53 Degrees

What a beautiful day!!!  If the rest of the winter is like this, I will take it. Hopefully that Ground Hog will help us out and see nothing!!! 

Today marks the one year anniversary of THE HAIRCUT.  I had been waiting for my daughter to have long enough hair to braid and do fun things with for EVER.  (I mean really-  I bought hairbows the day I found out I was having a girl!)   Last January, I was so excited about Emmie's hair.  It was getting long, pretty curls.  I had been practicing cute little girl hairstyles and had even gone on-line and bought a few things to do the PERFECT Easter hair!  Easter hairstyling is only second to wedding hairstyling on a flowergirl-  Like the Olympics of hair to me...  then one awful night I came home to THE CUT!  My five year old, in absense of fatherly attention, had taken a scissors and cut off her top ponies! (under the rubberband I might add!)    Devestated, I scooped her up and whisked her to the nearest Cost Cutters like it was an emergency room and she had lost a limb!  I couldn't believe that no one grabbed her and yelled things like "get me 5mg of hairgel- STAT!"  I was in near tears- who I am kidding-  in full tears as they cut the mullet-like hair into a somewhat acceptable cut. 

Finally, this weekend I was able to again do something a little cute to her hair:

It is a little heart on the top of her head!  umm---  I live for this kind of cuteness!

We are still not back to what it was, but we are making some progress! 

I have an obsession with PINTEREST and I found this adorable idea for my son's lunch!

Hope he loves it as much as I do!  If not, it may be my lunch on Thursday! 

:)

Julie



A Long Week

Finally, I am back to having a computer at home.  We purchased an incredible touch screen computer and it finally came in on Friday.  Since then we have been teaching the kids how to use it.  Very fun.  We also had a great time in Madison visiting with my friend from college...  Auntie Pam and shopping at the mall.  Emmie had her first experience with Build a Bear.  Too fun!

I had a terrible MLK weekend.  It started with what should have been a lovely day with my son.  But in true Friday the 13th fashion, it turned into a really rotten day.   It started wonderfully.  Brady and I ate yummy Chinese Food (his favorite!)  on the way to see his cardiologist in Chicago.

When we got there, there was no record of our appointment.  Ugh...  also our insurance is messed up, double ugh...  and then there was a problem with how much Cumadin was in his system.  The nurse was rude and the whole time Brady was crabby.  (possibly due to the nasty bedside manor of our lovely old hag of a nurse!)  Then we found out he has a blood clot.  Not a fun visit.  Usually I look forward to these lovely days as a mommy/ Brady date, but then we had to finish our day at the mall as I promised when all I wanted to do was curl up and cry for a while.  The doctor really seems pretty unconcerned, and the good, happy nurse I love talked to me for a while on Monday so we will just try to hold things together and hope it is better in June when we go! 
So report cards are over and now the 3rd quarter begins.  I have a lot to do to get these kids ready for 2nd grade! 

Julie

January Bliss

My new goal is to find somewhere that has this weather in January always!  I am loving it!  Solar-powered me is happy and thrilled to have this 50 degree weather.  Snow-day loving me is thrilled because there is a chance for a blizzard in the morning.  I don't think I need that actual day off, (although I do love it!)  the thrill of the possibility is a big part of the love!  Friday, I get to have a day of to take a moomy/son date to Chicago.  We have to spend part of the day at the cardiologist (he was born with a heart defect,) but the rest of the day is pure one on one fun!  I am really looking forward to it!  Then Monday off!  Life is good!


This is from my daughter's birthday.  I am finally getting around to printing some pics from the party.  What a little princess!

I am hoping for a snowday, but have a ton to do in the meantime. 

I am looking forward to the snow!

Julie

Thank goodness for the Weekend!

Friday I made it through my observation with very little problems.  My students were great and the lesson just sort of fell together in a way that had to have been divine intervention.  So that is over.  Whew!

I had a great time that night at Target with my daughter on a mommy/daughter date.  She had a gift card to spend and was exteemely careful at what she bought!  Some days she is more 16 than 3!  I found some fancy duct tape (I'm addicted!) and some little heart counters in the dollar section.  I am working on adding a few of the activities I am making as soon as my commercial license is approved!

My kids and I spent the day yesterday lounging around, shopping, and working at school.  I found some really great stuff for school at the Dollar Tree... 

The mittens are because on a daily basis one or four of my students do not have mittens and even though the weather is more like April, it can still get cold for their little fingers at recess.  I am working on a really fun writing project that will incorporate the Leprechaun Hat, gold coins and glasses, and the bag and pop rocks are for a great unit I bought from Abby at the Inspired Apple(LOVE!) , and the super glue is for the Learner Response Systems that my students drop on a regular basis.  (I had a pile of broken ones on my desk)

We spent the afternoon working at school, church, and then celebrated a friend's birthday at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  Great day!

Today we took the kids on their first bowling trip...  so funny!

Emelia always tried to quick do it herself before we could help her. 

 It went so slow that one time it just came to a dead stop!

This shot has potential!

Making faces at your broher is just as fun as bowling!

I spent my "free" time making a few dinners for the upcoming week and cleaning.  One dinner, two lunches, and a few lesson plans and there goes the weekend!  The great thing about this week is that Matt (husband) has off Monday and Wednesday, so he can get a few things done around the house and run some errands! 

It is in the 40's the beginning of the week!  Loving this...

Julie

Teacher's Block

I have been sitting in front of my computer for about 20 min. trying to decide what exactly I am going to teach tomorrow when our Curriculum Superintendent observes tomorrow to see how I use my Promethean Board.   I am one of the very first in the district to get a board and so I feel like there is an expectation that whatever I do on it must be fabulous and show off every bell and whistle. There is debate about the effectiveness vs. cost as well, so I feel like I really need to be showing how effective it can be.  Besides all that, people throw around words like "guru and expert" which adds to the stress of it all.  UGH!    So after searching for a really great flipchart I had on Martin Luther King Jr. (not that I am going to use that, but it is missing and I loved it!)  I am now sitting here previously looking blankly at the empty Promethean Software and wishing that I could call in sick.  - (it is supposed to be 50 tomorrow!)  Anyway...  I am going to go do a little blog-stalking of some fabulous first grade blogs and hopefully some of their creativity will wear off on me! 

Wish me luck!
Julie

Day 3

The first thought this morning I had when my alarm went off was "Are you kidding me?"  I am in vacation mode- still hoping every day for real life to take back over.  The day really didn't get much better, or much worse the good things kind of cancelled out the things that were rough...   just a blah kind of day.  

I didn't read with my own kid today-  what a terrible teacher-mother.  oops....  there is always tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to getting a little warmer weather and the weekend!  I have started a couple of fun new units for school.

No real progress towards goals....  I did make dinner and lunches for tomorrow- guess thats something!

Hopefully it will be easier to fall asleep toninght!

Julie

First Day of work in 2012

Winter break is officially over!  Other than the initial shock of getting out of bed when it is dark, it was a good, productive day.  I recently found Pinterest, which sent me to a large number of first grade teaching blogs, which have given me a new life in my classroom.  I have found the fun in teaching again and am starting to create fun, new activities for my class.  It reminds me of how I felt during student teaching and my first few years.  The energy and excitement that I had when I was 22...  who could ask for more! 

One of my students left today...  :(  

My daughter just gave me a picture she made and told me to give it to my school and to my teacher.  :)  She must be starting to get the idea behind going to school.  She just turned 3.  Now she is putting her favorite books into a file folder.  The only downside to my job is that I wish I could be with her more.   

I also have a boy that is in Kindergarten. He was thrilled to be going back to school today.  Last week he was a little sad that break was taking so long.  So precious...  he is one of the few that was excited to go back.

So my goals...  

1. We ate at home and I packed a healthy lunch for tomorrow.  I love to eat out (have other people cook and clean up that is!)

2. I printed a ton of activities for my next few units at school.  I am ready to plan as soon as I sign off.

3.  We played a few rounds of Brady's new game after supper.  It was a fun way to spend some time together.

4.  I needed to add that I want to be more organinzed to my list of goals...  we'll see...   :)


Only 3 days of work left, I am sure I can make it! 

Julie

New Year's Resolutions

As if life is not busy or crazy enough, January 1st comes with an expectation to make resolutions that may or may not last into the first or second week into 2012.  In an effort to make my resolutions last a wee bit longer, I have decided to put it in writing and maybe make it through February.  So here goes...

Goal 1:  spend more time with my family...  (not that I really feel a lacking, it just seems like it should be first on my list!  Also it is an easy one to want to do!) 

Goal 2: lose 20 pounds...  (I have way more to go, but 20 pounds is a manageable, goal I could actually make!)

Goal 3: Cross off 2 things off of my house list... (I am not sure how it works for anyone else, but I have a wish list that never ends!)

Goal 4: Grow professionally...  (after teaching for a certain amount of years it seems a neccessary goal to keep my students learning!)

So, good luck to me and hopefully I will be able to make it to a post number 2!   

Julie