Merry Christmas

I wish everyone a wonderful, blessed Christmas and a very happy, safe New Years.

Winter Sale

I am joining Second Grade Math Maniac for a Welcome Winter Sale.  All my products will be on sale 12/21 to 12/23 for 20% off.  Head over to Casey's blog to see all the people joining in on the fun.  Happy Winter.

Hubby is off to play golf and I am going to do a little quilting at the quilt shop.  I love sunny days.

Aloha

I made it to Hawaii on Monday to see hubby. Man, I have missed him. I haven't been doing much this week, lots of resting. Sleeping for 12 hours each night and two hour naps. I think I am finally getting over my bronchitis, woo hoo. I did start sewing a Christmas stocking for my new grandson, Hawaiian style. I will post pictures soon

Before I left, I posted a 2013 calendar freebie to my TpT store. Click on the button in the sidebar and download it. I am working on the rest of the year and it should be ready in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy it

I hope everyone is enjoying their break or getting ready to rest. I have 3 weeks off due to furlough days but I don't mind the extra time off

Silence for Sandy Hook

It's Snowing

Ok, well not really - but we did make some snowmen in my classroom this week.  I was trying to calm the Santa overload down with the kiddos.

All the parts are copied on white construction paper and the kiddos color the parts.  These guys are probably about 18 inches tall.

We talked about how to make a snowman, lots of oral language going on.

I love how one of the little guys got a little smooshed.

We did an ABC activity.

Our finished bulletin board in the hallway, adorable.  My January bulletin board is all ready to go.



We did a sequencing activity.

We did a writing organizer - writing down the steps for the perfect snowman making.  We, also, made a cute little reader, "How to Build a Snowman".

You can find everything you need here in my TpT store, I hope you like it. 

 

Reindeer Games

We started our Reindeer activities by reading this book.  Santa is looking for someone to fly his sleigh and there a lot of applicants.  Really cute book.

We made these reindeer to hang from our clothesline.  I still need to upload the patterns for everyone.  I used scrapbook paper for the antlers and the nose.

We did some reindeer writing and a wordsearch freebie from my store.

I decorated our classroom door.  The inspiration came from here.  I wish I could paper on my door like she did, hers is adorable.  Our Fire Marshall would have a fit with just the little bit I put on my door.

I bought Teri's Reindeer packet - love it.  You can get it here

This is the reindeer craft from the packet, adorable.

They had to write what they would do, "If I were a Reindeer..."

I love the eyes on this one.

The completed bulletin board in the hallway.  A couple of the little ones didn't finish their writing yet.

This week, we are doing elf, the Grinch and gingerbread houses.  Our 3 week break starts on Friday, which I can't wait.  In the last two weeks, I have had the stomach flu and now, a cold which is probably my yearly bronchitis, grrrrr.

December Word Cards

I just finished my first official packet for TpT, it is my December Word Cards and Activities.

Click here to check it out.  It is on sale this month, since it is my first packet.

The packet has 48 December word/vocabulary cards, 1 noun sorting worksheet, 5 journal pages and 3 word searches.

I put mine in pocket charts, so the kids can get to them.

They grab the card and take it to their desk to help with their writing.  This little guy is writing a sentence on the back of the noun sorting sheet.  My kids love these cards.

I just print the cards on to white construction paper (directly from my printer) and laminate them, super easy.  They can also sort them into categories.  Example: everything that has to do with Santa in one pile, Polar Express in another pile, etc.  They think they are playing a game.  I'm not going to tell them anything different.

Christmas Freebies

I just opened my TpT store, it has a couple of freebies in there.  Please go check it out and leave me some feedback, I would really appreciate it.  First, I have a little reindeer worsearch that will be part of my December Word Card packet.

Reindeer wordsearch

Then I have a Sight Word game for the first 100 Fry Words.  I used Corrina's Tags and Frames, they are so cute.

Sight Word Game

I am new to this, so any suggestions would be appreciated.  It took me forever just to get these little pictures on my blog, lol

Printing Tip:  I cut construction paper to 8 1/2 x 11 and run it through my computer printer, then laminate with my Scotch laminator.  I love doing it this way.  I use to print it on cardstock (so expensive) or print it on copy paper, then glue to construction paper (took forever).  You probably all know about this, I guess I have just been in the dark - forever.

Monday Make-it

or maybe Thursday.  I am linking up with Tara for the December Monday Make-it.

Make It #1

These are my December word cards, my kids use them for writing, nouns and sorting.  They love them.

Make #2

Calendar cards

Make #3

Our class reindeers, they turned out so cute.  The kids need to finish the writing that goes on the back.  I will be making this a freebie in my new TpT store.  Hopefully, get the pieces scanned by this weekend.

Make #4

Sight work "Lumps of Coal" game.  I will be putting this as a freebie, also.  A great way for the kids to work on sight words.  Aren't the candy cane frames - adorable?   You can get them from Corinna.  They are so cute.

I didn't finish my sewing project, yet - which is a Grinch quilt.  I will post pictures when I get the top done.  My grand kids are going to love it, especially since it is their favorite movie.

RAK

See that very cute JOY button on the right side of my blog, isn't it cute?  Barb from Grade Onederful made some cute little Christmas buttons for your blog.  Go check it out.  All you have to do is click on it and it is yours.  She, also, has a cute little Santa one (which I might need for another one of my blogs). 

In a Random Act of Kindness, she plopped one on my blog.  How sweet was that? 

December 2

This post has nothing to do with teaching, but everything about friendship with women.

Every year, for the last 7 years,  a group of friends go to a wine tasting lunch in Beverly Hills.  This year was my first year being able to go - oh my gosh we had so much fun.  The wine and food were so yummy, the service was top notch and the company was perfect.  We are a group of friends that have known each other, for at least 8 years, through our sons' high school football team.  Some of the group have known each other longer from their daughters being in cheer.  We are that group of friends that might see each other once a year, but can find anything to talk about and we get totally crazy.

We had 3 courses of food and 6 or 7 different kinds of wine to taste.  I, guess, it use to be 5 courses - but with budget cuts.  The restaurant was right across from the street from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel - the one that they filmed "Pretty Woman".

We think the top part looks like where she was sitting outside and the fire escape looks like the end of the movie, her apartment where she lived.  One of the girls was going to watch the movie to check it out.

This is the front of the hotel, we think.

The hotel borders Rodeo Drive. 

After lunch, we did a little window shopping to walk off the wine, I mean lunch.  These rings were huge and gorgeous.  We came to the conclusion, that if there was a security guard by the front door, we probably couldn't afford the jewelry.

We went to this Starbucks for some coffee. It was the worst cup of Starbucks I have ever had.

This is the tree outside the restaurant before our lunch.

This is what the tree looked like, all lit up, before we went home.  I did get a little Christmas shopping done while we were down there - Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel.  The shopping bags are really cute, need to save them.  I saw on Pinterest where they framed shopping bags.  At the time, I thought it was crazy - but now, hmm not so crazy.  They would look really cute on a wall at Christmas time.

Currently December

I am linking up with Farley for Currently December.  This year has just flown by - calendar year and school year.  I have 2 more weeks of teaching before 2013.  It is crazy to me.

I love Christmas music, I would probably listen to it 12 months a year - if I didn't get strange looks from people.  The music is why I love the feeling I have at Christmas.  I realize the month is busy, but it just helps me slow down a bit and enjoy the season, the warm feelings I get inside.  Christmas is my favorite time of year.

I am a Christmas freak. I would decorate 15 trees every year.  A different theme tree or two in every room.  The boys, grand kids, nieces each had their own theme tree.  I loved it.  I never wanted to leave my house.  It was a lot of work, but so worth it.  The boys liked it when they were small, but as they got older they didn't appreciate it.  I haven't had a chance to decorate my house like that in 5 years.  I miss it, but with health issues and being out of town for the last few years - it just wasn't possible.  Last night, my youngest son said that he missed the house at Christmas and wanted to help me decorate like that again (I think it is because he now has a child of his own).  I will be lucky if I get one tree up this year.  My my mind is spinning - Hobby Lobby is such an enabler.

I have been making goodies for both of the stores.  I wanted to get them opened up this month, but not sure if that is going to happen.  I need some guidance on how to actually finish up.

I need more hours in my day - just to play like a kid.

I wanted to make batches of cookies - something that I haven't done in a long time.  It is too easy to buy everything.  Does anyone have any good recipes to share?

Well, go over and link up.  I hope everyone has a wonderful, blessed, magical December.

Merry Christmas

Lucky Girl

I got to spend a few minutes with my 5 week old grand son this morning, before heading to work.  He was awake so I went to see him while they were changing his diaper.  He HATES having his diaper changed, but this morning he wasn't screaming.  I started talking to him and he gave me two of the biggest smiles.  I didn't think it could get better than that - I was wrong.  He started cooing at me.  All, during the diaper change.

I am one lucky girl to be sent out the door in the rain with smiles and coos from a 5 week old.  Heaven.  It makes an inclement weather day - totally worth it.

Sick

It was really hard going back to school on Monday after having a month break with hubby and the little guy.  But, I did it.  The kids were great, we accomplished a lot.  I had one guy out.  I was working on my December goodies, bought some more goodies from the TpT sale and went home exhausted.  I was in bed at 6:30 exhausted.  My poor hubby wanted to hang out, since he was leaving the next day.  So he was a great guy and tucked me in and spent time with his son and the grand baby instead.

Around 11:30 the sickness started, heat/chills, stomach ache, wanting to die feeling.  Then at 3:30, life was over.  I spent the next 3 hours in bathroom.  I tried going to school and couldn't do it - scheduled a sub, told my hubby I loved him and watched him walk out the door.  I went back to bed until 2:00.  It was crazy.

So I spent the 2nd day of school in bed, sick - without my hubby.  I am trying not to cry, because I miss him and my stomach is still sore - so everything hurts.  My stomach and heart.  But, I will get to see him in 3 weeks - in Hawaii.

I did get up early (because of sleeping all day yesterday) and worked on my December word cards.  I might just try this TpT thing out, as soon as I figure out how to get them uploaded.  Geez.

Saturday

Yesterday, the grand baby turned a month old - it has flown by.  I wanted to do a mini photo shoot, so glad I did.  This is what I wanted the set up to look like.

He was a total angel when I was taking pictures.  I got so many adorable shots, 20 minutes and 150 pictures later.  What I didn't expect to get was this one.

His very first smile.  I was talking to him and had my camera in my hand pointing towards him - I wasn't meaning to take his picture at the time (which is why he isn't looking at the camera, he is looking at me)  He started to smile and coo, I hit the shutter and I was able to get 3 of the most precious pictures.  It was pure luck.  I started crying, he looked at me then looked at his mom.  He couldn't figure out why we were so excited.  It was a perfect moment.

Now, for the teachy stuff.  My Teachers Pay Teacher's cart is full, I mean busting at the seams full.  I think they needed to time the sale around the first of the month - then my cart would have even more in it.  Wait, maybe it is a good thing that the sale is early.