Monday, April 30, 2012

My weekend + a Birthday Freebie

This weekend flew by... but it was oh-so-fun! I stayed at work SUPER late on Friday night (9pm to be exact!) so that I wouldn't have to work this weekend. Turns out that if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have had time to get anything done. Saturday I woke up and went and got a dozen doughnuts from Southern Maid for free! Our school has a Teacher Easter Egg every year with awesome prizes (ranging from classroom goodies to coupons at local restaurants/businesses). They were yummy to say the least. My favorite doughnut is the creme-filled ones. Can we say De-lic-ious?!?

After I woke the boyfriend up to a dozen yummy doughnuts, I went to a students tumbling meet! It started at 1:30. I didn't leave there until 6ish. She performed in tramp, tumble-track, and running.... 3 competitions. I don't know much about tumbling, but I know that she did amazing. She placed 1st in all three competitions. So go E!

What made it great for me is that she was so excited that I was there. She kept introducing me to her friends and coming to sit with me and talk with me. I love this girl to death. She is a great student, good-hearted, and her family is great too.

I was sitting there on the bleachers and her mom came up to me and was telling me that she usually performs with the older kids because she's super good and advanced... which I totally believe... but that today she was performing with her kids her own age. I guess she was playing around because her coach told her "Ms. Cannon is going to make you mark a star if you don't behave." I guess this really confused her because she responded with "we're not at school... how is she going to do that?" Her mom said that she had a really confused look on her face. E came over to me later and I tried to play it out some more, but E just started laughing and told me that I was cray-cray!

My favorite part of this weekend however, was this little stinker right here.....


Isn't he the CUTEST one year old you have ever seen!? I love him with all of my heart. I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to love my own kids this much, because I love him more than I've ever loved any other baby before. I guess we'll see eventually.

Anyways, about a week ago (April 20th to be exact) my baby turned 1 years old! It is crazy that he has already been around for 1 year.... and then there's the part of me that doesn't remember a time without his little smiling face.

He is super smart too! He was walking by 8 months. And he's talking up a storm! Okay... well he's saying tons of 2-syllable words! 3 of us were standing around when he handed his daddy something (which might I say he said "here" when giving the item to his daddy!) and his daddy said "Thank you" and 3 of us all thought we heard him say "your welcome!"

I loved celebrating his 1st birthday. He was such a fun little man to watch. Opening presents, walking/running and playing, trying to be a dare-devil and stand on top of his new 4-wheeler without using hands to hold himself up... but the most memorable part of it was watching him eat his cake! OMG! He's a mess. But a cute mess!

He got so dirty that his mom had to give him a bath in a sink at the building we were at. It was soo cute!

Ah! I just love this little kid (as you can probably tell from the picture over-load!)

If you read all the way down to this point- thank you! I included a little birthday freebie for you because you are all wonderful readers and don't hate me for posting personal posts! Its just something that you can attach to a birthday baggie, a pencil, or maybe even some bubbles.
Birthday Freebie

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Computer Blues

Ahh! I am so soo soooo aggrivated! My computer finally crapped out on me today. So I had to take it to First Aid to get it worked on. I am hoping they save it. I have over 3,000 items on there and I REALLY don't want to lose anything! I mean... what would I do? I am already struggling to get things together for next week. I had so many great resources pulled for my plants unit and now... I'm back at square 1. I am half tempted to just create a HUGE packet with everything I could possibly want/need for next week... but I don't think I have the energy right now and this weekend is slam packed with things I gotta/want to do. So what am I to do??

I guess I'll just cry and river and build a bridge so that I can get over it. *insert sad face here*

Have you ever lost ALL of your teaching material? What did you do to help build yourself back up? Did you feel like your world was ending?

Okay... so I don't have anything else tonight. Maybe, just maybe I will get together something (I mean, I really have to don't I?) and post it on here.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Summer Plans

20 days left! Woohoo! This teacher is excited (and kinda sad) about the fact that we only have 20 days left. I'm mostly excited to sleep in and wake up on my own accord. Other than that, I could work all summer long and be okay. In fact that is one of the things on my summer to-do list. Yes, I want a summer job. I'd love to do some summer school teaching, maybe one day I will get to do that, just not this year. This year I'll settle for being a waitress or a car hop or a cashier or something pretty darn easy. Thinking about my summer to-do list, I decided to join up with Fun For First and her linky party "Summer Projects/Summer Fun Linky Party."

So here is my list. Once your done reading go join up with Lory and tell us what your summer plans are!

Summer Projects:
1. Get a summer job.
2. Create some items to sell on Etsy (crocheted blankets, tutus, chalkboard labels, and other hand-made products.)
3. Look for a new place to live. (We will me moving in with my mom for a couple of months, but are hoping to move out after just 2-3 months of living there. So a house for rent with a fenced in yard is a MUST!)
4. Finding a new job and preparing to start the new year in a new district. (This actually entails a lot... unless I am super lucky to end up with another kindergarten position *crosses fingers* I am going to have to do a lot of studying and a lot of changing things. Even if I do end up with kindergarten, I am still going to have to dive deeper into Common Core.)

Summer Fun:
1. Take a vacation (I don't care where, I just need to go do something fun!)
2. Go swimming. (I only went swimming 2 times last summer. So this year, especially with living at mom's and her having a pool, I really want to enjoy some swimming.)
3. Go fishing and enjoy the outdoors with my boyfriend/family.
4. Take a trip to Myrtle Beach with the boyfriend to see his mom again. (We haven't been up there since the first year we were dating. He went last year for 2 weeks when she was in critical condition in the hospital, but I don't think that really counts!)
5. Start prepping for our wedding (taking care of some easy details that we are set on so that when we actually do get engaged we won't have to worry about EVERYTHING. -- I am hoping that this does not jinx us. But I do know that he has been looking at rings and we have talked about me getting started prepping things and he seems to be totally fine with it all!) 

So those are my plans. What are yours?

Leave me some love! You have no idea how much I enjoy reading your comments on my posts. It always makes my day so much better!

Monday, April 23, 2012

21 Day Count Down!

Is it Monday already? Ugh... if you ask me the weekend goes by WAY TO FAST! But I love my kiddos and I'm excited to get back to work. I just don't like waking up before the sun decides to shine. So I'm sorry that I haven't posted in ALMOST a week. My computer is going crazy. One minute it is working the next minute, it's not. It's frustrating!!

This weekend has been the best though! What did I do, you ask? Nothing! Which usually drives me insane, but after the past couple of weekends of being super-duper busy I just needed some rest. I DID try and go up to the school. I even made it there on Sunday! But to my surprise, my door was locked! Which usually would be no big deal right? EXCEPT for the fact that when I changed rooms in August I never got the correct door key to my room. So I didn't get in or get anything accomplished! Thankfully I had my lesson plans done before I came home on Friday (Yay! Go me!) but I still haven't made my copies. So as soon as I get to school this morning, that is #1 on my to-do list. I'm thinking I'll just make enough for today and then finish up this afternoon. Monday morning copy lines are crazy at my school. I try to avoid it if at all possible.

I keep telling myself only 21 more days of school. (I think thats correct anyways!) I am kinda excited about that... kinda nervous I won't get EVERYTHING I want to get done, done... and kinda sad that I'm losing another group of kiddos. That is always a bitter-sweet thing for me. I'm so excited for them because they made it through kindergarten and now love school... but then I realize they won't be in my class and with me moving this year I'll never see them again. Plus one of the lucky girls in my class is moving to Italy for 2 years. Can you imagine that? Ahh... so jealous! I kinda want to tell her mom to pack me up in a suitcase and take me with them... but somehow I don't think that would work too well.

But in celebration of the end of the school year approaching, I made you a Roll, Say, Keep! freebie! It turned out really cute... and I almost thought about selling it... but I figured it could be my end of the year gift to you! (Not that I won't be producing more freebies! I already have one simple one in the works for you for tomorrow!)

So this "gift" includes 2 game boards and  3 sets of cards (sight words, color words, and number words to 25). I hope that you can use it!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

What I'm Posting Wednesday

Today has been a LONG day! I took the day off because I had an appointment this morning and I didn't know how long it would take. I wish I had just taken a half day because I have been done with the appointment since 11:00 this afternoon. But I've gotten to spend some time with the boyfriend, as well as write a post for his gaming blog Eternal Alchemy. I think if people like it I may make it a usual guest posting. It was kinda fun.

Anyways other than that, today has been a VERY boring day. I'm gonna have to get a job this summer or I'm going to go stir-crazy. Does anyone else get this way?

Earth Day Craftivity from Michelle 
I love this cute Earth Day craftivity. I love using the kiddos hand-print in things. It always makes any activity a keep-sake.

Plant People by Family Fun
I can't wait to do our plant unit so that I... I mean my kiddos can make these super cute plant people!

 Mama Jean has great activities for math and literacy. This is just one of the fun games that she is sharing with her followers that engage students in learning. Go check out her site.

OMG! I think I just found something that is going to save us ALL time as our schools dig deeper into Common Core! Check this one out! Click on the picture and then find your grade and download. You won't be sorry that you followed this link!

Okay peeps leave me some love! I'm working on another freebie to share with you!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Barnyard Freebie

Okay... okay. So I know I promised you a recap of Saturday's blog meet up! But I can't find the little device that hooks up to my computer that reads my SD card. So I promise I will look even harder tonight to find it! (I didn't get home from my mom's until 8:30 last night, so I was gone ALL weekend long!)

But I do have some very exciting news to share with you! I was contacted Saturday night by Charity Preston the founder of the Classroom Freebies blog and Classroom Freebies Too blog, as well as a few others I believe! Well they accepted my application and want me to be a part of their blog Classroom Freebies Too! Ya'll I'm so humbled by this opportunity. I'm such a small blog and to be a part of something so big is awesome!

So this Friday we are going to a farm. So our classroom is going to be FARM Central this week! I've got all sorts of math centers and literacy centers that focus on skills we have been working on in our class but that have the background theme of farm life. Its so cute! I hope it will get the kiddos excited about our field trip this Friday! Some of them are not so excited because we took a field trip this fall to the farm. So everyday I hear the phrase "a farm? AGAIN!?" I tell them that its a different farm and there will be lots of new things. So I'm sure they will have a blast when we actually go on Friday!

Okay so because I am looking forward to going to the farm this Friday I have made a Barnyard Subtraction Freebie just for you! This is a 4 page pack that lets your kiddos practice their subtraction fluency skills by identifying and writing subtraction sentences.

It uses the common core standards:
    K.OA.1 Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (i.e. claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
    K.OA.5 Fluently add and subtract within 5.

Just click on the picture to head over to my TPT site and grab this freebie!


I hope that you will find it useful! If you grab it I would love some comments! (Or you can rate it on TPT!)

K.OA.1. Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings1, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
K.OA.5. Fluently add and subtract within 5.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Jamberry Fun

Whew! I am SLEEEEEEPY! I stayed late on Thursday night/Friday morning and haven't caught up on my sleep yet. I've had a crazy, busy, very fun weekend!

Anyways, sorry it has been so long since I've put out something new. I hadn't been creating lately because I didn't have the money to get clipart. Ya'll I'm seriously B.R.O.K.E.! Then I met Jessica (well didn't really meet her, she left me a comment- and you know I love those!) and told me about the greatest clipart website ever- that is all FREE. You have no idea how much I L.O.V.E. the word free!! Well so I started creating. I figured it would be a tiny thing... but it blew up! Like seriously, blew up! It's HUGE! 52 pages huge! ...Okay so maybe that's not huge to you, but it is to me! Its the hugest packet I've ever created and I'm in love with it. Its got lots of great activities. Literacy. Math. Writing.

And then all of a sudden it was 1 AM Friday morning! Ya'll I'm not a morning person in the least bit. I'm also not a night owl. I'm a middle of the day-type of person. So when I realized that it was 1 A.M. and I had to be up in just 4 1/2 hours, I was scared. Scared I would not make it awake through the day.  But I made it through the day and ended up working until like 8 pm! Whoo, what a LONG day!

One lucky winner will win it! All you gotta do is head over to Becky's blog  Teaching, Learning, & Loving.  She is doing a BIG Giveaway! This is just one of the prizes/packets/etc. you could win. So go on over there! Follow her blog! And enter to win!

Of course if you don't win it there, you can always purchase it on my TPT store for just $8 bucks. Just click the picture below to grab your own copy at my TPT store.

Okay, I'll be back tomorrow with a re-cap of yesterday's TN Blog Meet-Up! You don't want to miss it. This was a day I will never forget! I'll have pictures and details. You won't want to miss this!

Friday, April 13, 2012

TN Meet Up

Ya'll I'm SUPER excited.... and kinda nervous.... about TOMORROWS' TN Blogger Meet-Up! Laura from Kinder Kraziness, Jessica from Under the Alphabet Tree, Becky from Teaching, Learning & Loving and MANY MANY others are going to be there! If its up to me, I think you should be there too! Come on! You know you'll have fun! And where are we meeting you ask? Well Demo's of course! YUMMY! I haven't been to Demo's in FOREVER! But right now I'm STARVING and it is making my stomach growl just thinking about all the good food we will be eating tomorrow. 

So go on. Get on your e-mail server. Type a little message and send it to Laura to let her know you are going to be there so that she can reserve your spot today!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

My Horrible No Good Very Bad Day and What I'm Pinning Wednesday

Oh my! Today was one of those days you need a drink of your favorite sweet tea afterwards. I was running behind this morning because I couldn't get the sandwhich meat bag open, so I gave my yummy breakfast to my puppies and put me in the standard biscuit and sausage in the microwave so I could eat on the run. I got half way down the road and realized I had left my breakfast in the microwave. I decided I'd just starve and not eat breakfast so I could get to school on time. So I got to school with just enough time to spare and found that my cute Bunny Addition hall display had been destroyed. At first I thought the wind had just knocked down a few of the cute rabbits and then I noticed...


One of the poor innocent rabbits had its head torn off... the second one had its arm torn off. I know it was cold and windy last night... but there is NO way that the wind could have done this much damage. Not inside a building that is surrounded by at least four walls. I was devastated and if my students knew they would be heart-broken. I have no idea who did this, so I'm not pointing fingers. But I'm still disgusted at this. I mean come on! Who in the world could destroy student work and live with themselves. I mean I have a hard time even throwing away work that has no name and does not get claimed. They work so hard on their stuff! (The one who did the head-shredded on is a PERFECTIONIST! I mean just look at the cute pocket detail she added! And if you turn it over you'll see the tail she added.)

The day got a little better... but I had another disaster at the end of the day. I just wanted to put my head down and quit the day. Thank God the day was almost over at that point. I mean another teacher looked at me and just said "45 minutes to go. Breathe!" I mean, it was THAT bad! 

Okay now that I've vented (Thanks I needed that!) I have for you this weeks What I'm Pinning Wednesday! So each time I've done this I have had a "theme" for the week. So since the first thing I saw that I wanted to show you was THIS awesome bookcase, I decided to go with a Classroom Organization "theme."
Rosenberry Rooms sales this bookcase which is TO DIE FOR!
Now I don't know if I can afford it, but it is absolutely gorgeous and could be an inspirational starting place.

 Okay... I have to be honest! When I first started teaching I didn't like the idea of "time out." I thought it was too childish... but after I found out that the principals at our school do time-out and other teachers in our building do time-outs... I tried it. And I have to say I think its a good thing. It gives the students somewhere to go to think about their behavior so that they are not disrupting other students anymore. And this chair is just too cute. I let my students know all the time that I love them... even when they do something silly that you can obviously tell they did not think through, I want them to know that I still love them and care about them and their well-being and their learning.

Okay so I'm sure all of you have seen these. I currently use a similar one to organize my junk boxes. But I really really like the idea of organizing all of my smaller desk items in one of these. At least then I MIGHT be able to find what I need, when I need it, without taking too long.


 After today... I need one of these. Maybe I can't implement it at the beginning of the year... since some students don't know how to write their name. Or I could let those that can write their name use it and provide students who still can't write their name a picture or something similar to put on here when they leave- at least until they learn to write their name!


Michelle at Apples and ABC's: Adventures in Kindergarten
This is just simply a good idea. Paint your stick 2 different colors at the end. At the beginning of the day have all sticks facing the same way. As you call on students, flip their stick over to the second color. That way you'll know you've already called on them. That way your questions can be spread out among everyone.


Gotta be honest, not liking my current mailbox/folder system. Going back to just folders and study buddies next year. Also going to put my behavior chart on my newsletter and staple that in the study buddy just like I did last year. (Its my way to save the Earth! Less paper needed!) So gonna build me a new mailbox and I really don't want it to get ruined after just the first year, so using these clips with labels seems like a good choice. PLUS if you have a student leave in the middle of the year you can simply change out the clip and/or label.

Maybe, just maybe, I will get around to implementing some of these cool, inspiring ideas into my classroom next year! Make sure you check out these blogs, if applicable. (Sorry for not having all the blogs, I followed these back to their original place and most were just dead-ends.)



Have a good night ladies. Just 2 more days until Friday!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Button Bliss cont. and Pete the Cat freebie

Hey! So I took your comments into consideration and added some bugs to the border! Let me know what you think... in fact I need you to tell me which one you like best!

A

B
I originally did the ladybugs in the border but it just didn't look good. So I chose my 2nd favorite bug, the butterfly (which has deeper meanings to me- and if you choose B I'll tell you why butterflies mean so much to me). So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me your input! I want need to know!

Last up on the agenda tonight...Amy at The Kindergarten Center is giving away her new Pete the Cat packet to anyone that follows both her TPT store and her blog. All you have to do is follow them, leave her a comment letting her know, leave her your e-mail address and then she will send it to you! You know you want to! If your kids are anything like mine they are going to LOVE Pete the Cat!

Okay so thats all for me tonight! I'm gonna watch Lost Girl and Being Human with the boyfriend and then head to bed! We have our big T-CAP informational meeting in the morning! Fun.... maybe.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Button Bliss

 So I have been wanting a blog button for a LONG time! I'm not quite sure how to do the coding, but I created something that I like. Please let me know what you think! I would REALLY REALLY like your feedback! 


Friday, April 6, 2012

A game of Tag.

Remember when you were a kid and would go to the playground? What was your favorite game to play? Well one of mine was tag. It didn't matter if it was freeze tag, Duck and Goose (come on! you know this counts as tag!), or simply the original tag-you're it game. Either way I loved it!

Well this morning I woke up to find that I had been tagged- blogger style! Thanks to Becky at Teaching, Learning, & Loving I have now been tagged into the game. Go check out her blog if you don't already follow her! She's great!

Here Are The rules:
* Post these rules
* Answer the 10 questions that the tagger posted for you
* Create 10 questions of your own to ask the people that you're about to tag
* Tag 10 people and link them with your post (and let them know they've been tagged!)
Here are Becky's Questions
1.  What grade do you teach?
I teach have taught kindergarten for the past 2 years. At the beginning of last year though I briefly taught 3rd grade for 3 weeks.
2.  What is your favorite unit/theme to teach?
Oh! I think its different each year. Or at least so far it has been for me. I really enjoyed our Thanksgiving unit this year. We did lots of great writing, made Indian clothing and accessories, read tons of books, compared and contrasted Indians and Pilgrims, learned and sang Thanksgiving songs and ended it by having our own Thanksgiving Feast. The kids had tons of fun and seemed engaged throughout the entire unit and it was so much fun to teach!

3.  Who is your favorite tpt seller?
Oh... there are so many tpt sellers that I visit on a regular basis. I'm just going to name a few that I follow and love opening up my e-mail to find that they have a new packet available.
Deanna Jump
DeeDee Wills
Julie Lee
Teacher Tam
Reagan Tunstall
Becky Baxter

4.  Do you have any freebies on your blog?
Yes! Follow some of these links to pick up some freebies I have posted. I need to get a new freebie out... I promise I'll have one soon.

So I really thought I had more than that. But I guess not. I better get on it and post some more freebies, eh?

5.  What are your top 3 favorite blogs to visit?
Oh lord! Do you know how hard this question is? I don't think I have top 3 favorite teacher blogs! Because I have top 100 teacher blogs! I love them all equally. I love reading them, seeing what they have to say, getting new ideas from them.

So I'm going to change this questions a little bit... I hope that is okay. Instead of answering my top favorite teacher blogs, I'm going to tell you my top 3 NON-TEACHER blogs. I really really really hope thats okay! (Don't hate me, please!)
1. Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss - Julie has a home-interior blog. She gives lots and lots of inexpensive home decorating tips. I get giddy when I see that she has a new post out. Oh! Did I forget to mention that she happens to be another Tennessean. 
2. Confessions of a 20 Something - PinkLouLou is AMAZING! I love her. She takes us on the journey of her life, interrupting that with tips on hair, makeup, and personal opinions on music. (She is most likely Carrie Underwood's #1 fan. And I love Carrie Underwood!)
3. Babbling Abby- Okay, so yes. She is a teacher. But she's also a wife, a mother, and a fun, funny, and entertaining. If you don't follow her blog Babbling Abby, I definitely recommend it. Or at least check out her teacher blog- The Inspired Apple.
6.  Do you have any kids?
I do not have any kids. I do want them. But me and the boyfriend want to wait until we are married to have little ones running around. Hopefully these two things will happen soon. 

7.  Where is your favorite place to travel or vaca?
I love Flordia. I love the beach. I love the little drinks with the umbreallas and the waves crashing on the sand. Jumping the waves. Getting a tan. Lets face it, I love every part of the beach - EXCEPT for bathing suits! I mean who likes those? But since the boyfriends mom lives in Myrtle Beach, I like going there too.
8.  What is your favorite place eat? And what do you get there?
Okay, Anthony -the boyfriends is an AMAZING cook, so most of the time we just eat here at home. But once in awhile it is nice to have a date night and go out and enjoy ourselves. (I swear people, we act like we are an old married couple.) When we do go out we like Outback Steakhouse. We ALWAYS get the bloomin onion. Its the only appetizer that we get- ever. We LOVE it! Then we both get a steak, baked potatoes, and some veggies. I think thats where I want to go to night actually!

9.  What is something easy you do for dinner when you are in a hurry?
Frozen pizza (period)

10.  Do you have a teacher tip for us?
 Don't spend all of your paycheck on your classroom. Set a budget or a percentage. Otherwise not only are you going to be completely broke at all times, your are not going to be happy. 
Also make sure that you enjoy your life as a mother, wife, girlfriend, human being... and that you are not just 100% consumed as a girlfriend.
Okay, so here are the 10 people I'm going to tag.
Co-Kindering
Fun For First
Sharing Kindergarten
Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes
Teaching Little Apples
Mrs. Albanese's Kindergarten Class
A Teeny Tiny Teacher 

Here are your 10 questions:
1. What grade do you teach?
2. What classroom item could you not live without?
3. What is your favorite thing about teaching?
4. What advice do you have for someone who is trying to become a teacher or going through the hiring process?
5. If you one day woke up and decided you didn't want to be a teacher anymore, what career-field would you want to take on?
6. What do you like to do when you are not teaching?
7. What is your favorite TV show? 
8. What is your favorite restaurant? What do you eat there?
9. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
10. What is your favorite blog? Why?

Thursday, April 5, 2012

300 Eggs

Whew! I am exhausted. I just put the kiddos on the bus after a long day of getting a new students, Book Fair previews, an Easter basket addition craft, indoor recess- which after having to play indoors all winter I very much dislike-, a Easter "Egg Hunt" that had to happen indoors (Silly rain! Why today?), a birthday party, AND a concert practice....BUT the day is not over yet. (Did you think my list was ever gonna end?)

No, I'm not talking about having lesson plans to do, I'm not talking about having cleaning to do (my parents graciously did that for me today after our Easter Egg hunt today)... we have our Kindergarten concert tonight at 6. But I will get to play teacher for about 30 minutes prior to that during the arrival time. That should be fun. Bleh. But I am excited for the concert. The kids have been working hard on these songs all year, and busting our little bunny cotton-tails for the last 2 weeks. We will be singing nursery rhyme hip-hop songs. The kids love it! And they are really good at it. So I think, hope, it will be successful!

Another fun event of the day was our Egg Hunt. This was supposed to happen outside, but around 10 is started looking dark outside. At 2, although it wasn't raining yet, the weather channel website said the storm was almost here. So me and my room mom decided to just put the 300 eggs...yes you read that correctly THREE HUNDRED EGGS around the classroom. Which I just so happen think turned out to be better. There were eggs in the recycling bin, in student baskets, in drawers, in center baskets, in marker cups, on the floor under tables, in cubbies, in the teacher chair, behind the trashcans, in mailboxes.... I mean we're talking about the eggs being EVERYWHERE! There just so happened to be a LOT more hiding places inside then outside... which I think turned out great. And more importantly to me, the kids absolutely loved it! I enjoy seeing my kids have fun almost as much as I enjoy that "Ah-HA!" moment. I mean after-all they are just 5 and 6 years old. They do deserve to have fun once in a while and do things that might not be common-core related. Or maybe I'm crazy for thinking that... either way I'm glad they were able to have fun and enjoy themselves. And as a bonus each child ended up with 15 eggs, which I thought was great since they were only supposed to bring 12. So thanks to those parents that donated 24 eggs instead of just 12, each kid was able to go home with a little extra.

However you celebrated Easter with your kids, or incorporated eggs into your curriculum, I hope you had a great time doing it! Enjoy your 3-day weekend. :)

Monday, April 2, 2012

Ramblings and a Freebie

WooHoo! I did it! I just caught up on 3 days of blogs and I actually READ EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! Let me tell you. Not an easy task when you follow close to 100 different blogs. Was it worth it? Of course, I'd do it again if I had to.... BUT I plan on staying caught up *crosses-fingers*! Anywhoo, so it's been about 5 days since I last posted. Sorry. :( But in my defense I was trying to enjoy the last few days of my Spring Break! Its over now [insert sad face here] but we had a really good day today. Did probably my favorite craftivity that we've done all year. I found it on someone's blog last week sometime... but I can't remember who's. I really really think it might have been Mrs. Morrow's blog.  Let me check.... yep! I was right here! Check out her blog to see what I'm talking about!

So I need to send a BIG "Thank you!" to Kindergarten Lifestyle! She featured me in her Share a Blog Sunday! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And to all my new followers, hello! I'm glad you found me! Makes my heart happy when I realize I got a new follower (just ask the boyfriend)!

So last Monday I created a Roll a Letter dice game. It was inspired by all of the many roll a ___ games going around in blogland right now. It was ALSO inspired due to a conversation my kindergarten team had with the academic coach, principal, and asst. principal a few weeks ago. We give Dibels NEXT and our leadership team really wants our kids to have automaticity with naming letters. I am practicing this skill daily using LNF sheets... but I needed something to spice it up. Something that would make my kids feel like they were playing a game instead of doing the same ol-same ol- you know? So I knew as soon as I created it that I wanted to share it on here with you...  I meant to share it last week... but Spring Break got the best of me, and I completely lost track of time.

Click any of the pictures to take you to the TPT page to get this FREEBIE!






If you download this, please leave me a comment letting me know!

Okay before I go... I have to tell you that if you are not watching The Voice- YOU ARE MISSING OUT! I totally want to go for Blake Shelton's team... but Christina's performances are stealing my attention from writing this post. Chris Mann is an AMAZING talent! And Moses is a true performer! Like attention stealing, heart pumping, entertaining performer! So... Blake your group needs to BRING IT.... because Christina's group has already brought it!

And on that note, I hope you have an amazing night! If you are on Spring Break currently, PLEASE enjoy it! It goes by way too fast!