My Butt Hurts

Have you seen this picture from Pinterest?  Seriously... every time I see it, I chuckle on the inside.  I'm chuckling now... just typing and uploading! :)

I hope that you all had a safe and happy Easter spent with your favorite peeps!  I am so wishing that we had this upcoming week off for spring break... but it's not our turn yet.  {5 more days}  We had family in town all weekend and I am feeling really worn down.  My M1 and M2 enjoyed a whole host of Easter fun-ness... egg dying, egg hunts, family time, staying up way too late, riding their new 4 wheelers... just all around boy-ness!  (couldn't snap one where they were both looking... so I gave up!) 

I also went to one of my favorite shops here in town to see what new goodies they had just for me (insert maniacal laughing) and I snapped up this frame.  It will be perfect for my annual beach picture!

Each year we take the same picture (kids facing the ocean)... it is so cute to watch how they grow from year to year...  you don't have to worry if everyone is smiling nice for the cameras... and it looks great in a frame (thus the new purchase!)...  I go with my fab friend Tara from ...and They All Fall Down since we're real life friends and co-workers.  Our kiddos get along great.  We spend all day at the beach and/or pool... riding all over the island on golf carts, feeding deer, alligator watching, etc.  We are leaving the day after school is out and I'm PUMPED!!! 

We only have 35 days left in this school year... when do y'all get out?  Our students started August 1st... and our last day is May 24th.  It's always interesting to me to see when everyone gets out all over the US!
Again, I hope you all had a beautiful Easter with your loved ones... I'll be back soon! 

Spring Cleaning Sale & Greg's Giveaway

I'm getting together with some bloggy friends to throw a Spring Cleaning sale... time to clear out some of the items on my TpT wish list (seriously... my wish list has dozens and dozens of things).  Me and my peeps are throwing a sale this Saturday and Sunday.  How cute is this button that Krista from The Creative Chalkboard made!!!

Another bloggy friend (Greg over at Kindergarten Smorgasboard has reached 1,000 followers and he's throwing an awesome giveaway.... easy to enter! You can win products from dozens of TpT sellers... (think Deanna Jump, Erica Bohrer, School Supply Addict, First Grade Parade, and yours truly!!!)
I hope that you will all have a great Easter weekend... I have one more week of work and then spring break!  Good luck over @ Greg's giveaway... and I hope you get some great deals during the Spring Cleaning Sale...  You can visit my store by clicking HERE! 

Poo and Peeps

Poo on all of you... all of you that are already on spring break.  That's right... poo on ALL of you!  We still have 10 days left... the kids can smell it and I think the teachers have it worse!  I don't even have spring break plans... but I need this!!!

That being said...I'm totally in spring mode.  I keep making TpT items with bunnies, eggs, Peeps, etc.  At this rate, I'm still going to be making spring/Easter themed items in June!  (I have also stockpiled quite the supply of actual Peeps... man, I love those things!)

I made this center to help my firsties practice time to the hour and half hour... it is a skill that they still struggle with if we don't revisit it often.  Did I mention that I love peeps? 

 I made the second Peep center handle quarter past and quarter 'til times for my firsties who were ready to move on.  This is also a skill that 2nd graders are working on...

 

The last one I made is for older kids.  Before I moved back down to 1st grade this year, I spent more than 7 years teaching 4th and 5th grades...and they always loved exponents!  They also loved the rare occasion I would take out the crayons/makers/etc. and let them get crafty.  This pack allows for some spring fun and makes for a great bulletin board!  

  I hope that you will have a fantastic weekend... get lots of rest... sorry about the poo on you comments earlier... I'm prone to emotional outbursts!  Bwahaha!  Oh, do you like actual Peeps... or not really your thing?  If not, what's your favorite Easter candy? 

Oh Snap.... and the Flu

Ooooooh SNAP... I just pimped my blog.  OK, let's be honest... I did not actually do it, but I knew just who I wanted to do it for me.  I started blogging exactly 6 months ago... and when I sat down in the early stages and started dreaming planning, I decided that if I could stick with it for 6 months... then I would reward myself with an actual blog DESIGN!

In February, I contacted Megan with A Bird in Hand Designs about doing my bloggy redo.  She is quite popular and I was put on the waiting list... which gave me some time to look around bloggy land and think about what I wanted my blog to look like.  How could I make it reflect ME?  Mid-March was my scheduled time to begin the process.... and it was SO smooth.  Megan made the process so seamless and easy.  Seriously... it was like she KNEW me.  We only had to email back and forth a few times and VOILA!  I hope you love it as much as I do... it truly is a reflection of me.  If you're in the market for a bloggy redo... I would HIGHLY recommend you contact Megan... it is certainly worth the wait!

In less exciting news, I went to dinner with friends last Friday evening and realized that my throat was started to hurt on one side... it kinda hurt to swallow my food and coke!  I woke up on Saturday and it kinda felt like someone had beat me up with a baseball bat, metal pipe, a 4x4 (you get the point!).  By Sunday my fever had gone past 103 and I went to Urgent Care... FLU!!!  Wait... I don't have time for the flu... AIN"T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!  By Sunday night I called in a favor to an EMT family member and slept with an IV over night.  I took it out Monday morning (I felt like Superwoman... not even gonna lie!).  I couldn't go to work Monday OR Tuesday.  I went yesterday and that was a mistake!  I was dizzy and miserable.  Today was considerably better (!!!!) and I'm hoping that tomorrow I will feel 100% back to normal.  I hope that you have all had a GREAT week.  What do YOU think of the new look? I can't wait to hear...  

To That One Child

"I believe that our background and circumstances may have influenced who were are, but we are responsible for who we become."

- Unknown

I have this quote hanging in my classroom along with this picture.  It is a picture of me and my class when I was a 4th grader.  This was taken in February 1990 and I had just turned 10.  My dad was in the Army and we lived in Germany.  I lived in Germany a total of 8 years growing up (2 different tours).  I think that most (if not all) teachers have one teacher growing up who helped push them in that direction.  For me... it was Mrs. Robinson.  The half-smiling kid in this picture was so full of worry... worry about her bi-polar mother and alcoholic father.  School was the safe place...the happy place!  Mrs. Robinson was the first person who told me that I could go to college... that if I looked at my home life and wanted to change it... that I could change it and make it better when I grew up.  I can remember going during her post-planning and helping her clean out her classroom.... she gave me extra worksheets to play school with the neighborhood kids.  She took me to Pizza Hut (my very first time getting to go)... just the two of us... and I remember feeling so special. I remember watching her write on the chalkboard and wanting to make my handwriting look just like hers.  I hang this picture in my classroom every year to serve as a reminder... that the corny quote about making a difference in the life of ONE child really is true.  It might be the happy looking kid, the trouble maker, the over-achiever, or the slow learner... you just never know!

 Before there was such a thing as MySpace or Facebook, I did an internet search for Mrs. Robinson...I found 10ish people in the US with her name and I sent all of them letters in the hopes of tracking her down... with no luck.  Last night I decided to search for her on Facebook and I found her.  What a delight it was to send her this picture and tell her just HOW big of an impact she had on my life.  It is my greatest desire to have one of my students search for me someday!   

I decided 100% when I was 10 years old what path I was going to go down.  I didn't know where this college place was that she was talking about, but I was going!!!  I worked 3 jobs during school to pay the bills.   This woman lit a fire... a fire that could not be extinguished!  We teachers are very powerful... and I can tell you that I don't remember much about any school lessons that Mrs. Robinson taught me...  but I learned SO much more! 
-Stacy

The Lemonade War... Well, Pour Me Up a Glass

I'm in Georgia and our district has decided that we all need to use the Georgia ELA frameworks to drive our instruction.  The ELA units are divided into 4 units (for each 9 weeks).  I can't believe it, but we are about to begin the 4th nine weeks at school (can I get an AMEN?)  Well, the main read aloud text for Unit 4 is The Lemonade War.  I read the book a few weeks back and I really liked it.  I thought that it had a really good message and I think the kids will like it when we start next week.  I just finished up the book companion I made to go along with this pack (just in time!)...  wanna take a peek?  You can find it on TpT HERE!

I was excited about this unit and I have been working on it for a few weeks now.  It's crazy JUST how exhausted little humans can make you at the end of the day.  As soon as my class walks out, my M1 and M2 walk in... it's non-stop all day.  So, my unit making has to wait until after their bedtime each night... and sometimes by then I'm just too tired myself!  I am relieved that this one is done in time for the beginning of the 4th 9 weeks starting next week (did I already ask for an AMEN?)

 

The unit has comprehension questions for each one of the 14 chapters (includes an answer key for easy grading).  There is a graphic organizer that I absolutely LOVED making.. .the clipart of the lemon made it so easy to visualize what it "could" be.  There is a vocab poster for each one of the economic terms.  There is a response journal printable book (I used Washi tape to edge mine... have I ever mentioned my fascination with Washi tape?)  Also included is a student lapbook with fold-ups and pockets.  This is my first time making a lapbook for a novel... I'm used to making them for my 4th graders with science and social studies content... but this one turned out great and I was super happy with it!  I used a blue file folder and my washi tape (see above comment about washi)... 

I hope that you all will have a great week... and how the heck is it only Wednesday?  It sure does feel like it should be at least Thursday... just sayin'!  I know many of my friends around the US are already on spring break... not us... we still have a few weeks to go!  Come on May...
-Stacy

QR Codes, Adam Levine, and the Pioneer Woman

Well that's one intriguing title, right?  Not a whole lot weaving all those things together... just kinda what popped into my mind.  My newest product uses QR codes and I'm super pumped about it {not even gon' lie}.  I have been using QR codes on my newsletters and for posters outside the classroom, but this is the first time I have created them with the sole reasoning being for STUDENTS using them.  The center comes in the regular version, too... if you you're just not ready to jump in quite yet!  OK... so how does the center work?  Glad you asked...  walk with me.

You cut out all of the cards (they are separated into rounding to nearest 10, nearest 100, and nearest 1000).  Each child also gets a recording sheet.  They write their answers on their recording sheet and using an iPod or other smart device with the laser app... they scan the QR code and the correct answer is displayed on the screen.  I have the RED LASER app downloaded onto the iPods I have in my classroom.  The kids love using technology and I love that they can get instant feedback.  Interested?  You can find it HERE! 

 Have you seen this picture on Pinterest lately?  A co-worker shared it with me and every time I see it... I almost snort Pepsi through my nose.  I have saved it on my phone and go find it when I need a laugh.  If you haven't heard of Sweet Brown... google her and this will make more sense! :)

 The school nurse (love her) brought me the Pioneer Woman cookbooks this week.  I have followed stalked her blog for awhile now, but have never laid eyes on her cookbooks.  I don't even like to cook {hangs head in shame}, but the way she writes and takes such detailed pictures... well it almost makes me wanna try!  I think I'm gonna start out with one of the simple recipes this week!  Pray for me!
I hope that you are all having a great week so far.  I have popped some Advil PM in the hopes of getting more than a few hours sleep tonight.  It is still my struggle!  OHHHH... and remember that the pencil sharpener giveaway ends tomorrow @midnight... it's like the super easiest giveaway EVER... seriously like 2 clicks and that's it!  Good luck!!!
-Stacy     

It's Currently March

Wow... every time Farley posts the new month's Currently I am kinda shocked!  How can it possibly be a new month already?  So, she says it's March... I'm down with that.  School for us ends in late May... so this is progress my friends! I have already sent in the deposit for my week at Fripp Island and I couldn't be more excited. Without further ado... my Currently:

 

Listening: to my boys fuss with each other.  M1 and M2 have a great relationship... they aren't that far apart in age.  BUT when they fuss with each other it makes me wanna bang my head against the wall.  It doesn't happen all that often, but holy moly!  

 Loving: My new dishwasher!  Our old one had started to leak water all over the kitchen.  It also had started to fall out of the casing (is that what it's called?) probably from where my boys used to use the open door kinda like a stool when they were littles!  Oops!  I keep walking into the kitchen and smiling!  I'm nerdy like that!  

Thinking: This has been a really stressful year to only be March.  Still not enough words to explain this pain that I am feeling... I am trying to give myself grace as I navigate these waters, but I would be lying if I said I am not struggling with anger and a whole host of other emotions.  Still coveting your prayers and positive thoughts. 

Wanting: The laundry fairy to come visit.  There are only 4 people at our house but the laundry is crazy.  I have thought about making my children go to school naked to cut back on some of the laundry... wonder if that'd help?  

Needing: More peaceful sleep...to wake up rested.  This goes hand in hand with all the thinking I've been doing.  I am struggling to fall asleep at night and stay asleep.  Allergy season has started up here in south Georgia so I am having to take Benadryl... undoubtedly this will help some with the sleep issue because if I take more than 1 at a time... it knocks me on my BUTT!  

Like/Love/Hate: I like shopping... I like shopping for flip flops, for make-up, for school supplies.  I even like grocery shopping (alone).  I do not like shopping at Wal-Mart though...  I LOVE Starbucks and I go there every morning.  They know me and my order. I take my own cup so my iced mocha stays cold until lunch time.  It sits on my desk and patiently waits for me.  Hate selfishness beyond words.  People who are only interested in themselves... BIGGEST pet peeve!  {ever}

I've been really busy the last few weeks trying to keep my brain focused. I have several St. Patrick's Day products posted and a freebie on Google Docs.  Check them out: 

Check it out here

Check it out here 

and a freebie here 

Hope you all have a great week... hope you enjoy the freebie and don't forget about the pencil sharpener giveaway {it ends in 3 more days}.