Change is inevitable.... so why is it so hard!?!

Change.  My life is in a state of flux, change, adjustment, transition... EEEK.  It is exciting, overwhelming, and scares me to death!

Hubsters is graduating!  WHAT?!?!  Yep.  GRAD.U.ATING!  After lots of years, 3 kids, 3 Universities, 250+ credits, he is DONE~ and we are preparing for CHANGE.

The job search began, it began and it is done!  (well for him) He got a job, a GREAT job teaching CHOIR (which is what he went to all those classes for) FULL TIME, which is my dream (haha) in a small town 250ish miles from where we currently live... change.

I have had to begin my own job hunt because 250 miles is one heck of a commute!  So for the first time in 9 years I am interviewing, applying, typing resumes, collecting letters of recommendation... I am starting over.

When I told my principal on Tuesday morning that hubby's job was official, and I was leaving, I cried... she cried... we hugged!  I went back to my classroom and cried again.

When I told my team (the most fabulous kinder team that I have ever known and who make my job so much easier) they were so supportive, so amazing, and I think I may have cried again.

Today at the choir assembly they sang For Good, from Wicked,  we all cried and then I got a lot of hugs.... I have taught at this school for 8 years.  Since it was built in 2005.  I have had 3 babies, taught 3 grade levels, worked, and laughed, and cried here.  They are my second family.  These last few weeks will be bittersweet, I know that we are supposed to move.  I know without a doubt that the Lord has a plan for us and that this is part of our path... but change scares me to DEATH!

Now I just hope and pray that my new school, because I have faith I will find a job, will become family!  That I will someday look at the faces around me and know that because of them I have been changed for good....

For now, I have a job to find and LOTS of packing to do!  Kindergarten teachers are hoarders don't you know and I have LOTS of crap (I mean precious learning materials) to pack away before May 23rd.

On a side note....

We enjoyed our mini celebration of Earth Day, big surprise but my art project used shaving cream.... because if I use it all that is one less thing to pack!

My Eyes, My Eyes!

My eyes are twitching, What?! Yep, my eyes are TWITCHING!  Apparently reading report cards to parents upside down in tiny fonts for 2 days, all day, has given me an eye twitch... ugh!

During one SEP my eyes just started to water, I looked like I was having a break down.  The confused father sitting across from me smiled kindly.  I reassured him that I was fine but my eyes were wigging out... I am not sure he believed me.  My eyes are twitching, in front of parents, at SEP (parent-teacher) conferences and I am certain they all think I am CRAZY.  The custodian asked me if I was feeling alright, it looked like I had been crying.  I wasn't.  People think I am having an emotional break down, which now I might because my eyes have gone CRAY-CRAY!  For the first two days of SEP week (our version of parent-teacher conferences) there is NO KINDERGARTEN (the rest of the week they come-but it is shortened schedule) so we can fit in all of those conferences for our 40+ kidlets.  The days are LOOONG.  I feel more exhausted just sitting there talking to parents than I do when I am teaching.  I have to talk too much.  I get nervous. Do parents make you nervous?  Even after 9 years of teaching parents make me nervous (I love them to pieces don't get me wrong and they are so very kind to me, they just make me nervous... anyone older than 5 seems to make me nervous).  I have to read report cards upside down for 6+ hours and my eyes twitch.  What the crappy-ness!  At least I have kidlets back tomorrow, days are better with kidlets. Tomorrow we have a pediatric dentist coming to talk to us about dental health and our principal, staff developer, and librarian are coming in to perform a skit titled: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss.  It will be spectacular (they perform a new and exciting skit for us each year, written and directed by our lovely staff developer, who we lovingly call Kitty, even though her office is completely decorated in Snoopy, she is hilarious!).  I am giddy with anticipation, maybe that is why my eyes are twitching... the thought of our pending production has me spinning!

The hours of SEP conferences following such excitement will be better tomorrow, I guarantee it.  No eye twitching allowed!  Until then I am taking my twitchy eye and going to bed.  B.E.D.

So how was your day?

Oh and don't forget to enter my 100 follower giveaway, it ends SOON!

Hall Pass

I must be feeling a bit burnt out, let's be honest I have a million and one things to post what with Valentines, President's Day, Dental Health, and Dr. Seuss.... a million and one I tell ya.  So what am I posting?  Another linky party... not focused.  Let's add that 2 of my kids and myself are sick, yet again!  Yet, again!  I really should take a day tomorrow and just try to get better but report cards and parent teacher conferences are next week and I have assessments, ASSESSMENTS, and more assessments!  I can't leave my assessments to a sub.  So instead of sub plans and my million and one things to share I am taking a hall pass, because I REALLY need a hall pass:

Here's a fun linky I hope you will join!  Let's get some great ideas from each other and take a break from our classrooms for a few!  In this linky I want you to share the following things:

Product:  My favorite product is actually one of my Freebies, it is my ABC chart.  I use it in my classroom daily!  DAILY.  I had it printed poster size (at our district media center) I have a set in color for my guided reading groups, I have a class set in black and white for my kidlets to use whenever they need, and each of my kiddos has a black and white copy at home.  Click on the picture BELOW to go to my TpT store and download your FREE copy!

Area:  My favorite area in my classroom is my rug/whiteboard/easel area.  This is the HUB of my classroom.  Out interactive whiteboard is here (it is that TEENY TINY thing at the top of my whiteboard, it is an e-beam and I love it!), our easel ,our focus wall.  My desk and guided reading area... it is where MOST of our learning happens.

Signal:  I have MANY but my kiddos favorite is, "Tootsie roll, lollipop  we've been talking now let's STOP!"
\Is it because it is about food?  candy?  Who knows but it WORKS!

I also like to sing Dr. Jean's song, Have a Seat (Everybody have a seat, have a seat , have a seat, everybody have a seat on the floor... not  on the ceiling, not on the door, everybody have a seat on the floor.)

and the standard, "1,2,3 eyes on me.  1,2 eyes on you"

Sanity:  Diet Coke and Recess.  A hard day just needs a few minutes of fresh air and some caffeine.  Chatting with my amazing team members in the Southern Utah sun is an added bonus because I teach with two of the most amazing ladies on the planet!  A.MAZ.ING.  A day without recess is BRU.TAL.  For all of us!

But my real sanity saver comes once a year during teacher appreciation week our principal SPOILS us with a SPA DAY!  I teach all year for that spa day I tell ya.  She brings in students from the local cosmetology school to give pedicures, manicures, massages, and even has a lady come and give eye brow waxes... WHAT?!?!  Yep.  I always go home with pretty toes!  Our Staff Developer sets up a fancy spread of yummy treats and our principal (and PTA volunteers)  watch the kiddos for a LONG recess break while we get to enjoy a little spa time (each grade level gets 30 minutes!)



You are wanting to teach at my school come May... I know!  My principal is pretty great!  Okay I am hauling my stuffy, sneezy, exhausted, sore throat, self to my bedroom to down a little Nyquil and then watch the Bachelor... because I am certain that it will be more interesting with the after effects of Nyquil, certain.  

Love Notes Link Up

I am linking up with AMY at Literacy and Laughter, Here Goes:

“Lovely List”

Name: Mindy

Grade you Teach: Kindergarten 

State: Utah

Birthday: September 29th 

Favorite Colors: Apple Green, Raspberry Pink, and Butter Yellow (Is it weird that all of my colors are based off of foods?!?)

Lucky Number: 7

Favorite Subject to Teach: Science

Go to Snack: String Cheese and Crackers (but I would be great with a donut!)

TV Show: John Stewart, Downton Abbey, Psych
Last Movie You Watched: Peter Pan (with my 4 year old)
Music You are Loving Right Now: Phillip Phillips (HOME)
Always shopping at: Target, Amazon, Dollar Tree, Old Navy
Word of the day: Dickle (you had to be there but let's just say our staff developer had a hard time saying 'pickle' today... hilarious but awkward moment for her!)  We said "dickle" to her every time we saw her from then on!  HI.lar.IOUS.

"LOVE LINKS"

A blog you are loving RIGHT now:

All Things Thrifty

Your Valentine or February pin board:

http://pinterest.com/mindysumens/valentine-loves/

a product you adore:

My lap desk from Bed Bath and Beyond!  Hubsters gave it to me for Christmas and I have LOVED it!!!

“We’d all love to know…”

What are your favorite hobbies or what do you enjoy doing during your free time? 

Free what?  Haha!

First and foremost these guys:

Okay I seriously need a new family picture... my 'baby' is almost 3!!! 

Of course blogging, and blogstalking, and then there is the creating of materials for my classroom... 

I LOVE movies and going out to eat (because I HATE dishes) but with 3 little kids getting out doesn't happen as often as I would like, at least to somewhere where I can order off a menu and the volume is at a comfortable decibel level.

Your favorite vacation destination?

Okay, I am not a camper... I mean if I had to I would but luckily hubby isn't too into it so I don't have to.  I prefer a motel with running water and a bed.  So really anywhere with a hotel and wi-fi and I am good!

We went to Monterey a few years back and I was in love.  LOVE.  (We are going back in a few weeks for our 10 year anniversary).

I also love visiting Seattle and Pentiction, BC

We live only a couple hours from Vegas so that is a quick weekend trip whenever the mood is right (and we can get a sitter for the kids).

But my DREAM vacay is to NEW YORK!  I want to go to shows, MOMA, Grand Central Station, Eat at yummy restaurants, see the Statue of Liberty!  

That is on my Bucket List!

The best advice you’ve been given?

Love who you are RIGHT NOW!

If you can't be happy with the YOU that you see in the mirror today and LOVE that person no weight loss, hair color, wardrobe change is going to fix you.  Love yourself now, find the good... the positive... and go from there!

Most rewarding part of teaching?

Seeing the lightbulb.  Those "I get it" moments that happen.  

What are you known for?

I help with a LOT of the tech-ie questions at school (but only if it has to do something CUTE- I tell people all the time if it is on Excel, ask someone else!  I only do cute!)

Clip Art and Fonts

(I have a million fonts and way too much clipart, teachers come to me if they need to make something!)

Singing, not well mind you, but my hubby majored in MUSIC (vocal) so we SING A LOT at our house, my kids sing ALL DAY LONG and consequently I sing often with my students.  Years ago I would have been too embarrassed to sing in my classroom with my door open, not NOW!  I don't even think who might hear me as we sing ALL DAY.  Teachers in my hallway tell time by what song we are singing when.  

2 random facts:

#1

I have been BUNGEE JUMPING.  Yep.  If you know me know you might be a bit surprised by that factoid, but, if you knew me then... it probably wouldn't surprise you one bit.

#2

I couldn't get pregnant for 4 years and then got pregnant without meaning to TWICE!  I went from infertile to fertile myrtle!  CrAzY!  Now I have 3 amazing (and VERY close) kiddos whom I ADORE!

The Loves of Your Life:

Share a picture(s) of your LOVES.

The loves of my life are above... 

and I love them with every bit of my soul!  

Oh and THIS guy:

I kinda love him too!

And then there is our Noki (our first child who helped me through those years when I couldn't have a baby) he is the BEST big brother EVER and my kiddos love him!

Now link up!

We booked our room!

Hubsters and I have almost been married 10 years!  EEK!  I suddenly feel so old, haha.  

We have been trying to figure out our anniversary trip for months now.  Our anniversary is over spring break (one benefit to getting married on spring break in college and then becoming a teacher... you always have time off for your anniversary).  We always had a great excuse to do something fun to celebrate.  Then almost 3 years ago...

...our youngest baby (who is not so much of a baby these days) was born over spring break (best spring break ever) and so going away now means being gone on her birthday.... major momma guilt.  So for the past 2 years our anniversary get away has become a family vacation and little Maggie gets to spend her birthday on vacation!   This worked out great for us and we loved celebrating our anniversary/Maggster's birthday together as a fam.

But with this being the big 10 we decided we were going away, just the two of us, no matter what!  Maggie is turning 3 and we will celebrate her birthday before and after we leave... I am sure she will forgive us.  

So once I got over the guilt of leaving my baby on her birthday, maybe I am still not completely over that... hmmmm.... and made sure my mom would take the kids, because if I can't be with her on her birthday Grandma is the next best thing, right?!?  We had to choose a destination.  Hubby has left this completely up to me... he just wanted me to make up my mind... days ago.  haha.

So I began trying to choose where to go...

Cruise (I am afraid I will get seasick)

Skiing (I am not as young as I once was and if I blow out my knee, who is going to teach my classes and take care of my children)

New York (not in the budget, but oh I wish)

Seattle (because that is where we honeymooned 10 years ago.... but it is so cold and rainy this time of year... I really would rather visit in the summer months)

Hawaii (definitely not in the budget)

Hubsters  then told me he would rather not fly... hmmm... okay within driving distance from Southern Utah... Cali?

Santa Barbara (I am a huge fan of Psych so this just seemed like a great idea!  Finding a hotel ON THE BEACH was just not going to happen though.)

San Diego (eh? I really would rather go here with the kids,  Sea World... the Zoo...)

I really wanted something near the ocean... not too busy... with a relaxed atmosphere... but still had shopping and great food (because according to my hubby that makes a good vacation).

Then it hit me I was trying so hard to find a place like MONTEREY.  Why not just go to Monterey?

We went to Monterey two years ago when our baby girl, Maggie, turned one.  I loved it.  Our hotel was right on the beach.  I woke up to the sound of waves and walked on the beach everyday.  The food was amazing.  A perfect getaway.  It was a wonderful family vacation but how great would it be for just the two of us.  No need to visit the aquarium, which I highly recommend my kidlets loved it, or hang out at the park, or the children's museum.  We could do grown up things.  We can go to nice restaurants and talk, cause that does not happen with three little kids.  Maybe even sight see.  Drive down highway 1.  Sleep in.  Relax.  Read a book on the beach.  I am not saying I don't love making a sand castle, but the thought of going to the beach and just enjoying it for me... not worrying if my kids are too close to the water, or reprimanding my little man for throwing sand in his sisters' eyes.  

So I made our hotel reservations today...

This photo of BEST WESTERN PLUS Beach Resort Monterey is courtesy of TripAdvisor

...at the same hotel we stayed at two years ago.  I finally made a decision and  in March I will be waking up here for 4 beautiful days!  Just me and my best friend.  I am kinda excited. And yes those are stairs, to the beach, from the rooms... yep.  It is kinda like heaven on earth.

Now I just have to start shopping for all the things I need for the trip, new clothes are definitely in order.  Nothing gets you through January like planning for a vacation!

When life gets in the way...

So I kinda disappeared... I didn't do it intentionally.  It's just that since Thanksgiving I have felt a bit like this.

Overwhelmed.  Stressed.  Trying to Catch up.  You see the week after Thanksgiving was report cards and parent teacher conferences... yep.  I had 41 kindergarten parents and report cards and eeek.  Am I the only one that completely stresses over parent teacher conferences?  I stress.  It drives the hubsters crazy.  I have been teaching for 9 years now and it still stresses me out.  At least I am old enough now that I could actually be a parent to their child (somehow that makes me feel more qualified to give them advice and help) and now that I have a kindergartner of my own I have more of an understanding of what they are going through when I send home INSANE amounts of homework (yeah... I really cut back on homework this year when I actually had to try and help my child get it completed each night... uh, reality check).  Being a parent to a now six year old also has helped me realize that yes, kids do do THAT?!  (Every single thing I have had a kiddo do and thought "what kid does that" my own dear children have now done, well except for the peeing on the cinder block fence, during recess, and telling me that 'it is not pee... it is just a really big SPIT' -- that is one that my own dear ones have not attempted... yet.)  Long story short I was super busy filling out report cards (cuz that is EXACTLY how I wanted to spend my Black Friday) and meeting with moms and dads and grandmas.  Then it was December... DE.CEM.BER!!!  What!?  My kinder kids went straight to Crazy Christmas Mode!  I have to say having Conference Week (where my kinder kids do not come on Monday and Tuesday and have early release Wednesday-Friday) immediately following Thanksgiving break was poor planning... too many days without school or with short schedule.  I usually get two good weeks of instruction after Thanksgiving before the Christmas bug bites... not so much this year.  They came back on December 3rd Christmas Crazy!  I feel like I am putting out fires and constantly managing their behavior... whew.  So I haven't blogged.  I haven't even read your blogs... I know!  It as if for the past three weeks the blogging world ceased to exist... time warp back to 2003!

 But between the whole parent teacher conference early release schedule and the 3 dance performances my daughter has already had this Christmas season, my husband singing with orchestra at their annual Christmas concert, the 4 Christmas parties we have already attended, and well daily life with 3 small kids it was also finals week for the hubsters.  So I had to fill in, give him time to study, write his essays and article reviews, finish his last presentation, update his online portfolio. Can I just say how incredibly GRATEFUL I am to have this semester behind us!  We (well HE but really WE because it has taken its toll on both of us) only have student teaching left and my cute hubby will be ready to TEACH!  He is a secondary music education major and after attending 3 universities, over 10 years (although there are quite a few large breaks in that time frame), with 3 different majors, serving an LDS mission, getting married (to me), 3 beautiful kids, a small fortune in student loans, and almost 200 credit hours he (we) will be graduating in the spring!  During that week of post Thanksgiving-parent teacher stress-report card finishing my cute hubby also happened to have his BIG Senior Recital.  He was amazing, he is amazing!  He passed (of course).  Our friends were there, some family (they all live far away so it was hard to make it) and of course all his professors and fellow classmates attended. He sang and sang and sang in English, German, French, Italian.  (Over the past 10 years he has really helped me gain an appreciation for opera and the symphony.)  He worked so hard and now not only is the recital behind us but  Hubsters last final is done.  DONE. When  I got home from an IEP tonight at 5:30 we wanted to celebrate.  We couldn't.  Instead we made pancakes with the kids.  Put them in the tub.  Did homework with our six year old.  Tead bedtime stories.  Put the kids to bed.  Looked at each other and decided that we could celebrate with John Stewart.  We watched The Daily Show and ate ice cream.  Then for the first time since November 21st I opened my Blogger Dashboard... friends you have been busy.  I could hardly believe all of the cute-ness that I was seeing.  You are amazing.  I missed you.  I missed your inspiring ideas.  I missed reading about your adventures.  I missed it all.  So hopefully I am back... and ready to blog again (I have a lot of catching up to do)!  Life is calmer and that is a good thing because my Scholastic order just arrived and I have 41 Christmas books to wrap up for my kinder kiddos (because I give them a book every year for a Christmas present) and Polar Express day to plan, I am using Sign Up Genius (If you haven't used this incredible site yet, DO IT!  It has saved my busy stressed out self so many times this year!).  I haven't even started Christmas shopping (remember I spent Black Friday doing report cards) and if I don't start soon Santa may not make it this year!  I still have time to order from Amazon, right?!?  Okay I may still be a bit sparse in my posting until after the holidays but I promise to be a better blogger in the new year!  Thanks for all your support... sorry for the ranting.  Merry Christmas!

Oh and P.S.  I got an e-mail from Donor's Choose yesterday.... Chrome Books for $99!  Yep you read that right!  But you have to get your project submitted BEFORE December 21st!  So go to Donor's Choose RIGHT NOW and create a project!  You cannot beat that price.  I am HOPING to get funded for 6 of them.  Can you even imagine enough Chrome Books for an entire center!  EEEK!

H-A-LL-O-W-EE-N {freebie}

I am a huge fan of our friend Mr. Harry!  I don't know how I ever taught without his fun songs to enrich my curriculum.  This is a fun little Halloween tune that would be super fun to sing with your kiddos. 

We had a few extra minutes with my PM class today and I whipped this out to sing while we waited to line up for the bus, they loved it!

I am feeling all Halloween-ish since we had our first two Halloween parties of the season last weekend (an amazing faculty party, and an outrageous house party which I left with all sorts of goodies, coupons, and freebies!  It was my first house party and I am HOOKED) I love all the fun of Halloween (not the spooky part though, that blood, gore, and scare is not for me... I am NOT a haunted house kind of girl) pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes, and kiddos in cute costumes sign me up!

But let's be honest my kiddos really make the season exciting!  They are planning out their costumes, bringing home cute projects from school, and giggling about smelling feet and getting treats!  I love being a mom!  The kidlets and I finally put up a few decorations last weekend as well.  It feels nice to come home and see signs of Halloween in the house... lots more to do though, we are far from finished.  My favorite way to decorate for any holiday is to stick my kiddos crafts and artwork in frames... I am sentimental.  I know.  I keep their holiday artwork for ages... and get all weepy when I pull it out!  Even weepier when it is too old and faded to keep up anymore!  haha.

So my dearies, in honor of the season... I hope you are stirring up some Halloween fun wherever you may be... here is your freebie!  I am all about the think, draw, write for my little kinder kidlets these days so here is a little diddy I whipped up just tonight for my team to use with our kinder kidlets, thought I would share!  Just click on the image to head on over to my google docs and snag your own copy!

Happy Halloween!

We Love to Sort!

Math centers this week focused on sorting.  The kiddos LOVED it!  We had 4 sorting centers this week:

M&M (sort and graph)

Parking Lot (sorting vehicles by type/color)

Ice Cube Tray Color Sort

Farm Animal Sort

Since we had such a great time sorting I thought that I would share the love!

My Friday Freebie is a copy of our Farm Animal Sort recording sheet. 

 (click on the link to go to my google docs to get your own copy)

We also had our 20th day of school this week!  It is hard to believe we are already 20 days in!!!

I love how hard these kiddos are working on their Zero the Hero books!   This unit is by far one of my favorite units all year.  I love counting our way through the year!

On a personal note this is what we were up to this weekend...

 Little Man brought home Happy the Hippo from pre-school for the weekend and it was our job to take him out and show him a good time.  My little guy decided that he needed to go out to breakfast and on a four wheeler ride with Grandma and Grandpa!  I think that Happy had a good visit and I adore my little guy, isn't he too adorable in those glasses!  

A Little Somethin'

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this linky party!  Let's focus on all the good and amazing things that happen every day!  Woot woot!  So thanks Rowdy in First for helping ups focus on the positive!

At School:

We are building our stamina, we are learning our procedures, and 16 days in I am feeling pretty great!

Look at how they are rocking the pair share above (or as they know it "knee partners").

I love my little kinder kidlets!

At Home:

This little sweetie just turned 6!!!  

She is my 9-11 baby!  My little bright spot while the rest of the nation is remembering tragedy.  It was actually my due date, which my doctor said meant nothing and I would more than likely NOT have a baby on September 11th, it was just an estimate...   She doesn't let tragedy slow her down though.  This girl is hilarious and full of spunk.  She had the hardest time deciding between a Ballerina Barbie Cake or a Spiderman Cake.  The lady at the bakery replied that it was the first time she had seen such a dillema... haha.  

This year on her birthday our town experienced major flooding... despite the flood we still had her birthday party, the dike broke just an hour before her party so we didn't even know the extent of the damage yet, we had a lot of fun and a surprisingly good turnout (minus a few friends who were busy clearing mud and water out of their homes)! We partied at Michaels, which I highly recommend, crafting and no clean-up, marvelous.  There was plenty of cleaning up to be done over in the flood zone.     .

So I know that flooding doesn't necessarily sound like something good to throw into my positive post but here is the deal... the way this community has pulled together, the volunteer hours, donated food, supplies, etc. etc. etc.  It is AMAZING!  I love the families here in this community.  60 homes were flooded, many of them within our school boundaries and insurance doesn't cover it... federal funding won't cover it... nothing.  So what happens friends and neighbors join together and raise money, hold bake sales, and help however they can.  I love my community.

So my friends link up, share something good.  After the tragedy that we have been going through here in Southern Utah I needed to focus on a few happy moments.

Run, run , run as fast as you can....

Since I have already taken you on the tour of my classroom I thought for my open house today I would give you a little peak at our day.

Today was our Gingerbread Hunt, it is one of my favorite days of the year!  We are able to go around the school meeting important people and places such as the cafeteria, the lunch ladies, the office and the amazing secretaries, the library and our infamous Mrs. Lefler, the first/second grade hall, the custodians, and the third/fourth/fifth grade hall.  We chase that silly Gingerbread Man all over the school only to have that sneaky little guy end up back in our classroom ready to eat!  (He was delish BTW)

This unit covers it all peeps!  On top of getting to know important places and staff members.  The story is a read aloud (no pictures just listening on the kiddos part) so we can talk about creating pictures in our minds, we also get to make predictions and the kids can join in on the repetitive text (interactive).  After the story we then make our own GIANT Gingerbread Man (making a connection to the story) where we introduce our 5 senses.  We smell the gingerbread, listen to the sounds while making the gingerbread, see the gingerbread, feel the gingerbread, and finally taste the gingerbread (this is getting us ready for our upcoming science units where we will need to use those senses).  Finally, this is on BROWN day (during our first 3 weeks of color review) so we add in a little color song and simple take home book to teach concepts of print, great integration.  Whew!

Then to make the day even more exciting it just happened to be our TENTH day of school today and our good friend Mr. Zero the Hero came for a visit.  We counted to 100 with the talented Dr. Jean, completed the first page in our Zero the Hero book, and even heard a little tale about what makes our good friend Zero such an impressive and heroic guy!

Throw in a little library and computers and that was our day!  We had a lot of fun!  I sent them home ate lunch and did it all again.  Tomorrow is Black and White Day, Thursday is Favorite Color Day, and Friday is all about Brown Bear, Brown Bear!  Then our review days are done and we are getting down to business, speaking of business click HERE for a little freebie.  I am introducing my listening center this week and thought I would post my response sheet I use.  Enjoy.

On a personal note, this little sweetie had his very first day of pre-school today.  Isn't he so handsome! (and a little bit silly)  I am dying that TWO of my THREE are now in school a pre-schooler and a kindergartner.  They will be graduating before I know it! Eeek.  His pre-school teacher is a RoCkStAr and picks him up from me at my school right before school starts.  Then I go get him at lunchtime and drive him out to Grandma's for the afternoon.  I am one lucky Momma to have a pre-school teacher like that!

A Shopping I will Go...

My debit card needs a vacation, really I should freeze it in ice so I can't shop anymore.... at least it's not my credit card right... oh wait I pretty much maxed that out too... intervention?!?!

I know I am not the only teacher out there shopping away over the summer because thanks to Kristen over at Ladybug Teacher Files and Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B I have been able to check out everyone's spendy purchases... and thanks to all of your deal finding I wanted to go shop some more... haha!

I know I am a little late to  the party but I am linking up to show off a couple of my summer shopping finds:

and

Sand.  What?  Did you say... sand??  Why yes, yes I did!  Not that crappy play sand either, you know that stuff that is all rocky and powdery and yuck, nope!  The most incredible soft, fine beautiful sand... 100 lbs of it!  I got it from the store to my van, from my van to my classroom, and from my classroom to this sand table BY MYSELF!  (I looked like a complete wimpy middle aged dork doing it, but nonetheless... I did it without help and I felt like a rockstar!)  This stuff is tactile heaven and my kinder kiddos are going to L.O.V.E. it.

46 pencilboxes, yep FORTY-SIX.  My classes are already at 20 and 20, it is looking like I will have 40+ kidlets this next year, gasp.  That's a lot of report cards....  I may not have enough pencil boxes!?! (sidenote: Did I tell you about the time I misspelled the word FORTY, I spelled it fourty on a newsletter, as a spelling word. YEP!  A parent wrote me a super sweet note asking me if the spelling of the word had changed, or if by chance I was using a variation -such as a British spelling- she was unaware of.  She was so kind not wanting to come right out and say, "You spelled this word totally and completely wrong you idiot!"  It was my first year of teaching I was a baby, so much still to learn.  I had always spelled forty that way, fourty.  It just made sense in my brain... four-ty no one ever corrected me; except for my spell check but I just assumed it was wrong! I was horrified.  I sent out an e-mail apologizing to all of the parents.  I will NEVER in my life spell forty wrong again, ever!) But my favorite purchase of the summer was a STEAL I tell you:

 I found this lovely PiNk bag on a 70% clearance sale while shopping for clothespins (for of course a school related project)  I have been in need of a new bag and this was perfect.  When I found the turquoise wallet I was sold.  It is big enough for my yellow folder to fit (I use this great little folder to carry copies back and forth from home to school or vise versa, keep smy papers from getting wrinkled and messy).  Outside pockets for my wallet on one side and my gum, lipgloss, etc. on the other.  Inside pocket for my ever ready notebook (although it is meant for an i-pad or something similar, all padded and stretchy), and on the opposite side... cell phone and pens.  Perfect.  I can carry a couple pull-ups and wipes (those would be for my 2 year old, just in case you thought I had a serious problem), my camera, sunglasses, and I have some space left over.  So for the bag and the wallet I walked out of there for $21.  Happy day.  Every teacher needs a good bag, every mommy for that matter, let's be honest it is a girl thing!

So if you have been out shopping why not link up with me, better late than never... share your summer shopping finds.  Just click on the Ladybug's Teacher Files or Fabulous Find Friday icons above.