I have really let myself go.........

Well.... its been a tough winter this year. I have always been pretty good about exercising regularly, and being active. This winter though, I have been much more "lax" in that department and it probably played a part in the low energy days I experienced periodically though out the winter.

Denial is usually the first stage, you know, thinking the no exercise hasn't made a difference. My clothes still fit, just weirdly... I am only up a couple of pounds... nothing I can't take off in a week of no eating desserts. No one really tells you that you have "let yourself go"... until.......

Happy Secretaries Day

Yes, its that time of the year. I blogged about my Secretaries Day from last year. Please take a moment to go back in time (by clicking on the red words) and read my blog... it will save me a lot of time writing all about the "tradition" that takes place each year on this day.

Its been several years that these portraits are drawn by our little 5 and 6 year olds at my school, and although I really enjoy all the comments they write about us, I study the life size picture of me that they skillfully (and truthfully) draw with Primary precision. These little ones work hard on these life size portraits and take extreme pride as they are hung with packing tape to the walls outside our office (by their teacher, Ms Casey) for all the world to see. Below please notice what I looked like last year (2008). Special attention to my large shoulders. That was from all the weights I did with Jacquie after school in the computer lab. Also notice the narrow hips and long legs... these were from "Slim in 6 Weeks" exercise videos that we also did in the computer lab several days after work. Hard work but obviously these little primaries noticed!

2009..... yes... I have really let myself go.......

Proudly displayed on the wall in the main hallway, in my favorite green house dress with purple/blue leotards... is me.... my muscular shoulders have disappeared (and my theory is that they dropped down to my hips)... my arms have also gone missing... again, maybe under my green dress, my arms were added to my hips. You may think that I have one small foot and one large foot, but in reality, I have one foot pointing forward and one pointing inward. In last years portrait, I had a similar pose, but more "model" like with my foot pointing outward. On the upside... I have several fingers on each hand, which allow me to do much more work.. or they help balance the things I can't do very well now that I have much shorter arms. Please notice that the children paid great attention to my hair this year, as well as last year. They noticed that I am getting a few more blond highlights in my hair this year to help mask the extra gray hairs I gained over the winter. My eyes are a little off balance, but my ears match my eyes and so this is a good thing...

Now, during this process, Ms Casey asks the children about the things we do, or what they think about the secretaries, etc. She writes them down word for word on these posters and they are as precious to me as the picture itself. These comments are straight from the heart and are soo heartwarming, I would like to add these pictures each year to my resume so my next employer know what they are getting...

Some of the comments.... "gives us band-aids" Talks to us from the roof" "has bananas"... sadly, all true.

I am thinking this is my last year for these beautiful creations because Pat will have other plans for next year. I will miss them very much. I can't really let this blog go by without sharing some pictures of Pat, sort of as a thank you for all the lovely portraits over the years!!

Thanks Pat, my dear friend.... I love you!