So this was my first week back after my super long three week winter break.
And I am here to report two things.
Number 1: I survived.
Number 2: It rained ALL THE DAY LONG FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT.
If you don’t know what ALL THE DAY LONG FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT means, let me break it down for you.
It means EVERY SINGLE DAY.
It means FOUR DAYS IN A ROW.
It means ALL DAY LONG FROM THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL UNTIL THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY.
Read THIS POST if you want to review what a rainy day is like for me at my school. Spoiler Alert: It does not have a happy ending.
Now. You know I love my kids. I do. I don’t have to convince you.
Of course I missed them while I was on break. In the way that you miss cherries when they’re out of season. You don’t realize how much you’re missing them until they’re back in season (and then, if you’re like me, you spend way too much on cherries and eat them all in practically one sitting).
But I’m not normally missing cherries because I’m super happy eating my Nacho Cheese Doritos which are always in season, and BONUS – they come in a Family Size bag when you feel the need.
So.
Like I said, I missed my kids. Just as much as cherries. You get it.
BUT.
I didn’t miss them to the point of needing to spend 24/7 with them for four straight days in a row while they asked to go to the bathroom so they could splash in the puddles and get up to no good.
I didn’t miss them to the point of saying let’s skip recess and stay together enjoying one another’s company since it’s just been so darn long. Um. No.
But there you have it.
That’s basically what happened.
And I’m sorry, folks, but there’s only so much Go Noodle a girl can take.
That’s right. I said it.
So . . . once, here or there, or somewhere, I saw mention of the fact that the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was some sort of animated cartoon on Amazon Prime. I don’t know where I saw this information, but I saw it.
And then I promptly forgot it.
But then, because God is good, and He loves me (and you, too!) he put it in my head AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME and I remembered that I had forgot about it! This remembering what you forgot phenomenon is common in older people. If you’re not there yet, just wait. All sorts of fun is in store for you, let me tell you!
YOU GUYS. It’s true! If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is now (or has been while I forgot all about it) an animated series on Amazon Prime AND THERE ARE THREE SEASONS!
THREE WHOLE SEASONS!
Up to this point, my class has not been about any type of video of any kind whatsoever. I’m talking NOTHING. I don’t tend to watch videos much, but every once in awhile, I try to let a video do the talking about a subject instead of me and NOPE.
I mean, MY OWN STUDENTS won’t listen during Listen and Learn activities.
I don’t know what it is, but this class in particular has to be entertained by LIVE HUMAN BEINGS STANDING OR SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM. IN THE FLESH. Or they simply just do NOT care.
It’s mind boggling.
Is it a new thing? Am I the only one? Is this happening anywhere else?
I say to them ALL THE TIME that I will never ever ever go to the movies with them or watch TV with them or listen to a podcast with them BECAUSE THEY NEVER STOP TALKING.
BIG DEEP BREATH.
I’m fine. It’s all fine.
BECAUSE . . .

For the first time all year, my class is QUIET while watching this series. I’m not kidding. They LOVE it. I don’t know what it is, but they just sit and listen and watch.
All of the characters from all of the books are in it (Dog, Cat, Pig, Moose) and it is seriously the cutest show.

This was us the last five minutes of a day because they BEGGED me to finish an episode.
You know it’s good when they’re asking for it on a Friday WHEN IT’S FINALLY DRY AND WE CAN PLAY OUTSIDE.
I promptly said GO PLAY OUTSIDE, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE AND ALL THAT IS HOLY, GO OUTSIDE!
I put this wonderful piece of information on my Instagram this week and people there told me that Amazon Prime also has Pete the Cat, Click Clack Moo, and The Snowy Day! Plus lots of other great shows that I’ve never heard of like Bookaboo. And some dinosaur show . . . and who knows what else.
Another great thing? NO COMMERCIALS! And it automatically advances to the next episode.
Now.
I also had some people say that their district wouldn’t allow them to log onto their Amazon Prime and how was I doing this . . .
And I don’t know what to tell you except to say that I logged onto Amazon, went into my account, and BAM. Done.
Did I ask for permission?
No.
Did the computer let me log on?
Yes.
So I’m calling it good.
🙂
Up in here in the Bay Area we had the same problem. I use other resources fir indoor PE, like Jack Hartman, Greg and Steve, the Learning Station. Some of it is for littler kids, but The Learning Station in particular has some things that wouldn’t be too babyish for your 1st graders. (“Singing in th Rain” is a fun one.) I am glad to know about Pete the Cat and all of those. I was running out of Peppa Pig, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and Max and Ruby episodes.
I have had 42 kinders in my room during recess all week (M-Th) and they are ENTRALLED with Ben and Holly. I decided I needed to switch it up so we watched Word World on Thursday, and they loved it. Do your kiddos like Mystery Doug? My kids (last year in 2nd, and this year) love his videos!!
This week has been an absolute doozy wth the rain!! Last week was our first week back, and it was tough. Kids were not ready to be back into a routine, but I’m glad we didn’t start back on rainy day schedule. We all need this 3-day weekend!
This might be a trick to help some: My district wi-fi filters randomly give me grief when it comes to not letting me on some sites. So I have found, at least some of the time, that if you log-in to a site WHILE AT HOME, and leave the tab OPEN when you close your laptop (Yes, I live with a dozen tabs open all the time, on my laptop and in my brain), then open your laptop at school, and just let it connect to wi-fi so you are where you left off, that you can continue on with the video or site content. Just sometimes. But worth a try. Part of the on-going, ever present mystery that is the internet.