Date Nights!!

Happy Monday!  I am so glad the first day of the week is over.  This is the only day of the week I don't have a pull-out so the day always seems to go on forever!  Doesn't it seem you NEVER get as much done as you think you can?  I planned to stay at work a little late to get some work done, and the next thing I knew someone had stopped by to chat and I was leaving school at 5:30 with half the amount accomplished I wanted to get done.  But that is life.  We get up, we work, then we do it all over again the next day.  It's a crazy circle.

I thought I'd share a little something with you that I made a few months ago.  Sean's birthday was approaching and I was searching high and low for an idea.  When I turned to my trusty friend Pinterest, I found the idea for a Date Night box.  I knew I had hit the jackpot!  Sean and I try to make sure we have date nights, but many times we end up simply staying at home and watching a movie or favorite show.  Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love our nights in and impromptu plans.  But I thought I could mix it up a bit and plan some unique nights for us.

Introducing the Date Box!  Inside the box are 12 envelopes, each with a pre-planned and pre-paid date night.

The first explained what the box was and how it all would work.  At the beginning of each month we get to open up the envelope and see what's in store.  It's so much fun!  So far we've had a Harry Potter movie night and this past weekend we made a fort and watched Lord of the Rings while planning our London trip this summer.  So far it's been a success!  It's lots of fun waiting to open the envelopes, and I've already forgotten which date is in each month so it's a surprise for me too!

To shift gears for a quick moment, I've been thinking a lot lately about an orphanage I got to visit in Kenya.  Several things have been bringing the experience to my mind, and I've been feeling God leading me to do something about that experience.  Later this week I'll be writing about something I'm going to be planning for this summer.  For now, please pray for me!

Delicious Desserts and Seussical Support

I made the most delicious dessert on Sunday!  Really.  It was delicious.  Lick your plate delicious.  What was it you ask?  Mini Pear Pies with ice cream and caramel.  I found this recipe on Pinterest that made the pear pies with blue cheese and walnuts.  I altered it by taking out the cheese, adding caramel, and substituting toasted almonds for the walnuts.  And voila!  This is what we got:

As I said, it was delicious and deceptively easy. 


This week our 3rd-5th graders are beginning testing.  I am SO glad my poor little children don't have to deal with this.  At our school the administration assigned each lower grade class a buddy class to encourage during the testing period.  On the first day of the week we decorate their door and deliver letters from our class to encourage the kids.  Then we deliver candy for the kid each day.  I don't have to decorate my buddy's door until next week, but I wanted to get it ready tonight so it's one less thing to deal with next week.  I was racking my brain for an idea and decided to draw inspiration from our Dr. Seuss week.

It turned out so cute!  And I love the trufulla trees and the color they add.  My kids are going to write notes and we'll attach them to the door the first day.  Yay for Dr. Seuss!

It's Been Awhile...

It's been awhile since my last post!  Ok... more than awhile... but this girl has been busy!  With a new job teaching, moving, and being newly married I haven't had much time to blog.  Or exercise, but that's another matter.  So today, I have a special treat!  In celebration of having all my observations done and being (almost) finished with conferences, I decided to take some time and show off my room.

It has hit that point in the year where we're all feeling DONE.  The kids are feeling it.  I'm feeling it.  Even Paka is feeling it!  As much as I hate to admit it, we still have another 2 and a half months of school left.  So I decided I needed some change.  The way my room was set up was not working.  Our library was growing and we didn't have it very neatly organized.  I've been wanting to create a reading area for awhile, and when my Promethean Board was threatening to not work last week I realized I had NO empty board space if it ever decided to die on me.  So I took advantage of my free time during conferences to change up my room and I am so excited about it!

 

I forgot to take a before picture!  Here is my classroom mid-move. 

My library was in that bookshelf by the door and was always a MESS!  Kids would stack books on top of the others instead of putting them in sideways.  They were falling out all the time.

So I completely moved everything around.  Library went to the back of the room, desk to the front.  And voila!  Here's my new desk area and library/reading area!  A parent came in today, saw what I was doing and said, "We have a beanbag that would perfect for that area!"  Yay for supportive parents that love to help me build my room!

Library/Book Area

Teacher's Desk Area

Labels

 I put labels on my bins to help my kids know where to put everything back.  They have color dots that will match the ones I put on the front of the books.  I know, I know... wishful thinking to hope they will put everything back perfectly.  But a girl can try!

Small Group Area

I also moved my small group table to the middle of the window.  I put a bookshelf with my manipulatives behind it so I have easy access when doing math small groups.  Moving my room around made it look a lot more open and makes me feel like I have a fresh start!  Now tomorrow it's time to buckle down and plan the next few units.  Have a happy Friday everyone!