Owl in MY Backyard

How cool was it to find a Great Horned Owl in my very own Backyard!  My class has been studying owls and we are reading Poppy by Avi!!  Today we had a fun lesson on our opinion about owls and Mr. Ocax's motive!!

Enjoy and share with your class too!

Personalize your own scrapbooking design

Book Club Update

So my book club is the BEST!  We always have the most fun and creative times together!!  In October we read the book WILD which was an Oprah 2.0 Book club book!  It was actually such a great read, I have no idea how Cheryl took that hike and she is my hero!  We spent a foggy morning hiking in Las Trampas after coffee and discussing this book!!

 In November, we read 12:21....END OF THE WORLD!  I didn't get a chance to read it which really bummed me out and I was actually under a ton of stress as we were hooking up the evening of our last day of school before Turkey break....I had to drive my daughter to dance and everything so I decided I couldn't go!  Sure enough....see pic below....my gals came over with an end of the world drink for me and kidnapped me!  It was such an awesome and funny night....I am so lucky to have these women in my life!  Sorry about the cake pic...upside down!

In December it has been our tradition to do a cookie exchange ever since we read the Cookie Book Club book a couple years back.  Now....we have never been able to agree upon a good holiday read so we all pick our own and then wrap them up in a thematic wrap to exchange as well.  I made the yummy cookies below with the peppermint kisses....found on pinterest of course!  The table shows all the other fancy cookies these ladies wrapped up!!  I read The Christmas Wedding....kindof cheesy but a quick read!!    Next month....actually we meet this Friday....we are reading The Book Thief.....guess I better quick blogging about it and get to reading!  We have planned out our next several books for the year:  The Great Gatsby, Gone Girl, Language of Flowers, and a Shakespeare play....I have a ton of books on my 2BRead pile.....and I am looking forward to new books coming in the next few months by my favorites:  Sophie Kinsella, Jen Lancaster, Jane Green, and Jodi Picoult just to name a few!!

January Currently

I am linking up with Farley again and getting my "currently" on.....I think my new year's resolution is to get my blogging back on....personally and on Up Owl Night....Happy New Year 'yall!!!

silence for Sandy Hook

OCT Currently....hooray for pumpkin time....

Well, my seven year old son decorated the house with all the halloween art and pumpkins, my job share partner made multiplication haunted houses with our class, and I have purchased my littles their halloween costumes.....I guess OCT is truly here!!

Link up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for some currently fun!  I am going to purchase the Currently pack for my class....too much fun!!!

First 6 weeks of school=Newborn Stage

I finally figured it out......the first six weeks of school are the SAME adjustment as having a newborn baby.....

Here we are on our first friday of our first week of school...



You might know what I am talking about.....that part where the only thing you do is take care of the baby!  That is what I have been doing....only taking care of my 26 students/classroom/lesson plans etc!!

Here are just a few things that I have obsessed about over the last 4 weeks:

~ Daily 5
~ Creating a perfect schedule
~teaching about COWS and ipads and trying to get wifi to work
~Read aloud read alouds read alouds
~Notebook management
~MATH
~Hiring someone to be my jobshare partner
~504's and SST's
~Teaching all those routines....bathroom, pencils, erasers, lunch counts, jobs


In the meantime....I have neglected quite a few things!  


So this weekend I set out to be a bit more balanced.....
and what would you know.....I am writing a blog 
entry for the first time in almost 2 months!  
I went on a date with my hubby, 
left my lesson plan book at school, 
and have watched about 10 episodes of
my new favorite show....REVENGE!!

I met up with a firend who is also a teacher and mother of three 
children.  She said something that made me think....it's the first 6
weeks of school...this is how it always is!

This week I have got to start taking care of me, hit the trails...
and run, and find time to read my book too!

 Next weekend I get to go scrapbooking with friends, I guess I am 
taking my good pal Ryan's advice...lol!!


What do you do to stay balanced????

AUGUST CURRENTLY....Can't believe it is August :(

Hi everyone!!!


Can you believe it is AUGUST????  Oh man.....the only good thing about August is that we go to our family camp....LAIR OF THE BEAR!!!  


My husband has been going since he was 2 years old.  We started going as a family when my oldest was 18 months old....this year will be our 10th year!!!  The week is very special because you are outdoors enjoying nature and family.  The kids have age group activities they do with counselors and the mommies/daddies just CHILL!  I won't have to drive ANYWHERE or cook any meals!  


I just have to get all of our gear organized and then I can relax!!!

Here is a picture of us from last year....


Don't we all look so happy and relaxed??  these pics are from one of the fabulous cocktail parties...Tiki Tuesday!


This year is SUPER special because Mike's brothers and sisters are all coming up with their kids!!










I am thrilled to be able to have my favorite girls with me at the pool for water aerobics!!











I am linking up with Farley again....I love her Currently Linky Party!!!

NOW....on to the B2S must haves....


1.  I have an Erin Condren Teacher plan book which I am SUPER excited about, but even more so I NEED the Life Planner....this week starts everyone with their extra curricular activities and I am having a hard time keeping it all straight in my head....I ordered one and used my $20 off coupon I received with my teacher planner...it ships on Aug 17th!!


2.  Thank you to Farley and all you other peeps out there with your personal laminator....I had to get one....did you know that they are $50 off at Amazon right now??  When I get that I will really be jamming with preparing my Words Galore Centers from Amanda Nickerson as well as some other goodies in my TPT account!   My husband will be thrilled, NOT!


3.  This summer I have been cooking up a storm and have added two new meals to my menu that my family love!  I also purchased a rice steamer and we made chipotle lime/cilantro rice the other night....wahoo burrito bowls in my own home!  I want to plan out a month of meals so that we know what is going on....especially with the afternoon/evenings that my oldest has dance!  Our favorite meals include:  Spaghetti with meatballs, Chicken Bryan, Chicken Picatta, Pizza (from scratch of course), Tacos (burrito bowls), Breakfast for dinner (egg/bacon/cheese sammies).  Once I have that all organized I will be golden since I eat the same thing for Breakfast and Lunch everyday!  I love organization!!!


Well....back to reading for me....I am currently reading Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan.  It is a great summer read....lots of drama and takes place at a beach house!!  The hubs is working late tonight and Monday night so I have LOTs of time.  I do have to make a reading plan though because I also have a book club book to read by Thursday....wish me luck!


What are you reading this summer?  Any recommendations for my camp trip???