Welcome to First Grade

Thought I would do a little update of my classroom.
Here are some pictures and a video.

Here we are on a hike up in McGaffey forest. I taught them how use sticks as weapons.

The whole class on the hike.

We went up the fire tower. Awesome views.

They read 300 books, so we had a party at the park.

Halloween

Red Ribbon week - Drug Awareness - we went around the neighbourhood doing a parade.
We chanted "Booooo to drugs!" the entire way.

This video shows some of the ridiculousness that goes on in our room.

Today we were doing place value - so I gave each student 10 popsicle sticks and 100 beans. We glued 10 beans to each stick for counters. Now they can count by 10's. Anyways - none of them new the bean song. "Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot!" So I taught it to them.

This is my winter song to you. The storm is coming soon. It rolls in from the sea.

I was all pumped to pull out my Christmas music this week. Especially because I picked up the Amy Grant Home For Christmas CD (taking me back to 1992) at Goodwill for super cheap a couple of weeks ago. But the weather here is too nice to be in the Chistmassy mood. It was +20 C today. I am NOT complaining, but I do miss the snow. Just slightly though.
I was in another craft sale this past weekend. I did very very well. It was so awesome. I have one more this Saturday. Craft sales get me in the mood for Christmas. I decided all the gifts I buy this year will be handmade. I picked up a sweet present for my nephew this weekend. That's as far as I have gotten, but I do a have a list and ideas for everyone. Woop woop. Wait, I take that back, no ideas for the father yet. Dads are hard to buy for.
Well happy Monday! I had a great day. Despite my horrible dreams last night and the three papers I wrote yesterday that ruined my weekend. Anyhoo have a great week! Only four more days of work till Thanksgiving break.

Ooooooooooooooohh I almost forgot. You need to download the song Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson. It is great.

MadHatter:Do you care for tea? Alice:Why, yes. I'm very fond of tea. MarchHare:If you don't care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation.

I hosted a Tea Part today. It was pretty much great.

Maggi, Naomi, and Audria with their nails painted,

and their toes!

Sitting down to Tea. We had mini Nutella sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sliced apples, mandarin oranges, celery with Cheese Wiz, raisins, homemade bread with butter, chocolate milk, and fizzy orange juice.

The food is slowly disappearing, and the stains on the table cloth are growing.


I had the most gorgeous bouquet of gladiolas from Trader Joes. They lasted a week, and then I chopped em down to the few that remained alive.

After lunch a Feist dance party erupted.

Veterans Day Tea Part = a great success.

Check out these videos from the day:

I love that you can see the girls dancing in front of the TV cause they are trying to see themselves in the reflection.

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top The snow is softly falling The air is still within the silence of my room I hear your voice softly calling

Music that has got me through the day. Alison Krauss.

I have written three papers already this weekend. One more to go, and it is just gonna have to be handed in late.

It is snowing right now. I have been charting the action on weather.com as well as the tele. It doesn't look great for a snow day. But perhaps just a late start... fingers crossed. It was so sunny and gorgeous here yesterday. I like snow though, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The rest of the week will have nice weather.

I decided at the end of the week I am pulling out all my Christmas music! Whoo hoooOOO! I did a little sampling tonight though. Song for a Winters Night - Sarah McLachlan. Although I like the Gordon Lightfoot version as well. But I am partial to Gordon Lightfoot.

I found a cat. Well it sat in my windowsill meowing for two days, and then I just let it inside. I can't keep it. I want to. I already have two cats, and a dog. That is enough pets. It is lovely tough. And orange. Very orange.

I was so pumped yesterday because I finally found a great purple nail polish. I have been on the hunt. Seriously, it is a lot harder that you think. I tried all of my Gallup resources - being Walgreens and Walmart. Then I checked out Target last weekend. Nada. Well I stumbled upon one of those beauty supply places yesterday and wamo - purple nail polish galore. In the picture below you can see my nails all painted different shades of purple. I needed to find the right shade. Which until yesterday seemed impossible. I went with Tempest and VIII. I got greedy and picked out two. THEN, guess what, they just happened to be buy two get one free, so I picked up an amazing fuchsia pink called Sexy Silhouette. You can never have too many nail polishes. I also forgot to take them out of my purse, so this morning at church my little bff Maggi saw them and was enthralled with my new colors (I often paint her nails). So that led me to hosting a Tea/Nail painting Party on Tuesday. That's right a Veterans Day Tea Party. I am inviting Maggi, Audria, and Naomi (whom are all somewhere between 4 and 5). It will be grand and I will post pictures.

Oh and the whole purple thing has to do with my new glasses and it is also Maggi's favorite color. She is a big influence in my life.

p.s. Isn't that mug great? I purchased it a few years ago in some little shop in San Diego. The udder even has teats.

when I am old I will have a goat and I will feed him roses

I have the sniffles and the sneezes.
I partied too hard this weekend.
Mid-twenties - you start to realize you can't handle the partying like back in the day.
I heart tea.
I am going into shock from honey overdose.
One paper down, two to go.
I have a new phone, it is sweet.
I love the sound of fallen leaves in the wind.
My dog has an owie and has to go to the vet, poop balls.
Mostly I just feel lonely today.
I am sick of teaching, but that could just be November talking.
I wanna bake pies and yummies, and sell them. In a store. That I own. With books, lots of books. And I will wear a different apron everyday for a year.
Ooooo and I bought a blue tooth to go with my new phone, hurray for new multitasking opportunities.
I could dance to Twilight Serenade all day.