Thursday, December 29, 2011

A New Year Freebie & Some Resolutions

So…let me just go ahead and say that I LOVE New Year’s :) Not because I’m partyin’ it up on NYE…unless you consider sparkling cider, my sofa, and MTV a party…but I love it because it gives us a chance to start all over. Such a great time to reflect and make resolutions and ohmiword…I’ve got a few! I thought I’d go ahead and share those with y’all and then share a *little* freebie :)

This has been one of those years. I’m sure you can tell by the lack of my blogging :) Between my very spirited class, my even more spirited boys, a husband that works nights, and domestic duties, this little blog has been pushed aside. I’m sure it doesn’t help that I’m also trying to maintain my personal blog AND my domestic blog, too. My personal blog is my journal…the random stories of our little life…and I don’t want to slack on that one, so I’ll be keeping up with that one a lot more often! But I also LOVE this little blog. I love all the opportunities it’s thrown my way and all the WONDERFULLY TALENTED, AMAZING teachers/friends I’ve met through it. And keeping up with it has really helped me stay on track in my own classroom, too!

I’ve been SO blessed by so many of you in SO many different ways. Your comments, your emails, your posts, your ideas, your funny stories, your creativity, your sharhing hearts, your vulnerability…everything!! I’ve loved meeting some of y’all in real life and feeling like I’ve known you since forever. I’ve loved meeting some of y’all just through comments/emails and feeling the same way. This little blog…and ALL of you…have been such a blessing to me :)

In 2012, I plan on…

*Commenting more. I have a little over 100{ish} teaching related blogs I read through Google Reader every day. I catch up on my phone mostly…while I’m sitting in traffic, cooking dinner, bathing my boys, etc. The bad thing about Google Reader is that it’s made me terribly lazy. I haven’t visited blogs in a LONG time, so I’ve been slacking in the comment department. BUT, I’m changing that in 2012. I’m always so appreciative and grateful when y’all comment on my blog and I definitely want y’all to know that I’m lovin’ reading what you’re posting, too! So…I’m definitely going to get better at that. Will somebody hold me accountable, please?! Rachelle?!?! Where are you?!?! HA!

*Returning emails. I’m not even gonna get into this because my email is a sad, sad place. So unattended. I’m so overwhelmed by emails that I’ve been behind for a long time now. If you’ve emailed me and haven’t heard back, I’m sorry…for real. As you can tell, I’m extremely long winded and way to wordy, so those are the kind of emails I want to send back when you write. If I can’t sit down and send you a “talkative” email, I keep putting it off until I can. Now I’ve dug myself into a hole and can’t get out. I’m wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch. I just can’t get to them all, so I’m deleting my inbox. If you email me again…starting now…I promise I’ll get back to you right away :)

*Updating my sidebar. Like I said, I haven’t visited blogs in forever…mine included. I’ve been meaning to update my sidebar with links to more blogs and I’ve just been so dang lazy.

*Being more consistent with my Wandering Wednesday posts. Darnit! I started off so great, but then I just got so busy!!! This year has been wild, but I’m determined to get back on track!

*Post more freebies. Starting now…

Here’s a little {42 page} freebie just for you :) I’ll need something to keep my kids busy when they come barreling through my door on the 3rd, so here are a few activities I’m using to keep them on task. You can click the picture to download it or head on over to my TpT shop and pick it up there {for free}. Hope this helps get your new year off to a great start!!!

HappyNewYear

For those of you that have asked about my Winter Math & Literacy center packs, those will be uploaded this weekend!! I’m still visiting with my in-laws up north, so I’m knee deep in family time and trying to savor every minute of this WAY too short vacation. Hope y’all are having a very BLESSED holiday and I’ll see y’all next year :) HA! Couldn’t resist ;)

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours!

Wishing you & yours a blessed Christmas! Hope your holiday season is filled with the love of Jesus Christ!

2011Card

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Reindeer Games

For those of y’all that have 2 days left until Winter Break, can I get at “Woot! Woot!”?!?!? As my dear friend, Abby, would say, “PTL!!!!!!!” This week has been crazy insane…and the scary thing is that I know I’m not alone!!! Between gift making, gift wrapping, station work, and catching up, my classroom looks like a scene straight out of The Wizard of Oz :)

Reindeer are one of my favorite things to learn about, so this week has been all about reindeer fun & games!!

We’ve started each morning with the AMAZING Word of the Day sheets from Made for 1st Grade.

wotd

source: Made For 1st Grade

I LOVE these!! And it’s SO fun to see my kids use these words…spelled CORRECTLY {halleluia!!!} in their writing!!!!

We’re also finishing up the last few activities from my Christmas units {Merry & Bright Math Tubs & Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Literacy Centers} This season, my kids’ FAVORITE game has been the “Punctuation Present”!! I’m definitely NOT complaining because they’re *finally* starting to understand the difference among these types of sentences! Woo hoo!! Because they’ve played it so much, I’ve had to come up with a few extension activities for it. We made little “punctuation presents” today {I forgot my camera!!!} and the kids loved it! Basically, I cut out a gift template for each of the kids and that was the cover of their book. When you open up the book, there’s a ‘telling’ page, a ‘question’ page, and an ‘excited’ page. The kids had to write & illustrated holiday sentences for each type of sentence. They LOVED it! ANDDDDDDD…they’ve requested another round tomorrow :) You can download a copy for your classroom, too! Just click on the pic below….

Slide27

I’ve been using Sarah Cooley’s Reindeer Games unit and I’M.IN.LOVE. Her illustrations are DARLING and they straight up make me smile. The kids have loved them, too!!! She always has such original ideas and the kids love her activities! If you’ve still got time left and need more ideas, you need to check it out!!

cover page reindeer

We made these cute little reindeer to practice reindeer name ABC order. I haven’t scanned the tracers because I’ve been all kinds of busy, so I’m sorry I don’t have that to share!!! I accidentally missed a reindeer, but my kids were quick to solve the problem and make their own corrections.

reindeer7

reindeer8reindeer9

We read a few fiction stories about reindeer and then the kids wrote letters to Santa telling him why they’d make good reindeer. Their writing has improved SO much this year…especially their handwriting!!! We’ve still got lots to work on, but I’m SO proud of how far they’ve come!

reindeerreindeer4

reindeer2reindeer3

Speaking of reindeer, I made these little “Reindeer Noses” packets for the boys in my oldest son’s playgroup. Of course, I found this idea on Pinterest. Love. I also found the cute little label online. The little brown bags are from the craft section at Hobby Lobby {12 for $1.99} and the bag is filled with little red & green M&M’s. If you’re still looking for a little class gift….and don’t have any allergies in your class…this is the perfect little something to give! Inexpensive and absolutely PRECIOUS!!! They’d also be perfect to give after learning about reindeer, too!!

reindeernoses3 copyreindeernoses4 copy 2

Now it’s time to get back to baking!!! I’ll be up to my ears in sugar & flour for the next few days!! LOVE IT!!!!!

And everything in my little TpT shop is 20% off through Friday!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY, PEOPLE!!!!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

You Asked, I Answered :)

A little Q & A...

Q: When do you grade?
A: Ummmm…grades?! HA!! Just kidding. In our district, we don’t technically do grades in K-1. We do a 1-4 numbered system, each number representing their level of mastery with 4 being the highest {mastered}. We enter our grades at the end of each 9-week grading period and I base their “grades” on classroom performance & informal/formal assessment.


Q: How do you stay organized? How do you organize all your units/TpT stuff?
A: If anyone who knows me well is reading this, they’re LAUGHING right now because I am SO not organized. Well…it doesn’t look like I am anyway. I like to call it organized chaos. I think that’s my ADD ;) I write EVERYTHING down, so that helps. I also keep a running to-do list at ALL times!!! I organize all my center/station activities into those big 9x12 tabbed envelopes and store them in my filing cabinets. I organize all my thematic ideas/printables/templates/tracers into labeled file folders in a separate filing cabinet. I keep all of my TpT units {packets} in monthly binders…that gives me quick access to things I need to print and it’s easier for me to see the overall idea of what I’m doing before I start to plan. Everything else is organized on my Pinterest board….HA!!!


Q: How do you make your TpT packets?!
A: I use Power Point to create EVERYTHING!!!! I’ve used it for the last 7-8{ish} years exclusively. I don’t think I’d know how to use Word if I tried! HA! Honestly, it just seems so much more user friendly to me. Also, I'm using a PC {*I think* someone asked me that, too!!}


Q: When do you make your anchor charts?
A: Sometimes I’m really on the ball and I’ll create my anchor charts BEFORE I introduce a concept. Please notice that I said *sometimes*. I always tell my kids that our anchor charts are rough drafts. Sometimes we’re going through the material with a quickness, so tend to write a little sloppy. I expect my kids to always do their *personal best*, so I can’t very well display something that isn’t my personal best. A lot of times I’ll edit the anchor charts and create a brand new version after school and then I’ll hang it up before the kids come back in the next day. Most of the time, I like to remake my anchor charts to be much smaller so that they fit in the classroom better. I do laminate them so that they can be stored easily without getting ruined!


Q: How do you balance school and work? Do you go in early or stay late any nights?
A: Is there really a way to balance?! HA! Seriously though…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my *job*, but my family will always come first. I have to know that if I didn’t get a chance to finish preparing for the next day, then I just leave it be. IT WILL GET DONE. Sometimes I get to school early, but most times I’m doing good just to get there on time. I do stay late…probably ‘til about 4:45ish…and then that’s that {my boys have to be picked up by 5.} Being with my boys is my top priority, so whatever I don’t finish gets left behind…until the next day. I make the most of my breaks…recess, lunch, specials…sometimes I stay in my room for lunch and work on things that need to get done. My boys LOVE coming to mommy’s classroom, so I’ll occasionally bring them up on a Friday evening {because I have a ROCKIN’ nightlife ;)}, we’ll pick up a pizza, and then hang out at school. It’s a win/win because I get things done and they have a blast. Truly. *Sometimes* I bring things home and work on them when the boys go to bed, but I really love spending time with Mr. Spouse so that doesn't happen too often. I am definitely a night owl and I usually don’t go to bed ‘til anywhere between 11-12. If something NEEDS to get done, I’ll find a way to do it! There’s definitely a fine line you walk trying to keep a balance between home and school, but you have to know where to draw that line! Family comes first and I don’t want to miss any memories!!!!


Q: When do you find the time?
A: I don’t feel like I do!!! Just remember that when you’re reading this blog, you’re seeing the *highlight reel*. I know it seems like I get a lot done…and sometimes I really do!…but I honestly don’t always find the time!!!! I've gotten really good at time management the last few years, but it's still a work in progress :)
Q: You mentioned you cut things out for your kids to make the actual project go more quickly...when are you cutting these things out?
A: I’m usually cutting these things out during my breaks…recess/lunch/specials. Sometimes I’ll get to school a *little* early and do it then and sometimes I’ll cut things out RIGHT before the activity. Just depends on how much needs to be cut! If it’s a HUGE project, I’ll also enlist the help of some of my moms!!! God bless them!!
Q: How did you revamp your Daily 5 block?
A: Y’all *might* remember me mentioning that I had to revamp that block of time to better fit the needs of my class. I have to be totally honest. While I do love Daily 5, the structure stresses me out {gasp!!!!!!}. I tend to be very structured…I like to know where my kids are supposed to be and I thrive on routine. I think the kids do, too...especially this year's sweeties. I love all the components of Daily 5, but the structure...notsomuch. Instead of doing 3 minilessons and breaking in between each rotation, I do one short lesson before we start our station work. My stations consist of word work, listening, a literacy activity, & writing. When the kids finish their work before the time is up, they can read to self or someone. We also have a D.E.A.R time before our station time, so they can read to self or someone during that time as well. Right now, they work on these things EVERY day. SO...every day they visit word work/writing/listening/literacy AND guided reading. The activities in their stations change every day as well. Some days are VERY simple {magnets for word work...completing a writing prompt...etc.}, but most days are VERY hands-on and include some type of activity I've created that focuses on the concepts we're covering in our curriculum.
Q: I know you do daily five, but how much time do you usually give them and take to teach in between?
A: Technically not *Daily 5* {see above}, but I give them about 15-20 minutes for their station work and then we rotate. I'm sure I'll be revamping this after the holidays! HA!


Q: Can / are there any more monthly math tub ideas you can put on tpt or post on the blog?
A: YES! I’m working on several right now!!! They should be all ready to go by the beginning of next week!!



Q: How many parent volunteers do you have helping during daily 5 and what do they do?
A: None. My class is SO much different this year than last. I had multiple parents helping daily last year, but this year just isn’t the same. It took me a LONG time to get my kids to be able to work independently and meet my expectations. I needed their full attention before bringing another adult into the classroom. Last year, my moms would come in and help the kids work on special writing projects or assist them as they worked independently in their literacy stations. I’ll start asking for more help after mid-year assessments and at that time I’ll have my parents help kids with sight word practice, writing, and word work type activities.


Q: Where did you get that cute red and white striped shirt that you wore underneath the Grinch shirt?
A: Thank you! It was actually a maternity shirt I used to wear when I was pregnant with my last little itty. I got it at the Gap. My husband would tell me I looked like ‘Where’s Waldo'?’ when I wore it. I shoved it into the back of a drawer and never wore it after that. I can’t believe I randomly found it when I was cleaning things out to take to Goodwill the other day…perfect timing for Grinch Day! And he wonders why I never get rid of anything?!?! Seriously...I'm one more piece of junk away from being an episode of Hoarders!!! HA!!


Q: Do you cut a lot of your crafts by hand, or do you have a cricut or silhouette that you use?
A: I do have a Cricut, but everything you see in my classroom is cut by hand! I cut it all myself….or have someone help…because I don’t want instruction time to be taken away from doing too many crafts. Plus, waiting on things to be cut on the Cricut takes WAY too long and I'm *slightly* impatient ;)


Q: Where do you get the borders you use on your worksheets?!?!
A: If you notice, I typically use the SAME dang borders on EVERYTHING!!! For the life of me, I can’t remember where I got them!!! I downloaded them when I was really big into digital scrapbooking. I found them on one of my old digital scrapbook paper CD’s. However, I do know that you can find A LOT of those borders/frames on digital scrapbooking websites and/or Etsy!!! There are TONS out there!!!!! I'm just being a cheapy and haven't bought anything new :)



Q: How do you "license" or whatever you do to be able to use copyrighted graphics on your work?
A: If you plan on selling your materials, you need to BUY a license from the graphic designer. The cost and terms vary by designer and can usually be purchased directly from the website. When in doubt, contact the designer!! Don’t just assume it’s okay to use something if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for!!!



Q: How do you format things so they will show up the same to your users just as they show on your materials even though they may not have those particular graphics?
A: I turn everything into a PDF file. However, this isn’t always compatible with every user. Sometimes my things turn out all icky. They look fine on my end, but someone will email me saying they look all kinds of messed up on theirs. Dangit. I’d LOVE to know how to stop that from happening, so if anyone has the answer, let me know!


Q: Do you have a portable photo printer in your classroom?
A: No! I sure don't!! When I print photos for my classroom, I just send them to the cheapest place I know...Wal Mart!!
Q: What photo softward to you use with your camera?
A: I use Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 to do ALL of my editing. Basic adjustments in Lightroom then I export to CS5 for bigger edits. If you don't have access to this software, I heard that picnik.com is a good online alternative :)
Q: Where do you get your fonts/graphics/borders/etc.?
A: I get my fonts all over the place. My favorite fonts come from Kevin & Amanda, and DaFont.com. I've heard that a lot of people also like Sugar Frog Fonts. I also LOVE Miss Tiina Fonts!!!!
My graphics are typically from Scrappin' Doodles. I also use Digi Web Studio and MyGrafico, too!
Q: Do you ever sleep??
A: I have kids. I haven't slept in the last 4 1/2 years :) HA! Seriously...I average about 5-6 hours of sleep each night. I know that's lame, but I CANNOT go to bed without having some down time first. My boys don't get tucked in 'til around 8:30{ish} and our bedtime routine and prayers can last quite a while. By the time I get back downstairs, it's late and I need some "me" time before heading to bed. Plus, Mr. Spouse and I catch up on all our DVR'd show, so we need time together, too!! I'm definitely a night owl...I can get SO much more done when things are *quiet*!!!

Friday, December 9, 2011

A Little Q&A, Christmas in My Classroom, & GRINCH DAY!!!

I’ve recently had A LOT of people email me asking a couple of things. Just incase y’all are wondering too, I thought I’d write about it here!

Q: “What kind of camera do you use?”

A: I shoot with a Nikon D700 {IN.LOVE} and also have a Nikon D90 {also in love}. The D700 is a full frame camera and the D90 is a crop sensor. If you’re just looking for a DSLR to take better pictures than your regular ol’ point & shoot, you’ll want a crop sensor…you won’t need to go full frame. I’m 100% a Nikon girl, but both Canon & Nikon make EXCELLENT cameras. I would HIGHLY suggest you visit your local camera shop and hold BOTH in your hands. Sometimes one just *feels* better than another. Most DSLRs come with a kit lens {typically an 18-55mm lens}. I would suggest adding a prime{fixed} lens to your shopping cart OR just buying the camera body{no kit lens} and a lens. I LOVE my 50mm 1.4 {amazing prime lens!!!}. The 35mm 1.8 {prime} is also amazing and if you want something that zooms, go for the Tamron 28-75mm…super versatile & produces some pretty fantastic images. Instead of pulling your camera out of the box and just turning it on Auto, I *HIGHLY* recommend learning how to shoot in manual!!!! It’s a definite learning curve, but I’ve been shooting manual for 2 years now and the quality of my pictures are SO much better!!! I can’t imagine going back to auto!

Q: “Where did you get those plates that you used for ‘There’s Snow Place Like Home’ Christmas gifts?”

A: If you’re wondering what this question is all about, read about it HERE. Y’all. These plates came from the DOLLAR TREE!!!!!!!!!! TRUE story!!!! Talk about inexpensive!!! We painted the plates with regular ol’ acrylic paints, wrote the words in sharpie markers, and then sealed it with a clear, acrylic sealant. Cheap, easy, and CUTE!!!!!

Now I’ll go ahead and leave the comments open for more questions. If you’ve got anything you wanna ask…ANYTHING at all…just leave it in the comments and I’ll answer them in a post on Sunday :)

Christmas is in FULL swing in my classroom, so I thought I’d give y’all a little peek. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s really beginning to look a lot like *Christmas* {cue the music}. We’re only in school for 3 weeks between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break, so it’s hard for us to do *too much*. Sweet Rachelle over at What the Teacher Wants was telling me she’s in school up until the week before Christmas. How many of y’all do the same thing!?!?! CRAZY!!!

You might remember these mice from the activity I made last year. I’ve been doing a “If You Take a Mouse to the Movies” unit since I taught Kindergarten and I love it more and more every year!

The writing prompt was, “If you take me to the movies, I will ask you for some…”

christmasroom1

I made the template for the mice last year, but I haven’t scanned them, so I don’t have them for you!!! Sorry!!! If you want to read more about the activities I do for this little unit, you can check it out HERE. I didn’t take any pictures of our mouse day this year…I left my dang camera at home! You can also find more printables and activity ideas!!

You might remember these little Santas from last year. We made them again, only this time we switched out the color page of bricks for some brick themed scrapbook paper! MUCH cuter ;) I actually saw this idea in my TL’s classroom and thought it was super cute and I wanted to add a little flair to ours, too! We did this little craftivity as an extension to reading the book, “Santa’s Stuck”. The writing prompt was, “If Santa got stuck in my chimney, I would…” We brainstormed lots of ideas and some of them were downright clever. LOVE the way their little minds work!!

christmasroom4

As soon as we got back from Thanksgiving break, we made these little scrapbook Santas {similar to last years}. I basically just set out a ton of Christmas themed scrapbook paper, my own sample, and then they went to town creating their own. LOVE how different they all turned out!!!

christmasroom13christmasroom14

I also had the kids fill out an elf application. I told them I was sending it straight to the North Pole. You should’ve seen their faces. Ohmiword. I’ll tell you what, though…they sure did take their time and do their BEST work!! HA!!! We did this activity last year and this year I tweaked the elf just a bit. They came out A LOT bigger than I was anticipating, but they still turned out pretty darn cute ;) If you want to download the elf application, you can find it HERE.

christmasroom10christmasroom11christmasroom12

We had a “Mooseltoe” day this past week and it was SO much fun!!! The kids adored the book and we were engaged in some pretty fun activities all day. We even made “Moose Munch”!! {Chex cereal, chocolate chips, and pretzels} FUN!!! All of the activities we did came from my little Mooseltoe unit. The kids LOVED it!!

christmasroom3christmasroom17christmasroom18christmasroom5christmasroom6

We celebrated *Grinch Day* yesterday and had a blast! The kids were SO excited!! Most of our firsties came to school dressed in green and wearing Santa hats. Kinda precious. The teachers joined in the fun, too!

GrinchDay

{Just incase you’re wondering, the shirts came from Wal Mart…$7.50!!!!}

We had our first annual Grinch Day last year {you can read about it HERE}. I really didn’t do much different this year, just added a *few* new things. I found the idea for this next little writing craftivity HERE. LOVED the style of the Grinch, so I went ahead and made my own template. {I used a little paper punch for the white on the hat.} The writing prompt for this craftivity was, “I feel like a Grinch when…” The writing on the right says, “when I’m sassy to my sister.” HA!! LOVE that!!!

christmasroom15christmasroom16

We made Grinch Punch/Seuss Juice {sprite & lime sherbet} and the kids LOVED it. Another idea that my TL had was to make Who Pudding {vanilla pudding with green food coloring}. We didn’t get around to that though…it was a BUSY day!!!!

We brainstormed some *Grinchy Adjectives* to describe the Grinch and then followed it up with a little simile writing.

christmasroom9

christmasroom8

We finished up the day watching the classic, cartoon version of The Grinch and then passed out Grinch licked candy canes! HA!! One of my sweeties was VERY concerned that they were really licked, so I spent the better part of dismissal trying to convince him that they weren’t! Bless his heart!!

christmasroom7

If you want to download the tag, you can find it HERE. I found the candy canes at Target, but I know most places carry them. They’re the Starburst brand….they come 12 to a pack…6 red/6 green.

Okay…that was a massive update. Kudos to you if you’ve made it this far! HA!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

More Brain Potpourri & An Announcement for Texas Teachers

1. Texas Teachers…are y’all ready for another lunch date?! I AM!!! Time to get this party started…again. We’ll be meeting here in Dallas on December 20th. Location and time TBA. If you’re interested, email me at texasteacherblogmeetup@gmail.com. You can also get updates on my little FB page! Can’t wait to see some of y’all again and finally meet the rest of you!

2. I enjoyed EVERY.SINGLE.MINUTE. of my Thanksgiving break. Why did it feel like I blinked and it was over?! LOTS of QT with the fam…tons of way too good food…and lots of shopping :) Now the countdown to Christmas break is on…10 more days!!!

Thanksgiving2011

3. I was out of commission for a few days this past week. I had a SEVERE allergic reaction to JALAPENOS. Yes friends. True. I’ve NEVER been allergic before, but apparently things can randomly develop as you get older. Just another perk of going gray! So, I was cutting up 4 jalapenos for chili I made last week and I guess it soaked into my hands pretty good. I was coughing something awful as I was cutting them, but I didn’t put two and two together. A few hours later, I got my first ever migraine. I went to bed around 10 and woke up around midnight. My hands were on FIRE. I swear I thought they were going to burst into flames. It felt like someone cut my hands up with razor blades and then proceeded to pour salt and lemon juice into my wounds. They were red and swollen and the only thing that helped was ice cold water. The pain lasted for FOREVER. The doctor put me on Zyrtec and hydrocortisone. Eeeks. I’ll never cut those suckers without gloves again!!! DARNIT!!!

3. I’m officially obsessed with these…

school7

This is my new favorite snack. CAN’T.GET.ENOUGH. I’m basically obsessed with anything cinnamon, but these take the cake.

4. My student teacher is officially a college graduate in a week. She spent her last day in my classroom last week. I’m SO sad to see her go. So were my kids. I mean, crying and all. It was a sad day. We showered her with gifts and cards and my sweet team treated her to lunch. SO bittersweet…

school3 copy

A few of y’all asked me what I was going to do for her and I apologize if I didn’t respond. I bought her an Erin Condren planner, got her a little gift card, and then we made her a class book. She loved it!!!! And the kids LOVED making it!!!!

STboard

5. Speaking of responding to emails…if you emailed me sometime in the last two/three months and haven’t heard back, I apologize. I promise I’m not ignoring you. I read each one I get and I appreciate them all!!! Between school, my 3 boys, and my domestic duties, I’ve gotten really behind. Email me again or leave me a message on FB. I’m so sorry if I haven’t gotten back to you!

6. My kids have been keeping pretty busy and they’re *finally* in a groove!!! YAY! This month we’re working like crazy on graphing, editing sentences, adding adjectives to our writing, and SO much more!! It’s going to be a BUSY two weeks!!! Praying we can fit it all in!!!!

school2school1school8

7. My little family starting our RACK’s this week. Y’all…it was amazing. On the first day, we placed about 65 candy canes on random cars in store parking lots. My boys did the majority of the work. I didn’t want anyone to see us doing it, but one lady caught us in the act. She picked up her candy cane, read the message, and had little tears in her eyes. She looked up at Landon and said, “Did you do this for me?!”. Landon had the biggest grin on his little face and said, “YES!!!!” She said, “Thank you! I really needed this. This made my day.” Then I started tearing up….crying, actually…and told her I prayed for that! LOVE this time of year!!!!

RACK1

Our list of random acts of kindness has been changed just a bit, but we’re rollin’ with it and loving every minute :)

8. I’m sure y’all have started the Elf on the Shelf with your families. Our little elf… “Elfabet” {named by Landon last year}…is back! He brought the boys a little North Pole breakfast on Saturday. Definitely one of my favorite new traditions! We’ll surely be doing this EVERY year! {Thank you, PINTEREST, for this fabulous idea!!!}

northpolebreakfast1

northpolebreakfast2

9. I’m NOT a fan of cold weather. Not by a long shot. The temperature has taken a turn for the worse here and the high isn’t supposed to be above 40 tomorrow. Not my idea of a good time. For those of y’all living in the cold weather states, God bless you. I don’t know how you do it. I’m sitting in the living room bundled up in about 5 layers of clothes, fireplace is on, and I’ve got the blow dryer out trying to warm up my toes. LAWD. This Texas girl isn’t cut out for this stuff.

Alright. I’m sure that’s all the randomness you can take from me. I’ve got some freebies to share with y’all, but I left my EHD at school!! I’ll be back with lots to share! Hope you have a VERY happy Monday!!!

Total Pageviews