Surviving!

Spring break is A-Mazing!

...Until you have to go back to work.  It's like a taste of summer getting to play in the sun, sleep in till 6 AM, and actually get your house clean.

{I mean, I can't be the only one who only has a clean house in the summer... please tell me you're with me!}

That sunshine, though.  Makes it sooo hard to be in a classroom all day.

But, there's learning to be done! So here's how I'm surviving the 4th quarter...

Games, games, & more games!  Anything to keep the littles interested in the MOUND of learning we still need to trudge through.

Writing on desks. Writing on tables. Writing on any imaginable surface that some dry erase makers can't damage.  Thank goodness Expos are so easily erased!

Brain breaks. EVERY. DAY. EVERY. HOUR.

Go Noodle is my lifesaver. Ice cream & guacamole, anyone?

And when the sunshine really gets to my brain, & I just can't take one more second of school work. I hit up TJMaxx for some fun Hawaiian vacation shopping! Hurry July!

The #fourthquarterstruggles are real.  But keep on keeping on, friends!

We can make it!

Once Upon a Spring Break!

This past week was spring break! Best week of the year! There's just something wonderful about sunny, spring weather...

except that it's been RAINING (just about all week).

Seriously?!

I shouldn't complain, though.  I accomplished a good bit around the house, & even FINALLY finished filing my taxes. Hallelujah!

Here are 5 exciting ways I spent my break:

1. I had a sleepover with the sweetest littles.  When it was too rainy to be outside, we played The Ladybug Game.  It has soo many awesome reviews, and let me tell you... they don't lie! This game was perfect for counting, and even a 3 and 4 year old were able to play successfully (and I wasn't losing my mind trying to get them to follow the directions either)!

2. Hubby & I ventured to Cabella's for an afternoon.

Don't worry.

He was kind enough to endure a trip to Target afterwards.  

If that's not love, I don't know what is.

3. What's spring break without a beach day?!

Clouds & raindrops can't stop us from having a girls day at the beach... even if it's spent searching for wild beach horses instead of tanning in the sand.

4. Hubby was deployed for my 30th, so we (finally, finally, finally) had a chance to celebrate late this week.  We spent a rainy day at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Then went to see...

WICKED!

AaaaaMAZING!

I'm in love. And feeling like defying gravity. :)

5. Because I'll have to be getting back into school mode here shortly, I'll leave you with some fairy tale writing.

In 2nd, we studied a lot of fairy tales, including different versions of each.

At the end of our unit, we LOVED writing our own fairy tales.

I whipped up a graphic organizer, fancy fairy tale final draft paper, & a prince/princess crown for display.

You can get your own here!

Place Value (& a Freebie!)

Flats! Longs! Units! Oh my!

There are way too many different terms for 100's, 10's, & 1's aren't there?!

We've been busy sorting through it all in our place value unit with 3 & 4 digit numbers.  Some days I can't believe these kiddos are doing math with such big numbers already.  Where has the year gone?

...Not that I'll be complaing when I'm sitting on the beach in June. :)

If your sweet students are anything like mine, sitting still is just absolutely not an option.  We get up and moving as much as we possibly can all day long.

Hunt the Room activities are life savers.

I make a HUGE deal out of them every time. We must put on our detective hats, use our sneaky tiptoe walks and all!

Well, I thought you could all use a little mid-March treat.  So here is our Place Value Word Problem Room Hunt & it's FREE!

While you could easily use the same activity in a center or small group, I just feel that the time spent moving & thinking at the same time does so much more for their growing brains.

Not to mention that I also get to be moving around the room at the same time, getting in some extra steps & "exercise" for the day. Win!

It's Currently 2015!

OH. MY. WORD.

What happened to the second half of 2014?!

I really fell of the grid.

But, life was crazy. Good crazy. Sad crazy. All kinds of crazy.

That's what's so awesome about a "new year."  You get that preverbial "clean slate" to start all over with.

So I'm starting with a blog post.  Is there any better way to kick off the year that with a currently that's chock full of wishes & resolutions?

I think not. #Imayevenhashtaginthispost

Listening: Acapella makes my heart so happy!

Loving: My mother in law got me the most amazing blanket (ever) for Christmas.  "Because you're always cold!"  {Sooooo TRUE!}

*Brrr!* I better stay under this blanket #alldayeveryday

#toldyouso

Thinking: Today is the LAST day I'll be 29! WHAT?! 30, seems like such a ridiculous number.  I mean, regrouping all of those ones into a ten is... I dunno! What is it? I have no words for how strange it seems in my head.

I've been thinking all morning about all of the amazing things that will happen at 30.  My first half marathon (hopefully), the possibility of an incredible vacation, maybe feeling a little wiser now that I'm in a new decade, &....

Wanting: I get my husband back after I turn 30!!! So very soon he will finally be home from his latest deployment. I am Thrilled. Elated. Ecstatic!

Joy! Joy! Joy!

Needing: I've been running for a few years now, but one of the reasons for my blogging absense is that I've been running a LOT more in the past few months.  Unfortunately, my holiday damper was the realization that I definitely pulled one of those important knee muscles.  I've been on a running break to allow it to heal, but I'm clearly impatient.  Why won't it heal faster??? I have a 10-miler next weekend & a half marathon in February.  If you're reading this, please say a healing prayer! There's lots of power in that.

YES: This year, my only resolution is to finish what I start.  For example, if I start reorganizing the kitchen cupboards, I will not leave everything on the counters for daaaaays.  Imma get. it. done.

(I'm hoping my knee heals ASAP so this can apply to the races I've got coming up, too!)

MAYBE: I run a lot.  I do yoga-esque workouts often.  I lift weights 1-2 times a week.  I'd really like to think about doing more with weights in the gym this year. ...We'll see!

I WISH: I wish & pray & pray & pray for GOOD HEALTH! Not just for myself, but for my family, friends, & all of YOU!

What are you ready for in 2015???

Thankful Hearts

It's been sooo long since I've written anything.  MONTHS, people!  I could give a million & one excuses, but I'll spare you all the drama. You're welcome.

Anyway...

It's finally Thanksgiving break!

Take this week to reflect on all the wonderful blessings in your life, big & small.  Be thankful for them.  Not just on Thanksgiving, but every day.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Mental Prep!

It's here! It's here!

I can't get in my room just yet, but I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the HUGEMONGO task ahead.

Do you set up your class the same way each year or do you always completely rearrange???

If you need some organizational bins to help make your classroom look fantastic, head over to Teaching with Love & Laughter and check out her fabulous Lakeshore giveaway!

Hurry!!!

The BIG B2S Sale is almost over! If you haven't stocked up on all of your wishlist items yet, you'd better hurry on up!

You can grab my latest little fun for only $1.00!

You can also check out all of these other fun goodies I snagged up in the sale!

*Addition & Subraction Review Math Stations from Amy Lemons

*Mr. Putter & Tabby Writing Prompt from The Applicious Teacher

*Data Notebooks for Students from First Grade & Flip Flops

*Some fabulous clip art from Creative Clips

What did you stock up on?!