The Sunday Edition - The Wicked Way!

Outside my window... Whoa Nelly...spring has sprung!! It's 82, a sweet breeze, poppies and daisies are in every front year and the trees are coming in to leaf. Love it!! I am especially grateful for the beauty around me today as I think about so many that have been affected by the tornadoes. Wow, it makes me count my blessings.

I am listening to .... murmurs. A whisper of conversation here, a faint ring there, it's the cloaked noises that remind me that there are others here with me, yet the world is outside. Perfect.


Favorite things from this week ... 1. WICKED!!!! Oh my golly gosh. It was knock-your-socks-off-phenomenal!!! Why, oh why have I waited so long to see this?? Rich and I both loved it. I am still singing and humming. (That makes Saturday chores much more fun:)))) 2. Finding the perfect bookshelves on Craigslist!! They're gorgeous and huge!!! This room will come together yet. 3. Q updated my phone and I am whole again!! Wahoo! 4. Leap Year celebrations for a great birthday boy and son #2 celebrating another one yesterday. Cool week.

I am thinking ... about the Tucson Festival of the Book. Yea! It is A.L.M.O.S.T. here. I can't wait til Saturday. It's the end of the grading quarter so I'm pondering grades, report cards, schedules and how to get my kiddos really ready for State testing in April. Yikes. AND I'm rolling the taste of Spring Break over and over across my tongue!! It starts this Friday and I intend to love every minute of it. I don't want to have to DO anything. I want to to just what I WANT to do. Oops...and read in bed in the morning. AND sleep in. AND ---- A week of possibilities.

I am grateful for ... 1. good weather and safety from the storm. I grew up in Tornado Alley for a portion of my little ol' life and they scare the liver right out of me. 2. I am so thankful for warnings. 3. On a lighter note, I am grateful for new hiking shoes. In preparation for a big hike this summer I am wearing them at every chance I get. They are fantastic and feel wonderful--Yippee. 4. Dropbox. Now that is one cool program!! And talk about user friendly. It puts Googledocs to shame. Wow. 5. My public library. You can now check out eReaders. Some come fully loaded with books to read or you can check out one and load up your own things. I am on the reserve list to check out the Nook and see how it would work in a classroom or by a pool or at a baseball game. How cool is that?!?!

I am reading ... Cinder by Marissa Meyer (thank you public library reserve list. It was finally my turn - -loving it - - need I say more?!?) Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson (thank you, Shannon Hale for the recommend - we're best buds, you know!) Finishing My Side of the Mountain with my class. I love to hear small murmured comments, "I LOVE this book!" as I walk around the room. The hum of opinions and debates that are raging amongst the kids are fantastic. This is what reading is!!

This week they made 'smoking racks' like the main character did to preserve his meat. They were so creative. Of course it wouldn't be my life without reading about 4-5 more books but I'll just leave it at these for now.

I am listing ... People to call, lessons to teach, things to do, and notes to write. Now that they're on paper (or in my phone) I can forget it!! Right?!?!

I am creating ...new ways to teach fractions, decimals and percentages. Hmmm. Any ideas? Getting ready to create my March Madness Bracket.... I adore NCAA basketball.

Plans for the week ...meetings & classes, report cards, planning who to see and hear at the Book Festival....who cares about what's for dinner or the mundane. This girl has her priorities...

The Sunday Edition

Outside my window... night-time winds. It's supposed to be up to 70 mph winds tomorrow. I guess it's getting ready. The day here was fabulous today, though. We had the doors open all afternoon and loved it. Steaks on the grill after church really made the house smell good too.

I am listening to .... the office clock and the silence. It's LATE around this old casa.

Favorite things from this week ... Reading My Side of the Mountain with my class. They are loving it. They can hardly wait to talk about it and defend their ideas and thoughts. It's wonderful and everything I wanted it to be for them. I adored having the three day weekend, taking care of the pups, and surprisingly enjoyed my Science Observation. My kiddos are so immune to visitors that they tune them right out. They sure showed off their 'scientist' behavior though. Proud of them. The observers were very impressed!

I am thinking ... That I have SO MUCH TO DO. No, I am not overwhelmed. Not at all. Good thing I am calm on the outside. I am trying to fool everyone. How's it working??

I am grateful for... date nights. My phone. Friends. QT. EZ Grader. Lists. Mopped floors. Bookcases. Savings accounts. Birthday boys. Leap year day. (Happy Birthday Drew-boy!) March and the Madness AND the Miracles!! Happy Birthday Paulie....Stamps and snail mail.

I am listing ... things to copy at school tomorrow. Lesson plans, sub plans, science lessons, a poetry unit and SmartBoard activities for teaching ordering decimals. That's the school list. I have lists everywhere. I wish I was more organized. I was definitely standing in the wrong line in heaven when they were passing out the Organization Gene!! I got in the big-butt line. Oops.

I am creating ... relationships. It's fun to watch them develop this year.

Plans for the week ... I feel like a broken record - - it will be a crazy-busy week, but the highlights ahead will make it fun!! I can't wait to: call #3 Son on his "7th" birthday!! Leap Year day, it is. Love that kid!! Call #2 Son on HIS birthday!! Wow, 2 good-looking birthday-boys in the same week. They loved sharing birthdays when they were growing up. (Can't believe that it will be March at the end of the week - -) Meetings, classes, teach decimals and teach them well - review, run like my hair's on fire and stop eating goldfish cheese crackers!! NOT! We go to see WICKED this Friday night. I am so excited!!! I bought a Wicked Witch Journal from Barnes & Noble this past week to get ready - Thanks, Lesa, for the recommend. I LOVE journals. It's almost Spring Break......

Have a fun week!

The Sunday Edition

Outside my window... it is a beautiful January morning!! Sun is shining, wispy clouds in the distance and the high should be 77 AGAIN! Yep, it's typical January weather. You know, the days that really make living in Arizona fantastic. It makes up for the summer and as we say, "you can't shovel sunshine!"

I am listening to .... the office clock and the silence. It's peaceful this Sunday morning as the neighborhood awakens. It took me years to appreciate silence. I am glad that we have become friends. I think it takes a modicum of peace within oneself and a confidence to appreciate the silence (the non-cluttering noises.)

Favorite things from this week ... The Invention Convention in class! 33 wacky and wild inventions hand-crafted from a bag of junk and with the specific purpose to alleviate fears!! Hmm. It was a risk worth taking with my students and they really blew me away!! It was fantastic. We invited neighboring 4th grade and 5th grade classes and presented a SmartBoard presentation with it. It was a crowded classroom - 90+ kids but it was all worth it!

for those who are worried about the Safe Play for their siblings

for those who are afraid of the sun

for those who are afraid of Vampires

for those who are afraid of spiders

I also had a blast at "Girl's Night" where we all went to One for the Money (Stephanie Plum - fun! We even ate 'Tasty Cakes' while watching, in true Stephanie Plum-fashion) followed by dinner and still more frivolities at Buca de Beppo ( yum - fun!)

I am thinking ... I need a mental-health day AND a car like this....

L.O.V.E. the license plate AND the hubcaps!

I am grateful for ... a random phone call from # 1 son, a random text from # 3 son, a drive-by afternoon visit from favorite daughter, a cleaning morning with #4 grandkiddo, diet Dr. Pepper, library books, jackets, and custodians who find lost favorite earrings on the floor in messy classrooms!!

I am reading ... My Side of the Mountain with my Walk2Read kids, two Rafe Esquith books (for teaching motivation), One for the Money (to compare and contrast), To Have and to Hold (for kicks), Focus (for work), and Midnight for Charlie Bone (for Literature Circles) ....yep, all at the same time!

I am listing ...
1. work "to-do" lists
A. Social Studies (it is Arizona's 100th birthday in 2 weeks!)
B. Science
C. math
D. writing
E. walk2math ideas
F. word derivatives for walk2read kids
G. MORE...
2. new living room ideas
3. upcoming trek dates, supplies and reasons why I "should" do it (but I DONT want to)
4. Valentine ideas....
5. I think I need to make a list so I don't forget to follow the lists!

I am creating ... lesson plans, Powerpoint presentations, SmartBoard lessons...it feels like the only 'creating' I do is for school. Last week I 'created' Genius Kit bags for the Invention Convention - it took ALL day to sort, label and bag up 33 kits of the same junk...but it was well worth it. Tuesday I cut 100's of straws for making triangles to sort by angles and lines, I created math games for Family Math Night, and that, ladies and gentlemen is the extent of my 'creating'! I don't really even create dinner anymore - I would rather 'create' dinner reservations!

Plans for the week ... Clean my classroom and desk (Houston, we have a problem!!!!!!), Hair appointment (yippee - I love an afternoon with Nikki), dinner with J & K, Saturday workshop and hopefully an author presentation (wahoo!)

And that, dear friends, is the Sunday Edition from my corner of the world! WHEW!