Sunday, May 19, 2013

Sunday Salon - The Norovirus, Report Cards and a Glee Marathon


The Attack of the Norovirus, Report cards and a Glee Marathon!


These little guys invaded our casa this week...first baby Tinsley, then her momma, then her daddy and then Rich and finally....on Saturday - MOI!!
I felt blessed that I didn't have to miss any school.
This virus was awful and our poor little baby is still not her typical happy/joyful self. No-fun, Mr. Norovirus. We are tired of you visiting and officially demand that you leave.   


Report cards are the focus of the day...since I spent my day in bed yesterday. 


Since we are all a bit punk and under the weather J and I decided that a Glee marathon was in order!

On the book front....

1. We finished Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan with one of my reading groups! They LOVED it. Tomorrow we start the movie at our lunch time for the next 4 days. They are so excited.

2. We are in the middle of reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor with my regular class of students. Again, this is a home-run book for them. We went on "blind walks" as one of the main characters becomes blinded due to a boat accident. Both boys and girls are loving this book and the dialect from the Caribbean. We have calypso music on during reading time now.

3. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson was one of my book group reads. Unfortunately I was in a house of illness when book group night arrived, so I stayed home to nurse the sickies and kept from becoming Typhoid Mary to my friends. Too bad, discussing the characters in that book would have been fun.

4. Six Years by Harlan Coben. There is one author that I can always trust for an exciting read. I discovered Harlan Coben when I was working as a manager at a bookstore. His book, Tell No One, was a riveting read for our staff and we all literally passed one copy from one to another. It was a page turner. When we emailed Mr. Coben he responded immediately. We became fast friends and big supporters. Since then his books have become my gotta reads when a new one appears. I love him for how he keeps the dialogue real, the tensions high and the reader involved. It's just plain exciting. I also love to hear him speak about other authors. He has such respect for his profession and he is well read and willing to share the great works of others. He is a walking book reviewer and commercial!


Summer is fast approaching.....4 more days with students to be exact!! 
Until then there are writing folders to finish up and a classroom to take down. Ah, yes....the madness continues for a few more days and then.....take a breath...a rest!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Still teaching...for 6 more days....

What the heck...while other teachers are taking their stuff down we are putting things up!!
The Trouble With Tuck by Theodore Taylor
Literature Study


My 4th graders loved it!!
Now we're on the The Cay by the same author...I will admit that we are not making a bulletin board though.

For my Walk to Read kids we have...




Greek mythology and Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief!

Report cards are due Sunday night and classrooms should be getting packed up and stored away but we still have a great book to work on...
These kids do NOT want it to end!

This is such a small photo that doesn't show the busyness of the classroom but it DOES explain why I am still not done with my book-group-book yet for this month!!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming!!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mother's Day

Hang up the cape today and enjoy yourself!!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Saturday snapshot!!


Watermelons mean summer is coming!
I love it that Tinsley has her first taste!!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sunday Salon





Listening - to the whir of the fan. Yepper-di-deppers folks, it hit 100 degrees here at 1:15 pm today. I love my fans!!

Eating - Saturday morning bagels with my honey, lunch with friends in Scottsdale (next time I am definitely getting the blueberry pancakes no matter what!) and wedding reception foods that night. Saturday was like a smorgasbord of foods. Today we just had C.O.R.N. (clean-out-refrigerator-night.) It was definitely interesting!!

Reading - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan with my Walk to Read kiddos (these 40+ kids have never been so excited as this to have started our Greek Mythology study!) I am also reading The Trouble With Tuck by Theodore Taylor with my regular class. Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner is the next book group book and there are three other books on my nightstand! Love it.

Feeling - Sleepy. Enuf said.

Watching - Jack the Giant Slayer at the cheap theater Friday night. It was better than I expected. Certainly worthy of the movie treats we bought. 

Wanting - I really want to see 42 but Rich wants to see Oblivion. Good thing it's my turn to choose the next date night. 


Thinking -  The last few days of school will whiz by. Our superintendent wrote a newsletter to our district about "The 90 Days of May" which made me laugh. It does NOT feel like 90 days to me, it whizzes by too fast but I do have 90 things to do in those quickly fleeing days. Get your big-girl panties on....here it comes.

Random Coolness -

               

The joy of spoons, cups and noise!! It is definitely the simple things in life that make us smile.

Have a great week.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Sunday Salon

 AIMS (High Stakes Standardized) Testing is DONE!!

Maybe I can have a life again?!?!
Not so fast chica...
Did you forget that it's the end of the year??

Too many things to mention ...
But I am still smiling. 
I can put the whole end of the school year on one calendar...


My life was on more than hold when I developed a bad back. That was HORRIBLE. I have no other words for it. I have such empathy for those who struggle with this hidden pain. 
Oh my golly gosh.
 It was exquisite.

BUT now I am getting better...I can see the light...

EATING ---- I have discovered white Chocolate Peanut Butter. 
That stuff is delish. 
And addicting.

READING ---- Maisie Dobbs was fantastic. The author built such a sense of time and place. I was always ready to go wherever the author took me. I know I'm coming late to the show...I think the author has 10 books out now. Isn't that cool?!? I have more guaranteed winners waiting in the wings. 
            Great By Choice by Jim Collins is an interesting read that my Superintendent recommended I read. Not far into it yet though...
           I'm ready for another book that will grip me and not let me go.

WHAT'S AHEAD ---- 
              My mom's 80th birthday - let the planning begin.
              The week's calendar - there are some BUSY days!!
              A new job opportunity - interview and all. Yikes
              Book Group this week. :)
              Chiro Appointments....thank you, thank you!!
              
May your week be remarkable.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday Salon - April Break

APRIL BREAK...

What a fabulous three days....
 Our district calls the first Friday of this month April Break - I call it AWESOME!
These are a few of my sights....


 Jenni got Kyle the WRONG size of swim trunks...they were tablecloth worthy!! Tinsley loves the backyard, I love those cheeks!! Tea parties with Jase are not to be missed.

I bet you think that all I do is sit in my tree-swing and watch the world go by...and you might be right!
But,I did manage to...
 catch bagels with Rich, take in the Tempe Festival of the Arts, birthday shop, take a kiddo to the doctor, pickup another one and celebrate a happy birthday, feed the masses, head to Tucson for kiddos' April birthdays, play with family, swim, laugh, and slather on sunscreen.
I hugged and kissed on all my little kiddos' cheeks and spoiled them like Oma's do.
Life was full!!

Today I sat in my leather chair. 
I feasted.
I heard from my #3 son that he is being deployed to a yet unnamed location, but he is strong and I must be too. 
I heard words of support. 
Life is full.

Today is quiet,
my heart is replete,
I feel blessed.


PS...American Wasteland is an amazing book!! Just an FYI.