Motivational Monday....on Tuesday!

So this week is off to a rough start.  I think most weeks after a long-ish break are rough, the kids come back and seem to have forgotten everything you have taught them and completely erased their minds of all of your expectations.  Maybe this isn't how everyone's kids are, but geez Louise, it is how mine are this week! YIKES, it's only Tuesday and I've wanted to pull my hair out multiple times.  This all could be due to the fact that I started off the week still partially sick therefore my patience level wasn't quite as as high as it usually is.

On top of all of that, I found out yesterday that a student at our school lost their parent very sudden and unexpectedly.  It really puts life into perspective, it reminds you that life is short.  It reminds you how truly important it is to cherish every moment you have with your kids (your own and classroom) and your loved ones.  You don't know that those you love will be here tomorrow, because tomorrow isn't promised.  Yes, life can be difficult.  It can be a struggle, exhausting, stressful, worrisome... must I go on?!  While it can be all of these things, life can also be wonderful, breath taking, exciting, and wonderful.  It comes down to what we make of it and frankly knowing that life can be all of these things, the fact that life is so SHORT, it makes you wonder why we ponder and spend so much time and effort focusing on the "bad parts" of life instead of always cherishing the little moments that make life so WONDERFUL!  For example, the little pony tail that my baby had in her hair when I picked her up from the babysitter, seriously, she looked so grown up.  I was sad, my baby isn't so much of a baby anymore, but I am loving seeing the beautiful little girl that she is turning into. 

With all that said, when I saw the linky for Motivational Monday that Sara over at Smiling in Second Grade was doing, I couldn't resist writing this today.  So here are my motivational phrases, thank you pinterest, you never fail!

 This first one, was totally a God thing.  I went to Pinterest earlier today, and it popped right up, no search, first repin it showed me!  Something that sometimes I think we ALL need to be reminded. 

 Again, something I think we all need to be reminded of at times.  These reminders are my motivation!

With all this being said, it is my goal this week to let the little annoyances go!  Ok, I yes my kids don't remember what I expect of them or anything we learned the week before Thanksgiving, but they are all here, happy, and healthy.  :)  I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week! 

Kelli

Cyber Monday ... & TUESDAY!

I hope you are all rested and ready for a new week.  I wish I could say that I am all rested and ready, but due to the nasties that hit this house last week (and are still lingering), I am far from ready!  Either way, I get to put on my teacher clothes and attitude and make the best of it tomorrow.

I just wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow starts the TPT cyber Monday & TUESDAY sale!  I will be offering 20% off in my store, plus TPT will be offering an additional discount, saving you a total of 28%! Not too shabby, if you ask me! All you need is to enter the code CMT12.

Just a reminder, I added my new holiday bundle of math and literacy centers.  It has 3 math centers (graphing, telling time, and number lines), 3 literacy centers (abc order, contractions, and identifying nouns, verbs, and adjectives),  extension activities for The Mitten, by Jan Brett, and an ugly holiday sweater glyph, plus it includes suggestions for differentiation!

I also wanted to share a fabulous giveaway from Smiling in Second Grade!  The giveaway ends today, but I had to share since it is such an amazing giveaway!  You must go check it out and enter to win this unbelievable giveaway!  Click on the picture below to take you directly to the giveaway post!

Enjoy the last several hours of your Thanksgiving break, 4 weeks, until our next!!


Kelli

So Thankful....

FOR A BREAK!!!

This momma is exhausted!  I wish I could say my Thanksgiving break is off to a relaxing start, especially since it unexpectedly started a day early.... However, relaxing is not the word I would use to describe the break thus far.  Monday when I picked up baby B from her babysitters, she was being anything but herself.  She was refusing to eat, which is a HUGE sign that my baby is not okay, she would eat non-stop if I would let her. When I got home she still wouldn't eat and she began running a temperature.  I am blessed that writing sub plans for the next day would be SUPER easy since we were doing our Thanksgiving rotations.  One of my parents from last year that is a sub was able to sub for me, thankfully, she is a lifesaver to say the least!  Three days later, Little Miss is STILL sick, she just can't seem to kick this nasty virus!  Ugh!

I told myself that I was going to finish my holiday bundle with math and literacy centers before my Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday sale.... and I DID!

In the past I have never had problems doing anything Christmas related in my classroom, this year due to religious beliefs I have to be a little careful.  This unit is safe and will be worry free for me to put into my centers! Whew!  In addition to 3 math centers and 3 literacy centers, there are extension activities for the book The Mitten by Jan Brett and an Ugly Holiday Sweater Glyph!   After seeing KPM doodles fabulous clip art bundle for the ugly holiday sweater, I was determined to do something fun with them!

I also created a mini interactive book for communities.  It is always a struggle to find resources to teach Urban, Suburban, and Rural communities, so I dedicated one night last week to making this book to use as I begin teaching the different communities. 

These are all on sale, including everything else in my store through TUESDAY!! :)

 I hope you all have a marvelous holiday, eat too much, spend time with your loved ones, and even get a little Christmas shopping done!

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!

Kelli

Another 3-Day Weekend Has Come and Gone!

I always love my 3 day weekends, even though they still never seem to be long enough.  I can say that I feel as though I was able to get A LOT accomplished this weekend, even if most of it was stuff that I should have done after I entered grades and made lesson plans for the week.  **Which I still have NOT done.*** :-/  Oh well, sleeping in, taking naps, making cookies with my cookie monster, going to the movies, washing ALL of our laundry, and hanging out with friends was a little more important.  I guess it will just be a L-O-N-G night! 

Last week was such a whirl wind .... one that I hope not to experience EVER again.  Tuesday started off great, we had our mock election.  Now, when I say mock election, it was pretty legit.  Several of my kids had jobs to help the voting station/booths run smoothly.  Not going to lie, I think I had just as much fun watching them as they had participating! :)  I just loved the unit I bought from Amanda over at One Extra Degree that helped prepare my students for the election, the plus side of it is it's something I can use for US symbols and the branches of the government, too!

The bulletin board above the voting booths.

Prior to ever voting, of course students had to register!

Students had to sign as they arrived, prior to entering the booths.

"Workers" explained how to use the ballots to the voters.

Students voting in their "booth."

Once students voted and they put their ballot into the box, "workers" checked their name off and gave them an "I VOTED Today" sticker!

Then that evening I had a professional development session with a teammate.  It was releaving  to find out that we are NOT the only ones behind, but also that our writing is going SO much more smooth than most others.  (I'm not trying to brag, but seriously, most peoples stressors were our successes!) On my way home my tire became flat, I pulled over to air it up, well GOD was watching over me.  I had a massive blowout, not the kind where you're driving and have a blowout, the kind where you're airing up the tire and the tire explodes.  Yes, while I was airing up my tire, the tire exploded, luckily it was inward towards my car, rather than out towards me, otherwise I would probably not be typing this right now.  As I was on the phone with AAA (bc as much as I hate to admit it, I do not know how to change a tire), a gentleman offered to change my tire.  At first I refused his help, but as he approached me (yes, I was in a well part of the gas station, on a central road), I agreed to take his help seeing that he was a discount tire employee.  Thankfully he was able to change it, that my baby wasn't with me, that the tire did not explode outwards, and well that I am safe.  Seriously, GOD was without a doubt watching over me.  

Ok, so enough of my rant.  Here are some pictures from the last twoish weeks. 

 I posted a unit a few weeks ago for the Hallo-Weiner's.  Here are our examples, a few weeks too late! ;)

We also just finished our Texas Symbols Art Project.  This was an art project that I sent home, an easy way to get my art grades and to allow students to work with their parents. Loved the turn out, we also had a little open house for parents, which was a huge hit.

I came up with an idea last week as I was contemplating what to do with contractions .... contraction cornstalks!  I thought it would be a fun fall twist on contractions.  In the past I have made the contraction caterpillars, contraction sailboats, and who knows what else.  I was dying to make something fun and fall to put in the hallway, thus the contraction cornstalks.  So I decided to put together a couple other things I made last spring to make a fun little contractions unit.  You can grab the craftivity alone or in a bundle with all the other funtivities.  (Yes, I think I made up a new word. I like it... FUNTIVITIES!) :) 

This is the preview of all that is included in the unit, lots of fun stuff!

 I pulled out two of the activities to sell outside of the bundle, if you're interested, contraction surgery.  My kiddos L-O-V-E-D this!

Oh & of course my inspiration, the contraction cornstalk! I'm in love with how cute they turned out! :)

For those of you who didn't have a 3 day weekend, I'm sorry.  I hope that a good week is in store for everyone, just remember, it is almost Thanksgiving break and Black-Friday madness!

Kelli