago and New Hampshire!

I subbed yesterday in a kindergarten class- I don’t know how people teach kindergarten! Anyways, a boy had a total meltdown because he couldn’t draw a dog. It’s these moments that I feel like the worst teacher of small children on the planet, because I just don’t care. I want to say, “Really?! You’re SOBBING because you can’t draw a dog? You need to calm down.” This almost definitely means that I will be offered a teaching job in a kindergarten class.

Total Weight Watchers weight loss: 20 lbs. and I met my 10% weight loss goal and got a tacky brass keychain!

Also, on my run before my meeting I got my mile pace down to 10:27! That is crazy! In the last 2 weeks I’ve shaved 37 seconds off my pace! I keep trying to slow down and take “easy” runs, so I don’t get injured, but every time I finish a run, I look at my average pace and it just keeps getting faster and faster. It’s so crazy- like I’ll try to do these INTENSE hill runs, and my pace will still have 10 seconds knocked off of it at the end! I just can’t slow down!

Last night at clinicals, my partner and I got to help with tub baths (helping the residents take baths in these cool bathtubs that have doors on the front). It was so fun, and after one of the baths I got to take a resident to the beauty parlor and put her hair in rollers and set her under one of those old-fashioned helmet dryers. She sat in her wheelchair, getting her nails done by my partner and sipping coffee- she was so sweet!

I have strangely found that since I’ve started cna classes and clinicals, subbing at the elementary school is SUCH a joy for me. I really like being at school. This is very confusing, because I’ve really felt called to this cna business, but now I really like teaching, which I never really did before. And, even if I did decide teaching was for me, there is very little hope of me getting a teaching job here. If you think of it, maybe you could pray for me- just that God would make clear what it is He wants me to do, and if it’s teaching to provide a miracle in the form of a teaching job.

Total Weight Watchers weight loss: 19 LBS! I surpassed my 10% goal! WOOHOO!

Kyle and I had our first weekend off together probably since… January? We took a drive to Houghton-Hancock to see what there was to see. Not much. We did visit the Keewanaw Brewing Company and sampled some ales, which was pretty awesome. And then we drove to McLain State Park and walked around on the snow-covered beach. It was a nice afternoon. And we topped it off with a drive home sampling the most delicious saltwater taffy I have ever had in my life- flavors like pumpkin pie, apple pie, banana cream pie, and vanilla coffee- YUM!

Speaking of pies, today I made a homemade banana cream pie for the first time ever- and it turned out spectacularly! I always feel so productive and accomplished when I have a successful cooking project.

I found out when I have some time off from clinicals, so Kyle and I get to take a spring break! We’re heading to Chicago around April 4 for the weekend (and a race called Run for the Cheetah, which I wish was much cooler), then to New Hampshire with Colby to visit the Condaps for the week, and back to Chicago for the Easter weekend and the traditional Good Friday watching of Jesus Christ Superstar and eating of cheese coffee cake and chili cheese dip.

Well, I’m off for a run in the 60 degree weather (and puddles and mud)!

Two days ago on my run, Lance Armstrong came on to congratulate me for my longest run ever!

On Monday Kyle and I continued our Monday-Day-Off-Series of touring southwestern upper peninsula (and upper wisconsin) coffee shops. We met a friend at a coffee shop in Iron Mountain called Moose Jackson. I love that place. And hanging out with our friend, Chris, for a few hours was so fun. He decided that his girlfriend and I are going to be summer friends this summer. Yay for summer friends! I haven’t been a normal person in the summer for several years now, so I’m excited to remember all of the fun things you get to do when you’re not working 24 hours a day!

Tonight I have my orientation for our clinicals. I’m very excited. I have clinicals two nights a week for 5 weeks, and then I’m a nurse aide, capable of getting a full time job! And I also found out that we don’t have clinicals the week before Easter, so Kyle and I are probably going to get to take a spring break!

Well, I have to go grocery shopping and hem some very oversized scrubs!

I shot a shotgun today! Kyle was so proud!

Total Weight Watchers weight loss (since last Monday- I am a little behind): 16.4 lbs- I am .6 lbs away from my 10% goal!

Also, since my last post I have received a Nike+ sport kit from a dedicated blog reader And it is FANTASTIC! Anytime I want to know how I’m doing I just push the center button on my iPod and a woman’s voice comes through my headphones and tells me how far I’ve gone, what my pace is, and how long I’ve been running. (The information is also displayed on the screen.) This morning Kyle took my exacto knife, pliers, and his Leatherman and carved a hole in the sole of my shoe for my chip to go in- it worked perfectly! What a guy. AND at the end of my run, Paula Radcliffe came on my headphones to congratulate me on running my longest run so far!