Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Third Annual Pay it Forward Giveaway

Hi All!

It's so hard to believe the holidays are upon us.  How did that happen?  No, really - HOW did that happen? I feel like we were just setting up our classrooms.

I have so many blessings in my life.  I bet you do too.  I try to remember them as often as I can.  Sometimes life just gets the best of me and I forget to really be thankful for what I have.


For the past two years I've hosted the "Pay it Forward Giveaway" {$50 dollars to one charity of your choice}.  One of the entries is to leave a blog comment telling what organization you'd like for the donation to be made.  I love having you do this because, in the spirit of giving, someone might have their interest piqued and choose to give an additional donation.  I remember this organization from last year...



And this one from two years ago...



I'm so moved and inspired by those wanting to honor others or make the world a sweeter place to be.

So please, go enter.  Each entry to "win" is in the spirit of paying it forward.  I hope this giveaway makes your heart smile as much as it does mine.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Five for Friday {on Sunday}...Freebie too!

Thank goodness Miss Doodle Bugs isn't a stickler for rules...because I can't get this post up on a Friday!!!  For the record, I did start this on Saturday but a little thing called "family" happily got in the way.

I was a picture taking fool this week. I'm hit or miss with that.  Sometimes I get so caught up in my teaching, I forget to stop for a picture {or even go to lunch for that matter}.  I can't tell you how many times we get to specials or lunch late.  Who heard of such a thing?  Are you with me here?  Or am I the only oddball that can't seem to fit it all in?

Here's our week in a nutshell...



Thanks Third Grade Doodles for the freebie!
Are you wondering what that thing is below the poster?  That's a baseball bat {what did you think it was?!?}.  I love to give my first graders time to relax, chat with a friend, just eat and chill for 10 minutes each day.  Lately, you'd think it has been a full moon EVERY day.  They've just been hitting that level 4 way too much!  So we started playing baseball.  Three strikes and the volume goes to a level 2 and if coach has reached her limit - a level 1.  It works well...for the time being.  Does that make me a grouchy teacher?




My principal is such a nice guy. In his travels he picks things up for our staff and then picks sticks for winners at our staff meetings.  I'm pretty sure my name isn't on one of those sticks, because I never win ANYTHING. ever.  So, I took matters into my own hands and stole my dearest teacher friend's winnings. Another teacher pal ratted me out.  As you can see, I didn't feel too guilty about it - I sent them this early morning text of me getting ready to enjoy a scrumptious cup of pumpkin pie coffee. Does that make me a bad person?




Somebody in our family has the Christmas Spirit...




Loving our Heidi Songs!  I tell you, there is something to learning phonics rules put to music.  Another song that my kids LOVED singing...and stuck in our heads all day long...




I don't know how things roll in your district - but I sometimes feel like we're being the Stepford Wives.  We have these great resources at our fingertips.  Our district/county has done a great job suiting us up for the Common Core.  With that, I feel like some of my creative mojo has been taken away.

I knew what lesson I was going to teach - it was straight out of our writing units and it was a good one.  In the middle of the lesson, for some reason I uttered the words "Remember boys and girls - punctuation saves lives".  My 18 boys looked up at me with wide eyes, smirks and a few giggles.  I leaned down for effect and said it again - a little more emphatically and breathy.

I went on to say "Really, my friends - it does. Wanna see?"

I proceeded to read one of my stories that didn't have a lick of punctuation in it.  Of course, I couldn't take one breath...got to the end and was ready to collapse.  Thankfully, my class was more than willing to save a life and help add some much needed punctuation.

After that, we went on with the lesson as planned...my kiddos did a nice job of peer editing and helped save more lives by adding forgotten punctuation.

It was a hit!

On a totally different topic.  Something I noticed last week was that my kids are forgetting to use those magic words "please" and "thank you" way too often.  And can you believe, after I gave a little one some of my snack - they didn't know what I meant when I said "What are the magic words".  I think I might be old...well, I know I am - but don't people still refer to those words as "magic words"?

Click the picture to pick one up for your classroom!
Have a super week!!!!!!


Saturday, November 2, 2013

Currently November

Happy November!!!!! Made it through conferences, Halloween and now we're moving on to the busy-ness of the holidays.  I love it though!  I'm DETERMINED to focus on being in the moment and really enjoying the holidays instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of it all.  Let's keep each other grounded, okay? Deal? 

Thanks, Farley, for being the hostess with the mostess!


I love listening to my boys play with their friends.  Especially when they are getting along! HA!

I swear, you guys, I thought I had fallen off the wagon...I blame it on the Milk Duds!

We're celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary when the kids go to Granny Camp. Ahhhh....

I'm always late to the party - but seriously...


I'm having a hard time finishing this post - I just want to go watch Damon!!
SWOON!

Now that I have a middle schooler - I have to wait for him to catch the bus in the morning before I head off to work.  I cut getting to school on time pretty close - so my Friday chai tea lattes are a thing of the past.  TOMORROW for sure!!!!

I'm notorious for pinning and not doing.  I haven't actually tried these but don't they look scrumpdilicious!?!?! Healthy too!! 

Zucchini Chips {Pin Here}
Alrighty - you know where I'm headed...

toodles!






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