So, today is the day when I can actually get a bunch of stuff done after school.  And I just don't wanna.  :( 

My hubs and my 4-year-old (Kellen) boarded a plane for a little "daddy time" trip this morning.  They are Pittsburgh-bound.  They hate Pittsburgh---no offense if anyone from PA actually reads this. ;) 

So, why, might you ask, are they going to Pittsburgh? 

Well, this is exhibit A in my attempt to prove that my husband is a total.football.freak.  And not just football in general, though he does enjoy watching any football game.  But a Cleveland Browns football freak. 

So, yes....my 4-year-old has accompanied him on his very first Browns "away" game, and folks, it's gonna be a cold one.  As in 30 degrees.  Bless his little soul.  It's a good thing I packed multiple layers.  But guys, let me tell you--homeboy is stoked! 

Anyway, I am a bit surprised at how nervous I got this morning as I said goodbye.  How strange.  I mean, they're coming back tomorrow afternoon.  But for some reason, I have been worried sick all day.  I even went so far as to track the flight and wait anxiously for news that they had safely landed.  What's up with that? What a psycho! 

So, here I am.  At work.  Tons to do.  Just me and my Jakester.  And, I think I'm gonna forget about work and spend some time with my oldest baby. 

But, in the meantime--GO BROWNS! :)

Well, the Christmas program was awesome.  It always is.



This is the view from the nose-bleeds.  Talk about a
packed house!
That's my cutie front and center in the red vest! ;)







Despite the fact that it is 70 degrees outside (say what!?), I am totally in the Christmas spirit.  I've got my Christmas decor up at my house...





Minus the tree topper

 

...my classroom is all decorated....





By the way, the center of my bulletin board was
a door mat I got at.....wait for it.....Dollar Tree! 

  

 



Aint' it cute?  I just did NOT have the room
for a big tree in my room this year. 
But, we all love this little mini.

 

........we're doing all kinds of Christmas crafts....(and I have to admit.  I think I'm a bit obsessed with scrapbook paper these days.)

.






These cute little
Santas
are from Cara's blog. 

  

...and ladies and gentlemen, the countdown has officially begun!  7 1/2 more days of school until Christmas break!  Woo hoo!  Now, don't get me wrong.  I love love love my job.  But, it's about time for a sister to get a break!  And, um...by the way, my family vacation is going down in exactly 13 days!  AAHHH!!  A cruisin' Christmas in the Bahamas, here we come!  I seriously could NOT be more excited!  And on top of that--I have a secret I'm keeping from my kids. We are going to DisneyWorld for 4 days before we go on our cruise.  (Shhh, don't tell!) How am I expected to keep that secret for all this time?? I mean, really!!  I've been trying to come up with some cute way to tell them like I've seen on the commercials and on America's Funniest Home Videos (our family favorite, by the way).  I'll let you know how it goes!!    

Another awesome thing:  This year some really awesome parents started up a Staff Appreciation Commitee.  All school year long so far they have given us sweet notes and goodies.  They are such a blessing.  Well, for Christmas they stuck these cute little trees on the outside of our classroom doors, and they gave us some sticky ornaments.  We are supposed to write some things we could use for the classroom on the ornaments and stick them on.  Parents are to take an ornament if they would like to fill that particular need.  (I work at a private Christian school, and we teachers buy all of our own supplies and decorations. So, you can understand why I'd be excited about this, huh? What a cute idea!  And I am so blessed to have such awesome parents that the ornaments are flying off the tree!  

Can a sister get some ink???  LOL. Am I the only one using up ink like it's going out of style over here?  Whew!  I'm on my third black AND color cartridge of the school year ALREADY!  

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! (At least it will tonight at 7pm)

Ok, Ok, So technically I guess it doesn't FEEL a lot like Christmas here in eastern North Carolina, but tonight is our school Christmas program, and I can't help but be excited!  Our school's Christmas program involves grades K4-1st, with some help from the high schoolers and middle schoolers who put on the play.  These kids have worked sooooo hard, and this is their shining moment!  And let me tell you now, there is just something about children singing that gets my eyes all watered...so innocent and so sweet.  It makes you forget all the craziness they dish out here in the normal world.  :)  This year the program is an extra proud night for me because my son Kellen is in K4 this year and will be singing right up in the front.  He's getting so big! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! 

Right Around the Corner....

Wow, Thanksgiving is really right around the corner.  This year has really been flying by.  We've been having a blast doing Thanksgiving activities and crafts, but my absolute fa.vor.ite is this adorably colorful turkey.   I really have an addiction to scrapbook paper.  But I just love how they turned out, each one so different and so stinking cute.

And they made the cutest bulletin board!  I just love them! 

We also had a "layover" in learning about apples.  I started by giving each child an apple half and we counted seeds.  We read books about apples, we made homemade applesauce in the crock pot (nothing beats that smell!), and we made applemen.  They turned out just adorable.  AND they went perfectly with the hanging laterns I already had up for my space board.  Woo!  I just love when it works out like that.

We officially have 5 1/2 more school days until Thanksgiving break!  Not that I'm counting or anything.... :)

 

VETERANS DAY

I AM SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!  I seriously get teary eyed just thinking about it.  I live in a military town, and sadly I've seen first hand how de-sensitized they can become.  But, I hope we all take a few moments out of our lives to sincerely thank a veteran (or two or three) for his or her service to our magnificent country.  Let's never forget that there are sooo many men and women today who bravely chose to enter the service out of love for their country, knowing exactly what it meant to do so.  I am so very thankful, and I have tried my best to show that to my class this week.  Friday is not just a day off.  It's special!  So, we made these as a tribute to our veterans (many of whom are the very parents of children in my class.....and my very own husband). 

 Got this cute idea from Babbling Abby!

They sure do make for a messy door, but I think I can take it until Thursday.  I told the kids that they could take them home Thursday and give it to a veteran.  Many of them will be giving theirs to their own dad.  :)  So sweet.  What a blessing to live in an area full of such awesome and selfless men and women.
THANK YOU VETERANS OF ALL AGES FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SACRIFICE FOR THIS AMAZING COUNTRY OF OURS!  AMERICA WOULDN'T BE WHAT IT IS TODAY WITHOUT YOUR SERVICE AND GOD'S BLESSING! LET'S NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

HELLO NOVEMBER!

Whew.  I made it through October.  Not that I don't love October, because I simply adore it: the leaves, the break from the crazy North Carolina summer heat (!), the smells, everything.  It's just been a bit of a doozy of a month....class-wise.  Don't get me wrong.  I. love. these. kids.  They totally have my heart!  I am so crazy attached to these guys already.  BUT (and isn't there always one?)  they have been pushing my buttons a little much lately.  It all started with a field trip, followed by a long weekend, followed by my being absent and having a substitute.  Isn't that just a haunting combination?  Plus, I introduced "even and odd" and counting by twos last week, and it didn't go so well. 

On the plus side, we had a blast on our first field trip.  We went to Neuseway Nature Center and Planetarium.  These are my girls. :)  Doesn't this photo just drip personality? 

We also tried out some awesome new math tubs (thanks to Cara Carroll and Babbling Abby). 

Also, we had a great time learning about bats.  We read the nonfiction book BATS by Gail Gibbons, and we made a class list of interesting facts about bats.  Then we made our own bat, and each student got to choose 4 interesting facts they wanted to include.  This was our result:

Pretty dang cute, if I do say so myself.  Then we read the fiction book STELLALUNA by Janell Cannon.  This is so stinking cute.  We just loved it.  I definitely recommend it.   

Happy November!! :) 

Mystery Reader

No, you are not hallucinating......Two posts in two days!  I think that qualifies as "on a roll!"   Just a quick general announcement: I saw Courageous the other day.  Awesome movie!  You need to see it!  One of only a handful of movies I've ever seen where the entire theater gave it a standing ovation at the end. 

So...anywho.  Back to "business".  This year I started something new with my class called Mystery Reader.  I carefully select our Mystery Reader and send home a Top-Secret invitation along with a questionnaire.  Our first Mystery Reader was the grandfather of twins in my class.  The last one was our "custodial engineer".  So really, they never know what to expect.   I then use the questionnaire to come up with five clues.  I give them one clue each day leading up to Friday, and they carefully record each clue on their form.  Just before I introduce the reader, they are to record their final guess.  Then, I bring in our Mystery Reader, and he or she reads either a book they brought from home or one I have already chosen for them.  It has been so much fun!! Who will I choose next?..........dun dun dun......