TGIS!
Okay, here we go again. Only one of my pictures will be teaching-related this week.
Again, this doesn’t mean I’m not teaching amazing things. It just means I was too busy teaching to stop and take a picture.
I know that every year I feel like this at the beginning of the year, but it just feels like I can’t get anything in order, I’m all over the place, I teach something and instantly think I should have done it differently, I think I went too fast, now I think I’m going too slow, I’m not sure when we’re ever going to get to do centers the real way, I have seriously not taught a formal writing lesson yet, and is there a limit to the amount of brain breaks one should be doing in a day?
Well, anywho, none of that really matters because it is Saturday. And, well . . . on Saturday, I try not to be too hard on myself. I reserve that for Sundays.
Do you see what I see?
I was out back with Murphie per usual (every morning I take her outside for about 25 minutes while I drink my coffee and pray, except I pray while standing up and alternately kicking a soccer ball for Murphie to chase) when I heard a loud ker-plunk against the fence.
The ker-plunk made me duck and cover (I have a habit of this) and then Murphie found the GIGANTIC insect (pictured above) while it was dazed and confused on the ground. She pawed at it for a second or two and then it shook itself awake (I think it had knocked itself out or maybe it even died and Murphie is now a hero for reviving it and I can write a book about this adventure instead) and it kept trying to get up and fly away, but it couldn’t.
I took that time to go inside, get my phone, and take this picture of it.
LOOK HOW HUGE IT IS.
IT IS DISGUSTING.
I WILL HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT CHASING ME AND GETTING CAUGHT IN MY HAIR.
While I was investigating it, it suddenly got its bearing and flew straight up into the air while I just happened to be bending over taking a big, long look at it.
Let’s just say that I am happy Murphie was the only one with me in the backyard while I screamed and flapped and shook my hair and checked over my shoulder and gave myself a pat down as if I had just failed the metal detector at the airport.
I got a special surprise from a very good friend of mine (her name is Susan) who moved away. We used to be teaching partners and then she moved home to St. Louis. And now she lives in Kansas. Although none of that matters except to say she does not live down the street from me anymore. 🙁
When Susan’s house sold, and she called to tell me, I pretty much hung up on her, grabbed a bottle of wine and a box of tissues, and drove over to her house.
If only I could still just drive over to her house.
Susan makes the cards.
She’s like that.
I try not to worry about that either on Saturdays. Or Sundays. Or any other day of the week because I am just not crafty. But, hey, I bring wine when wine is called for. Which is often, if I’m not mistaken.
It was a card for just because.
LOVE IT! Thank you, Susan! Miss you, Susan! Love you, Susan!
Click {HERE} to check it out!
Here’s the something teaching related!
Hadar at Miss Kindergarten featured Brittany’s Fluency and Fitness packs on her blog this week.
I fell over from the brilliance of this.
People, there is NO printing. It is seriously READY TO GO. I emailed it to myself the morning I bought it, opened up the email on my school computer and voila.
Project on screen (and my screen happens to be my whiteboard, but whatever).
I bought two packs. The CVC pack and the Number Sense pack. We were working on short o this week so we used the CVC pack . . . it was FANTASTIC! The kids loved it! The craziest part was how quickly my kids could transition from the exercise back to reading the CVC words! They LOVED it.
You can read more about it and see a video of it in action on Hadar’s blog.
Do you recognize these people?
Hmm, do you?
Yep. It is Juan Pablo and Nikki AND GUESS WHAT?
They are going to be on the new season of Couples Therapy starting WEDNESDAY!
I know I shouldn’t love Couples Therapy. I know it makes me look bad. I know it’s trashy.
But I cannot help myself. I just cannot. I am so interested in the relationships of these people and what they’re going through. I just can’t not watch. And, as I’ve said before, I practically majored in psychology except I didn’t because it meant I would have been in school longer. Analyze that.
Now I get to watch JUAN PABLO and NIKKI’s relationship unfold and see all the ins and outs??? YESSSSSSSS!!
Click {HERE} to see the whole video which is really just snippets and not exactly a whole video so don’t get too excited like I did. I’m pretty sure they’re in therapy because of the whole I love you thing.
When I went to school today, I had a guest bedroom. With a bed. And pillows. And sheets and stuff. And when I came home, I didn’t have it anymore.
That’s because the hubby and I have been tossing around the idea of making me an actual office. And, by this, I mean the hubs would do all the work, and I would get online and pick out office stuff that I like.
An office could mean that when I print something and I forget the armoire doors are closed (our printer is in an armoire at the top of the stairs), all of the stuff that I printed will not be folded over on itself, and then when I open the doors, the paper will not fall in a massive, unorganized heap onto the carpet. Instead, an office could mean that the printer is on a desk instead. And I would be able to find things because they would have a designated space instead of a shelf here, in the kitchen pantry there, and squeezed into a drawer over there.
Our guest bedroom gets used exactly two times per year when Kerry visits. Her two boys sleep in it.
Now, they will still sleep in it, but they will be sleeping on blow up mattresses on the floor.
An office for me would be used EVERY SINGLE DAY. I have dreamed about an office. I have pinned office spaces. I have drooled over blogger’s offices. I would love an office instead of working on the floor at the top of our stairs. Or on my bed. Or at the kitchen island.
And NOW . . . the guest bedroom is completely empty and the hubs even ripped out all of the carpet last night.
There is no going back now.
I will try to take progress pics as we go along, but it might be hard considering things seem to happen magically while I am at school.
And there you have it.
My week.
How was yours?
I totally feel swamped at the beginning of the year! I'm so stressed out! Until we get into a routine. We'll be in our fourth week next week and we're starting our small groups. Hopefully by the fifth week, we'll be in a routine and I will have a feeling of order and completeness!
Love that you can have an office. We're kinda trying to do that, too, but it's a long process! We have so little space in our house!
What I Have Learned
It is always nice to hear that you are not the only one that feels completely scattered at the beginning of the year! I actually cried when hubby picked me up yesterday ? thanks for your posts they brighten my day and remind me that I am a good teacher. BTW started using gold tags this year and the kids love it!
So excited for your new office! a little jealous, but mostly excited for you:) I think you should most definitely make a trip to visit your friend, Susan. And blog about it when you decide to go, so that I can just so happen to be where you will be (I live in the Sunflower State, too!) 😉 Enjoy your weekend!
SweetSchoolMoments
I am so glad to hear that you feel like you're all over the place at the beginning of the year. I just finished my 3rd week and I have TOTALLY been feeling like that! I don't remember if it's like this every year- but this is my 22nd year, so you'd think I'd have it all figured out. haha. I feel like I'm trying to balance on an uneven surface. I think an office is a wonderful idea- we have one and I love it!! I love your insect story- I would have screamed too. Carol
OMGGGG couples therapy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bahhahahahaah!!!!
I love everything about this post. I'm a scattered mess and do way too many brain breaks, too. My principal is starting formal observations next week, though, so I need to get myself together in a hurry! I HATE bugs, too. My husband HATES that I'm so afraid of them, but I just. can't. help. it. I'm right there with ya on the reality TV, but I don't think I can handle anymore of Whhaun Pablo. Looking forward to your office reveal (as I type this from the couch)! 🙂
First Grade STARS
I can't stand moths and mosquito eaters. They creep me out. My puppy tried to catch a frog in the backyard! And I can't wait to see your office!
Laurie
Chickadee Jubilee
Isn't that a dragonfly? If it isn't then I'm gonna have nightmares too! Bugs shouldn't be big enough that they can be knocked out and live! I also don't like any insects that are so big you can see their eyes! Eeeek!
dont know the couple but my sister made me watch marriage at first sight (or something titled like that) and it hooked me right away…check that out! -On demand
So excited to hear more about your OFFICE, so fancy! Teal and green? 😉
Your very own office, how great is that, I would LOVE my own home office!
Oh my! What channel is couples therapy? Hehe I know my husband will watch this too as he totally got into that season with me haha. 🙂