I can't stay calm, I'm getting married next month!

While I would like to say my absence from my blog was due to being ensconced neck-high in my classroom and shaping the minds of young ones, that would be an untruth. It's actually due to the fact that I'm engaged...and in case you didn't hear me, I'M ENGAGED!...in my best Monica-Gellar-screaming-from-the-balcony-voice...

While this is not "new" news (I got engaged a year ago in April), this is my first post about our upcoming nuptials. And, I guess you could say my final fitting in my wedding dress and knowing that it is hanging in my daughter's old bedroom ready to be worn makes.it.real. Not to mention getting daily RSVPs (I let my hubby-to-be open up every.single.one - it's like Christmas for him everyday), the final sit-downs with the DJ, cake baker, church coordinator, and Deacon to keep me happily busy as the countdown approaches - 44 days from today...but who's counting?!

I'm sure all the brides-to-be and newly marrieds out there can attest to that!

But, luckily for me, my future hubby has attended every single bridal show, taste-testing (well, that's a given), dance lesson, and vendor appointment. It's been wonderful for those times when my head was spinning, and I could simply look at him and say "you decide." That man is so uh-mazing! Which is why I'm kinda fond of him!

I truly am beyond blessed! I hope you are looking forward to what the new spring season has in store for you...as for me, I'll be tallying RSVPs and ordering champagne glasses, the flowers girl's basket, making church programs...

I'm baaaack!

My absence was much more than a hiatus...it was a .com fiasco...let me back up a little. I jumped on the .com bandwagon last year, and renewed my site via GoDaddy.com in April...well, not two weeks later, my blog name and url was hijacked by a Japanese company...so all redirects went to them instead of me. I contacted GoDaddy (no help) and searched Google until my eyes bled...well, almost...then, I did the worst thing imaginable...I.gave.up...

So, my poor little blog has just been sitting here, in cyberloneliness for six months...so, I'll do my best to give you the highlights...or what I at least deem the most important events...since March...

I've attended not one, but TWO Bon Jovi concerts...yep, I'm that fan...but, you already knew that, and if you didn't, you can read some more here...

April show

October show

I learned to play golf! Which is kind of ironic, since I worked as a cart girl for two years, and never bothered to learn then...it takes much more skill than just driving a cart...you need a good luck koozie, a cool ball marker, and cute clothes...and sometimes, a lot of luck...

I still need "real" golf shoes

I turned the big 4-0! And, frankly, I was proud of it! My day included a movie, my favorite sandwich shop, a painting class with grape juice (hahaha), an outfit change, and dinner...with more flavored water...

My daughter got me a birthday sash...

My daughter officially moved five hours away...but, the good news is that she got accepted into nursing school at Tech...so, I'm one.proud.momma! 

my daughter at orientation

Side note, if you ever find yourself in Odessa (I'm sorry), but you will find these giant jackrabbits all over town...I'm kinda obsessed with them now...

we're matchy matchy

Which pretty much brings us to the present...oh, did you think this was a teaching blog? Ok, quick summary...yeah, I finished the last school year that almost put me into early retirement...and started this year with the.best.group.ever...yep, I am in loves with my little people...

These are my babes on the second, yes, second day of school, doing read-to-self...a picture does not lie...

We celebrated Johnny Appleseed's birthday by making apple sauce and apple juice...they also made a Johnny craftivity...

...and a class math book using apple prints to make number sentences...

Here they are enjoying their questionnaires from their Cali pen pals from First Grade Found Me! 

In case you're wondering, I didn't get my .com back, I just reverted back to blogspot.com...so although I have fixed some of my Pinterest links, some are still broken...one thing at a time...

I just know it's going to be a great school year!

Five for Friday (well, ok...Saturday)

Yes, I know two linkies in a row is bad form for a blogger...but who else is currently on Spring Break?! I knew that would distract you...

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs for her fabulous Five for Friday:

Who doesn't love to share some randomness, especially when you've been counting the days looking forward to some time off?!

I have been enjoying the dog park with my beloved boxer, Jovi...doesn't the trail look beautiful in the fall? Oh, yeah, it's supposed to be spring...we seem to have our seasons mixed up here in Texas...

Just this week, I finally got to do a little sprucing up to my drawer carts...it's been on my to-do list since the beginning of the year...but, that list seems to be growing longer instead of getting shorter...

before...argh!!! stickies....I know...

I replaced the neon stickies and masking tape labels...yuck...but, it was only supposed to be temporary...with monthly labels that match my decor...

the labels looks so pretty...

you can see all my "junk"

I could not stand that it looked like a bunch of clutter from the rear of this one...(my other two are on top of a file cabinet that is pushed up against a wall)...I am in love...as you can see, I'm very easy to please...

pretty organization makes me smile...

I brought in all my shoes boxes from home for my students' Shoe Box Reports that they will be proudly displaying for Open House...and before you start calling me Imelda Marcos or my friend, Lisa, ...lemme explain...some boxes were gifted to me and I've been saving up boxes for a year...never mind the four pair of shoes I've bought since August...it's a good thing dogs don't wear shoes...

ok, so I might have a slight bag fetish, also...

love, love!!

I got a new couch! Well, it's a new-to-me couch...a hand-me-down from my sweet neighbors...a teacher salary just does not allow for big purchases too often...

I'll prolly get new pillows or a slipcover...

all that's important is that it is Jovi-approved...

he takes my spot EVERY time I get up...

And, I spent the better part of an Oprah Life Class removing the shellac from my nails after a recent manicure...yes, they looked pretty...

but, unless you have about $70 to spend on monthly upkeep...I'd much rather spend my money on TpT, dog treats...and, of course, shoes...

Get Your Hall Pass!

Well, I don't know about you, but for me, it's been one.of.those.years...however, it's only eight, yep, I said eight days until spring break, and I CAN MAKE IT!!

I am excited to join the hundreds of other fabulous teacher bloggers that have linked up with Reagan from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits for her Hall Pass Linky.

First, the deets...

(P) Product

My favorite product of mine (never you mind that it's the only product I sell) is my Differentiated Number Building Using Number Scrolls. Need a use for toilet paper and paper towels rolls? I gotcha covered.

It meets Common Core Standards for counting in sequence and place value and will keep your kinesthetic learners engaged...in other words, your "active" boys and girls will be quiet for at least a little while...

check it out here

My kiddos really enjoy working on this during math choice time. They l-o-v-e seeing their scrolls grow longer each day.

I have one little spunky girl in the 3,000s...woot-woot!! Did I mention that she's just a wee bit G.T.? But, that's beside the point...

(A) Area

It was hard to choose just one favorite area. After all, I did a classroom makeover and theme-change at the beginning of this school year (remind me to never do that again), and I have many fav spots. If I have to pick one, I would have to say it's our classroom timeline.

It's difficult for my firsties to remember what we did last week...(or yesterday or 5 minutes ago)...so, I wanted a visual way to remind them of what we've studied, the holidays we've celebrated, and how far they've come each month.

(S) Signal

You mean you don't just yell at 'em? Just kidding, of course...I have used a desk bell (which resulted in one of my students responding with "order up Krabby Patty" (he was a huge SpongeBob SquarePants fan), I have used train whistles (not quite loud enough for my group this year), and I have used response chants like, "Ring, Ring" to which they respond "Hello."

But, then I found these gems from Miss Nelson and I haven't used anything else. My students think they're fun, and I can use them a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e...which is nice when you don't want to carry your bell around or you need to get their attention quick! Plus, it's fun to have code-words that only you and your class know...

(S) Sanity

You mean I'm sane? Hahaha...well, for one, I always keep some chocolate close at hand...me loves Valentine's Day... 

But, there's also the game Candy Crush that my friend, Miss Squirrels, introduced me to (peer pressure# and new addiction#)...

That is, until you run into level 29...and you've been stuck here for days...and you run out of lives and see this pop up on your screen...

Which brings you back to the brink of insanity...because you know your kids are due back any minute...blargh!!!

Until you remember that you also have a great group of blogging friends that will lend an ear, offer support when you most need it, or share a great idea that makes your teaching day that much easier...the Cincy crew!!

From left: Michelle, Miss Squirrels, Me, Jessica, Hadar, Nicole, and Tessa.

If you have any suggestions on how to get past level 29, I would love to hear them!! 

Cincyrocks#

A Pinteresting Creation, a Race, and a Hockey Game

Well, if the weather in your city has been anything like the weather in my area, then staying inside and attempting to keep warm has been a frequent occurrence. This can lead to house-cleaning (blah), blog-stalking, or Pinterest-ogling.

Or, in my case, finally getting to create a project that has been sitting in another room, just waiting for a rainy day...or cold weather...or both.

I saw this idea many moons ago from here, and knew I had to have this in my classroom. I already had the red and black milk crates, so I purchased a large piece of wood (I used the other part of the wood for another project), along with the red and black fabric totes at Lowe's. I bought the red and black fabric at Jo-Ann's along with foam (for cushion) and some clear vinyl...in case of spills...or accidents...I teach first grade after all. So, here's what I started with:

Over the years I've learned that I'm a visual learner, so I need to see, touch, and feel how things work. Since I had to figure out (mostly) on my own how to attach the pieces together while keeping it looking "pretty," I thought I'd share my step-by-steps with you.

I placed the wood on top for easy measuring and cutting of the foam.

Then, I placed the wood on top of the crates to align places where holes could be drilled so that it could be attached without showing through the fabric...in other words, so it could stay pretty.

After I put zip-ties through the holes, I stapled the fabric and vinyl around the foam and wood (I don't know how I didn't get a picture of that), and attached it to the crates by tightening the zip-ties.

And, voila! I turned it up right-side up, added the drawers, and looked in admiration at my completed project.

I love the storage possibilities that the totes will provide.

Since my kiddos will use it as a bench seat during small group instruction, I'll probably keep their materials in the totes for easy access.

Here are a couple of my girls using it for the Read-to-Self rotation during The Daily Five. They love it!

What's even better, is that I used some of the leftover fabric to give a favorite independent/ partner reading stool a much needed face lift.

 

 My kiddos (almost) fight over it!

During the last two staff developments I have attended, both presenters started with asking for attendees to share their celebrations...whether it was professional or personal. So, I am sharing mine with you.

Here's my daughter and me after I RAN my very first 5K. I was on cloud nine for days...I think I even dug out the cute running shirt out of my clothes hamper a couple of times just to make sure I didn't dream it all up!  

And, as they always say, if you can't beat 'em, then join 'em...so, it seemed fitting to go to the season opener of the Dallas Stars versus the Phoenix Coyotes game...we defeated them 4-3. Woo-hoo!!

I'd love to hear how you are surviving the cold season...I guess we'll have to see what ol' Punxsutawney Phil has to say about winter on Saturday!