June Currently

LISTENING:  Though I am writing this from my classroom, the peace and quiet after the recent rain has just blossomed with the sound of bird calls!

LOVING:  I spent the majority of my weekend cleaning my ENORMOUS house for guests and I really hope it STAYS clean!  We'll be dropped into our summer break in T-minus 4 days and I'm hoping my boys can help keep it picked up.  

I found this cleaning schedule on Pinterest and I plan to use it to do a better job at keeping my home neat and tidy.  I really like this one because you only have to do deep scrubbing on weekdays.  Perfect for my summers off!  So often during the school year, I do all my cleaning on the weekend and I don't have the strength to enjoy anything else.  Or I avoid the cleaning altogether . . .  With this, I can get and keep the house clean during the week and have the time to spend on other things.

  

THINKING:  Last year, my oldest went to a Cub Scout camp with his uncle.  But this year, the scheduling didn't work out.  So instead, I signed him up for his first summer camp.  For 4 days and 3 nights, he'll be at Camp Benson in Mt. Carroll, IL.  This is a big deal because he won't really know anyone else there and he'll be sleeping in a cabin in the middle of the woods.  SOOOOO exciting, but a bit intimidating.  It isn't until July but I've already starting preparing him for this experience.  I was his age when I first went away to camp but his (and mine!) nerves are still jumping.   

WANTING:

For the past few weeks, I have had this binder sitting on my desk.  I really, really, really, need to get my copies done for next year but I just haven't found the time!

I prefer to get next year's copies done now because the copy machine is always so busy at the beginning of the year.

In the past, I had these papers spread throughout my room in file cabinets, folders, stack of papers.  I always struggled to remember what needed to be copied.  So, duh, I put them all together in this binder and I keep in on the bookshelf by my desk.  In it, I have our:  Assignment Planner, Grammar Quiz Booklet, Addition and Subtraction Fact Booklets, Daily Math Review, Spelling Lists, and Spelling Dictionary.  These are items that I give to my students at the beginning of every year to be stored at their tables.  

NEEDING:

This summer our school will be getting a small face lift.  These hallways have looked like this since the elementary addition was built in 1956.  We will be getting all new flooring and a new paint job.  I'm hoping for a cool orange and black scheme to match our school colors.  Those brown and beige floor tiles are asbestos, so they are heading out the door and will be replaced with a grey flooring material.  

In addition, we will be getting an all new parking lot for the building and I'm told the boys and girls bathrooms will be remodeled.

Because of this, I will not be able to get into my classroom until mid-to late July. (If we're lucky!)  So I'll need to decide now what I'm taking home with me to work on over the summer.  This is going to be tricky!  

SUMMER BUCKET LIST:

1.  Two summers ago, I began a bathroom/laundry room renovation that just CANNOT keep moving!  We finally got drywall up but finding the time to paint has been a nightmare!  Now that I am (almost) on summer break, I'll be able to push that task to the finish line.

2.  I think I have about a dozen TpT products started but none of them are nearing completion.  Hey, that sounds like my bathroom project!  Anyway, I hope to get 2 or 3 done and posted this summer.  Now that my kids are getting older, I won't be as distracted.

3.  We expanded our garden this year from a 12x20 to a 20x40.  That means more great veggies but it also means more weeding and tending.  

Be sure to link back up with Farley!

This may be my last post for awhile, so I hope everyone has a great summer!!!!

~Stacy

May Currently and a TpT Sale!

Listening:  We seemed to FLY through our math lesson today so I grabbed our money and dominoes to keep the kiddos engaged.  The money game is something I adapted from Math Wire.  You can read more about the game here.  The dominoes came from Box Cars and One Eyed Jacks and you can read more about them here and here.

Loving:  This has been a very tough week for my district.  There is an ongoing investigation at the high school involving bullying and abuse.  Obviously, there is a lot of media attention and speculation and blame is flying.  I pray for everyone involved and hope they can be led to right decision regarding discipline. 

Thinking:  I have had the same cheap-o grill for nearly 10 years and I am ready to Toss. It. Out!  It never lights, the flame only really cooks/burns in one corner of the grill and it is falling apart.  After my husband urged me to "think" about this new grill, we are heading to Menard's to buy it anyway!

Wanting:  This week Holly at the Fourth Grade Flipper shared a post about a great online company called Stitch Fix.  You can read her post here.  After filling out a Style Profile, a personal shopper sends you five fashion pieces, like tops, pants, jewelry, etc.  If you like them, you buy them.  If not, you return them free of charge.  How cool is that!?!?  BUT they are so busy, I won't be getting my first order until mid-July!  So to ease my urges, I had a mini-shopping spree the other night and my selections should be arriving any day now.  My most anticipated piece is a pair of brown knee-high boots.  

Needing: This rain has turned my garden into a mud puddle and at this rate, I won't be eating fresh veggies until October!

Surprise:  Today my Surprise Blog is Kristin at Teaching in a Nutshell.  I chose her because she was the last person to comment on one of my own blog posts.  She's also a fellow Illinoisan and a new blogger so I hope you can head over there to check out her great posts!

You can link back with Farley here!

Start loading up your shopping carts!  TpT is having a Spring sale May 6-7th.  Everything in my store is 20% off and you can use the promo code below to get an additional 8% off.

~Stacy

April Currently

Feels like a lifetime since I've linked up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for her Currently Linky.  But in reality, it's only been two months!  I guess the school days haven't been flying by as fast as I thought they were.

Listening:  My two boys love to watch documentaries about the earth and animals.  When I came down the stairs this morning, they were watching one on monkeys in the Amazon.  Then we switched to one on caves. (we have the whole series recorded on our DVR)  But this one didn't keep their interests and they've wandered off.  But as with most of the kids' shows, I find myself continuing to watch even when they're not around!

Loving:  Instead of being in charge of 13 kids everyday, this week I'm only in charge of 2.  That's an improvement, if only for a week.  :0)  Besides, we were all needing a little break from one another.  I'm sure I was getting on their nerves as much as they were getting on mine!

Thinking:  Here I am on the third real day on break and I have very little to show for it.  I brought home my stuff to work on TpT products but so far I'm having trouble getting inspired.  Instead, I've rolled out of bed at 8:30 AND managed to take a nap everyday!  I know, L-A-Z-Y.  Getting groceries and a few loads of laundry done counts, though, right?

Wanting:  Wind gusts up to 55 MPH for the last two days doesn't exactly help the temperatures.  The other morning I woke up and listened to a howling wind that could of had snow with it.  To my relief, there was not a snowflake to be seen.  At this rate, I won't be getting my garden in until June!

Needing:  A pothole discovered my husband's rear wheel last week and caused $300 worth of damage and it STILL isn't fixed.  It's a lucky thing I'm on Break because he has been using my van to get to work.  We tried me taking him to work but his day starts at 7:00, which meant I had to get up at 5:30.  Not cool.  So instead, I am stuck at home with no vehicle.  

Hours and Last Day: Though there has been recent talk of lengthening the school day, right now our days start at 8:30 and end at 3:10.  And all the snow days this winter pushed our last day through the first full week of June.  

That's all for me.  Head back to Farley's to link up!

~Stacy

February Currently

This morning I am linking up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for her monthly Currently Linky.  As I was working on this, I realized I hadn't done one of these in a really long time!  I really had to think about my answers!

Listening:  My two boys have started begging me to take them to the new movie "Mr. Peabody & Sherman".  One of the previews uses this song and I have been humming it ALL weekend!  

Loving:  I just started a new book series called "birthmarked".  I began the first book last night and I had to force myself to go to bed once the clock showed 12:00.  Birthmarked is a story of a dystopian/eutopian society where midwives help deliver newborns of mothers from the slums and hand them over to the wealthy and privileged on the other side of the wall. 

Thinking:  My small town of 1,000 people is reeling after the sudden loss of two of its members.  The first was a former classmate of mine.  He was a kind and gentle man who will be greatly missed.  I had the honor of teaching his step-daughter, whom he loved as dearly as if she were his own.  

The second loss was the father of another former student of mine.  He was killed in a snowmobiling accident.  His wife used to work in our school district so many of the teachers here knew him personally.  He leaves behind a wife and two children.

Wanting:  Well, duh!  Here in Illinois I have come to accept that the winters are cold and harsh.  But I could do with a tiny warm-up.  We have not had a full week of school since we returned from Christmas break!  Either extreme sub-zero temps or inches and inches of snow have kept us away!  I'm not asking for the tropics but c'mon!

Needing:  Last year I discovered winter sowing and it worked out so well for my garden last year that I need to get it going again.  Winter sowing consists of planting seeds in small containers like milk jugs or rotisserie chicken containers and setting them outside to germinate.  And yes, you set them outside in the freezing temperatures of January and February.  The semi-sealed containers act like a greenhouse.  By the time you are ready to plant your garden, the seedlings are already hardened off to the cold and ready to plant a least 3 weeks sooner than if you had started the seeds in the garden.  

2 Truths & A Fib:  I think I'm going to keep this one a mystery.........

~Stacy

My First Currently

I really like this idea.  It gets bloggers sharing and interacting is a great way! I linked up with Farley over at Oh Boy! Fourth Grade for her monthly Currently.  Head over there to link up and leave comments. 

 

So here it goes:

Listening:  I am writing this during my lunch break and the high school band room is right down the hall.  Our band is not very big but I can always get an idea of what time of year it is by what they are playing.  Right now I hearing military marches.  This indicates rehearsals for Memorial Day performances.

 

Loving:  Here in Illinois, Spring has been a bit camera shy.  We've only recently been getting into the high 50's and it's been GREAT! 

 

Thinking:  So we've been working on our downstairs bathroom for almost a year and we still have studs and roughed-in plumbing.  My husband keeps saying he'll get going on it soon but I'm beginning to think it's never going to happen!

 

Wanting:  My van has done me well over the years but I'm ready for a change.  It doesn't help that my rear window wiper hasn't worked in years or that I have to help the automatic doors actually close.

 

Needing:  Since the weather has been so cold, the ground has been too hard to dig in.  Now that it's finally warming up, time is short to get the garden in on time.  I've got the seeds in their Winter Sowing mode, but the weather's not helping getting those sprouts moving!

 

Advice:  I'm new to the blogging world so I'm the one who needs advice.  The biggest issue I'm facing is getting followers.  How do I get more traffic to my blog?  Your experience and assistance is greatly appreciated!   

 

 

Have a Great Weekend!

~Stacy