Midwinter Break!!!

I have officially  made it to an important point in the year...Midwinter Break!! It has been so nice to have this week off of school. I especially feel grateful because many districts around us only got Friday and Monday off, but we have the full week. Yippee!!

It's been a busy week, which is nice on one hand, but on the other hand it makes things go too fast! Monday Mason went to daycare and I got a bunch of random errands done, like bringing Laila to the vet.

Tuesday we went to my old coworker's house for a playdate with other teachers from my school and their kids. It was so fun and cute to see the babies together. We were all pregnant together at school and now the boys are big enough to play {kinda} with each other!

Wednesday I had a lonnnnng overdue hair appointment and Laila went to the groomers. I like getting my hair done so I don't look crazy, but it takes soooo long. When I get a cut and color it takes 3+ hours. I don't know if that's normal or if my hair stylist just talks too much. I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't gotten a haircut since JULY! My hair was down to my shoulders and I got it chopped at about chin length. It's going to take 2 second to blow dry my hair now! My hair salon is right by our old house, so I always drive by to see what's going on on our old street. The house looks the same but one of our neighbor's houses looks like it was recently flipped.

Today Erin and Ada are coming over for a visit. Laila went to daycare, which she was super excited about. I'm going to stay inside as much as possible today because the temperature is -4 and feels like -19. Yuck!

Tomorrow Mason and I are going to go have lunch with Gil at work. That'll be fun for Mason to get to see his work but also so we can spend some time with him. He's been so so so busy at work that we haven't seen him much lately. Can't wait for busy season to be over!

Mason is getting to be so fun. He's starting to say words like "hi", "uh oh", "daddy" and I can see him studying my mouth when I talk to him. When I get time off like this, it's so so nice to spend it with him but it also makes me sad seeing how much I miss during the week when he is at daycare. I try not to focus on that, but it stinks that I'm missing out on so much! I love watching him learn new skills every week. Right now he loves opening and closing doors, turning on and off the light switches, opening and closing drawers...you get the picture. He's also starting to voice his opinion. He will fuss and throw a mini tantrum when I take something he wants or if I make him stop playing to get his diaper change. Even when he's being a little cranky pants, I love it all! What a little cutie patootie!

Pleasant Surprise!

It's another snow day! I did not think this was going to happen. Yesterday during dismissal at school, it was pouring rain. By the time I left, it had turned to a slippery sleet. I headed to the library and by the time I got home, the snow was starting to come down hard. I woke up around 3 am to let Laila outside and the snow had stopped. I was pretty bummed and got mentally prepared to be at school today.

But alas, school was called off and I am one happy girl! Yesterday when I prayed for a snow day (haha true story), I promised that I would work on school things all day if we got a snow day. So now I feel I should keep that promise and get some school things done from home. Mostly my math block has been driving me crazy, so I'm going to try to think of some ways to improve it. I also agreed to teach morning school 3 mornings a week, starting next week, which I should probably get prepared for.


Other than that, I will be running...the Riverbank Run training schedule has officially begun! I'm going to run the 10k in May.

Here are a few instagram pictures from the weekend and Monday:

Laila got groomed 

Veggie enchiladas for dinner this week

New chair pockets from Donors Choose!

Have a great week everyone!

Put a White Crayon on Your Windowsill...

That was the announcement that was made over the speakers on Thursday as the kids went home from school. Teachers are very superstitious about their snow days haha. I have also heard of people wearing their pajamas inside out, flushing ice cubes down the toilet and doing the snow dance. I'm the opposite, I do NOTHING because I feel like it will jinx our chances. But anyways, we got our snow day yesterday and it was magnificent!

The snow kept falling for a couple of hours after I got up on Friday and it was so pretty. Laila had a great time getting snow covered outside.

 I wasn't super productive yesterday, to be honest, but that's the nice thing about snow days, there's no expectation of productivity! I did force myself onto the treadmill for a quick 20 minute run. Now I just have to keep that going!

Now I'm off to enjoy my weekend...love extra long weekends! Thank you, snow!!!

Sidenote: On Thursday, one of my first graders told me she thinks I'm really young for my age...it just kinda cracked me up & I didn't want to forget. :)

Here's How My Classroom is Lookin' These Days...

 Now that school is in full swing, the classroom definitely has that "lived in" feel! I feel like things are always a mess, but it's a busy-learning in progress-kids kind of mess. Here are a few shots from around the room:

Classroom Library

Daily Five and Math Workshop Schedule

Messy Reading Table

Friends & Family Picture Board in Progress

Classroom Promise

Rock Collection & Sand Vials (Experiment in Progress!)

Sadly, I have to take down the poms. Darn Fire Marshall!

Conscious Discipline Sign with Student Pictures

It's so sunny when the blinds are open!

Interactive whiteboard

 

Individual Book Boxes for Each Student

First Weeks in First Grade...

The first few weeks of the school year are over...it's almost October and I'm surviving! As usual, I'm exhausted at the beginning of the school year. Starting at a new school, in a new grade, in a new classroom was overwhelming at first, but I'm starting to get the hang of things now. I am feeling extremely lucky to have gotten this new job and although I knew my old job had unreasonable demands, I can now really see how stressed out I was all the time (for the past four years!). I'm so excited to be working in a positive environment! Now I just need to learn to relax a little because my last school kept me on edge all the time and I still haven't let go of that feeling at work!

I don't have any updated pictures of my classroom, but I will have to grab some soon because it definitely looks different in there with student tables and student work up!

Fall is in the Air!

I just finished new teacher orientation today. I am so excited to be teaching in my new district. It's awesome to become part of a school district that really puts students first, values their staff, is constantly learning and improving, and encourages teachers to take risks! I can tell it's going to be a great year. I'm pretty excited about all the quality professional development I will be participating in this year, including a series on Reading Workshop.

I have been in my room here and there this week after orientation most days. I still have a lot to do, but things are coming along. I really need to focus on first week lesson plans now!

Today after orientation, the new hires from my building all went out to lunch with the principal and vice principal. So fun! Next week, the rest of the district reports back to work. We have PDs and some time to work in our rooms. My building is open til 11 pm all next week. Hopefully I will not be needing those late hours!

And now, some random pictures from the week...

 Table tubs! Love the aqua ribbon that I added. Unfortunately I ran out of it before I finished, so back to Meijer I go.

 Target run for classroom things! Pillows and table tubs on clearance...score!

 Ikea bookshelf in the corner. Thanks for putting that together, Gil!

Saw this lesson plan book at the teacher store and thought of my mom! Mary Engelbreit.

I'm getting really excited for fall...apple cider, donuts, leaves falling, crisp air...
Have a great weekend everyone!

Classroom Library!

 I feel like I've been in the classroom a lot, but it doesn't look like I've gotten much done! I turned my desk and reading table towards the corner. I think it ended up taking up the same amount of space, but I like that my stuff is in a "nook" now.

 I have made progress in the classroom library. The school provided tons of leveled books so I spent some of yesterday and today putting leveled stickers on all the books. Another teacher gave me a bookcase, so I was able to move the kids' book bins off the counter. It freed up a ton of space and looks much better. I grabbed a black berber rug from Meijer. Still need some seating or pillows for the kids.

 Another shot of the classroom library.

 I've cleared out some things from this half of the room and it's looking pretty bare. Math materials and word work materials will go on the shelves. I grabbed a little table to put next to the computers that I'm going to use as a writing center. Nothin' up on the walls yet!

Started putting up the calendar, but I can't seem to find the rest of my calendar materials.

Can't wait to get student tables...it's going to look much more complete!

Poms!

Yesterday I went into school and felt like I didn't get much done. I ended the day feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of things I have left to do! I did get the poms up in the classroom and I think they are pretty cute, so that helps. :)

 Today I felt a little better at school because I got a reading table in my room and felt like I had a place to set things down today! The blue & lime reading boxes came from reallygoodstuff.com for the students' independent reading boxes. I think they are going to go on a bookcase somewhere in the room because they take up way too much counter space!

 The closet is starting to fill up...some of my stuff is organized, some is just kinda thrown in there for now!

 I started organizing some of my classroom books. I have about four more boxes full of books at home. I think they are going to stay boxed up for a bit and I can start incorporating more as I have more space. I need a bookcase to jut out where the green table is to create a library "cove".

 Here's the reading table. I moved another table from the room behind the reading table for a bit of space. In my old classroom, I had a counter and shelf behind my desk area so I'm still trying to figure out where to put everything!

The border I ordered online was finally delivered today, so I can get that up on the walls tomorrow!

Tomorrow we are doing a meet and greet with the parents and kids at a local park for about an hour. Wish me luck!

Classroom, Lions, IKEA, Fun...

I didn't go in to the classroom on Thursday because it was pouring rain all day. Moving boxes into the classroom in the rain did not sound fun! So I got some other things done instead and heading into the classroom for a couple hours on Friday.

I didn't get tons done, but I did finish papering the walls. I just have to decide whether or not to put black paper over the already black chalkboard or not. I think I'm going to use the chalkboard as my Word Wall. It's magnetic, so I can just stick magnets on the back of the words and stick them up there. 

The walls look a little weird right now because there is no border up. I decided to do all black walls this year (which sounds a bit dark), but once there is bright border up (in aqua and lime polkadots), and stuff stuck up on the walls, it won't seem dark at all. I like doing only one or two colors up on the walls so the room feels cohesive. Doing a bunch of colors on the wall can be a bit hard on the eye and a little too stimulating for the youngins'! 

I bought a kit to make poms and finished making them on Thursday. These cute things will be going up  in the room soon!

Friday night, Gil's parents came over so we could celebrate their birthdays. We went out to dinner and then headed to the first Lions preseason game. The game was a bit slow, but it was fun anyways!

On Saturday, Erin & Matt came over with the pup to hang out. As usual, Erin and I headed to the store (or three) to buy delicious snacks. After Round 1 of snacks, we all headed out to IKEA. Erin & Matt got a bunch of things for the nursery (awww) and Gil & I picked up some things for my classroom. 

After IKEA, Gil & Matt went golfing and Erin & I headed out to try to find some maternity clothes for her. She found some cute things, but overall, I learned that it is hard to find clothes when you are tiny and pregnant haha. 

By this time it was already almost 9 pm, so we headed back to the house for more food, of course, and just hung out for a while. I really wish I had taken a picture with Erin and her bump while she was here! I got to feel the baby kick a few times and it was so cool! They aren't telling the baby's name before she's born so somehow through the course of the night, the nickname "Brenda Sue" was developed. Ha! 

And for the record, Laila & Wrigley are both so exhausted from playing last night...awesome!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

A Tiny Bit of Progress...

I started off the day by packing up my car and heading to the teachers store. I found cute borders but one, they were out of and the other they only had two packs left. I bought those two, but I'm a bit worried that half my room is going to have that border and the rest will be unfinished because they won't get more in. We'll see! I had to get it though, because it was so cute! I worked in my classroom for a few hours after that.  I was working the whole time but didn't seem to get anything visibly done.

I unpacked a few boxes and got some paper and borders up on the wall. By late afternoon, I found myself moving things around from one location to another, so I decided it was probably time to go. Not so productive! I also have a shelf in the closet dedicated to stuff I will "deal with later". That's probably a bad thing to start...haha.

I brought my classroom rug today and it's taking up a good chunk of the classroom...I'm starting to wonder where the student tables will go!

Boxes!

Something I realized today...when I packed up my old room, I labeled nearly all my boxes as "miscellaneous"...makes it really difficult to unpack and organize!

Starting to get things in the small closet.

I finished mostly all of the tops of the bulletin boards around the room today.

Closeup of the cute "Doodles & Dots" border. I found some more online, since the teacher store was out, but shipping was more expensive than the border. Forget that!

Tomorrow I will head back to get a few more things done, like getting paper up on the bigger bulletin boards. I'll be glad to have that part done...papering the boards is the worst part!

By the way, my "theme" this year is aqua, lime, and black, with some polka dots sprinkled in. :) I got a bunch of cute polka dot labels for lockers and labeling materials today...can't wait to use that stuff!

An Anniversary & The First Day in My Classroom!

 Before I get to school stuff, I wanted to post a couple of pictures from our anniversary (which was July 26). It was a pretty low-key date because the end of the quarter had been super busy for Gil at work, so it was nice just having time to go out to dinner together.

We wanted to go to a new local restaurant that has gotten really good reviews and looks cool, but we called and the wait was about 2 hours (whoops, should've made reservations)! We ended up going to Bagger Dave's. We're so fancy, haha, not! We tried to get a few pictures before going to dinner, which took a few tries. We also had our "Year 4" bottle of wine from our wedding! I'm so glad we did that instead of a guest book...it's such a fun tradition each year!

There were several like this, while we tried to get the timer right. Ha!

A little blurry, but captured the moment at least!

Happy four years of marriage to us!

Now on to school...Today was my first day going in to work on my classroom. I didn't bring tons of stuff because I had to fit my ginormous easel in the car and that took most of the space. 

Here are some shots from the doorway to give you an idea of the space. This room is definitely smaller than my last classroom, but so much brighter, cleaner, and has AMPLE storage!!

Sink in the corner (Score! I never had water in the room before) and student computers, with some random furniture thrown in.

Shelves across the back and HUGE windows. Love them! Gleaming hardwood floors!

In the corner of the room, you can see the entrance to the Glorious Walk-in Closet. To the left of that is another closet.

Promethean board at the front of the room where I will put my carpet. 

Looking out the door at my stuff waiting to be unloaded!

Out the windows, I have a view of the adorable houses (hard to see through the trees). The school is on a really pretty, quaint street.

A little bit of playground is visible from the windows. 

A shot from inside the Glorious Walk-in closet...it has a little window in it!

Started setting up my classroom library. 

So there you have it, all the before pictures of my classroom. I have tons of work to do and still need furniture! I will update pictures as I start to get things done in the room! Have a great night everyone!