Five for Friday...Spring Break Version

Well, I'm not quite totally unwound from this week...so I'm not in 100 percent spring break mode, but today was our first day.  Ahhhh, it was so pretty here in MI.  Warm{ish} too.  What a great way to start off the week+!

I'm going to link up with Miss Doodle Bugs again for her Five for Friday...

Hmmm...let's see....

These are my newest addiction, thanks to my sissy...

Oh goodness...they are munchy, crunchy, sweet and HIGHLY addictive.  My little guy could eat them all day long too. 

I wish we were headed south over spring break ...instead we're heading to the lovely city of Grand Rapids in MI!!!  We're staying at a mighty fancy hotel.  My boys asked if they were "allowed"... and if it was a "five star"...

Say a quick prayer for us - that my boys don't get us kicked out.  HA - just kidding!

Ashley over at Just Reed did the most amazing review of one of my products.  It was a total surprise and she just made me so happy.  It's amazing to see a product in somebody's classroom...knowing that you are touching the lives of many sure does make a person's heart sing.  Go check out Ashley and her awesome blog and products...

We're just starting our combined reading and writing nonfiction units.  We've been spending all year, here and there, reading and talking about nonfiction - but I thought I'd take a little dipstick and see where they were with it currently...

I'd say we're in pretty good shape...

And I'm just so excited that I get to spend most of my week with this sweet thing...

Have a great weekend - and If you're off, like me, next week - any grand plans?

Toodles!

For the Love of Pete...

Why do I feel like I've said that before?  But criminy...I am wiped cleaner than a blackboard, whipped like a speckled pup & beat up from the feet up...

Conferences, report cards, field trips & teaching will do that to ya, right?  I tell you, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Spring break is DAYS away...two, to be exact. 

Days of slow sips of HOT coffee {rather than slugs of cold} are in my future.  Can I hear an "ahhhhhhh"? 

Honestly, I really have nothin' for ya.  I really don't. That's just how fried, like a slice of bacon, I am.  I didn't want you to lose another wink of sleep, though, wondering where the heck I was.  I'm here! I'm here!

Guess where else I am?  Instagram...no kidding.  I caught wind that lots of bloggers are using it, and being the little sheep that I am...



Come follow me - Crisscrossapplesaucein1stgrade

Don't worry - the hearts are gone {like, yesterday}

We made pancakes today!

See the syrup?  It's pure maple syrup from Michigan maples!!!!

Photos look so happy when they've been "Instagrammed"...come follow me. I hope to post a bunch of random ones.  I'm mighty keen on random, as you can see by this here post!

Happy Tuesday...

It's Sale Time! *Freebie*

Some blogger friends and I are having a sale today!  We're feeling mighty lucky!  Lucky to have you in our lives. Lucky to be able to share our ideas with the world.  Lucky to be teachers!!!!  We hope you'll feel lucky with all the great deals...

Go check out Mrs. Wheeler's Blog to find other great bloggers who are having sales!

Here are some of my personal faves...

 

 

We're finishing up our unit on How-To writing; which means it's time for a celebration!  The kiddos are going to try out their how-to stories on their writing partner and then they will fill out a certificate for their partner afterward. 

Sweet and simple.

Click to download in Google Drive
Frame & Clipart: Creative Clips
Fonts: Mrs. Stanford, Mrs.Cupcake & Miss Tiina

Hope you'll visit my store!  Thanks for all of your support...Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Five For Friday - It's Deja Vu All Over Again...

Should I change the name of my blog to "Five For Friday"?  I haven't been around since last Friday - I know.  But sheesh, I am ready to self combust!!! 

Today was a half day - records day.  A whole 3 hours to get report cards done.  Do they really think you'll finish them in that amount of time?  I'd barely get my mass of assessments all strategically placed and I'd have to clean 'em all up...

I was torn....hunker down and do report cards?  Or clean and organize my classroom?  My head was swirling. I hate it when that happens.  I would start one thing, stop mid-way because I'd think of something else I should do.  Then my friend called and said "Let's have some fun"...

Nothing beats prank calling other teachers {on our lunch hour of course}... we were laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces.  I think that may have been just what I needed because after that I tore it up in my classroom.

My week wasn't all bad...

Thanks, Doodle Bugs

Aint' she purrrrrty? ETA: I did not make this - I am craft-challenged.
A dear friend made it for me...

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Even Leprechauns Go Potty {at least that's what the note on the lid said}

My son's nail biter of a basketball game - yup, it was the 4th quarter...



Chai Tea Friday

 I was walking into Starbucks this morning and this guy from a local radio station was hanging out trying to get people to kiss him.  I don't know whether to be relieved or offended that he didn't ask me for a smooch.  Hmmm...

And here's what I'm working on...

Any highlights from your week?  Do share!!!

Happy weekend!!!!!

Five for Friday

I woke up yesterday thinking it was Friday.  I even went so far as to pull out the jeans.  Not even joking. 

Today is Friday and for that I'm very, very thankful!  The week was long with assessments and meetings.  Holy moly...I just dropped everything and left at the end of the day.  Didn't even look back.  Piles everywhere.  I hate to say it, but I'll be headed in on Sunday to try and catch up...which is laughable because when am I ever "caught up"?  Please tell me I'm not the only one who can't stay on top of things enough to never go in on a weekend?

The thought of being random on my blog and reading other people's randomness and looking at pictures from their week just perks me right up.  So, I'm joining Doodle Bugs Teaching for her weekly Five for Friday!

Here are some thoughts from my week...

If you call that time when they come back from lunch or recess all in a twit and a tither a "brain break",  they do a pretty good job of calming down.  If it has a name - they do it {usually}.  In the past I've just told them they need to be quiet and I battled it and worked so hard to get their little bodies to calm down.  Now, they walk in, put their heads down or get drinks, the lights are off, soft music playing...it's pretty magical, if I do say so myself!  I can't promise anything, but if you have a hard time reigning in the troops give it a try.  Sometimes we take a "brain break" in the middle of a lesson that has gone haywire...

It just puts a smile on my face when new people join the ranks of blogging and TpT'ing.  A teacher at my school, who blogs over at Third Grade Doodles created these gems {8 mathematical practices in kid language}...love 'em!  If you are doing the CCSS you might want to pic them up!

Why do I always get my kiddos all hyped about that darn leprechaun?  Today they made these little leprechauns, left them on their desks, came back from their special and they were scattered around the room in random places and in random poses.  You don't have to dig too deep to imagine what my room sounded like after those shenanigans!

But...I have my Magic Word.  Each day somebody chooses a different magic word.  It does work pretty darn good.  Today's word was "oogie boogie" {more like two nonwords...but we'll go with it}...I say it and they listen...right away {pretty much}....because these words are just THAT MAGICAL...

And this picture is just because.  I just love this area.  It's my favorite!

Have an awesome weekend - hope you have something fun {or relaxing} planned.  Are you going into your classroom at all this weekend like me?

Sunday Night Blues

Do you get 'em?  I don't really...unless the week ahead is going to be a doozy...like this one. 

When you were in college did they tell you that you were going to have to be on committees x, y, z along with a, b & c? {I have an all day school improvement meeting this week} Did they tell you that you were actually going to have to use your skills learned in your statistics class by analyzing data up the wazoo? {Who asked me to chair our school improvement committee anyway...do they not know I do first grade math??!}  I'm pretty sure nobody told me that.  They didn't tell me that I was going to have to spend weeks assessing my kiddos either and that I would feel major teacher-guilt to keep things going as far as their engagement and learning whilst doing said assessments.  Do you feel that way? Do you feel like, although you know you are only one person, and there are 25 + of them, that you still need to make sure things are rigorous, engaging and that everybody is doing what they should be doing as you assess one. child. at. a. time....

Ugh...

I think I definitely have the Sunday Night Blues...

Just this week...and maybe next week because I know I won't get everything done that needs to be done before then.

But after that, I'll feel better.

Wait, after that are report cards and conferences.

But after that, I'll feel better!  I know I will and you will too!

So, if tonight you have the Sunday Night Blues...know that at this time next week,  well, you might have them then too...but after that...

I promise you won't!

Source: google.de via Elizabeth on Pinterest