Currently... March....

Hi friends! I have been doing a lot more blog reading this school year then actual blogging. This has been a very tough year for me. It is all I can do to make it through the week without pulling my hair out. Tough tough year....but luckily it is almost 3/4 of the way over. I need a fresh start.

I like to to link up with Farley and see what everyone else in blog land is doing or thinking.

So here it is....

 

Quiet: I was wide awake at 5:45 (on a Saturday) and had been tossing and turning all night. I finally decided that it would be better to sit on my couch in the quiet while contemplating my troubles with my coffee and blogs. 

Thinking: I overthink too much. My brain is going a mile a minute and has been since a fun staff meeting yesterday afternoon. Don't you just love those? All control being taken away and nothing I can do about it. 

Wanting: A nice warm donut sounds good while I eat my feelings away. That is an awful feeling. 

Needing: Wouldn't every teacher love to have their own unlimited copies and copy machine!?

Like: Money... who doesn't?

Love: Movies... I want to go pick up the newest Twilight today and watch it. I need an escape. 

Hate: Malarkey.... see above staff meeting. 

Sorry for all the gloom. I will be looking forward to an end of this year and being able to start fresh and new. It has to be better. Right? 

Go link up with Farley and have a great weekend! 

My Prayers

When I was sitting and enjoying my fifteen minute lunch yesterday a news break popped up on our tv in the teacher's lounge. Another school shooting had happened...... Then the words Elementary School popped up and you could hear a collaborative gasp of horror in the room. I got news alerts on my phone and I was just horrified at the possibility that someone could take their rage out on little 5 and 6 year olds whose biggest worries in the world was how much longer til Santa brings me a present?

I sat at my kidney table as my students colored a Christmas craft and thought about all our intruder trainings and how sweet and innocent my 25 first graders are. My husband texted me and wanted to know if I had heard and gave me a few details that I didn't know. He said that teachers had used themselves as shields and that several didn't make it. I would have done the same thing. I am proud of those teachers that protected their students to the best of their abilities.

As a parent of a child in Kindergarten, I hugged my son to me the moment he walked into my classroom with his sweet smile. I sat and hugged both my boys close to me all night last night.

My prayers to those of Sandy Hook Elementary. Hug your kids and students a little tighter this holiday season and remember those who can't.

November Currently

Hello Strangers! I have clearly been absent since August... I am very overwhelmed this year. Even after 9 years you can get overwhelmed by it all. I have 25 firsties this year... which in Texas is over the 22:1 limit. Help will be on the way in January so I have to survive 6 more weeks with my 15 boys and 10 girls. 15 boys should just be illegal.

I have also been lucky enough to mentor a wonderful intern this Fall. She is fabulous and will be the teacher that we are adding to our team in January. So, even though I am so overwhelmed with 25 kids I keep looking around my room thinking about which 6 are going to be moved to her room. I am very attached and it just breaks my heart to think that they won't be mine anymore, but it is what is best for those kids. They deserve to be in a classroom where they can have more teacher attention than they are currently receiving.

My son also started Kindergarten this year. That is a huge adjustment that I was NOT prepared for. He is having a very long day and is absolutely exhausted by the end of it.... He is way over being at school when I am still there working on lesson plans and paperwork... oh the paperwork this year is INSANE.

But enough complaining.... here is my November Currently....

I am so looking forward to the week before Thanksgiving. I am taking back over from my Intern that week. I haven't taught in 6 weeks and boy do I miss it. I have been doing more behavior management for one particular student that is having an especially hard time adjusting to the demands of first grade. But the biggest part of Thanksgiving week is the Scholastic Book Fair is at our library. We end the week with a fun Book Character Day. I can't wait to share our idea but it is always a BIG secret until that morning so I can't share but will blog about it later.

I hope to not be as absent in the future. I love blogging and have kept up with reading the fantastic things that everyone is doing and I get so inspired by everyone. Hope everyone has a great first weekend of November.

Remember to link up with Farley!

I was crafty!

I went back to school this week to work in my room and this is what I walked into on day 1.....

Not fun. Yuck. Yuck. Ugly.


By the end of day 1 this is what it looked like...

Better but not perfect.


Today... I got crafty and inspired by my teammates and the art teacher (my really good friend) who happens to be in our hallway. They decided to spray paint their trashcans and their recycling bins. Why you ask? Because it is prettier that way. That's why.

Before...

After....

They are upside down because they were still a little tacky on the bottom but what a difference right?

Then I found these buckets at Target and thought they would be a great addition to my tables to hold their glue, pencils and a few other things. I then found this duck tape at Wal-Mart and since I couldn't find anything frog related I went for floral because frogs and flower go together. Just go with it... It turns out pretty afterwards.

I had butterfingers this week and dropped my clock that I have had forever. So, quick trip to Wal-Mart and voila I got a new clock... which I dropped also. This time it was salvagable but needed pizazz. My new intern suggested hot gluing ribbon around it. So, we did.. (I love her by the way. I can not wait to see what else she comes up with this semester!)

I also decided to do the glitter clothespins that I saw on Pinterest to hang up student work instead of having to ticky-tack it to the wall. But.... I forgot to take a picture of it. Man! I am going to take tomorrow off from school and have one more fun day with my boys before I really have to be at work.

I will be back tomorrow to share my shopping on TPT!

Meridith

Teacher's Fashion Linky

I know I have been doing a lot of Linky parties lately but I am avoiding school work for as long as possible so I choose to talk about stuff I like instead. I do have to go to start working on my room on Monday. I am going to stick with my frogs theme and most everything was left up so I just need to go get my furniture in order and reorganize everything. I have a whole week to do that then have staff development for a week and then my kiddos come on August 27th.

But anyway... on to what I am really wanting to share... From Blood to Books! is having a linky party to talk about a teacher's wardrobe. Since my husband does not enjoy the clothes talking I am jumping on this bandwagon quickly!

Here are the guidelines...

1. Tell me your favorite store(s) that you like to get your "teacher's fashion".

2. What are some of your favorite accessories?

3. What type of shoes do you teach in? (i.e. heels, flats, wedges, etc.)

4. Do you have a "go-to" item in your closet? (i.e. sweater you wear weekly, shoes you wear daily, etc.)

5. Have you ever had a fashion "uh-oh" at school? (i.e. heel broke, button popped off of blouse)

1. My Favorite Stores

I went on a mini-shopping spree with my teaching buddies last week as part of my birthday celebration (which honestly ended up lasting almost all week long! I have the best friends and family ever!) We went to J.C. Penney, Target, and Lane Bryant. I love the pants at Lane Bryant and have lost 35 pounds this year. (GO ME!) So, my goal next year is to not fit in Lane Bryant anymore... even though I do love their pants. I even got some CUTE tops at Kohls.

2. My Favorite Accessories

I found this on Pinterest and fell in love with this purse! My sister, the kind and observant Pinterest stalker that she is, found it for me and gave it to me for my  birthday. I. LOVE. IT. I am NOT a fashionista by far and the last purse I found was at Payless. I love this thing. It is HUGE! 

 

My friend had a 31 Party a few weekends ago and I bought a new organizer bag for all that stuff I haul back and forth from school and fully intend to work on. (Some of it will get accomplished!) It hasn't come in yet but I am waiting patiently. 

3. My Shoes

FLATS. BLACK. Nuff said.

4. My Go-To Item

My go-to items are my jewelry. I keep it simple. Watch. Wedding rings. James Avery charm bracelet. I wear these items every day. If I forget my bracelet, my students notice and feel like they are being deprived of normalcy. 

5. My Fashion Uh-Oh

I do have one. It is funny now but not so much when it happened. It was my second year teaching and I was about 4 months pregnant with my oldest son. The counselor happened to be in my room teaching a character ed lesson and I was walking around the room supporting her or passing something out. I bent down to tie someone's shoes when I hear a RRRRIiiipppppppppp..... Yup. My pants leg ripped down the seams from the nether regions to the knee. Yes, underwear was visible. The counselor doesn't see me run out of the room because she is really caught up in her lesson. I go to my neighbor panicking about what to do. I go to the nurse to see if she has A LOT of safety pins so I can make it through the rest of the day. Luckily, she did. So my neighbor and I stood in the hallway with her in between my legs trying to pin my pants together when my Assistant Principal walks down the hallway. I want to die! I bet they were watching this all go down on the surveillance cameras. She almost falls over laughing. Luckily, we had an hour left and I sat with my jacket over my legs the rest of the day and the pins held in place til I could run to my car very carefully and save a little bit of pride. THANK GOODNESS none of my kids paid any attention to me that day. 

So there you have it... my Fashion Linky.... Hope you had a good laugh at my Fashion Uh-Oh. Have a great evening everyone! 

Meridith

Happy Birthday to Me and a Sale!

Well, I woke up 30 years old today and the sky did not fall in. Don't feel any different... just wiser. :)

In honor of my birthday, I am throwing a 20% off sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. It will run from today until Monday, August 6th. Go see if there may be something you may like. :)

I am off to take my boys to the library and then go see my other boys Tim and Kenny!

Have a great weekend.

Meridith

August Currently....

Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade holds a monthly currently.... Link up with Farley and tell us about your Currently... Make sure to follow the rules!

 

 I am off to begin my birthday weekend celebration! I turn the big 3-0 tomorrow and my sister is doing my hair this afternoon as well as taking me for a little spa time. Then having dinner tonight at one of my favorite restaurants! Tomorrow I will be rocking out the 30s with a little Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney! Happy Weekend everyone!