A Splendiferous Soap Net Sunday...and a freebie!

Oh, I love Sundays.  Especially when there's a marathon of The Lying Game on Soap Net.  Seriously, life couldn't get any better.  {Well, I guess it could.  I could not have to hear my alarm in the morning.  That would make life exponentially better.  Love my job.  Hate my alarm clock.}

I'm gearing up to teach a whole entire week for the first time this year.  Thank God it will be followed by a three day weekend!  I really need to know why school has to start at 7am.  Why can't we start at 10?  I would be so well rested at 10am.  I would probably even have time to put on a full face of makeup instead of cheating and using Whoorl's "five minute, five product face".  Win-win situation.  {As if the kids care about my face.  But then again, they do have to look at it all day.  Maybe some fun costume makeup would result in more time spent with all eyes on me?}
Anyway, like I said, I'm gearing up to teach this week.  I'm introducing bar models to my second graders.  Whewee.  This is my second year bar modeling and let me tell you, bar models make me want to head to a bar!  Do any of you use Singapore math or Math in Focus?  Any awesome bar modeling activities?  I'm trying to find some inspiration to make my own, but asking you guys just feels easier.  I'm just really into my stories right now and can't pull my eyes off Soap Net long enough to make anything.

I do want to share a few things with you party people though!  I found a super fun new blog over the weekend.  Please take a look at this adorable clip art:

You need it, right?!  Lauren over at The First Grade Diaries has a darling little Etsy shop with some cute clip art!  Make sure you go show her blog and store some love; I know I'm always looking for new clip art that doesn't come complete with a wishy washy legal team.
And for sticking with me through this ramble-icious post, a little freebie.  I'm teaching number words to my little kinder friends this week.  Thought you might be able to use these worksheets too!

Download them here! 

Have a super fabulous Monday, my friends!

When it snows, it's a-thrillin'....

I'm sitting here on the couch, enjoying my last day of break, and watching the snow fall.  Part of me hopes it sticks but another part of me can't wait to see my little friends again.  The weather report says it's not going to be significant, but the flakes are big and the rooftops around me are already covered.  So who knows.

But for now, I think it's safe to assume that my break is coming to an end.  I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to break the news to my couch and TV.  We've become rather close and they will be lost without me.  I tried preparing them yesterday and today by going to school for a few hours.  There's always so much work to be done.  I found myself wondering why I didn't just go every.single.day we were off.  Then maybe I would be caught up.  Psht, who am I kidding?!  I would still find myself wishing for just a little bit longer so that I could be on top of things and maybe even ahead of things.  But here I sit, still trying to get some work finished and thinking about the fact that my alarm is going to ring tomorrow.  And the fact that I have to be brave and head back to my classroom tomorrow, despite the Incident...

On the last day of school before break there was an Incident.  The Incident has made me a smidgen nervous to return to my classroom tomorrow.  Really, I think it scarred me for life and I will need therapy.  I was sitting in my classroom after school when all of a sudden, a mouse scurried across the floor.  I may have screamed.  Loudly.  And I may have immediately changed from a sitting position in my rolly chair to a standing position in my rolly chair, arms flailing about wildly.  And then I may have called my neighbor and made her pack up my belongings for me and hold my hand as I walked sprinted out the door.  She may or may not have tried to comfort me with a story of how she found a cute little mouse in her room last year and I may or may not have interrupted her and said, "Shut up, Cinderella and get me out of here now!"  And then I may have begged her to check through my bags to make sure that the mouse's BFF wasn't trying to sneak home with me.  And I may have stomped all the way down the hall and made lots of loud noises yesterday and today when I was working at school alone so that the mouse, or mice, would know that I'm large and in charge. 

Like I said, those events may or may not have happened.  But let me tell you what will happen for sure if there is another invasion...I will spend the rest of the year teaching from on top of my stool.  Because I will DIE if one ever comes near me.  DIE.  Oh, it was awful.  I know they like to hang out at schools because we're super nice and like to keep food in our rooms and because the children are messy and like to keep food on our floors.  But I don't like mice.  I need to know how to evict them.  Would any of you like to come to my classroom and make sure they're all gone?  Please?  Will you at least say a little prayer that they won't show up while I'm getting my teach on tomorrow?  Because the last thing the children need to see is me losing my mind over a mouse.  Maybe you could even try to comfort me with a critter story of your own.  One that ends with you being victorious and never having critter problems again.  Because I love happy endings.

This & That... {updated with winners!}

{I used the random number generator to choose 3 winners: Sandra, Marlana, and Kristen check your email!  Also, thanks to everyone who gave feedback for a Valentine's exchange.  We are planning it right now and will let you know when all of the details are worked out!  Can't wait to do it again!}

I'm finally home from the annual Christmas Extravaganza.  I think I had about forty Chistmases, saw two movies: New Years Eve {great!} and War Horse {aka a 2 hour and 45 minute NAP.  Very seriously the longest, slowest movie ever.  I think I only laughed 3 times.  That's not good.  I like to leave the movies nearly peeing my pants from laughing.}, ate about 30 pounds of my mom's infamous chex mix, won one out of five games of dominoes, and had fun eleventy million different times with my family!  We also had family pictures made for the first time in for like ever.  Some of just the five of us, then the rest of the gang came along and suddenly the photographer was trying to squeeze all 15 of us into a picture.  Fun times!  I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with your families!  I've been slowly catching up with everyone.  Being out of town and not constantly connected can get you way behind in blogland.

Before break, I posted a new pack in my TpT store but I don't think I ever told anyone about it!  Crazy, I know.  It's just a wonderful Wintry Mix of Math Fun!  You'll have to check it out; several winter themed math activities that are perfect for a K-2 classroom.  Especially since I'm having a 20% off sale from now until January 1st!

A few of you party people have requested more gift exchanges.  Mrs. Miner from Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business suggested a Valentine's exchange and the sweet girl even offered to help Sarah and me!  And if you guys are up for it, I'm up for it!  I never miss a party, because I keep them going constantly... 

I would love your thoughts on a few things:
-Do you just want one partner or would you want to send a homemade valentine to a group of grade level partners?  How many people would you be willing to send a card to?
-Do you want to do just cards or a gift along with it?  {In which case, you would only be assigned one partner.}
-Would you like to involve your class in the project and exchange valentines with a fellow blogger's class?
-Other suggestions?
I'll hang on your every word and do my absolute best to make it something everyone totally hearts.  {Get it?  Hearts?  Valentine's Day?  Yeah, I'm cheesy.  What of it?}

There are a hojillion linky parties out there that I'm itching to participate in.  So I'll be back tomorrow with something brilliant to say, for sure.  But in the meantime, I'm in a giving mood... I will give away 3 copies of my new Wintry Mix of Math Fun unit!  All you have to do is comment on this post about something {make sure you leave your email in the comments}!  The giveaway will end at 9am on Saturday, December 31st and I will use a random number generator to select 3 winners. 

Long time gone...

Whew!  It's been a long time!  So glad to find some time to show some love to my blog.  I've missed all of you and have spent the whole day catching up on your blogs...perfect Sunday evening activity!  Gets me all ready for the week ahead.  And my, oh, my is this week ever so busy.

This is our last week of school before fall break {yippee!}, so I'm trying to wrap things up as much as possible and finish units and assess so I don't have to re-teach when we get back just to give a test...  We also have two groups of visitors coming to see our school in action this week.  Our school was chosen to present at the National Model Schools conference this summer and as a result, we've had visitors every week since we started back!  It's exciting to have people in and out...keeps us on our toes and focused.

On top of everything going on at school, I'm also getting ready for a week at the beach!  Aaahhh...can't wait to smell the ocean and dig my toes in the sand.  But first I have to get a pedicure for those toes.  And I'm due for a highlight.  And I need to clean my house.  (Am I the only one who has to have a SPOTLESS house before going on vacation?!)  And I need to make sure I'm planned and ready to go for the week after fall break so I don't have to spend Sunday at school when I get back.

But I have some posts in store for you this week because I love you all oh so very much!  I'm super appreciative to those of you who nominated me for awards over the past couple of weeks! 

2nd Grade Rocks was kind enough to give me the I Heart Your Blog Award!

Then several of my bloggy friends gave me the Versatile Blogger Award!  Thanks to Queen of Sticky Notes, Third Grade's a Charm, Carried Away in Kindergarten, Bee The Change, and The Silver Lining in Teaching.  Thanks guys!

Alright!  Time for me to head to bed so I'm ready for our visitors tomorrow morning.  Our principal sent out a phone call saying they would be at school and ready to see us in action by 7am!