What a week... 5-4-F

I don't know about you, but this week has been nothing short of emotionally draining for me.  I feel like I could seriously do a 5 for Friday solely based on the tragic events that have occurred throughout the week.....However I refuse to focus on the negative!  So here it goes, a day late! :)

The usual link up with Kacey over at Doodle Bugs! :)

1. I will start with the ugly so I can end with the shine!  When this week began, I knew that it was going to be a hectic week, however I didn't realize with all of the tragedies that occurred it would be nearly as hectic as it was.  

The week began with the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon.  I have been asked if it makes me scared to run now.  My answer is no, in two weeks I will be participating in the color run.  Living in fear, is not living.  When it is my time, I will go, until then I will live my life to the fullest enjoying all of the little things!

Thank you Melonheadz for the pictures!

 Tuesday as I spent the day running around the school getting last minute things together for our class field trip on Wednesday, I learned that a student at the high school, in the town I live, was taken to the hospital after a self inflicted gun shot wound.  This event occurred on school property at the stadium.  Although it didn't occur in the district I teach in, it still hit me hard knowing the situation occurred. 

If you're a fellow Texan, you surely know where West is. This is a sweet little town that I drove through on my way to school when I was in college as I came and went from home.  Currently, I live about 45 minutes from West.  Being that both sides of my family are of Czech decent I always LOVED stopping to grab some fresh kolaches, especially the pineapple and poppy seed ones!! I have a huge weakness when it comes to anything with poppy seed!!! Waking up to find out the news of what happened on Wednesday night in West was devastating!   I can say though that I couldn't be more proud of how people from all over the state of Texas have responded to the tragic events!

Thank you Melonheadz for the pictures!

I could go on with more that happened on Thursday and Friday... but I will stop here.

2.  Let's get happy!  Saturday of last weekend, my mom and I had a garage sale!! I would say it was quite successful!  We had a couple of friends bring over items in addition to ours... I meant to take a "before" and "after" sale shot and of course I forgot.  We were able to get rid of A TON of junk and make a little money, too!! Altogether, we made close to $400 between all the families!  Not too shabby for cleaning out the house!  Around lunchtime that day, two of my brothers came over to start putting up the shed I bought a couple weeks ago!  Let's just say what looked like an easy job .... was anything but easy!  Seven hours later we were finally done!  B even got to try and give the boys a hand!  The picture below is a snapshot of the weekend, including her first ice cream cone, first fortune cookie, helping out with the shed, and helping mommy make dinner on Sunday!

3. On Monday, I began introducing "how-to" writing.  As we began this, we did a fun little activity to introduce it.  EDIBLE CHARLOTTES!   Yep, you heard it right, we made edible Charlottes.  Two years ago I did this with my kids and it was a hit.  It worked out perfectly that we were introducing expository writing and focusing on "how-to" writing during our Charlotte's Web unit again this year!  My kids were so excited about this and so was I!  I started off the lesson by simply explaining what we were doing, telling students the supplies they were going to need, and showing students how-to make the edible Charlotte.  From that point, it was all in the students hands.  

After they finished making their Charlotte, I of course had to get pictures of them with their Charlotte! :) 

Once they finished making their Charlotte, they had to complete their "how-to" brainstorming map.  Let me tell you, I think was the MOST engaged and quiet they have ever been during writing time.  I would say it was because they love writing, especially expository-how-to writing so much, but lets be honest....It is really because they knew that once they were done with their writing and I checked it, they could eat their Charlotte! :)

  My favorite part of this lesson is without a doubt, taking their writing and then making a Charlotte following their directions!  Let me tell you......... They learn really quick exactly how specific and detailed they must be with their writing!  Here is just a sampling of how some of the spiders turned out following their directions! 

*You may think some of these look close... but none of the "eyes" have anything keeping them to the crackers!!*

Click Here to get the directions & Edible Charlotte How-To Brainstorming Map

If you haven't had the opportunity to check out my expository freebie writing on TPT, click here to check out the post with more details on the unit! 

4.  Wednesday, was a much awaited day for my kids!  Our class field trip!  I have been hearing NON-STOP for over a month the countdown to our field trip!  Back in August, I applied for a Target Grant for field trips.  I was one of the lucky picks to receive this grant, so my class ONLY was able to go on a field trip for a day!  I decided to take my kids out to a local retreat and we worked on team-building exercises outside in the AM and were able to go to their on-site theater in the afternoon!  I will do a longer more detailed post later about this so not to clog up this post, too much!! :) 

5. While I had every intention of getting my current unit I am working on completed this week, it did not happen!! I completely blame the craziness of this week on that!! I have just been mentally and physically exhausted, so it hasn't happened!!   I spent extra time this week cuddling on the couch with this cutie, she doesn't like to share her time with the computer!! I can't say that I blame her! :)

As we look forward, as we reflect upon this past week, I will leave you with the verse below.  

Five for ..... Saturday

As I mentioned last week... On Fridays I am so stinking exhausted,  even though I have every intention of writing, I can't gather the energy to do it!  I mean seriously, our Friday night staple for dinner this past month has been pizza, because I literally don't even have the energy to think about cooking!!  B doesn't complain though, she loves it!! She devours at least two pieces and sometimes three!!

 
So here I am, on Saturday night, sharing my Five for Friday and can't wait to because even though it was a stressful week back, it was a great week! :)

1.  Well I know I posted this picture on Monday, but last Friday my best friend came to visit.  The main purpose of this visit was for our race that we completed on Saturday... WARRIOR DASH!  It is a 5k with 12 obstacles... INSANE!  Seriously, the first third of the race was all up hill on a rock trail... We were about 2/3 of the way through and I began thinking to myself...."SERIOUSLY... not only did I sign myself up for this, but I PAID for it too?!?!?!?"  I was beyond excited to be done and honestly am contemplating doing it again!! Next time though, I will NOT forget my inhaler in the bag I checked... had I of had it, the race would have been much more enjoyable and quicker!! :)

2. On Monday, not only was I SORE and SUN BURNT from the race, but most excitingly we began CHARLOTTE'S WEB!!!!!! :)  I know, I know... I've shared this photo, too... but SERIOUSLY, how can you not be excited about Wilbur, Charlotte, Fern, and Templeton!!  I just LOVE reading and working through Charlotte's Web!  My kids are LOVING the new unit that I made, it is making my life teaching different elements of the story SUPER easy as well! :) 

3.  Tuesday was our field trip, the first one of two for my kiddos this year!! We went as a grade level to H-E-B (a large grocery store in Texas) and our county Museum.  The kids and parents were quite skeptical of our choice of a field trip, and well you may be too as you're reading this, but seriously it was a blast!  We did the same field trip last year and it was fun, this year it was even more enjoyable!  At the grocery store they talk about eating healthy, what a portion size is, the different parts of a grocery store and the kids even got several samples... bananas, freshly made tortillas,  as well as yummy salmon and pork!  I think know their favorite part of it though was when they got to "pet" the crab and lobster!  :) The museum was also really cool, I love learning about the history of our area and even though it is the third year we've gone, I learn something new every year because they are constantly changing out some of their displays!  My favorite part was the little old lady in character like she lived during the 1800's!  My kids were glued and completely drawn into her presentation as well! :)

4.  However, Thursday was probably one of the BEST days!  My mom was on spring break this week, it's wild that even though we are neighboring communities that we have different spring breaks!  Anyway..... She planned to pick up B early from her baby sitters and came to meet me for lunch!! I don't know who was more excited, my kids or me!! :)  My kids have been DYING to meet B for MONTHS!!!  The pictures and almost daily stories are NOT enough for them!  They were in complete awe of her and well she was in heaven being with so many "BIG" kids!  The best part of the whole thing though was the sweetest compliment I received from my team mate on Friday though. As we were talking after school she said that it was so sweet to see me with B and that when I was holding her that I was just glowing!!  Sweetest. Compliment. EVER!  Thanks, Kristin! :) So even though I didn't get a picture of her in my room, I did get a picture of her before the day started, the only way I was able to get her to pose for the picture was by telling her she was going to see her Gama!! She is definitely a Grandma's Girl!!

5.  I'm going to start this one with a picture and then explain.....

So... I am definitely that teacher that has crazy silly rules in her classroom.  One of them being we DON'T say the "c" word.... you know the one that starts with "craaa" and ends with "eee" .... That is how one of my kids described it to me last year and I cracked up laughing.  Yes, I do not allow my kids to say crazy.....  WHY?!??!? I'm sure that is what you're thinking.  Well, let me explain.  As a child that word was a NO, NO!  It was disrespectful to call someone that and inappropriate to say that something was crazy.  Plus, I admit that even myself now as an adult use the word too openly.  When I began my first year, I vowed that would be one of my rules.  It takes the kids a week, maybe two max to really be able to control themselves from saying it.  On top of the fact that I don't really like the meaning of the word and how loosely we use it in todays society, it makes the kids practice self control over the things they say and THINK before they think.  Something that TOO many kids today lack. :-/  Ok, so now let me explain the picture..... My first two years of teaching, I was NEVER caught saying the "c" word in my class.  This year, in the last two months though, this phrase above has slipped out of my mouth TWICE!! You should see my kids faces too when they realize what I've said!! Their eyes become bugged out, their mouth drops open, and they are in complete shock.  Thankfully, my first two times of slipping up, they have been easy on me and given me "warnings!" haha...

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Mine is going well, minus the fact that I think my little miss may just be getting sick :(  I am going to get back to watching my trashy tv reruns of old school Real World and my glass of wine! :)

Oh & a just because sale is now going on in my TPT Store! :)