A Celebration, Exciting News, and Summer Randomness

Hello Squirrel-friends!
I am writing to you this evening from "comfy chair".
Comfy chair and I have bonded over the last couple of weeks! I have fallen asleep here almost every night- just exhausted!
Tonight is no different- but I have to share my little "celebration" and I just wanted to share what's been going on in this Nuthouse!

Ok, first the celebration-
Today, June 3rd, 2013 marks
TWO YEARS that I have been SMOKE FREE!!!
What! What! 
Give it up for Squirrels!

How many of you remember my one year? It really doesn't seem like it has been a year since I blogged about it being one year (just said "one year" too many times)- but according to calendar, it has.
Just amazing!
I have now officially passed that mark where I should start exercising and eating better since I got rid of that- I said last year that I would.
Is it bad when you lie to yourself....I mean, I never truly believed that I would start eating better or exercising...but it didn't stop me from saying it- out loud
and to others
and everytime I make a sundae.....

Next time, I will whisper the lies, and then that way, maybe I won't hear them- so technically, I won't be letting myself down!!
Gosh, I am good at solving problems!!!

Look at this huge problem......

(segway queen)
Seriously though, it was a problem for a couple of days.
That is ALL the stuff that I brought home from my classroom.
Not because I am going to work on a ton of stuff....nope.
Not this Squirrel- I made a vow that other than PDs I was going to devote my summer to the Littles! They deserve it. They sure do put up with a lot through the year.

I brought all this stuff home because I am moving rooms.....and grades!

I am going to FOURTH!!!
You are talking to a bono-fide Fourth Grade Science Teacher!!!! A very excited 4th grade science teacher! I will be Littlest Little's Science teacher! (I just said "teacher" too many times in a row)

We'll talk more about the move later- and I will be contacting a few Fourth Grade COnnections.....expect those emails, ladies!
Take a look at my new room- it is actually the school's science lab!
Try not to get dizzy- I didn't pay attention when I made the .gif to the speeds- but these are all the angles.
Miss D came in and helped me out last Tuesday and we got everything put away as best as we could- I was able to turn in EOY checkout sheet and run walk out the door.

So- so far we have taken care of the "Celebration", the exciting news and now it is time for some summer randomness:

Barkley has me up early every morning. Early enough that I can get most "chores" done before they wake up! Which kinda sucks, cause they should be helping me- but it goes faster and I have more to hold over their heads later in the day....
This is what most days are looking like.

I go out back and have a little coffee. This is the view over my fence. There is a farm backed up to our property- most mornings there are cows here.

This is the garden (that I try to do most everything in before it is 1,000 degrees).
We are growing strawberries, jalepenos,banana peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, corn, mint, bhut jolokia peppers and cucumbers

Barkley likes the strawberries! This was just this weekend...

We haven't been able to enjoy too much from the garden yet, but the strawberries are growing like crazy!!!

When I'm not gardening or cleaning, this is where you can find us!! Hanging out with our glitter tattoos, waiting for the "adult swim", eating ALL the snacks we brought before the first break, complaining because IT'S HOT, and enjoying our break!!!

 

It's been great to catch up!

I hope that everyone  who is already out is making the most of their relaxing days! For those of you who are in still in....hang in there!!

Take Another Look and A $ale

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

I recd a few sweet emails from some of the moms in my class today- just the sweet little note of recognition was enough to get me excited about this week- just the notes...
and then I realized it was Monday!
Monday is a ruiner! Shame on Monday!

Guess what though- Only two more Mondays left.
I say that with mixed emotions.
Happiness mixed with Euphoria!!!!!
Kidding!

There's ALWAYS a bit of sadness to let a group go...but ALWAYS a ton of happiness knowing that I get to be mom and just mom for awhile.....

If you are headed over to click "buy" on your overloaded cart during the sale-
be sure you have not overlooked some great fluency practice for Math
I made these Super Facts Early on in the year and I have loved watching them "play' these games and learn!

 

I also created fluency practice for facts to 10.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fishing-for-Fluency-Facts-to-10

 Another big product me has been this Fry Phrase Rings- they make practicing fun and mobile!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fry-Phrase-Word-Rings-1st-2nd-and-3rd-100

 Be sure to check out these amazing finds right inside my store!
I appreciate the time you are taking to chechj them out!
While you are there shopping, do me a favor and start following the TPT store....
Enjoy this week that is all about you!

Five for Friday {April 26}

This is new for me to add from my phone!
We'll see how it works:)
***Update I don't like adding from my phone- I can't link anything***

This week we talked about communication ....
I showed them how the phone has progressed for me.

Barkley and Truman are staging a protest/sleep in to get new beds... They
Are drama kings!

We used First Grade Fever's Synonym Roll activity.

And Today we went to a farm- they have a huge bouncy pillow- called the Corn Popper.
Miss D and I couldn't resist!!

(I am sure that twenty minutes on this thing is the equivalent of a Turbo class, Mrs. Wheeler! So I won't be in class tomorrow)
Smooches!!

A Saturday Getaway with the Squirrels

Happy Weekend!
Look at this GORGEOUS day we had yesterday!  The Mr and I decided mid-week that if he did not have to work this weekend we would take a  lil day trip and go to Mammoth Cave in Ky. He had never been- I have {but it was over 30 years ago- all I remember is that it is a cave}!
We packed up the cooler, like we did last weekend for our trip to St.Louis (I still have to tell you about the zoo and the Arch) and we headed out!
It is only about an hour and a half away, so we didn't have to leave too early.

We bought our tickets and only had to wait a short time. Then we took the trek down this L.O.N.G path to get to the entrance of the cave.
******This is where I will stop telling you about the cave. After all, I don't want to give anything away. You might decide to go see the cave yourself. *****
I will just show you the picture of the giant hole we went into before we walked for two hours. But this giant hole in the earth is not the only significant part of this picture.
Nope.
It is the man that is attached to this chick with curly hair. Yes. He is the focus of the rest of the trip to Mammoth Cave, It is a National Landmark, a historic place to be but through most of our tour- he was where our attention was.

We called him the "Baconater"! Really!
He smelled like a big plate of bacon. And I am a bacon lover, so I guess it isn't a horrible thing to give off that beautiful aroma, but for two solid hours- to see nothing but rock and smell nothing but bacon is a little much.
We are guessing that the Baconater and his girlfriend stayed at the campgrounds and cooked bacon over an open fire. That has to be it, because the only alternative is that he rubbed a pack of bacon all over his skin, put a few strips in the dryer with his clothes AND  had a few in his shoes.

After following the Baconater around and listening (to the very interesting) history of the cave, we climbed out of the hole we had gone into. And a nice lunch at the park and we were set to head home.

On the way home though, we saw a sign for Dinosaur World. I had heard of it, but never had a urge to go. None of the children are into the dinos- never have been. But it seemed kind of quirky and reminded the Mr and I of Pee Wee's Big Adventure- so we stopped.

 

Can you tell they were excited about the decision?

 

Littlest Little ( I think) was genuinely happy to be there. Especially after he found out that a Fossil Dig was included in the ticket. Big Brother was not as excited as he just turned 12 and that meant that he, too, would get a ticket to go dig and that I would photograph it and show people:)

They look interested to me.

They each got to keep 3 fossils.
(While they were digging, I was amused by the position I was in to grab this pic of a perfectly placed pole).

That is exactly what Chickadee was thinking. She was not digging (get it, digging) the whole fossil search.
At one point she tried to end it all in a giant dino trash can.

When she realized that she was not going to fit.....

They can pretend all they want, but I have proof that they had a good time at Dinosaur World!

This last gif is a little homage to my girl Griffo
whenscincythesequel#

After we left all the prehistoric plastic creatures just as we had found them, we headed to Chaney's to have some yummy ice cream! Goodness, it was delicious!

It was a VERY busy day!
And all of it only an hour to two hours from the house. We made it home in time to remember the list of things we left behind to spend the day together.
 
I hope you all had a fun weekend, too!
(And I am looking forward to leaving a list behind next weekend, too!)

Five for Friday {April 19}

Time for Five for Friday!
I missed out last week-so should I wait and do Ten for Tuesday???
Just Kidding- Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!!!!

This Monday I was presented with this Gorgeous sign from one of my moms.
Is this not perfect!?!?!?!?!

My week got even better as I watched  one of my sweeties share how he solved the problem for his math journal.
Here was the problem.
John was on his way to recycle bags of cans. When he left his house there were 23 bags in the back of his truck. Some of them fell out of the truck on the way there. When he got to the recycling plant, there were only 8 bags in the truck. How many fell out?

His answer made our hearts go pitter patter!!
We push for Constructed Response type thinking even in our PRE-K! So showing it, telling about it, and doing it are all equally important.

First he showed the 23 in the ten frames. After he counted the 8 that were left, he put Xs on the rest. He then wrote the expression 23-?=8. Then he solved.
He even made a KEY! (Thanks to Miss D and her great lessons on maps and globes). Just amazing!

After a lot of great lessons and thoughtful discussions about caring for our Earth, the sweeties wrote about their feelings and made Miss Kindergarten's Home Sweet Home Craftivity.

They also made an Earth Day Promise from Mrs. Wheeler's Earth Day Pack.
A few even pinky promised, as if I am in charge of the Earth. (I did tell them that I would pass it along).

And last but not least, next week starts our state testing. Many of the teachers collaborated and made a fabulous dance routine to a version of Gangam Style. I volunteered myself (and Miss D) to participate.
It was after the first practice round that quickly remembered, "Hey! I can't dance!!"
So I suggested asking our high school or our middle school to borrow their mascot. That way, they couldn't see my face when I am dancing- which we ALL know that makes the dancing better!!

The middle school obliged- and I was one sweaty squirrel in an eagle suit!!!

The best part?
Miss D and I told the sweeties I was in  a meeting the whole time- two of them suspect I was the eagle....I'll never tell!

be sure to head over to Doodle Bugs to link up your Five for Five!

Smooches!!!